Orange You Glad Orange Is In?

I adore orange. The scent. The drink. The idea of a walled orchard with nothing but Citrus × ​sinensis trees, blooming white in spring. And I love the colour on some people. And in some places. Marrakech medinas, for example. And Palm Beach in summer. (See Elle's gorgeously sexy frock below.) Orange is tropical. Fresh. Flirty. Romantic. It's the colour of candlelight. And sorbet. And the Palm Springs sun. It brings to mind summer nights and sun-kissed skin and cocktails with giant paper umbrellas balancing on top.

In saying this, it's something of a perennial colour.  It comes and goes, and then comes and goes again. It's not an evergreen, like white, or blue. As such, I don't know how much media saturation (if you'll forgive the colour pun) Pantone is going to get out of its Tangerine Tango forecast this year. Just how much blood can we squeeze out of this design orange? I mean, how much tangerine tango IS there in fashion and interior design. Or perhaps a more pertinent question is: How much tangerine tango can we take for twelve months?

The thing is, orange is one of those colours that sneaks up and seduces you with its wit, charm, and humorous take on life. It's like Hugh Grant. It's a colour cad that's never around for long but it's fun when it does appear. So I suspect tangerine might take us all by surprise this year. I was watching that poignant Parisian episode of Sex and the City last night (An American Girl in Paris, Part Deux), and there was a fabulous bright orange panelled wall in one of the scenes with Aleksandr Petrovsky. It immediately made me want to repaint our summer library in a cheeky mandarin shade.

Orange as a decorating refresher ... This is Windsor Smith's master bathroom, where she has given a gilt Louis XVI console an injection of modernity with orange Hermès boxes, a vintage Gucci bag and a fabulous 1950's fashion photograph. The orange doesn't overwhelm or dominate the scene but enhances it and lifts it up from being a purely all-white place. {Via House Beautiful}

Punch drunk... A striped orange banquette in the corner of The Dunmore's dining room on Harbour Island (formerly The Dunmore Beach Club) looks immediately inviting – ready for a Bloody Mary breakfast to counteract the big night you had at The Landing restaurant the evening before! The picture frames really pull this whole scene together and make it whimsical, fresh and fun. Very Harbour Island. {Via The Dunmore}

Orange with a twist... A bathroom in the Vernon Pantone suite of the Maidstone Hotel in the Hamptons is full of punch and glamour, although it's toned down by the layers of white. Some of the orange touches in this room include an orange blanket on the bed, Torbogen print paper by Wohnzimmer, and Benjamin Moore’s Outrageous Orange paint in the ensuite. {Via Maidstone}

Slices of orange... A corner of one of our guest bedrooms is an ode to orange, or  more correctly – to Penguin classics. It's such an unusual colour for a series, isn't it? I wonder if Penguin has trademarked it like Tiffany has done with its pale blue shade? The vintage French garden chair was spray painted to match and the taffeta fabric was bought in Paris for some incredibly cheap price – 10 euros/metre, I think? I simply sewed some tangerine bobbles on the edge to tie it all together. 

Mango glow... Pumpkin-coloured towels in a country bathroom make this space warm and engaging. {Via Sunset}

Bright with white... The sublime saffron-and-white palette of the Mondrian Hotel in LA. Like Liza Minelli, the Mondrian LA is still great after all these years. {Via Mondrian}

A desert orange... The Parker Meridien Palm Springs uses splashes of desert orange liberally throughout the interior, including the famous front door. Top image is also from the Parker Meridien. {Via Parker Meridien}

Champagne as decorating inspiration... Designer Maureen Footer painted the inside of her client's kitchen cabinets in Veuve Clicquot orange because he was a bit of a bon vivant whose signature pour was Champagne. What a fantastic idea. She suggesting coating the paint with beeswax for an antique look, but I think high gloss would be just as glamorous. {Image via House Beautiful}

Exotic orange... I always thought orange looked beautiful with something unexpected, such as zebra stripes. The top image was a small Hermès box I bought in Paris (I couldn't afford a big one!), and loved the colour so much I photographed it before I opened it. My handbag just happened to be behind it, and as it turned out, I loved the combination as much as the box. Other people seem to like it too. Look at how glam it looks here, in the image below. {Via Domino}

More Hermès orange here:... Hermès' gorgeous orange pencil shaving pillows {Via Decorati}

A corner of our orange-and-pink guestroom. My partner complained that there wasn't enough colour in our black-and-white-themed house. So I cobbled this together one day, thinking he would hate it and we could happily return to our monochromatic lives. But instead he loved it, and now sneaks down here for his afternoon siesta. Sometimes, when I'm not around, he'll even put mismatching sheets on the bed, just to add more colour. I think he was born in a circus??

