Global trend ambassador, Patti Carpenter shares her invaluable insights from Maison & Objet. We are grateful for her perspective in sharing with us her decades of trend forecasting experience and her take on the most important colors from Paris.
Past Reveals Future
This edition of Maison & Objet, themed Past Reveals Future, demonstrated how design draws strength from its roots to rise higher. With three decades of shows behind it, the fair took its long-standing ethos—every edition is different—to an entirely new level. The sense of discovery was heightened by a complete transformation of the show itself. The layout was fully reoriented, with a reimagined exhibitor placement and newly named sectors including Design & Décor, Signature & Projects, and Gift & Play.
The overarching focus of the January show signaled a return to Maison & Objet’s foundations as a global hub of design excellence—where prestige, craftsmanship, tradition, and modernity converge.
Three immersive trend areas, conceived and curated by leading French experts, guided visitors through innovative and inspiring narratives: What’s New in Décor with Elizabeth Leriche, What’s New in Hospitality with Rudy Guènaire, and What’s New in Retail with François Delclaux. Across all three, a shared sensibility emerged—a renewed interest in Neoclassicism expressed through product design. This unfolded through three temporal lenses: craftsmanship, creativity, and reinvention; the dreamlike quality found in intentional design, marked by a nomadic spirit and an open horizon; and the power of storytelling, where use, appearance, and materials shape a more expressive and meaningful brand identity.
What stood out most to me, in my role as Global Trend Ambassador for Maison & Objet, was the confident and deliberate use of color throughout the show—employed to ignite curiosity, convey narrative, and elicit emotion. Color was ever-present, whether as a defining booth surface that invited pause and reflection, or applied directly to products designed to engage, excite, calm, or captivate.
Among the many hues that caught my attention, five emerged as particularly resonant. While far from exhaustive, they reinforce our ongoing dialogue around the importance of warmer palettes as grounding forces for the seasons ahead. These were complemented by modulated midtones that soothe and restore, evoking connection and tranquility—welcome counterpoints to the uncertainty and upheaval of our current moment.
Blue Horizons
We begin with Blue Horizons, a cool, casual blue that is both calming and composed. Unhurried and assured, it serves as a versatile base that pairs effortlessly with warm or cool neutrals alike. As an anchor of the subtle pales palette, it performs beautifully across glass, ceramics, textiles, and tabletop. I am especially drawn to its application in lacquered occasional or side tables, where it gently softens the mood.
Matcha Foam
Next is Matcha Foam, another pale tone that has been building momentum for several seasons and now steps confidently into the spotlight. This refined green features a cool blue undertone and is less yellow cast than in previous iterations, lending it a quieter sophistication. As creamy and comforting as the beverage it references, Matcha Foam envelops products in elegance and ease.
À L’Orange
Moving to the warmer end of the spectrum, À L’Orange turns up the volume. Vibrant, vivacious, and unapologetically playful, this hue delivers the punch of color many are craving. With just the right nod to 1970s nostalgia, it speaks to our collective “kidult” sensibility—optimistic, expressive, and full of energy. From pillows and vases to chairs and lighting, it instantly refreshes accent pieces. This is color at its most exuberant.
Chocolate Cherry
Anchoring the palette this season is Chocolate Cherry, a deep, luxurious tone that marks the evolution of burgundies, bordeauxs, and dark berries we’ve been tracking for several years. Now firmly established in the luxury sector, this sultry shade—rich with a touch of ’80s glamour—is undeniably showstopping. Leather, lacquer, ceramics, and glass all take on a mesmerizing depth when rendered in this color.
Baked Clay
Rounding out the palette is Baked Clay, an earthy and expressive foundation that propels the season forward. This hue speaks to our desire for meaning, motivating us to seek out the significant, encouraging connection, community, and values-driven design rooted in craftsmanship. Typically presented in matte, sandy, or sueded finishes, it evokes the patina of time. Forms feel time-honored, while glazes appear aged to an almost unearthed perfection.
Ultimately, Past Reveals Future affirmed that progress in design is not about rupture, but resonance. By reexamining heritage through a contemporary lens, Maison & Objet underscored its role as a platform where enduring values evolve into new expressions—offering the industry not just a vision of what’s next, but a deeper understanding of why it matters.
About Patti Carpenter
Patti is Principal of carpenter + company and an award– winning Designer in globally sourced home décor, accessories, fragrance and gifts, with experience in product design and development, merchandising and color + trend forecasting. As a Micro-Enterprise specialist with U.S. presidential recognition for domestic and international expertise in artisan development, small producer and entrepreneurial training and economic development she has designed and sourced Private Label collections for Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, Crate & Barrel, Room & Board, The Phillips Collection, ABC Carpet and Home, Donna Karan Urban Zen and Ralph Lauren. She has worked in 61 countries. Patti is an expert in Color + Trend research and forecasting and has consulted with Pantone. Following her two-decades long experience as a Fashion and Accessories designer and executive with Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta and Ralph Lauren among others, she founded her consultancy business. For the past decade plus, she has been the Global Trend Ambassador for Maison & Objet, Paris. She is an active board member of SERRV International-one of the founding organizations of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), BADG (Black Artists and Designer Guild) and The Bienenstock Furniture Library, and was the first Chair of the High Point Market Authority Diversity Advocacy Alliance as well as the co-founder of the original Kaleidoscope Project. Patti is also the recipient of the Gift For Life Industry Achievement Award for 2021 and the Withit Industry Leadership Award for 2021 for the Kaleidoscope Project, as well as the International Furniture and Design Association’s (IFDA) Trailblazer Award in 2023.