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Trends can be fleeting. One year, brass is big, and the next, we’re crazy for chrome. The pendulum swings back and forth, and we’re here to let you know about it all so you can decide which ones to get into. But some styles take root so deeply that their staying power is stronger than most. At the latest iteration of Maison&Objet In The City and Deco Off, which included the sprawling trade show and numerous showroom openings, I saw the same look cropping up again and again: Things were very curvy.
A kidney bean silhouette is by no means new—it defined the work of mid-century icons like Vladimir Kagan and Jean Royère. But with new iterations of the theme in recent years, such as in Goop’s CB2 collaboration, the shape has continued to take hold of designers, and it dominated my favorite high-end galleries in the city. Sharp angles were hard to come by at Pierre Augustin Rose, The Invisible Collection, Uchronia, and Pierre Yovanovitch, all of which favored soft, rounded bends. See them for yourself, below, as well as our picks for more affordable pieces you can grab right now.
Pierre Augustin Rose
This soothing two-story showroom, started by Pierre Bénard, Augustin Deleuze, and Nina Rose, made me want to get rid of all my clutter and commit to minimalism for good. Beyond the streamlined materials, like milky lacquer and mohair velvet, the shapes were cohesively curvy. Some were a unique pill shape, but the 190 sofa, named after its length in centimeters, was the exact bean shape I spotted elsewhere. They consider it an ode to Scandinavian designs and the work of decorators from the 1930s to the 1960s.
The Invisible Collection
The Invisible Collection, a cutting-edge furniture gallery with a presence in New York, London, and Paris, popped up at Féau Boiseries with its Mobilier National collaboration. In the grand spaces flanked by antique panels, rounded-edge pieces like the Hug sofa by Fleur Delesalle and Umbo sofa by Hamrei caught my attention with their elegant organic forms. I will always remember the latter for its luxurious tufting, not with buttons but with pearls.
Uchronia
Multidisciplinary design collective Uchronia sticks out from the rest for its vibrant colors and lightheartedness, but I still saw the same softness in its forms. The Bisou stool takes the half-moon shape away from the upholstered world, offering a petite resin perch far more compelling than a perfect circle.
Pierre Yovanovitch
Pierre Yovanovitch’s showroom possesses a warm, minimal look and has always been characterized by soft edges. (His recently opened New York space doesn’t stray from the quiet luxury vibe.) But some of the curviest pieces actually had a geometric twist, like the Canapés asymmetry curved sofa, a design that debuted this month, with its gridlike frame peeking through.
Get the Look
When bringing the look home, I’ve found that mixing soft edges with similar shapes is your best bet. Rather than trying to balance things out with angular furniture, allow oblong coffee tables, circular poufs, and anything organic to live together in harmony.
Dior Pouf, Industry West
The Beekman Desk, Maiden Home
