Mar 1, 2016
Have you Read Paris Flea Market Style? This book is eye candy for anyone who loves French style and found treasures.
“Paris is the place where shopping daydreams come true.” Specifically, the five special areas showed in Claudia Strasser’s lovely book Paris Flea Market Style.
Quoting the author, “The flea markets offer one of a kind insights into a lovely bygone era that valued beauty and worked to create it. The craft was as important as the product it produced and even the tools were something special.” Filled with both shopping and style tips Claudia is a globetrotting author and designer with a passion for Paris and the fleas.
It’s not hard to figure out that our favorite chapter is Architectural Elements and Hardware. Followed by Outdoors, Furniture, and Textiles. In truth we loved the whole book!
The mirrors above (on the back cover) often come from old grand apartments. This one grabs us at Efex, with the bows, swags, and drops. Might have to do another mirror and use this design!
The details on the Louis XV column with all its chippy goodness are heart stopping.
These pictures are a great example of how accurate and timeless the antique designs of our Efex are. B19 Swag 6, 7, and 8 as well as a similar T42 trim, are all parts of our catalog of unique bendable moldings.
However, to get a well styled French room you need a variety of texture and light. Enter two of our other passions, textiles and chandeliers, specifically the antique French kind.
Reading this book definitely started us dreaming of Paris and her fleas. It just might be time to plan another shopping trip, remember this is where we found M!
Jan 19, 2016
Elegant New Molding from Efex
She’s sexy, bold, and very French. She’s our newest Efex bendable moulding, and she has a past. A lady with history!
M is an original bronze with a sophisticated look about her. Like every lady of a certain age with a little buffing she shines.
We first met M on a laughable day of shopping at the St. Ouen flea markets in Paris. Stacey from Faux Studio Designs and I had driven from Normandy to Paris to see the sights and visit the fleas.
Note – they have a great rail system in France but we had rented a car to tour the country so why not drive to Paris? My children and husband were in the USA so there was no one around to tell Stacey why I should NEVER be allowed to rent a car and drive around in Europe.
We found Paris in the dark with the help of our iPhones – mon dieu. The phone died two blocks from our hotel so we were sans map. 3 hours and 5 laps around the Arc de Triomphe (I kept getting stuck in the inside track) and the Effiel Tower we found the hotel. Phew…time for wine.
Phew…time for wine.
The next morning it’s pouring buckets of rain, but we’re Americans in Paris who love antiques, so we’re off to the fleas anyway! And yes, I drove. After a few more laps around the Arc de Triumph (nowhere near the fleas) we found the markets – kind of. We ended up parking two arrondissements away and walking. Ouch.. several hours and shopping has not yet begun.
It didn’t take us long to find the mother load. Sitting in a tiny stall right next to 2 dozen of the greatest trumeau mirrors we have ever seen was a man selling old bronze and ormolu embellishments. I think our hearts skipped a few beats before we went crazy.
But at this point we’re almost out of cash. I sprint down the street in the rain for the ATM, did I mention it was almost closing time? I took out max cash and sprint back.
When I arrived Stacey was proudly holding M. She had been dug out of the bottom of a crate, but still had all of her chic Parisian style. We finished the day with a lot of bronze, many of which are soon to be Efex, But M was the star of the day.
A large wreath with two crossed federal flames and a small bow – she measures 10″ x 10″ and is totally French. The retail price is $39.00. Now M1 is a bendable version available for you to get the perfect French look.
Like all of our 160+ designs she’s bendable and ready to decorate anything you can think of. It is easy to gild with gilding wax, metallic paint, or foils. We layered different colors of gilding wax to achieve the great patina above.
M would look equally elegant on a bed or large armoire. This signature piece is ready to ship, and all of our dealers can order one for you today.
Soon, we will show you how we finished the trumeau mirror below.