Orange as stripes... Paul Smith's signature stripes are usually seen inside his suits but here they look surprisingly stylish as a wallpaper decorating the hall of a Hague apartment. Doesn't it remind you of sweet bon-bons? I once saw this wallpaper stretched over a five-storey staircase in a tiny boutique hotel called the Hotel d'Angleterre in Versailles. It made the staircase fantastically dramatic and also a little cheeky and upbeat. You couldn't help but feel happy when you walked up it. {Image via www.beinteriordecorator.com}

Designers Guild's boldly striped wallpaper in Arafura geranium. Imagine this in a powder room Or a craft room?

And Les Toiles du Soleil's French canvas fabric in Mogador-Rouge, a beautiful orange-and-pink stripe  for a beautifully bright armchair or deckchair.

And some more orange inspiration...

 Carrie in Sex and the City 2

Elle in Sydney this summer...

And a Marrakech mediana, where we hope to be next year...

Secret New York, Part 2

Manhattan's so magnificent, it really needs a series of posts to do the place justice. Strike that. It needs an entire blog. Unfortunately, there's not enough space here to adequately cover all the fabulous destinations in this urban fantasy of a city, so I'll try and bullet-point those that I love the most, in the hope that you'll love them, too.

ASSOULINE

Assouline's first US bookstore is an elegant little boutique tucked away on the mezzanine of The Plaza hotel. Now if you haven't been to The Plaza for tea, here's a good excuse to go. The hotel's interior is deservedly famous, but the bookstore is the really gorgeous part. Filled with Assouline's signature glossy coffee-table titles on fashion, photography, travel, and society, the store also carries unusual titles, ideas and gifts for the fussy bibliophone. I love the display of vintage editions (I found an old Jackie O book here), plus the Goyard trunks (Wallis Simpson's fav), and the Slim Aaron photographs – all for sale at Manhattanesque prices. But the browsing is free. {Photograph from my own collection.} Mezzanine level of Plaza, 768 Fifth Avenue, New York.

HENRI BENDEL

Okay, so it's not secret, but it deserves a mention because not enough tourists know about this gem. Most people do Saks and Bergdorf Goodman but I prefer Henri Bendel: it's intimate and exquisite and the window displays are always sublime. The petite interior is a little like a doll's house department store, the shopping is fabulous (look for cute gifts in the 'mini Henri Bendel store' to the left of the entrance) and the atmosphere is lively and fun. {Photographs from my own collection.} 712 Fifth Avenue, New York

THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY 

Great for photography lovers, the ICP always has good exhibitions, but the main reason for going is the fantastic gift store. I'm always buying cute gifts here – books, mobile/cell phone holders that look like Leica cameras, key rings with tiny cameras on them (complete with working flashes), charming journals and notebooks... A real New York find. {Images of Joan Crawford from current exhibition 'Magnum Contact Sheets'} 1114 Avenue of the Americas at 43rd Street.

THE ACE HOTEL

I stayed at The Ace just after it opened in order to shoot it for a book on hotels. It was noisy, and full of workman and debris. But this was the view of the Empire State from my room. Do you think I cared about workmen? Since then it's achieved lots of media for its private school-style interior (lots of tartan, leather club chairs, books, science lab-style cabinets and quirky graffiti wallpaper). It's worth a peek – the bar is funky and the restrooms are as quirky as the reception – but it's the Stumptown cafe that I love. A truly amazing interior with a old library feel, music from a turntable and baristas dressed in vintage chic (Stumptown shops do vintage like no one else) – plus reaaaaallly good coffee, it's as fascinating as the rest of the hotel. {Photograph from my own collection.} 20 West 29th Street, New York.

JOHN DERIAN

John Derian's store is like those wonderful, old-fashioned general stores that have long since disappeared. I suspect the 'look' is deliberate. Even the sister store next door is called 'Dry Goods'. Full of trestle tables loaded with whimsical things, from Derian's famous decoupage plates (I love the ones with writing and leaves) to quirky vintage finds (I bought lots of postcards), it's a place for linger for ages. It's difficult to find, but oh, so worthwhile when you do. And don't miss the Dry Goods store next door too. {Photograph from my own collection.} 6 E. 2nd Street, New York.

