Maison&Objet: Sur/Reality, Women & Design, and Faye Toogood’s Vision

From 16 to 20 January, Paris will host the unmissable Maison&Objet fair, a landmark event for interior design and decoration professionals. This year’s theme, “Sur/Reality,” challenges attendees to explore a fascinating space where imagination and creativity transcend the boundaries of the everyday. For members of the Society of British & International Interior Design (SBID), the fair offers a unique opportunity to discover bold inspirations, groundbreaking designs, and innovative concepts shaping the future of the industry.

The theme of Sur/Reality sets the tone for an exploration of the unexpected, blending the fantastical with the functional. Designs that play with illusion, reinterpret forms, and transform materials invite visitors to reimagine spaces as dreamlike yet tangible. This approach speaks to a collective desire to escape monotony, creating environments that evoke wonder, provoke thought, and foster emotional connections.

Among the many highlights of this edition is the recognition of Faye Toogood as Designer of the Year. A celebrated British talent, Toogood is renowned for her multidisciplinary approach, which bridges design, art, and architecture. Her installation, “Womanifesto,” serves as a powerful exploration of the Sur/Reality theme. Combining her unique creative voice with the broader dialogue around the role of women in design, “Womanifesto” celebrates the fusion of artistry and activism, offering a deeply personal yet universal commentary on how the surreal can shape reality.

Another key feature of the fair is the Women & Design programme, an initiative dedicated to spotlighting the achievements and perspectives of women in the design world. Through keynote talks, panels, and networking sessions, the programme fosters meaningful conversations about gender equity, diversity, and the transformative impact of women’s contributions to the industry. For SBID members, these sessions provide valuable insights and inspiration to engage with inclusivity and innovation in their own practices.

With over 3,000 exhibitors, Maison&Objet presents an extraordinary platform to explore cutting-edge designs and connect with a global network of creators, manufacturers, and visionaries. From surreal installations to practical workshops, the event is rich with opportunities to expand horizons and spark fresh ideas.

Beyond the halls of the Parc des Expositions in Villepinte, Paris itself extends the surreal experience. The city’s vibrant galleries, exhibitions, and pop-up events offer a complementary journey through art and design, making this January edition a fully immersive adventure.

Maison&Objet is more than a trade show; it is a celebration of creativity, a platform for dialogue, and a springboard for innovation. For SBID members, the combination of Sur/Reality, Faye Toogood’s visionary “Womanifesto,” and the empowering Women & Design programme makes this edition an unmissable opportunity to redefine what’s possible in interior design.

Dornbracht is returning to HIX this year, revealing a new Brushed Light Gold finish and displaying a strong focus on capabilities for bespoke hospitality projects. Christian Sieger, owner of Sieger Design, which is responsible for the design of many Dornbracht fittings, will join Dornbracht in hosting a meet and greet on 27 November, offering insight into the creation process of the manufacturer’s iconic and enduring fittings.

MEM will be displayed on stand in the new Brushed Light Gold finish alongside the Vaia in Brushed Bronze and the more traditional lines of Madison in Brushed Dark Platinum. With designs to suit both contemporary and traditional projects, these finishes are set to inspire the A&D community as Dornbracht presents a move towards warmer fittings in hospitality, particularly in high end specifications. Brushed Light Gold and Brushed Bronze are the first finishes from Dornbracht’s new PVD production line, offering more variety in terms of the colour palette.

There will furthermore be a dedicated area for bespoke solutions, showing for example unique handle inlays which can be personalised to individual projects, using recent collaborations with Nature Squared and Glass Design as examples.

“We always look forward to HIX and the chance to hear from our A&D customers first hand,” comments Craig Johnstone, Sales and Marketing Director, Dornbracht UK. “Our finishes were really popular at HIX last year and we enjoyed the response from our visitors. HIX was the natural place to unveil our new Brushed Bronze finish and we look forward to the feedback this year. With the additional presence of Christian Sieger at our stand this year, we are looking forward to inspiring the industry again.”

For more information visit www.hixevent.com. Visitors can register for free at HIX Event 2024 (visitcloud.com).

Dornbracht at HIX
– 27 and 28 November 2024
– Business Design Centre London
– Stand 1
– Free and unticketed event with Champagne and canapes on 27 November from 6pm with Christian Sieger

HIX LDN – Europe’s leading hotel design event – is back for 2024 with more of the best hotel interior experiences. Bringing the hospitality design community together for two days of networking, talks, installations, and an exhibition of over 160 leading interior design brands, HIX is a true celebration of everything that makes hotels incredible.

