Paris has been dubbed Europe’s capital for antiques aficionados and a survey of its landscape reveals why
It’s impossible to walk down the street in Paris and not be struck by the gauze of history that careens across the city. Mascarons sit above the arches of heavy wooden doors, gargoyles snarl from stone turrets, and wrought iron railings twist and turn across beige terraces with the arabesque of grapevines.
Much of this is centuries old—a reflection of the design language that stems from France’s deep‐rooted appreciation of art, culture and history. It is little wonder that the city is a magnet for buyers, purveyors and connoisseurs of antiques and vintage objects looking to decorate their living spaces.
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Indeed, the country’s proclivity for aged beauty stands as an antidote to these fast times, when everything can be purchased through an app and even coveted designer furnishings tend to be delivered straight out of a factory. That may have its appeal, but those who hanker after unique one‐off pieces with a backstory will revel in Paris’ antiques and vintage offerings.
“It is the love of beauty and history, the passion for discovering new objects and knowledge and, of course, the pleasure of creating a singular interior decor—a personal one,” says Parisian antiques purveyor Claudie Ferré when asked about the appeal of antiques.
Ferré runs her eponymous business, and is an enthusiast who pours her passion for collecting rare pieces into a thriving business. “We scour the continent and further afield to collect the very best that the 20th century has to offer,” she says. The Salon des Antiquaires 2023, a pop‐up market in the affluent Saint‐Sulpice neighbourhood, is where she exhibits her vintage pieces dated from the 1920s to the ’80s, her tent is decked out with the likes of art deco lamps, precious silverware and ornate objets d’art.
Ferré is one of hundreds of exhibitors showcasing curated antiques ranging from gilded rococo chandeliers to jewellery and small curiosities to fire up your imagination. The pop‐up market joins a roster of regular weekend staples at Saint‐Ouen and Porte de Vanves, random flea markets that crop up on small streets, and the hundreds of professional antiques stores hidden on Paris’ winding streets.
So passionate is France for antique objects that a 2021 report by the Observatory of Economic Complexity noted the country’s antiques exports ringing up a total of US$248 million at the cash tills. While that is a large figure, it does not include domestic purchases, many of which are done online through apps such as Leboncoin, or at flea markets where some sellers are simply clearing out mamie’s attic for a bit of spare cash.
