Extraordinary Collections: French Interiors, Flea Markets, Ateliers

French artist, designer, and talented antique hunter Marin Montagut celebrates the joy of collecting everything from textiles to mercury glass candlesticks to architectural details, taking readers inside ten private homes, flea markets, and unusual ateliers to discover the most whimsical treasure troves in France. From a film prop house’s array of bistro chairs to a vintage stock of brushes for all purposes, and from an art studio’s Grecian plaster casts to an amateur designer’s selection of antique clothing, and from Marin’s own wonder wall assemblages to a cook’s haven filled with copper dessert molds and pots―objects, when presented together as a series, create unforgettable interiors that radiate charm. Inspiration comes in repetition: a grouping of belle époque furniture ornamentation creates an artful space. The spare wooden forms of capipotes―devotional statues used in religious processions, their eyes turned heavenward in ecstasy―and silver ex votos can be the point of departure for the theme of an entire room. Marin’s moodboards and watercolor illustrations for each chapter provide endless ideas for the home.