Surrealism shines at France’s Maison&Objet interior design show

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In Paris, France’s largest exhibition centre, covering an impressive 242,000 m2, has been transformed into the biggest European lifestyle trade fair at the Salon Maison&Objet.

Twice a year, Maison&Objet brings together brands, designers, artisans, interior design experts around a different theme, and this year’s edition is surrealism.

It’s a trend taking shape in unexpected objects and dreamlike settings that invite visitors to let go, and addresses consumers’ newfound appetite for the strange and surprising.

”Today we need to consume differently, and this echoes the theme of surrealism” says art director Elizabeth Lerich, who designed a room at the show. “I wanted visitors to look at objects differently, to question our relationship with consumption. I think we need to re-enchant the world at the moment. Offering something fun. That’s what this theme is all about”.

Conceived as a labyrinth, Elizabeth Leriche’s room is an unprecedented plunge into the creative effervescence of the Surrealist movement. Among the oddities on display: strange objects such as beheaded animals, a vase with a horn, a mesmerizing corridor and an astonishing inverted ceiling. All a nod to the artists of the Surrealist movement, which has just celebrated its centenary.

Less is more

In a world in perpetual motion, where one crisis follows another, interiors and our homes have become refuges.

Industry professionals are observing a deep-seated need for people to recharge their batteries and get closer to nature. As flora and fauna have always been at the heart of surrealism, the exhibition is an opportunity to combine art and eco-responsibility, in response to consumer concerns.

”It’s the eternal question: how do you combine novelty and sustainability? It’s the somewhat schizophrenic side of demand. There’s a real awareness of this today. The challenge for the decorating industry is to come up with products that are attractive and accessible, that meet the consumer’s desires and, what’s more, are genuinely eco-responsible and relocated, at least on European soil”, explains François Delclaux, Art Director and Founder of the Nouvel Air agency.

There is solid proof that the shift toward local production is already happening, according to Delclaux who says 80% of sofas now sold in France are made in Europe. “The next step is for small items. We need to make beautiful, friendly, creative, qualitative and useful products affordable again, and to relocate their manufacture on European soil.”

But are consumers ready to pay more?

Fighting mass consumption: the quest for ethics

Another huge challenge for the lifestyle industry is to enter the second-hand market. Younger generations are increasingly drawn to second-hand objects, whether for financial reasons or for a taste for vintage. Not so good for the business of Maison&Objet, but it has become a priority to fit consumers’ needs.

”Today we have less space, less budget… brands have to adapt by offering innovative products at competitive prices. Or extremely expensive, because we live in a paradoxical society. We have people with low purchasing power and very wealthy people who can pull off the high-end”.

Elizabeth Leriche explains that the key shift in consumer behavior is the desire to buy products that have real meaning. ”You have to find the unique object you can’t get enough of.”

This desire for more meaningful purchases is yet another way to combat mass consumption.

An international outlook

More than 70,000 visitors flock to the show to get a preview of tomorrow’s needs and find immediately actionable solutions. Among them, around 45% come from abroad, offering a unique opportunity for a brand to develop its sales and image internationally.

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”The whole point of the show is to find new customers in France and abroad. It allows us to broaden our portfolio of international customers”, says Benoît, co-founder of the trending French brand Sport d’époque.

Maison&Objet is a French show that features over 60% international offerings. ‘’We came every year in the past ten years. We find all our suppliers here and it’s very interesting to find what’s new. We’re hoping to find a real gem we could bring back home!” says the representative of an interior studio based in Madrid, Spain.

The French show is an incredible showcase for products but also for discovering different displays of culture. ‘’Representing Dubai in Paris is a great opportunity to showcase Middle Eastern design but also it is a cultural exchange to see what other designers from abroad here have to offer,’’ says Hamza Omari, UAE-based senior designer.

Maison&Objet also makes a point of highlighting young designers based from around the world. ‘‘International is really at the heart of our positioning. It’s extremely important, because it gives us visibility and diversifies the buyers for the exhibitors and the exhibitors for the buyers, explains Leroy, director of Maison&Objet. “Every year, we strive to reveal talents from all over the world, notably through our Rising Talents programs, which are coming from Korea this year, but which previously came from Spain or the Nordic countries”.

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Maison&Objet returns to Paris from 04-08 September 2025 at the Parc des Expositions de Villepinte.