Are you shopping for antique furniture or vintage or new furniture or home accessories?  Visit EuroLuxHome.com and save money with our Memorial Day furniture deals giving you a 10% or 20% discount on everything site-wide.  Now through Tuesday May 28, 2019, you get:

10% off everything with code SummerFun
20% off everything when your order totals over $2000 using coupon code RedWhite&Blue

Antique Louis XV Rococo Server Sideboard

Furniture Deals on Quality Pieces

This includes everything on our site, large or small, from items in our latest container of antique furniture from France to other fine European antiques, vintage lighting and decor, and high-quality new furniture and home accessories and furnishings.

Don't forget our free shipping on everything in the Continental US and some parts of Canada.

Our new arrivals of antique furniture from France includes gorgeous pieces that work beautifully in today's homes. Here are some of our favorites, if you want to use your discount code for any of these treasures!

For example, this terrific antique French Rococo sideboard or server, dating to 1880. It's pretty as a picture and perfectly practical, with generous storage space. An ornate Rococo style shell crowns the walnut sideboard, while the red marble counter top is perfect to serve wine, canapes, cheese and deserts.

Antique Art Nouveau ChairsArt Nouveau Furniture Deals

If you love Art Nouveau furniture, you will ooh-la-la and ooh and ah over this seductive set of six antique French Art Nouveau antique chairs.  The solid walnut wood construction and charming styling will look a treat in your home. A delightful addition to your dining room, these chairs will also work as side chairs in your bedrooms and living room. We also have the matching Art Nouveau dining table,   Art Nouveau buffet, and Art Nouveau server sideboard if you want to complete the suite! To read more about Art Nouveau Furniture, check out our post here!

Antique Brittany cabinetHeavily carved in rich chestnut wood, this antique French Brittany cabinet will be a talking point in your dining room, foyer or living room. The carved scenes of a man and a woman on the two doors of the cabinet depict good French country folk going about their rural working life. The figures sit beneath carvings of ship wheels which honor the maritime history of Brittany. Our website listing for the antique French Brittany cabinet shows more detailed photos of the stunning carvings on the front and sides of the cabinet, so check them out! And then imagine how useful the storage space will be too!

Dale Tiffany Sonota Ceiling Fixture

Lighting and more

Just to show you how our new antique-inspired lighting can be just as exquisite as our actual antiques, this newly crafted Dale Tiffany Sonata ceiling light is a joy to see. It is hand-crafted by Dale Tiffany artisans, inspired by an original antique Tiffany dragonfly light design. Each piece of glass is individually crafted using the same copper-foiled technique pioneered by the glass maestro Louis Comfort Tiffany. Each dragonfly wing is depicted with meticulous filigree detail and the shade hangs from an intricately cast metal canopy finished in dark antique bronze.

For more inspiration, browse our complete inventory of fine antique furniture from Europe, new furniture for every room in the house, plus antique religious treasures, ceramics, wall decor, throw pillows and other high-quality antique-inspired home accessories. Then take a discount off everything in your shopping basket when you enter the coupon code:

* SummerFun to get 10% off everything
* RedWhite&Blue to get 20% off everything when your order totals over $2000

The offer is valid now through May 28, 2019. However you choose to use your discount code, Greg and I wish you a very happy Memorial Day and happy home decor and antiques shopping![related_products is_auto_added="1"]

Are you shopping for antique furniture or vintage or new furniture or home accessories?  Visit EuroLuxHome.com and save money with our Memorial Day furniture deals giving you a 10% or 20% discount on everything site-wide.  Now through Tuesday May 28, 2019, you get: * 10% off everything with code SummerFun * 20% off everything when your order totals […]

We had some very tasty treats while we were on the road in France, Belgium and England on our big European antiques buying trip last summer. We did a lot of driving around hunting for antique furniture and vintage chandeliers and we kept our strength up with all kinds of delicious food.  The antiques we bought are now arriving in the gallery, having been shipped back to the USA. Each piece that I unwrap makes me think of the food we had on our European trip. Here are some of the tasty treats that we enjoyed on the road:

France Pastries in Case

We enjoyed many different delicious French pastries while we were on our Antiques Buying Trip in France,  As you can see from this lovely patisserie display, it's hard to pick just one.