NEUE GALERIE

A former mansion, this grand Upper East Side New York residence was converted to an impressive museum several years ago, but the extraordinary architecture and interiors are still intact. I often pop in just to stare at the staircase. And the gift store is one of the best in the city. {Image via Elle Decor} 1048 Fifth Avenue, New York.

BALTHAZAR

It's far from being a secret, but Balthazar still needs to be mentioned on any Must-See List. This gorgeous French bistro has so much ambience, it could teach its Parisians counterparts a thing or two! Sometimes it's difficult to get into for lunch, so try brunch or an early dinner. The people watching is as good as the interior design. {Photograph from my own collection.} 80 Spring Street, New York.

SCHILLER'S LIQUOR BAR

Schiller's is the kind of New York bar you expect (or hope) to find in New York: slightly retro with loads of ambiance and a classic Manhattan interior. {Photograph from my own collection} 131 Rivington Street, New York.

THE SHAKE SHACK

I love the Flatiron area. The Flatiron building itself has long been one of New York's icons, but the neighbourhood is now fast becoming a creative haven of intriguing boutiques, quirky hotels (the Ace, for one), new media/architecture/design companies and great homewares stores. When you get weary from visiting them all, stop and rest your aching feet here, at the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. Now I must admit I can never be bothered waiting in line (you should see the queues some days), so I often sit in the park and watch New Yorkers at play. The park is a lovely pocket of greenery, and if you can get to the Shake Shack, the food is great, too. {Photograph from my own collection.} Madison Avenue and East 23rd Street.

CARRIE'S BUILDING AND UPPER EAST SIDE ARCHITECTURE

If you loved seeing the architecture of Carrie's building in SATC, then head to the Upper East Side, where these brownstones are in glorious abundance. The irony is, the fictional apartment building was meant to be located at 245 East 73rd Street (it's not really there), but the 'real' apartment building shot for the series and film is actually further downtown at 66 Perry Street (between Bleecker and West 4th). However, the Upper East Side and particularly the area around East 73rd Street is a better gallery of these architectural gems.  {Photograph from my own collection.}

GRAMERCY PARK (AND GRAMERCY PARK HOTEL)

The spectacularly beautiful Gramercy Park is a private park, meaning only local residents have the key. But if you stay at the Gramercy Park Hotel you can have guest access. It's a great benefit as the park is one of the best in the city. Charlotte Devree in the New York Times commented that "There is nothing else quite like Gramercy Park in the country". I agree. Oh – and the hotel's pretty gorgeous, too. {Photograph from Wikipedia by BeyondMyKen} 2 Lexington Avenue, New York.

THE BLOCK BEAUTIFUL

One of the most beautiful neighbourhoods in New York is that surrounding Gramercy Park, and the street New Yorkers call the 'Block Beautiful' is just that: extraordinary. The block actually covers East 19th Street between Irving Place and Third Avenue, but you can wander around anywhere here really and be rewarded with architectural eye candy. There are also some pretty glam residents – Karl Lagerfeld has an apartment here and Jennifer Aniston is reportedly trying to buy one too. {Photograph from Wikipedia by BeyondMyKen}

LE LABO

The brilliant idea of two super-creative French guys who first cut their retail teeth with a store in Grasse, this beautifully scented emporiom-ette is a place for those who want their own signature fragrance. And let's face it – who wouldn't love their own custom-made scent? Just take along a list of your favourite scents – or be inspired by theirs – and they'll whip up your own elegant creation, which no one else will have. What a superb idea. (Image via Veranda magazine} 233 Elizabeth Street, New York.

AND SOME MORE FINDS...

TREILLAGE

Elegant garden and home wear chosen by Bunny Williams and John Rosselli. Just lovely.

1015 Lexington Avenue, New York.

LUCY BARNES

Lucy Barnes makes flirty frocks. She also makes sexy ones. And seductive ones. And ones that could pick up a billionaire in St Barts all by themselves. But the Scottish designer doesn't just do sexy. She also does sweet, summery, cute and lovely. Anthropologie fell in love with her difusion line so much the company asked to stock it in its stores. Think silk skirts, satin-lined lace tops, and silk halters. All entirely irresistible. 320 West 14th Street, New York.

