Pro Designer Goes Treasure Hunting in The World's Largest Antiques Market (original) (raw)

This is so sick.

Those are so pretty. [Alana gasping]

Oh, this is beautiful!

Ooh, that's cute, the legs.

But that's just like for me. Yeah, focus on me.

[Ross chuckles]

[Ross] This is a good floor lamp.

[Alana] Ooh.

Oh my gosh, that's stunning. That's so kickass.

[Salesperson] Price is 12,000.

[Alana sneezes]

Really?

I had to step away and sneeze,

'cause that's...

[Ross and Alana chuckling] [gentle upbeat music]

Okay, pull out your credit card.

Pull out your credit card. [Alana chuckles]

Whip out your credit card. [hands smack]

It's too much.

It's too much.

Yeah.

We're in Paris

in one of the biggest antique markets in the world.

It covers nearly 20 acres, features more than 1,700 vendors,

and has been operating since 1885.

As an interior designer, this is the place I come

to find the best pieces for my project.

Vintage light fixtures, furniture, and art

have all come from this market

and ended up in my clients' homes.

This isn't a typical flea market you'd find in the States.

The quality is truly exceptional.

It's like a museum where you can touch all the art,

and if you've got the cash,

you can bring it home with you, too.

Today I'm shopping with my client, Alana,

and we're looking for a few things

to finish styling her home.

Ceramics and accessories, a floor lamp for her bedroom,

and if we're lucky,

the perfect chandelier for her living room,

which we've been trying to find for about,

no joke, four years.

Should we look?

Mm, mm. No?

No.

[people chattering]

Wow. Oh, wow!

[mellow sunny music]

[Ross] This is good stuff.

I love this. This really speaks to my house.

Totally.

This is accolay, right? Accolay. This one, too.

Okay, here's why I'm visibly excited

about the fact that we found this accolay vase.

Accolay pottery is highly collectible.

It's a pottery studio that was started in the '40s

in the village of Accolay in France.

Over 30 years,

they've made some of the most amazing handmade ceramics

in the world.

Pretty iconically,

Christian Dior used Accolay ceramic buttons

in his New Look collection in the late '40s,

and that was when Accolay's popularity really skyrocketed.

Some of it you find like a lot on 1stDibs,

and it's like, Oh, that again.

This one, I've never seen before. I think it's so cute.

Would you take 200?

No, because after,

I can't take- Let's see what else we find.

Same price

for all those things. Would you take 225?

Okay, it's yours then.

Okay, done.

That, we have to take.

It's so cute. Yeah, let's take this

for sure.

And then let's look,

maybe there's a couple more things.

There's probably more.

My trick? Yes?

Literally, start at the top.

And [buzzing] because there's less stuff at the top

and there's more stuff at the bottom,

and if you don't look strategically,

you're gonna get overwhelmed,

and you're never gonna see everything.

[Alana] Oh my gosh.

Not for your house.

Look how insane this is.

Ooh, I love that. It looks like bronze, but it's ceramic.

Yeah. How much?

Only 100.

I'm done. Very cheap.

Done.

Okay, pull out your credit card.

Okay.

[mellow sunny music]

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

That is a beautiful vase.

This is like a fishing net.

[Alana] Yeah.

[Ross] What is this?

[Salesperson] Ceramic from the 80s.

Look at these colors. Jesus, that's amazing.

[mellow sunny music continues]

There are two sconces from the La Mamounia,

which is the hotel in Marrakesh.

[Ross sighs]

I really, really want them.

I should just buy them and put them in storage.

You know I have a lamp closet, right?

Which is actually like- You do?

five closets- Stop.

just filled with lamps.

Really? Yeah. It's a problem.

[mellow sunny music]

[Alana] Can I show you something?

[Ross] Yeah.

Ooh, it's not the face.

[Alana] No, not the face.

These are great. But how good are these?

Amazing. They're amazing.

How much are these?

[Salesperson] 350.

350. Yeah.

It is?

[Salesperson] Yeah.

[Ross] It doesn't say Biot yet on it.

[Alana chuckles]

[Alana] So how do you know in that case?

I don't. I don't know. Oh my God, that's heavy!

If it was Biot,

you would see a little maker's mark at the bottom here.

