Shopping the flea market in Paris is one of my all time favorite things to do … the Marche Paul Bert / Serpette are treasure troves of fabulous decorative items, collectibles objects, vintage clothing jewelry and furniture. For anyone interested in the decorative arts this the a Must See. The French not only display their wares magnificently, they take the greatest pride in the presentation and historic value of their inventory. It’s like visiting a museum, except you can buy all the exhibits!
So this is the Marchés aux puces, which is one of my very favorite places to come and visit whilst I’m in Paris. This part is actually called the Marche Serpette Paul Bert. And it’s kind of the part that has all of the really coolest stuff, amazing antique things, vintage things, incredible finds that are truly so Parisian. What is so great is that you can find things like this amazing kind of 1950’s vendor, along with people that sell 18th century things, 19th century things. It’s a little bit of everything, vintage clothing, vintage jewelry, vintage furniture. It’s so fun. I mean, it’s definitely a spot to come visit.
So this is the kind of thing that you find here at the flea market, which is unlike any other flea market in the world, which is actually museum quality things. I mean, this fireplace is from 1624, and has come from an extraordinary chateau. These things are absolutely amazing. And really why Paris is such an amazing resource. Look at this beautiful stand. It’s not just a bunch of stuff thrown in. It’s wonderfully decorated, really, really chic.
So apart from all the incredible market stands, there are some extraordinary shops. And this is Galerie Glustin, which is one of my favorites. They have amazing things from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s. But also they make things as well, like this extraordinary chandelier creation and this unbelievable table by some amazing French artisans. And this is a great vibe of French style today. I mean, this beautiful boissiere room that’s very, very 19th century mixed with these extraordinary modern and like mid century vintage things, this is really French style today. So this is exactly what I come here for, mad and marvelous things that are so different from what you would find anywhere else. I mean, look at this. It’s utterly crazy but utterly fabulous at the same time. So now you know why the Marchés aux puces post is literally the jewel in the crown of interior designers, Little Black Book, all these treasures in these few incredible streets. This is the place to come visit, for sure.
