Not Just Maison & Objet: 10 Ideas for Spending Time in Paris

In 2019, the international interior design, decoration and gift fair Maison & Objet will take place in Paris from January 18 to 22. We learned from Olga Shapovalova where it's better to stay and where to go during free time from the exhibition. Save in 'Favorites'.

Olga Shapovalova is an expert and founder of O-Deco Studio. She loves and knows France, Paris and French design well

Stay in a trendy area of the Marais

For example, at the 9Confidentiel hotel designed by Philippe Starck (58 rue du Roi de Sicile). The six-story building of the Art Nouveau era has 29 rooms. The top three floors are occupied by suites with breathtaking panoramic views of Paris rooftops.

Starck's source of inspiration for the hotel interiors was the 1920s. '9Confidentiel is a small treasure box with gems, the sparkle of diamonds akin to the last fragments of a vanished world. 9Confidentiel is not just a hotel, but a dream come true,' says the designer.

The walls of the rooms are decorated with paintings by the designer's daughter Aria Starck, and the public areas feature sculptures by artist Yann Masseyeff.

See the winter installation at the legendary Le Bon Marché

This year, artist Juanah Vásconez presented her work. The thirteen-meter Valkyrie 'Simone' wraps the department store's atrium (24 Rue de Sèvres), intertwining tentacles between famous escalators.

Take a walk around the Trianon

Since 2008, the Palace of Versailles has annually hosted an exhibition dedicated to a contemporary artist. This year's featured artist is Japanese photographer and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto. In recent years, he has actively explored creating living installations that add a fourth dimension to space – time. Visit before February 17, 2019. Tickets for the Trianon (Place dʼArmes) can be purchased online for 12 euros.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Visit the retrospective of Joe Ponti

The legendary Italian designer Joe Ponti's Tutto Ponti: Gio Ponti, Archi-Designer exhibition is on view at the Museum of Decorative Arts (107 rue de Rivoli) until February 10, 2019 (ticket – 15 euros). Curators planned it as a chronological narrative of six decades of the architect's career: they prepared three halls with Ponti's works, as well as six reconstructed rooms and a separate hall dedicated to collaborations with well-known companies.

Buy something for home at the Démodé boutique

The Concept Store Démodé (70 Rue de Grenelle) created by the founder of Bonpoint and Merci is located in a former restaurant near the Musée d'Orsay. My choice – handcrafted ceramics and decorative pillows.

Drink coffee on Bonaparte Street

Visit the café-confectionery Pierre Hermé (72 rue Bonaparte) located in the heart of the Saint-Germain district. Here you will find pastries, macarons and chocolates from one of the world's best confectioners – Pierre Hermé.

Buy gifts at a cosmetic boutique

After the café, proceed to the beginning of Bonaparte Street: in building No. 6 there is the cosmetics store Buly 1803.

You should visit at least for the interior: wooden cabinets, countertops made of golden marble and beautifully worn tile flooring. Pay attention to the matte copper tap in the shape of a goose. Here I buy water-based perfumes and lavender oil.

Dine at the B.B. restaurant

The B.B. restaurant is located in a 1901 mansion designed by Charles Girod (21 rue Blanche). The design was handled by the duo Toro & Liautard. An original floor, marble tables, velvet banquettes and ceiling mirrors will not leave you indifferent. Don't miss the golden palms made of bronze, which decorate the cocktail bar. I recommend booking a table on the terrace – it offers the best seats.

Don't miss the exhibition of Alphonse Mucha

An exhibition of one of the most brilliant and refined representatives of the Art Nouveau style is on view at the Luxembourg Museum until January 27 (19 rue de Vaugirard; tickets on the website – 13 euros). The exhibition presents all aspects of Alphonse Mucha's talent, including paintings, graphics, design, and theatrical mastery.

Be inspired by photographs in the new Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation space

It is located near the Pompidou Center (79 rue des Archives). The first floor houses halls with permanent collections of Cartier-Bresson's works and temporary exhibition halls. The second floor features the archive and storage facilities. The first exhibition is dedicated to the work of photographer Martin Frank, the wife of Cartier-Bresson, and presents 140 works by the artist (entry – 9 euros).