Maison & Object Paris, the show

It seems a little preposterous, but Maison & Object Paris is the reason I visited Paris. Andrew already had a work trip scheduled to India, when a client asked if they were going to the Paris show. They weren't, but then they were, then he said "why don't you come along?" and so I did. That's also why I spent one of my eight days on the ground, in Paris, at a huge indoor trade show*. Do I wish I'd visited Versailles instead? No. Actually I do not.

*trade show as experience = "MAISON & OBJET is the major event for professionals working in the art of living in all its rich and varied expressions. The lifestyle show brings together a 360° product offering. Decoration, design, furniture, accessories, textiles, fragrances, the world of children, tableware… The styles coexist in a multifaceted way, throughout the inventive show design which enlivens the spaces. This extraordinary diversity is in line with the varied expectations of global markets."

Makes perfect sense, right? Paris Nord Villepinte is a large Convention Center north of Paris poper, that's where the show was held.

We took the train up to the show. There was this guy, a Danish fellow, who sized up the four of us and figured we were going to the show. Talking amongst ourselves, we were unsure which stop to get off at, he let us know which stop he was talking.

Turned out he got off a stop too soon, and so then did we. We had time to chat while we waited for the next train. He was there working for German clients, he summed up his role by saying "while the Germans may be lacking in design sensibility the Danes are most certainly not"... "auto industry excluded of course"... all rightly then...

Just inside the door I snapped a photo of these Saguaro images. Little did I know I would see a lot of cactus at the show. None real of course.

The show, or rather one hall of the show. There were several others, just as large...

I've been to trade shows before, but this was on an entirely different level, so overwhelming! I have an entirely different appreciation of folks who do this for a living. Who go to these shows and manage to identify the products that fit their particular store's niche.

By the end of the day my head was full, full of stuff. However looking back now, through these photos, I have to say I captured a great assortment of plant (mainly cactus, evidently they're hot) items.

Coasters

Fun bookends, they'd be better if they weren't plastic.

If I remember correctly these were paper "slip covers" for plastic plant pots.

Cactus scissors!

I liked this best of all.

Monstera leaves were also very popular.

I do love Orla Kiely. I managed to not get too close to any of this merchandise. It was hard but I couldn't actually buy anything so why torture myself?

And there they are, the two most popular plant icons at the show, together in carpet form (although that looks like a Split Leaf Philodendron, not a Monstera).

Knit (or is that crochet?) plants...the next hot thing?

Love these, and I've seen other products from this company at a Portland shop I frequent.

Why are split leaf Philodendrons busting out from underneath the display tables?

Cactus shape overload...

But can you put sauerkraut in that jar?

Wow...(wow!)

You can't see it very well but this photo was all about the plant pieces hanging over the tables.

Here's a shot that shows them better.

Yes, those are Big Flowers.

Capiz shells, does anyone (besides these two) still love Capiz shells?

Fakey fakertone...

Ditto. Never lived a day...never photosynthesized.

I wish I could remember what this display was all about because it's actually kind of cool.

Mirrors and planters. These got a lot of attention.

See? Oh and that fellow reflected in the mirror the lady seems to be photographing? That would be Andrew, my husband. It was fun to see where he showed up in these photos. There were a few I wasn't allowed to share, dammit.