I accompanied my husband on a current work journey to France—three cities in 5 days. We solely had just a few free hours in Marseille and the rain by no means stopped. Regardless of: we headed to Maison Empereur: France’s oldest and most esteemed ironmongery shop, which, in Remodelista phrases, is likely one of the world’s nice pilgrimage locations (it’s additionally considered one of France’s EPVs or Residing Heritage Corporations).
In enterprise since 1827 and unfold throughout two labyrinthine flooring close to Marseille’s previous port, Maison Empereur carries on the custom of the good on a regular basis items store. It’s presently run by sixth and seventh generations of the Empereur household: Laurence Renaux Empereur, whose canny curation has put the shop on the worldwide buying map, and her son, Martin Guez Empereur.
It’s crammed with all types of intriguing issues, some 50,000 of them, a lot of which really feel like thrilling discoveries, akin to Papier d’Armenie, booklets of paper incense; woven pink Lamp Cable; and wooden-handled Cleansing Brushes for Electrical Shops. And, sure, Maison Empereur has an in depth on-line store. However most memorable for somebody like me, who goals of found rooms and time journey, is the joys of exploring a dwelling relic—one with subsequent to no seen intrusions from the twenty first century.
Images courtesy of Maison Empereur.
Maison Empereur has occupied the identical block for the reason that 1860s, however when Laurence took over, it had unfold into 4 linked shops. She consolidated them into one location however preserved the twists and turns that lead from one division to the subsequent. Laurence additionally revealed a e book concerning the retailer and its historical past. And, this week, she opened a Maison Empereur pop-in in Paris: scroll to the top for a glance.