Dubbed “Fashion Week for the interiors industry,” Paris Déco Off marks the annual reveal of what’s to come in fabrics and wall coverings. Let’s not forget about the passementerie either: Glimpsing the latest in trims, tassels, and fringe can leaven any nippy winter day in Paris. While in town, we also recommend spending a day or two roaming Maison & Objet, where some 2,300 home and lifestyle brands take over the halls of the Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte to present their latest collections.
What, When, and Where
For Paris Déco Off, the world’s leading textile houses take over 100-plus showrooms along the Seine, primarily in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Mail, and Madeleine neighborhoods, to preview their collection launches for the year ahead. (You’ll know you’re in the right place when you spot fabric lanterns fancifully decorating fair main streets.) The show, which draws some 40,000 visitors, will be held January 14 to 17.
Meanwhile, semiannual design fair Maison & Objet will spread across seven halls at the Parc des expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte. The trade-only show is divvied up into six category sectors—designers’ signature pieces, cooking, and craft among them—for more efficient discovery. Show days span from January 15 to 19 and include a city-wide events lineup as part of Maison & Objet in the City.
What to Know About the Fairs
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Paris Déco Off is free and open to the trade and the general public. While showroom walk-ins are welcome, the fabric houses recommend setting up an appointment with a rep ahead of the show. Brand outposts are fairly compact within the neighborhoods, so walking from showroom to showroom is completely manageable. The fair also provides a free shuttle service between the Left Bank and Right Bank during the five days of the show, with pickups at Place des Petits-Péres (Right Bank) and Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés (Left Bank).
Maison & Objet is open to the trade only, and a ticket purchase is required. With seven halls’ worth of ground to cover, we recommend allotting at least two full days to peruse the fair. Designer attendees should prioritize the Signature Hall, which showcases the latest from luxury home labels in clever and conceptual pop-ups. The Parc des Expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte, home of Maison & Objet, is located about 30 minutes northwest of the heart of Paris, so getting there will require driving (or requesting a taxi or a ride-sharing service like Uber) or taking a train from Gare du Nord. (The RER B line drops riders off directly outside of the Parc des Expositions de Villepinte.)
Where to Eat, Drink, and Stay
As the birthplace of café culture, Paris is brimming with quintessential spots for a bite between appointments or a jaunty nightcap with industry pals. Take a rec from part-time local Timothy Corrigan: “Beautiful architecture, food, music, and art come together in Restaurant 1728, located in the restored salons of the 18th-century Hôtel Mazin La Fayette,” he shares. He also favors Le Grand Véfour in the Palais-Royal, as well as Restaurant Guy Savoy, the incredibly dapper eatery within the Monnaie de Paris (Paris Mint). Newly renovated Le Chardenoux offers a glamorous Belle Époque setting to enjoy some of the city’s best pastries, and triple-Michelin-starred Épicure in hotel Le Bristol offers a dreamy courtyard ambience in addition to light French fare.
When it comes to accommodations, few cities come close to Paris’s plethora of tony escapes. If you want a room with a view, Cheval Blanc is perfectly positioned for taking in the Eiffel Tower. Saint-Germain-des-Pres is where most of Déco Off takes place, and the Prince de Conti is nestled in the Seine-side neighborhood. Some of our other favorite luxury hotels about town include the colorfully crisp Le Grand Mazarin or the garden-inspired La Fantaisie—both visions brought to life by AD100 talent Martin Brudnizki. There’s also the Hôtel de La Boétie, with playfully chic interiors from AD100 designer Beata Heuman, or Fabrizio Casiraghi’s Hôtel des Grands Voyageurs for those coveting a quietly luxurious retreat. AD100 designer Laura Gonzalez, who hails from the city, is the interior vision behind both the Saint James Hotel, which is imbued with an Art Deco flair, and the new Japanese-inspired Hotel Hana.
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Design Happenings Not to Miss
Before Paris Design Week officially begins, take it from AD PRO: Early bird fair-goers will be in the French countryside, where, on January 13, the historic Château des Joncherets will unveil the first phase of its multiyear renovation with what’s touted to be a show house for the ages. Seven designers, including Natalie Kraiem and Le Bleu 43, have reimagined the ground-floor rooms of the 1620 chateau, which was originally designed by Versailles landscape architect André Le Nôtre. The rooms will be in place for at least five years, as the chateau primes itself to become the ultimate event and vacation destination.
Starting January 14, de Gournay will welcome visitors to its Paris showroom in the 6th arrondissement, which will be transformed into a shoppable antiques emporium featuring an 18th-century Italian cane settee, a set of three armchairs attributed to Tito Agnoli for Cinov, and more. On January 15, Pierre Frey’s presentation—always a hot ticket item for Déco Off—will kick off at the Théâtre de la Michodière. The house’s four new collections include Jardin à la Française, based on traditional French gardens, and Mémoires Colorées, a collaboration with the late Belgian artist Isabelle de Borchgrave.
