Ruth Burts Interiors: Paris 2012: Favorites

Just back from Paris, here's an updated list of favorites!
There are so many things to love in Paris that, with limited time, you tend to go back to visit favorite places...but there are always many NEW areas meriting a visit.
(This is really five little blog posts in one long one!)

1. A S T I E R d e V I L L A T T E

Despite some tongue-in-cheek comments about this beautiful line of handmade porcelain, I continue to have a weak spot for it! I visited the Left Bank Astier de Villatte shop, G A L E R I E S A L O N , at 4, rue du Bourbon le Château in the Saint-Germain quarter. This boutique is run by Carole, who is welcoming and kind. I was able to find several pieces here that were not available at the other store. Carole works with John Derian (he'd been in the store earlier that day!) and of course sells his pieces as well. In addition to stocking mostly Astier de Villatte, Carole carries one-of-a-kind antique pieces. Galerie Salon has everything you're looking for, and I promise
you'll enjoy wandering the tiny streets nearby !

WHERE: 4, rue du Bourbon le Château
Metro: Saint - Germain des Prés

Directions: from Blvd Saint Germain, turn onto rue de Buci and find tiny rue du Bourbon le Chateau a block or so down.

Alternate Address: 173 rue Saint-Honoré

2. Z E N E T H I C

CRAZY - FUN COLORS, FABRICS, TEXTURES,
CLOTHING AND HOME ACCESSORIES

Rarely do you find a shop where you'd love to wear the merchandise as much as you'd like to decorate your home with it ! Zen Ethic is that place !
(Even better, I happened upon their boutique in Montmartre,
just steps from its church, Sacré Coeur !)

"Zen" is not a word I'd attribute to anything I do design or style-wise, BUT I went crazy for their merchandise! Just peering through the shop window, you'll notice piles of fabrics, some in large (or small!) -scale floral patterns, others in Suzani-inspired patterns, and some with a Designers' Guild-type print.

All were worth a second look! Some special details include stitching - in a thread color-corresponding to its fabric - which appears handmade. Other stitching details include basic quilting. You'll love their tassel trim that looks like gumballs and their embroidered fabrics as well! Whether you're looking for clothing or home decor, most patterns/fabrics are available in each! And, last but not least, this is a smaller operation (no mass-produced junk!), completely envisioned, designed and fabricated in France. The sales girl could not have been any nicer.
Put this one on your list!
WHERE: 4, rue des Abbessess Metro : Abbesses
Directions: rue des Abbesses about half way between rue Vieuville and rue des Martyrs; Alternate address: 52, rue des Francs Bourgeois

3. M A R C H É S A I N T - P I E R R E

IF YOU HAVE THE SLIGHTEST INTEREST IN FABRIC

J U S T G O ! !
( Note: Sacré-Coeur in photo; upper-left corner ! )

Are you a quilter ? A seamstress ? A designer or decorator ?

If you have any interest in fabrics and trims, you can't miss this fantastic block of every shape, size, form, pattern and texture fabric you could possibly dream up!

My favorties were MOLINE - one for trims, one for fabrics
(stores are across the street from each other) -- a don't - miss!
A RECOMMENDATION for this area in general :
Go when you have TIME to browse !

"Among my most rewarding finds were the big sales up in Montmartre in the fabric markets dotted around Marché St. Pierre. I bought fancy smancy trimmings for 20 cents (eurocents, which means about 30 cents US) a meter—I use these to edge placemats that I buy in the U.S. at off-price stores. There were rows of glorious tassels and curtain tie-backs (many could be fashion accessories) and bins of coupons, which is the French word for remnants. At Reine, the fanciest of the fabrics supermarkets, I got a wool boucle for 8 euros a meter. For about $20 U.S. I got enough fabric to make an Eileen Fisher style short jacket."
-- Suzy Gershman, author of Born to Shop series

Marché Saint Pierre is the name of a store, but a l s o the name for this area in general which stretches over several streets if not an entire block...see directions below !

WHERE: Rue Livingstone, rue d'Orsel, * and Place Saint - Pierre,
You can take Metro Anvers or even Barbès-Rochechouart, but if you are new to the area, you may feel more comfortable arriving via Metro : Abbesses. (It's a fun metro anyhow!) From Metro: Abbesses, head 1 block north on rue Vieuville, then turn right on rue Yvonne-le-Tac. Continue on this street for several blocks, and it will turn into rue Tardieu when you cross the Rue des Trois Freres. Just keep going straight ahead... this is a fun walk with lots to see. You'll see the Sacré Coeur church up on your left. Rue Tardieu turns into Place Saint Pierre, but keep moving on until you've crossed rue Seveste and are nearing the intersection of rue Livingstone. ( * You want the portion of rue d'Orsel which rue Livingstone turns into...only!)
click here for the "Rough Guide to (budget) Fabric Shopping in Montmartre"

4. T h e V I A D U C T d e s A R T S

obsolete, elevated train route

+
beautiful green way with a view
+
artisans and craftspeople
=
v i s i o n a r y c i t y p l a n n i n g !

