my stylish french girlfriends octavie and cécile

by Sharon Santoni

Cécile and Octavie of Maison du Bac- MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

This is the first time I have introduced you to two French girlfriends  at the same time!   Meet Octavie and Cécile, two sisters living and working in Paris.    I’m featuring them as sisters because that is how I met them, as sisters, and that is how they work and they create together every day.

Tablescape, Maison du Bac- MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

Octavie and Cécile own and run the beautiful store near the Bon Marché in Paris, called La Maison du Bac.   Honestly, if you love French home decor and you don’t have much time to shop next time you’re in Paris then make a bee line for this store!

La Maison du Bac- MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

Maison du Bac- MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

When I first walked in to La Maison du Bac I felt immediately comfortable and at home, and that is the mood that the sisters aim for.  They decorate with a mix of old and new, because as Cécile told me “that is how real people live, and that is how we have always lived”.     In their delightful store you will find a mix of tableware, kitchen copper, personal accessories and even artwork.   They choose only pieces that they would use in their own homes.

Utensils at Maison du Bac- MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

Cecile and Octavie spent a lot of time as children in the old family house in the countryside of Normandy.  They are now very chic and Parisian, and everything that they do has this charming style that is reminiscent of a real home.    From the old leather sofa, or antique dining table, to the beautiful pieces of designer pottery, that sit comfortably alongside silver candelabra.

Copper and ceramics -Maison du Bac- MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

When the girls can’t find a model that they want, they have it produced.   These candlesticks are copies of those in their grandmother’s house.   Many of the silver serving utensils are antique, found on the Paris markets and cleaned and polished before bringing into the store.

Candles and tassels, Maison du Bac- MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

They have their favourite lines of china tableware, and encourage their clients to mix and match.  Octavie told me that clients often come in with a piece from their own service, asking for ideas for how they can liven up their table.  Most of the time, the sisters encourage their clients to work with an original service but add a few contrasting plates.  They often go to clients homes to help with colour schemes or choices of specific items.

But perhaps, beyond their evident good taste and sure eye, the thing I enjoy the most about the store is observing these two women together.   And I’m clearly not the only person who loves the atmosphere in the store.   Cécile told me that the leather sofa, that was originally brought in as a design piece, is actually very useful because so many clients come in and sit down to talk!

 

 

Copper kitchenware Maison du Bac- MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

Maison du Bac- MY FRENCH COUNTRY HOME

 

I hope you manage to get to La Maison du Bac on your next trip to Paris, and find something special to take home.  And in the meantime you can always keep up with their latest news on their instagram page HERE

La Maison du Bac– 108 rue du Bac, 75007 Paris

18 comments

Dottie Monta June 22, 2018 - 2:32 pm

Absolutely delightful, and a must-stop!
Thank you, Sharon, for “scouting” for us!!

Reply
Sharon Santoni June 23, 2018 - 1:13 pm

my pleasure Dottie!

Reply
Debra Balas June 22, 2018 - 3:28 pm

Beautiful it looks like a place i would love to visit thankyou.

Reply
Kristi Culver June 22, 2018 - 3:30 pm

Where may I buy the bowl and plate with bee on it?…so lovely…Thank you for all the beauty Kristi Culver, Seaside, Oregon.

Reply
Deb June 22, 2018 - 3:46 pm

Gorgeous! Do they have a website where purchases can be made?

Reply
Sherry June 22, 2018 - 3:47 pm

Oh, so many pretty things! I’m planning a trip back to France next year and will be sure to stop in this beautiful store! Thank you!

Reply
david terry June 22, 2018 - 4:01 pm

Oh….those ivory and silver serving fork&spoon? I wish I could post a picture; I have the same things. I admired a set at my mother-in-law’s house in Tours, and I received a set from her the next Christmas. I was told she’d scouted-around ferociously in Paris to find mine. They’re quite beautiful (if not exactly something one would haul off on a picnic). I wonder if she’d discovered Maison de Bac?

—–david terry
quail roost farm
rougemont, NC
USA

Reply
Margaret June 22, 2018 - 4:05 pm

Beautiful women & beautiful store!!!!

Reply
Mary Christopher June 22, 2018 - 4:18 pm

Thank you for the tip! I will be sure to get to La Maison du Bac this fall when I’m in Paris!

Reply
Taste of France June 22, 2018 - 4:41 pm

Already, rue du Bac is one of my favorites, and it’s no wonder this lovely shop is located there.
Octavie and Cécile are very beautiful women with excellent taste. That dark silvery outfit is gorgeous.

Reply
Lori Backen June 22, 2018 - 7:26 pm

They both look lovely…! Two women I’d love to meet and know. Thank you for sharing your fabulous “finds”!!

Reply
Sue Malizia June 22, 2018 - 8:35 pm

Lovely! Both sisters and establishment…who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by such beautiful things! =)

Reply
Judi Castille June 22, 2018 - 11:14 pm

Gorgeous especially the insect tableware and the copper. Will visit on next Paris trip.

Reply
Mildred June 22, 2018 - 11:21 pm

Beautiful! I want to inquire about the sweet cherub heads. Are those napkin rings?

Reply
Diana Barker June 22, 2018 - 11:49 pm

Thank you Sharon for sharing this beautiful store. I certainly will visit this store when I travel to Paris. Love your news letter.. Diana… Toronto Canada..

Reply
Purdie June 23, 2018 - 1:14 am

I have no doubt I have passed this beautiful store many times!…next time I will be entering!!
Thank you for sharing.

Reply
denise Seidler June 23, 2018 - 11:39 pm

to David Terry
Please forgive me if you find me too bold ; those serving fork and spoon are for tossing and serving lettuce . If I am not mistaken the top part of the utensils is made out of horn. I have the same ones inherited from my mother.
I am French by the way

Reply
Weekend Salata – Mom with Sneakers Blog June 29, 2018 - 11:05 am

[…] Ένα μαγαζί στο Παρίσι  που θα ήθελα να το επισκεφτώ! […]

Reply

Leave a Comment