Nexus for high-end decor and fashion

Following its successful inaugural edition last year, Maison&Objet Asia, an offshoot of the Parisian show, returns with an expanded selection of the best high-end decor and home fashion by marquee brands and designers.

This year's edition, which also marks the Paris show's 20th anniversary, ran from March 10-13, featuring 300 brands from 26 countries.

Tokyo Tribal Collection

Photo: BT

JAPANESE design firm nendo is famed for creating fun and quirky products, and their latest works, Tokyo Tribal Collection, is no exception. The collection is supported by local design firm Industry+ which gave nendo a list of materials to work with, such as volcanic ash, bamboo and wood.

The result: 25 pieces of chairs, stools and tables, with bamboo baskets incorporated into them. For example, some bamboo baskets become the backs of chairs, or in another case, the basket is joined to the foot of a stool, and it becomes a quirky container. The collection will also be shown at the Milan Furniture Fair in April, and will be made for sale at a later date.

Lino

Photo: BT

TAIWANESE design firm Poetic Lab presented its desktop accessories collection called Beyond Object at the show. The idea is to strip each item of extraneous details down to its simplest form. Take for example, Lino, a structured letter knife.

The knife has been reduced to its mere outline, essentially a blade is all that's needed to cut paper. Handmade in stainless steel, Lino's thin black outline is a blade and handle all in one. Not only is it functional, but it also looks like an art piece.

Page by Page Lamp

Photo: BT

TUNAPAPER is a Korean design firm that turns ordinary sheets of paper into fun, usable items. Its Page by Page Lamp is one such example. A bulb and lamp shade are incorporated into what looks like a desk calendar.

The idea is that while lighting up a space, users can also doodle their creations on the paper. Bored? Flip over the paper and doodle again.

AT800 by Normal Studio

Photo: BT

THOUGHT initially as an updated version of the classic teak folding chair, the AT800 series by Normal Studio is a statement in the kind of simplicity that comes only after considerable hours pondering over design.

The use of stamped aluminium for the seating instead of teak, speaks volumes about functional design, a blend of nostalgic aesthetics and industrial production that is hard to come by.

The perforated sheet-metal tabletop lets rain and light through, reducing the table's weight and creating a minimum of shadow underneath. In fact, the table features more void than actual matter.

Volupte for Luzerne

Photo: BT

PLATES that shine take on a different meaning with the Volupte series for Singapore tableware company Luzerne. Acclaimed patissier, Janice Wong of 2am: dessert bar teams up with Swarovski for the collection. The surface of the show plates and dessert platters come adorned with crystals.

Animo

Photo: BT

LOCAL design firm, Outofstock, makes playing in the sand fun for kids with Animo. This is a sand-play set made of bamboo fibre, a highly renewable natural source, and a more eco-conscious alternative to 100 per cent petroleum-based sand-play toys.

There are four pieces in the collection, which are designed to resemble sea creatures such as the whale and the stingray. The project is done in collaboration with Ekobo, a pioneer manufacturing firm in ecodesign.

This article was first published on March 14, 2015.
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