Inspiration through material
From October 14 to November 2, a century after the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts, the Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers, organized by the Mobilier national, revives the mythical figure of the ensemblier: one who designs a space as a total work of art, merging architecture, furniture, and decorative art.
Under the theme “The Embassy of Tomorrow,” ten contemporary architect-decorators explore the idea of a sensitive, eco-responsible, and collaborative diplomacy. Here, space becomes a political and poetic manifesto, expressing the values of exchange, craftsmanship, and innovation that define today’s French aesthetic.
TEN VISIONS, TEN EXPRESSIONS OF THE WORLD
From the reception kitchen of Atelier CRAFT—a laboratory of gestures and imprints—to the suspended poetry of dach&zephir, who reinvent the Caribbean vestibule as an ode to slowness, each creator places material at the service of storytelling. Emilieu Studio imagines a nomadic, reversible, and modular embassy—a manifesto for sustainable diplomacy. The Brazilian duo Estúdio Rain invites visitors on a contemplative walk where basketry, glass, and marquetry trace a landscape of dialogue between cultures. In her diplomatic dining room, Marion Mailaender transforms the meal into a sensory and political experience, while Mathilde Bretillot composes a poetic Prologue on hospitality and connection—interweaving words, objects, and living materials.
The OUD studio, founded by Marie-Sarah Burckel and Josselin Berteloot, transports visitors to the banks of the Nile: an ambassador’s office steeped in myths, symbols, and rituals. Paul Bonlarron, winner of the Design Parade Toulon prize, presents an experimental dining room where biomaterials and food remnants become decorative matter—blending humor and ecology. In the President’s bedroom, Pierre Marie Studio revisits the symbols of power through a baroque and colorful language—a dialogue between ornament, drawing, and exceptional craftsmanship. Finally, Sophie Dries concludes the journey with Octa, a contemporary boudoir bar where raw and precious materials pay tribute to Eileen Gray, blending art of living, femininity, and innovation.
A DIPLOMACY OF DESIGN
Through these ten ensembles, the Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers weaves a connection between memory and future. Each project celebrates the complementarity of gestures, materials, and narratives, reaffirming that design is not mere decoration, but a diplomatic language—a way to think about the world, to inhabit exchange, and to give shape to the sensorial.
From October 14 to November 2, 2025, Monday to Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Mobilier National, 42 avenue des Gobelins, 75013 Paris
photos: Studio OUD, Emilieu Studio, dach&zephyr, Estúdio Rain, Studio GGSV, dach&zephyr, Emilieu Studio © Salon des Nouveaux Ensembliers, Mobilier National
