Wednesday 30 March 2016

Antiquing In France: The first French buying trip of 2016 - Part Deux


We've recently returned from our first French buying trip of 2016 with a beautiful hoard of authentic French armoires. We sailed out on a glorious morning arriving in France with plenty of daylight left to begin the hunt.

Our buying trips usually last about a week and during that time we cover quite a few miles. The bonus is that we get to visit lots of lovely places and many small towns that most tourists don't get to see. On this trip we stayed in Brittany and despite the bitter cold it was a wonderful adventure! 


 Leaving Plymouth on the Bretagne under blue skies

 The beach at Perros-Guirec on a rather gloomy day!  

 The beautiful town of Tréguier    

 Children taking part in a procession through the town on Palm Sunday in Tréguier  


An amazing St Malo armoire in Tréguier cathedral

The stunning medieval town of Dinan 




Walking the ramparts in Dinan



 Somewhat overcast in St Malo


Leaving St Malo on the ferry heading home with a full load


We are increasingly buying to order but a portion of the French armoires we purchased on this trip will be available to buy on the website over the coming next few weeks. Our vintage and antique armoires tend to sell out quickly so to stay informed make sure you sign up to our mailing list. You can find the sign up box on our 'About Us' page: http://www.dazzlevintagefurniture.com/about-us.html 






















Saturday 5 March 2016

Antiquing In France: The first French buying trip of 2016


 
Au revoir Anglais! Leaving the port of Plymouth en route to France


It's been a busy winter here at Dazzle central. Our decision to concentrate purely on sourcing French armoires has been a great success, so much so that we are in the unprecedented position of having almost sold out. Specialising has allowed us to refine our knowledge and cherry pick the very best pieces we can find.

We're thrilled to now be counting down the days to our first buying trip of 2016. We will be seeking out more beautiful antique and vintage armoires. In the years since we started Dazzle we have evolved from selling painted vintage furniture (hence the name), through to French furniture en masse (beds, side tables, buffets etc) to arrive where we are today - specialists in authentic French armoires.  

We increasingly buy to order for customers which means that many of the armoires we come home with are already spoken for, but if you're UK based and  have a specific style of armoire you would like us to source then please do get in touch. Throughout the spring and summer we make regular trips to France (usually monthly) and with a large network of contacts over the channel we can probably find your dream armoire!

The beautiful town of Morlaix which will be our base during this buying trip 


Every armoire we buy undergoes a thorough check. We never buy pieces with serious faults or excessive dimensions. Often people don't realise that many authentic armoires are far too large for UK homes!






Going on a French buying trip is a great experience but it's also hard work. We're lucky in that it has allowed us to explore places in France that we would never have otherwise been to. 

The beautiful medieval town of Dinan


We've made many contacts in France over the years and source our armoires from both known dealers and outdoor brocantes.


Whilst buying at French fairs is one of the most exciting parts of a buying trip it's also one of the most uncertain. Until you get there you never know what you'll find and you have to haggle hard.



Who Are We?

Dazzle Vintage Furniture is an online boutique specialising in authentic French armoires, antique mirrors and decorative accessories. We personally source all our items in France, scouring flea markets, fairs and antiques shops in Brittany and Provence.

WEBSITE: http://www.dazzlevintagefurniture.com

TWITTER: @DazzleVintage

INSTAGRAM: http://instagram.com/dazzlevintagefurniture