Last year, HIX welcomed 4,280 guests to London’s Business Design Centre, including architects, designers, operators, developers, investors, project managers, specifiers and more. Gathering the entire hotel supply chain under one roof, HIX returns on 27 & 28 November with new spaces, new experiences, a new theme, and a newly expanded exhibition of the latest interior products.

Theme

The theme for this year’s HIX, ‘a sense of place’, explores the unique connections that exist between a hotel and the area it serves – be that a specific building, a neighbourhood, a district or an entire city. As guests seek out increasingly authentic localised experiences, tapping into these connections has become a key marker of both commercial and cultural success. As such, designers have been tasked with facilitating organic, sustainable relationships with close-knit surrounding communities.

Every element of the HIX 2024 programme will be guided by this idea; from the topics up for debate on the HIX Talks stage and the form of the event’s signature HIX installation, to the soundtrack and menus at one of the many industry networking receptions.

Expo

Featuring a curated selection of over 160 cutting-edge design brands, the HIX show floor represents the best of the bathroom, surface, technology, furnishing and fabric sectors – a one stop shop with everything you need to bring the guest experience to life. This year’s line-up includes returning HIX favourites like GROHE, Laufen, Roca, Hansgrohe, Chelsom, Duxiana, Hypnos and Muuto along new members of the HIX exhibitor community like Cane-line, Woodio, Pablo Designs, Frandsen and Bensen. Elsewhere, back for a third year, Collection is HIX’s expo-within-an-expo comprising a micro-edit of 30 European labels presenting exclusive new products, while the all-new Gallery Hall adds 30 new stands and activation areas served by their own programme of content.

Talks

How is the rise of responsible tourism changing hotel design? Is hotel F&B the key to unlocking an authentic local experience? Will hotels evolve to be more like homes? HIX Talks asks the big hotel design questions with a lineup of the industry’s brightest minds. This year’s speakers include Marriott, IHG, Hilton, Accor, AvroKO, Nomadic Escapes, Luxury Frontiers, Squire & Partners, Holloway Li, Studio Lost, Richmond International and more.

Running parallel, a newly launched series of breakout talks curated by HIX partners Design Anthology UK, Festival of Hospitality and Studio Skov will complement the main programme with discussions centred around branding, investment and the future of travel. Taking place on the new Gallery Stage, these breakout sessions include panels, presentations and intimate one-on-one chats with the people and perspectives shaping the future of hotel design.

Installations

Each year, HIX collaborates with leading hotel designers to create immersive installations that push the boundaries of the hospitality experience. In 2022, HIX worked with WeWantMore and organic material artist Côme Di Meglio to develop the world’s first mycelium bar, whilst 2023 upped the stakes with a pair of spaces by Blacksheep and MIXD that showcased two distinct ‘rooms with a point of view’.

This year, under the guiding mantra of ‘a sense of place’, the signature HIX installation will mark the event’s largest and most ambitious project yet. Partnering with four leading hospitality design studios in Purcell, 3Stories, Atellior and 4Corners Design, this year’s project sees the team reimagine Islington’s iconic Business Design Centre as a hospitality experience.

Presented as a large-scale multimedia gallery within a space by set designers Cloud & Horse, each vision draws from a deep-dive historical report on the building and local area by heritage consultants Historic Productions, and celebrates the power of locality, community and heritage in hotel design.

About Gaggenau

Gaggenau is a manufacturer of high-quality home appliances and is acknowledged as an innovation leader in design and technology “Made in Germany”. The company, with a history dating back to 1683, has revolutionised the domestic kitchen with its internationally acclaimed products. Gaggenau’s success is founded on technological innovation and a clear design language combined with high functionality. Gaggenau has been a subsidiary of BSH Hausgeräte GmbH in Munich since 1995 and is currently represented in more than 50 countries with 25 flagship showrooms in major cities around the world.

Held at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, LiGHT 24 is the UK’s only trade show dedicated to high-end lighting specification. Held annually, over two-days in November it attracts designers and specifiers from all areas of the industry looking to be inspired, educated, and grow their professional network.

Having attracted almost 5,000 visitors in 2023 – architects, interior designers, lighting designers, engineers, and specifiers head to LiGHT in their thousands to see the very latest product innovations and launches from 100s of exhibiting architectural and decorative lighting brands.

Run by [d]arc media – the leading media company in lighting design – the show also features the highly regarded [d]arc thoughts talks programme. Moderated by editors from the leading lighting design magazines arc and darc, as well as guest moderators, the talks delve deeper into the latest topics and trends affecting lighting and design – whether that’s looking at circular economy and sustainability, designing for wellness, or diversity in design.

