Maison&Objet assists invitees by labeling eco-responsible brands while highlighting eco-materials and procedures, technology, and craftsmanship.
January 18-22, 2024; Paris—The organizers of Maison&Objet created a “sustainability” itinerary for which they selected a handful of the 200+ brands labeled eco-responsible by their team of analysts. Guests could find the eco-responsible symbol on the sign of each brand’s stand and in the detailed booklet of the fair. During a press tour, we learned more about how the organizers have been transitioning the event into an eco-furniture exhibition.
To illustrate the event’s efforts in this area, we offer insights into this edition’s theme, Tech Eden, and a French furniture manufacturer with the eco-label. Today, people are seeking a return to nature like never before but they continue to indulge in technology, which can seem paradoxical. However, at the fair, we got a visual and savory taste of how these two concepts can co-exist. The theme, Tech Eden comprised an installation combining well-being, sustainability, and technology. Finally, the French brand Drugeot Manufacture provides a beautiful tale of how generational age-old craftsmanship and our current desire to bring nature indoors can also open the door to young apprentices.
READ: Maison&Objet Paris to Celebrate 30 Years: Bridging Nature and Technology
Shaping an Eco-furniture Exhibition with Maison&Objet
In 2011, the organizers of Maison&Objet made a commitment to prioritize sustainability. They began implementing concrete actions such as using 100% recycled carpets and furniture crafted from reclaimed wood. The January edition witnessed the repurposing of 24 tonnes of carpet and the discontinuation of disposable items in various aspects, from materials to furnishings. The waste valorization rate rose from 38.48% in 2020 to 42.06% in 2023.
Utilizing a tool developed by the Union française des métiers de l’événement, Maison&Objet meticulously tracks its carbon footprint reduction initiatives, providing a comprehensive overview of the event’s eco-friendly strides. Moreover, the collaboration with Fab City Paris showcases the event’s inspiring efforts, emphasizing the transformation of reclaimed wood into unique pieces and the promotion of circular economy principles.
In 2019, Maison&Objet launched an eco-label comprised of a jury that meets twice a year to analyze exhibiting brands in order to identify which ones will receive the eco-label. The jury includes important professionals and agencies with precise knowledge such as Eco-Impact. Now, they have more than 200 exhibitors with the label, including French brands Furniture for Good and Maximum. Although the collection of eco-labeled brands is multi-national, we visited an outstanding French company during the fair.
Interested in learning about new furniture and accessories found at the fair?
“Elizabeth Leriche Unveils What’s New in Decor at Maison&Objet“
Brand Spotlight: Handcrafting Wood Furniture with Family-run Drugeot Manufacture
As one of the profiles featuring the eco-label, the French company Drugeot Manufacture allured visitors with its exquisite furniture made of handcrafted wood. Smooth to the touch, the pieces nearly hide the intricate work of the craftsmen who work with in-house and known designers on their collections.
In the year 2000, Pierre and Matthieu embarked on a transformative journey by taking over the family business, Drugeot Manufacture, renowned for crafting solid oak and cherry wood furniture in traditional styles. The brand operates with a strong eco-responsible ethos, sourcing premium and durable oak from sustainably managed French forests. The team also ensures that 80% of suppliers are within 200km, and production waste finds new life as heating fuel or animal bedding, part of a comprehensive approach monitored by the independent “Eco-impact.”
Beyond environmental commitment, the brand actively engages in skill transmission, holds the “Ateliers d’Art de France” label, and, since October 2023, is referenced by the Mobilier National, showcasing its dedication to French craftsmanship, creativity, and quality. We excitedly await more information about its collaboration with schools, for which students propose new ideas and the selected student will work with Durgeot to create a prototype of the furniture piece. The selection will be made next month. It’s an example of the brand’s outreach to young craftsmen, while another is through proposed apprenticeships.
Tech Eden, the Show’s Theme in Details
The Tech Eden installation by consultancy agency Peclers Paris represented a forward-thinking vision for hospitality centered around well-being and sustainability by fusing science and nature. Comprising the Well-being Café, Gym Station, and Spa Room, each capsule offers unique and immersive experiences.
The café transforms traditional notions, becoming an epicenter of enhanced beauty and holistic experiences, using innovative materials such as delicious edible papers by Mâche&Maché used to supply food for the table. In the corner of the café, the organic console by Studio Conquérants displayed a plaster-covered wooden structure with a marble top. Tableware included Saint-Armand glazed stoneware plates by Perig Céramique, Donut plates by Teresa Berger, and more. In the wellness café, guests found samples of mycelium-based materials supplied by the online material library, Materio.
The Gym Station invites visitors to engage in physical exercise on a machine bike while being immersed in a different world through an XXXL digital screen. Lastly, the Spa Room redefines luxury, providing a regenerative interlude with a ‘sound bath’ and sensory tech objects, creating an ultra-personalized cocooning experience within the hotel room itself.
Products featured in the café:
- Studio Conquérants – Console Organique
- Nespresso – Vertuo Creatista coffee machine
- Nespresso – Nude Collection, Loop cups
- Softicated – Silhouette lamp
- Thiery Dreyfus X DCW Editions – Lampe B
- Perig Céramique – Saint-Armand glazed stoneware plates
- Hugo Drubay X Metapoly – Dune Collection, Wine pitcher, water pitcher, and water glass
- Teresa Berger – Plates and dishes: Donut, Nightshade, Organic Motion and Landscape
- Serax – Cutlery from the Flora Vulgaris collection
- Ann Vincent – Lenu vase
- FORTMRW/ Ila Ceramica – Ceramic massage object
- DCW EDITIONS X SEBASTAN SUMMA – NL12 Fixture
Products featured in the gym:
- Madame Steel – Lever switch
- Dyson – Purifier Big+QuietTM Formaldehyde BP03
- Dyson – Dyson ZoneTM Absolute+ headphones with noise reduction
- Ciclotte X RHNH – MetaCyclo
- Laurids Gallée – Pool Light
- Pantheone Audio – Pantheone I speaker
- Cyryl Zakrzewski – Dune Chair
- Cyryl Zakrzewski – F-Wave vase
- Hugo Drubay – Chrysalis vase
- Waterrower – E au-me freeman board
- Studio Finemateria – Fontanella fountain
- Vitra – Work Alcove
- Silje Lindrup – Mirror Clock
- Infrastructure Studio – Bench
Products featured in the spa:
- Laufen – ILBAGNOALESSI Washbasin
- Laufen – Toilet and paper holder ILBAGNOALESSI
- Umé Studio – Bouton soap dish
- Juilette Berthonneau – Panel and column Motifs Rebondissants (bouncing patterns)
- Jessica Boubetra – Arborescent stool in glazed stoneware
- Théophile Caille – Shaving brush and Volcanique razor
- Ace of glass – Multiblue lantern
- Petite Friture – Klump coat hook
- Ostrea – Sea shell terrazzo trays
- Infrastructure Studio – Studio candles
- 13 Desserts – Bigger splash mirror
