Last week, I attended Maison France—a pop-up exhibition by 30 French manufacturers of luxury housewares, including furniture, tableware, lighting and textiles. Organized by the French Trade Commission Ubifrance, the 3-day design showcase gave me several reasons to “ooh-la-la” for French design.

Although I got slightly misdirected on my way to Maison, the large banner and–instead of red, purple–carpet signaled that I had made it to the right building:

Not only was my welcome colored this royal hue, the whole exhibit was wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling pourpre:

I visited quite a few displays, but my three French favorites include an abstract, the letter T, and a set of “little helpers.”

My “abstract” pick is a wall mirror from Pouenat. Designed by Damien Langlois-Meurinne, the mirror is perfect for those bad-hair days when you just want to crop your hair out of your reflection:

The letter T is really important. Without it, we wouldn’t have words like tootsie rolls, tiramisu, tap dancing, and most importantly…T-bone steak. Well, cutlery and flatware company Alain Saint-Joanis throws their support to this very terrific letter:

Finally, they say that the French really know how to eat. Little did I know that that this reverence extends even to their cutlery! How doggone great are these “little helpers” for your silverware, made by Orfevrerie Liberty?

Learn more about Maison France by clicking here.