Where to shop for French brocante

Our pick of stores for sourcing rustic chateau chic, without crossing the Channel

The French brocante look is all about faded grandeur: think peeling old wooden shutters, tarnished chandeliers or a grand armoire with a chippy paint finish. The style favours a washed-out palette of white, blues and greys, together with rustic and weathered surfaces, which can extend to your garden too, with rusted metal furniture or zinc planters.

France is renowned for its large-scale outdoor flea markets which are a magnet for brocante bargain hunters, but if you want to find authentic pieces nearer to home, then check out our pick of favourite stores around the UK.

Decorative Antiques UK

Located in the centre of Hurst Green, East Sussex, the beautiful Georgian building which houses Decorative Antiques UK entices you into this stunning lifestyle store with its French-grey and white double shop frontage and eye-catching window displays of 18th- to 20th-century French and Swedish antiques. With an emphasis on folk art and furniture with original patina, there is plenty here to add interest to your interior. A family-run business, with a home behind and above the shop, a warm and helpful welcome is always offered.

• 79 London Road, Hurst Green TN19 7PN

C’est Tout Interiors

The fabulous C’est Tout Interiors store opened at the end of 2020 in the West Oxfordshire village of Milton-under-Wychwood in an old wood store which forms part of the Groves Estate, owned by the same family since 1660. A building earmarked for demolition, the place has been given a new lease of life by Kathryn McFall who has renovated and filled it with the most beautiful rustic French homeware – a touch of chateau grandeur with an industrial twist to echo the history of the building. A taste of France in the Cotswolds where you’ll be greeted by an authentic smell of coffee wafting from the resident café.

• Unit 7, Groves Industrial Estate, Shipton Road, Milton-under-Wychwood OX7 6JP

Mason & Painter

Owned by Michelle Mason – designer, stylist and author of Vintage Shops London and Love Vintage – her perfectly curated shop of treasures has moved from its Columbia Road location to a Sunday pop-up, London showroom and online store. Michelle’s pieces have a wonderful way of sparking the imagination and leaving you wanting to add some joie de vivre to your own living space.

• See Michelle’s Instagram for details of her pop-up and showroom, and her online store here

Belle Epoque

Belle Epoque stocks a delightful mix of age-worn furniture, lighting and home accessories for those who like a touch of French bygone luxury in their modern-day home. The owners have an eye for beautiful decorative salvage and source delights such as French shutters, carved columns, iron urns and pediments, so that you don’t have to do the legwork. If you really want to add a spot of decadence to your home, then take a look at their selection of chandeliers. They’ll brighten your day no end.

• 88 Walton Road, East Molesey KT8 0DL

Mews Emporium

Hidden away in the rural Lincolnshire village of Donington, this yard and barn combo, run by mother and son duo Lesley and Danny Goodacre, is a gem of a find if you love vintage, antiques and salvage. The ultimate one-stop shop for the decorative home and garden lover, at Mews Emporium you’ll find a strong focus on French brocante finds: outside offers up delights such as delicate garden furniture, rustic carts and olive jars, while inside you’ll find chunky farmhouse tables, pretty glazed cabinets and old bottles. With prices ranging from £1 to £6,000, there is something here for every budget.

• Church Street, Donington PE11 4UE

Old Whyte Interiors

Located in the centre of the historic Staffordshire market town of Leek, Old Whyte Interiors sells the most beautiful array of elegantly knackered French brocante furniture, decorative antiques, architectural salvage, one-off home accessories and divine chandeliers. Opened in 2017, this family-run shop spread over three floors is one of a kind with its wares creating a complete look, pulling at the heartstrings of anyone dreaming of a French chateau interior. Once through the door you’ll struggle to leave without a piece of treasure.

• 63 St Edwards Street, Leek, Stoke-on-Trent ST13 5DN

Rustique & Country Home

Based in a stunning 16th-century listed building in the centre of the Cotswolds market town of Stow-on-the-Wold, this welcoming shop specialises in selling stylish rustic French, Dutch and Hungarian furniture and homeware. Its exposed stonework and ancient timber beams provide an exquisite backdrop to the curated items handpicked by Naila Emmett on her buying trips to Europe. Naila offers a personal furniture sourcing service and is more than happy to take enquiries on Instagram.

• 1 Church Street, Stow-on-the-Wold GL54 1BB

Hoof Brocante

Hoof Brocante is a traditional French-style brocante in Kent – a real treat for anyone with a love of weathered and worn, patina-rich European homeware and gardenalia. The close proximity to the English Channel and frequent crossings mean that owners Adi Higham and Tara Franklin keep their import stock fresh and interesting. With five rooms to peruse and some outside salvage, the pair deal in all manner of French decorative antiques, from country furniture and pretty textiles to galvanised buckets and architectural pieces.

• The Old RAF Base, Brookland TN29 9TF