Favorites from Maison & Objet Paris 2025

Favorites from Maison & Objet Paris 2025
Favorites from Maison & Objet Paris 2025

Maison & Objet Paris celebrates design and craftsmanship, showcasing a wide range of creations from global brands to solo artisans, with wood standing out as a timeless and versatile material amidst both mass-produced and meticulously crafted pieces. Here are a few of our favorites.

1—
Making furniture in Hokkaido, Japan, Before Vintage is built on the brilliant idea that furniture can grow in value and charm over time. Their motto? “Perfect new, but even better 10 years later.” They specialize in working with underappreciated lumber—knots, cracks, and all—transforming it into simple, timeless pieces using traditional Japanese techniques for lasting durability. Each creation is uniquely numbered for detailed record-keeping, and here’s the real kicker: when a piece is no longer needed, they offer a buyback program at the original price, plus a 2% annual compound increase. It’s a smart, sustainable, and utterly fabulous concept!

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©Before Vintage
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©Before Vintage
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©Before Vintage

2—
Have you ever stepped inside a tree? When an old cedar or Sequoia comes to the end of its life in the southwest of France, artist Philippe Bray transforms it into something extraordinary—a vessel to connect us with, as he puts it, “the unknowable depth of being.” His art isn’t meant to be just looked at; it’s meant to be felt, lived, and experienced. And what an experience it is! The sheer scale of his sculptures is awe-inspiring, the smooth, untreated surfaces invite touch, and the natural scent of the wood—especially cedar—is delightfully calming. But it’s when you sit inside one of these creations that the real magic happens, bringing indescribable feelings that are as grounding as they are profound.

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©Philippe Bray
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©Philippe Bray
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©Philippe Bray

3—
High in the mountains of Portugal, João Manadru creates stunning sculptural pieces inspired by the raw beauty of nature. His work carries a certain dark charm, balancing rough, spiky, colorless shapes with calming, harmonious compositions that echo the natural forms of botany and geology. Alongside his large-scale ash sculptures, João also crafts delicate vases with a fragile elegance. Embracing the wabi-sabi philosophy, he highlights the cracks that form as the wood dries by painting their interiors with shimmering gold leaf, turning imperfections into pure art.

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©João Manadru
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©João Manadru
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Photo: Julien Derreveaux

4—
Contemporary designer and craftsman Alexandre Labruyère is all about staying local, working exclusively with materials from his home region in Northern France. His creations are guided by three key principles: tension, lightness, and simplicity, which shine through every step of his process—from experimenting to designing to building. With a background in industrial design, Alexandre has a real knack for mastering the line, skillfully blending aesthetics with function in everything he makes.

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©Alexandre Labruyère
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©Alexandre Labruyère
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©Alexandre Labruyère

5—
From Kakunodate, Japan, Tomioka crafts beautiful containers and surfaces using the art of Kaba-zaiku (cherry bark craftwork). Once harvested, the bark is then flattened and polished, giving it it’s sheen and smooth surface. Its natural properties prevent from moisture and dryness, typically used to store tea leaves. These are masterpieces are difficult to craft because of their simplicity, yet perfected by the artisans.

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©tomioka
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©tomioka
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©tomioka

6—
Pascal Oudet is often hailed as “la crème de la crème” of the French sculptural scene—and it’s easy to see why. His “dentelle” (lace) sculptures are breathtaking in their delicate beauty and jaw-dropping technique. For wood enthusiasts like us, the first question is always, “How on earth did he do that?” Pascal explains that after hours of precise woodturning, he sandblasts the pieces, uncovering the natural lace-like patterns hidden within the wood. But honestly, once you’re captivated by the beauty of his work, you forget about the process and simply appreciate the craftsmanship.

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Photo: Julien Derreveaux
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Photo: Julien Derreveaux
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Photo: Julien Derreveaux

7—
The talented duo Kim Song Yi and Kim Kyong Hun are the creative minds behind the Korean craft brand Somok Sobok, which means “the small happiness from a small piece of wood.” They blend traditional techniques like Najeon(mother of pearl inlay) with modern design, carving playful patterns into wood and giving timeless minimal objects a fresh, joyful twist.

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©somoksobok
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©somoksobok
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Photo: Julien Derreveaux
Published on January 23, 2024
Written by Julien Derreveaux