Between art week and design week, there’s an overwhelming amount to see in Paris – or any other week of the year, really.

All the exciting ongoing shows aren’t confined to just the white halls of Art Basel and Maison&Objet though. They’re also spread around lovingly around the city of lights, from Le Marais to Bastille to Saint-Germain and beyond.

Take a detour from the clamour of the convention centres and head to the heart of Paris to explore some of the city’s most intriguing design galleries, design bookstores, and furniture stores.

DESIGN GALLERIES IN PARIS

GALERIE PATRICK SEGUIN

This is a landmark in the Bastille neighbourhood since 1989. Encompassing 300sqm, the beloved gallery features works by Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand and Jean Royere – with a special emphasis on Jean Prouve.

Plus: the gallery was designed by the 2008 Pritzker laureate Jean Nouvel!

Address: 5 Rue des Taillandiers (view on Google Maps)

CARPENTERS WORKSHOP GALLERY

Carpenters needs no introduction. Founded in 2006 by Loic Le Gaillard and Julien Lombrail in London, the gallery’s manifesto focuses on exhibiting works under a category they refer to as “haut artisanat savoir faire”, exhibiting artists from Vincenzo De Cotiis to Sylvain Rieu-Piquet.

They opened their Paris location in the Marais neighbourhood in 2011 in what was then the Galerie De France.

Address: 54 Rue de la Verrerie (view on Google Maps)

GALERIE KREO

For those looking for lighting and collectible designs, Galerie Kreo certainly won’t disappoint.

Founded by Clemence and Didier Krzentowski in 1999, the gallery commissions designers for exciting collaborations in its “research laboratory” format. These include Marc Newson, Hella Jongerius, Jaime Hayon, Virgil Abloh and Konstantin Grcic.

It’s worth mentioning that the gallery also recently unveiled its first NFT designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby (read more about the IRL galleries pioneering NFTs here).

Address: 31 Rue Dauphine (view on Google Maps)

GALERIE ERIC PHILIPPE

An expert of 20th-century furniture, Eric Philippe opened his gallery in 1980 with a solo show of Jean-Michel Frank.  

The gallery has established itself since then, specialising in European and North American furniture from the 1920s to the 1970s. Besides its location in Paris, the gallery frequently participates at fairs worldwide like Design Miami and TEFAF Maastricht.

Address: 25 Gal Véro-Dodat (view on Google Maps)

JOUSSE ENTREPRISE

Philippe Jousse heads two galleries in Paris, one that is contemporary art-focused and one that is furniture-focused.  

At the latter, you’ll find works by the likes of Le Corbusier, Jean Prouve, Charlotte Perriand, Claude et Francois-Xavier Lalanne, Martin Szekely and more.

Address: 18 Rue de Seine, (view on Google Maps)

GALERIE ANNE-SOPHIE DUVAL 

Fans of French Art Deco will particularly enjoy a visit to Galerie Anne-Sophie Duval, right by the Seine.

The gallery opened back in 1972 and recently celebrated their 50th anniversary with a retrospective show that included Jean Michel Frank, André Groult, Eileen Gray, Armand-Albert Rateau, Pierre Chareau and Jean Dunand.

Address: 5 Quai Malaquais (view on Google Maps)

KOLKHOZE

For a respite from the mid-century modern and the Art Deco, head to Kolkhoze. From furniture to lighting to accessories – the gallery, founded by Thibaut Van Den Bergh and Thomas Erber – has a curated, contemporary mix of it all.

Address: 72 rue des Archives (visit by appointment)

DESIGN BOOKSTORES IN PARIS

YVON LAMBERT BOOKSHOP

No trip to Paris is complete without a stop at the Yvon Lambert Bookshop, a cult destination in the Maris neighbourhood. The owner, Yvon Lambert, operated as an art dealer for over fifty years and after closing his gallery opened a bookstore in 2001.

Stop by for a highly-curated selection of books, exhibition catalogues, artist books, rare and out-of-print books, and more across both art and design.

A special mention goes to the Yvon Lambert Editions – limited edition books of artists/designers like Nathalie Du Pasquier, Quentin De Brie, and Sol LeWitt published by Lambert.

Address: 14 Rue des Filles du Calvaire (view on Google Maps)

ARTAZART

This is a perfect stop for creative respite when strolling across the Canal Saint-Martin. To get to Artazart, look for the bright red building; their storefront is iconic in the city and can be spotted from a distance away.

Founded in 2000 by Jerome Fournel and Carl Huguenin, the bookstore – “dedicated to the image” – doubles as a gallery and a concept store and sells all sorts of limited edition art/design books and prints.

Address: 83 Quai de Valmy (view on Google Maps)

0FR

This is an independent bookstore/publishing house/gallery with an eclectic medley of limited edition books and niche magazines. It was founded in 1999 by the sister-and-brother duo of Marie and Alexandre Thumerelle.

Address: 20 Rue Dupetit-Thouars (view on Google Maps)

Enjoyed reading about design galleries and bookstores in Paris? Continue exploring:

• 3 Playful Italian Furniture Designers You Need to Know
• Exploring Carsten Nicolai’s Audiovisual Work
• Seeing is Revealing: In Conversation with Emmanuel Van der Auwera
• Iconic Works of Sound Art
• Exploring The Significance Of Sonic Architecture
• Sound Artists You Need to Know
• Sonic Art: An Overview

Cover Credit: Chait Goli/Pexels

Writer | Bana Bissat

Bana Bissat is a Milan-based writer who reports on sound art for Sound of Life. She has written for Flash Art, Lampoon, and Cultured. @banabissat

$$shop