Buried In Linens At The Bhv

The entire International Living Paris Office team joined together last night to put the finishing touches on the rue de la Huchette apartment last night (with a few details to complete this morning) and then opened a bottle of champagne!

“Au dernier moment,” I met John and Porter in the linens department at the BHV (Le Bazar de l’Hotel de Ville) to find them “buried” in sheets, towels, blankets, pillows, comforters and a variety of other odds and ends needed to finish the furnishing of the apartment (including a fireplace screen, a laundry hamper, lamp shades and throw pillows). The sales person was extremely helpful and polite, insisting on helping us maneuver the dozens of items to the cashier and then down and out of the store.

I will not tell you how much was spent…but I can tell you that linens in France are by far more expensive than in the U.S. and there are no “Bed, Bath and Beyonds” or “Linens and Things” to offer high quality percale at bargain prices. For a rental apartment, it doesn’t pay to “chinch” as it just wears out quicker and then you’re back to the BHV for more. So, the best was bought.

The store was a beehive of Christmas shoppers, so accomplishing this monumental task without getting run over in the process was a feat. Exiting the store, something set off the alarm and there we were fumbling to show our receipts. The guard waved us on realizing there was too much to check through to be realistic then luckily, a taxi was there just in the nick of time to save us from having to walk across the river to the Latin Quarter loaded down like donkeys.

At the apartment, we had 30 minutes or so to organize the things before IL CEO Bill Bonner arrived to help us celebrate and pour the champagne. Co-author of his recent bestseller “Financial Reckoning Day” and Editorial Director of the Daily Reckoning, Addison Wiggin, joined him. Even our first tenant who moves in today officially and visiting Parler Paris readers/conference attendees came by, too, for a sip of the bubbly.

The beds were put in place, the furniture placement was haggled over, and Porter lit the fireplace for the first time smoking up the newly placed antique bricks to give it character. What a blaze he made and it was absolutely divine!

A la prochaine…

Adrian Leeds
Editor, Parler Paris
E-mail: [email protected]

P.S. Today I’ll be taking pictures and posting them on the site within the next few days at
/frenchproperty/insider/rentals/huchette.html
If you’re interested in staying at our rue de la Huchette apartment or any IL managed luxury apartment, contact Porter Scott