Style Illimitée

Many years ago I used to like to go to the antique show in Avignon.  There were a few known and loved dealers, but one in particular, one who had a perfect sense of style.  He really went over the top one year when he showed an enormous antique cabinet full of birds and natural curiosities. You had to buy the cabinet with the contents.  It had everyone in awe, everyone in the place.  Still legendary…..everyone in the industry knows him….

Imagine my surprise years later to find this dealer in Burgundy.  Each trip here, I find enough to fill a car, or more.  I start to salivate at the door; here is just a taste of the current vitrine…concrete toadstool stops paired with lots of moss, birds and gilt finials and a kale in front~

Also a gilt frame with greens and birds and more finials.  Just a small taste of what is inside~

In the middle of the shop, you can now find a small French-sized tree filled with birds.  In the rafters above are dozens of vintage baskets….and the table below is filled with moss, snail shells and facsimile mushrooms and some other little gems under the tree you can’t see well in this pic~

you can’t really get the sense of the store with my very quick photos…I never really want anyone in the shop to see me taking photos!

Let’s get to the shopping; this time, dozens of vintage cutting boards, I bought two; one for Louis the Baker to use, one for the house.  It was fun to pick up each one and see how it feels in hand~

outside, we went to look for wine racks; we focused on the orange ones~

But everywhere you look you see something else, beautiful and seemingly casually arranged~

Outside, the garden goes on….here are a very large bird cage~

A collection of terra cotta….all well organized; the two pieces on top are typically Burgundian chimney pots~

The mantel is filled with wine bottles; years ago you could see the bottles, now they are covered with ivy~

Outside, lots of barrels, this copper bassine is XXXL size~

There is always an extensive bottle collection to be found~

R always laughs at the outdoor shower; the mirror and soap dish and chasse d’eau above are all there~

as well as a collection of stone wheels, all arranged~

in another mantel, more bottles.  Don’t be discouraged by the condition; bottles are resilient and you will see soon what they become; the owner is without pretense~

What I learned here a long time ago is to never throw anything away.  Not wine corks, not snail shells, not broken chairs.  No string or twine.  Nothing.  You really can use every scrap.  So French~

This is part of my collection of cutting boards.  The largest two will go to San Diego; one for Louis the Baker and one for me and Raquel for our demo foods.  They largest one weighs about 15 pounds and they are very thick~

A year or so ago I bought these from the same dealer; they are very small jars; I will use them for wine or water for a large party on the terrace; he makes the labels to order and they get finished off with a cork wrapped in burlap~

Now, what I have to share with you is that I am doing a Christmas photo shoot this week at the house for a publication, and this stylist has agreed to be my co-stylist and let me borrow anything from the shop.  I have to get back to my dinner guests, but much more to show you, as I prepare for a photo shoot……can not show you all but can show you the elements.  So exciting!!!!