FRENCH COUNTRY ANTIQUES |NEW SHIPMENT

Our latest shipment has arrived at FrenchGardenHouse from our buying trips - just in time to celebrate summer! France in the summertime? A delight for all your senses. I'm always amazed each time I go to Europe by the colors, the architecture, the scents and sounds of the markets. The charming little villages, with their central squares filled with bistro tables and umbrellas, ready for us to sit and have a citron presse {lemonade} or a kir royale after visiting with favorite French antique dealers to shop their best antiques. The surrounding fields of lavande, with that heady scent wafting in the air are magical. The little bundles of lavande are for sale at almost every outdoor market in Provence. I've had a great time shopping with my favorite French dealers, and new items are appearing in the shop! Summer has arrived here in the states, too, and so have glorious days for enjoying the garden, picnicking and barbecuing. Before you put out the umbrella, set your outdoor tables and open the wine, we'll help you do it in style We have storied, well traveled antique items to make sure you are entertaining outdoors in amazing style. Always a great favorite, these aqua blue vintage bottles used to be delivered to front doors filled with the liquid yoghurt France is famous for. Now they make a stunning centerpiece for a casual summer table setting, a few gathered on the tabletop and filled with peonies...délicieux n'est pas? I found some beautiful antique bread boards and chopping boards, this one has the side galleries - getting quite rare to find in any kind of condition. These were originally used in French country kitchens for pastry making, as most modest French homes did not have a marble surface. The sides kept the little bits of pastry dough from escaping. Later, these became little chopping boards like the one I found. The wear, and cut marks give this piece plenty of quirky personality - it's what makes these so wonderful, each one is a one-of-a-kind find! The Antique Linen and Metis sheets are pretty much perfect for summer tables. Some have beautiful red monograms, like the one above. Exceptional creamy white métis make these weighty trousseau sheets a true 19th century French treasure. Métis is a fabric with cotton as its warp and linen as its weft, this is a strong cloth that was made to last. These are the kind of family heirloom linens that are passed down from generation to generation. The sturdy crinkled aspect is due to the linen content. Silky to the touch, this fabric becomes even more softer with repeated laundering. These hand woven linen towels are decades old, most over 100 years, and are still sturdy, beautiful, and ready to be of service for another hundred years. A treasure trove, I always do a happy dance for us {some for you, some for me} when I locate a good selection without holes, stains and damage. These are all beautiful, and ready to line a bread basket, hang on your range, or to tie around an exceptional bottle of wine as a luxury host or hostess gift. Baskets are on of our #1 bestsellers any time of year, but in summer they seem to fly out of the shop. They are rustic, they are charmingly provincial. Each is really a work of art, and tell the story of the French habit of shopping daily for bread, milk and vegetables at small local shops. This grape picking basket has some old worm damage, this is part of its history and story. I love the shape of these, I've never found two that were the same. Woven wicker bottle carriers are especially charming! This decorative French Hand Woven Wicker Wine Bottle Carrier is perfect for toting several bottles of your favorite wine out to the garden for an al fresco dinner or long luncheon. The French owners painted their initials B S R in blue on the front, perhaps so as not to confuse their basket for someone else's at the village fete? Six deep compartments and a sturdy handle make this a favorite, it can hold six bottles to display, or a few bottles, glasses, napkins and a snack when you want to enjoy a drink outdoors at your little bistro table on your gravel patio.

The weathered basket below is perfect for storage. Use this to hold antique linens, vegetables from the garden, in your kitchen, office, to display towels in your bathroom, anything and everything that you want to organize or display in your French Country home.

I love useful pieces like this, they bring the charm and simple elegance of France to any room. Two loops on the top to close, it is missing the willow stick, you can add another stick, or not. This is a smaller size, it has plenty of quirky charm, wear and patina from all the times Pierre rode his bicycle home from market in the pouring rain. Decorative Country Willow Baskets like this one below were used to take to Sunday pique-niques in France when the weather allowed. Fitted with leather straps to hold plates and assorted tableware for "civilized" eating al fresco, these baskets could be strapped on the back of one's bicycle or vespa. Sourced in France, this basket still has the original leather straps and handle. Beautifully crafted, it can do more than hold your wine and sandwiches in the garden- use it to add French Country flair to any room at home. The owner seemed to remember his parents bringing this home from across the pond {England} on a trip long ago. Another great way to take drinks outside, I can't seem to keep enough of these vintage and antique bottle holders in stock! I agree with you, they have great patina and charm. When not being a help in the summer, they look wonderful on a buffet holding your favorite wines, or on display in your wine cave or cellar! I hope you have lots of gorgeous, sunny days and enjoy eating outdoors, al fresco. Setting your outdoor spaces with some of our French antiques will surely make you feel like you are in France! If you are not traveling to France this year, I've shopped the French markets for all the best antiques for you!

Go to FrenchGardenHouse to see what's new from the markets of France....

{I will be unpacking and adding more and more pieces this month}