Happy Holidays!

The Bohemians is now closed for winter. Thanks to all of our friends, family and customers for a great second season! We wish you and yours a great hoiday season and we will see you in the spring.

The Bohemians est maintenant fermé pour l'hiver. Nous vous remercions de toute votre aide. Bonne fête et au printemps, 2011!

Christmas at The Bohemians!

A note on Christmas doings at The Bohemians in Brantôme. We have a small yet special collection of new items ... some gorgeous Italian knits for the ladies, new jewelry items and Christmas gift baskets stocked with quality handmade items (soaps, kitchen towels, etc.) all pre-wrapped and ready for the tree. We are also happy to construct a special basket, just let us know what you're looking for!

You can find artisanal gifts at affordable prices (starting at as little as 5€) ... and if you mention you heard about them on The Bohemian blogsite, enjoy 10% off the prices marked.

We also have our assortment of handpainted and restored furniture pieces, in a range of sizes and colors to perk up your holiday décor, or for a truly memorable gift.

We're located on the Route de Perigueux, adjacent to the Gendarmerie and just across the way from the Ecole Maternelle.

Stop by to say hi and enjoy a bit of vin chaud on us ... to help get
in the spirit!

Call ahead if you want to confirm hours ... 05.53.07.31.71 ... we will be closing for winter after the Christmas season!

Many thanks, Kimberlee

we heart this blog ...

Just discovered this fashion forward blog, associated with a shop of course but hey! there's room for us all!! Click here to check out ModCloth!!

I mean, AND HOW COOL IS THIS IDEA? CLICK HERE! It is called "Be The Buyer" and they present upcoming designs for you to vote on! Top winning designs will move forward into production! LOVE THAT!!!

Um, Yes Please! :-)

Fun & Feminine!

Check out "Ooh-La-La", a round table, newly redone at The Bohemians. This sexy little number has lots of character. Her flashy hot pink iron base is combined with a superb marble top in soft peach, creams and hints of dusty pink. Yours for 175€.

New Service at The Bohemians / Nouvelle à The Bohemians

We now accept 3 payments for all furniture over 150€. PLUS, with your confirmed transaction and first payment, take your furniture piece home with you! Just in time for holiday spruce-ups!

Maintenant, nous acceptons 3 paiements pour tous nos meubles plus que 150€. Alors, avec le confirmation de votre transaction et le premier paiement, apportez votre meubles chez vous! Un bon option pour tous les budgets!

coming soon !

Well, hello there! our blog and site have been on a bit of a hiatus ... we are still working on the shopping section of our site but we're back in action on the blogging end ...

Also coming soon are these adorable 70s French boudoir chairs, manufactured by Peltex, in perfect condition. We've expanded our scouting regions to include the north of France and we have found some really amazing pieces which will soon be on offer.

We're currently stocking for Christmas and look forward to keeping you in the loop! bises ....

welcome to our new site and format!

kudos to Nate Beaty of clixel.com for our new site design, now including online shopping, blog and various artistic improvements all cleverly integrated into our new address at thebohemians.fr!

the background incorporates images of our entryway ... a lovely old door repainted in our signature bordeaux color and featuring our logo for The Bohemians (also conceived by Nate Beaty).

We are currently promoting a 'soft' introduction period for the site and welcome your feedback re the usability and products featured. All comments welcomed.

thanks for stopping by and checking it out ~

Custom Furniture Refinishing ... Let Us Help!

The Bohemians now offers custom furniture design options. In addition to the restored pieces on sale in the shop, we offer a couple of other choices for customers. Select a 'before' piece from our stock and pick your desired color and finish. Or, bring in a piece for consultation and refinishing.

Here is an example of a recent project. Kim found this plate rack at a vide-grenier and a customer purchased it, selecting the color and finish style. Customer can decide if they want a traditional finish (pictured here), a more distressed option, or other unique finishes such as 'pickling', etc.

Inspired by sister store Mignonne's vast array of beautiful furniture and design services, our little enterprise is excited to get launched with expanded furniture options.

chiner!

Been doing more than our fair share of scouting around vide-greniers and brocantes ... getting stock ready for our new online shopping feature...in addition to some lovely NEW french items, we'll have a 'brocante' tab where you can pick up small french treasures without buying an airplane ticket!

now we know nothing can replace knocking about france and treasure-hunting ... but if that isn't on the horizon, you can visit us for some cool quirky items. Like these fantastic old tin cannisters featuring ladies of each region dressed in traditional finery...or a fun, colorful spice tin ... or cappucino bowls for you and your special someone.

get ready to add a little french flavor to your life!

petits mobiliers - relooké!

new in the shop, a sweet little commode, reimagined in tones of ivory and buttercup! you'll also see some of the original colors peeking through. Marble top ...

great detail on drawer and feet ... petit prix @ 60€!

french breadboxes reborn! -petits mobiliers relooké!

baguette, anyone? here are some adorable French baguette bins, redone in cheery colors ... would also be quite charming as small bathroom hampers or bins ... swing by and grab one ... or if you've an old one knocking about & would like it transformed, give us a call ... trés simple!

it is here!

our new vintage. collection is on the floor and all items are under 36 euros. You'll find some great blue jeans (Levi's, Abercrombie & Fitch, Converse), jackets & some specialty pants as well in spring colors. Sizes range from petite to 44 ... while they last!

all coordinate well with our existing collection of colorful tunics from la Fiancée du Mekong and Terre Rouge. Not to mention Hannah Stouffer's unique art-tee's.

see you soon!

