Seine-sational

Spring design fairs in Paris point to what’s new and notable in interior design.

by Bridget Cottrell

As soon as Pantone announced that “Cloud Dancer” was its Color of the Year, PR agencies flooded my inbox with design boards and product recommendations (including hair color!), attempting to put an interesting spin on what many view as an underwhelming selection. The reaction from the design world was swift, with opinions ranging from “boring” to “serene.”

Joining the chorus of the disenchanted was Sarah Hamon, CEO and Founder of S2H Communications, who wrote in an email announcing the release of her company’s 2026 Trend Book, “What is wrong with white, you might ask? To begin with, if you work in our industries, you know that living in white means choosing nothing. It means not daring, not moving, not being able to express taste on your walls because you’re renting, passing through… So, you draw no boundaries in your home, no zones — like in an asylum — living in endless white. And you never feel better for it… Pantone, which is supposed to accompany its Color of the Year with sociological analysis, seems to have missed the moment when people around the world are craving connection, reassurance, and comfort.”

Hamon’s biting critique represents a sizeable pushback from the design world, who, in 2026, are resolute in championing color (including more nuanced shades of pure white) as a reflection of character. Vibrancy was on full display this past January at the bi-annual Paris design fair Maison & Objet (representing 2,300 brands from more than 60 countries) and Paris Déco Off (referred to as the “Fashion Week for Interiors,” where more than 150 interiors-related brands unveil new fabric, wallcovering, and passementerie collections in their showrooms). Flocking to this global stage, industry leaders can identify the zeitgeist, discover material innovations and new talent, explore the dialogue between tradition and modernity in design, and find unique pieces that lend authenticity to a space.

For 2026, Maison & Objet adopted the theme PAST REVEALS FUTURE, exploring the powerful idea that new forms await invention within the memory of materials, gestures, and cultures. Inspiring the curated exhibitions, thematic itineraries, and trend presentations throughout the fair were four orientations: Metamorphosis, Mutation, Revisited Baroque, and Neo-Folklore.

Illulian Milano at Maison & Objet/ photo by Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

Organizers of Maison & Objet elected Harry Nuriev, founder of Crosby Studios, which has offices in Paris and New York, as their Designer of the Year. With a body of work ranging from product design to the conception of singular, immersive environments, Nuriev acts as both a design anthropologist and a storyteller of the unexpected.

Designer of the Year 2026, Harry Nuriev / photo by Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

“Nuriev’s practice lies at the crossroads of art and design, driven by the sensitivity of a designer who questions the overabundance of objects in which we live,” said Franck Millot, Maison & Objet’s Director of Partnership and Special Events, in a release announcing Nuriev’s election. “Harry is also a cosmopolitan creator who has chosen Paris as his home base, following in the footsteps of great figures who enriched the Parisian art and cultural scene. A touch of Diaghilev for the Russian soul, and a bit of Scott Fitzgerald for the extravagance.”

Sophisticated Living was pleased to be part of the festive atmosphere in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Rue du Mail/Place des Victoires neighborhoods generated by a slew of cocktail parties held in permanent and pop-up showrooms as part of Paris Déco Off. A tradition for more than a decade, hundreds of oversized, colorful lampshades served as beacons in the Left and Right Bank neighborhoods, illuminating the textile industry’s creativity and use of sustainable fabrics. As part of the “Festival of Fabrics,” the facades of galleries, showrooms, the Hôtel de l’Industrie, and the storefront of the Bar du Moulin were dressed in lively textiles from the likes of Designers Guild, Thevenon, C&C Milano, and more.

Countless studies have demonstrated the significant impact of interior design on health and mood. The events in Paris evidenced that, in an increasingly chaotic world, beautiful and thoughtful design can create deeply personal, layered, and sustainable sanctuaries that blend well-being with self-expression, whether you’re a Cloud Dancer or someone who prefers to tiptoe through a colorful field of tulips.

Bi-annual Paris design fair Maison & Objet in photos