Market Day 2 near Saint Hilaire de Harcouet

On a slightly healthier note, we also loved browsing the fresh produce at the food markets that you'll see in any French city or village. This is a photo of market day near Saint Hilaire de Harcouet during our Antiques Hunting trip in Normandy.

Market Day 3 near Saint Hilaire de Harcouet

The same market had a wide array of fantastic cheeses.

Market Day near Saint Hilaire de Harcouet

If you like cooking seafood, you would have some tempting choices at the Normandy market. Because we were on a road trip, it wasn't very practical for us to buy fresh seafood to prepare, but we certainly had some great restaurant meals!

Pastries and cafe au lait in France

I remember taking this photo on our last day in France before heading for England. I was going to miss the delicious French pastries and cafe au lait at breakfast!

English Breakfast

But on the bright side... while we were hunting around to Find Antique English Grandfather Clocks  we got to enjoy the full English breakfast that they fill up on in England, complete with baked beans and mushrooms. I'm not sure why they added a slice of watermelon, it isn't traditional, but it was nice and refreshing!

England Candy shop Lincoln

One of our favorite stops was Antiques Hunting around Lincoln Cathedral.  We strolled through the charming medieval town and were astonished at the beauty of Lincoln Cathedral. We couldn't resist a bite of home-made clotted cream fudge while hiking up Steep Hill. (Definitely worth the calories!) This candy store also sold Eton Mess, which is a mix of meringue, strawberries and whipped cream.

Ketchup Chips

Our other European adventure was buying vintage chandeliers in Belgium. We always have a lot of fun trying out the different flavors of potato chips. Only in Belgium...Ketchup Chips! We get them every time we are in Belgium because they are the best chips anywhere. Why Lays does not sell these in the US is beyond us!

Burger flavored chips

The next day's chip selection...Classic Burger flavor! Strange but good!

Beer Choices Beer Choices What to pick

The July 4th holiday happened while we were busy hunting for Antique Religious Treasures in Belgium.  Even though we were far from hom, we had to celebrate Independence Day, so we headed for a supermarket to find a celebratory bottle of beer. But what to choose? There was such a huge selection.

Happy 4th of July from Belgium beer

It was so hard to narrow down the Belgian beers to just one, so this was our final selection of choices. I picked two! Happy 4th July from Belgium![related_products is_auto_added="1"]

We had some very tasty treats while we were on the road in France, Belgium and England on our big European antiques buying trip last summer. We did a lot of driving around hunting for antique furniture and vintage chandeliers and we kept our strength up with all kinds of delicious food.  The antiques we […]

In my last blog post I gave you a roundup of the first of our top home decor and antiques blog posts of 2017. Here’s Part 2 with the remaining five of our top 10 posts from last year. It’s been interesting remembering some of the things we talked about in 2017 – we hope you enjoy seeing the highlights too!

6. Antique French Hunting Nightstand Transformed to Side Table

Antique French Hunting Nightstand cabinetAs part of our series of client spotlights, I told you about our creative customer Sarah K, in Seattle, WA, who bought an antique French Hunting nightstand from us to use in the living room rather than the bedroom! The French Renaissance Hunting style nightstand looks terrific repurposed as a side table in her living room and it provides useful storage space. See more photos and the full story in the Antique French Hunting Nightstand blog post.

7. Vintage Louis XV Vanity Chest of Drawers: Race Against Time

Vintage French Vanity

We had a fun delivery job when Interior designer Debbie bought this pretty vintage Louis XV marble-top vanity chest of drawers with mirror for her client in Sarasota, FL. Greg and I had a race against time to drive down and deliver the 1930 vintage French Rococo mahogany chest of drawers to the customer's guest room before a guest arrived to visit! But we made it in time and the chest with the beautiful white marble top looks perfect. See more photos of the stunning house and the vintage vanity in the Louis XV Vanity Chest of Drawers blog post.

8. The Craft of Distressed Furniture

Jonathan Charles distressed deskSometimes our customers want new pieces that just look old. We have plenty of beautiful antique-inspired furniture that is newly crafted but with an aged and distressed look, so we are happy to help out! In my blog post Distressed Furniture I explained what to look out for when buying newly distressed furniture and how some of our furniture makers work their magic to achieve their distressed furniture finishes. I followed up with posts on the casual appeal of weathered furniture and the beauty of verdigris and rusted metal decor.