Check out our new window design, recently installed by our visiting intern who will be designing four distinctly different window displays while here in France. Our shop has very unique, hand-forged windows lining the front of the store...these are about 8" panes of glass that are 6' or so tall. There are two dozen of these ... many of which are the original old wavy glass ... lovely to behold and they fill the space with beautiful morning light.

For first installation, we have a bird theme.. using ethereal, tissue-light birds that flock around openings left in each window ... creating a spotlight effect on the mannequins posed in each window.

We think the result is very pretty and very, very 'printemps'! wouldn't you agree?

vintage collection ...

as promised, we did hunt out a small collection of vintage clothes for women. basically, we have jeans (Levi's, Ab Fitch, others) and a small assortment of sweet jackets. There are some summer colors here, so stop by to take a look soon... if the collection is at all well received, we'll be continuing our vintage corner with monthly updates ...

We Are Open! Nous Sommes Ouvert!

We are back on track with 'soft' opening hours ... still quiet and a little rainy about town, so we are opening Thursdays-Saturdays (tous les jeudis, vendredis et samedis) for certain (10:30 - 12:00 and 2:00 - 7:00 .... 10:30 - 12:00 et 14:00 - 19:00).

We have been working hard in the atelier ... updating signs, working on furniture ... as well as in the boutique, getting all of our new treasures organized. We are excited to get organized, on track, and welcome our clients for the season!

We are welcoming Rebekah Carey McNall for the next two months. She is here from the United States, and is doing an internship with The Bohemians. She will be designing our window displays, helping with merchandising, improving her French and travelling about the region a bit. Rebekah is an Oregon native with Berkeley roots. She graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in theater.

Rebekah started with our sister shop (Mignonne Décor) in Berkeley, and we are so lucky to have her here ... stop by and wish her well!

nos petite aventure!

things we are already enjoying while wandering the west coast!


1. the adorable cottage of Miss Mancha and especially the cozy rooms she prepared for us and our fun dinner party!
2. fabulous lunch in romantic North Beach, our climb to Coit Tower and the AMAZING views ...
3. laughing our way through things lost in translation...
4. saving the precious bottle of wine and jars of foie gras from US immigration.
5. appreciating the Portland architecture differences now that we've landed here...
6. everyone's wonderful hospitality


more to come from the Bohemian Vagabonds... :P

lovely time in Arcachon!

we just got back from a very relaxing week-end at the Bassin d'Arcachon ... gearing up for our trip to the states and then an inspired reopening! lot's of ideas for new things in store when we get back ... depends on the success of our visit and what we come up with.

Kicking back near the coast was just what we needed ... nothing big, just cooking together...hanging out ... relaxation & "chill"! I wish I would have grabbed a few things from our new selection of Terre Rouge and la Fiancée du Mekong ... just the thing for looking chic for a summer getaway. oh well, tant pis! next time... :P

Off to the states and then off to the races!

We have a lovely new organic soap line, Paris Market ... featuring big fat loaves of gorgeous soaps with essential oils, herbs, flowers ... you'll find Fig, Champ de Lavande, Verbena and ... With this line we also have soothing bath salts and some lovely room misters. All handcrafted with organic ingredients and therapeutic properties.


We are also offering some kitchen textiles by Appetite. This is another artisanal, handmade line by Portland artist Erin Albin. Erin creates the artwork, screens the fabrics and then each item is handsewn. We've got her 2010 line of kitchen towels, hot pads and other goodies for the table.






In addition to the beautiful la Fiancée du Mekong women's clothing line ... we're bringing in Terre Rouge, another colorful line of women's spring and summer wear in light cottons and linens ... perfect for summer holidays.




We've been stocking up on new lovelies for our season's reopening ... new jewelry, some great new vintage collections and, of course, some new furniture pieces that have been refurbished and are ready to add character and pizzazz to your home...

We're off to the states end of April ... we're establishing a new offering of vintage women's clothing items and we'll be on a search to stock our vintage corner in time for our reopening... speaking of which ...

We'll be celebrating our grand RE-opening the last week of May ... be sure to stop by and see our new treasures....we'll have more in store by then ... and an even bigger surprise is coming by July so stay tuned!

spring fever ... literally!

well, yes we have spring fever this week as the sun peeks out a bit more strongly every day ... unfortunately, I have been battling fever off and on as well ... struck with one of those end of season bugs you just can't seem to get rid of.

but ... we're assembling some lovely things for our spring reopening ... new kitchen textiles ... a line of artisanal soaps and body treats which are completely organic and scented with essential oils ... a new line of women's wear in summer drenched colors to get your spirits lifted and beach imaginations flowing ... and other little items here and there.

now, if I can just kick this bug so I can get cracking on the furniture pieces, we just might be set for April!

