French style

Moving from France to Australia gave Virginie Fontes impetus to explore her love of French homewares. By Germaine Leece.

It’s a shop that is easy to spot: out front is an awning sheltering French striped deckchairs, rattan baskets and topiary trees that fill the footpath. Once inside, you don’t know where to look first. More rattan baskets on the floor are stacked high with French linen and cotton handbags, French sandshoes, slippers, zinc boards and striped cushions. There are huge floor cushions covered in neutral-coloured French linen, large perfumed candles, candlesticks, decorative twigs covered in glass baubles, and coat hooks with porcelain knobs.

Raising eyes to table height, it’s hard to decide which display to look at first: the black metal bistro table with its reading lamp and fabric lampshade, red and white enamel sugar canisters and glass carafes; or the hall table with its tall glass canisters, French boudoir jars and even taller glass candlesticks. Perhaps it’s the dining table that attracts instantly: the weathered grey wooden chairs; the table set with a fringed linen tablecloth, linen napkins in napkin rings with zinc tags attached for names to be written in chalk; bone-handled cutlery surrounding transparent glass plates topped with scalloped ceramic plates; glass jugs, carafes and bistro wine glasses made by the famous French crystal ware company La Rochère completing the look.

On one side of the shop a wall is lined with French toiletries: large cubes and blocks of soap wrapped in rope, bottles of bubble bath elegantly packaged, and smaller colourful guest soaps, all with beautiful scents burgeoning from each.

“People always come back to buy our soaps,” says shop owner Virginie Fontes in her lilting French accent. “The French soaps have such different fragrances. Milk and wheat is just one that is particularly beautiful and particularly French.”

Nearly 10 years ago, Virginie’s husband was offered the opportunity to transfer to his employer’s Sydney office for a couple of years. “It was so exciting to come here. I think a lot of Europeans dream about Australia – so far away, such a warm climate.”

After two years, Virginie and her husband were enjoying the Australian lifestyle so much, they decided to stay indefinitely. With a background in merchandising and interior design, she thought about setting up a business importing homewares from France, but instead was offered the chance to do merchandising work for the previous owner of Honey Bee Homewares. As luck would have it, the previous owner moved to Noosa and asked Virginie if she wanted to take over the business.

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