Furniture shopping and what to do in October – this week’s La Belle Vie looks at where to find second-hand gems and things to look forward to this autumn.
Hello readers,
I recently moved apartments in Paris, from one side of the city to another, and it has definitely been an exciting time. It has been fun discovering a new quartier and arrondissement, and getting used to a whole new set of everyday basics – from finding my new boulangerie and grocery shops to locating the nearest pharmacy and boucherie.
But what was even more exciting than finding my new designated bakery was… furniture shopping. I have spent the past few months wracking my brain about what to buy – something timeless, durable (hopefully something I will have forever) and, of course, something that will look aesthetically pleasing.
Top tips for furnishing your French home
My first instinct was to buy everything new and have it fit perfectly into the Pinterest board I had created in my head. But after talking to friends, I realised I needed to put a little more thought into the whole process. “Furniture is a lifelong investment,” one friend told me. (It was at this moment I knew I had entered adulthood…)
My parents had generously given me an old wooden table that was made in the 1960s. After my father fixed it up, it looked good as new – obviously a little vintage, but definitely what makes its charm. At first, I thought I would keep it until I found a new table. But when I saw my mother beaming with joy at the thought of me keeping a table that had been in her family for so long, it definitely got me thinking. Maybe I should just keep it.
Vide grenier and brocante: The written and unwritten rules of France’s second-hand sales
The chairs that came with it, though, were definitely too old and a little dishevelled. So rather than replacing the entire set, I decided to find some chairs that would work with the vintage look of the table. Fortunately for me, there was a vintage furniture sale happening in Paris last weekend, where I found what I think is the perfect match.
And since I had never really thought about buying furniture before, mainly because my previous apartment was simply too small for much of it, I realised there are actually a lot more options than just Ikea.
Not just Ikea: where you can buy furniture in France
In the end, I really love the idea that this table has been in my family for so long. Maybe, one day, it will even be passed down to my currently non-existent children.
And of course I’m saving money by doing so! Everything feels quite expensive these days, which is another good reason to look for second-hand furniture and household items. Across France, keep an eye out for a vide-grenier or brocante, where people sell old furniture, decorations, books, and all sorts of other things.
You can also look for a ressourcerie or recyclerie. These are places that collect unwanted objects and materials, repair or restore what they can and then sell them rather than sending them to landfill. There’s even a map where you can find the nearest one to you.
Another useful thing I discovered while moving was the system Paris City Hall has for getting rid of large objects. If you have a fridge, washing machine, piece of furniture or something else that is too big or heavy to take to a déchetterie, you can arrange for it to be collected from your home. It was a surprisingly quick, easy and free process, and the workers who came to collect everything were very helpful.
Paris has fairly strict rules about what you can leave on the street, and how you are supposed to do it, so it is always worth checking before putting an old sofa or cupboard out on the pavement and hoping someone takes it. The same goes elsewhere in France. Your local mairie should be able to tell you about the options available in your area, including bulky-item collections and recycling centres.
EXPLAINED: How to get rid of furniture you no longer want in France
Meanwhile, October has arrived, which means there are plenty of festivals, exhibitions and events happening across France.
I recently put together a list of exhibitions taking place around the country this autumn, and I, in fact, recently went to see the Cezanne exhibition at Paris’ Grand Palais.
I definitely recommend it. The exhibition also looks at artists who were influenced by him, including Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, showing just how important this artist was to the generations that came after him.
And next week, it will be time for the Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre in Paris. The annual festival celebrates the grape harvest from the vineyards of Montmartre (yes, Paris actually has its own vineyard) and turns the neighbourhood into one big celebration with food and wine.