We have returned from Paris with many novelties – Nomad Style at Maison & Objet 2020

As a single mom with her own business, it's not every year that you get to make the pilgrimage to Paris in January to the trade show mecca of the interior design and décor business, Maison & Objet. This year, with the help of a delighted grandmother and despite dealing with a persistent and incredibly tenacious cold, I spent two days touring the pavilions of the immense Parc des Expositions, getting inspired by this year's collections.

I take this trip whenever I can, as it gives me inspiration for the whole year. Not only can I see my suppliers and see/feel/sit on/smell/taste their products before I buy them, but I can also soak up the latest trends and get ideas for my projects. I always come back home with new brands and products for my shop and also sometimes it is the best place to order from suppliers in countries that have not yet adopted online ordering, such as Turkish manufacturers of beautiful textiles or the basket makers of Morocco.

In my case, it's my personal paradise. Being passionate about design and decoration, and also a die-hard shopper, being in a place where thousands of brands come to exhibit their products is simply an incredible privilege.

For this year I am already planning three collections inspired by places I love: Granada, the Cabo de Gata natural park, where I live, and Marrakech. I always go to the fair with a very clear idea of ​​what I am looking for. It helps a lot to be focused when there is so much to see. This year I'm bringing products from Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey, along with the beautiful rustic simplicity of Scandinavia, which I love so much, to create my flagship collections of eclectic, nature-inspired décor items and gifts. As I have always done, I will focus on handcrafted objects, be they beautiful baskets, patterned fabrics or rustic ceramics, and I will increase the offer of products that are sustainably sourced and fair traded. I especially love projects that support women in their own communities and luckily there are now many brands that support this specifically at their points of production in Africa and India.

There were some amazing rooms decorated by designers François Delclaux and Elizabeth Leriche, who used objects chosen from exhibitors at the fair to create interiors that showcased the latest trends. Songs like "forest fever", "stone age", "sea shore", "vegetal symbiosis", "organic life" and "mineral memories" demonstrate how we are increasingly aware of our natural environment and need to feel that connection with something primal and with nature, in an increasingly technological and accelerated world. As someone who left the city for the wilderness six years ago, this is very close to my own story. I want to create interiors that connect us with the magic of swimming in the sea in the early morning, the mist rising from the horizon at dawn, or gathering around a campfire under the stars. Those are the moments that make life special and make us feel truly alive.

I hope you enjoy the collections and interiors I'm going to create this year. We have big plans, as a company, for 2020, expanding our online presence and combining stories, travel, interior design and an online store to create an inspiring resource for those who, Like us, they like to see the beauty of the world around us and want to make every day special.