What is Brocante Style?

What is brocante style? Brocante style is a French-inspired decorating style that blends vintage and antique pieces into your decor! 

Brocante style is a popular decorating style that is French-inspired.  Brocante style is a way to create a charming and unique living space by blending vintage and antique pieces with a few more modern or traditional pieces.  Does that sound intriguing to you?  If the answer is “yes”, you are in the right place!  I have been decorating “Brocante Style” for years!  Chances are you have too!

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Before we really get started

No matter how you arrived here today, whether you are one of my regular readers or you found me on a link party, Google or Hometalk, I am so glad you are here!  My name is Kimberly and I have a passion for flowers (a former florist) and flour (a former pizzeria owner) and many things in between!  Especially rusty and chippy items! I love to share all the things I have learned over the years.  Sometimes I tell stories about my life.  Other times, I will share a craft, a decorating tip or a recipe. I hope you enjoy your thyme here today and learn at least one thing during your visit!

Let’s Get Started!

Where Did Brocante Style Originate?

Brocante style is inspired by French flea markets and antique shops.  Generally speaking,  the definitions of  Brocante include the terms vintage or second hand items that are sold at a  flea market or similar venue.  It is a French term that can mean regularly held events such as flea markets.  One who sells antique and vintage goods are called brocanteurs in France.  I guess you could call me a former brocanteur since I used to set up at flea markets, antique shows and hold estate sales!

Brocante style is all about finding beauty in the imperfections of vintage and antique pieces, and incorporating them into your home decor in a way that feels authentic and personal. Brocante style is often associated with a shabby-chic aesthetic, but it can also be combined with other design styles to create a unique look.  My unique style of decorating that I call “Kim Style” is rooted in world of brocante!

“Kim Style“

Brocante Style Embraces the Beauty of Imperfection

Brocante style is all about embracing the beauty of imperfection. Vintage and antique pieces many times have signs of wear and tear, but that’s what makes them unique and adds character to your decorating.  Feel free to mix and match different pieces.  Everything doesn’t need to be perfectly coordinated. The charm of brocante style comes from the eclectic mix of items that tell a story and reflect your personal style. So, embrace the imperfections and let your creativity shine through in your home decor.

These vintage ice cream chairs have some rust on them.  The wicker coffee table is showing some wear.  Those things are the things that speak to me and help make my decorating style my own.

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I am sure some people think I am crazy but I just love the patina of old rust!

Mix Vintage and New Pieces

One of the key elements of brocante style is the blending of vintage and new pieces. Don’t be afraid to incorporate modern furniture or decor items into your vintage-inspired space. The contrast between old and new can create a unique and interesting look. For example, you could pair a vintage wooden table with modern chairs, or hang a vintage mirror above a sleek, modern console table. The possibilities are endless, so have fun experimenting with different combinations.

In complete transparency, this element is a bit of a challenge for me. Primarily because I simply don’t have a lot of “new” or modern pieces of furniture.  But if I did, I would use both styles in my decor!

The rectangle table we have on the lanai has a glass top.  I wouldn’t call it modern but it is “new” compared to most of my things! Below is a photo of how I decorated it one Easter using a mix of vintage dishes.

Easter Tablescape ; Farmhouse Style

Incorporate Elements from Nature

Another way to enhance the brocante style in your home decor is to incorporate natural elements. This can include anything from fresh flowers and plants to woven baskets and wooden accents. Natural materials add warmth and texture to a space, and can help create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. Consider adding a woven rug or a wooden coffee table to your living room, or hanging a collection of botanical prints on your walls. These small touches can make a big impact on the overall look and feel of your home.

I love to use both fresh and faux flowers.  Mason jars make perfect vases for either type of flower!

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Enamel vessels and glass jars also make great containers for your flower bouquets.

Add Personal Touches With Sentimental Items

Brocante style is all about incorporating vintage and antique pieces into your home decor, but it’s also important to add personal touches and sentimental items. These can include family heirlooms, vintage photographs, or items collected during travels. These items not only add character and charm to your space, but they also tell a story and make your home feel more personal and unique. Consider displaying these items on a gallery wall or incorporating them into your shelving decor.

The old bookcase below is filled with old books, garden pottery, ironstone and more.  It sits on top of an old scrub top table in my office.

This vintage sailor shirt belonged to my Mom.  I found it when I was going thru the downsizing process.

 

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Where to find Brocante for Your Brocante Style Decor

If traveling to Paris to visit a true brocante market isn’t possible right now, where can you find items similar to ones you would see at a brocante? Local flea markets, antique shows, and even antique shops are great venues to find unique brocante style items.

The spring events or shows are generally great venues to get pieces for your garden or other outside uses.  I was fortunate to be able to attend the Round Top, Tx spring show last March.  I even found a treasure or two!

Local antique shops can be a wonderful resource for vintage or flea market style items.

Garage Sales, Tag Sales and Estate Sales are excellent places to find your favorite items.

Facebook Marketplace and Craig’s List are two other sources of places to find brocante .  My cousin in Indianapolis found this piece for me on Craig’s List in Zionsville, IN a couple of years ago.

I brought it to Florida and now use it in my office.  It is a piece of brocante that holds other pieces of brocante!

Auctions are another great places to find brocante.  As part of my downsizing process, I sent a number of  items that would be considered brocante to the auction.  You can read about the downsizing process here:

and here:

and even here:

Yes, I know…. the downsizing was a long process.  Even though the farmhouse has been sold, I am still trying to find places to store all my things!

anyway…. back to where you can find brocante items……

Sometimes, a person can even shop their own house to find vintage items that they had forgotten they had.

Or they can repurpose a vintage item in order to give it new life!  This old hog feeder now makes a great accent piece!

To Learn More About Brocante:

Brocante; What in the World is Brocante?