A French Affair

A sensory escape into the art of French living

To wander through France is to move through layers of time—each sense awakened by the landscape, the history, the everyday beauty that the French have elevated to ritual. The smell of vineyard soil in the Loire Valley, the clink of glasses in candlelit salons, the feel of linen at a sun-drenched table, the taste of sun-ripened preserves, the sight of an old château gate swinging open…

Inspired by this sensory richness, we’ve gathered a collection for the curious, the romantic, the aesthetes who find story in the smallest details. Come with us on a journey through five senses—each a passport to a more thoughtful way of living.

1. Smell: A Fragrant Legacy

Few things evoke memory and mood as instantly as scent. In the realm of fragrance, few names carry as much weight and heritage as Trudon—France’s oldest candle maker, tracing its lineage to 1643. Each candle is a small monument to history, crafted by master perfumers in Normandy using vegetal wax and hand-blown glass.

Whether it’s the incense-drenched shadows of a royal chapel or the velvety green hush of a palace garden, Trudon distills atmosphere into flame. These aren’t just candles. They’re time machines—burning with elegance, emotion, and extraordinary depth.

Pair a candle with Hibi incense, a minimalist matchbox of tranquility made in Japan, to extend your scent ritual into quiet mornings or moonlit nights.

2. Taste: The Art of Preserving

France understands that taste isn’t just about flavor—it’s about memory, tradition, and timing. The country’s reverence for terroir means that even something as humble as jam becomes an act of devotion.

We’ve selected two standouts:
L'Épicurien's Strawberry & Violet Preserves and Napoleon Forest Honey, both crafted in France at the peak of ripeness and aroma. Lush, fragrant, and floral, they transform the everyday—spread on a crust of bread, swirled into yogurt, or folded into a picnic tart.

A sip of French wine (perhaps from Château Haut-Larivet, shown in our flat lay) completes the story—flavor, grounded in place, swirling with history.

3. Touch: The Hand of the Artisan

Beneath it all, literally and figuratively, lies our block-printed starburst tablecloth, made in India using ancient woodblock printing techniques. Each cloth is a celebration of touch—the texture of carved wood, the softness of cotton, the labor of hands.

The palette evokes a French sunset: sand, indigo, coral, umber, and plum. Like stardust scattered across linen, the pattern invites celebration. It’s the kind of piece that anchors a gathering, softens a space, and reminds us of the beauty in choosing handmade.

It’s not just décor. It’s a foundation for memory-making.

4. Sight: Story in Every Detail

France is a country built on visual drama—from gilded châteaux to painted shutters, from architectural ruins to the curve of a wine bottle. To celebrate that, we turn to the book at the heart of this collection:
“Wine & Travel: France” by Assouline.

Oversized and opulent, this volume transports you through vineyards, villages, and elegant estates. Each page invites the eye to linger. It’s not just a travel guide—it’s an invitation to dream.

Scattered nearby are StoryTiles—tiny ceramic artworks from the Netherlands, but lovingly depicting scenes of Paris and wanderlust. They echo the romance of souvenirs from another era, carried home in pockets and remembered forever.

And tucked among them are Everyday Good Mood mints—playful and bright, a wink in a world of refinement. Because a sense of humor is just as French as a sense of style.

5. Sound: Echoes of Elegance

Though we can’t bottle sound, some objects make us hear things in our minds—a creaking gate, a cork pulled from a bottle, the hum of conversation over a glowing table. In this spirit, we included a few accents that suggest celebration:

A brass pepper mill, weighty and gleaming, with a satisfying twist

A golden corkscrew, elegant and sculptural, like a tool from a French wine cellar

A fluted brass napkin ring, echoing the soft clink of cutlery at a well-laid table

Each of these objects contributes to the rhythm of a gathering, the music of ritual, and the joy of being present.

A Way of Living

In the end, this is more than a curated collection. It’s a philosophy. The French have long shown us how to honor life’s little pleasures—not in grand gestures, but in the care of detail. A jam jar placed with intention. A book selected for dreaming. A table dressed in color and joy.

Each piece here invites you to pause, to gather, to live with a little more slowness and delight. Whether you’re sipping wine, lighting a candle, or unfurling a linen cloth beneath a bowl of cherries, may this be your permission slip to beauty.

Because to live well is not about excess. It’s about presence.

And in that, the French are the finest teachers.