My French Buying Trips

My love of France goes back as far as I can remember

Le Premier Voyage (the first trip)

I began coming to France, not as a shop owner, but as a young girl when offered the chance to skate professionally with the troupe Holiday On Ice. When I look back on the 18 months I lived there, I never imagined owning a French floral shop or having the opportunity to return to buy things for the shop.

Thankfully, my business took off and my lifelong dream came true. Importing French treasures was one of the best decisions I made for Les Fleurs. Paired with flowers, it has become the heart of my business and the engine that drives everything else.

Sharon Santoni’s terrier, Getto, shares a love for French antiques

Fast forward 25+ years and I’m still strolling the streets of France in search of that OMG... I love that... we need it for the shop kind of item. Through the process, I’ve learned more about customs, transporters, tariffs, etc. I know the effort is worthwhile when the container arrives and we stage the shop with found treasures.

Itinerary

I get asked a lot about how I buy in France and what a day in the life looks like. I thought it would be fun to share a little snippet of how I spend my time while I am there shopping for the store...I hope you enjoy!  

Day One

I usually fly through the night and arrive early morning, Paris time. I always try to sleep on the plane, but I’m not the best at it yet (still trying all kinds of remedies so please share if you have one). Tired and excited at the same time, I head straight to my hotel, have a light petite déjeuner (breakfast) and get outside for some fresh air. There is always something about Paris, waking up in the morning, that I just love. It doesn’t have the hustle and bustle just yet, so I take this time to wander and get adjusted to the time change and jet lag. Day one ends with an early dinner and straight to bed.

Brocantes (markets)

The rest of the week is all about antiquing and finding anything vintage for the shop. I either head to my favorite Parisian dealers in St. Ouen or drive out to Normandy to shop with my dear friend Sharon Santoni of the blog My French Country Home. She always steers me in the right direction to her favorite antique dealers and they never disappoint. Our day is filled with lots of treasures, wonderful lunches and of course, a cafe au lait to keep us going throughout the day. By the end of the week, I am filled with so much gratitude to these dealers.

Heirlooms

Each time I go, I learn so much about the history behind each piece I’ve purchased and how it was passed on from one generation to another. It always rekindles the memories of my own family heirlooms, which I treasure the most. Some day I will pass them to my own children.

Our family treasures all have stories to tell. I would love to hear stories about your favorite heirlooms! If you wish to share, you may post in the comments below.

Shopping for Me

After stories have been shared and the packing, labeling and sorting of items is complete, I usually visit a few of my favorite French boutiques for a little après shopping.

The Left Bank is my goto area for the smaller, more intimate shops in Paris. Here are a few of my favorites.  

La Maison du Bac
108 Rue du Bac

A sweet shop owned by two sisters that feature a mix of old and new table top items.

L’Artisan Parfumerie
24 Boulevard Raspail

My favorite perfume maker where all of the scents are made in Grasse, the parfum capital of France.

Maison Sauvage
5 Rue de Buci

When you would like to wind down and treat yourself to a cafe or glass of kir royale. The outside decor is worth the trip alone!

Eric Bompard
31 Rue du Bac

A must if you are looking for a beautiful cashmere sweater. This is where I purchase all of my sweaters for both summer and winter.

Flamant Fleuriste
8 Rue de Furstemberg

A visual floral treat not to be missed. Behind the shop is the most beautiful flower shop attached on Rue de Furstemberg.

May you fill your home with the beauty of all things French ...

Thank you for following along and if you’re ever interested in learning more please feel free to reach out. Thank you for you continued support of our little French flower shop. It means the world to me.  

Sending lots of love from France.

Merci,
Sandra