What we loved at Maison & Objet in Singapore

Visiting Asia was always on Mark’s bucket list for many reasons. The culture, the food (oh my god) and the amazing design. In Singapore, Maison & Objet was the perfect place to see designs from all over the world with a bit of an Asian influence. While M&O in Paris is the main hub for this show, the Singapore version is a lot more condensed and much easier to get around!

Being in Asia for a work trip was the perfect opportunity to visit the fair and Mark took advantage of his boss Kelly Hoppen’s keen design eye to spot the best bits. Being in the space with so many creative people was fantastic and visiting with a seasoned interiors veteran was a great opportunity as it highlighted what ideas were new – sorting the chaff from the wheat so to speak…

There were several trends on display and it was hard not to photograph everything. However, after some editing of the snaps Mark took we’ve come up with the following five points of interest that we saw at the show.

Neon Jungle

It was a neon jungle in there. Dutch homewares supplier Pols Potten was a haven of the weird and wonderful. Our eyes were drawn to these fantastic two-toned stools which would look great in any room. We thought about matching the orange with the blue to create a colourful statement. Also their range of colourful plates and tea light holders would be pops suitable for any table or space.

New techniques

There were lots of new and inventive interiors ideas around the fair. First we spotted these pendant lights (above, right) which were made of fabric with zips to hold them together. The cloud-light shades would make a whimsical statement in any room and the zip detail gives them a bit of an edge. Another exciting ideas was this chromed tissue holder (above, left). We spotted the idea on Dezeen previously, but it was great to see them in the flesh. Their fluidic shape was created by filling metal with water and freezing so the metal expands, leaving a contemporary finish for a traditional idea.

East meets West

No trip with Kelly Hoppen would be complete without a nod to her classic design ethos, East meets West. We spotted a brand who was created by a Frenchman living in Singapore, hence the perfect fusion of European and Asian design. We loved these really simple chairs and lanterns which would encompass this design trend and would work in any room of the house. What could be better than relaxing in one of these chairs with a flame-filled lantern by your side…

Pops of colour

After that it was time to bring the colour in. These fantastic frames were painted in vibrant colours, and while we can’t remember the name of the brand (shame on us) we loved how they looked against this black wall. Perfect bit of decorating inspiration and we’re looking forward to doing some experimenting with this. Also the planters, which are made from reclaimed tyres, really were brought to life by the addition of the vibrant green plants. Almost a nod to plants reclaiming the Earth? We loved it.

Reclaimed materials

Finally, we spotted a lot of reclaimed materials. These fabulous concrete pendants (above, left) would bring an industrial look to any space. Mark remembers them saying that these are created by using the leftover concrete from other projects to make something new. All very environmentally conscious. Last, and by no means least, were the baths created by Apaiser (above, right). The collection, designed by Kelly Hoppen, are made from reclaimed marble and another ‘secret ingredient’. The one pictured here was inspired the bottom of a pleated skirt and folder paper, hence its name Origami.

Have you seen any other design trends coming out of Maison & Objet in Singapore? We’d love to see them so please do tweet them to us!

We’re off for a Singapore Sling,
David & Mark x