Letter From Paris: Loving the Luxe Astier de Vilatte

Synchronicity has recently been drawing me to the rue Saint-Honoré.  Isn't it fantastic when life works that way?  When we let ourselves be open enough to follow the leads that come from natural serendipity or a twist of spontaneous fate--when somehow our interests and desires summon the people, places, and experiences that we actually want and even need.

Okay, I didn't really need to find a new favorite shop, but that's the beauty of it.  After a recent delicious lunch at the L'Ardoise Restaurant on rue Mont Thabor, the Lone Wolf, our friend Mario, and I were strolling along famous fashionista rue Saint-Honoré--which has luxe window-shopping--salivating over this and that as our lustful eyes led us along.  (Though let me just state here that I don't care who applauds it, I don't much like boutique Colette.  It's a trendy so-what in my book.)

When we arrived at the door of Astier de Vilatte, Mario said that we had to go in there. It was a French company, an emporium of hand-crafted delight, and we would want to empty the stores shelves into our pockets or load up the nearest truck (something like that).

He was absolutely right.  I loved everything in the store and wanted to spend thousands of euros for

the exquisite candles and

the cherries of cups and

classicly imperfectly perfect platters and plates and

collections of whimsy and style that appealed to all my senses!

Astier de Villatte creates such a fantastic array of chic and luxe designs for the man and woman--family--of style, also including Eau de Cologne, cream and soap, furniture, and more.

Ivy Paris News tells us:

Even though furniture and ceramics designers, Ivan Pericoli and Benoît Astier de Villatte, spent their childhood in the region of Rome--Benoît at the Villa Médicis and Ivan in the countryside--they met at the Beaux Arts academy in Paris, where they both painted portraits, drew, and received prestigious prizes. In 1996, knowing nothing about  “les arts de la table,” they created  their first “dream objects,” which were furniture and fruit dishes inspired by old objects found at night on the sidewalk, at Emmaüsj, or at the flea market in Vanves.

Their first show at the Salon Maison et Objets in 1996 had a wild ambiance and four years later, the famous Boutique Astier de Villatte at 173 rue Saint Honoré opened its doors.

This is another Parisian establishment I must have slipped by a thousand times.  Why didn't I go in?

It is one of the joys and mysteries of Paris to walk the same walk with a new vision appearing in front of you on every single trip.

Get thee to this website: Astier de Villatte!

Astier de Vilatte

173, rue Saint-Honoré

75001 Paris

tel 01 42 60 74 13

Monday - Saturday 11h00 - 19h30

Métros: Palais Royal, Pyramides, Tuileries

Unless otherwise indicated, photos taken by Beth Arnold on her Canon PowerShot SD750.  She highly recommends it.

                                                                         ---Beth Arnold in Paris