ABC CARPET & HOME 

I often come here just to browse through Madeline Weinrib’s amazing rugs, but there's so much else to see. Ten floors of it, to be exact. Antiques, textiles, furniture, and bedding. Often exhausting but fab nonetheless. 888 & 881 Broadway at East 19th Street (Flatiron District), New York. 

STEVEN SCLAROFF

An interior designer with a great eye, Steven's store is always stocked with great vintage finds, from the divine to the sublime and even the witty and whimsical. 44 White Street, New York.

GERALD BLAND

The decorator's decorator, Mr Bland is far from what his name suggests. In fact, his store is filled with brilliant buys, including stunning pieces from the 18th century to the present. 1262 Madison Avenue, New York.

ABINGDON 12

Unusual name; great store. Lovely mirrors with beautiful patinas, great lighting (including old industrial fixtures) and other spectacular pieces make this a good source of interior ideas and buys. 613 Hudson Street, New York.

TENDER BUTTONS

A gallery of button loveliness. So fantastic, you start to wonder if you should be unpicking all your dull old buttons and replacing them with cute ones from here. Also sweet trimmings and other decorating things. 143 E. 62nd Street, New York.

INA

Lots of fashion insiders come here for their wardrobes. It's a boutique specialising in second-hand designer wear and shoes, but it's like no second-hand place I've ever seen. It's more of a boutique with 'gently worn' things. And Ina knows her Balenciagas from her Tom Ford. One of the best places in the city to grab a designer bargain. 21 Prince Street, New York.

GABAY'S 

Designer goodies from Gucci to Louboutin, all at spectacularly reduced prices. It's an outlet but its stock is as fancy as!  225 1st Avenue, New York.

THE BEAUTY BAR

Fancy a mani or a pedi while sipping on a martini? The Beauty Bar obliges. This 1950's-style beauty parlour offers a little tipple to those who come in and get their bits beautified. Such a splendid idea. Great before going out for the night! And only $10!  231 East 14th Street, New York.

MORE NEW YORK IN FUTURE POSTS

Secret New York

The second in this 'Travel Triptych' is the Big One: New York. Before I lead you into the darkly glamorous corners of Manhattan though, I'd like to apologise for the poor quality of the Library's photos lately. My old Canon camera is playing up, but I'm not quite ready to spend another $3000 on a new Canon 5D Mark II plus lenses just yet. We're hopefully going to New York in April so will wait and purchase new goodies then. Until then, I do hope you can overlook the shocking photography!

But back to more important things – the secret corners of magnificent Manhattan...

SECRET NEW YORK

THE ROOFTOP GARDEN OF THE MET
Most people head to the sky to get the best views of Manhattan – using either a helicopter, or joining the queue for the Empire State, or (one of my favourite) taking the lifts to the top of the Rockefeller Centre (superb for views of the Empire State, Midtown and Downtown).  However, there are other ways to get up and above the city, and one of them is the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden of the Met Museum. It's one of those places many of us never think to go when we're wandering up and down Museum Mile, but it's definitely worth the effort. Spend a few hours exploring the newly opened American Wing of the museum, and then head up here in the golden light of the late afternoon to see the city dazzle. There's a cute cafe and bar, which come alive on warm nights, especially on Friday and Saturday evenings when lots of locals head here. It's a great place to meet someone, too. {Image via the great blog  blog.travelpod.com}

THE FRICK GARDENS
I first learned about the secret gardens of the Frick Museum from landscape designer Paul Bangay, who counts it as one of his favourite gardens. And I'm glad he shared the secret. The Frick's gardens are some of the best in the city, There's an indoor courtyard, or 'Garden Court', and two outdoor gardens. The grand Fifth Avenue garden features neoclassical urns and grand façade, but it's the Seventieth Street Garden, designed by Russell Page, that's delicate and intimate: a horticultural poem of sheer loveliness, with just the right amounts of simplicity and detail, lawn and leaf, and classical and modern. It was designed to be viewed from the street or through the arched windows of the Reception Hall like an Impressionist painting. An interesting idea, but it works. (Image at top is also from the Frick.) 1 East 70th Street, New York. {Via www.frick.org}

THE CAMPBELL APARTMENT BAR
This tucked-away cocktail bar located in a corner of Grand Central Terminal is a great place for a late-night after-dinner cognac. There's too much history to mention here so I'll just touch on the best bits. When it was first created, the enormous space was designed to resemble a 13th-century Florentine palace with a hand-painted plaster of Paris ceiling, leaded windows, a grand mahogany balcony, and a Persian carpet that took up the entire floor and cost $300,000, or roughly $3.5 million in today's money. There was also a permanent butler named Stackhouse. (Love the name.) When the owner died, it became a jail, albeit a rather upscale one. In 1999, it was restored to its former glory and is now a handsome cocktail bar, complete with the original steel safe as a reminder of Mr Campbell's wealth. The place was spruced up by British designer Nina Campbell (no relation), who did it in 24 hours so the place didn't have to close. Such efficiency! 15 Vanderbilt Ave, New York. (Inside Grand Central Terminal.)

