There are few things that excite us more than having the opportunity to go shopping in Paris. We do so several times each year for inspiration.

Shopping in Paris

These excursions often coincide with the French tradeshow Maison & Objet, which takes place in January and September of each year. What is it that makes Maison & Objet one of the most incredible shows around the world year-in and year-out? It is the touch of Parisian style, of course, but it’s also the sense of surprise, the notion of the unexpected.

Attending the show means being on our feet for days on end—Maison & Objet morphs into Colette and passementerie ateliers segue to a visit to the famed flagship of Pierre Frey. He has such a pointed view of textiles that contradicts how many people feel in contemporary times—his stance that fashion and home fabrics do not relate at all, as the clothing industry changes their stripes every six months, while the home is less transitory. There’s a video on their home page that explains their handcrafted perspective, which echoes ours so brilliantly. We found some phenomenal fabrics while we flipped through the racks in their showroom, and you can expect to see a number of them on our furniture in the future. We suppose it’s obvious but we’ll say it anyway: for inspiration where the unparalleled is concerned, Paris, is, indeed, always a good idea.