Day 3: Part II, Maison & Objet, Paris

As promised, here's part II of Day 3.

After lunch we started with some floor covering vendors, finding those vendors who actually make their product in France or Italy, chatting it up with them, learning about exports.

  Natural tree growth curves on the edges of the boards, above

 

The first one was a company that excels at keeping the product natural, especially in preserving the direction that the tree grew, with curves and waves. Another flooring company, this one from Prague, showed intricate hardwood floor patterns created not only by shape but with color.

A marquetry style wood floor, above

 

 

 

More marquetry and inlay floors, but this time with (on) limestone floors, below. A faux inlay creates a believable trompe-l'œil (fool the eye) effect of marquetry patterned limestone floors. Yes it's a stain on limestone, hand applied by English artisans. Expensive per metre (3.28 ft.) but far less expensive than hand cut inlay stone work, and truly very effective.

 

 

A "faux" marquetry style limestone floor, above

 

 

Detail of "faux" marquetry style limestone floor, above

 

 

A second faux marquetry style limestone floor, above

 

Another faux finish on stone, this time on concrete, was the imprint and finish of Shagreen (most often Stingray but sometimes shark skin; Galuchat in French), below:  

 

 

 

 

By the same group of English Artisans, was a maker of wood tables, authentic to Stately Homes and Chateau. This man recently made a table for Her Majesty, the Queen of England, for Windsor Castle, a copy of which is below.

 

The table for the House of Windsor, Windsor castle, above

 

 

A cocktail table, above, in the same 'authentic' scale as this artisans English wood Dining tables

 

 

 

Another thickly scaled Dining table, above

 

 

There was also a French group of artisans showing their work in a single booth. Pictured below is the work table for an metal worker for forging and sculpting his work, and some of the finished pieces hung on the all behind the table. 

 

 

 

 

Once put together, the metal work form a magnificent ornamentation to a pair of gates fit for a chateau, below.

 

 

Another artisan showed his mastery of stone carving in this magnificent example of a stone staircase, below

 

 

 

 

A modern metal worker makes a contemporary long bench, and a folding steel stool, below

 

 

 

 

 

And from stone to glass, we wondered into a rather strange but interesting display by a Japanese company that took you from room to room for a "light experience" in mood and feeling as expressed through projections on multiple walls.

At the end of the labyrinth of 'rooms' was a smallish display of a round conference table with four chairs, flanked by glass folding screens, used similarly to the more common fabric upholstered screens found in office environments throughout the world. When installed this glass screen is used as a divider in an office setting, it turns on when people are present, and off when the room is empty.

It could one day replace the dismal space dividers of today.

This lighted "screen" with a pattern of light, color and intensity, is thought to effect the workers enjoyment of their job, their productivity, as well as focus. Now that's interesting! 

Not currently available in the marketplace, this prototype is bound to makes it way into the mainstream in one way or the other. Certainly this was an elaborate and expensive display to present this concept, but very interesting upon reflection!

 

 

 

 

A glass divider, not as simple as it looks!  

 

 

 

Continuing on the modern, a sculptural Dining table from Industria, below:

 

 

A French designer shows his floor lamps with leather clad shaft and leather trimmed linen shade, above

 

 

 

A South African architect debuts her line of sculptural bath sinks and a pouf of carved 
Calcutta marble.

 

 

 

 

 

A modern table collection, above and below, can by customized on a multi-touch computer table as discussed in Part 1 of Day 3. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A unique Paper table gives new meaning to Origami, below:

 

 

 

 

A sleek pool table in steel painted with car lacquer, below:

 

 

 

 

A wonderful French gal (must be originally from somewhere else!) had beautiful leather floor tiles, the largest steer hides from France we've ever seen (what are the cows eating?), and luxe fur throw pillows and an $84,000 Sable throw for your lap, a white mink rug, or perhaps you'd fancy a wing chair upholstered in white mink.

 

Worlds largest cow hides (maybe!)

Italian leather floor tiles

Sheered and tie dyed Russian sable throw pillows, $8400 each 

 

A Russian Sable throw for $82,000, above

 

 

 

White mink rug, above, and chair, below

 

 

 

Okay, this is crazy, but I've got to stop and see Paris, so there will now have to be a Part III to day 3. And you thought this was just fun and games over here! Unprecedented indeed!

 

 

 

Good night moon