FREEMAN'S
Part bar, part taxidermy museum, part speakeasy, this secret spot hasn't been so secret since the word slipped out, but it's still a great little find. Filled with beautiful people dressed in their edgiest New York best, it's a darkly atmospheric bar and restaurant with a fascinating turn-of-the-century feel. It's difficult to find (keep going down the dead-end alley) but it's an experience when you get there.
Freeman Alley, New York.

THE NEW HERB GARDEN AT THE NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN
With a 50-acre forest, a grand Victorian glasshouse, a perennial garden and much more, the New York Botanic Garden is certainly worth a visit, but it's the new Nancy Bryan Luce Herb Garden that everyone's really talking about. With its glorious formal boxwood parterre and intriguing planting scheme, it makes for a serene – and scented – escape from the madness of Manhattan.  2900 Southern Boulevard Bronx, New York. {www.nybg.org}

PALEY PARK
New York doesn't have as many gardens as Paris or London, so when you discover them, usually by happy accident as you're marching from one must-see attraction to another, it's a wonderful surprise. Paley Park is one of these places. This "pocket park" is situated on West 53rd between Fifth and Madison and has been variously described "a corner of quiet delights" and "an urban oasis".There are ivy-covered walls, a grand waterfall, an ornate gate and an overhead canopy formed from locust trees. There's even a piece of the Berlin Wall – complete with bullet holes. It's a much-welcomed respite after hours striding up and down Fifth Avenue. {Via the great blog newyorkplantsandotherstuff.blogspot.com}

BRYANT PARK GRILL
While not exactly a secret (not much in New York really is!), this is nevertheless one of my favourite 'hidden' places. Few tourists come here, although it's beloved by New Yorkers who adore the leafy views of the park from the rooftop terrace. It's one of the loveliest places to dine in New York on a summer's night. You can find it behind the New York Public Library, on Bryant Park’s Upper Terrace between 40th and 42nd Streets. It's a first-come-first-service basis for the outdoor patio garden and rooftop garden, so be early! And if you can't get in, try the quirky bar and hideouts at the other end of the park – deckchairs, people watching and park pleasures galore. 25 West 40th Street New York. {Via the great blog blog.bryantpark.org}

BACK ROOM
Love the name, especially since it really is a 'back room'. Accessed through a gate marked 'Lower East Side Toy Company' (very witty considering the playthings inside), it's a whimsical speakeasy that's packing them into its dim corners. (If there's no bouncer, just let yourself in.) Great for clandestine meetings with people you shouldn't be having clandestine meetings with. Just one of the fab speakeasies that are sprouting up all over the city like cocktail umbrellas at Palm Beach, it's at 102 Norfolk St, New York. Another one is Raines Law Room, a luxe-louche lounge near the Flatiron that's found by way of a doorbell at the bottom of an unmarked staircase. You take your seat and then buzz another buzzer to summon the bartender. All very entertaining. 48 W 17th St, New York, New York.




More Secret New York tomorrow, with tips on hidden fashion and style hideaways, plus great hotels and places to get away.

Secret Paris

There are few things lovelier than discovering a side to a city you never knew existed. I call it the mille-feuille effect. You tap away the top layer and then realise there's another 20 just-as-luscious layers hiding beneath it.

It's even lovelier when those lower layers are discoveries you don't expect. Stumbling across a secret place or a little-known destination can really enrich a city and make a trip there truly memorable.

I'm often asked for unusual places to visit, and I love hearing suggestions from others in return. So I thought I'd do a little travel triptych of the top three international cities, Paris, London and New York, and the secret (or semi-secret) places that I love to visit whenever I'm lucky enough to be in these destinations. First up is Paris, and London and New York will follow in the next few days. I hope you enjoy! And do let me know of your favourite places too. I'd love to start a regular post on readers' picks!

