Not sure what’s available in France? Take a look at our guide to the places to find DIY materials, furniture and accessories The DIY market in France has long had the reputation of being short on choice. But this is changing – and today, you will find a reasonable range to choose from. Kitchens, in particular, are excellent quality. Prices vary – some items such as paint are a lot more expensive (double, sometimes even triple and of different quality to the UK) while other items such as tools may be less expensive. A couple of tips for DIY-ers. If you need assistance you ask for a renseignment – a meeting with an assistant. Assistants are assigned to different areas – one will deal with plumbing materials, another with paint. If you are buying items such as tiles or wood cut to size, the assistant will prepare a hand written invoice that you take to the checkout – caisse. Modern furniture is often sold in big chain stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets such as Carrefour and Super U (see below).

Prices are very competitive and some provide the free loan of a van. Interest free credit or deferred payment is common and goods can usually be paid for with instalments. Other stores worth knowing about: Bricorama: similar to Mr Bricolage (see below). But: a wide of products from furniture to white goods plus kitchens, bathrooms and computer equipment; Cash Affaires: cheap prices for ornaments, curtains, cupboards, rugs, saucepans, candles, crockery and toys among many other items. For example, a quality, ceramic bathroom set of mug, toilet roll holder and brush holder decorated with roses costs from €13 (£9). Stores at Begard, Carhaix, Dinan, Guingamp, Landerneau, Landivisiau, Lannio, Paimpol, Saint-Brieuc, Saint Pol de Leon, Concarneau, Bayeux and Mayenne. Castorama: a major store for a large range of renovation materials and tools, decorating materials including paint and tiles plus interior accessories such as lighting. Conforama: lots of pine furniture plus accessories such as lamps, tracked lighting and linen baskets.

Farrow and Ball suppliers in France Fly: Fly is fun – a sort of French IKEA – and they have huge stores with vast floor areas. It is well worth the walk, though, as FLY caters for all tastes, and the young and trendy in particular. They sell furnishings and household accessories plus gift items and stationery. There are 130 stores throughout France. La Foir Fouille: packed full of cheap, cheap items. Expect to buy a lot of products that become immediately obsolete on your return home! But there are real bargains so it’s definitely worth a look. GiFi: cheap, bargain style goods including household accessories; GP Decors: as well as decorating materials, it has a limited range of fabrics, carpets, wallpaper as well as lamps, voiles, cushions, wrought iron and cane funriture. IKEA: if you know IKEA in the UK, you’ll know what to expect. A range of modern furniture and accessories for all rooms and good prices. Kitchen units are excellent. Expect to have to assemble furniture yourself – the instructions are no less easy to understand.

It does deliver, but it costs. LaPeyre: building wholesalers but their kitchen units are really something else! As well as more traditional styles, it also offers modern units in strong colours such as royal blue and pillar box red combined with oak. Plastic Container With Handle And LidIt also has a great range of bathroom suites and accessories.Patio Bar Table Heater La Redoute: the mail-order catalogue that as well as clothing has a good furniture furnishings section, from tablecloths and bedlinen to rugs and furniture;Vintage Chef Knives Uk Leroy Merlin: a wide range of DIY products from decorating including curtains to electrical, heating and plumbing. Mr Bricolage: a chain selling a variety of DIY products as well as a limited range of interior accessories.

ScrewPak: an English speaking hardware store and website in France supplying top quality tools & fixings for both professional and DIY requirements. Shop is in Department 46 (Lot), near Gourdon. Delivery all over France at very reasonable rates. Bricomarché: part of the Les Mousquetaires chain that sells DIY materials from paint to wallpaper, tools and garden products; Carrefour: a worldwide chain with hypermarkets and supermarkets around the world, including China. It carries a range of household goods from multi-media to electrical products. The website begins in English but does revert to French for specific information. Systeme U: part of the chain that includes Hyper U, Marché U and Super U. Hyper U is a hypermarket that sells electrical, household and garden products. The Super U supermarkets carry a less comprehensive range of electrical goods, clothing and DIY; ***BUILDERS WHOLESALERS & SPECIALIST SUPPLIERS*** Cedeo: plumbing and heating materials;

