This week we have a very special guest, Charlotte, who is joining our blog and I’ll hand over to her shortly. We’ll both be injecting some Je ne sais quoi into your home by perusing the brocantes for pieces that will make any interior stand out.
Until then, here’s a little Brocante background for you –
There’s a certain importance to the interiors of our homes isn’t there – they’re a reflection of our tastes, our personalities, and our stories. We all seek those pieces that speak to us, that add a touch of uniqueness to our spaces.
So, whether you’re a seasoned collector or simply seeking a unique memento of your holiday in Normandy for your home, come with us as we delve into the enchanting world of French Brocantes, Trocantes and Vide Greniers for all sorts of interiors items large and small. Who knows what treasures await you just around the corner?
Nestled in quaint local villages, bustling market squares of Normandy (and a few off the beaten track places) lie the hidden gems known as Brocantes. These delightful havens beckon our guests, travellers, Interior designers, Instagram influencers, Pinterest aficionados and locals alike with promises of something truly special – will it be a weathered leather armchair?, a vintage tea set?, a stack of postcards telling tales of bygone eras?. Or will it be a light up Maserati sign? (more of that at the end of the blog).
But what exactly is a Brocante I hear you ask? Well it’s not just a second-hand store; it’s a haven of nostalgia, an Aladdin’s cave of forgotten treasures waiting to be rediscovered. Here, among the scent of old books and the gleam of sparkling vintage glassware, you can take a journey through time, uncovering dusty relics of the past and breathing new life into them when you take them home from your holiday to your own home.
In this blog, Charlotte and I invite you to join us on a day out as we wander through one newly discovered Brocante that we both fell in love with that is very close to Le Pressoir. It is brimming with stylish, Insta worthy antiques, vintage furniture, quirky curiosities, and timeless classics. And amidst the ‘what an earth is that?’ finds, we’ll discover the joy of finding that perfect piece that speaks to our souls and adds a touch of French flair to our interiors. As a couple designers who like to take mood shots we were in interior styling heaven and we know you’ll love it too.
But before we go off for our day out here’s a bit more background on Brocantes –
Let’s start with the open air markets, you’ll see all sorts of people there, professional dealers, holiday makers and second-homers searching high and low for their ‘must have‘ wrought-iron daybed or giant urn for their gardens, you’ll see locals in search of doorknobs and tools and not forgetting those amongst us who mysteriously discover that they really do need a spinning wheel! (we’ve all been there haven’t we).
Brocante bargain hunting can become very addictive – if you’re lucky, you can snap up an original Pernod 45 water jug, for about the cost of a pain au chocolat or baguette, or maybe you’ll find that much needed cassock or naked mannequin – yes I really did see those two things side by side at the local open air market in Mosles along the road – and I have photos to prove it 😂
If you’re a fan of stylish French décor then you’ve probably seen French Brocantes either on TV programmes, in interiors magazines or with all those tempting and inspiring Pintrest photos.
What you don’t hear so often though is the term vide grenier –
A vide grenier is a French version of a car boot sale, flea market or a garage sale. These sales are fascinating – locals will drag their junk (aka, treasures to us) out onto the village streets or open spaces. It often feels more like a party than a sells pitch as people chatter together. Expect lots of laughter and expressive arm waving… and it is ok, and even expected, to haggle over 50 centimes.
A Brocante can be outdoors too but often its a shop, sometimes also called a Troc (or Trocante), they sell second-hand antique or vintage furniture, cutlery, books, postcards, cooking ware, tools, (often lots of lovely old rusted farming tools), paintings, and beautiful antique linens/tablecloths.
Brocantes and Trocs may be full of truly antique pieces but they’re also savvy enough to supply for the demand, often following fashions. Right now there are a lot of retro, mid-century items from 60s and 70s inspired design due to the recent interest in that type of décor.
Also, because not all furniture has achieved the perfect aged patina they often re-paint unwanted furniture to achieve that ancienne/shabby chic look. If you’re adventurous, I suggest you paint the furniture yourself rather than paying the higher prices for a piece of furniture that they’ve already worked on.
My top tip – buy it in it’s cheap brown form and paint it to suit your decor youself, or simply sand it down and go for the increasingly popular bleached wood look, au naturel.
As those of you who have already stayed at Le Pressoir will know, over the last 20 years of living in France, we’ve acquired a collection of dozens of furniture items for each of the gites, from simple blue bottles to exquiste antique French Corbielle beds and armoires that I’ve upcycled to suit the style of each gite.
Only last week Rob and I took a trip to one of our favourite Trocs in St Lô where we picked up two very drab looking pieces of brown furniture, one was even that hideous orangey, brown colour (quelle horreur) and as we speak I’m getting to work on them to turn them into a glorious art deco bar for our soon to be opened Le Pressoir Cinema – at the moment its code name is Cine-Bar so watch this space on how those pieces end up. In fact we hope you’ll book a stay at Le Pressoir and come for a complimentary drink at the bar and watch a movie on the giant screen with us.
