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French country furniture - get the look

11 September, 2009 06:02:00 Sasha Wyatt-Minter

Transforming your kitchen, dining room or patio into a scene from Provence is all the rage and Sam McDonald of Simply Sam offers the furniture and the know-how.....

Simply Sam Antiques Brocante is situated in Nottingham Road in the beautiful Natal Midlands. In the true sense of the meaning 'Brocante', being a French Second Hand Street Market, they offer a range of vintage, Antique and new items including collectables, furniture and many gift ideas, ranging in style from Vintage, Antique, Retro to newly made local Designerware.

I came across Sam's shop recently, where I bought an old ball and claw couch which Sam suggested I paint white. I covered the old velvet cushions in a pale blue fabric with pink roses and it's now the most talked-about piece of furniture on my patio.

www.all4women.co.za spoke to Sam McDonald, owner of Simply Sam, about her passion for old and beautiful things and getting the French country furniture look...

How long have you had your shop and how did you come to Nottingham Road?

Simply Sam Antique Brocante and Gifts opened in 2007 in the Hamlet of Fort Nottingham, but moved to the Country Courtyard Centre (next to Café Bloom on the R103) in May 08 as this is a busier part of the Midlands Meander.

The name Brocante comes from the vintage street markets one finds in Europe, particularly France. Incidentally the word Brocanteur is looked upon in France as a wheeler dealer even though for many years people have tried to ‘upgrade’ the name to the status of Antiques Dealer or someone who ‘deals’ in the sale of ‘old’ furniture, similar to that of Entrepeneur which actually means someone who deals in the sale of New Furniture.

Coming from Nottingham in England, it felt only natural to move to Nottingham SA, especially as the area got its name from Nottingham England when Soldiers were sent from the Nottingham over 150yrs ago to protect the locals from marauding Bushmen. So to think I am living in an area where my own people once lived is very sentimental.

We bought our property, which is over 100yrs old, in the Hamlet of Fort Nottingham a couple of years before we made our ‘down shifting’ move from Pretoria in 2007, a beautiful area which is very much like England, set in a nature reserve. The restoration of our ‘wood and iron’ property is a continuous project.

What type/period of furniture is your particular passion?

I love English/French shabby chic, with the emphasis on chic, though I love an eclectic style. I have an old ‘record cabinet’, for instance, from the 60’s which fits my ever growing collection of English and French interior magazines perfectly. Giving furniture a new lease on life is my best and so satisfying, especially if I am the one who has recognised its potential and even better if I didn’t have to spend a fortune buying it.

What type of furniture/collectable do you specialise in?

I have to say eclectic, (loosely termed), ‘fashionable’ interiors where Colonial sits comfortably with Retro, and Georgian is accepting in its grandeur placed comfortably alongside Granny’s Victorian sofa. This allows for individual tastes and expenditure in a family home, where we are all different, and this is what makes a house a home, not a show room.

What are customers looking for? For eg antiques to display in their homes or interesting pieces to paint or adapt?

With the current recession there is a greater move towards customers buying antiques as an alternative investment option. For those who don’t have that luxury, but still want to create a beautiful home, updating or restoring a vintage piece of furniture is both a satisfying and affordable option, besides being eco friendly with the current nod towards recycling.

Is the French country look a popular one?

Extremely so! The French flair, like the old English style, has quality furnishings that last, creating a wonderful ‘lived in’ chic.

How do you go about creating the Provence country look in a home?

Start with paging through the beautiful French magazines on offer to give you inspiration. Purchase the best furniture you can afford and don’t be scared to paint it. Keep an eye on the types of colours used when choosing paints for your walls and furniture, and add touches of gold leaf and Velvet to give your interior that touch of opulence.

Purchase worn Persians, vintage looking fabrics to make into cushions and bedspreads (recycling fabrics from couches you have upholstered). Vintage mismatched crockery is very much in vogue and can be mixed with enamelware and even ‘Mr Price’ finds, to fashion into a Provencal luncheon that can throw your guests into pure escapism.

And then I have to recommend Marlene van der Westhuisen’s new book, ‘Sumptuous’, which is a follow on from her book ‘Delectable’, which we sell at our shop. It is full of inspiring, and very simple recipes, from France and locally and has photography to ‘die’ for!

Where do you find the pieces you sell in your shop and do you have to restore many of them first?

Auctions are time consuming, but are one of the best sources of stock. Many items do have to be restored or given a ‘face lift’ first as many customers do not have the inclination to do this themselves. We offer this service if people want something refurbished which they see in our shop.

Who are your clients? Old locals, people who have relocated from big cities, or out of towners?

The Midlands area, especially Nottingham Road, is growing with more people moving here to escape the madness of the city life for a more simplistic lifestyle and I therefore have a number of local customers who pop in regularly.

We then have the Midlands Meander which is visited by people from all over the country, but not everyone has the luxury of meandering. We therefore have our items on our website www.simplysam.co.za enabling customers to browse and purchase at their leisure.

We mostly do our Gauteng and Natal deliveries ourselves and make use of a courier service for the rest of the country, with courier costs being more affordable when being delivered to the main city areas.

What investment advice do you have for new antique collectors or those who just want to collect some beautiful pieces for their homes?

To keep close tabs on our website. Our prices are extremely competitive compared to city antique shops and in true Brocante style, we do love people to barter. If there is something in particular you are looking for, we offer a sourcing service which we sell to customers at a reduced rate as these items are sold directly to the client and not brought into the stock of the shop.

Go to www.simplysam.co.za for great finds at bargain prices with personal service, and transform your home this summer.

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Author info: Sasha Wyatt-Minter

Sasha is one of the editors of www.all4women.co.za and is also a work-from-home mom with a passion for writing, reading, good food and wine. She's obsessed with healthy eating and experimenting with alternative health therapies. Her best reward at the end of a busy day - a glass of wine and a good book!

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