Paris Design Week 2024: A Personal Guide to What We Loved

Paris Design Week 2024 brought together a diverse range of designers, architects, and creators who continue to push the boundaries of contemporary design. From innovative sustainability efforts to standout exhibitions and rising stars, this year's event was a thrilling exploration of creativity. Below is our detailed guide to what captured our attention and left us inspired.

*Pierre Renart and Studio Uchronia at the Hôtel de la Marine*
*Credits :* ***Maison Objet***

Paris Design Week - 2024 Edition

1. Project 213A

Founded in 2020 by four friends who share a passion for sustainable, thoughtfully crafted design, Project 213A made its Paris Design Week debut with a selection of striking furniture and homeware. The brand, which utilizes materials rich in character and works with artisans in Northern Portugal, presented a range of lighting, ceramic furniture, and hand-crafted wooden pieces. Standout designs included the 'Mirror' lounge chair and the newly unveiled 'Porto' modular sofa, which reflect the brand’s ethos of finding inspiration in unexpected sources.

2. The Socialite Family

For a limited time, The Socialite Family curated and showcased ‘La Scopa’ in a classic Parisian apartment on rue de l'Université. Taking advantage of a short window between the previous tenant’s departure and the new owner’s move-in, the brand's founder and artistic director, Constance Gennari, designed an immersive display of furniture, homeware, and art. The theme of the exhibition centered on the traditional Italian card game La Scopa, with Gennari collaborating with the Puces de Saint-Ouen to source unique pieces. A modular sofa named ‘Rotondo,’ in baby-blue and red pinstripes, was the undisputed centerpiece of the installation.

3. Studio Delcourt

Marking three decades since its founding, French design house Delcourt Collection, helmed by Paris-based designer Christophe Delcourt, introduced its latest series of contemporary furniture and textiles titled ‘Piece By Piece.’ Displayed at the atelier’s showroom at 47 rue de Babylone, the collection exemplifies Delcourt’s refined approach to French craftsmanship, emphasizing elegance over extravagance. Standout pieces include the ‘Nin’ console, with its sculptural, totem-like wooden base and graceful curves, and the compact Oko side table, finished with a glossy, almost delectable sheen.

4. Fromental

Fromental worked alongside Marta Sala Éditions to present ‘The New Guilded Age’ in a series of decorated and curated rooms within a Saint Germain apartment on rue Jacob. Four distinctive Fromental wallcoverings – Haiku (a bronze metallic tea paper with Japanese-inspired flora and fauna), Molten (a woodbine silk/linen mix with green Japanese glass beads), Equus (a sumptuous velvet with gestural brushstrokes), and Kiku Garden (an elegant botanical graphic on gilded paper or silk) – set the backdrop in four rooms, with Marta Sala Éditions furniture arranged throughout.

5. Fleur Delasalle

Interior designer Fleur Delesalle, known for her work on high-end residences and educational workshops at Versailles, returns to Paris Design Week this year with a personal project. She has transformed the top floor of a Haussmann building near her childhood home in the 6th arrondissement into a showroom for her latest collection. Drawing inspiration from French design icon Madeleine Castaing and Victor Hugo’s Hauteville House, the collection features playful yet elegant pieces like a leopard-velvet console and an expansive sofa. Each item was crafted in collaboration with renowned Parisian artisans, including Pierre Frey, Métaphores, and Elitis.

6. India Mahdavi

This year, India Mahdavi, the Iranian-French design visionary, brings a diverse array of projects to Paris Design Week. First, her Project Room showcases a new collaboration with avant-garde brand CC-Tapis, unveiling the ‘Criss Cross’ rug, a hand-woven 3D design that blends chain-stitching and tufting. Across the street, her Showroom layers this bold pattern on furniture, mirrors, and more. In Tiny Room, Mahdavi features the work of rising star Wendy Andreu, who crafted a series of glass vases for “Jardin Méchanique,” blown within precision-engineered metal cages. Finally, Mahdavi’s Petits Objets shop hosts a pop-up collaboration with La Romaine Editions, offering an array of charming home accessories. These installations will be on display at various locations on rue de Bellechasse and rue las Cases through October 12.

Unique Spaces

1. Espace Commines

Three years ago, designers Thibault Huguet and Jean-Baptiste Anotin crossed paths while showcasing their work at Paris Design Week Factory. Fast forward to today, and they’ve each launched their own studios, alongside their joint project, Meet Met Met, in collaboration with Helder Barbosa—earning widespread praise. This year, they come together once again to curate an exhibition at Espace Commines under the theme Terra Cosmos. The show highlights cutting-edge furniture by emerging designers such as Vincent Decat, Léo Nunes Almedia, and Dario Erkelens. As part of Paris Design Week Factory, the event features over 125 participants across four venues and includes educational sessions focused on local craftsmanship and the creative process.

2. Musée du Luxembourg

Founded in 1993, Les Grands Ateliers de France brings together master artisans at the top of their respective fields to promote the highest level of craftsmanship. To mark the association’s 30th anniversary, the Orangerie du Sénat and curator Carole de Bona present Bel Ouvrage, an exhibition showcasing around 40 works by a dozen members. Highlights include sculptural benches and lamps by Vincent Poujardieu, a monumental screen by Ludwig & Dominique, and intricate pieces by gravure artist Fanny Boucher and marquetry expert Lison de Caunes. Following the exhibition, the works will be auctioned to support Fondation des Femmes, a French women's rights organization.

3. Galerie Signé

For many summers, Jean-Marc Drut has invited top designers to transform his faithfully restored apartment in Le Corbusier’s La Cité Radieuse in Marseilles into a creative showcase for their latest works. After a six-year pause, the tradition returned this summer, with designers Marie & Alexandre debuting specially commissioned pieces alongside their existing work in Apartment 50. As the season shifts to fall, the exhibition heads to Paris, where it will be hosted at Galerie Signé during Paris Design Week 2024.

4. Hotel de la Marine

The Parisian collective Uchronia takes over the main courtyard of the Hôtel de la Marine with an eye-catching installation: an oversized canopy bed set atop a ceramic platform. The structure, reminiscent of a classical acropolis, invites visitors to relax and immerse themselves in the setting. Its design draws inspiration from grand French beds of the past, with vibrant, earthy-hued tiles reflecting both the sky and the red tones of the surrounding architecture.

*Exhibition at Gallery Signé*
*Credits :* ***Gallery Signé***

Final thoughts

As Paris Design Week 2024 comes to a close, we’re left inspired by the incredible creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation that filled every corner of the city. From boundary-pushing designs to timeless artisanal techniques, this year’s showcase reminded us of the power of collaboration and the beauty of thoughtful design. We look forward to seeing how these ideas will continue to evolve and influence the spaces we create in the future!