Anyway, back to brocantes – don’t overlook things that are often dismissed as ephemera – those piles of magazines, usually stacked hap-hazardly on the floor or in a corner.
Take a peep inside – they’re totally fabulous – the adverts, for cars, corsets and cures for whatever ails you offer a fascinating glimpse into the preoccupations of their readers back in the day.
Most striking though, is the quality of the artwork, you can pick up a magazine for very little, take out your favourite advert or image and get it framed up – instant, authentic french art.
Some of our lovely previous guests once did just that – they bought us a framed version of a vintage advert and gave it to us as a thank you gift when they left – and look how perfect it was for the Maserati Lounge. And we added to the Lounge’s decor this week by treating oursleves to a vintage style poster from Le Trockeur.
Understanding the lingo –
It’s always good to have a smattering of Francaise up your manche 😉 (pop that in to a well know translation app, ha ha) so here are a few words and phrases to help you along –
- Un chineur is a frequenter of brocantes – I am absolutely guilty as charged of this.
- Petit Prix: Low/budget price. If you’re interested in a few items you can ask the seller if they would give you a ‘petit prix’. They won’t be offended.
- Marchander: Is to haggle. A seller will often ask you if you want to “marchander.”
- Débarasser: Is to clear out/get rid of. That’s a good one to look out for if you like a bargain.
- Fouiller: When you’re nervously looking at a box full of mysterious objects from years gone by with your typical anglo-saxon demeanor, too shy or polite to dig in, the seller will often say to you “allez-y fouiller!” which means “don’t be afraid to rummage”’ Wouldn’t you love to have a rummage through the trunk below
And as always while you’re browsing a brocantes, it’s not about what you are looking for, it is what you may chance upon. After all, our word bric-a-brac comes from the French à bric et à brac, meaning ‘at random’. Happy Hunting!
Now I’ll hand over to Charlotte –
A DAY OF EXPLORING
“Entering the brocante in Normandy, France, felt like stepping into a time capsule of vintage treasures. The layout was impressive, with each item displayed thoughtfully. The decor exuded old-world charm, adding to the ambiance. The staff were friendly and helpful, making the experience even more enjoyable. I couldn’t resist picking up a few unique pieces to take back home with me to England, each one a reminder of my memorable visit to Normandy.
I fell in love with these orange rope-wrapped glass spheres which turned out to be hanging light pendants. They looked gorgeous just laying on a shelf but would look fabulously up too, one day I might try re-wiring them!
Then there was the grey serving platter with three dish grooves, perfect for sharing snacks or holding jewellery. An ancient wooden coffee grinder which would look wonderful in an old farmhouse style kitchen and finally a wicker plate to create a unique wall art design with a mesh mash of different woven circular items I have collected over the past few years. I am yet to put it up but it will look something like the display in the 3rd photo group below:
Afterwards I dotted them around the gorgeous gite at Le Pressoir Gites where I was staying and did a mini photoshoot – inspired by Shu’d creativity of course! Here are some snaps I took.
They fit perfectly with the straw spears I picked up at the Pépinières de Bavent garden centre – another must-visit destination during your stay at Le Pressoir Gites. I fell in love with the vast bohemian decor and displays – I could’ve stayed for hours”
Charlotte.
Let’s head back to some of my favourite Brocantes and Trocs –
Les Pépites Brocante
This is the new discovery that Charlotte and I went to, just 10 minutes from Le Pressoir, open Saturday and Sunday.
You’ll approach it along a winding country lane in the rural Normandy countryside but don’t be put off by the agricultural looking setting and entrance – it is super stylish inside.
As a photographic stylist as well as designer my eyes were out on stalks the first time I walked in, on every table and shelf were chic, curated mood shot sets, I wanted to photograph EVERYTHING. Then, my eyes were drawn to the far wall where they were greeted by a huge male portrait piece. I’m not sure if it’s just me but I thought there was something of a young Tom Cruise about him but he also looked like he could be a famous French Racing Driver – who knows, but whichever he is I absolutely loved him. I wish I had a wall and pocket big enough to have taken him home.
I now also wish I’d bought these two fantastic lighting pieces, the industrial style angle pose lamp for my art studio and the totally bonkers but utterly fabulous wooly lamp. I mean, who doesn’t need a wooly lamp in their lives!!
I loved how they had visually set everything out in colour palette, some bright and in your face and others muted and understated. Every where you looked it was like looking at the pages of a glossy interiors magazine – this is definitely my kind of place, you could say that “it’s right up my rue“
Take a peep at their Facebook page, I think you’ll love it too.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063596431568
Le Trokeur, St Lô
Le Trokeur at St. Lô is about 30 minutes from Le Pressoir and is full of all sorts of goodies, from simple glassware to all sorts of lighting, from Art Deco furniture to 60s pieces, and from Militaria to disco lighting!
Rob and I have bought may pieces for the gites here, including last weeks purchases for the upcoming Cider Press Cinema.
