Extraordinary Collections: French Interiors · Flea Markets · Ateliers

by Marin Montagut, Pierre Musellec (Photographer)

The art of collecting—from artist’s palettes still freckled with oil paint, to sculpted picture frames, to a menagerie of wooden toy animals—associating an accumulation of kindred objects is at the core of timeless French style.

French artist, designer, and talented antique hunter Marin Montagut celebrates the joy of collecting everything from textiles to barware to architectural details, taking readers inside a dozen private homes, flea markets, and unusual ateliers to discover the most whimsical treasure troves in France. From a film prop house’s array of leather sporting goods and playing cards to a travel buff’s vintage maps and globes, and from a sculpture studio’s Grecian plaster casts to an amateur designer’s spiral staircase models, and from Montagut’s own wonder wall assemblages to a cook’s haven filled with porcelain dessert molds and copper pots—objects, when presented together as a series, create unforgettable interiors that radiate charm. Inspiration comes in wooden zigzag rulers with engraved numbers aligned on a wall in a herringbone pattern create an artful space. The spare wooden forms of capipotes —devotional statues used in religious processions, their eyes turned heavenward in ecstasy—and silver ex-votos can be the point of departure for the theme of an entire room. Montagut’s mood boards for each chapter provide endless ideas for the home.

Genres: Interior Design, Design, Art, Nonfiction

240 pages, Hardcover

Published October 31, 2023

About the author

Marin Montagut est un illustrateur et designer français. Sous sa marque éponyme, il crée des manquent à son quotidien et les met en scène dans sa boutique parisienne. Il est l'auteur de plusieurs ouvrages.

Reviews

[Cindy Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another beautiful and singular edition of a book by Marin Montagut. Raised by parents who were antique dealers, he has acquired a passion for all things with an old soul and a definitive history. The book is clothbound with gold foiling, and it is filled with Montagut's watercolor paintings of the various collections featured along with stunning photographs of the actual spaces. If you enjoy coffee table books filled with home decor, this is one that you will love having as part of your collection. I have a few other books by Montagut which are equally as beautiful, and he has a new one coming out in 2026 about vintage Paris (which I preordered). One day I hope to be able to visit his beautiful store across from the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris; from the pictures and videos I have seen, it is the sort of places where I could easily spend a few hours. In the meantime, I'll have to be satisfied with ordering things I simply must have from his website.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring if you love antiques of true value. Beautifully created book that I very much enjoyed exploring.

[Camille Mourato · Rating 2 out of 5]

Il est à noter que j'ai gagné ce livre magnifique lors d'un concours de l'avent, proposé sur le compte de @mylittlebookclub sur Instagram ♡
Un très bel ouvrage, rempli de curiosités et de jolies découvertes ... Ici, Marin Montagut, illustrateur et collectionneur passionné d'antiquités et de bibelots en tout genre, nous présente ses adresses préférées ... Sur Paris, mais aussi dans toute la France, nous sommes immergés dans les intérieurs de collectionneurs, d'antiquaires, de certains auteurs, d'amis ayant racheté d'anciennes boutiques artisanales (chapeaux, chaises, etc ...), nous découvrons tout ceci à travers de magnifiques photographies, à chaque fois accompagnées d'illustrations de Marin Montagut et de commentaires de ce dernier ...
Une étonnante lecture, un livre que je n'aurais pas acheté de moi-même, mais que j'ai apprécié découvrir !