I was struck by an abundance of shelving on view at Maison&Objet that for once didn't feel obtrusive or obnoxious — I was never the biggest fan of those impractical s-shape-curved wall mounts with the pegs, or those canted racks and cd holders that lean against the wall. Shelves here are big and used as room dividers, or are the typical wall unit framing a television. One gets the sense that when thick enough, shelves (or specifically, the books on them) are a nice buffer between you and the reckless, noisy world outside. When I first had a nickel for home improvements years ago, 75% of my budget was for elegant, clean, simple shelving. I love the backlit unit in the lead photo, and also the wavy planted room divider...

Mirrored surfaces were everywhere at Maison&Objet, and not just to see your pretty little mug in. Think of all those mirrored commodes and étagères from the 1940s — the lines are cleaner now, with no etching or scalloped edges. I saw mirrored tables, mirrored chairs, mirrored lamps and mirrored mirrors. There is something inherently elegant about the look, although it suggests that you pay people to do your cleaning. There were even some mirrors in a variety of fun shapes that alter the perception of how you see yourself...

Ah, the City of Lights. I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Paris for the trade show Maison&Objet, plus a few pastries, pâtes champignons and a trip to the Louvre. I have so many pictures and trendspottings to share that we've made the editorial decision to run slide shows over the next few days on a variety of topics. But in keeping with my original mission, let's begin with color… More