LiGHT also provides endless opportunities for visitors to make new connections, whether that’s through the late-night drinks party, networking brunch, or while working in the dedicated co-working space, or re-energising in the Associations Lounge.

The 2024 edition of the show will take place on 20 and 21 November and is completely free to attend. For more information, including an exhibitor list and talks programme schedule, click here.

The Independent Hotel Show, in partnership with James Hallam Insurance Brokers, returns to Olympia London on 15-16 October to bring together the independent hotelier and interior design community for two busy days of networking, product discovery and learning about the latest industry trends.

Independent Hotel Show Event Manager Glenn Wallace comments: “One of our key aims for the Independent Hotel Show is to curate an immersive, design-led trade show which provides an elevate experience for visiting hoteliers, and an opportunity for our design partners to demonstrate their talents by bringing the show’s features to life.”

Design partners for 2024 include Design Command, Fibi Interiors, Luke Edwards Interior Design, Anya Brakha Interiors, studio ATARA, Amit Dixit Design, OMO Interiors and Spacebrand.

Fido Fawo, Founder of Fibi Interiors and designed of the show’s Members Suite, says: “When the Independent Hotel Show calls, you answer! It’s such an honour to be a part of this year’s show. Fibi Interiors have been huge fans of the show for several years now so being a part of such an impactful event is a defining moment.”

Sarah Dudley, Founder and Creative Director at Spacebrand, the studio behind the show’s Dining Room and Hotel Business Stage, adds: “Spacebrand are excited to become design partners supporting the Independent Hotel Show 2024 with our designs for both the Hotel Business Stage and the Dining Room.”

“Spacebrand are committed to helping hoteliers transform their businesses, by being part of this show we hope to provide an experience that will inspire them to bridge the gap between design feasibility and product viability and help the event to drive the hospitality sector forwards.”

Discussing his design for the show’s Sales Lounge, Luke Edwards of Luke Edwards Interior Design says: “It could simply be boiled down to a few words, flexibility, sustainability, nature, peaceful, and luxurious comfort – but they don’t do justice to the deeper context.”

“I wanted the Sales Lounge space to ultimately be multi-functional and more than just a space at the event for conducting meetings. I wanted it to have the feeling that it could easily be the interior of a hotel lobby but with the flexibility of three spaces; being able to hold private meetings, have more open small group work areas, and also providing a luxuriously comfortable space to relax.”

Design Command Founder Clare McDonald, the studio behind this year’s Innovation Stage design, says: “As a growing design firm, we value building strong relationships and learning from a diverse range of hospitality businesses. Independent hotels often have unique perspectives and are passionate about creating distinct guest experiences, which aligns with our approach to design.”

“For us, connecting with independent hotels is a chance to exchange ideas, explore new opportunities, and continue building our network. We’re excited to establish meaningful connections and explore how we can support these hotels in creating spaces that reflect their individuality and vision.”

Trends and innovations in design are also an important part of the show’s seminar programme, this year reflecting on the show’s theme of ‘Beyond the hustle and bustle’.

Melanie Rozencwajg, Founder & CEO of DataThinkLab and Nathalie Rozencwajg, Founder & Director at NAME architecture, will be taking to the show’s Innovation Stage, sponsored by Mews and designed by Design Command, for the session ‘Escaping the hustle and bustle through intelligent design solutions’.

Melanie comments: “As a data analyst, I’m excited to explore what online reviews reveal about ‘escapism’ from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. These reviews provide unique insights into how people experience escapism in the hotel landscape.”

“Our session is crucial because hotels and brands are just beginning to fully grasp the power of analysing customer reviews to enhance their offerings. Guest feedback is invaluable, and online reviews offer rich data that helps us deeply understand guest experiences and desires, especially around key trends like escapism. With today’s digital tools, we can better meet guest needs and create personalized experiences, making this the ideal time to leverage these insights.”

Meanwhile, the session ‘Namaste: The importance of designing for wellness and escaping the hustle and bustle’ will be examining the growth and lasting impact of wellness on hospitality design, plus how the trend might evolve in future years.

Moderator Vanessa Brady, CEO of The Society of British & International Interior Design (SBID) will be joined onstage by Josh Chadwick, General Manager of The Tawny, Beverley Bayes, Director at Sparc Studio, Ben Harper, CEO of Watergate Bay Hotel, Another Place Hotels, SeaSpace Hotels and Beach Retreats, and Neil Fairplay, Director at Sparc Studio.

To find out more about everything happening at the Independent Hotel Show 2024, and to register for your complimentary trade ticket, visit independenthotelshow.co.uk.