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Monthly Archive for April, 2009

Photo courtesy of Deyrolle.fr

Photo courtesy of Deyrolle.fr

Text by Tory Hoen

While taxidermy has become trendy of late, there is only one place that has been using naturalized animals to lure clients since 1831. Nestled on the charming Rue du Bac, Deyrolle is a shop unlike any other in the world. Part store, part museum, part gallery, the much-loved shop houses a variety of formerly-living merchandise and other “natural curiosities.” From a perfectly preserved giraffe (25,600 €), to a levitating meteor (1,230 €), to a myriad of colorfully preserved butterflies (various prices), Deyrolle offers clients the opportunity to own a slice of the natural world. It’s no wonder that many Parisians claim this shop as the site of their most distinctive childhood memories… Continue Reading »

Spreeing for Spree

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Text and Photography: Geneviève Sandifer

Ah, the concept store.  Prescriptive, arrogant, attractive, alternately kitschy-cheap and prohibitively expensive; it’s hard to avoid mixed feelings when dealing with these store-size display cases of “cool”. Except, that is, if you wander up the Rue Vieuville in Montmartre and stop by Spree on a lazy, sunny afternoon.

This gallery/boutique was started 8 years ago by low-key creative couple Roberta Oprandi and Bruno Hadjadj, she a designer, he an artist, with the unambiguous purpose of allowing their inspirations to mingle and match.

Whereas fad-meccas like Colette inevitably make you feel like you’re walking into a museum where the docents are the judges and executors of trendy, Spree manages to elusively walk the line of cozy, intriguing and unpretentious. Continue Reading »

Text & Photos by Erica Bermanpicture-15

This charming 1 bedroom apartment is part of an unconventionally chic Provence vacation experience. This is one of my favorite places to spend a few days decompressing, antiquing, hiking, exploring and, of course, eating local. I have been here numerous times, and can’t wait to return!

Chambre Avec Vue is an independent vacation apartment (one of two) is located in a sensuous 18th century home in Saignon, a tiny village perched near the Luberon mountains. Saignon is said to be one of the oldest villages in France and is certainly one of the most charming villages in Provence.  Slightly off the beaten track, this funky vacation rental is a unique mix of restful tones, lovingly selected antiques, & original artwork.

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photo courtesy of express.fr

Text by Tory Hoen

While there’s nothing secret about Jadis anymore, its location—buried deep within the 15th near Metro Convention—shelters it from the tourist crowds that will inevitably descend on Paris this spring and summer. Hailed as the  “Best Bistro of 2008” by Le Fooding and “Bistro of the Fall” by Le Figaro, Jadis has emerged as a well-loved star amidst a sea of up-and-coming (and already established) neo-bistros. Continue Reading »

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text Erica Berman

At risk of offending the French, with whom I have lived for over 16 years, and Tory, who just wrote a post on coffee in France, there is just no comparison between coffee in France and coffee in Italy. If you ask a French national who has been away from France for an extended period of time what they miss the most from home they will undoubtably say bread, cheese & wine. An Italian asked the same question will most certainly say they miss coffee and pasta. For two countries so close together geographically, they are truly worlds apart in their customs and lifestyle. Continue Reading »

mer14photo courtesy of: www.lescarnetsdudesign.com

Text by Tory Hoen & photos Erica Berman (except above)

As the global economic climate has forced consumers to shop more selectively, it has also forced retailers to sell more creatively. Merci, Paris’ newest concept store, provides a breathtaking space where visitors can shop with a conscience. Created by Marie-France and Bernard Cohen, founders of renowned children’s clothing line Bonpoint, Merci donates all of its proceeds (after breaking even) to a co-op for young women in Madagascar. dsc_0061 Continue Reading »

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Photograph: Alain Ollier

Text by Tory Hoen

Considering how much coffee Parisians drink, it’s high time they started drinking it right. And now they can, thanks to La Caféothèque, a cozy coffee sanctuary located in the 4th arrondissement. Owned by Gloria Montenegro Chirouze, the former Guatemalan ambassador to France, La Caféothèque combines a mellow atmosphere with a sophisticated and principled approach to importing, roasting, and consuming coffee.

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Text and photography: Geneviève Sandifer

Nestled between some of Paris’ most famous monuments, unbeknownst to throngs of shutter-happy tourists, the Palais Royal neighborhood is filled with hidden gems, covered passageways and some of the best hole-in-the-wall Japanese restaurants and shops the city has to offer. Today at the HipParis blog we delve a little deeper into this gourmet stronghold to bring you our selection of must-dos and sees.
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Text by Genevieve Sandifer; Photos by Erica Berman

You could search for original holiday destinations for years, and still not happen upon something quite as magical as the  “Chambre avec Vue” properties in Saignon (Provence). Saignon is a modern-day artist colony that thrives thanks to the generous patronage of Kamila Regent.

Continue Reading »

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