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SIGNATURE LUXURY MARKET RESIDENTIAL & RESORT COLLECTIONS
Among the brocanteur breed, people tend to be as
fascinating as their objects. One proprietor, Roland,
who operates the cherry red-painted Au Bout du
Monde in Dahouët, obsessively collects red cigarette
packs sporting pictures of Uncle Sam. The Fassiers,
owners of La Maison Fassier, curate an “imaginary
science museum” with their rustic collection of gears,
springs, trade furniture and workbenches. According
to Siraudeau, “the brocante world is more than a
business, it’s a way of life.”
It is easy to get lost in descriptions of the pieces he
stumbles upon: the metal chairs at Les Bons Moments
(“the toast of the town at the moment”) or the
“chaotic bazaar” of plates, teacups, soup tureens and
saucepans at La Maison Bleue. He uncovers beauty
in places many wouldn’t see it, particularly in tools
and salvage materials, calling attention to how rare
older materials are becoming at the hand of merciless
demolition crews.
The book is equipped with 340 color photos
that magnify the fine details of some antiques and
dizzying displays of others. Siraudeau dives into the
“popular art” of marginal or anonymous artisans at
Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, which he fingers as “the soul of
brocante.” According to him, these arrangements of
carved miniatures, statuettes and toys are works of
art in their own right.
But Vintage French Interiors is more than an
enchanting armchair jaunt. It is a valuable reference
for those looking to pick their way through shops and
markets that specialize in anything and everything
you never knew you always wanted. The back of the
book, Itineraries, is a complete address listing of the
featured destinations, and Siraudeau clearly can’t
resist adding a few more favorites to the roster. Careful
to provide a helpful guide for those who might want
to travel these roads, the author includes detailed
listings by geographic location and advice on the best
shopping times.
Beginning to end, Siraudeau so ardently captures
the thrill of the meandering hunt, he may very well
convince you to take that much-deserved shopping
trip to France. In the meantime, there is Vintage
French Interiors to get you there right away n
AnnMarie Marano ~ Sébastien Siraudeau, Vintage
French Interiors: Inspiration from the Antique Shops
and Flea Markets of France, 208 pages, $34.95/
hardcover, Flammarion
