Cadeaux du Marche: Le Marche Antiques and Interiors
French traditional style is wildly popular in south Louisiana today, not only because of its effortless panache but because it speaks to our French ancestors, the weary Québécoise and French royalists who first settled in these lush bayous and back roads. After the Louisiana Purchase, they struggled to honor their French heritage while trying to fit in with the Americans, and the language and family traditions slowly began to fade from daily life. French aesthetics are as much a part of Louisiana culture as gumbo and jazz, and in Lafayette, Maddy LaRive of Le Marche Antiques and Interiors is committed to keeping the French traditions alive. Le Marche is known for its elegant collection of French antiques, hand-picked in France by LaRive and imported to our doorstep. It’s a well-kept secret that Le Marche also carries a beautiful selection of reproduction pieces, designer gift items, and myriad accessories and architectural elements. “Traditional pieces have a timeless beauty. These things never go out of style. They are pieces you could have had 20 years ago, 50 years ago, or today,” says LaRive.
A New Orleans native, LaRive attended USL for interior design, and after college she decided to stay in Lafayette. “It felt like home,” she says. “The people are wonderful here and I love living out in the country where it’s quiet.” She spent many years working as an interior designer in the Lafayette area and developed a keen eye for French antiques and traditional styles. In 1998, she was on a buying trip in France with a client when she had an epiphany. “I realized that my calling was to open a French antiques shop. I bought the first shipment on that trip, and things really took off from there.”
Now LaRive goes to France on buying trips two to three times a year. “I hand-select everything. Some clients ask me to look for things before I go. I can usually find what they’re looking for, though I don’t make any promises. I pick my pieces very carefully and buy only the best,” she says. “I know my clientele pretty well after 12 years. Sometimes when the shipment comes in, I’ll call them up and tease them, saying, ‘I’m looking at something that has your name all over it.’ They know it’s something special.” In addition to a large selection of antique furniture, LaRive carries fine porcelain, Faience pottery, decorative English boxes, petit tables, antique mirrors with mercury glass, writing slopes, tea caddies, and a variety of charming home accents and collectibles.
Though Le Marche is known for specializing in French antiques, LaRive also carries a slew of finely crafted reproductions and designer gift items. “I think people are scared away by the thought that if they come in, they’ll be expected to spend excessively. I don’t want that to be the case—everyone can find something here. A lot of people just come in to walk around and enjoy the shop. I have one client who has spent thousands over the years, but she only buys one or two small things each time she comes, slowly building her collection. She’ll come in and find a pair of antique lamps. A few months later, she’ll come back for some Aubusson pillows.”
“Our gift items are something that a lot of people don’t know about. We have candles for $14, hand creams for $30, things like that. Our Lollia line is really popular; they make lotion, bath salts, perfumes, candles with crystals hanging from the wick, foaming bubble bath packaged in a wine bottle with a ribbon and a cork, really beautiful stuff. These things are perfect to put in the bathroom or to give as a gift. We also have designer soap dishes, beautiful picture frames, and small flowers that look real, perfect for a vase in a guest bathroom. I put them out in the shop and people say, ‘Maddy! You cut fresh flowers!’ I laugh,” she says. “We also have a lot of wine accessories and things made from old wine containers, like cutting boards and small cheese platters made from the tops of old wine barrels.”
“What we have in antiques, we have in reproductions. We carry tons of French armoires, bonetieres, buffets, buffet deux corps, tall clocks, commodes (these are chests, but I have to laugh because some people thing I’m trying to sell them toilets), occasional tables, chairs, tables, mirrors, the list goes on and on. We do a lot of reproduction beds, too,” she says. “Size is a big issue for me with reproductions. You can tell a quality reproduction by its size, I believe. So many today are oversized, and it just looks wrong! I call it Paul Bunyan French,” she giggles. “I make sure all of the reproduction pieces are to size and have only the finest authentic patinas.”
Le Marche has grown from a 2,000-square-foot shop on Ambassador Caffery in Lafayette to two stores, one larger space in River Ranch of Lafayette and another shop in Houma. LaRive still finds time for the occasional interior design job, though she doesn’t advertise that service. “I tried to get away from doing design work after I opened my store, but it keeps on calling me back. It’s all word of mouth. I do all kinds of jobs, from helping a client accessorize a bookshelf to designing an interior from the ground up, starting with the blueprints and ending with the accessories. Sometimes it’s as simple as rearranging the things they already have. I never sell something that I don’t believe is right for the space. I believe business comes back to you if you do right by your clients, and that’s never led me astray.” ✦
Le Marche Antiques and Interiors
606 Silverstone Road
Lafayette, LA
(337) 981-9998
lemarche-antiques.com
1437 Saint Charles St
Houma, LA 70360-5949
(985) 655-9160
