Day-to-night venues take centre stage

Who hasn't already done a spot of (remote) work on holiday, grabbed something to drink in a department store, or made themselves truly at home in a hotel? A space is no longer defined by its function, but rather by its multitude of functions. Dedicated to hospitality, hotels, restaurants, shops and even waiting rooms are all becoming hybrid spaces where people successively complete numerous activities, from relaxing to working to making purchases and/or making connections. It’s a highly Anglo-Saxon – and possibly even slightly Nordic – concept that was first introduced with the drugstore, an innovative blend of a pharmacy, a bookstore and a grocery store. In France, the phenomenon is currently gaining traction, accompanied by the expertise of interior designers who are conversant in multi-faceted vibes. Fabien Roque of Roque Intérieurs sees the trend notably rippling through the hotel industry, where there is a marked shift from boutique hotels to lifestyle-focused spaces. "The lifestyle trend is uninhibited and relaxed, turning design codes on their heads and bringing a “home-style” vibe into the mix. The transition has been a gradual process mirroring changes to people’s behaviour and needs, but it has also been driven by the need to incorporate new technology into these spaces." 

The renewed popularity of hospitality venues

Whilst customers are looking for comfortable and safe cocoon-like spaces in which they can relax, they also expect spaces to surprise them by telling a story. "After witnessing the hospitality sector sit on its laurels for two decades, there’s a real sense that lifestyle is now coming into its own, notably in the food sphere. Hospitality, services and experiences are all being taken to the next level, not just in hotels but in airports and trains, too." explains Virginie Friedmann who, along with Delphine Versace (Friedmann & Versace), is currently helping chef Mory Sacko redesign his Michelin-starred restaurant MOSUKE, "by creating a fusion design where Africa meets Japan, mirroring his cuisine. It’s about so much more than simply what’s on the plate. The customer must be whisked off on a veritable journey.” The two young interior designers are also the design brains behind Seasonely at Galeries Lafayette, a space dedicated to facial massages, where they mischievously highlight the contradiction between the frenzy of a shopping mecca and the contemplative nature of well-being. 

Work, party or breakfast?

The hybridisation of hospitality venues is enhanced by the interior designer's ability to organize volumes, anticipate future uses and design modular furnishings. The hotel lobby is one space in which the notion of chameleon-esque hybridisation truly comes into its own, with the space’s identity constantly changing throughout the day, effortlessly shifting from breakfast room or reception space to co-working venue or bar. September’s Hospitality Lab will feature an exhibition by winners of the Accor Design Awards; a restaurant staged by ADW; three showcases; and a dynamic hotel reception space designed by Fabien Roque. The flexible lobby space will have a multifunctional table at its heart, which can serve as both a check-in desk for travellers, a communal workspace and a cocktail bar. This large and versatile piece of furniture will boast three different heights (1.20m, 90cm and 75cm), each suited to a specific function. "Extended by a seating area with a daybed and ottomans, the lobby will evolve as the day progresses, transforming into an upbeat bar in the evening," explains Fabien Roque, who has incorporated clever technology into the design: a hot/cold induction system for breakfast that disappears under the table’s marble top; a champagne bucket discretely embedded into the table that can suddenly join the party when required; integrated speakers; and a remote control chandelier that can create different lighting moods, all of which are set to accompany the venue’s transition from day to night. Much like the velvets, mirrors and golden hues, chosen not only for their pleasing appearance but also because they reflect Roque Interiors’ signature style. "’Enjoy’, the theme of the September edition of the fair, conjures up images of 1970s night clubs and Paris’s Palace night club back in the 1980s!" The vibe will evolve throughout the day, ranging from calm and studious to warm and immersive. An undulating screen will catch visitors’ eyes as they stroll down the central aisle, drawing them into the lobby that Fabien Roque promises to keep buzzing. 

A year-round hotel room

Hotels take centre stage yet again with The Socialite Family, only this time it is the bedroom that is touched by the magic wand of hybridisation. The Socialite Family is a benchmark website in the interior design field (as well as producing furniture), and the brand’s founder and Art Director, Constance Gennari, openly admits to being fascinated by icons such as Oscar Wilde and Coco Chanel, who lived in hotels all year round. For the Hospitality Lab, she has dreamed up a space that blends hotel-style comfort (think room service and gorgeous bed linen) with the personalised vibe of a veritable home-from-home. “Our bedroom-lounge will spark the kind of emotion you feel when you’re surrounded by your personal belongings. Rather than having the kind of sanitized, pared-back look of so many contemporary hotels, it will be a plush space overflowing with bits and pieces intended to pique people’s curiosity, including books, pretty photos, paintings, crockery and furniture from our own collection (incidentally, all our furniture is compliant with hotel standards and referenced in the Accor catalogue)". Enveloped in the room’s fragrance and embraced in its musical vibe, visitors will momentarily forget the hustle and bustle of Maison&Objet going on around them, to the point that they may even feel the urge to reach out and open the window. Whilst the trade fair is on, a poet may well make an appearance, too, and read a few verses in this space that resembles a family home.

Virginie Friedmann and Delphine Versace, meanwhile, are set to create a new generation spa. According to the duo, "rather than being a traditional spa, it will be a free-spirited and hybrid space that flaunts organic, informal lines and takes a holistic approach to relaxation and contemplation whilst stimulating the senses. As is the case with the Seasonly spa at Galeries Lafayette, the paradox of hybridisation consists of bringing relaxation into an extremely vibrant space, such as the Maison&Objet trade fair." Aquatic metaphors will ripple across the whole design: a fountain, shells, a blue carpet, walls emblazoned with "water mirror" effects, as well as a fresco that will feature a potpourri of algae and marine life. This mineral and fluid space, styled to resemble a winter garden with the use of outdoor furniture, will invite visitors to read, meditate, recharge their batteries or simply daydream.

Exceptional expertise

All of the interior designers involved in the Hospitality Lab project shine a light on the contributions fine craft artists make to their boundary-crossing creations. "I see them as artistic interventions," exclaims Fabien Roque. For his hotel lobby’s undulating screen, the designer worked with Lamellux, a French carpentry firm that has been around for almost a century and that he chose for the quality of one of the finishes it applies to smoked larch. "The process that these artisans have created is called Skelet Erosion. It enables the surface of the wood to be sanded down to create a kind of mesh-like openwork effect. It's a rare finish that has stemmed from extensive research.” The designer also sourced fabrics from Pierre Frey, reinterpreting the existing motifs with his own colour palette. The mirror-polished metal converted into curvaceously legged seats and tables, meanwhile, came from Meia Madeira, whilst Likemirror is the brand behind the stretched moiré pattern mirrors. "I work hand-in-hand with the artisans to explore different possibilities. I come up with an idea and then they work out whether or not it can be done”, explains the designer, who loves nothing more than to push the boundaries of traditional expertise.