Marché aux puces in Paris (St Ouen antique market)
Have you been looking for some time to buy a pied a terre in Paris like this 2 bedroom apartment located in the 16th district of Paris. The current decoration is quite outdated and you may wonder how you can redo it with your own personal touch?
After all, art and wonders are already present from the streets with the architecture of the building, the wrought iron of your balcony not forgetting atmosphere of the XVIth arrondissement embodied by luxury cars, the fashion clothes and accessories French people like to wear, and the fancy restaurants and brasseries where you can discover French cuisine.
If you wonder how to decorate your future apartment then we advise you to have a look at the Marché aux Puces located next to the XVIIth district. Molière would call it “Le Marché aux Puces”, and Shakespeare the Flea Market.This worldwide famous antique market has been refreshed over the past few years and has become trendy again among Bobos (trendy bohoParisien people).
For 129 years, people have walked its alleys that currently gather 1,700 merchants and 1,400 antiques over 17.5 acres. It counts more than 5 millions curious pairs of eyes every year. Either opened-sky or under glass cupola, either traditional or new-age, the products, people and atmosphere will surprise you …
The truth about this Flea Market is that it is divided in 14 niche markets that all have their particular atmosphere and propose an amazing journey in time and civilizations.
The possibilities are endless …
When going to the Flea Market, very often you don’t come back home with items you intended to buy.
Rare objects& good deals are all over this place. After a day looking for astonishing items to decorate your home, here is what you may have found:
– A Napoléon III Mirror for the Marché Antica to admire yourself before going to the OpéraGarnier.
– A Louis XVth desk to put in your office.
– A bookcase from the XIXth century you found in L’Entrepôt for the ancient collection of books from Maupassant you also bought on the Marché Dauphine
– Tapestry from Middle-East to cover the walls of your bedroom
– Vintage photography for your living-room
– A drawer from china in the Marché des Rues for the cloth, dared or not, you couldn’t resist while passing the Marché Cambo because they looked amazing with the jewellery from the Marché Paul Bert Serpette.
A pleasure for senses
All these purchases will look great in your apartment.However the reward is way beyond the items that lay in your trunk, during that day spent in Le Marché aux Puces …
Your eyes have witnessed an incredible show composed of furniture, books, jewellery and art from all ages and cultures as you walked by the different markets, and if you are lucky you can come across one of the different celebrities that are in love with the Marché Paul Bert Serpette for the wonders you can find on it like Julia Roberts, Uma Turman, Sharon Stone or Liam Neeson.
Your may have smelled perfumes of spices from all over the world that came from the different restaurants you walked by that are here to feed the visitors.
Your mouth has rediscovered French cuisine after you succumbed to temptation in front of a classic restaurant.
Your ears have listened to the style Django Reinhardt created thanks to his injury while learning to play the guitar. He gave his name to the Marché Django Reinhardt as a child of the city and one of the greatest world’s guitarists, performing essentially Gypsy Jazz, the amateurs of this music all gather there.
And finally your hands have touched the softest silk, the perfectly carved wood art and furniture, or just the decoration you are finally organizing in your apartment with excitation as you go back home.
Last but not least, and before I forget, the goods on display are all unique and are changed on a regular basis. So remember to go back often to the Flea market in case you will find the book you always dreamed about for which you keep a space in the great bookcase located in your Parisian apartment Sextant Properties helped you to find.