For the love of Faded Charm at the French brocante, I thought I would show you what you could find on any Sunday at the French brocante. How I would love that dare! How I would love to show you in person too! But until then this wil have to do.
The other weekend there were ten brocantes within an hour from my home. Talk about getting naturally high. Some of those brocantes where within ten minutes frm my doorstep.
Zinc, linen, paper, household items architectural pieces…
I often leave a trail of drool.
Often I wonder, when will these old faded French brocante wonders disappear? Sure there is less, when I lived here twenty five years ago… but plenty remains.
The biggest problem with the finding things at the French brocante isn't finding something you love, but taking it back home if you don't live here.
A suitcase only holds so much.
So instead of showing you brocante things that you might not be able to carry in the overhead, I thought I'd tease you with little things.
Did you know that once I brought back an old chair from the States… I had it cut to fit!
A girl has gotta do what a girl has gotta do!
Stacks of antique linen.
Dinner napkins,
Bed sheets,
Tableclothes,
Dishtowels..
Yes, I have said it before and I'll say it again: I could cover the entire country of France with the old linens I could find, on any Sunday at the French brocante.
Monogrammed to boot!
And please double dare me to cover the top of the French antique linens with dishware.
Soup tureens and mustard jars ar plentiful in France;
How much soup and mustard could the French population possible eat?
I won't even talk about wine glasses….
French antique glassware mostly from old bistros.
1900s easy to find.
A lucky find would cost a couple Euros a glass.
Though most lucky finds wine glasses cost around 10 Euros a glass.
Enamelware, ironstone, zinc buckets, platters…
and tools! Old tools!
Herbiers and candlesticks… not so easy to find.
Unless you go to the French antique shops especially those in Isle sur la Sorgue (south of France) or Saint Ouen in Paris.
Ironwork.
Plenty of it.
Small pieces are easier to find than larger pieces.
French antique hardware is plentiful!
1900 bind less books.
I happen to have a thing for paper back books dating 1700s, of course those are slightly, only slightly more difficult to find.
White night dresses.
10 Euros is the average cost (if you don't mind washing and ironing for perfection.)
Perfection is so worth it!
If you love jewelry making do not come to the French brocante…
The amount of old pieces you can find to work into your jewelry creations, will cause you to die a happy death.
Sorry but it is true.
My daughter's boyfriend, Mr. Espresso, asked, "What do you have against color?"
Silly boy doesn't he know that monochrome comes in a multitude of colorful shades?!
Chandeliers.
If it has crystals even better.
It is amazing how a chandelier can squeeze into a carry on!!
And a cloche can be worn as a hat.
On any Sunday at the French brocante.
If you love old things, and are coming to France the best advice I can give you is:
Reserve Sunday for the brocante,
Pack as little as possible so you will have room in your suitcase,
and bring the biggest shopping bag you can roll….
…….
You might like what you see at Faded Charm.
Leave a Reply