House of Games

The House of Games at this year’s Paris Maison&Objet trade fair was a playground of objects and ideas evoking games and gaming

Notions of work as play, or the other way round, typify the younger generation’s approach to activity. Then there’s “break-and-make” design—taking things apart and recombining the elements to create anew. Playful design aims to destabilize and challenge the banal aspects of everyday life. The result is unexpected combinations and juxtapositions, such as hotels sitting atop other structures, surrealistic collages and evil eye jewelry. There is frequent overflow into fantasy, and the underlying message seems to be “anything goes.”