9. Timeless Regency Style

Regency style Decor

Regency style remains popular in furniture and home design as it is so classic and beautiful to live with.

We have many antique-inspired pieces in our online furniture store that draw on the Regency style and I know how much our customers admire the look, even if they don't have a grand hallway like the one in the photo!

So, as part of our blog post series called Learn History and Styles, I wrote about the Timeless Majesty of Regency Style Furniture, explaining the origins and the key design elements to look for.

10. Antiques Buying Trip in France, England and Belgium

Lincoln Medieval townWe had a wonderful adventure this year with one of our antiques buying trips to Europe. We took our blog readers along for the ride too, to see the treasures we found and to see the sights!

We did quite a lot of driving around several countries and we did a very great deal of packing and unpacking various vans and containers.

Antiques shopping in France

By the end of this trip, we could compete in the Olympics, if the Olympics had an event to pack as many antiques as possible in the smallest possible space!

If you don't believe me, check out the post on buying vintage chandeliers in Belgium, where Greg showed off his mad truck packing skills to fit 85 chandeliers in the back of one van.

These are some of the other blog posts about the antiques buying trip in Europe, and we hope you enjoy seeing the photos of the places as well as the antiques we found:

Where the antiques hideAntiques Buying Trip in France

Antiques Hunting in Normandy

Finding Antique English Grandfather Clocks

Antique Religious Treasures in Belgium

Antiques Hunting around the fabulously beautiful Lincoln Cathedral in England

Well, I guess I cheated a little there by sneaking in the other posts on the buying trip, but it is hard to pick just one from the entire adventure!

We are looking forward to another adventurous year and we hope that you have a wonderful 2018 too!

If you missed Part 1 of our top 10 antiques and home decor blog posts of 2017, you can see the other five at the link.[related_products is_auto_added="1"]

In my last blog post I gave you a roundup of the first of our top home decor and antiques blog posts of 2017. Here’s Part 2 with the remaining five of our top 10 posts from last year. It’s been interesting remembering some of the things we talked about in 2017 – we hope […]

Antiques buying trip Greg DrivingWe found some lovely grandfather clocks in Belgium. If you’ve been following the story of our antiques buying trip in France and Belgium, you’ll remember that on our last stop we arrived in England where our hotel overlooked the fantastically beautiful Lincoln Cathedral.

Now it was time to hit the road and go antiques hunting!   Greg managed to drive us around all day on the wrong side of the road from the wrong side of the rental car and not hit anything!

Grandfather clocks July 11

Grandfather Clocks Galore

We were in Lincoln to meet up with antique clock dealers, and we were especially on the hunt for handsome antique grandfather clocks. We found them!

Antique Grandfather Clocks

We also visited Hardwick Hall, built in the 1590s by Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury, or Bess of Hardwick as she is often known. Bess of Hardwick is one of my favorite historical figures as she was the second wealthiest woman in England after Elizabeth I, which was unheard of during Elizabethan times.

Hardwick Hall, England

Bess of Hardwick"Hardwick Hall, more glass than wall" is a local saying, because it was so rare for houses to have glass windows back in Elizabethan England.  Glass was very expensive and of course it is fragile, so you had to have lots of money to afford it.

Bess of Hardwick was a shrewd businesswoman and she had both the cash and the vision for this innovative house. You can just about see her initials ES on top of the turrets of the house. This is a portrait of her.

July 13 bed

Elizabethan Clocks and Other Decor

Inside the house there are many fine Elizabethan tapestries and embroidered textiles, Ming dynasty ceramics, 17th and 18th century tester beds and other antiques.

The Sea-Dog Table is one famous piece, made in Paris in about 1570. It is ornately carved in walnut with mythical beasts -- winged dogs with fishes' tails

Antique French Table

Bletchley ParkBletchey Park

Fast forward from the 16th century to the 20th century... During our trip to England we also enjoyed a day off with a visit to Bletchley Park where Alan Turing and the code breakers worked during World War II.  It used to be a top-secret location but now it's open to the public.  It's a very different house to Hardwick Hall and a very different piece of history, but just as fascinating.

