Côté Provence
Shopping
19th February, 2013
Côté Provence - a new store in Fitzroy. Photo - Brooke Holm.
More vintage finds at Côté Provence. Photo - Brooke Holm.
Vintage goodness at Côté Provence. Photo - Brooke Holm.
French antique goodness at Côté Provence. Photo - Brooke Holm.
Julie Barbey of Côté Provence. Photo - Brooke Holm.
I've been driving past this new shop in Fitzroy almost daily and watching it take shape over the past few weeks. It's in such a great old building, and is so full of AMAZING vintage finds, I almost wondered whether it had been there for years yet had somehow escaped my attention. But NO, it is indeed a BRAND NEW retail experience, and boy, is it a goldmine!
Côté Provence (or Côté, for short) is a new operation for local retail veterans Erik and Julie Barbey, who took possession of this amazing freestanding brick warehouse on Brunswick street late last year. Their previous business (also called Côté Provence) was a much more modest shopfront in Carlton North - specialising in beautiful French antiques, homewares and linen. The new space is about 4x the size of their old store! It still has an impressive range of French antique furniture and homewares, alongside a stunning edit of more rustic industrial pieces, such as leather couches, lighting, vintage signage and other ephemera.
Erik began his career at 20 in his native France, as an apprentice learning authentic French polishing and furniture restoration. This quickly led to a desire to buy and sell, which really became a pattern for the next 10 years. He met Julie overseas, and together the pair returned to Australia in 1991, opening their first retail store in Provincial Victoria in 1992.
Julie started her working career as a primary school teacher, however her love of all things vintage began as a child, with a strong influence from her maternal grandmother and a love of garage sales and op shops. Together Erik and Julie have put their name to a great number of retail ventures across Victoria - they've had antiques and furniture stores in Koroit, Port Fairy, Brunswick, Ascot Vale, Carlton North and now Fitzroy!
This one is well worth a fossick next time you're on the Northside!
Côté Provence
433 Brunswick St
Fitzroy
Amazing French antique bath at Côté Provence. Photo - Brooke Holm.
French antiques and ephemera at Côté Provence. Photo - Brooke Holm.
French antiques and ephemera at Côté Provence. Photo - Brooke Holm.
Vintage goodness at Côté Provence. Photo - Brooke Holm.
oooo hello gorgeous Cote – can’t wait to visit!
Inspiring…wish I lived closer in order to visit. Thanks.
Great addition to Brunswick st
oh! i drove past the other day. now i definitely need to pop in and buy the whole store. lovely!
I was in the other day and the owners are lovely and very helpful
I think I’m going to need to explore, and pick up a letter in red for my newborn Tully’s nursery.
http://Www.PoppyFoxathome.com
Must be time for a day shopping in Melbourne and will start at this beautiful new store.
That looks just about like heaven to me! :)
wow! antique looks and furniture seems divine to me…wow! furniture pictures are really amazing…My grand parents used this kind of antique furniture…We have some furniture…my husband replaced those..but I love antique furniture very much..because these are our origin…thanks
I’m very very interested in knowing what kind of sofa/sectional that is in the second photo? It looks like Patricia Urquolia’s but it is not.