Out & About: The Design Team in Paris

Out and About

With the trade show Masion et Object, the fabulous Deco Off and of course Paris Fashion week, Paris was the place to be last week! Join us as we share a few of the things that caught our eye...

Last week Paris was the place to be! With the trade show Masion et Object, the fabulous Deco Off and of course Paris Fashion week, it was a creative overload, and the design team were fortunate enough to make it to two out of the three events. We came away full of ideas and inspiration, so thought we’d share with you a few of the things that caught our eye.

We took the first train out of London to make the most of the day and headed to Maison et Objet as soon as we arrived. It’s a huge show that features furniture, accessories, home textiles, lighting and more, so we split off into smaller groups to divide and conquer.

Bright pops of colour always lift a stand and we loved this collection of chromatic pots and vases created by All Origine. The shelves soared to about three metres!

We’ve always been a fan of anything embellished with shimmering shells, and these friendly fish faces by Caroline Perrin totally charmed us!

How fun is this artwork by Christian Paix?! Displaying a jam-packed library full of books, we loved its whimsical chaos.

In a similar fishy-theme, these papier-mâché sardine tins made by painter and sculptor Philippe Balayn were so imaginative and fun!

These cans from French artist Angele Riguidel reminded us of the vintage oil cans and containers we have on display at Refuel Bar at The Soho Hotel (right) – they really lit up our day.

After a quick lunch and recharge, we were off again to the Pierre Frey showroom on the Rue de Mail where they hosted an evening to show off their new collection.

At these types of show, we think it’s always important to try before you buy – here is Polly testing out a few items! These bold and beautiful felt bags are from Po! Paris.

We woke up to a beautiful Parisian sunrise from our balcony.

Before heading back at lunchtime, a few of us were lucky enough to experience the amazing collaboration between the Invisible Collection and Mobilier national, a heritage institution that aims to preserve and champion France’s distinctive design aesthetic. Their work has helped to protect and restore antique furniture and traditional mouldings in some of the country’s most famous buildings, such as the Élysée Palace and Versailles.

That night we decided to try some French delicacies…

Some liked them more than others…!

Others headed straight to Deco Off in Saint German, where local design showrooms put on wonderful decorative displays using fabrics, wall coverings and trimmings. It’s always inspiring to see how the each one has chosen to upholster items and present their latest collections in fun and imaginative ways.

Among the fabrics, we spotted these lovely pieces from Didem Firat Ceramics too…

There’s always something exciting about switching-up your location and when walking around Paris it’s impossible not to feel inspired.

We hope you’ve enjoyed coming behind the scenes with us on our Paris trip. Let us know what you enjoyed most from the shows over at @kitkempdesignthread on Instagram.