" The Promenade Plantée is an endearing reincarnation of a former disused railway track into an elevated urban green corridor. Built in 1859, it extends 4.5 kilometres (2.5 miles) and runs almost the entire length of the 12th arrondissement, from the Périphérique on the eastern end to the Place de la Bastille on the western end of the quarter. As a linear recreation connector, it now stitches the different segments of the community together. "

1970's

Now

"From Opera Bastille to Park Reuilly, Promenade Plantée is elevated above the street for a distance of 1.5 km. Underneath the elevated walkway is the Viaduct des Arts, where the arches supporting the viaduct were converted to artist studios, galleries, craft workshops and exhibition spaces, small cafes and restaurants. Thereafter, Promenade Plantee runs at-grade or below street level." -- Rail Corridor

The Promenade Plantée has appeared in various films, including "Before Sunset" (2004) whose principal characters walk along the raised green way.

As much as I loved the green way, I was there for the shopping!
Most shops were open to the public, only a few were by appointment; as always it's best to check any store's hours of operation before going ...you'd be surprised by what can be and is closed on a Saturday in Paris!

What makes this area special is the artisans who specialize in their craft ... items are as specialized as you can imagine. Most pieces are one - of - a - kind, whether antique or new, all are veritable objets d'art! All addresses fall on the Avenue Daumesnil, you need only know the street number...

The Atelier du Temps Passé, No. 5, avenue Daumesnil, restores beautiful paintings and art objects. Créanog, at No. 9, is an exquisite embossing factory, and Cécile et Jeanne, no. 49, "upscale costume jewelry and bags."

Mat+jewski, no. 83, sells quirky, fun interior accessories and furniture. His "updated" Toile pattern pillows were listed among House Beautiful Magazine's "Best Decorative Home Accessories" last year. Atelier le Tallec, no. 93-95 is also worth a look with its magnificent hand-painted porcelain.

l'Atelier des Arts Culinaires, No. 111, showcases hand-forged copper...fit for a deluxe kitchen, a gourmet chef, or anyone appreciating beautiful pieces! Antique copper, brass, pewter and silver restoration is also an offering here, as well as authentic pieces from Villedieu - les - Poêles. Generally speaking, prices of these wares aren't low...but lèche-vitrines is FREE!

Le Prince du Sud, no. 119, was a favorite! A creator of passementerie for almost 100 years, this shop recently moved here from the 6th arrondissement. Bernard Serra, currently at the helm,

"trained at Studio Berçot in Paris and with top names in the Couture field, educated in the secrets of embroidery and with a passion for Haute-Couture accessories, he is resolutely set on preserving this unique know-how and French heritage. "To do this, he takes part in the collections of young designers every season and works with the top names in French and international luxury."

Automates et Poupées, no. 97, is dedicated to the manufacture and restoration of antique dolls, music boxes, puppets and other toys

" threatened by extinction. "

I also loved Atelier Lebeau, No. 117, a restorer of antique frames.

Another favorite was Artefact, no. 125 ,
an architectural model shop with a storefront to love!
further information:
"From Viaduct to Promenade" by iaintheurbanist,
a history of the origins of the Viaduct to its present status
WHERE: The Promenade Plantée begins several blocks Southeast of the Opéra Bastille, where rue de Lyon and rue de Coulée Verte intersect.
Metro : Depending on your starting point/most convenient metro line, you may go via Bastille, Gare de Lyon, Reuilly-Diderot or Dugommier (eastern end of the viaduct, near Jardin de Reuilly)...Keep your map in hand !

5. BERCY VILLAGE + PARC de BERCY
Looking for a place to hang out in Paris on a Sunday?
How about a place "the whole family will love" or even "great shopping in Paris? " Bercy fulfills all of these! Whether you're on your own, in a couple or a group of people, you'll find lots to enjoy. What's more, this area remains somewhat French (i.e. the tourists haven't completely taken it over!)
Bercy consists of several areas :

1. Bercy Village ... shopping !
And I do mean something for everyone ! It's great for Sundays in particular, when you won't find much open in Paris (except the Marais...another story). As for the shops -- located in charming, 19th-century wine warehouses -- to name a few :
Loisirs and Création (an upscale version of Michael's), Animalis, a pet store with puppies, kittens, a ferret and birds...Eric Kayser, a much-publicized baker-patissier of recent years; ingredients for a fantastic picnic, or Nicolas, the wine store to complete the picnic basket. Arteum was great: ... a concept shop with "art in all its forms at all prices." Côté Maison is an attractive home decoration store and Alice Délice a gourmet kitchen shop. A tea shop, a comic book store, and Boardriders, a surf shop (my nephew would love it!) a toy store and candy store...Here's the full list! I had a delicious salad and espresso at the Illy Café.

2. Parc de Bercy, also known as the Jardin Yitzhak Rabin
As un-French a 'parc' as I've ever seen (i.e. no structured, manicured shrubbery in geometric design)! A peaceful, meandering area of trees, ponds, a few small bridges, ducks, joggers and frisbee players, and even a community vegetable garden!
Developed between 1993-1997, the park consists of three areas:
The "Romantic Garden", including fishponds and dunes; "Flowerbeds," dedicated to plant life, and "The Meadows," an open lawn shaded by tall trees.

3. Frank Gehry's only building in Paris (for now)
for which he was awarded the Pritzker Prize, one of architecture's most prestigious. It houses the Cinémathèque Française, "one of the largest archives of films, movie documents and film-related objects in the world."
Within close walking distance are the sports arena,
Palais Omnisports de Paris - Bercy, and the Musée des Arts Forains.

4. A link across the river to the gargantuan  French National Library,
the Bibliothèque National François Mitterrand,
via the Passarelle Simone - de - Beauvoir  undulating footbridge !