Maison&Objet - The high mass for decoration, design and lifestyle for thirty years

'TECH EDEN' is the theme of the upcoming edition of Maison&Objet. The meeting place for professionals working in interior design and design will take place between 18 and 22 January 2024 at the Parc des Expositions de Villepinte in Paris. Organisers are celebrating the 30th anniversary of this "high mass of decoration and design" and aim to take visitors on a journey to a future that combines technology and nature.

Maison&Objet has been leading and uniting the international world of decoration, design and lifestyle since 1994. The trade fair creates visibility for participating brands and the digital platform and is a showcase for trends in the world of decoration. It aims to discover talent, provide opportunities for exchange and inspiration, online and offline, and encourage business development. It is a true barometer for the industry. Moreover, the online platform MOM (Maison&Objet and More) allows buyers and brands to exchange views, make contacts and launch new collections on an ongoing basis.

For the theme for this edition, the organisers collaborated with Peclers Paris, specialists in creative strategy. They see 'TECH EDEN' as an opportunity to 'emphasise the profound evolution in the relationship between science and nature and project it towards a sustainable and desirable future'. The progressive concept is enriched by scenographic interpretations, which are sometimes soothing, sometimes stimulating, but always inspiring. Reconciling a futuristic utopia with new realities, the story connects all segments of the fair - from decoration and design, art and craft to retail, décor and hospitality. Professionals are challenged to rethink spatial design and layout, enhanced by technological innovation and using innovative and aesthetic approaches to the environment. 

The central theme will recur in various places on the exhibition floor, in showcases around town and at MOM. This will emphasise futuristic aesthetics and technological advances, but also the desire to make people love life again. Venues are becoming more hybrid, uses more versatile. 

The What's New in Retail zone is a think tank for the omni-channel sector of distribution. It will feature a selection of new products, a programme of workshops and conferences, a café and a wealth of ideas around merchandising. François Delclaux, in collaboration with international design agency BETC, will present a zone focusing on sourcing, inspiration and exchange. This consists of the softest designs, in which 'tech' is discreetly present through enveloping materials, natural shapes and soft colours. Three main trends are featured: sustainable minimalism, responsible brutalism (reusing and recycling materials) and organic suppleness. 

Aspects such as working from home, open-source technology and e-commerce have changed our lives. The private home is considered a haven, a soothing cocoon with a modular design: the living room becomes an office, while the bathroom evolves into a living room dedicated to well-being. What's New in Decor? - the trend space by Elisabeth Leriche during Maison&Objet - offers a fresh approach to interior decoration, inspired by 'TECH EDEN' and translated into patterns, textiles, installations and decors.

In the Trends Forum, central to the Hospitality Lab, Peclers Paris integrates three future-oriented 'escape pods': awakening, active and regenerative. Each of these pods embodies a constantly evolving facet of the hospitality sector: the café transforms into a wellness space, luxury spas pop up in hotel rooms and airports or train stations, where people often have long waits, are transformed into sports facilities by the latest technologies. 

"The anniversary edition of Maison&Objet will be the place to spot all the new trends in decoration, design and lifestyle. This edition focuses more than ever on customers and their needs. The fair positions itself at the heart of important challenges of today and tomorrow by combining creativity, innovation and eco-responsibility. We aim to illustrate all the possibilities available in the fields of decoration, design and lifestyle, and to support the development of those sectors," says managing director Mélanie Leroy. "This is reflected in the quality of the programme, which includes the innovative 'Designer of the Year' project, the development of a What's New?area, where visitors will find concrete answers to retail challenges, and the Hospitality Lab, which outlines a unique future vision for the 'hybridisation' of public spaces.