by Jean-Yves Léonard, Pacific Compagnie

Paris, 19 January 2026

Some trade fairs display objects. And then there is Maison & Objet, that essential international crossroads where design reveals itself, reinvents itself, and sometimes betrays itself. For this 2026 edition, placed under the theme "Past reveals future", the organisers dared a provocation. "What if innovation were born from a return to roots?". A question which, in a world obsessed with the new and the ephemeral, sounds like a revolution. Or a marketing pirouette. At Pacific Compagnie, we try to sort the authentic from the opportunistic.

"Past reveals future": between revelation and repetition

The September 2025 edition celebrated the return home with a sober yet promising "Welcome Home". The theme for January 2026 is a delightful invitation to reflection: "The past reveals the future." In other words, to move forward, you must first look back. A philosophy which, applied with talent, produces wonders. But which, poorly interpreted, can veer into pastiche.

At Sika-Design, I found just the right balance. Their woven rattan pieces, with a disconcerting lightness, recall Scandinavian furniture of the 1950s, but with an organic touch that makes them resolutely contemporary. "We're not reinventing the wheel, we're giving it meaning again", one of their designers confided to me. Here, rattan is not just a material: it is a declaration of love for nature and craftsmanship. Proof that vintage can be avant-garde, as long as you don't fall into easy nostalgia.

Gardeco, or the art of shaking up the rules

Among the exhibitors that won me over, how could I not mention Gardeco. Two monumental objects, with brutal textures and mineral tones, stood like sculptures in a contemporary art gallery. "Is this furniture or art?", a visitor whispered to me, visibly puzzled. "Both, madam. And that is precisely the point", I replied. For it is true that our catalogue at Pacific Compagnie is nothing but art and furniture intimately intertwined.

Les Jardins: light as poetry

Different atmosphere, same observation. In a dark, almost theatrical setting, Les Jardins presented their contemporary lanterns. Here, no ostentatious nod to the past. Just a quest for balance between technicality and poetic emotion. Their creations, designed for the outdoors, transform a simple garden into a scene of light and shadow. Magnificent and magical!

Trends: ups and downs

Unquestionably, handmade is making… its comeback: artisanal ceramics, hand-weaving, raw wood… Clients want meaning, authenticity. "Luxury today is time", sums up a renowned craftsman. A time that machines, however sophisticated, cannot offer.
Another major trend: the hybridisation of uses. Here, a sofa transforms into a desk. There, a lamp purifies the air. "Multi-tasking" objects are winning people over, and they don't sacrifice aesthetics for function.
On the decline: eco-responsibility, although still present, suffers from a lack of transparency that weakens its credibility. Which, of course, is extremely regrettable and goes against the tide of history.

Disappointments: design can lose its soul

Allow me to write that not everything is marvellous in the world of Maison & Objet. Some halls were overflowing with pale low-cost copies of iconic pieces, synthetic materials disguised as "natural", and that exasperating habit of turning everything into "terracotta" on the pretext that it is "the" colour of the year. Design, as you know, is a matter of conviction, not of blindly following trends. It is a strength of character, not a concession to ease or blandness. Design, in our view, must be a creative boldness, not a submission to the ephemeral diktats of social media.

Paris remains the ephemeral capital of design

Maison & Objet remains, in any case, a unique place where business and emotion intersect. Between two meetings, I was able to chat with a young Japanese designer, Takumi Yamamoto, whose ceramic pieces evoke fragility and resilience. "Here, we don't sell products, we share stories", he confided to me. Let us hope these stories will withstand the test of time — and of fleeting trends.

Next stop: the Milan fair in April, where we will observe whether this quest for authenticity is confirmed, or whether part of the industry will once again succumb to the siren call of the superficial! Until then, I advise you to keep an eye on the brands spotted here. And above all, don't be afraid to mix eras. As Charlotte Perriand so aptly put it: "The past is a source of inspiration, not a prison."