WHAT’S NEW? three bespoke spaces at Maison&Objet

WHAT’S NEW? IN DECOR - Elizabeth Leriche

Elizabeth Leriche’s WHAT’S NEW? IN DECOR space always allows attendees to feel the show’s overarching inspiration. Through her creativity and sensitivity, this trend expert transforms her vision of the Sur/Reality theme into a tangible decor experience using a product selection drawn from exhibitors. A sprawling floor labyrinth symbolizes the unconscious, creating an immersive, dreamlike path that disconnects visitors from reality and aims to captivate them. Within the cabinet and salon of curiosities—where the strange and marvelous meet the sensual—an interplay of scales and proportions invites viewers to see objects from new perspectives, plunging them into a world that balances the past and future. The Room of Dreams emphasizes the importance of imagination, words, and poetry—a nod to André Breton. And then there’s the Fantastic Forest, offering a much-needed connection to nature and all its mysteries. The Hypnotic Corridor, with its distorting stripes and whimsical objects, completely throws visitors off balance and leaves them officially lost in a world far from reality.

WHAT’S NEW? IN RETAIL - François Delclaux

Designed as a concept store, the WHAT’S NEW? IN RETAIL space brings a sequence of surprises within a single, vibrant area imagined by François Delclaux. First, a curated selection of products sourced from exhibitors and arranged under four themes (Curiosity Cabinet, Daydreams & Pleasure, Illusions, Natureculture), all inspired by Sur/Reality. Each piece is marked by a heightened reality, with unique or even extravagant qualities in terms of form, materials, color, or use. Ultra-creative, these items delight and astonish, injecting surprise and poetry into daily life. Three animated display windows echo the show’s main themes (Sustainable, Museums, French Made). Finally, the Merch Plug & Play section offers turnkey solutions for retailers; this time, it’s inspired by fast food, imagined as a “design bar.” On the opposite side, Retail Coaching provides free expert-led talks and demonstrations tailored to the retail sector.

WHAT’S NEW? IN HOSPITALITY - Uchronia

Julien Sebban brings a fresh perspective to the hospitality sector with WHAT’S NEW? IN HOSPITALITY, creating a completely original space dedicated to the theme. The architect and designer has crafted Hôtel Uchronia, a 200-square-meter time-warped setting where reality is entirely distorted, starting with the structure itself, which is neither straight nor painted but formed from layers of fabric. This mysterious monolithic exterior opens up to a warm, dreamlike interior, rich in sensory atmospheres, from scents to sounds, designed to evoke emotions. There’s a bar, embodying the idea that hotels operate 24/7, where carefully orchestrated lighting and colors emphasize the duality of day and night. A hyper-styled master bedroom, a bathroom as a work of art, a reimagined fitness room, a living garden, a mysterious smoking lounge, and a rejuvenating spa—all create a luxurious yet relaxed hotel atmosphere, fun and thoughtfully suspended in time, a signature of Julien Sebban and a tribute to the Sur/Reality theme.