Astier de Villatte, Paris

This is our first visit of Paris after a long while. IT and MW had visited this city many times and knew it better than us. So we followed them.

Astier de Villatte is a lifestyle store on Rue Saint-Honoré not far from the Palais-Royal.

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I(Chris) spent almost an hour in this shop while IT and MW were shopping. So I had plenty of time to befriend the store manager (she offered me a place to sit) and select my shots.

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All the pieces are handmade, one of a kind flatware for everyday use – no mass production ceramics.

astier-5Their perfumed candles are named after places, like Quebec, Hong Kong, Aoyama, Oulan Bator … . I could not discern any aromatic connection between the scent and the locale (except Oulan Bator, I have been some of the places).

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The signature ceramics, made of black terracotta clay, are extremely durable and yet surprisingly light.

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The tableware collection is inspired by 18th and 19th century designs and is glazed to create a milky white finish – a bit like a pile of unfinished paint job.

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Generally we like white flatware which shows off the color of the food. These pieces are all off-white. I think it would really go well with vegan or raw food.

astier-10With a ghostly and aged look, some of the pieces are quite surreal.

astier-6Metal cans ? No, they are ceramics.

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These ceramic plates with wood grain could have been taken from a painting by Magritte.

astier-7The “de Chirico” ambiance of the back room matches the merchandises.

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The company was founded by Benoît Astier de Villatte and Ivan Pericoli, which produces ceramics, paper goods, perfumes, candles, furniture, silverware, and glassware. They are created in a Bastille workshop that used to house Napolean’s silversmith.

astier-12More mugs and jugs.

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Here is the link to their funky online catalog. Worthy of a visit.

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