Point P: general building supplies; For vintage and antique furniture, the best places to look are brocantes, which can be found in all towns and often villages. To find one near you, see Brocantes and/or Dépôts-vente in the pages jaunes (yellow pages) of your phone book. Remember that bartering is commonplace – there is always room for negotiation! Another alternative is the vide grenier, France’s equivalent to the British car boot sale. Go to to locate one near you. More information on shopping in France Tips for shopping in Paris at ChristmasSunbathe during the day, lounge with friends by night! furniture china, International pavilion In the coming September, GEM has organized French Pavilion again to attend Furniture China with 11 companies. FRENCH FURNITURE EXPORT GROUP is a specialist organization, formed at the initiative of the National Union of French Furniture Industries (UNIFA) and a partner of CODIFAB (the Committee for the Development of the French Furniture Industry).

Its role is to inform and promote awareness among all the sector’s players. It also acts as spokesperson and ambassador for the French furniture industry outside France. GEM proposes the grouping together of companies with similar or complementary commercial interests in terms of market or country on a shared assignment. French Furniture Export Group looks forward to seeing you at the Furniture China 2015 in Shanghai. Fermob is more than a production site in the heart of France, a manufacturing with created added value, a know-how and an expert eye for colour. It is the pinnacle of French art-de-vivre and an iconic brand with 125 year history renowned across the globe with key customers … view more Symbiosis offers a wide range of flat packed furniture designed to sell online. For over 50 years, our business has been deeply involved in serving our mail-order distributors … view more Since over a century Demeyere / Calscan group has been a major Manufacturer of RTA furniture for retailers, specialists and supermarkets.

Demeyere suppliers all major furniture chain – supermarket chain and DIY chains in Europe and throughout 90+ countries … view more Today, spanning 60 years of design since the beginning of his career in the Fifties, Ligne Roset offers a wide collection of about 20 reissued design pieces by Paulin -a true ‘modernist’. At the China International Furniture Expo, Ligne Roset will be showcasing several of Paulin’s designs … view more The passion for innovation and high quality work has always been the driving force behind the development of Célio Furniture, ever since the company was created in 1952.  Specialized in the design and production of high quality bedrooms and wardrobe systems, bookcases and TV units … view more EBAC, is a medium size company specialized in the bedding industry, located in Niort since 1947. Currently, we offer a wide range of bedding products which includes metal bed frames, electric motion beds and top quality mattresses. Since Jnauary 2014, Ebac launch a new range and a trade mark : « SELINA » which … view more

Gautier Group is growing well in France and worldwide thanks in part to a family passionate about entrepreneurialism and challenges for over 50 years! On stand D01 the Gautier group will be presenting to the public its new Gautier brand collections: Kids & Teens (Dimix – Piccadilly – Urban), Bedrooms and Wardrobe system … view more Parisot is now one of the leading furniture manufacturers in France. We design and produce goods for the whole house; we supply furniture for the living room, the bedroom, the kitchen, the bathroom and the home office … view more In 2014, Sifas celebrated its 50th anniversary, marking fifty years of the unique savoir-faire that has stamped the art of living in Côte d’Azur and is recognized around the world. These fifty years have witnessed the birth of outdoor furniture and its evolution … view more ALSAPAN (Furniture, Flooring, Worktops) was founded in 1972 and is the third-largest flat-packed furniture manufacturer in France.

The company has always sought to drive and improve its production capacities and skills, and has frequently led the field in the use of new technologies … view more On the stand H03, the Gautier group will also be unveiling some new collections under under one of its other brands: Gami (furniture for sale through large retailers) … view more Already participating for the 5th time in a row at “Furniture China” in Shanghai, this year, BelgoFurn organizes at hall W1 (A-B) the Belgian group participation. Meubar is a manufacturer of contemporary and modern furniture lines with excellent price-quality level. Specialised in the production of a large range of bed and dining rooms, but also teenage and nursery bedrooms … view more Recor Home, established in 1949, has developed into a leading Belgian furniture and upholstery manufacturer. Recor Home offers a very wide collection with an excellent price-quality ratio, suited to meet the demands of our international clientele … view more