à bientôt, and more details to come as the goodies arrive!

Hannah Stouffer @ The Bohemians

As part of our new spring offering, we will be featuring a variety of items (women's tops, art prints for framing, cards) with images created by Los Angeles based artist and illustrator ~ Hannah Stouffer.

Hannah's work and inspiration is described below ...

The contrary notions of darkness and light and the ever-present existence of the two drives Los Angeles based illustrator, Hannah Stouffer, to explore the greatest struggle that we endure, our own imminent contrasts. Facing the inevitable oppositions between love, lust and gore, decadence, wrath and fate, Stouffer’s work is an opulent, elegant and beautifully intricate mixture of decoration, nostalgic animalia and emotion. Her densely packed compositions consciously recall classical and current attractions, creating cohesively opposing arrays of imagery and embellishment. She focuses on the contrasts that exist and occur within each destined plan, and merges them together with a high regard for balance and rich, repetitive adornment.

Hannah is a friend and supporter of our Berkeley boutique, Mignonne Décor. We have been lucky to feature custom designed images for Mignonne in the past ... and are thrilled to offer a sampling of her work here at our Brantôme location.

Check out more of Hannah's personal and commercial work here at her site, grandarray.com ... or stop by in March to get a peek at what's in store at The Bohemians!

Pantone has nothing on Paris!

So, as reported earlier, Pantone announced a certain shade of turquoise as "the" color of 2010.

While strolling the Sentier quartier in Paris recently (the garment & design district), what should I spy but this amazing and antique doorway ...

Apparently that certain shade of turquoise has been "the" color for sometime...

but then, what else would one expect from Paris but fashion forward?

à bientôt!

Parisian wonders ...

As I was strolling the Sentier, soaking up the scenes, I passed this wondrous little window filled with children's mannequins from eras gone by.

I've more pics to share (alas, just phone snaps) of the covered lanes that (maybe only in my imagination) housed some of the original dressmakers and designers of the day. Mostly Jewish (in the past, evidenced by the remnants of old signs from the past), these covered alleys must have bustled in their day.

Now, it was kind of sad ... as many appeared abandoned, dusty, unused. There was a kosher restaurant ... sort of lunch counter... still soldiering on and it was filled. But there was a sense of a spot time has forgotten.

Anyway, enough rambling...cool window, non?

Paris inspiration!

Well, I spent a wonderful week in Paris and have returned energized and inspired. The Maison et Objét show was enormous! There were 6 huge warehouses with different themes ... from ethnic and modern to textiles to tabletop and everything in between.

My favorite was the salon featuring Interior Design. Designers from around the globe recreated rooms of every size, fashion, color, theme and utility. There were some absolutely gorgeous furniture pieces and arrangements.

I went armed with a camera but everywhere I looked were signs stating photographs were forbidden and would get you ejected from the show! this was on marketing material, signs throughout the show, etc.

It was very confusing then to see folks snapping pics right and left! Towards the end, I used my phone to sneak some shots which I will share shortly.

I also spent time in the Sentier quartier ... which was very reminiscent of NY's garment district. The streets were lined with chic fashionistas from every country imaginable ... all the boutiques had signs stating they sold in bulk only, no retail, please don't insist!!!

I found a fun line of summery dresses and cool jackets and picked up a small selection to try in the shop. They were quite different from our current line so should make a nice contrast. Also a few belts and bags and jewelry.

One thing I'm excited about is I found a sewing shop - well they didn't sell material but all of the accoutrements for sewing plus trim ... I bought a bunch of stuff to try my hand at making some brooches. Plus, since I returned I've finally bought a French sewing machine. So I'll be trying some bags of my own and maybe some cushions.

Lastly, I've assembled a collection of furniture for refinishing. I've got a dining table, round with a huge leaf ... probably would seat 10 or 12 with the leaf. Also picked up a nightstand with marble top and a small sideboard. Add these to the bread bins and old shelves and coat hangers and I'd say I've got my work cut out for me.

Next week, FULL steam ahead on furniture refurbishment!!!

Springtime is just around the corner!

Look out 2010 ... here comes Turquoise!

Its official... T U R Q U O I S E is the color for 2010 ... Pantone has declared it so ... “In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”



and even the celebrities are on board!





You'll be seeing turquoise in home décor, clothing and accessories. Stay tuned for Spring ... because turquoise will be visiting The Bohemians as well... we'll be offering a variety of clothes and accessories with 2010's favorite color.


And if you are looking for a hot-cha-cha furniture accent in turquoise ... you can count on that, too! We can redo your special piece or find one for you... we're on it.

(As far as Kim is concerned, Spring can't get here quick enough ... brrrrrrr!!! )