- July 24, 2023
- Sarah Miller
Continuing the recap of our Designhounds France tour this past May, members of Modenus Media’s Designhounds Influencer Network traveled to France for an eight-day artisan + antiques tour in collaboration with the Antiques’ Diva & Co. Learn about stops on the Paris portion of the tour, and keep reading below as we will share the beautiful experiences from our five days in Provence.
Special thanks to Signature Kitchen Suite for supporting this program as our official #TrueToFood sponsor. Please follow the hashtag to learn about the many wonderful culinary experiences our team had on this and a recent trip to New York City. Please enjoy the recap of the journey below and, as always, learn more about how to become a member of the Designhounds Influencer Network HERE, and for more information on how to become a Designhounds Brand Partner, CLICK HERE.
Day 1:
Designhounds headquarters for the five-day experience was the Relais Magdeleine in Gemenos, a beautiful French country house anchored by chef Matthias Dandine’s Michelin starred eponymous restaurant.
Day 2:
Our first full day in Provence was spent antiquing in L’Isle Sur la Sorgue with the expert guidance of the Antiques Diva team, starting with a visit to the textile mill, shop, and museum of Brun de Vian Tiran which offered detailed insights into the legendary company’s making of the finest wool products with a focus on scarves, throws and clothing.
L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue is one of the largest antiques buying destinations in the world with over 300 permanent dealers and 200 dealers at the open antiques markets every Sunday. Have a look below at some of our favorite finds and, ahem, purchases …because yes, our Designhounds tours are definitely here to provide access to amazing resources for your design business.
The #TruetoFood journey continued with lunch at Le Jardin du Quai, offering fresh and authentic food right from Provence.
To wrap up the day in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorge, the Designhounds were toured through the studio of the talented textile designer and artist, Aurelie Alvarez. She has been working with many major homeware brands including Anthropology which is apparent in her style.
The evening wrapped up with typical provencal hospitality at the antique warehouse of renowned upholsterer Yves Aussandon where the magic continued with a hands-on art sourcing experience and, of course, classic French charcuterie and copious amounts of refreshing Rose.
Day 3:
The following morning, Designhounds had a relaxing day at the Relais Magdeleine and could opt to take a tour of the hotel’s gardens and restaurants or attend an upholstery workshop at the Aussandon Warehouse.
That afternoon, the Diva herself, Toma Haines hosted a journaling workshop, in which she discussed techniques and ideas for a daily journaling habit.
The night finished at the hotel’s Michelin star restaurant with yet another exceptional #TruetoFood experience.
Day 4:
The next day, Designhounds had a chance to bring the concept of True to Food alive in a much different way. We headed to St. Remy de Provence for their open market and gathered supplies for a picnic lunch at Les Olivades.
Les Olivades, a fabric printing company, creates beautiful textiles for some of the biggest houses in textile design and is available to print low-volume custom runs for design professionals.
Designhounds were able to explore the showroom and factory to see how the traditional practice of fabric printing is done today and take home some lovely textiles for themselves.
That evening, the hotel served another impeccable dinner during which the group was able to visit the kitchen and take a look behind the scenes at the culinary genius of the chef, Mathias Dandine. Our server delivered a superb meal, clad in his very own Signature Kitchen Suite apron.
Day 5:
The final day of the trip was spent in the area around Marseilles for more antiquing at Les Puces de Fifi Turin, a collective shop for local antique vendors, both modern and traditional. Downtown, the group enjoyed a lunch in the Moroccan district followed by a visit to Maison Empeurer, the oldest hardware store in France, and an exclusive look at their stylish bed & breakfast.
A quick drive south through the mountains and we were in Cassis, a beautiful seaside town. We hopped on a boat for a tour of the surrounding cliffs – the perfect way to end a wonderful trip.
But of course that’s not all – we still had one last dinner together! We were hosted by local antique collectors with a private mansion overlooking the Cassis hillside. Dinner was catered by Marius & Camille and the food was as delicious as the view.
Thank you to Signature Kitchen Suite for making this journey possible, and to Toma and Melanie from the Antiques Diva for hosting our antiquing adventures. Finally, thank you to the Designhounds for being a part of this magical trip. We look forward to seeing you on our next adventure.
For more information about upcoming Designhounds retreats, tours and sponsor collaborations, please see us at www.designhounds.com.
