This past June, Pierre Deux filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy; 22 Pierre Deux stores will ultimately close although some stores remain open to sell all remaining items in the store.

The brand has long been the go-to purveyor of French country style in the States.  From their patterned duffel bag to the classic French provincial printed fabrics for chair cushions, lamp shades, desk accessories, upholstered furniture and wallpaper, they have given us a glimpse of life (as we imagine it) in the South of France.  I was always drawn to their pewter frames and tableware, even though the cost was sometimes a little excessive in my opinion, but it was always the best of quality and beautiful in its simplicity.

A History of Pierre Deux

In 1967, a shop opened in Greenwich Village in New York City that would soon bring the beauty of French Country decor to America. The shop was opened by two men: Pierre Le Vec, an American of French background, and Pierre Moulin, a native Frenchman. Their passion for French art de vivre and the French country way of life drove them to establish Pierre Deux as a name synonymous with French Country décor in America.

Their antique furniture imported from the provinces sold well, but the curtains, pillows and fabrics they used to accent the furniture sold spectacularly. The business evolved to include décor for every room in the house. With guidance from our President and Creative Director, Hedwige Cointreau de Bouteville, and her husband, André Cointreau, the President of Le Cordon Bleu, America has rediscovered that the French Country style is a centuries-old one that is perfectly suited to adding warmth, charm and sophistication; the perfect complement to the American home.

It would appear you can still buy their wallpaper and fabrics from a variety of vendors that sell it.  I’m not sure if they will continue to produce the line of these items, it sounds like they are financially upside down, but it would be nice if one could still get the timeless provincial fabrics.

But with fierce competition in the market place via sources like eBay (for French antiques and decorative accessories), lots of online sources like Etsy, and a host of independent business people selling authentic French accents via their blog site, the end may have been inevitable.

If you’ve never had the good fortune to visit My French Country Home blog site, do so, I guarantee you will enjoy the stories shared by Sharon Santoni of her life in Normandy on a farm with her family.  In addition she has a Brocante where you can purchase wonderful French items, such as these wonderful candelabras, antique confit jars, a French door bell,  and the occasional novelty, an agricultural prize plaque.

~or~

French Garden House, a site that has new and old French items.

~or~

Griege is another wonderful blog site with the added benefit of shopping for beautiful French design just a click away.

That said, I will miss them (Pierre Duex).  Not because I purchased so much from them, I truly thought so many items were overpriced for what they were, but because there was always something appealing about their stores.  They did a wonderful job with the décor of each store.  Once they closed the Orange County store, I only had opportunity to shop when visiting Carmel, California.  The store in Carmel, before it moved to a much larger site, had a little French garden area where they sold an outdoor furniture line (I don’t believe it was their brand, but it was charming and suited a cottage garden).  I never drove into Los Angeles to shop the store located there.

 

So, I’ll miss you Pierre Deux and think fondly of your style when your name comes up.  Au revoir, dear friend.

{Thank you, Linda, for requesting this post, it was fun!}

I’m joining Sherry at No Minimalist Here for her Open House Party.  Be sure to stop by.