It's tiny and it's etched into the glass.

I think it's like in the manner of Biot,

but I think it's a great vintage vase.

Bubbles in glass have been around

since the beginning of glass making,

but they were always there as imperfections

because the glass was normally too hot.

And what Biot did was figured out

how to make the bubbles consistent and intentional.

Something that was a mistake now becomes on purpose,

and it's so much more beautiful.

I mean, I kind of like all three of them.

Agreed.

But let's not do all three. Let's overkill

to buy all three, right? Yeah, yeah.

Rock, paper, scissors?

[Ross chuckles]

I don't know how to do that.

[Alana laughing]

Rock, paper, scissors. Oh.

Oh, I don't- [Alana chuckling]

I beat you. Oh my God, just you pick.

[Ross] We're taking the brown.

We're done.

Done. [Alana laughing]

[Salesperson] I sure do.

You will? Okay.

Okay, done. Pull out your credit card.

[Alana chuckling]

We ended up using the vase on the coffee table.

It looks kind of amazing

'cause it adds a little visual punch

and some extra height to the space, which I like.

You never know what you find.

How do you feel about a brass mermaid?

[Alana] Fantastic.

[Ross chuckles]

Oh look, here's a different version.

See, but this isn't nice, 'cause it's like thin.

[Alana] No.

It feels kind of...

I think we can just- Oh, but you know

what's funny? What?

Signed? It's real.

[Alana laughing]

[Alana] Did I just buy a fake one?

Yeah. It was cheap.

It would've been nice if we saw that, but sadly.

That's okay.

It's all right, right? I love what we got.

[gentle upbeat music]

[dog barking]

I love that mosaic.

This looks like it might be an Adnet,

but I think it could also be a knockoff. [chuckles]

I think we're in trouble now. I'm not even gonna touch it.

What do you think of that plate that's on the stand?

[Alana] I love it.

Really?

Absolutely love it.

Really? He's Guido Gambone.

And he's famous for these like really crusty thick glazes,

but also it's like a proper actual,

like hand painted painting by an artist

on a beautiful piece of ceramic.

That's beautiful. So he fused

two sort of like art movements.

It's not for everybody.

I mean, I think a lot of people would see this

and think it's sort of kind of like 60s kitsch.

I'm handling it like it's cheap.

I should put it down 'cause I break shit all the time.

[Alana chuckles]

[gentle upbeat music]

So now we are in where I think of as the more touristy part

where I generally don't bring clients

because the quality is, it's inferior.

That's what I'm looking for.

And the mix is a lot more eclectic.

But there's still stuff to find.

Really? You just really need to know

what you're looking for.

Stanchions and red carpet.

[Alana] Right.

They're really trying to elevate the place.

[Alana] There really are. [chuckling]

[Ross] Oh look, Hermes.

[Alana] Look at that.

[Ross] That's a discontinued Hermes pattern

in this sort of dodgy corridor.

You put like Lalique- I was just gonna say.

And Hermes. Yeah.

And maybe like- And Christophe, yeah.

a little Christophe. Yeah.

How large is this flea market?

[Ross] It's ginormous.

[Alana] Ginormous.

And it just goes on and on and on and on and on.

There's no end to it. You know what, let's go in here.

I really love this vendor. They have some beautiful stuff.

I think you'll like it.

[gentle upbeat music]

Jeremy, what about tiles on the wall?

I wanna eat them. Yes.

[Alana] Little cookie.

[Ross] They're like animal crackers.

[Alana] Yeah.

Look at this color. Are they

like astrological signs?

[Jeremy] Yes, it's just because, you know,

in the French ceramic tradition,

you have this kind of thing.

He wanted to root himself- Beautiful.

in the history of ceramic.

Should we do like a series of them,

maybe like in the living room on the wall?

Oh, I love that idea.

Do different colors? Like a bunch

of different colors.

And they're your colors for the house.

[Alana] Yeah.

[Ross] These tiles are something of a revelation for me,

because aside from the obvious use of them as tiles,

they'd make an amazing kitchen backsplash,

but they're also cute just stacked on a pile of books.

I'm super excited to see them in the house.

Okay, we found something.

