Antique French Painted Kitchen Cupboard from the Paris Flea Market

Why we love it

Some pieces furnish a room. Others inspire the entire room around them.

This extraordinary antique French kitchen cupboard is one of the latter.

Purchased at the Paris flea market approximately thirty years ago, when it was already considered an antique, this substantial wall-mounted cupboard has all the character we hope to find in old French country furniture: wonderfully timeworn paint, charmingly irregular construction and decoration that could only have become better with age.

The dramatic interior is painted in a French-blue and cream checkerboard, framed in black and accented with delicate hand-painted floral sprigs. Five small drawers provide useful storage, while the open central area incorporates rails and hanging hooks originally intended for the everyday tools of a working kitchen—utensils, herbs, linens and other necessities kept within easy reach.

At nearly four feet wide and four feet tall, this isn't a little decorative shelf. It's a statement piece. Hang it above a farmhouse worktable, marble counter or old pine table and it immediately becomes the heart of the kitchen.

We can imagine it filled with stacks of old French plates, copper utensils, linen towels, cookbooks and collected pottery—or kept relatively spare so that its remarkable painted interior remains on display.

A true one-of-a-kind piece with wonderful provenance, tremendous presence and the sort of character that simply cannot be manufactured.

Details

• Antique French wall-mounted kitchen cupboard/rack
• Purchased at the Paris flea market approximately 30 years ago
• Already represented as antique when acquired
• Hand-painted French blue, cream and black finish
• Graphic checkerboard interior
• Hand-painted floral decoration
• Five small storage drawers
• Original-style rails/hooks for hanging utensils or herbs
• Approximately 46" H × 43" W × 7" D
• Substantial vintage/antique construction
• Displays age, wear, paint loss and irregularities consistent with its history
• One of a kind

Shipping note: Because of its size and construction, please contact Clever Girl before purchasing if shipping is required. We will be happy to arrange a freight quote.