The best of Maison et Objet 🔥 Mood Boards
Plus Maureen McDermott spotlight
Armed with our finest social armor, we go out in the world knowing that, at the end of our day, we have a place to kick off our shoes, unwind and be ourselves. As an introvert, I've always seen going home as the ultimate victory lap! Making it not only comfortable but also beautiful has been a top priority for me. Of course, keeping it that way with two kids and two dogs running around is different story.
To me, decorating our homes is like dressing ourselves: the more authentic and true to our essence, the more captivating and distinctive our living spaces become. If only a Patricia Urquiola sofa could be as affordable as a pair of jeans… These days, my dream home strikes a balance: modern furnishings influenced by my Brazilian roots with inviting, low-maintenance details, antique finds, family heirlooms and personal items collected along my travels. And storage, lots of storage (the equivalent of pockets on women's clothing). This way, I can spend my time and energy with my favorite people, rather than fretting over every little smudge on my sofa.
I went to Paris last month, and attended Maison et Objet, and I selected a few items that may help you to discover a few brands, find your own style or a specific item that you’ve been hunting for. I even found a very chic line of pet products: portrait photographer Anna Bussolotto was looking for beautiful and functional objects for her Dachshunds that could complement her home’s sophisticated space, and started Due Punto Otto (2.8 in Italian, referring to the camera’s aperture for total focus). I love their products and Anna is giving Matriark’s readers a little treat: use code MATRIARK at check out and they will give you a special brush to wash your pet bowls (not available for sale anywhere else), scroll down to shop my selects.
Now some REAL TALK: Maison et Objet is an international fair with thousands of brands, but so many furniture and home décor companies are not owned by women, and it’s really frustrating. Like in many creative industries where women are the majority of their customers, the owners and CEOs making decisions about how we live are not. I am not doubting their leader's abilities, but we do need more women in leadership everywhere, so please continue to support women owned businesses and women leaders!
OK, so now back to a lighter fare: for places in Paris (stores, restaurants, etc) and additional resources, please join me on our private chat on Facebook, I will post them there.(*Update: his groups has been discontinued - we will start a channel on instagram soon)
For now, scroll down to see all my boards - and all the way down to read about this bread!
Interior Wisdom. Before I left for Paris, I contacted fellow Sag Harbor resident and Interior Designer Maureen McDermott from Winter McDermott Design to pick her talented brain. To Maureen, great interiors start with understanding of how we will use the space and the feelings we want it to evoke.
Comfort? Sophistication? Refinement? Casualness? And when I aked her what would be the most impactful thing we can do to our homes, she told me to add layers of focal points to look at and to draw you in a space such as lighting, a variety of finishes, materials and textures, and if we are lucky, strong architectural features. I built my Paris boards based on Maureen’s tips so scroll down to see them all, and contact Maureen if you need help decorating your home.
Ancient Modern. I often say that everything looks incredible under an old French building, but if you put them in a plain white room and they still look good? Then you know they are the real deal. I can attest that these items really do hold their own:
1.Ochre Gaia Pendant and 2 Medusa Bloom Curve have sensual and organic shapes, softening any hard edges from your home's architectural elements and furniture.
3 Hand painted rugs and 4 mirror by artist Mathilde Labrouche. I like when her rugs brushstrokes and geometric patterns are mixed with modern furniture, it strikes the right balance for me. See this Instagram post for this reference. Her rugs are art pieces and can be hung on the wall as well.
4 Mathilde’s mirrors are stunning. They add this historic feel to any space if used more literally with antiques, or can be a cool juxtaposition and texture to a more modern setting.
5. Nanimarquina Chillida Figura Humana 148 Rug is a tribute to Spanish sculptor Eduardo Chillida*. This piece shows the silhouette of a woman lying down, so powerful and memorable. Nanimarquina has a remarkable story about its roots: The Founder Nani's father Rafael Marquina was a pioneer in industrial design in Spain and created the anti-drip oil-vinegar cruet, which won the Golden Delta Award for best industrial design in 1961. Clearly, talent and creativity runs in the family. Nani Marquina wanted to turn a classic rug into a contemporary design product, and started her company in 1993, working in India, Pakistan and Nepal. Today the company includes Nani’s daughter and sister, and together they supports Care & Fair, an organization founded in 1994 to fight child labor and improve the quality of life of rug manufacturers and their families in India and Pakistan.
