Paris snapshots

Before you're all utterly bored with Paris, let me share some photos from a couple of our favorite afternoons.  I will let the photos speak for themselves...

Paris Post: A Shop Visit @ Flamant!

While in Paris, I visited Flamant, located at 279 rue St.Honore (75008) near the oh-so-posh Place Vendome.  I don't know how to describe Flamant except to say that it's a famous brand in France and reminds me of a slightly more colonial (and more french) Pottery Barn (with higher prices!).  

The shop had a nice blend of pared-down traditional and contemporary styles, with lots of wood, leather, and old-world references.  This would be a nice place to furnish a business man's study or perhaps a family library.  You could also find accessories for your country home too!

I first knew of Flamant because of their paint colours, which are old-world-y and reminiscent of Farrow & Ball colours.  So when I came across the Flamant store in Paris, I knew I was in for a treat!  

By the way, if the sample pack of their paint colours hadn't cost 60 Euros, I might have shown you some of those famous colours here too.

An atmospheric bathroom with some asian vases:

A handsome decanter collection: 

I think this lantern was my favorite item in the store.  Imagine this gem on your patio table!

A rather masculine room for boy-relaxing time:

It wasn't all dark wood at Flamant.  This showroom featured a lovely collection of bleachy wood that I found rather serene and pretty.  I especially liked the asian accents.

What are these disk things called?  Isn't the celadon one pretty?

These rooms carried on the colonial vibe, with the horns and statuary, baskets and old books:

Nothing like the good old days, playing football and drinking whiskey!  

I loved this display the most - this look is my alter-ego favorite look - modern rustic.  I liked the old spare table, the simple lanterns, the group of small potted succulents, and the little upholstered stools (in different shades of linen).  Simple, down-to-earth and perfect!

More drinking gear!  Now where were those decanters?

Doesn't this remind you of Pottery Barn?  

Paris Post: A Shop Visit @ Mis en Demeure

One afternoon in Paris, while wandering along the lovely shopping street rue du Bac (which becomes rue Saint Placide just south of The Bon Marche), I walked down a busy street called rue du Cherche-Midi.   It was here that I stumbled upon a large and lovely store called "Mis en Demeure" (I do not know this phrase in French, but it translates literally as "put in your residence").

I had a fun time exploring this large two-story shop and found lots of things I'd love to put in my residence.  The shop was somewhat set up in the style of a house with its various  rooms.  As you can plainly see, I took lots of pictures (and even sneaked a couple of myself in front of a tall gilded mirror!). What a tourist!

The shop featured traditional french country furniture and some contemporary oversized wares.  I can envision having a grand home in the french countryside and shopping here for a few nice reproduction pieces, like this lovely linen chaise:I admired these silver sconces but they were a little over my budget (over 500 euros but I can't recall the exact figure).  Note the striped wallpaper:
This bed was done up in rather rustic lavender linen, which I found to be very pretty indeed.

These magnificent clocks speak for themselves...breathtaking, especially as a pair!
A pretty classic fauteuil (an armchair with open arms...), which I coveted.  One day I will have one of these!  Note the delightful painted floors:
A killer and utterly classic sofa in a dashing regal purple...

I loved this classically beautiful, soft, luxe sofa but would eliminate some pillows.  Wouldn't this sofa be stunning in a bedroom?

An elegant tufted slipper-style chair (a soft upholstered low chair without arms, for putting on your slippers).  Perhaps this style of chair has a proper name...does anyone know?  The walls in this area were varying shades of oh-so-soft bunny rabbit grey.
Like the other rooms in the store, this room had gorgeous windows.  I'd live with bare floors and empty rooms to have windows like this:
Just a few more light fixtures (to make choosing impossible):
A shot of another painted, and perfectly well-worn, floor:

P.S.  My first "History of Furniture class" was excellent.  We had a 5-hour class and I wasn't bored for a second, as we covered the periods from ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome all the way up through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.   We covered up to the 18th century Neoclassical period in the first class, and as you can imagine, it is all a big, wonderful blur!  I adored the lecture and will share some learnings with you soon.