Paris Post: What I Bought!

A small heart from the delightful Jardin d'Ulysse in Galleries Lafayette

I haven't shown you what we bought in Paris (for the house)!  After several posts of home decor shops and sightseeing photos, I realized that you might want to see our Paris purchases.  I've been meaning to post for a while, but work has been awfully busy and I've had the flu!

But without further ado, here are our Paris finds:

Above: This is a knock-off of the metallic Moroccan plates that are currently all the rage. This one is actually pottery, coated with a silver glaze.  The plate is from Maisons du Monde, an inexpensive and very diverse home decor store I discovered in Forum des Halles.  The small silver cup is Christofle, and came from a flea market. 

Above: This pillow case is a favorite find and my only purchase from the ever-lovely Blanc d'Ivoire.

Above: This little heart came from a small country shop called "macAbane" at 161, rue de Grenelle in the 7th.  I also bought a polka dot heart (not shown).

Above: This etching came from the excellent and affordable flea market at Vanves.  It cost around 3€.

Above:  These two etchings (from a set of 3), came from the big St-Ouen flea market at Clignancourt (Serpente building). They are antique etchings of Paris from the 19th century and were considerably more expensive.  I will frame the set.  I plan to take a picture-framing class in January.

Above:  Some beautiful linens from le Bon Marche, my favorite department store, on the Left Bank.  The top two are tea towels, and I intend to make them into decorative pillow cases.

Above:  A beautiful old linen table cloth I bought at a flea market.  I loved the wheat motif and hand-made lace border. 

Above:  Another pretty heart from a country-style/reproduction antique shop in central Paris called "A&C Decoration".  The mirror was my first purchase from Pottery Barn a few years ago, and hangs in our downstairs hall.

Above:  A pretty chinoiserie postcard, framed for my kitchen.  IKEA frame (set of 2).

Above:  A lovely Limoges serving tray I picked up at the flea market at Vanves.  I intend to use this at Christmas.    Imagine a lovely yule log (chocolate jelly roll) on this tray!

Above:  This cotton table runner is also from Maisons du Monde.

Above:  Another photo (in the living room) of the pottery Moroccan tray from Maisons du Monde.

Above:  An antique poster-letter from the big Paris flea market at St-Ouen.  This "A" was so lovely I couldn't pass it up.  My middle name starts with "A", so it isn't entirely irrelevant.

Above: A handy and pretty hook for my bathroom, from Printemps.

Above:  Another favorite find - this inexpensive little beauty came from the department store BHV (Bazar de l'Hotel de Ville) in central Paris.  While not as chic as some of the other department stores, BHV has lots of affordable, mostly contemporary, home decor.

Above:  My favorite find - this gorgeous pale taupe silk "Thomasina" bedspread is by Laura Ashley and came from Printemps.  The size is 240cm x 260cm which is perfect for a queen-sized bed because it hangs further over the edges than a conventional queen-sized quilt (which always looks a little shrunken to me!). It is slightly too long but will look nice folded down with pretty sheets.  The quilt is silk on one side and cotton on the other.  I coveted this quilt and deliberated for several days.  I almost left without it but returned at the last minute (with a cheap new duffle bag to pack it in) and do not regret my decision. We adore this quilt!  With the "detaxe" (department store tax savings for foreigners on purchases over 175 euro) and a 10% discount card from Printemps, I saved 22% on this quilt!  

Above:  This little dish (which says "TROT" below the picture) cost me 2 Euro at a flea market.

Above:  A taupe place mat, used as a table runner, from Maisons du Monde.

Above:  This cute little pencil cup came from a lovely store called Florent Monestier at 47 ave Bosquet in the 7th.  A beautifully decorated paper bag from the store is shown behind.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed the tour of our new Paris finds!