Furniture Shopping

Furniture Shopping

Cute table, maybe...

Somehow, Alice and I pictured beautiful hand crafted elegant furniture in our new home in France. Maybe, we were overly influenced by our visits to the chateaux in Fontainebleau or Napoleon’s Apartment at the Louvre. We had never actually been in anyone’s private residence in France. We had never actually shopped for furniture in France either. We had a lot to learn.

France is not lacking in furniture stores, or Les Meubles. There are signs everywhere along the main roads. But when we stopped to browse, we got an education in French taste. 

Too Fancy

Too Plain

Too Modern

Nice, but too square. Not our theme.

Wow, too young.

Most of the furniture we saw in the stores was very modern. Either glass and chrome or simple butt joints of straight legs and rectangular bodies, pervade every showroom. The furniture that was not composed of straight lines was wild and colorful, fit mostly for dorms or college apartments.

We took a weekend trip to Paris to check out the Flea Market. It was rumored to have mountains of antique and vintage furniture. So on a rainy afternoon we struck off walking from the very last stop on the Paris Metro and into a different world. It was a tent camp of cheap purses, sweaters, jeans and faux leather jackets. The cars were old clunkers that rattled and coughed down the crowded streets. No Porsches or Ferraris here. Alice stayed close and held my hand tightly.

View of one of the flea market buildings.

Lingerie Ancienne? No way, ancient lingerie? Do I want to know?

Then we turned onto a side street that promised several “Markets.” It was totally cool. We went into a two story building that housed several different shops. Statues of stone and bronze graced the entry to one shop. A life size horse reared on one side and a Roman Centurion stood at attention on the other. Statues of every size were displayed. The next shop featured ornately carved furniture from India and they spilled out of the second floor shop and down the stairway. Rugs, lamps, nautical paraphernalia and old stereo equipment were featured in their own little shops. Most of the shops were closed for the season, but many were open with bored proprietors sitting around or chatting on their phones. Then we got into the furniture shops. They had beautifully lavish furniture that looked like it had just left the museum. Mahogany and gold graced many shop widows. It was beautiful, but would look more at home in a chateaux than our modest abode. Each piece had been lovingly restored and displayed a numbered tag, no prices were posted. This was not yard sale country. These vendors knew their stuff. They were undoubtedly experts in fine antiques. 

Typical window shopping in the Paris flea market.

It was a great experience and we cannot wait to go back in the Spring when more shops are open, but we left without a stick to bring home. We would have to continue our furniture shopping elsewhere. 

Alice and Tony Parker in Paris. That's Tony on the Quick Burger poster. Go Spurs.