This year’s Maison et Objet event was focused on the theme “Take Care!”, which emphasized the importance of creating harmony within the home, ourselves and the environment.
The range of exhibitors reflected the importance of conscious consumerism and choosing the things we bring into our lives to inspire a sense of wellness. The various collections exhibited at the four-day tradeshow celebrated comfort and practicality while emphasizing the importance of beauty, quality and longevity.
Today, we take a look at the top 10 modern kitchen design trends from the Cook and Share sector of the event.
1. Eco-friendly and trendy
Entwined with the overarching theme of this year’s tradeshow, there was a large focus on the presentation of eco-friendly and trendy designs. The notion of conscious consumerism rose to the forefront, as more and more people become concerned with the environmental impact of their choices inside and outside the home.
Givi Italia is a clear example of how designers are embracing this concept and committing to being eco-friendly and trendy at the same time. The Italian company specializes in sustainable and elegantly designed party supplies, table decorations, paper plates, and home accessories. Givi Italia invests in researching the environmental impact of its products to ensure its creations are practical, stylish and have minimal impact on the environment.
2. Modular outdoor cookware and furniture
In line with this year’s “Take Care!” theme and choosing objects carefully and consciously, the Cook and Share sector also saw a clear nod to modular kitchenware that’s practical and adaptable, fitting into our everyday lives and creating a sense of harmony.
As people all over the world look forward to the summer months ahead, it’s important to prepare your outdoor spaces for warmer times. With that in mind, ALUVY Designs exhibited a collection of colourful and customisable outdoor furniture and cookware made in France.
Dinner parties, barbecues, and summer nights spent outdoors are much more enjoyable when they’re facilitated by creations that embrace the values of responsible consumption. ALUVY’s products are recyclable and rustproof, emphasizing the notion of longevity highlighted by this year’s theme.
3. A taste of classic
Although this year’s theme focused on the here and now, and the pressing need to embrace conscious consumerism and sustainability in order to create harmony in our lives, many designers combined modern practicality and values with classic designs – showing that some things never go out of style.
Christofle has been creating classic silver decorative pieces for stunning tablescapes since 1830, and their presence at this year’s show showed a return to the romantic classicism of beautiful glassware and porcelains inspired by Art-Deco designs. Reflecting silver’s diverse and timeless nature, this designer showed how classic designs are embedded in the French art of living.
4. Repurpose and reuse
Instead of throwing items and materials away, a big theme of this year’s show focused on how they can be reused and repurposed. This was an important facet of the “Take Care!” theme of this year’s show, which highlighted the environmental impact of consumerism and design and how modern creators can embrace sustainability initiatives towards a better world.
One example of this could be seen in German exhibitor Laura Living Style’s handcrafted cutting board creations made from single pieces of oak in the Netherlands. Making use of wood from weak trees that would otherwise be destroyed, the designer breathes new life into parts of the natural world that no longer serve humans to create extraordinarily unique pieces.
5. Artisanal and locally-produced pieces
Another important theme that could be seen in this year’s Cook and Share sector was the increased focus on locally produced designs related to taking care of heritage and venerable skills.
There were plenty of examples of this, with one standout being the traditional fine biscuits, tins and gift boxes from La Sablesienne. Their recipes use natural, locally sourced ingredients and combine French tradition with modernity.
Another notable design was FILT1860’s grocery net bags which have been made in its Normandy factory since 1860. The small team and industrial production workshop are driven by its heritage and know-how that has been passed down over the years.
One of the sector’s highlights, The Platera, was a tableware experience featuring hand-painted unique designs characterised by colour and design used to evoke memory. The stunning collection features six different fungi-inspired designs.
6. Raw and organic materials
Another theme running through the Cook and Share sector of this year’s show was the use of organic and raw materials, reflecting how we can take care of ourselves, our health and the world around us.
Many of the gourmet products exhibited at this year’s show, including handcrafted products from Normandy-based creator Archie, emphasised the use of organic ingredients and packaging.
Anotherway was another clear advocate for the use of sustainable materials with their range of healthy, ecological, efficient and practical alternatives to everyday disposable products including dish soaps, washable sponges and paper towels.
7. Looking backwards
An important aspect of the take care theme is the notion of looking back at our heritage and using the lessons and skills present in it to inform sustainability in the future.
One exhibitor whose collection reflected this theme is Folkroll, which was created out of a love of family baking. Their products, made from solid beech wood, are inspired by folklore and motifs which they have translated into tools for embossing patterns on dough, cookies and other baking materials.
8. The bold and the beautiful
In a significant shift away from stark minimalism, many brands that participated in this year’s Maison et Objet show embraced the bold and the beautiful to create unique, bright and captivating kitchenware items.
Patterns and bright colours were used by many, including Turkish creator Kapka’s range of crockery and containers and Nova Deruta’s use of traditional artistry in combination with modern design.
9. Ethical mix of cultures
Another theme in the Cook and Share sector of Maison et Objet was the idea of using kitchenware to reflect an ethical mix of cultures by reconciling the desire to travel with environmental responsibility.
François Delclaux’s Slow Hospitality exhibition space was a clear reminder of the need to slow down in our everyday lives, but the theme was also reflected in various exhibitions by designers from all over the world.
Opening up our kitchens and other interiors to cuisine and designs from different countries plays a key role in building a more inclusive future for diverse communities and cultures. It’s all about respecting equality, embracing differences and spurning cultural appropriation.
Some designers that stood out for their creations reflecting this theme include Kurabi’s handmade, affordable chopsticks, Kinasé’s modern take on traditional Chinese kitchenware, and Decoration One’s crockery and glassware with Middle Eastern patterns.
10. Blending into everyday life
“Take Care!” is all about creating harmony inside ourselves, with each other and with the environment to live our everyday lives with the highest levels of integrity and enjoyment.
Chips expressed this theme through its range of tableware and household goods that are designed to blend into everyday life in the same way as the air we breathe.
All images courtesy of Maison et Objet and the brands mentioned in this article.
If you enjoyed reading about our highlights at January’s edition of the Maison et Objet trade show, you can check out all the recent design and architecture events from DDN here.
