If you’re planning a shopping trip this summer, where better than France, the home of fashion, food, culture and art. Paula Flynn of theshopkeepers.com shares some of her favourites …
AXS DESIGN, 12 rue Saint Sabin, 75011 Paris
A stunning vintage store that beautifully showcases amazing collections of decorative home goods and furniture. There is a clever use of a restrained colour palette throughout the space punctuated with pops of colour for impact. Every month the displays are completely reworked. As well as secondhand goods, AXS Design has one-of-a-kind “third hand” pieces, unique up-cycled objets.
MARIN MONTAGUT, 48 rue Madame, 75006 Paris
Welcome to the charming and unique world of Marin Montagut, that celebrates Parisian and world travel. Discover handmade and painted curiosities, antiques and chic souvenirs beautifully displayed in owner Marin Montagut’s namesake lifestyle shop.
LA MAISON PERNOISE, 167 Avenue de la Gare, 84210 Pernes-les-Fontaines & 1348 Av. de la Mer-Raymond Dugrand, 34000 Montpellier, France
A Mediterranean lifestyle store with ethnic touches. The furniture and accessories are displayed in rich, layered displays. There are two stores. One in an historic fountain town in Provence, that boasts more than 40 fountains, and the second in the vibrant Marché du Lez marketplace in Montpelier.
Photograph by vivietmargot
LE COMPTOIR DE L’ÎLE DE RÉ, 4bis Av. Victor Bouthillier, 17410 Saint-Martin-de-Ré
Located in a fortified port town on île de Ré, that has an actual moat and is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Le Comptoir is the perfect holiday general store with a variety of goods for the whole family – from essentials to treats, there’s something for everyone.
Photograph by thecooksatelier
THE COOK’S ATELIER, 43, rue de Lorraine, Beaune, France
A culinary boutique, wine shop, and French cooking school in the center of historic Beaune, France. The shop is filled with classic French cook’s tools – that includes their own branded line of professional copper cookware, provisions, a wonderful selection of small-production wines, and one-of-a-kind vintage items for the kitchen and home.
MATAMATA, 58 Rue d’Argout, Paris
Named for a town in New Zealand, where two of the owners were married, Matamata serves delicious coffee drinks and brunch items.
OFFICINE UNIVERSELLE BULY 1803, 45 Rue de Saintonge
This stunning shop seduces the senses. Inside this beautiful space – one of two Officine Universelle Buly’s Paris shops – one can find a “remedy”, a beauty cream or simply enjoy a coffee. Buly 1803’s gorgeous interior, reminiscent of a bygone era is realised in its architectural details and beautifully packaged products.
Photograph by outofmylens
BIRD SONG, 5 Rue du Panier, 13002 Marseille
A beautiful, blue-shuttered shopfront with a vintage sign surrounded by plants. The perfect home to designer My-Linh Mary’s clothing and jewellery brand, Bird Song. A collection that is inspired by travel memories and dreams of other worldliness.
MERCI, 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, Paris
From the iconic red Fiat 500 parked in front of Merci to the inspiring installations that are beautifully curated, akin to a magazine editorial, we love everything about this Paris concept shop.
L’OBJET QUI PARLE, 86 Rue des Martyrs, Paris
A treasure trove of vintage collections. L’objet qui Parle is a magical, tiny storefront in Montmartre brimming with vintage and antiques that jostle for space in this minuscule shop .
LES FLEURS, 6 Passage Josset and 5 Rue Trousseau, Paris 75011
A beautiful mix of dried and fresh flowers, plants, homewares, and vintage pieces. Les Fleurs is made even more enchanting by the beautiful original architectural features of the shops, such as the tiled floors and historic shopfronts.
AILLEURS, 17 Rue Saint-Nicolas, Paris
An old furniture workshop with patinated walls, is home to Ailleurs, an interiors and home shop that mixes vintage, design objets and hand-crafted pieces.
ALIX D. REYNIS, 22 Rue Jacob, Paris
Charcoal coloured walls and shelving provide a dramatic backdrop for delicately handcrafted white ceramics. Alix D Reynis designs and creates beautiful ceramic tableware and lighting, as well as jewellery and candles.
DEYROLLE PARIS, 46 Rue de Bac, 75007 Paris
The renowned institution of Deyrolle Paris was established in 1831 and is the last cabinet of curiosities open to the public, offering the opportunity to discover and buy exceptional pieces you won’t find anywhere else.
BOOT CAFE, 19 Rue du Pont aux Choux, Paris
An old shoe repair store with the original shopfront intact inspired the name for this coffee shop. The word “cordonnerie” still appears at the top of their wooden façade, but make no mistake, you won’t find any boots in here.
BONTON, 5 Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire
A charming children’s outfitters, offering clothing, toys, books and furniture.
FRAGRANCE, 14 Rue Saint-Sébastien, 75011 Paris
One of Paris’ prettiest flower shops, Fragrance is also a tea salon. The space has beautiful details, a coloured tile floor (the same as featured on Astier de Villatte’s notebooks), raw stone walls and a pretty painted shopfront.
ASTIER DE VILLATTE, 173 Rue Saint-Honoré, Paris
Hand-crafted white ceramics are displayed on floor to ceiling shelves in the beautiful Astier de Villatte, known for its prestigious scents from incense and fragrances as well as sublime ceramics.
SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY, 37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 Paris
Shakespeare and Company is an English-language bookshop in the Latin Quarter of Paris, on the banks of the Seine, across from Notre-Dame. Famous for its literary connections, it has been a gathering place for writers and readers for almost 70 years.
Photograph by maisonempreur
MAISON EMPEREUR, 4 Rue des Récolettes, Marseille
The oldest hardware store in France, founded in 1827. Maison Empereur has supplies for the whole family. from clothing to toys, apothecary goods to textiles.
Photograph by louandcompany
BABYLONE, 45bis rue Furtado, Bordeaux
Babylone is a flower, plant and garden shop with a knowledgeable shopkeeper providing tips for both small and large gardens.
LE LOCAL, 14 rue Saint Colombe, Bordeaux
Le Local is one of the most beautiful food shops I have ever visited. Crates of colourful, local produce displayed against the framework of the stunning original architectural features of the building, and neat rows of speciality goods line the walls.
LIBRAIRIE F JOUSSEAUME, 5 Rue de la Banque, 75002 Paris
A Paris favourite, Librarie F Jousseaume bookshop, located in the gorgeous 18th-century Galerie Vivienne.
SAINT PEARL, 38 Rue des Saints-Pères, Paris
Charming coffee shop with a stunning facade. Saint Pearl offers matcha drinks alongside coffee drinks, and a delicious brunch menu with vegan options.
ANTOINETTE POISSON, 12 rue Saint-Sabin, Paris
Wallpaper, fabrics, ceramics, interiors and perfume in a beautiful atelier shop located in a charming courtyard.
For more best shops visit www.theshopkeepers.com.
