Even industry veterans aren’t primed enough to attend Paris Design Week and its anchor event Maison & Objet without proper reconnaissance beforehand. With thousands of exhibiting home and lifestyle brands to discover and a slew of gallery exhibitions and installations to ruminate on, the city-wide event requires a plan.
Consider your travel and trade show recon complete: Below, we’ve detailed everything you need to know before attending Paris Design Week and Maison & Objet, from the fair fundamentals to the installations you should prioritize. You’ll also find recs for designer-approved accommodations and fair-goer haunts for eating and drinking; after all, design-show season in Paris is as much a place to see as it is to be seen in.
What, When, and Where
Held semiannually (in January and September), Maison & Objet draws design buyers from across the globe to scope out the latest debuts from more than 1,800 exhibiting home and lifestyle brands. Spread across seven halls at the Parc des expositions de Paris Nord Villepinte, the trade-only show is divvied up into 19 category sectors–home decor, linens, cooking, and craft among them–for more efficient discovery. The upcoming fall edition will be held September 7-11, coinciding with Paris Design Week.
Launched in 2010 by Maison & Objet to generate a wider appreciation for the design industry throughout the City of Light, Paris Design Week is a celebration of creativity, talent, and innovation taking place in four districts across the capital. The event is open to the public, with gallery exhibitions, showroom events, and collaborative installations held September 7-16.
What to Know About the Fair
Maison & Objet is open to the trade only, and a ticket purchase is required. With seven-pavilions-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, such as Les Ottomans, Popus Editions, Maison Matisse, and Tekna, in clever and conceptual pop-ups. (For those who are extra diligent, feel free to study up on the maker we loved from the fair’s most recent fall and spring editions.)
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, such as 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
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).
When it comes to accommodations, few cities come close to Paris’s plethora of tony escapes. There’s the newly renovated Saint James Hotel, where designer Laura Gonzalez imbues classic Parisian luxury with an Art Deco flair. Or the Peter Marino–designed Cheval Blanc Paris and impeccably chic Bulgari Hotel Paris, both honorees on AD’s 2022 Hotel Awards. There’s also the just-opened and indulgently fun Le Grand Mazarin, designed by AD100 talent Martin Brudnizki; or the Hotel Marquis Faubourg, the private manse-turned-hotel located steps aways from the Jardin des Champs-Élysées.
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Design Happenings Not to Miss
Out and About at Paris Design Week
From emerging talent showcase Paris Design Week Factory (held at Espace Commines and Galerie Joseph) to showroom celebrations and dedicated exhibitions, there’s a wealth of top-tier design to explore across arrondissements. (We recommend downloading the Paris Design Week app in advance to help map your routes!)
On our list? The hand-painted wallpaper-clad de Gournay showroom, where ceramicist Francis Palmer and shell artist Tess Morley will present new works in dialogue with the studio’s new Mughal Collection. Elsewhere, DS Galerie is exploring the art of basketry and its cultural heritage in Machann Pannié, produced in collaboration with Dach et Zephir, and Ginori 1735 is reimagining its Paris location just in time for its entrée into furniture design with the new Domus collection by Luca Nichetto. Meanwhile, Invisible Collection and Chanel's Maisons d'Art will take over the spectacular salons of legendary ornamental architecture purveyors Féau Boiseries for an exhibition produced in collaboration with Studio Biehler-Graveleine.
To meet the talents defining French excellence today, rely on the AD France Course for Decorators, a map of discerning designer galleries sure to inspire—Laura Gonzalez, Bruno Moinard Editions, Galerie Pierre Gonalons, and India Mahdavi among them. While traveling between stops, you may also notice a few new façades around town. Design studios Gilles & Boissier, Giopato & Coombes, Pierre Lacroix, Volume Ceramics are celebrating grand openings this season, as are Gaggenau, Invisible Collection, and L’Objet.
Product Launches
It wouldn’t be design week without a plethora of new product releases, both around town and at Maison & Objet. We’re looking forward to seeing Bina Baitel’s forthcoming furniture collection, Unusual Objects, which will be on display at the Christophe Gaillard Gallery. Pinto Editions, bred from the acclaimed Albert Pinto Agency, will present its latest furniture collection, Shibari, by appointment at the ever charming Hôtel de la Victoire. Elsewhere, architectural designer Pierre Lacroix will unveil his inaugural furniture collection at his atelier in Saint Germain, and Poltrona Frau is launching three new accessory collections—spanning fitness, tabletop games, and pets—at its Paris flagship.
At Maison & Objet, Fermob (Hall 6, I16/J15) and Ethnicraft (Hall 6, H16-I15) are showing off new outdoor pieces, and Jonathan Adler unveils his take on equestrian sensibilities with the Wellington collection (Hall 6, B16-C15).
Can’t-Miss Exhibitions at Maison & Objet
Known for its playful use of form and color, Belgian design studio Muller Van Severen is hitting its aesthetic stride with furniture that balances everyday function with artful details. Founded in 2011 by Fien Muller and Hannes Van Severen—the duo met at the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent—the studio has walked the line between art and design since its inception, collaborating with brands such as Hay, Bitossi Ceramiche, cc tapis, and the Vitra Museum. Chosen as Maison & Objet’s Designer(s) of the Year 2023, Muller Van Severen plans to create a “cocoon exhibition,” featuring a selection of iconic works from its catalog that reflect the creative process and atelier life in idyllic Evergem, Belgium (Hall 7).
This year’s September edition of the fair is themed Enjoy, with planned moments honing in on the art of hospitality. Among them is the new Hospitality Lab (Hall 6), a series of pop-up interiors that show off the elevated standards and innovations within the hotel industry. Expect transportive spaces defined by design firms Friedmann & Versace, Roque Intérieurs, and The Socialite Family.
The Rising Talent Awards
Often possessing a combination of historical knowledge, marked dedication to detail and craftsmanship, and the elusive ability to create work with just the right amount of je ne sais quoi, French designers are in high demand around the globe. This year, Maison & Objet is turning its annual Rising Talent Awards to les Français, with a jury of industry professionals led by Philippe Starck highlighting some of the next generation’s most promising talents: Athime de Crécy, Hugo Drubay, Tim Leclabart, Arthur Fosse and Samuel Perhirin, Sébastien Cluzel and Morgane Pluchon, Nicolas Verschaeve, and Jeanne Andrieu. On view at Maison & Objet, Hall 6 Gallery connecting to Hall 7.
