Merci

By Anette Eckmann on July 21, 2011
in Architecture, Design, Food, Interior, Travel with Comments Off

Where do you find your inspiration?

That’s a question I often get. And the answer is – everywhere? I’m the type of person, who’s always vigilant, notebook and camera at hand, and new glasses on the tip of the nose!

I love to travel and the last time I went to Paris, I came across this wonderfully inspiring shop named Merci. As you probably know, Merci means Thank you in French, and thank you for the tip about visiting the shop situated in the Marais quarter in Paris, a tip that I’m happy to share with you readers.

On y va tous!

Since its opening in March 2009, everyone has been flocking to Merci, not just the trendy Parisians. Over night the shop has become the HOT SPOT of the world, an absolute must-go-to place.

Merci is located in a three-storey building covering roughly 1500 square metres. Behind the store we find Bernard and Marie-France Cohen (also known for their luxury children’s label Bonpoint) who’ve come up with the altruistic concept of donating all of the shop’s proceeds to a children’s charity first and foremost in Madagascar.

I’m happy to admit that I spent hours in the shop, so don’t expect to run through in five minutes, there are plenty of great ideas to steal. The decor is breathtaking, each item for sale is carefully selected and the overall ambience is just perfect. The music, the smells, the packaging – everything just made sense.

Merci stocks a superb mix of furniture, arts and crafts, designer and vintage clothing, there’s even a lovely flower shop. And the book café Bouquinist, decorated with new and old books from floor to ceiling, is just amazing. On the lower floor, there’s a very popular small restaurant that serves lunch. Be prepared to wait in line, but don’t give up, the salads are truly scrumptious. Not to mention their teas – I tried the “Spice me up!” with fresh ginger and lemon.

The philanthropic idea behind the shop is courageous and it’s not exactly cheap, but I hope the good intentions will work and that others might feel inspired and generously donate their profit to help children in need.

Merci Merci – I’ll soon be back.