A little French or a lot of French
By Never teh BrideI, personally, am not one for hoarding. The mother of an ex of mine collected all things duck, so her kitchen and her bathrooms were constantly a-quackin’ with ducky statues and ducky toilet paper cozies and framed ducky art complete with sayings like “You quack me up!” For some people, it’s turtles and for others it’s cats. There are people who incorporate golf or the Red Sox into every facet of their decor.
But like I’ve said in the past, I’m generally a fan of moderation. A little bit of khokhloma here and a few pieces of seaglass there. A ceramic cat nestled in the corner and a couple of Asian busts displayed discretely among the books. No matter what you’re a fan of, if you care about aesthetics more than rabid fandom — not that this is the better or worse choice — you’ll have to exercise a touch of restraint.
Me? I like France…or rather, I like the idea of France, by which I really mean the idea of some magical amalgamation of Paris and the French countryside. I try to limit my obsession with all things French to things specifically not emblazoned with “PARIS” written in fanciful script or line drawings of the Eiffel Tower, but that’s just moi.
If you prefer to celebrate your love of France in unmistakable ways, ParisChic Boutique may just be the Etsy shop pour vous.
These knobs would look smashing on a vanity or bedside table, though I’d really rather they didn’t have Paris written on them. Of course, everything I’m about to show you has Paris written on it!
My own bathroom is stocked with a copy of an actual bath set from a certain French hotel. The set is far less chic than it is hotel-ish, but that’s to be expected. I like how the set above looks against the pink, so perhaps these would work in a vividly hued salle de bain.
I like these, but I’ll drink coffee out of just about anything. These do not make me think of lazy afternoons spent in dim cafes, but that may again be the all too apparent script on them.
And then there are the salt shakers…which perhaps fall on the wrong side of the overkill border. That, mon ami(e), is up to you to decide.
July 16th, 2008 at 9:59 am
I’m afraid my bathroom is inundated in rubber duckies. I have devil ones, a pirate one, ones that change color in the hot water, an absolute classic, and one that’s the Statue of Liberty. I am a sad, sad excuse for a human being.
I love the delicacy of the images on these pieces, but I must admit I prefer a less literal tribute to Paris in my home. But if I was going to get something with the Eiffel tower and Paris written on it, these would be what I’d want.
July 16th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
La Petite Acadienne admits to being taken with all things that evoke France. But yes, I prefer it to be not quite so spelled-out. But, unless you actually GO to the place in question, it’s hard to find items that evoke France that aren’t mini-Eiffel towers.
‘Tis typical of any country, really. Try to find something Dutch that doesn’t involve delft or wooden shoes.
July 16th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Twistie: Different strokes for different folks, I say. I’d wager that your duckies are a sight cooler than my ex’s mom’s duckies. I’m particularly fascinated by the thought of rubber ducks that change color!
La Petite Acadienne: I’ve found that there a number of lovely eBay shops with all sorts of inexpensive French imports that say “French” (without actually saying “French”) instead of screaming it. I’ll admit that I had to look up delft, but don’t forget about the tulips!
July 18th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
There is something charming about souvenirs, yet there is something pathetic about these. Screaming PARIS PARIS PARIS in, say, Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump is just giving your guests more information about your state of mind than they really need to know, you know?
July 18th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
I guess I just mean there’s a difference between evocation and imitation, and only the first is charming.
July 21st, 2008 at 8:16 am
Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump!
I could not have described these better. *dies*