In Sealed with Irish Love’s recent Irish Tatler feature, I mentioned that my favourite interior finds were four paintings which I picked up in a second-hand ‘Troc’ furniture warehouse in the north of France. So here they are in all their glory. I have to admit they look better on the wall then cut out in a wayward fashion on Photoshop!. 

One winter a few years ago, I decided I needed a break from London (mainly the tube) and took a notion to go to France to look at some old furniture.

I flew into Dinard and stayed in this beautiful spot for two nights (a few scenes from the movie ‘One Day’ were filmed there). While there, I walked the winding waterfront pathway in the drizzle and ate one of my best French meals in Bistro Resto Oliver. From Dinard, I drove to the Troc warehouses in Saint-Malo, Lannion and Rennes where I was not disappointed by the array of affordable old French furniture and accessories. My only purchases were my four paintings which cost in total €240, but I returned to the city refreshed and ready to take on the Northern Line again.

Since my trip, I am delighted that ‘The Gaiety Antique and Vintage Store‘ in both Westport and Galway are stocking lots of great French, Irish and other European furniture and treasures at reasonable prices. I also like to take a look on the myantiques.ie website to check out upcoming Irish fairs being held in my vicinity and go for a browse every now and again. The dust is firmly settled on my Miller’s Antiques Handbook and Price Guide and my browsing mainly entails me looking for a bargain or admiring the pieces that look pretty!.

Dinard, France

Location of Troc Warehouses, France

The Gaiety, Galway

The Gaiety, Galway

Images of The Gaiety taken from their facebook page.