A Fayetteville Family Travels to the French Provinces to Find Unique and Rare Antiques, Which They Share in Their Downtown Shop

March 2008

By Allison Cook, Associate Editor
Photography by Brian Meredith

This cigar box, circa 1850, is from the Napoleon III period and is inlaid with mother of pearl and bronze. With a bottom drawer fashioned for cigar cutters and several top drawers with indentations for individual cigars, this is truly a gentleman's piece

A Fayetteville family travels to the French provinces to find unique and rare antiques, which they share in their downtown shop.

“We always focus on bringing home pieces that people would truly want to live with that also add warmth and interest to their homes,” says Renée Hunt of French Metro Antiques in Fayetteville. “We look for rare and expensive pieces, as well as more affordable vintage items. We have all types of clients, and we want the best quality of each style.”

Renée and her husband Terry have been traveling to France for the last 25 years and started importing antiques in 1999. Renée is fluent in French with a master of arts degree in French language and literature, while Terry has dual degrees in business management and fine arts and is highly skilled in woodworking.

“We always look for the highest quality pieces that will bring the most joy to our clients,” Renée says. “It’s the attention to detail and the research we do that make us different.”

Their son Alexander, also fluent in French and educated on French history and culture, has recently joined the business and adds a much-appreciated fresh eye on design. Together, this family travels frequently to France to purchase rare antiques, researching each item’s specific history and inspecting its craftsmanship and authenticity. “Our continued goal is to foster our personal relationships in France, because those are the people who allow us to travel with them and keep us up-to-date on the latest discoveries,” Renée says.

 

This pair of hand-carved oak armoires in Louis XV style was originally commissioned for a hotel roughly 100 years ago. "Finding a matching pair is very rare," Renée says. "During our last trip to France, we were alerted of this find by people we had worked with in the past, because they knew we would be interested." The pair of Louis XVI-style chairs are hand-carved walnut with the original upholstery, while the chest is a vintage piece that's between 60 and 70 years old. From the art dego period, the crystal Val St. Lambert decanter and matching glasses are quite eye-catching, and the small, framed paintings depict traditional Geishas and are hand-painted on silk.

Once the Hunts’ chosen items arrive in Fayetteville, they then focus on the layout and design of their store. “We want the shop to feel like an art gallery,” she says. “We don’t want it to be overwhelming with inventory. Instead, we create beautiful areas where people can really see and appreciate each piece.” As customers enter the store, the thought and planning that the Hunts put into each furniture grouping are immediately apparent. “Our inventory is always changing, and each time we receive new shipments or sell large items, we redesign the lighting schemes and switch around accessories,” Renée says. “We want customers to be able to imagine how these pieces could work in their homes.”

With so many years in business, French Metro has established a large clientele of experienced collectors and novices alike. “Thanks to my clients, I’m constantly learning,” Renée says. “My clients teach me about what they are collecting, and I look for those pieces in my travels. It’s wonderful to continue my education because there is always so much to learn.” Although it’s common for antique dealers to shop entirely in Paris, the Hunts focus on the outlying provinces. “We travel to the provinces because we’re able to find truly unique and unusual items without the overpricing that is common in Paris.”

This Art Deco bistro chair is paired with a Louis Philippe walnut chiffonier, a gentleman’s chest featuring a marble top. A buffet deux corps, translated a buffet with two parts, stands in the background.

This doré clock is from the Empire period of Napoleon Bonaparte, and retains the original pendulum. The inkwell is of the art nouveau style, and is also bronze doré, circa 1890. The stunning opera glasses feature mother-of-pearl and bronze inlays.

This vaisselier is hand-carved walnut, circa 1910. Vaisselier comes from the French word for plates, and this work of art would most liked be used to store and display plates in a kitchen. Placed in the center of the vaisselier is a collection of Faience ceramic hand-painted plates. "Food is so important to the French culture that furniture was specifically crafted to hold the all-important plates and serving pieces," Renée says.

Antique copper pots and pans from the 18th century have visible seams on the bottom from where the two pieces of copper were fashiond together by hand. The table is a hand-carved Louis XIII writing table made of oak, circa 1818. The glass and bronze inkwell features a matching envelope opener, circa 1925. Doré refers to crafting gold leaf over bronze, and this doré jewelry box is shaped as a Louis XVI desk. This 18th-century repoussé fireplace bellows was hand embossed to form the beautiful motif. This black box is a Napoleon III traveling desk with mother-of-pearl inlay and hand-painted tole, circa 1860. With its wonderful shape, this Art Nouveau iron and brass letter scale, circa 1890, is beautiful and functional. The pair of glasses read "toi" and "moi" for you and me.