I can't wait to share photos with you of the antique clocks and furniture and vintage chandeliers we bought in Europe on our buying trip, but that will have to wait until the container arrives and we can unpack everything![related_products is_auto_added="1"]

We found some lovely grandfather clocks in Belgium. If you’ve been following the story of our antiques buying trip in France and Belgium, you’ll remember that on our last stop we arrived in England where our hotel overlooked the fantastically beautiful Lincoln Cathedral. Now it was time to hit the road and go antiques hunting!  […]

Sacre Coeur in Paris

If you've been following the story of our antiques buying trip in France and Belgium, you'll know that our next stop is England!

At this stage in our adventure we had finished our tour around France and Belgium and returned our big rental van in Paris. It had been packed with antiques that we bought, but now we had time to hike up to Sacre Coeur for a final view of the city.

It was beautiful but hot at 100 degrees temperature!
I was definitely ready for cooler temps in England.

Meanwhile, we enjoyed the view over Paris:

View from Sacre Coeur in Paris

Then we flew to Manchester, England. When we checked in to our hotel in Lincoln, we discovered another great view. This was the view from our hotel window - Lincoln Cathedral!
View from our hotel LincolnWe were in Lincoln to meet up with antique clock dealers, but the sight of this cathedral was just too tempting. Here's another view of the cathedral:

Lincoln Cathedral view

We had a few minutes free so we decided to go in. I have seen quite a few European cathedrals in my travels, but I have to say that Lincoln Cathedral may be the most fantastically beautiful one I have ever seen.

Lincoln Cathedral Interior

Lincoln Cathedral stained glass window The first cathedral was built here 1088 but after an earthquake (a very unusual event in England) they had to start rebuilding in 1192. The nave was built in the Early English Gothic style, as you can see in the photo above.

The cathedral was the tallest building in the world until 1549! It is still the third largest cathedral in Britain in terms of floor area.

This beautiful stained glass window is so detailed, it's amazing to think how old it is.

Find the carved imp

The carvings are wonderful and they are everywhere. Find the imp! He looks like foliage at first glance but he sits in the corner above the carved head. It's a medieval joke!

Lincoln Medieval town

We also strolled through the charming medieval town before we got down to business searching for antiques. It was all very colorful.

July 11

Greg couldn't resist trying on this traditional English bowler hat. We'll leave it to your imagination to wonder whether he bought it or not! In my next blog post, I'll show you some of the fantastic grandfather clocks that we saw, and more of the English sights we enjoyed.[related_products is_auto_added="1"]

If you’ve been following the story of our antiques buying trip in France and Belgium, you’ll know that our next stop is England! At this stage in our adventure we had finished our tour around France and Belgium and returned our big rental van in Paris. It had been packed with antiques that we bought, […]

We continued our European antiques buying trip in Belgium, where we found a wonderful array of Belgian furniture and religious treasures to ship home, as well as antique furniture. In my last blog post I wrote about the antique and vintage chandeliers we found in Belgium.  So let's have a look at our next discoveries.

antique religious treasures

We were mainly driving around France, Belgium and England to visit antique stores and dealers so we could find pieces to ship back to the USA. However, on one day in Belgium we helped clear out a house and we found some great religious pieces. Apparently the lady that died was the girlfriend of the local priest! That would explain why she had so many exquisite crucifixes and religious statues.

Antique religious statues from Belgium

Quality Belgian Furniture

Here are some of the statues we found. The details on the Madonnas and saints are beautiful. You can see that the hand-painted robes and faces on the figures still show bright colors and there isn't much sign of wear and tear. They were obviously well-cared for and loved, and probably kept in a fairly shady room so the colors didn't get bleached by the sun.

Antique Store in Belgium

We also bought some wonderful antique furniture in Belgium. In my post about our antiques buying trip in France I shared a photo of a very picturesque antique shop in Normandy and some other stores that were packed to the rafters,. But this one in Belgium was a first!  This dealer uses an old grocery store as a warehouse. I guess it is called "upcycling!"

Will all the antiques fit in the van

Belgian Furniture Galore!

