Maison & Objet 2017

01 Woud – Mono chair

Made of an innovative oak veneer, the Mono dining chair was created by Finnish designer Kasper Nyman to make the most of the new material’s potential. Developing its sweeping curved lines was still a challenge: after appearing as a prototype at last January’s IMM in Köln, the fully fledged product finally stands ready for the market.

02 1882 – Nightingale ceramics

This UK company pays homage to the year in which the founders’ family first started working with ceramics. Fifth-generation Emily Johnson and her father Christopher started their own enterprise in 2011 to combine the family tradition with inventive designs. The “Nightingale” line was created by French-born Maria Jeglinska but is made in England’s ceramics capital, Stoke-on-Trent.

03 Menu – Tailor sofa

Portuguese designer Rui Alves cites his grandfather’s favourite tailor shop as an inspiration behind this sofa: the structure is engineered to leave all components “on display” like wares in a boutique and is available in a light grey or dark brown upholstered version.

04 Shibui – Ogi pen holder

Just like the folding fans that inspired it, this Ogi pen holder can be packed away in a compact, portable shape – but opens up into quite the theatrical desk-tidy. Both its bronze and paper parts are made in Greece by family-run specialist workshops.

05 Atelier J&J – Fauteuil 5 Gamme Cerbère armchair

Self-taught furniture designer Jean Angelats co-founded this brand in 2012 in a studio just outside the centre of Brussels. For inspiration he looks at anything from Ancient Greece to Adolf Loos’ classics but always sticks to wood and steel. Thanks to its weather-resistant coating, this angular armchair can sit outdoors as well as inside.

06 Eleanor Pritchard – Cushion

For her new spring collection London-based textile designer Eleanor Pritchard has for the first time opted for a lightweight mix of linen and wool panels: the result is a tactile combination of soft and papery textures. Named after a wild meadow flower, this Charlock cushion comes in the brand’s signature chrome yellow.

07 Dasras – Facette sideboard

Prolific French design duo AC/AL have brought their simple and playful designs to manufacturer-turned-brand Dasras. All design are still produced in the small village of Méral in the northwest of France. This Facette sideboard is made of solid oak.

08 Conran x Gifu – Lanterns

UK designer Sebastian Conran’s collaboration with 10 different companies in the Japanese prefecture of Gifu was the highlight of the fair. Our pick of the 10 masterly collections are these Kinka lanterns, manufactured by Asano Shoten. Inside their Washi paper shades is a battery-operated mechanism that makes these comely lights both practical and portable.

09 Ercol – Cabinet

With more than 200 possible combinations, this modular cabinet can be arranged to suit any room’s layout: the visible joints on its sides are testament to the traditional methods used to manufacture each piece in Ercol’s factory in Princes Risborough. The tactile wavy cabinet doors add a handsome final touch to the design.

10 Util – Spout

All items in brand-new company Util’s inaugural lines are devised around the idea of welcoming guests into one’s home. Founder Manuel Amaral Netto designed this porcelain fruit bowl so that it could function as a rinser too: water can enter the basin through the hollow handle and can be easily poured away through a spout at the bowl’s base.