Q&A with Maisons du Monde’s Brand Director Anne Laure Couplet
Maisons du Monde’s Brand Director Anne Laure Couplet talks exclusively to us about the French interiors brand’s concept and what inspires their homeware.
Image: Maisons du Monde
Headline sponsor for this year’s Good Homes Christmas roomsets at Ideal Home Show Christmas, Maisons du Monde are set to take the UK by storm.
We sat down with the Brand Director behind French homeware brand’s tour de force and got her insights into 2019 interior trends, her top decorating tips and how she’ll be decorating her Christmas table.
Can you explain Maisons du Monde’s concept?
Image: Maisons du Monde
‘Maisons du Monde started in 1996, so the brand has been around for 22 years! The company has its roots in west coast France and year after year it’s grown to 320 physical stores. Today, 21% of our sales are made on the website and delivery is now available in 11 countries.
In terms of DNA, Maisons du Monde has a multi-style concept for every customer. We don’t believe in one style fits all. We have so many options available for our customers with many different price points, starting from 0.99 up to 3,000 euro.
We deliver new products to stores every week, providing customers 16,000 products a year, which is quite huge but we are renewing those products 50% each year.
We also design 70% of the collection in-house every year with 90 members of staff, including 20 designers and 20 stylists.’
Where do your designers find inspiration?
‘They are travelling a lot – I also do – they find inspiration everywhere in the world. We don’t say to customers “you need to go to this country this year”, that’s not how Maisons du Monde operates. There is no question of country destination or budget. We find inspiration everywhere so we don’t say to people “you need to go here or there this year.”
I go twice a year to Marrakesh, the team and I go to India too because we want to see the workmanship and craftsmanship. You can feel that our designers take the inspiration from what they see in other countries and then think about how they can design products differently. Attention to detail makes the difference and you cannot see this only on a computer screen. You need to go close to the craftsman, you need to discuss with the factory, you need to discuss with the people involved with the fabric.’
Your lighting collection is exceptionally strong. What do you think is the hero piece for this season?
Image: Maisons du Monde
‘I would have to say two pieces… It’s hard to choose. I really like large hangings and this year we launched a huge one – the price is 900.99 euros, which is quite expensive for our lighting but it’s a hot product. It’s in glass and is a very nice hanging.
I think when you succeed in a product it’s not only because it’s new or it’s nice, it’s also because it fits a customer’s needs. There’s a big trend around light bulbs this season and you can find these lights everywhere with words and letters on them at 9.99 Euro.’
What trend would like to see the back of this year?
‘I think I’m fed up with the hipster trends; I think we need to rework it in a new way. I think there is something cool about the barbershop look but the hipster collection has been overdone.’
Can you talk us through what we can expect to see in SS19?
‘I would say that Japanese trends are coming. Very, very, very slowly but they’re going to be very prolific soon. You’ll see the look in Tupperware, in furniture, you’ll find lightwood, you’ll also see Japanese prints in textiles.’
Can you share your top decorating tips with us?
Image: Maisons du Monde
‘I would say mixing and matching chairs around the table. I think it’s a great way of mixing things and accepting that there is not one way to decorate. You can mix the furniture with leather chairs with an old chair.
The second tip would be decorate with plants. Change your room with one or two plants; let the outside come inside. I think you can create something fun and trendy with plants and also with one or two pieces of furniture from outside inside. That’s what I did in one of the rooms I designed in Paris.’
Which pieces are essential do you think for show stopping Christmas table decorations?
‘I like to layer lots of tableware; large and small. I did something last year, which I’ll probably re-do this year: if you are 8 people, buy 8 round mirrors. Place the mirrors under your tableware and it makes for a really lovely dressed table. It’s very personal.’
What are the key pieces from your Christmas collection – what do you think people should be buying for Christmas this year?
Image: Maisons du Monde
‘Our tableware for sure; when I see the new Christmas collection, I want to buy everything! I think there are many, many different looks that will fit with everyone’s style.
Of course, I really like the deep velvet Christmas collection with all those greens. The peacock feather light is a definite hero piece.’
Make sure you visit Maisons du Monde’s website where you’ll find Christmas decor inspiration and lots more stylish homeware.
Have you discovered their website yet? Tell us what your favourite products were by tweeting us @goodhomesmag or posting a comment on our Facebook page.