Welcome to our first post in our new ‘In Style’ column featuring Life Instyle exhibitors. Julie and Erik Barbey own and manage the retail and wholesale operations of Cote Provence – a French furniture and homewares business specialising in vintage items. They have also developed their own range of products made in Australia from French vintage linen.

Their product range is diverse spanning Provendi French soap to garden statues and urns which are hand finished in France.  Of course they also stock the iconic French blue and white enamel house numbers, and as well as many other originial vintage pieces.

Julie takes care of the retail front, while Erik handles the wholesale side of the business. They both took time out answer some questions we had about them, their business and why they participate in Life Instyle.

How did you end up where you are today?

Julie: It all began with a love of anything vintage as a child which was strongly influenced by my grandmother who was a hoarder and shopaholic.

Whilst travelling overseas I met Erik my husband who was a dealer in French antiques.  After living in France for a period and falling in love with all things French we decide to open a shop in Australia with the plan of one day importing from France. As the business was in its infancy I worked other jobs to have a regular wage to pay the bills and all the money from the business went into growing the business.

It took many years in business dealing in Australian vintage items and collectables to build up the funds to begin the dream of importing from France.

We moved from Provincial Victoria to Melbourne to expand the business and then made the decision to wholesale in French antiques as nobody was doing it at the time.

The business quickly grew and we moved from a small shop front to a warehouse where we had a small but very loyal group of dealers.

In 2002 the business had grown dramatically so Julie decided to leave the security of a wage and join the business on a full time basis.  We opened our own retail store called Cote Provence and expanded our product range to include quality new items from France that were made in traditional ways.

The first store in Ascot Vale was a cute corner store with plenty of charm. We took on a second warehouse to use as a showroom for the larger furniture.   After 4 years in this small store we decide to move into a much larger store with a second level and courtyard for the expanding range of garden products.

Rathdowne Street in North Carlton had always been our dream location due to the European feel of the street with beautiful plane trees and great selection of stores and cafes.

As the number of containers per year was increasing we decide to move our warehouse to Brunswick where the containers could be dropped inside the warehouse and where we could have a very large area to permanently display stock. We began trading as Cote Provence Wholesale.

In 2009 we decide to improve the business again and do Life Instyle at Sydney to expand our products into a greater variety of stores across Australia.

Due to the success of the fair in Sydney we decided to do the fairs twice a year with Life Instyle and are looking forward to bringing more unique quality items to our growing number of wholesale customers in August this year.

Erik: My love of Antiques was a family thing.  My earliest memory of my father is attending an antique market in France.  My mother worked for an antique dealer when she retired from teaching and we were always surrounded by precious objects.  My elder brother restored antiques and then became a wholesaler of antiques with us being one of his best customers.

I began working with my brother before I left school who was working for an antique dealer. I loved working with antiques and once I had left school I began working with my brother.  I learned all the skills of the trade but I specialized in polishing.

After about 5 years of restoration I started buying and selling at antique markets and quickly realised the pleasure I got from it and that I had an ‘eye for the unusual’ and that I could make money out of my purchases.

I decided to take a break from antiques and do some travelling which lead me to Scotland where I met Julie.

I never would have believed our business could have grown like it has and we are so happy to have realized our dream of importing from France.

For me it is a dream job as I get to go to France four times per year to see my family and friends and to buy the things that I love. Life Instyle has opened up our business to many new types of businesses as we predominately worked with antiques shops at the beginning.  I love seeing our products in other shops- it is like seeing old friends!

What’s the best thing about what you do?

Julie: We get to buy lots and lots of fantastic items that we love. We own them for a while and then get the pleasure of seeing someone else fall in love with them and enjoy them.

Erik: Being able to finding items that other people appreciate.

When did you start exhibiting at Life Instyle?

February 2009

Why do you exhibit at Life Instyle?

It is the only fair that we would consider doing because of the way things are displayed, the quality of the other stands and the efficient way it is organised.

What has been your Life Instyle highlight?

The success of our first fair and the positive feedback we received.

What can we expect from you at the next show

Lots of items which are original, limited in quantity and quality items which are made in Australia or Europe.

Right now I’m:

Julie: Packing up our house.

Erik: Watching a movie

Eating….

Julie: Belguim Chocolates which are divine

Erik: Ditto!

Drinking…

Julie: Ice coffees

Erik: Lots of wine-red or white- the colour is not important!

Reading…

Julie: Running with Scissors Augusten Burroughs

Erik: A Short History of Tractors un Ukrainian  Marina Lewycka

Hearing…

Julie: Ploughboys

Erik: Classical Music

Planning…

Julie: Our next trip to France in 3 weeks

Erik: Ditto!

Buying…

Julie: Items for our new house

Erik: Ditto!

Enjoying…

Julie: The rest from cleaning after 3 weeks of open for inspections.

Erik: Going for an early morning walk along the river by myself

See Cote Provence online at www.coteprovence.com.au and at Life Instyle in Melbourne in August 2010.