My Beautiful Paris

Astier de Villatte

Thursday November 14, 2019

I've always been attracted to the beauty of imperfection, which is probably the reason why I fell in love with a 115-year-old, crooked, little blue house. (If I place a marble in one corner it immediately begins to roll and will smack the other side before I can say "I love this house!")

With its crooked white picket fence, creaky antique floors, cracked moulding and original wooden windows – complete with old brass cranks – the house is a dream come true. When I first saw it, I blurted out "It's perfect!" to my husband. That was over ten years ago, and I am still in love with our house. All while it remains perfectly non-perfect.

I am grateful that I'm not one of those who strive to be flawless. I love the thrown together, a mismatched Christmas tree or a messy ponytail, papers strewn all across my desk, all those books I have piled up all over my house… and the list goes on. Don't get me wrong, I am a clean freak, but I also enjoy an environment that feels lived in.  

So when I walked into Astier de Villatte for that very first time and spotted all of the imperfect pieces of white pottery, I knew I had met my match. This rustic piece of heaven holds the most wonderful handmade pottery I have ever seen. Their simplicity is what makes them so desirable. No two are the same.

These little pieces of art (cups, saucers, mugs, plates, bowls, vases, etc.) are mostly in white and there are many patterns to choose from. I immediately envisioned a dining room table (my dining room table!) stacked full of these extraordinary pieces.   

The world has Ivan Pericoli and Benoît Astier de Villatte, the talent and brains behind Astier de Villatte, to thank for these lovely creations.

I have been collecting for years. Every time I'm there, I scoop up a piece from the Alexandre collection. They are pricey… hence the years of collecting. Now I have a setting for six, along with many wonderful tableware pieces.

I'm not one of those people who will purchase something precious to just put on display. I use it! However, there is a risk factor – so far, I have broken three pieces! Ahhhhhhh! But what is the point if you can't take pleasure in the items you have purchased?

Besides their dreamy dishes, they also sell beautifully scented candles. During one visit, I picked one up named Commune de Paris, lifted the lid and the scent was of Paris! How can a candle smell like Paris? Well, it does! Or perhaps it is just me. I adore it! I bring one home every time I visit Paris.

What makes my love for this place even sweeter is that I discovered it on my own. I simply walked by it… and then backed up and peeked inside. Whaaaaat is this? I opened the heavenly, delicate, squeaky wooden glass door, crossed the threshold, and the rest is history.

This boutique makes my heart melt and is unquestionably my favourite shop in Paris!

P.S.If you are looking for more information on Astier de Villatte, I found this article in Vogue "Breaking the Mold" by Max Maeckler. It gives you a particularly fascinating and very satisfying peek inside their workshop.