My 10 Best at Paul Bert Serpette — A Curated Walk Through Paris’s Most Inspiring Flea Market
There are many places to search for beauty in Paris, but few compare to the poetry, unpredictability, and refinement of Paul Bert Serpette. Located within the legendary Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, this corner of the Paris flea market is where I return again and again—both professionally and instinctively.
As a Paris-based interior designer, Paul Bert Serpette is where I source with the most confidence. Each visit is both ritual and treasure hunt. What makes this market exceptional is not its scale, but the intelligence of its curation: every gallery has a point of view, a specialty, and a voice. Modern, vintage, and classical pieces coexist naturally, allowing sourcing to feel precise, intentional, and deeply inspiring.
When people speak of the best of the Puces, this is exactly what they mean. Below are my 10 best galleries at Paul Bert Serpette—a curated walk through the places I trust most for their savoir-faire, integrity, and eye.
Lila K Antiques
A world of chic and confidence. Lila K Antiques specializes in Napoleon III furniture and decorative objects, presenting ebonized woods, gilded details, marble tops, mirrors, and lighting chosen with a deep love of ornament and proportion. What truly sets this gallery apart is Lila’s instinctive ability to mix with boldness, color, and elegance. Her eye is trained, personal, and unmistakable.
Les Tables d’Eva
At Les Tables d’Eva, the art of the table becomes a poetic universe. Antique glassware, rare ceramic services, and refined tabletop pieces are curated with great sensitivity. This is where Parisian entertaining meets timeless elegance, perfect for sourcing objects that bring old-world charm and quiet luxury to everyday rituals.
Galerie Hélène Lalbaltry
Hélène Lalbaltry is a true curator, with a strong presence of furniture and objects from the 1930s and 1940s, seamlessly mixed with other periods that share the same balanced spirit. Her selections are restrained, intelligent, and deeply cohesive. Knowledgeable and generous, Hélène has a rare ability to guide clients toward the right piece—never excessive, always purposeful.
Galerie Yvan Roger
A temple of 20th-century French modernist design. Galerie Yvan Roger presents works by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, and other modern masters with clarity and authority. When a project calls for intellectual lineage, architectural rigor, and clean modern design, this is where I begin.
Yvan is a trusted interlocutor for modern pieces—someone I consult with complete confidence. His guidance is measured, correct, and rooted in deep knowledge. His eye is precise, his judgment sound, and his integrity invaluable when sourcing at this level.
Bianco Goldmann
Bianco Goldmann is a reference for collectible modern design with a sculptural, architectural presence. I have sourced remarkable Jacques Adnet pieces here—objects defined by proportion, materiality, and quiet strength. Their selections converse naturally across periods, introducing contrast without rupture. It is a gallery I return to often when a project requires modern pieces that enrich both historic and contemporary interiors.
Simonnet Paris
Simonnet Paris is for collectors, connoisseurs, and projects that demand exceptional provenance. The gallery presents museum-level furniture distinguished by craftsmanship, history, and cultural significance. Each piece carries quiet authority—furniture chosen not as decoration, but as heritage.
Maison Cédric
Maison Cédric is guided by instinct, but informed by serious expertise. Over the years, I have sourced museum-level pieces here, including works by André Arbus, Maison Baguès, and Claude Parent—objects with true design lineage and lasting cultural weight. What makes this gallery special is its duality: a warm, approachable atmosphere paired with the depth of a dealer capable of placing significant works with confidence. Character and provenance coexist naturally, making each acquisition feel both intuitive and important.
Galerie Martial Chalvignac
A fourth-generation antique dealer, Martial Chalvignac represents a rare continuity of knowledge and eye. His gallery offers a thoughtful selection of art objects, furniture, and sculpture spanning the 17th to the 20th centuries. We have discovered beautiful pieces here over the years, and it remains a place we return to with trust and pleasure.
Galerie Vauclair
Galerie Vauclair brings a lighter, more playful register to Paul Bert Serpette. Rattan furniture, barbotine ceramics, and colorful decorative objects—primarily from the late 19th century—create a sense of ease and joy. The gallery also maintains a second location in Paris’s 7th arrondissement.
Aurélien Serre
Aurélien Serre stands out for its exceptional level of curation. The selection is consistently striking, elegant, and intelligently composed, making it one of the strongest galleries at Paul Bert Serpette. Elizabeth’s knowledge is deep, and her service is outstanding. She guides with clarity and generosity, making the sourcing experience both efficient and genuinely enjoyable. This is a gallery I trust deeply and return to with confidence.
A bonus stop: Bonaventure Restaurant
Not officially part of the list, but very much part of the ritual. Bonaventure is my favorite pause during a sourcing day—simple, warm, joyful, and always satisfying. The perfect interlude before returning to the hunt.
Why Paul Bert Serpette remains essential
Paul Bert Serpette is where sourcing becomes a conversation—between periods, materials, and ways of living. I come here not to accumulate objects, but to build narratives: a modern piece that sharpens a Haussmann room, an 18th-century chair that softens an architectural line, a light that quietly anchors an entire space.
This market rewards patience, discernment, and trust. Relationships matter here—between dealers, designers, and objects that have already lived once before finding their next home. It is this depth, this rigor, and this sense of continuity that keep Paul Bert Serpette at the center of my work, and why it remains the most precise and inspiring place to source at the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen.
About the Author
Lichelle Silvestry
Lichelle Silvestry is the founder and creative director of Lichelle Silvestry Interiors, an English-speaking interior design studio based in Paris. Known for creating timeless interiors with warmth, elegance, and a deep understanding of her clients’ lives, she blends Parisian refinement with modern comfort for a truly lived-in luxury.
