Le Grand Bouquet, a monumental floral installation by French design collective Uchronia, fills the Rotonde d’Antin at the Grand Palais in Paris during Paris Design Week 2026. Created by architect and designer Julien Sebban, the installation combines oversized sculptural petals, organic forms and circular seating with the historic architecture of the venue. Photo:Courtesy S2H Communications

By Samuel Navarro Serpa

Paris fair tallies more than 61,000 visits, highlighting gains from buyers in Brazil, China and Saudi Arabia

Edition results

Maison&Objet Pulse 2026 brought together more than 61,000 visits and 1,700 exhibiting brands in Paris. Photo: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion.

Closing in Paris on Sept. 14, Maison&Objet Pulse 2026 drew more than 61,416 visits in an edition fueled by expansion in markets outside Europe, with China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil standing out. Under the theme “Pulse in Motion,” programming set the pace across seven sectors during five days of exhibition.

Delegations from 27 countries reinforced the event’s international presence, according to data released by organizers. Belgium, Greece, Poland, Norway and Luxembourg led European participation, while representatives from China, Canada, Africa and South America broadened the fair’s geographic reach.

Bolstered by participation from professionals in Saudi Arabia and India, the edition reflected projects tied to the hospitality sector in both countries, identified by organizers as emerging markets. Major hotel investments explain part of that growing presence, according to SAFI, the company behind the fair.

Precisely amid this slowdown in French and European markets, growth seen in distant markets caught organizers’ attention. Vincent Lhoste, SAFI’s chief executive, overseeing Maison&Objet and Paris Design Week, said every trip and every investment needs to generate returns in a selective market. According to him, it falls to the fair to facilitate connections and expand business opportunities for both brands and visitors.

Exhibiting brands totaled 1,700 participants throughout the event, drawing international buyers, architects, decorators, interior designers and representatives from hospitality and gastronomy, alongside retailers, concept stores, department stores and distributors.

Immersed in that collective energy, design duo Ana Milena Hernandez and Christophe Penasse, founders of Spanish studio Masquespacio and ambassadors for the edition, describe the experience of walking through the fair’s doors as entering a creative cocoon. According to them, dialogue and discovery flow freely among the different universes presented across the pavilions.

Digital and parallel showcase

MOM (Maison&Objet and More), Maison&Objet’s year-round digital marketplace, connects brands and buyers through weekly product launches beyond the physical fair in Paris. Photo: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion.

Active year-round, the digital platform MOM (Maison&Objet and More) extends the fair’s reach beyond its physical dates, connecting brands and buyers through weekly product launches. Turned into a marketplace since 2023, the tool has consolidated digital services that complement the in-person experience offered in Paris.

Joining the fair’s calendar, Paris Design Week runs through Sept. 19, occupying galleries, showrooms and institutions across the French capital. Publishers, emerging talents and major design houses share space in that parallel circuit, extending the sector’s visibility over two consecutive weeks.

On social media, growth was also notable. Since September 2025, Maison&Objet’s Instagram account has grown 5%, reaching 1,207,547 followers, while its LinkedIn profile rose 12%, reaching 91,157 followers, according to figures released by organizers.

Featured talents

Design District showcased 60 emerging international designers in its second edition, under the artistic direction of Hall Haus. Photo: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

Gaining its own space in its second edition, Design District brought together 60 emerging international names under the artistic direction of collective Hall Haus, serving as a platform for experimental design expressions distant from aesthetic codes established by the traditional market.

“Future on Stage” highlighted three emerging brands as part of the Maison&Objet Pulse 2026 program focused on emerging talent. Photo: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

“Rising Talent Awards” highlighted seven South African designers during Maison&Objet Pulse 2026. Photo: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion

Other initiatives aimed at early-career talents rounded out that segment of the program. Future on Stage introduced three emerging brands to the public, while Rising Talent Awards honored seven South African designers. Rounding out the lineup, program (im)Pulse supported young studios at the moment an idea turns into a commercial project.

Curation and installations

“Feel the Shift,” by Masquespacio, explored acid tones and velvet textures as part of Maison&Objet Pulse 2026’s program of installations. Photo: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion.

Conceived by Masquespacio, the Feel the Shift installation invites visitors to experience acidic tones combined with velvety textures, proposing a shift in perspective on contemporary domestic spaces.

“Cook & Share” explored contemporary entertaining around the table, craftsmanship and culinary traditions, with embroiderer Sarah Espeute serving as ambassador. Photo: Maxime Verreti

Named Cook & Share, the space dedicated to gastronomy reinvents the art of hosting around the table, the gesture and culinary craftsmanship. Embroiderer Sarah Espeute designs the setting as ambassador, alongside a Gourmet sector and a program of events organized by Filière France.

“Nouveau Souffle,” conceived by consultant Pauline Glaizal, brought together distinctive pieces, emerging brands and creative collaborations in a botanical and olfactory setting.Photo: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion.

Almost a laboratory of inspiration, the Nouveau Souffle installation, designed by consultant Pauline Glaizal, brings together distinctive pieces, emerging brands and creative collaborations in a setting with a botanical and olfactory character, geared toward the retail segment.

“In Materia,” curated by Elizabeth Leriche, focused on surfaces, craftsmanship and contemporary métiers d’art, with an emphasis on innovative materials and sustainable production processes. Photo: Anne-Emmanuelle Thion.

Surfaces, craftsmanship and contemporary métiers d’art gain space at In Materia, curated by Elizabeth Leriche, with a focus on suppliers and brands dedicated to innovation in sustainable materials and production processes.

Legacy and next edition

Host to 48 conferences and round tables, the talks program brought together experts, creators and retail professionals around lifestyle, design and commerce, while Women&Design by Maison&Objet honored Emilie Wheeler, Tola Ojualape and Reem Al Sultan, three names joining roughly 200 participants gathered by the initiative since its launch in September 2024.

Committed to the calendar’s continuity, Maison&Objet, founded in 1994, remains an international reference in decor and design under management by SAFI, a subsidiary of Ateliers d’Art de France and RX France. Its next edition, named Maison&Objet Premier, runs Jan. 14-18, 2027, with details to be revealed at a press conference on Sept. 24. Meanwhile, the brand’s community keeps meeting in London, Shanghai, Riyadh and Hong Kong until then, reinforcing the fair’s role as a barometer for the sector throughout the year.

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