Furniture from Provence

When we traveled to Provence for the first time in 1980 we immediately fell in love with the beautiful countryside, the ancient towns, the glorious food and the vibrant colors.  Since that time we have  come back again and again, at least once a year.  We were fascinated by the Easter antique markets in L'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Avignon, Barjac, etc. and decided to take some furniture back home to remind us of the wonderful colors all year.  Most of the furniture is painted in light blue or shades of yellow, reflecting the colors of lavender, sunshine and honey.  At first we just took back some flower stands that we could easily put into our car.

But what we were really looking for was an antique cabinet to display various collections or just vases and dishes in.  These cabinets often came from old shops and I remember that you could easily find the complete furnishings of a huge shop, bakery or pharmacy.  Unfortunately, most of the cabinets are so tall that you cannot use them in modern houses or flats.  Finally we found one in a light blue that we could just get into the house. 

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We have had this cabinet for almost 15 years now and still enjoy it every day, especially in the dark months when it reflects the colors of spring and summer.  The small table is from an old boulangerie.  It has been bought to display an antique doll house and some old French fabrics.

The old wardrobe which is in the entrance of our house, is no real wardrobe.  We found the three antique doors in an antique shop in Provence, had a frame set up and built in the doors to make a wonderful wardrobe.

We are a little sad that our house is full now and we can no longer go furniture hunting, but there are still lots of small antiques to be found in these markets.  In March we will be back to look for more...........