While events under the name ‘country brocante’ have been a mainstay in France for a few decades, vintage lifestyle and interior ‘Country Brocantes’ in the UK are a more recent coinage. They were brought to prominence by Lucy Harwood; Her love of vintage and collecting coupled with event curation led her to set up fairs in gardens and village greens in prestigious locations. I discuss the appeal of these beautifully curated events in searching for art and rare paraphernalia and compare them with those of our French counterparts.
Brocante Meaning In English
Brocante comes from the French verb ‘brocanter’, meaning to deal in second-hand goods. Second-hand goods are broad in meaning as events trading in second-hand goods range from jumble sales to village fetes, quintessential ‘flea’ markets, vintage fairs, and higher-ticketed antique fairs. When typed into a translation app, ‘brocante’ translates as ‘flea’.
What is the Appeal Of The British Country Brocante?
The word brocante sounds far more sophisticated than your average flea market. I can tell you, the last I went to, I didn’t see a single flee! (unlike the historic markets from where they get this name!)
Discerning Clientele
They draw together great British brands, vintage and antique dealers, interior designers, local and seasonal craftspeople, the arty set, browsers, days outers, women who lunch and those who support these friendly albeit trendy communities.
Prestigious Venues
The venues for a growing number of British brocantes are stunning in their own right, like Daylesford Organic Farm, Roundhill Grange, The Grange Hampshire, Petworth Park, Larmer Tree Gardens and Cowdray Estate. Huge, elegant white tents filled to the brim with style and history make you feel like you are taking a step back to a simpler age.
Fine Curation
The events don’t let any Tom Dick or Harry exhibit with applications gone through with a fine tooth comb; there is competition. This results is an aesthetically beautiful display of exhibitors with quality wares across various categories; Garden living, homewares, art, decorative antiques, and textiles Furthermore, with so much choice, it virtually guarantees that if you are unsuccessful in your quest to hunt out a piece of beautiful art, something else is sure to catch your eye!
Luxurious Quaffing, Nattering & Nibbling
It’s a complete day out, food included! We all need to pause for a bit of lunch, and these stylish affairs have artisan food sellers on hand. They will quench your thirst as well as meet the noshing standards of the most sagacious gastronaut. After high octane browsing catching up with friends is normally high on the agenda of many.
Unique French Chic Meets English Eccentricity Style
A Country Brocante was the first time I had attended an event where French chic seamlessly blends with English eccentricity. The wares for sale, the sellers, the clientele, it’s a fabulous spectacle all around!
I like to think I have an eye for vintage beauty, especially textiles, having a background in textile design. Today I design art in a contemporary vintage style like the below vintage fairy wall art. For me, visiting a country brocante is always a winning way of inspiring creativity.
Brocante Fairs Near Me
The Country Brocante
As well as having a permanent shop in Midhurst, West Sussex, called The Country Brocante Store, Lucy also holds seasonal country brocantes in Surrey, Somerset; check her website for upcoming dates for your diary.
The Dorset Brocante
Held at Larmer Tree Gardens and private garden venues, Sally of The Dorset Brocante loves involving her friends and family to put on her beautiful events.
The above are true English brocantes for all the appealing features they boast from our lists. However, the below events also describe themselves or fit into the brocante category nicely.
Joy Events
Browse Joy Events for a selection of seasonal brocantes, focused on country homes and interiors, brought to you by Klara Bromley Stylist and Joy Interiors.
BathVA
A monthly vintage and antiques market described as a brocante in the heart of Bath encourages everybody to embrace the French way of searching for treasures with their article Brocante, Treasure Hunting The French Way.
Fabulous Places
Event planner extraordinaire Debs of Fabulous Places knows how to put together stylishly curated markets. Hers I would definitely also class as brocantes. They have all the essential ingredients, vintage wares, nostalgic craftspeople, top nosh and a discerning community in the beautiful setting of Derbyshire.
Where To Find UK Brocantes
Reclaim Magazine is a great resources for finding news about vintage brocantes and events.
Homes & Antiques Magazine also review brocantes and anquiques fairs across the country.
Brocantes In France
In France, brocantes are open in more than just prestigious venues. Brocantes are interspersed throughout France on a grand scale, with the Summer months playing host to many. I visited Narbonne in the Occitanie region of France this summer and was lucky enough to stumble upon a vintage brocante the day I arrived! I couldn’t believe my luck!
Lining the left bank of the Canal De La Robine, the wares were eclectic and a mix; Everything you would expect to find at an English Brocante. Comparatively it’s a lot less refined than our trendy events but an absolute feast for the eyes nonetheless! These are just some of the photos I took as I browsed the tree-lined canal, disappointed the only things I could buy would need to fit into my already bulging shared family case for the flight home!
Located in an area of outstanding beauty, this brocante wins prizes for its beautiful location. The stunning architectural backdrop of the Catherdral Quarter, Bishops Palace and the wrought iron and glass Les Halles De Narbonne make it a covetable destination. Les Halles De Narbonne has a festival atmosphere and oozes excellence in French food and fine wines. People catch up over sharing platters, tapas, oysters and home cooked regional specialities.
Aspirational Brocantes
Marche Aux Puces de Clignancourt, St Ouen, Paris
The world’s largest brocante or flee market, Marche Aux Puces de St Ouen in Paris, is one of the most sought-after and famous markets. Now boasting over 3000 traders and 180,000 visitors every weekend, every classification of second-hand goods is available here. It’s part jumble sale, part brocante, part flea market, part antiques market, part vintage market; visit for yourself and hunt out the areas that appeal most to you! I enjoyed working in Paris in my early twenties and visited most Sundays. My treasured buys from those days are original hand-painted hat illustrations from the 1920s. I also remember a shimmery pink dress that I can only liken now to a mermaid costume, but that’s since left my wardrobe! My shopping list would have changed, and I’d be hunting out flower art. Visit the Marche Aux Puces de St. Ouen website to plan your visit!
Sources For Finding French Brocantes
The Good Life France
The Good Life France is a website about everything French, from brocantes to travel to culture and property. Their post, How To Find Antiques Second-Hand Markets and Flee Markets In France, has valuable resources.
Off Beat France
Leyla of Off Beat France shares her experience of France and French brocantes and markets through in her blog. The blog post, The Best France Flee Markets (Or Why We Love Our ‘Brocantes’ So Much) is laced with fascinating historical facts alongside well-thought-out, practical details.
Conclusion
A brocante is much more than a flea market; it’s an occasion where like-minded people can meet, sell their wares, and share their expertise and passion for bygone eras. In Britain, the trend is to hold them at prestigious venues that blend with the unique wares for sale. In France, they tend to be far wider spread and less refined around the edges, but of course, it’s all about community and finding a belonging!
Vintage Styling
For further reading about styling art and vintage items in a room, check out our post How To Make a Vintage Colour Palette. Together with Modern Pressed Flower Art For A Unique Flower Gallery and Authentic Vintage Laura Ashley Fabric & Unique Art Collaboration, be inspired!
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Contempfleury
Contempfleury is an art studio run by Leah Nikolaou from her home and garden in Somerset. She works extensively with pressed flowers to create her one-of-a-kind artworks, pressed flower prints and pressed flower embroidery kits. She uses her pressed flowers to create the vintage colour palettes she uses in her home and art. Much inspiration comes from visiting country brocantes.