We have several guests who love it and go back every year to see what they have to tempt them.
https://store.trokeur.com/index.php
L’Horloge Penchée
About 35 minutes from Le Pressoir on the outskirts of Cean is L’Horloge Penchee.
This isn’t one of the cheapest brocante’s near us but it is one of my absolute faves and the items really are top class.
Even if you don’t put your hand in your pocket for anything, a stroll around the huge showrooms is a treat.
Imagine a universe where all styles, all eras, all materials coexist… and they’re all the best of their type. Even though it was about 10 years ago I have never forgotten a pair of Art Deco chairs I fell in love with, they had sublime curved chrome arms and sumptuous leather seat and back. They wouldn’t have looked out of place in a Poirot movie.
https://www.horloge-penchee.fr/?ved=2ahUKEwjcxuj4q6mFAxU5RKQEHS4CC-AQgU96BAgYEAQ
La Calèche Caennaise
Just across the road from L’Horloge Penchée is the stylish but slightly smaller La Calèche Caennaise. It’s just as lovely though and they have a blog about furniture – with fascinating subjects such as
The blogs are in original French but you can just click on ‘translate to English’ in your browser.
https://www.maisondubiscuit.fr/en/
Rock’n’Broc
Nearer to Le Pressoir – only about 10 minutes away you’ll find Rock’n’Broc
We haven’t actually been to this one yet but as it’s so close to us I think we’ll take a trip over this weekend and check it out for you all – watch this space as I’ll report back.
I’ve just checked their Facebook page and I now definitely have to go as it appears they have a dog that looks just like my Bro’s dog Des!
http://rocknbroc.fr/?ved=2ahUKEwih57OovqiFAxXDGFkFHSjFA8gQgU96BAgjEAQ
Broacante at the Château
Emmaus Tailleville is set in the grounds of the château and is about 30 mins from Le Pressoir. It’s not quite as grand as it sounds but is well worth a trip.
Emmaus is a secular movement, created in 1949 by Abbé Pierre, it is based on values such as respect, tolerance, fairness and work and funds raised from the sale of the items helps support those in need.
They’ll have everything from a Lawnmower to Lace and everything in between. On some summer evenings they hold a sale where you can also buy sausage and chips, an ice cream and a drink and sit in the garden and marvel at the quirkiness of the place.
https://www.facebook.com/emmaus.caen.tailleville
La Clé Des Temps
La Clé Des Temps is in Coutances, about 50 minutes away from Le Pressoir.
I love this idea at this brocante – it’s huge and well stocked, but unlike the others…. the price of objects decreases with time!
All items over €25 have tickets on them listing various prices and dates, starting at the top is the higher, 1st price with decreasing prices and later dates underneath. The prices decrease as time goes by but beware, because the pieces are all one offs, if you take the chance to wait for the date the price reduces you risk losing out to someone else. So you can choose to wait to see the price decrease but don’t hesitate too long!
https://www.lacledestemps.com/en
And last but definitely not least is…
Brocante de la Maison Blanche
I’m listing it last as I mentioned the Maserati sign at the start the blog and promised to tell you more so it seemed fitting to end with it, so here goes.
Brocante de la Maison Blanche is near Deauville, about 50 minutes away from Le Pressoir but it’s well worth the trip.
Boys and their toys… you girls will love it there too.
This is a must visit if you’re even remotely interested in motor signs, bits of engines made into something, slot machines and even fairground horses, the list goes on of what is crammed into this amazing cave of interesting goodies.
For petrol heads and lovers of perfect imperfection, this is the place for you.
Check out their facebook page for photos of some of their amazing treasures.
https://www.facebook.com/p/Brocante-de-la-Maison-Blanche-100054400095010
We visited on our way home from a day out in Deauville with family and friends, Rob and the boys were in the Maserati and the girls and I were following on in the BMW, we got separated en route so Cathy messaged Phil who was travelling with Rob to ask how far ahead of us they were. They decided to pull over and wait for us and just happened to pull into the carpark at the Brocante de la Maison Blanche. Once we arrived to meet up with the boys we were all fascinated by the car signage and old petrol pumps outside.
So all 8 of us squeezed into the overflowing interior, the boys were raving about the old petrol signs and then Josie spotted something she knew Rob would be interested in – an illuminated Maserati sign. She pointed it out to Rob and he called over the owner to ask the price.
The owner jokingly said, “if someone can afford a Maserati they can afford the sign”. Rob joked back with “yes, but how much for poor old me?” – They agreed on a price and we sheepishly left not mentioning the Maserati parked outside.
We have no idea if he caught sight of Rob and the boys pulling away in the Maserati with the sign carefully packed away in the boot but we’re pretty sure he would have heard the roar of them leaving!!!!!
It now is in pride of place in The Maserati Lounge.
We’d love to invite you into the Maserati Lounge for a drink if you book a stay with us so why not check out our availability page, we’d love to welcome you. https://lepressoirgites.com/availability/
Bye for now, or should I say, à bientôt