[hands smack]

In Alana space, we decided to put these tiles on the wall

because they really create an exciting little moment

in the corner of the room

that adds a little visual surprise when you turn

and look back towards the entrance of the house.

We found a bunch of great accessories

and ceramics for Alana's space.

Next up, we're focusing on floor lamps.

The floor lamp in there? No.

No. No.

I need you to validate me. [chuckles]

Wait, floor lamps.

This is a cool one.

[Ross] That's pretty.

The floor lamp I'm looking for

needs to be pretty from top to bottom

because it's visible from all sides.

It's something that you're gonna see

from a number of places in the room,

and I just wanna make sure that it's beautiful all over.

[mellow sunny music]

What do you think?

[Alana] Oh my god, I love that!

I think it's incredible. It's Aldo Nason.

He made lights for Mazzega. It's Italian.

This one also looks like it's an amazing shape.

I'm sure it's not cheap,

but it's something you'll have forever.

If it's the kind of thing you love,

it's worth probably spending money on.

Oh, I love that painting. She's beautiful.

[Alana] She is beautiful.

Or is she creepy?

I think we've looped everything.

I think we should go inside. I think we did too.

Okay, let's go inside.

[mellow sunny music]

Things get more serious here.

Okay.

[Ross] More important, more expensive.

The qualities step up from where we just were.

[Ross chuckles]

This is a good floor lamp.

[Alana] Ooh.

Oh my gosh, that's stunning. That's so kickass.

It's possible. Unlacquered brass,

so it's tarnished, which I love.

This would be so cool in your bedroom.

Yeah,

that you could put- Over the sofa.

Yeah.

Like imagine like sitting here,

and you're reading a book and that's like above you.

So pretty. A warm, cozy little moment.

Yeah.

[Ross] Can you tell us a bit about this floor lamp?

It's from Mathieu, 1952, and model [speaks in French]

[Ross] Price?

[Sales Person] Price is 12,000.

[Alana] That's a little steep.

[Ross] It would be the most expensive thing in the room.

Yes.

I mean, but it's an investment, right?

I think it's a piece of art.

Yeah. It's a piece of art?

[Sales Person] Yes.

[Ross] I mean, 12 grand?

I think that's a lot.

But if you are saying that's a lot for a piece of furniture-

[Ross] Then there's a problem.

Then there's a problem.

[mellow sunny music]

[Ross] This is sort of like a variation on the floor Lamp.

[Alana] Oh wow!

[Ross] If you wanted something like tall and glassy and-

[Alana] Yeah, I don't think I do.

That was definitive.

[Alana chuckles] Oh, hello,

we just landed in like Jacques Adnet land.

[Alana] Oh, hello.

[Ross] Don't need a daybed.

[Alana] Oh, I wish I did, though.

[Ross] The floor lamp, puff!

Woo! That has your name

all over it.

I mean, if you didn't know what it was,

you wouldn't know that it was vintage.

It's like pristine. Can you imagine?

It's like a 70-year-old lamp?

No. It stood the test of time.

The leather is amazing.

You know, this is all done by hand.

To hand stitch this whole thing is insane.

A lot of his furniture was made for Hermes

in the 50s and 60s.

It's part of that whole history.

[Alana] So you feel

like you're buying- So you're basically

like buying an Hermes lamp. Right.

But it's vintage as well.

I mean, this stuff is only gonna get more and more valuable,

and it's so beautiful.

How much is the Jacques Adnet lamp in the corner?

[Sales Person] I used to sell those 500 euro.

Why does that almost sound like affordable?

Because we saw a $12,000- 8,500?

How much does the daybed?

[Sales Person] 28,000.

I think we have to move on, Alana.

Yeah. [sighs] [Ross chuckling]

There is one little store that I've always stopped by

because it's run by the cheekest

and most incredible little French lady.

She specializes in mid-century French lighting.

Amongst her whole collection, there was one floor lamp

that really stood out for us.

[Ross gasps]

Oh yes. Yes! This is so good.

I don't know what the price is.

I'm gonna cry if this is $12,000.

[Ross] I love it. I don't think it's $12,000.

It's like iron.

One little brass detail. It's beautiful.

And this is woven. This is paper.

I like that it's tall, though.

Me too. For the bedroom,

it's perfect.

