Paris Dispatch: Visiting brocante dealer "La Bruyère" at Rungis Market Part 1

September is the season for the interior trade fair "Maison & Objet."
Mr. Nakagawa, the owner of Ashiya Blanc de Juillet,
flies to Paris every year at this time for purchasing.

This time, I accompanied him as he planned to visit
a brocante (retro used goods) dealer at Rungis Market.

The shop is called "La Bruyère,"
and it was introduced by Béatrice, a designer close to Mr. Nakagawa.

You can see photos from Béatrice's exhibition HERE.

Several vendors are housed in a greenhouse-like warehouse.
Are you familiar with "Rungis Market"?

It is the largest fresh produce market in France and the world, with a total area of 234 hectares.
The Principality of Monaco has a total area of 203 hectares, so it's even larger than Monaco!

The site has traffic arrangements for moving around by car,
and it's as vast as a city, requiring car travel to move between sections such as
the fruit and vegetable market, meat market,
fish market, and dairy product market.

Fans of Ashiya Blanc de Juillet
might be familiar with the cut flower market section.
Our destination, "La Bruyère," was located in one of the decoration goods buildings within that cut flower market section.

↑Owner Nakagawa walking around the garden goods corner.

Although there is no sign that says "La Bruyère,"
this is where the shop begins. The furniture warehouse is on the second floor.





↑A display of products as beautiful as works of art.

After greeting the person in charge, I first walked around the entire sales floor.
It seemed impossible to start anything without seeing everything first, understanding what was available and where.
That's how large it was, and how many products there were.

There were dishes, cups and saucers, bowls, compotes, glasses, and other tableware.
Interior goods included mirrors, chandeliers, candle holders, and vases.
There were also paniers and old wooden tools whose purpose was unclear.

"There's a good selection of tableware, but not much furniture..."
When Mr. Nakagawa made this observation to the shop staff,
they explained that much of the furniture is for rent and is stored packed on the second floor.
It's apparently used for photo shoots and such.

No wonder some quite old items were displayed on the sales floor without repair or cleaning.
For photo shoots and displays, that authentic, aged feel is essential.










↑Various dishes displayed by size and shape.
Some sets even include dozens of pieces.







↑Cake stands and compotes.
It's truly wonderful to be able to choose from such a wide selection.

However, the products displayed at Ashiya Blanc de Juillet
must be usable in clean Japanese homes.
On this point, Mr. Nakagawa was meticulously checking.

Whenever I accompany Mr. Nakagawa to events like Maison & Objet, I always think that
selecting a product with absolute conviction from a wide range of styles and prices
is not something an ordinary consumer can do.
It requires years of accumulated experience and knowledge,
and a constant refinement of one's sensibility to detect trends.
Choosing good items is, quite literally, the skill of a professional connoisseur.





↑The sales floor continues further back.




↑Various paniers.
They seemed more for display than actual use.






↑Owner Nakagawa concentrating on purchasing.

Another observation was that the prices of products at "La Bruyère" were not particularly cheap.
When you hear "market," you might imagine advantageous wholesale prices,
but no, charity shops in Paris are far cheaper.

However, the inventory at charity shops is a one-time encounter.
There's no guarantee of finding good items.

In that regard, a specialist store like "La Bruyère" is reliable.
I personally found many items that I really wanted to purchase!
However, this is a market.
Only registered professional dealers can make purchases.
So, tourists cannot buy anything, so be aware of that.


↑Some of the items carefully selected by Owner Nakagawa.

The items purchased by Mr. Nakagawa are being stacked onto a vertical shelf cart.
The red and green glass cups with a slightly oriental feel are captivating!

"Just being all natural wouldn't be interesting," says Mr. Nakagawa.
I'm really looking forward to seeing how these items will look displayed in the Ashiya Blanc de Juillet store.

In the next Paris dispatch,
I would like to pick out and show you some of the things that personally caught my eye on this day.




↑The garden section in the adjacent building. It's truly massive!

Until next time,
A bientôt!

La Bruyère
https://brocantedelabruyere.fr