An antiques lover’s guide to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue

My approach to antiques is eclectic. I like having an African piece next to a 20th-century Italian chair, which could be sitting below a 16th-century French gilt frame. For me, those layers create spaces that have an energy to them. It doesn’t mean you have to have loads of antiques; it can be a handful, and they can be quite pared back. 

Hotel Dongier Antiquités © Claire Gaby

My stepmother was an antiques dealer, so it was a world I was surrounded by growing up. I remember going on a family holiday to Arles when I was in my late teens, looking in the occasional rickety antiques shop. But it wasn’t until I became an interior designer, working on projects such as Soho House Miami in my mid-20s, that I came across the Provençal town of L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. I fell in love on my first trip and have been going there regularly for 15 years now. It’s just full of beautiful shops – some 300 permanent antique dealers. And the more time you spend there, the more doors open up. 

I launched my own studio in 2018 and now make a pilgrimage to Provence several times a year. We source pieces for hotel projects such as The Zetter Bloomsbury as well as for private homes. From time to time we sell special pieces at fairs and to clients. And some of what I find also, inevitably, ends up in my own house. 

Les bains Monégasque Monte Carlo, 1930, artist unknown, at L’Authentique © Claire Gaby

Artworks at L’Authentique © Claire Gaby

James Thurstan Waterworth at Antiquités Ramis © Claire Gaby

We usually stay in the medieval town of Villeneuve-lès-Avignon, overlooking the Rhône river. There’s a lovely little hotel there called Maison Orsini, which is very friendly and family-run. It’s in a beautiful spot with a walled garden and a swimming pool across the road, but what’s really great about it is that you can get up on a Saturday morning and go straight to the flea market that takes place in the main square. There’s not that many stalls – you can get around it in half an hour – but you’ll find the occasional wonderful thing. I get there early, around 6am, have a little rummage around, then drive the 40 minutes to L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. 

I’ll spend the whole day there, going from one side of town to the other. There’s my favourite frame dealer, Cadres & Miroirs Anciens, which specialises in early Spanish, Italian and French examples. Jérôme Caubel is an expert in African and Asian decorative pieces; he’s very strong on the provenance of masks and sculptures, a particular favourite genre of mine. At L’Authentique, run by Nicolas Wamin, I’ve brought everything from a primitive Spanish bench to an amazing Japanese lacquered screen. Crescendo Antiques and Denis Lageyre are also worth checking out. And a guy called Antoine Ramis, who specialises in early French, relatively simple but elegant antiques. The table in my office is from him, as is an 18th-century gilt mirror in The Zetter Bloomsbury. His shop is always incredibly beautifully put together – and he’s just an incredibly lovely human being. 

Le Jardin du Quai © Claire Gaby

Thurstan Waterworth at Le Jardin du Quai © Claire Gaby

A sign at Le Jardin du Quai restaurant © Claire Gaby

You have to be mindful that by about 11am most people are having a glass of red – and joining in is one of the perks. Dealers will force you to sit down and drink some cheap but amazing wine. It’s all very un-English – and makes the whole process really enjoyable. And, of course, everything slows down for lunch. Luckily, Antiquités Ramis happens to be next to my favourite restaurant, l’Atelier du Jardin. It’s exactly what you’d imagine a restaurant in the south of France to be: moules-frites at classic French bistro tables. Le Jardin du Quai, its sister restaurant, is slightly smarter but l’Atelier, which is a bit more rustic around the edges, feels more me.

Antiquités Ramis © Claire Gaby

Lunch is also an opportunity to review what we’ve seen. It’s quite tempting to buy things straight off the bat, but I tend to regret that in terms of my bank balance. That said, there are always one or two pieces that move you straight away. I ask myself: “If I came back and it wasn’t there, how would I feel?” 

And not everything has to be a total standout at first sight. Something small like a scrap of fabric, or pictures from an artist’s catalogue, can be nicely framed and take on a totally different lease of life. You can still find bargains – like an 18th-century Dutch mirror in ebonised wood that we found for €200 – but generally, you’re more likely to get a better deal at an auction than you are at a shop. A good dealer will have done their research, and you’re paying a premium for that.

Sometimes we’ll head further south to Aigues-Mortes, an old fortified town that is also a picturesque place to stay. I like the Hôtel Les Templiers there, and the restaurant Chez Coco just around the corner. It’s tiny, but they somehow cram in 30 people. And it has a tiny menu: grilled chicken and a glass of wine type of thing. West of there, Pézenas is also good for antiques. 

Wherever I buy things, I make sure that I understand the provenance of a piece – whether it’s from a shepherd’s hut in the Pyrenees or it’s been through various collectors. And you definitely need to do a bit of haggling. The English typically aren’t very good at it. I certainly wasn’t. It’s taken me a few years to have the balls to negotiate with a Frenchman.