ABOUT US
French Salvage Antiques in Petaluma, a town well‐known to antique lovers in the San Francisco Bay area, a new store, French Salvage Antiques opened on May 27th, 2016. Salvage? Hardly. If you are expecting to walk into a cavernous warehouse piled with remnants, think again. This 2300 sq ft. store is a highly curated collection of French flea market, pied de terre and Loire Valley estate finds. What makes this store unique isn’t just the variety and quality of the pieces sourced in France or even the imaginative vignettes that you’ll want to pluck up and place in your home. It’s the impeccable taste and discerning eye of proprietor Laura Viola MacDuff that permeates every item and every square foot of the store. Floor to ceiling interior design creativity.
What will strike you is the wonderful display and juxtaposition of tailored, casual, elegant, rustic, sophisticated, ragged, beautiful, and romantic finds. A beautifully carved 17th-century garden gate, a simple silver, and linen shaded lamp perfect for a cocktail cart, two sweet mohair slipper chairs and classic French watering cans that could be an art piece all it’s own. Every display in the store is a unique and inspiring experience.
Laura MacDuff is the founder of French Salvage Antiques. She is a long-time San Francisco resident, with a home in Saumur in western France which she visits two to three times a year to source one‐of‐a kind pieces for the store. While much of the store’s merchandise is from the lesser‐ known flea markets outside of Paris, there is also an eclectic range of unique and elegant pieces from fabulously appointed penthouse flats and world renowned hotels.
Laura was born in Italy, “surrounded by the beauty of Naples,” as she reminisces. She has an extensive retail background in both Italy and the United States. Her passion for retail, coupled with her exceptional ability to build lasting relationships with her customers have always been the hallmarks of her distinguished career. Her genuine desire to continue to connect with people in a retail environment led to the decision to open French Salvage Antiques. The moment shoppers enter the serene and gracious environment of the store, they are warmly welcomed by Laura, who is more than happy to describe the provenance of virtually every piece of merchandise. “Where there’s history, there’s soul,” is her philosophy. She knows exactly where she bought something and why because she buys from the heart with an unerring instinct for quality. Her enthusiasm and passion is contagious. When she fervently says, “My joy is to give these beautiful things a good home,” you know she means it.
A visit to French Salvage Antiques is more than a shopping expedition; it is an opportunity to share in the enthusiasm and passion of Laura V. MacDuff and to be inspired by her ability to bring beauty into the lives of people who meet her. And what is Laura’s favorite piece? “A 16th century meat hook rack displayed with heavy hand stripped linen kitchen towels, or the blue glass distressed framed mirror, or maybe it’s beautifully hand carved lacquered chair one of a kind. I’m not sure. I love them all. They are pieces of art each and every one.” The carefully‐curated and expertly‐edited collection includes many affordably‐priced pieces as well.
French Salvage Antiques is located at 307 Bodega Avenue in Petaluma, California. It is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm and by appointment.
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