It gets you the-

A little bit of light. Like, it's big.

Yeah.

Excusez-moi, Madame.

[Ross speaks French]

Let me pause here for a second.

The lady that runs the shop did not want to be on camera.

She's adorable, but she's strangely intimidating.

And she loves to haggle, yet she doesn't speak any English,

and I don't speak any French, so.

[salesperson speaking in French]

Okay, that I know.

[salesperson speaking in French]

Didn't get any of that.

[Ross and Alana laughing]

[salesperson peaking in French]

Oh, that I got.

It's from the same sort of time period

as when Cocteau was painting and writing-

Beautiful. and making movies.

I think the best price is 1,500 euro.

[pencil scratching]

[Salesperson] Best, best, best price...

[salesperson speaks in French]

I think that's maybe- 1,400.

1,400? Yeah.

Oh, I'm sold.

[all chuckling]

Yes, let's just do it.

[mellow music]

I think we've done pretty well.

I think we've done really well.

I feel good with our finds.

I think we got a couple scores.

I think we need to keep looking

for your living room chandelier.

It's like the missing piece.

[gentle upbeat music]

Maybe not like that one, but-

Yeah, but like that would be good size-wise.

When we're looking for a chandelier

for Alana's living room, we're looking for a couple things.

It can't be too big so that it overwhelms the space.

It can't be too small otherwise it's gonna look ridiculous.

And I don't want anything that's new

because I feel like the room needs something older

to add a little bit of age and history to the space.

Dramatic and glamorous. Tall.

[Alana] Yeah.

Because the ceiling is pitched.

It would be kind of cool

if you could get a bit of color in there.

You know, I like what's going on there with,

way too small, obviously,

but I like the sort of like waterfall, these sort of vibes.

I like that it's Murano, the gold standard

in hand-blown glass. In glass, yeah.

[Ross] And the light filters so beautifully

through the bubbles and the glass.

If we could get that three times the size?

[Alana] Yeah, it would be awesome.

There is one last shop left

that I wanna check for chandeliers.

They have an incredible collection,

and I'm always blown away when I get there.

I love this store. [sighs]

They're like one of the best dealers

of Murano glass in the flea market,

and their stuff is next level good.

Like that's so pretty. Oh my God, Alana. [chuckles]

And I just proved my point.

Oh my God.

[Ross] Look at this, Alana. It's so beautiful.

[Alana] Oh my gosh.

It's your color.

Is it drawing

your body towards it? Wanna give it a hug?

Can I do that? [Ross chuckles]

[Ross] You can give it a hug, yeah.

Can I take it home with me?

[Ross] It's for sale.

I'm in love.

It's like a giant pink waterfall.

It's funny how you can spend four years looking for a light

and then you can turn a corner on a staircase

and you just know immediately

that you found the right thing.

Each of the 49 pieces of Murano glass

are hand-blown and hand-shaped.

It's so hard to find something

that makes a statement without shouting.

The subtlety of the color is beautiful enough

to draw your attention to it

without it overwhelming the space.

It's absolutely perfectly proportioned

to the height of the ceilings, the size of the room,

the height of those doors.

Like it's everything that you need in a light.

I don't know how that happened.

I guess it's when you wait three years.

So once the movers have delivered the chandelier

in its crates to the house, it needs to be uncrated.

25 feet of scaffolding need to be installed.

The light needs to be hung from the ceiling.

And then the 49 pieces of glass need to be hung

from the armature.

One extremely delicate and fragile piece at a time.

In this space, this chandelier is actually better

than I thought it would be.

This light fixture is almost like a little piece of jewelry,

the crowning little gem in the room.

It's a subtle statement.

It's definitely not over the top,

but it was the thing that was missing from the room

that really ties everything together.

One of the reasons I love doing this

is that you don't just get the things that you bought,

but you get the memories

and the experiences of buying it together and finding it.

I genuinely believe this market is for everybody.

There's no price for admission.

You don't have to buy anything.

You can just go and sink in the magic.

Or you could find the vase for 50ora50 or a 50ora12,000 floor lamp.

I get heart palpitations.

I felt nothing from seeing that.

[Ross sighs]

[Ross] You just like crushed my dreams.

[Alana] I'm so sorry I'll buy you lunch.