Category — Photo Album

The concept store, MERCI, in Paris (near the Bastille) has been written about extensively, for example here, here, and here.

But as far as I can tell, nobody has really paid attention to something quite unique Merci does: the way they use ‘found’ items to display their wares. Think Anthropologie, but then edgier. And hopefully inexpensive, so that more of the store’s revenues go to their philanthropic goals.

Their entrance has been photographed by hundreds – yesterday the car had old crates in it:

On a recent visit, a few things jump right out: crowds (in a boutigue, during the week, around 2 PM, usually a fairly quiet time). Languages (no less than 5 heard in the space of a few minutes) and the different way things are displayed.

Right by the door, awaiting being put to use, these circles held together with straps:

It was possibly going to be used in this side room. The people in here were busy folding up hundreds of brown boxes and stacking them like a brick wall

This was very cool – those pressed cardboard pallets, about 19 or 20 in all for the tallest stack, with a sheet of metal at the top

Notice the long line at the cash register in the back. The place was hopping.

The Annick Goutal perfume bar is always a draw. It’s tiled with old subway style tiles, and painted black. The lady with the sleeveless top and the winter coat made me feel cold – wasn’t she freezing?

On the way upstairs, shelving show random things. Some intriguing stools, some old books.

Here’s another stroke of genius. But if these are vintage I’d love to know where they found them!

Who says armoires have to touch the ground?

And probably the cheapest but cleverest idea of them all – put together with scraps of wood and small 1/4 section of logs, and randomly forming a great modern sculpture. Later in the day I saw something similar at Le Bon Marché. Wonder who copied who?

Here is the Merci version

and here is the Bon Marché version:

I want this door (It’s a poster!)

This is my favorite of them all. Old armoire doors, all different, attached to shelving. Random, seemingly. Some lit from within, so the light shines through the old glass doors. What a gorgeous way to create fun storage!

The merchandise is fun, funky and well priced, very reasonable really. Mostly new items, although they had a gorgeous officer’s mess picnic basket downstairs, in mint condition, with all the contents intact. I forgot to check the price but figure if I had to ask, I probably could not afford it…..

Our first holiday Open House was this past Saturday.  The store looked almost perfect, but not yet totally finished.  We’ll get there eventually, it’s such a big space!

The music is by les Petits Chanteurs d’Aix en Provence and is an old childhood favorite….

We have now resumed regular store hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 to 6, and there are new goodies arriving every day!  Nothing photographed can convey the actual store, please come visit!

Just a few pictures, but nothing can convey how things really look…. it’s so much better in ‘real’

More later…

Arriving in Texas for Round Top Antiques Week is always exciting. We were lucky enough to have 2 days to wander the fields, admiring the displays already set up, talking to friends and generally taking it easy before the hard work began.

This show was probably the hottest one yet. We struggled for the first 2 days as we unloaded a gigantic truck.

The booth starts as a big empty space – almost 1,000 sq ft. In an old building with a corrugated metal ceiling, wood walls, beams, and wood floors. No air conditioning, sadly. In Spring not an issue but in Fall we’d probably sell our mothers for some cooler air indoors….

Here is the space as we prepared the ‘bones’

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