At the end of our buying trip in Belgium we had a huge bounty of furniture and religious treasures, as well as 85 vintage chandeliers. The chandeliers were all individually wrapped and you can't see them in this photo. We pack them inside the big furniture so they are protected and also to make the most of every inch of space. But just imagine 85 individually wrapped chandeliers!  So now the question was: Could we fit everything we had bought in Belgium in THIS rented van?

Inside the van

And the answer was.... Nope! It worked out to be about three van loads. But we managed to get everything safely transported. Next, our very full shipping container will set off for the USA in the last week in July and land in Charleston about 4 weeks later. Then the real work begins!

As for me and Greg, we drove back to Paris to turn in the van, and then we flew to England to drive around the Midlands looking for grandfather clocks and Chesterfield leather sofas. That's another story for my next blog post!

European Furniture at EuroLuxHome.com

Belgian furniture is always impressive. Whether you choose a dining table, side table, set of dining chairs or a coffee table, the craftsman of Belgium always pull through. Maybe a Belgian style sideboard is what your living room needs. Outdoor furniture is also an option. Many of these pieces were crafted in the 19th century, and have stood the test of time. For your bedroom furniture needs, we'd suggest an Art Deco bookcase, a chest of drawers, or maybe a set of floor lamps or table lamps. From Mid-Century Modern decor to antique excellence, we've got the interior design pieces for you.

Catholic Home Decor

We have a wide selection of Catholic home decor as well. These range from personalized wall decor such as wall art, as well as Jesus figurines. Quality tabletop and wall decorations can be the perfect Catholic gift idea. Maybe a wall hanging bible verse or art print is what you need to express your faith in God. At EuroLuxHome, we have a centerpiece for every style. These home decorations could make a great housewarming gift or wedding gift for your favorite follower of Jesus Christ. Maybe a piece of Catholic wall decor, such as Catholic wall art featuring a Psalm if what you need. From dining room to entryway, Modern Farmhouse style seating to canvas prints, wood signs and bible verse wall art, EuroLuxHome.com has you covered.[related_products is_auto_added="1"]

We continued our European antiques buying trip in Belgium, where we found a wonderful array of Belgian furniture and religious treasures to ship home, as well as antique furniture. In my last blog post I wrote about the antique and vintage chandeliers we found in Belgium.  So let’s have a look at our next discoveries. […]

The next stop on our antiques buying trip in Europe was Belgium, which Greg calls his second home. I already wrote about our travels around France as we hunted for antique treasures to ship home to the USA, and you can read our last French antiques-hunting blog post here. As we drove our rented van into Belgium, we guessed we'd have an interesting time ahead of us, and we did. Well, Greg and his muscles did...

Finding Belgian vintage chandeliers

We were very happy to find some treasure troves of antique and vintage chandeliers.  Soon the numbers mounted up....

Antique Chandleliers from Belgium

As Greg said (sang): "30 chandeliers on a pile in the van, 30 chandeliers on a pile, take one down and sell it online... 29 chandeliers on a pile in the van."  By the time we finished buying vintage chandeliers in Belgium, we had 85 chandeliers in the back of the van!

antique Renaissance dining set

I also bought the largest blue Delft vase we've ever seen - 2 1/2 feet tall! And I love all the details in this amazing antique Renaissance dining set with a Gothic iron chandelier. We bought it all to ship back to the USA because we know our customers will love these pieces.

antique buffet carving

This is a close-up of one of the carvings on the enormous antique Renaissance buffet. You will notice how fine the detail is. You can almost see the movement in the gentleman's tunic.

Gothic iron chandelier

The iron Gothic chandelier is also spectacular. The ironwork is superb, as you can see in the figure here in full armor...

Iron Gothic Chandelier

Now Greg had an even bigger packing job on his hands, between all the chandeliers and furniture. Could he fit everything in the van?

Greg packing antique chandeliers

You bet he could! Greg has mad truck packing skills. I'd back him against anyone to get the largest quantity of fragile and beautiful antiques packed safely and tightly in the fastest time. Greg says that his superpower is probably from all the Tetris he played as a kid.