Dopamine Decor. I love the serenity of neutral colors but sometimes, and especially during the dreary winter months, color is the perfect mood enhancer with zero negative side effects! This is Yvonne French Bistro and Patisserie* in Dubai, whose colorful space looks as delicious as their pastries. The bistro was designed and furnished by Popus Editions, a joyful brand with a wide range of furniture, lighting and accessories. I met the lovely Popu’s Co-Founder Fanny Gicquel, who worked with architectural projects in the French Alps to revamp mountain chalets, and started Popus Edition with her husband to combine her passion for color, prints and furniture design.
Put Me In The Doghouse. When you have pets, keeping your house in some order while maintaining its style requires a little planning and a good eye for design, and it helps if you are already a talented portrait photographer like Anna Bussolotto, the Founder of 2.8 Design. I love that each one of her products carries the name of a great photographer like Annie Leibovitz, Richard Avedon, and Steve McCurry. Head to her website and use code MATRIARK at checkout to get this brush to wash your pet bowl, a special gift that Anna is giving our readers (they are not for sale anywhere, so it’s a special gift just for us ❤️).
1. Anna’s Dachshund sleeps on his chic bed that features a reversible cushion (one side is bouclé wool and the other in cotton, perfect for all seasons).
2. I love this idea of having a pouch for the airtag attached to the collar!
3. A matching braided leash, all made in Italy and available in 7 colors.
4. Anna’s spectacular home in Italy. Lucky dogs!
5. Annie Wax Paper Dog Bag, it comes with interchangeable canvas or boucle wool lining. These bags go fast so hurry and get them while they last.
6. Anna with Quintale and Hermione. Just beautiful ✨
Birds of Paradise. For those of us living on the East Coast, we can only through February by thinking about Spring, so hold on to this board as you dig your way out of the snowstorm this week! The Devil Wears Prada “Flowers for Spring? Groundbreaking” scene forever tainted Spring fashion for me, and though florals will always be a great way to channel warmer weather, I declare BIRDS this season's ambassador! But fret not - you don't need to choose because you get all of them on this board. Enjoy!
1. I’ve loved Mathieu Challieres’ bird lighting pieces* since 2005, when I worked at ABC Carpet and Home and purchased them for the shop when I attended this same trade show then. They are now aclassic, a they come in floor lamps, ceiling pendant and table lamps – all adorable and very decorative. I would love these in my daughter’s room!
2. The bird plate is from Popus-Edition mentioned in our previous board, and they come in 3 different colors, all very pretty.
3. These little bird houses are actually music boxes, and they come in 3 settings: birds, ocean waves and jungle sounds. Perfect if you live in the city or just want to escape, this is an inexpensive and effective sound therapy, check some of their Instagram posts to listen to the birds, ocean, and jungle sounds. If you want to go over the top, use it with the bird lighting but fair warning: you may become your family's "eccentric" aunt. What's next, 12 cats? 😜
4. These cute floral pillows are reasonably priced. You can also find similar ones (albeit a lot more expensive and a bit more polished) at Indigo Seas next door to The Ivy in LA.
Good Carbs. I had seen these before, but it wasn’t until I met Yukiko Morita in France that I learned that she makes them with real bread 🤯, and now I love them even more. Yukiko buys unsold bread and left over dough from bakeries, helping them recover their costs, and breathing new life into it as works of art. Capturing the dough’s transparency and translucency and making these captivating glowing objects is Yukiko’s biggest insight, and that to me is clever design! My favorites are the Croissant Bread Light and the Baguette Bread.
Thank you as always, see you next week for more good stuff. xx
Patricia
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