Buying Parisian cafe furniture
 

Could anyone kindly help me or point me in the right direction of where I can order typical looking cafe furniture found in Paris. Any of the Parisian decor found in restaurants and cafes. Also French style lamps, etc. If there is a website to order online.

Sorry I know this is not a travel questions, but my friend has just come back from Paris and would like to buy these type of things as she fell in love them.

In Australia, nearly every furniture shop appears to sell them. La Forge is a shop in Sydney with a web site.I have lovely french style garden furniture around my pool. I often sit back and pretend I'm somewhere else besides Sydney! I'm assuming you are from America....try a web search on google.good luck

Where are you from? Knowing that would help a lot. For example, outside Philadelphia, Waterloo Gardens in Exton could probably help you.
But which Parisian style do you mean--the traditional wicker often found outside, the little marbe topped tables with wooden or metal chairs usually found inside? Or the modern style is that rapidly become more popular at the trendy cafes?

Here's a set in wood

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/bd/pdp...p;category_key

Gardener's Eden catalog has some metal sets.

Here's a page from a restaurant supply co. for fabulous wicker chairs in all colors/styles

http://makeashorterlink.com/?U2FD1285A

Not sure they'll sell privately in small quantities.

Rue de France and French Country Living are the 2 catalogs that would have specialized in this sort of stuff but I can't bring up their websites. They may be out of business.

For lamps, have a look at the Ballard Catalog.

The New York Times had an article on Paris wicker cafe furniture in the late fall. Sorry, I didn't keep it but you might be able to find it on the NYT website. It mentioned the major manufacturer and, I think, indicated where you could find the furniture.

Gardener's Eden, Williams Sonoma, and Ballard Designs have all had traditional Parisian-style outdoor furniture. I bought the green enameled metal garden chairs with natural wood slats from Williams Sonoma back in the late 90's and they were only about $89 for two. They have aged beautifully, but are VERY uncomfortable for large guests.

kswl, your last statement is just what I was about to comment on. Parisian cafe chairs are incredibly uncomfortable. I don't know how most of us manage to while away hours and hours sitting on them. One would think they were designed to get people to move on more quickly.

But they are often pretty to look at. And not bad if you add thick cushions, but that does destroy the "authenticity" of them, traditionally with nothing or only a very thin pad.

Yes, you'd think that the natural cushioning some of us have would make the chairs a bit MORE comfortable, but no such luck. I tried putting actual cushions on our chairs (from Rue de France, I think) and sent them back almost immediately. They ruined the look.

McLaurie, when I didn't receive French Couintry Living catalog before Xmas, I called a number I found on an old one and got message that they (the catalog business, at least; don't know about their actual store in Great Falls, VA) were filing for bankruptcy. That's a loss; such lovely merchandise.

I was also going to suggest
Ballard Design, I've found them reliable to order from on large and small items

If you are in California, there's a fantastic place in San Fran and Napa
www.cafesocietystore.com

Thank you everyone! this is perfect!

French Country Living was bought by Ballard Designs and now Ballard Designs catalog carries many of their items so you may want to try there -- I just got a catalog yesterday and saw many things I liked!

Just got a new Ballard catalog today and the chairs and pierced tables are included in white, black and red. Green is traditional, but I think the red or black would be darling in the right setting.

Swalter, that is interesting. It seems to me that a lot of Ballard stuff is not made in the country it's supposed to represent, yet FCL's products were made in Europe.
I've not received the new Ballard catalog yet; does it mention having bought out FCL?

Actually, I think all the catalogs are having a hard time. I feel like they're all now owned by the same co. who does William Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Chambers etc. I thought I'd heard that Ballard was in trouble too and I hadn't gotten one of theirs for a while until this recent one. They're all looking alike to me. I just had a look at Restoration Hardware and it's the same too.

Another thought for French Country things (but no cafe furniture) is Pierre Deux. I was in their shop yesterday. Some of the furniture is nicer than I'd remembered.

http://pierredeux.com/welcome.cfm