THE JOYS OF SHARING LIFE WITH A BROCANTEUR
Treasure hunting at Ruffec Brocante
One of the joys and occasional hazards of sharing life with a brocanteur is that you never quite know what is going to turn up next.
Living with a brocanteur means I’ve become rather accustomed to unusual objects appearing in my life! Some are beautiful, some are wonderfully quirky and others leave me asking ” do I really need that? “
But that’s really the joy of a French brocante. You don’t go in knowing what you’re looking for. You wander, rummage, look up, look underneath things and wait for something to catch your eye.
So today, I’m taking you behind the doors of Ruffec Brocante, where my partner Yann buys and sells an ever-changing collection of furniture, ceramics, decorative pieces, curiosities and all manner of things you didn’t know you needed until you saw them!
And, naturally, I’ve been shopping…
YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU’LL FIND
There are no neat collections or carefully coordinated displays here and that’s why I love it. I don’t always go into the shop because I tend to have a VIP first glance inside the van at all the latest treasures but here are some wonderful pieces I spotted this week for you.
An old French pot might sit beside a painting, a piece of vintage workwear or a model aeroplane suspended from the ceiling. Things come and go, and every visit reveals something you somehow failed to notice the last time.
That’s the magic of brocante hunting.
KATIE’S FINDS
A gentleman’s travelling case
This wonderful old leather case is so full of character. This came from a very old house and looks as though it is probably just as old as the property! Complete with its original brushes, bottles and little containers, it’s the sort of find that makes you wonder about the person who once owned it.
Where did it travel? Who packed it? And how has it managed to survive all these years with its contents still together?
Sometimes you’re not simply buying an old object. You’re buying a tiny piece of somebody else’s story.
A fabulous flash of blue
Would I have walked into a shop specifically looking for a bright blue floral tray plate?
Probably not. But isn’t it just SO pretty? I love all the colours and that blue is just adorable.
Did I immediately start imagining using it for a summer apéro? Obviously oui, oui, oui !
And that is precisely how brocantes get to you.
Beautiful old French pottery
Old French pottery is always worth looking out for although it can be quite dirty and damaged if it has come out of a dusty old attic somewhere so you may need to spend a few minutes cleaning them up.
I particularly love pieces that show their age and these look great indoors or out. I love their aged terracotta colours, imperfections and marks from years of use.
Put one on an old kitchen table with a bunch of wild flowers and you’ll see what I mean.
The wonderfully unexpected
And then there are the things that simply make you stop.
A basket full of polished stone eggs? Why not!
That’s the wonderful thing about rummaging through a brocante: amongst the furniture and familiar household pieces there is nearly always something completely unexpected.
She’s coming home with me…
Now this is where sharing life with a brocanteur becomes problematic because technically, I’m supposed to be encouraging things to leave the shop.
Unfortunately, I can already think of at least three places at home where she would look absolutely fabulous at home. Yikes.
We may need to move on quickly…
A Touch of Vintage French Workwear?
Luckily these may well be a tad too tight for me!
I absolutely love the vintage French workwear though, such lovely, faded colours and fabrics. Be careful not to get the polyester ones though or you may end up looking like Benny from Crossroads!
I do already have quite a few jackets so I will leave these for another lucky customer to love.
TREASURE HUNTING IN RUFFEC
Start Your Treasure Hunt…
If you fancy doing a little treasure hunting of your own while you’re in Ruffec, pop in and see what you can find. Stock changes constantly, so you never really know what will be waiting inside for you.
Ruffec Brocante — Yann Jamet
40 rue de l’Hôpital
16700 Ruffec
06 26 93 90 91
Check current opening hours before making a special journey.
And perhaps my only advice is this:
Don’t go in looking for something in particular.
The best brocante finds tend to be the things you had absolutely no intention of buying.
I should know!
À bientôt,
Katie x