In our next adventure in Belgium, you can see some of the wonderful religious treasures that we found, which have a surprising story behind them! For more info on chandeliers, check out our guide here.[related_products is_auto_added="1"]

The next stop on our antiques buying trip in Europe was Belgium, which Greg calls his second home. I already wrote about our travels around France as we hunted for antique treasures to ship home to the USA, and you can read our last French antiques-hunting blog post here. As we drove our rented van […]

Greg and I have been in Paris and Northern France on an antiques buying trip before we head off to Belgium and England to find even more antique treasures. We already posted about the first days of our antiques buying trip in France, so here's the next adventure in our European Pickers tour 2017!

Normandy Antiques Shop

This is one of the antiques shops that we visited. Greg loves these old half-timbered buildings in Normandy.

However, our travels aren't always so charming. In one place we arrived at what we thought was an antiques store, only to find a pile of junk and rubble. It looked more like a place where old cars go to die! And the less "glamorous" side of antique hunting in Europe is sitting in a grocery store parking lot trying to confirm where to head next!

Our cell phones make life easier, unlike our earlier days of antique hunting in France where we had to rely on paper maps and public phones. Travelers' tip: We have a Travel Pass with Verizon and can use our phones just like in the US for $10 per day. It's totally worth it!

shopping for antiques

This was one of our more successful destinations. Antique jackpot! If you spot something in this photo and you want to buy it, there's no point telling us to pick out the second chair from the left in the third row from the back! We've been and gone already!

Where the antiques hide

So this is where the antiques hide! Sometimes you have to dig around a bit.

antiques picking in France

And we realized at another destination that sometimes you have to climb up to the highest vantage point to find the good stuff! You can spot Greg down there somewhere.

Carving on buffet

As a sample of some of the good stuff we found, this is a fantastic carving on an antique buffet. Look at the detail... it's really wonderful.  We look forward to welcoming this fine gentleman to the USA soon, once we have shipped him home. He has no idea of the voyage ahead of him!

Therese of Lisieux

Our last stop in France was the second most visited pilgrimage site after Lourdes, the birthplace of Saint Therese of Lisieux. Known as the "Little Flower," she suggested doing many small good deeds as a way to express piety, for which she was canonized in 1925. We have sold antique statues of Saint Therese a hundred times over the years, so we knew that when we had the chance to see the real deal, we needed to go!

Van

We picked up this van in France so we could transport our purchases as we travel around France.

Next we head in the van to Belgium, which Greg calls his second home.

In my next blog post I'll show you our travels in Belgium and the amazing treasure trove of chandeliers we found. The next puzzle will be... can Greg fit them all in the back of the van along with all the chairs and other furniture?[related_products is_auto_added="1"]

Greg and I have been in Paris and Northern France on an antiques buying trip before we head off to Belgium and England to find even more antique treasures. We already posted about the first days of our antiques buying trip in France, so here’s the next adventure in our European Pickers tour 2017! This is […]

Bonjour from France! Greg and I landed in Paris at the weekend on an antiques buying trip around Northern France, Belgium and England. Come along for the ride! We've been posting more photos as we go on our EuroLux Facebook page so you can follow us there too and see pictures of the treasures we find.

Antiques shopping in France

Our first stop in France? We immediately hit the famous antique market in Saint Ouen. This market is in a suburb of Paris just north of the popular tourist area of Montmartre which is crowned by the lovely Sacré-Cœur Basilica.

Antiques hunting in France

Basilica of St DenisFrench Antiques and French Glamor

There was lots to see, and sometimes the most wonderful antiques are tucked away in unexpected places so you have to keep your eyes wide open! This started getting difficult by the time we'd spent the day antiques shopping. We could barely keep our eyes open at all with the jet lag kicking in! So we decided to visit the Basilica of Saint-Denis. As you can see, it was a perfect sunny day.

The Basilica of Saint-Denis was the very first Gothic cathedral ever built. It has been on my bucket list for many years and was even more beautiful in person! Many of our French antiques are inspired by designs just like this.

Basilica of St Denis Paris

The Basilica is in Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The choir was completed in 1144 and was the first example of a building that used all the elements of Gothic architecture.

We sell quite a lot of antique French Gothic furniture and new pieces with Gothic influences, so it was fascinating to see the building that led the way for this entire style!