Maison & Objet’s official theme this year is “Past Reveals Future.” A trio of tastemakers—scenographer Elizabeth Leriche, PNY restaurateur Rudy Guénaire, and design trend forecaster François Delclaux—have been tapped to curate “What’s New” installations in the decor, hospitality, and retail sectors. Another must-see at M&O awaits at Hall 2 in the Signature and Projects sector, where the new Manufactures of Excellence Village celebrates French savoir-faire with maisons who’ve earned EPV (Living Heritage Company) status from the French government. Featured talents include master glassmaker La Maison du Vitrail, ornamental plaster specialist Garabos, and maker of bespoke wine cellars Eurocave.
Designer Harry Nuriev, based in New York and Paris, has been basking in the limelight lately (his fingerprints were all over the booths at Design Miami, and his project was our November cover). Now, as the Maison & Objet Designer of the Year, the Crosby Studios principal presents an immersive space in Hall 3 that explores the concept of transformism, which Nuriev defines as “the art of giving a second life to what no longer has a place.” This week the designer is also debuting his latest work for Baccarat, including a one-of-a-kind Zénith chandelier (combining crystal with pens, keychains, bottle caps, and other objects) and a graffitied Sirius crystal ball. His creations will be on view at Crosby Gallery from January 15 to 18, and at Maison Baccarat starting January 20.
Speaking of French crystal, Lalique has planned its own notable presentations for Design Week. The company will reveal a collaboration with Chinese artist Fang Lijun alongside other launches, including a centennial celebration of the fern-inspired Tourbillon vase.
Family ties and ancestral influences pervade many of the week’s most exciting debuts. Artist-designer Garance Vallée worked with straw marquetry maker Les Ateliers Lison de Caunes to create several new patterns, some of which were inspired by Art Deco master André Groult, Lison de Caunes’s grandfather.
For her ongoing partnership with Holland & Sherry, American designer Cortney Bishop pays tribute to her mother-in-law, landscape architect Sandie Bishop. Bishop’s newest fabrics, the Grove Collection, feature layered periwinkle, tangerine, and maroon florals inspired by her in-law’s gardens.
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Meanwhile, interior designer Andrea Monath Schumacher introduces a wall covering collection for Vale London inspired by her grandmother, the artist Elizabeth Burger Monath. On view at Fabricut in Saint-Germain, the collection includes Liesl Lattice, a lattice motif printed on a paperweave ground, and the psychedelic Lava Lamp, printed on a shimmering mica ground.
And more family ties! On January 16, Emily, Felicity, and Jordan Mould, fifth-generation family members and directors of the Romo Group, will host a preview of the company’s new geometric upholstery and wall coverings, as well as launches from Black Edition, Kirkby Design, Mark Alexander, and Villa Nova.
The city of Paris itself plays a role in Dedar’s presentation this week. In Saint-Germain, stop by the showroom to see Métro Beaubourg, a fabric evoking both the colorful exterior of the Centre Pompidou and the Paris Métro map.
Indeed, the neighborhood of Saint-German is probably your best bet for strolling and go-seeing. At Galerie Gimpel & Müller, Laura Cheung of Lala Curio will debut a wall covering capsule collection in partnership with the AAPI Design Alliance. Designers Jessica Davis, Peti Lau, Eric Chang, Jean Liu, Alicia Cheung, and James Fung have each designed a motif that draws on their personal heritages and cross-cultural memories. And no visit to St. Germain would be complete without a stop at the grand Ralph Lauren flagship, where the Beaux-Arts building’s interior will be swathed in floral batiks, madras plaids, linen eyelets, and weathered chambrays from the new Meadow Lane fabric collection.
If you find yourself in need of a recharge, head to the spa Calma in the area, where Iatesta Studio will be hosting its debut Atelier+Spa pop-up from January 14 through 17. Guests can enjoy complimentary treatments while viewing the American company’s new lighting and furniture collaboration with designer Kendall Wilkinson, plus more designs from Galerie des Lampes and infrared therapy manufacturer Vital Tech. Sounds like our kind of habit stacking.
We’d be remiss to mention that our global editorial director, Amy Astley, will be signing copies of AD at Home at the Librairie Galignani on January 16 from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m.
And back at Maison & Objet, Corey Damen Jenkins will launch his lighting collaboration with Eichholtz, ahead of its US debut at High Point in April. “With decorative lighting, people often want a bespoke X factor—something that doesn’t look like everything else,” the designer tells AD PRO. He promises his new collection will feature “a fresh, intercontinental mix of elegance and modernity.” From the array of presentations and launches planned, it seems the same could be said of Paris Design Week at large.
