Photography by WAYNE MARTIN

TO DEFINE the latest looks that dominated the Maison O’bjet show in Paris earlier this year, try visualising Gentleman’s Club meeting Georgio Armani on Long Island.

Driftwood chandeliers and raw timber finishes were de rigeur at Maison O'bjet 2009.

In what could be described as the Parisian version of the Milan Furniture Fair, Maison O’bjet is held twice yearly, giving major European design houses the chance to showcase their latest directions.    

Owner of C C Interiors in Ellerslie, Elizabeth Wilkinson has attended Maison O’bjet every February for the past six years. She soaks up inspiration for her wholesale furniture and home wares business and benchmarks the company’s direction against some of the world’s most prominent design houses.   

Elizabeth spoke at Design Council Studio in Bucklands Beach earlier this month and says rather than trends moving on and displays featuring the next best thing: “It appeared as though elements of last year’s show – which drew on the environment for inspiration – were strengthened even further for this year’s event”.

She saw a deeper appreciation and concern for our fragile natural world, with many new products selected for their sensitive use of the world’s resources.  

“We saw some of the same chandeliers and lamps made from bleached driftwood from 2008 because these still encapsulate consumer mood, and there was a fresh emphasis on eco-sculptural pieces, such as bone, antler and buffalo horn.”

Eco-sculpture relies on “ethical safaris” and is something Elizabeth says we’re going to see more of. “It’s not necessary to hunt buffalo for their horns because they shed them naturally every few years. This means the pieces can easily be collected then crafted into prized design pieces.” 

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Bling had been pretty much banished by a more ethical mood of cautious consumption with the emphasis on buying goods influenced by sustainable design principles and made from quality materials. 

“Navy blue was this year’s main accent colour, and looked fantastic alongside raw finished timber. Red was the next most visible accent and dusty pink and mauve pinks were trending upwards too.

“Black becomes more visible when financial times are tough and there was a lot of black detailing as well as black wrought iron table and lamp bases.”

Andrew Martin is one of the world’s most influential designers and on his stand Elizabeth took in the splashes of glowing neon lights, indicating there may be brighter colours appearing in the coming seasons.

“Linen was again the soft furnishing fabric of choice and sheers were also popular. There was a lot of deep-buttoned upholstery, especially on cracked leather sofas; framing was exposed on some furniture lines and chandeliers in many different styles were pervasive.”   

Hurricane lamps supported the environment/safari theme and in what Elizabeth calls “the Boiler Room look” industrial lighting such as large and functional search lights added an edgy contrast to the many rustic, natural and textured effects in the show. 

Botanical themes were dominant too with motifs appearing on home wares and sketches framed in groups. Decorative pieces finished with rusted bronze and antique beaten silver were another hot look and outdoor furniture crafted from wire might be something to watch out for next summer.

The global recession also showed its hand at Maison O’bjet 2009, with a message of replenishing, revamping and revitalising pieces to decorate the home and the body. 

“One fascinating trend we noticed was heirloom clothing. We saw beautiful bespoke suits made from exquisite fabrics in timeless styles commissioned to be enjoyed for several years and then passed on to younger family members.”  

And for something that’s desirable to a lot of people – a good night’s sleep – it’s hard to go past a four-poster bed, although they were minimalist in style with hardly any drapery.

Perhaps to cushion heads against further financial shocks, a deep-buttoned headboard might provide the perfect solution? And Elizabeth saw plenty of those.