My friend Anne Ditmeyer of the travel blog, Pret à Voyager (who you might remember from this!), is publishing a travel guide called Paris Small Shops illustrated by Crispin Finn and published with Herb Lester, one of my favorite sources for beautifully designed maps. Anne has lived in Paris for many years and is one of the most knowledgeable, go-to sources for all things travel. For her, travel is about how you see the world and I love the way she sees the world. Today, she’s giving Lars readers 4 of her favorite craft shops to visit when in Paris. Anyone going there this summer? (Ps: remember how I was SUPPOSED to go in January?! Still a sore subject)
Click below to see Anne’s four recommended shops! And order the travel guide here.
Unlike most cities in the world, Paris is full of specialty shops that only sell one thing. A new visitor may wonder how all these shops can survive, but in fact they thrive through their expertise and niches. This map features shops that date to the 17th century along with successful shops that have only for a year or two, proving that specialty shops in Paris is alive and well.
We often think of speciality shops for food in Paris: boulangeries (bakeries), pâtisseries (pastry shops), boucheries (butcher shops), fromageries (cheese shops), poissonneries (fish shops), fleuristes (flower shops) but there are also the cordonneries (shoe repair shops), librairies (book stores), papeteries (stationery shops), retoucheries (tailor shops) and merceries (notions shops). This map features the most creative of the specialty shops Paris has to offer, from repair shops for dolls or umbrellas to shops considered entreprises du patrimoine vivant (EPV – living heritage companies). The shops locations on this map were strategically selected for ideal exploration, taking you through secret passageways and scenic streets for additional discoveries. It’s just a taste of what Paris has to offer, so don’t be afraid to veer off course and keep exploring.
I’ve picked 4 places that I think you will LOVE! And must see when you come visit:
- Adeline Klam has the most amazing array of Japanese papers, including the best crepe paper colors ever. They also offer regular workshops including how to make flower boquets, which I recently did and absolutely adored (there’s a book too).
- I walk by Ultramod almost every day, and it feels like a magical step back into time before big box stores took over, which is full of ribbons, buttons and general notions. One foot inside and you’ll definitely say “they don’t make stores like they used to”.
- Papier Tigre is one of the shops I frequent the most as I’m always refreshing my supply of stationery for snail mail. I love that the 3 French designers are constantly working on new collaborations and have entire corner of the show devoted to showcasing them.
- Pep’s umbrella repair shop is tucked in the most delightful, colorful passage ways in Paris. You can also pick up a new umbrella here if you don’t have one to be repaired (plan ahead if you do, there’s usually a couple week wait!).
Anne S. Ditmeyer is an American communications designer/writer based in Paris, France. She founded the blog, Prêt à Voyager [translation: ready to travel], in 2007 as a way to explore the intersection of travel and design, with a side of Paris. Anne teaches The Art of Travel Posters, Map Making, Basic InDesign and Redesign Your Résumé on Skillshare, offers bespoke Paris tours through Vayable, and is the author of the Herb Lester map Paris Small Shops. Her latest side project is a Tumblr of Paris metro posters she’s collected over the years.