11 Best Shopping in Paris, France

The candles made by Cire Trudon have illuminated the great palaces and churches of Paris since the 1600s. Nowadays their products provide the atmosphere for tony restaurants and exclusive soirées. The all-vegetal, atmospherically scented wares come in elegant black glass, pillars of all sizes, or busts of clients past—like Napoléon and Marie-Antoinette.

A Paris mainstay since 1961, Diptyque's flagship shop is famous for its candles, eaux de toilette, and home fragrances in a huge range of sophisticated and subtle scents like myrrh, fig tree, wisteria, and quince. They're delightful but not cheap; the candles, for instance, cost nearly $1 per hour of burn time.

The raison d'être of the organization Métiers d'Art is to reward and promote French savoir faire—the traditional expertise of France's many fine craftspeople and artists passed down from generation to generation. To this end—and to the delight of local bobos (short for bourgeois-bohème or bourgeois-bohemians) decorating their Marais lofts—Métiers d'Art opened the capital's first crafts "concept store," which assembles the work of dozens of craftspeople and artists on four floors, including impeccably crafted glassware, porcelain, jewelry, leather goods, furnishings, housewares, fine art, and much more. It's an excellent place for a souvenir of French art de vivre.

Come here to learn the secrets of Paris's chicest apartments and upscale boutique hotels, brought to you by the sought-after Parisian designer herself. The boutique carries everything from textiles, throw pillows, tableware, and accessories to furnishings and lighting all in Lavoine's signature jewel colors and luxe textures and shapes.

This is your one-stop shopping destination for all of those dreamy French household textiles beloved by design magazines. Sheets of softest cotton, damask, or linen in gorgeous solid colors or romantic prints feel totally luxurious, and elegant table linens turn any table into a conversation piece. They are worth the investment, as they'll last generations (at the June and January sales, you can nab great bargains at 30%-50% off).

Founded in 1830, Christofle has fulfilled all kinds of silver wishes, from a silver service for the Orient Express to a gigantic silver bed. Come for timeless table settings, vases, jewelry boxes, and more.

Although de Gournay has been decorating homes with hand-painted wallpaper for a mere 30 years (compare that to Zuber's 200 years), the results are timeless and enviable. If you've always dreamed of transforming your living room into a colorful jungle, your sunroom into a lemon orchard, or your bathroom into a gold-leaf boudoir, de Gournay will help you create your desired universe.

Le Monde Sauvage is a must-visit for home accessories. Expect reversible silk bedspreads in rich colors, velvet throws, hand-quilted bed linens, silk floor cushions, colorful rugs, and the best selection of hand-embroidered curtains in silk, cotton, linen, or velvet.

Kanketsu (simplicity) is the guiding philosophy at Muji, and the resulting streamlined designs are all the rage in Europe. Must-haves include a collection of mini-necessities—travel essentials, wee office gizmos, purse-size accoutrements, plus the best notebooks and pens around. They're so useful and adorable you'll want them all.

Paris designer Hervé van der Straeten started out creating jewelry for Saint Laurent and Lacroix, designed a perfume bottle for Christian Dior, and then moved on to making rather baroque and often wacky furniture. In his loft gallery-cum-showroom, furniture, lighting, and startling mirrors are on display.