9 November 2015

Le Moulin de la Bussière, a fabulous French antiques shop

It’s an amazingly warm Sunday afternoon in November and we’re in the little town of Jouy, in the plaine de Beauce between the town of Maintenon and the city of Chartres, about an hour southwest of Paris near the Liberty Road marking the route of the Allied forces from D-Day in June 1944. We see a sign for an antiques shop and think why not? Let’s stop. As we walk through the gate, it’s like walking into an enchanted world, a paradise of timeless items. This beautifully restored mill, the Moulin de la Bussière, is an antiques shop with a difference.

As we walk through the gate of the Moulin de la Bussière, it's like walking into an enchanted world — As we walk through the gate of the Moulin de la Bussière, it’s like walking into an enchanted world

The Moulin de la Bussière is not your basic antiques shop, nor is it the kind of flea-markety aggregation of old, no longer used stuff nor the too often seen piles of junk that look lost. The items you find here have been lovingly chosen with discretion and with taste. You can practically smell the quality. And thanks to the way things are arranged and organised into scenes and collections, the inherent quality of everything is evident and enhanced.

The intricate mechanism at the heart of the mill has been exceptionally preserved, and serves as a backdrop for a statue here, some plates there, and an occasional coffee pot. The garden of Le Moulin de la Bussière and its outbuildings offer up multiple and varied treasures of all kinds, organised and grouped by type and use, which means that it’s easy to find things, to compare them and ultimately bring them home to enhance our own décor.

You can find vintage clothing like this fantastic lace dress at the Moulin de la Bussière

Don't you just love the chic oozing from these fab leopard-look chairs? — Don’t you just love the chic oozing from these fab leopard-look chairs?

Vintage clothing and furniture; antique garden ornaments, tables and chairs; antique furniture and household objects; kitchenalia; musical instruments; wall clocks; table clocks; grandfather clocks… you can find most everything here – except dust 😉

Oops! I should have asked what size these gorgeous leather boots and shoes are. Do you think they'll fit? — Oops! I should have asked what size these gorgeous leather boots and shoes are. Do you think they’ll fit?

Every summer, all summer, le Moulin de la Bussière exhibits the works of local artists, marrying art and antiques.

The garden of Le Moulin de la Bussière and its outbuildings offer up multiple and varied treasures of all kinds

And in the finest tradition of British antique shops and stately homes, trips to the Moulin de la Bussière are complemented by their indoor bar and outdoor riverside café. An extremely inviting way to spend an entire afternoon in this vintage and antiques paradise.