SECRET PARIS

THE SECRET GARDENS OF HOTEL SULLY

Fodor's describes this early Baroque gem as "one of the city's loveliest hôtels particuliers", and I'd have to agree. Hôtel de Sully, on the Rue Saint-Antoine in the Marais (just near the Place des Vosges), is truly one of the city's best-kept secrets, and perhaps that's a good thing. Less people to obscure the glorious garden views. The classical formal gardens are a delight on a sunny day (or even a winter's one): quiet, free from Marais noise and traffic and with just enough people-watching to keep things interesting. I always detour through here on my way to the Place des Vosges. Rue Saint-Antoine, 4th.

LE SENAT HOTEL
Hotels open up in Paris faster than you can say "one Ladurée macaron, please", and it's always a challenge finding a decent, neat, semi-stylish and – more importantly – justifiably affordable one to stay in. (A hotel is ideal for anything less than 5 nights in Paris; more than that and it's best to hire an apartment.) But one – Le Senat – never disappoints. It's slightly more than I can afford but it's worth it. The position – right next to the Luxembourg Gardens in the 6th – is perfect, the breakfast room, bar and courtyard (above) are all charming without being pompous or twee, the balconied views of rooftops and Parisians in the street below are pure theatre, and the crisp, witty, monochrome rooms are the kind you emulate at home. Best of all, it offers baths – that rare Parisian treat! Big, luxurious, marble bath tubs. Just perfect after a day traipsing around the rues. 10 Rue de Vaugirard, 6th.

TROCADERO HOTEL
Forgive me if I've mentioned this hotel before: I'm utterly in love with it. So, too, is Armani: he books it out for his staff each Fashion Week. Formally known as the Radisson Blu Le Dokhan's Hotel, its fans just call it the Trocadero. (Well, who can remember the rest?) It's a gem of a place; a sweet boutique hotel with a beautiful, neo-classical decor. Rooms feature gorgeous Parisian beds, fab antiques and classic Parisian views, the elevator is lined with Louis Vuitton steamer trunks, and the Champagne Bar only serves – wait for it – Champagne! I would book it for my honeymoon but my partner hates Paris. Yes, I know. I'll just have to go alone. 117 Rue Lauriston, 16th.

LE BISTRO DU PEINTRE

Many Parisian regulars – including the jaded foodies who've seen it all – view the turn-of-the-century bistro known as Le Bistrot du Peintre ("The Painter's Bistro") as one of the most beautiful Belle Epoque dining spots in the city. It's out of the way, but boy, is it worth the walk. I adore coming here. Venturing into the 1902 Art Nouveau bar is like stepping back in time. Just entrancing. 116 Avenue Ledru Rollin,  11th.

7L BOOKSTORE

Karl Lagerfeld's bookstore is a little like the man himself: insightful, intelligent, full of wit, humour and surprises, and incredibly difficult to find. It stocks all the latest and greatest fashion, photographic, architecture, style and art releases, plus a few unexpected titles – many of them approved by the big man. Lagerfeld's studio is nearby, so if you're lucky you might see him wandering the streets – he often pops into bookstores nearby to assess their stock picks! 7 Rue Lille, 7th. 

L'EPICERIE DES SAINT PERES

Most Parisians (and a great many insightful foreigners) are well aware of Odorante florist, that sublime gallery of floral glamour in the 6th arrondissement. But few know of L'Epicerie, which is just up the road. The original L'Epicerie was a gourmet deli (and is still across the road), which offered (and still does) all sorts of delicacies for the perfect picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens. Well, now its little sister, a just-as-exquisite florist shop, offers you Parisian-pretty bouquets to take home and dress your hotel room. L’épicerie des Saints Pères, 23 Rue des Saint Pères, 6th.

PAUL BERT ANTIQUE AND FLEA MARKET

Lots of people head off early on a Saturday or Sunday to the famous Clignancourt markets to find themselves a French bargain. They get there, amid the tourist masses, shuffle down one or two alleys full of kitschy stuff, fight for breath in the stalls, and then get the train home again, exhausted and wondering what all the fuss was about. Well, let me guide you. Don't go to the flea markets without a proper plan (and a map). Or just go to Paul Bert. The Paul Bert and Serpette markets are two of the best in this enormous and exhausting place, with quality antiques and pieces that are ahead of, or in line with, the global trends. Vernaison is another that's popular but I prefer Paul Bert. Fabulous for seeing what's going to be in vintage/antique fashion in the months to come. 96 Rue des Rosiers and 18 Rue Paul Bert.