Inside Basilica

Stained Glass

The stained glass is exquisite, as you can see from this rose window. Most French kings between the 10th and the 18th centuries were buried here at the Basilica, and French Queens were often crowned here too. It became a place of pilgrimage for many.

antique French Prie DieuThen we headed off to Normandy and Brittany for a few days, in search of more French antiques. In Normandy one of my favorite picks of the day was this gorgeous antique prie-dieu prayer chair circa 1890.  I always buy a prie-dieu chair when I find a good one! Prie-dieu literally means "Pray god" and people use it as a knee rest in their prayers and as a support for prayer books. We'll reupholster the padded knee rest in red velvet.

French Chateau FougeresSometimes when you're on the road on an antiques buying trip, things don't turn out quite as expected. Greg and I have learned that if the addresses on your list don't pan out but there is a massive chateau nearby, stop for the chateau instead!  This is in the medieval part of Fougeres, on the Brittany-Normandy border.

We hope you enjoyed this glimpse into our antiques buying trip in France. More photos and stories to follow and you can see more from our journey on our Facebook page! To see more of our buying trips, check out our post here![related_products is_auto_added="1"]

Bonjour from France! Greg and I landed in Paris at the weekend on an antiques buying trip around Northern France, Belgium and England. Come along for the ride! We’ve been posting more photos as we go on our EuroLux Facebook page so you can follow us there too and see pictures of the treasures we […]

One of the things I miss the most about living in Germany, especially at this time of year, is browsing around the Christmas markets, or Weihnachtsmarkte, that are found in big cities and small towns across Germany. You may have even heard of the most famous Christmas markets in Nurnberg or Munich, but my favorite Christmas market is in Cologne.Cologne Christmas Market

Sitting at the base of the huge Gothic Cathedral, the Christmas market fills the large town square with booth-after-twinkling-booth of things to delight your eye!

CologneMarket5

A large Christmas tree stands above the concert stage in the middle of the market, which is always filled with carol singers accompanied by musicians. There are booths filled with sparkling glass Christmas ornaments in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

CologneMarket7

There are booths filled with hand-crafted wooden toys, jolly wooden nutcrackers and smokers, and all sorts of gifts to take home to your family and friends.

Christmas Toys at CologneMarket
There are booths filled with giant cookies that say Ich Liebe Dich! (I love you!) and roasted nuts that smell incredible as you walk by.

CologneMarket Christmas nuts and cookies

Even bundled up in winter coats, scarves and mittens, eventually you begin to feel the cold as you wander through the booths, each more colorful and inviting than the next. It’s time for Gluhwein!

CologneMarket11 Gluhwein

CologneMarket9
Spiced warm wine, or hot chocolate if you prefer, in souvenir mugs is just the thing to warm your hands – and, after a couple of mugs, your toes and nose too!

But my absolute favorite is the booth with the chocolate dipped fruit! Christmas-Market-Chocolate Fruit

Skewers of chocolate-dipped fresh fruit – pieces of bananas, pineapples, grapes, strawberries – dipped in white chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate – it is divine!

Although not found at the Christmas markets, my favorite meal at this time of year in Germany is Christmas goose.

ChristmasGooseDinnerIf you’ve never had goose, you’ve missed out. It is mouth-wateringly delicious! It tastes similar to duck and is traditionally served with Klopse (round steamed potato dumplings), rotkohl (pickled red cabbage) and roasted chestnuts – my all-time favorite German meal.

Gluhwein recipe

Although I’ll miss out on the Christmas goose and chocolate-covered fruit this year, I’ll be reminiscing while trying out this Gluhwein recipe I found on Pinterest!

It calls for 1 bottle of dry red wine, 1 cup of brandy, 1 sliced lemon, and 3 sliced oranges. To add the spice, stir in 6 sticks of cinnamon, 8 to 10 cloves, and 3 to 5 whole anis. Mix in 3 tablespoons of sugar then simmer for 45 minutes.

Prost![related_products is_auto_added="1"]

One of the things I miss the most about living in Germany, especially at this time of year, is browsing around the Christmas markets, or Weihnachtsmarkte, that are found in big cities and small towns across Germany. You may have even heard of the most famous Christmas markets in Nurnberg or Munich, but my favorite […]

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