One of my favourite stores in Auckland is The Vitrine, and if you’ve read my about me page, you’ll understand why I think the owners, Amanda and Julien have one of the coolest jobs in the world; travelling back to France and going to the best flea markets in Europe, to fill their warehouse store in Grey Lynn.
They are a Kiwi-French couple and had the idea of opening The Vitrine years ago while living in Paris, where Julien worked in transport logistics at the Saint-Ouen Flea Market, one of the biggest markets of antique/second hand furniture in the world. It’s where all of the major international dealers come to buy, and where the likes of Ralph Lauren and Valvaltos get their shop fit-outs.
The buyers would go to Julien with their various purchase dockets and he would collect everything for them and organise shipping – not a bad learning ground! As he did this, his interest grew and he became friends with the local dealers. Soon they were purchasing two or three pieces a week themselves, filling their 6th floor apartment with their finds. Eighteen months later, they had their first container and they made their way back to New Zealand.
Looking around their store, you can tell that a lot of thought has been put into the displays. They attribute this to being inspired by the big stores at the flea markets of Paris, “It’s a sport of how to put things together there, and you learn and then add your own style to it.”
As for their predictions of where the trends are going , “People really like furniture that comes from a working space,” Julien says, “so people who want a chest of drawers, prefer something from schools, shops or factories. They like that connection with the work, instead of having something purpose built. Upcycling as we know, is also huge at the moment. A big wardrobe would be very difficult to sell, so are things that are too ornate; clean straight lines are what’s working right now.”
How do they keep in touch with the trends? Julian says, “It’s about what you like, but you also have to be inspired, you see what’s happening and if there’s a décor magazine from Sweden, New York or Russia, you need to look what’s in there and see what people buy and like.”
“Magazines come here to get ideas, so I think it starts with the dealer who creates the trend, and the magazines come to shops like ours around the world, see what we’ve got, create something, put it in the magazine, the public sees it, and then goes and buys it, and then it’s the fashion; that’s the cycle.”
As for their favourite pieces of the moment? Amanda loves the 1900’s workshop drawers below, once used in a workshop to store small parts.
In The Vitrine you’ll find industrial and vintage furniture, lighting and interesting finds. If you’re in Auckland it’s a must visit, otherwise, jump on to their Facebook page or website for some inspiration.
A big thanks to Amanda, Julien and their adorable dog, Loup, (which is French for “Wolf”) for being so welcoming, and all the very best for the birth of your baby next month, exciting times ahead!
Photography by G Chesneau and copyright to melchesneau.com
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Awesome blog Mel love it…
Love the blog Mel, beautifully done, and love the photos G! Look forward to seeing more!
Thank you Danielle:)
Hi Mel! I love the shop you post about. And you have great design. Hope to see more!
Thanks Gretchen! Mel:)
Hi Mel,
Congratulations!!…. The photos are gorgeous and your blog is stunningly classy.
I am looking forward to your future blogs.. Can’t wait!
Hugs,
Fi
Thanks so much for checking it out Fi:)
Lovely blog! I’m looking forward to reading your posts. Good Luck :)
Rhythma (BYW2)
Thanks Rhythma:)
Hi and congratulations! You have really beautifully designed blog and I’m sure that the content will be at least as good as the design! I launched my blog only little more that two months ago so I remember very well this good feeling to get started. Currently I’m thinking about moving to wordpress.org and changing my blog name, so this would me like a re-launch and I’m already excited about that :)
Thanks Anu! Good luck with the relaunch!
I’m in your BYW class and I’m so happy to follow a blog from NZ. I’ve been there several times and so I hope your blogs shows a lot of the area where you live too!
Love this shop and your photos!
I’ve added you to my google reader so i can keep in touch. Teri
Thanks so much Teri, I appreciate your comments! Will definitely be showing some:) See you at BYW – final week:(
Welcome Mel! I’ve been checking in regularly and was so excited to see that you’ve launched! Your blog looks amazing. Love the design and the name! I was just admiring the vintage red Tolix chair from Vitrine in Home mag today – they are so right about the magazine / trend cycle! Have a fantastic weekend.
xo Michelle
Thanks Michelle! Yes I just saw them in Home mag also and thought about your wool post. Feels good to be launched. Mel:)
Great (life)style. Reminds me of a shop in Surry Hills (Sydney): http://www.icietla.com.au/
Thanks Sebastien! Yes I love Ici et La so was so happy to discover The Vitrine! Mel:)