After more than three decades spent in French markets and village fairs, MFCH’s founder, Sharon Santoni, has distilled a lifetime of experience into her latest book: The Art of Antiquing in France.
More than a glossy coffee-table book or an instructional handbook, Sharon Santoni’s latest venture, The Art of Antiquing in France: Flea Markets – Brocantes – Antique Shops (Flammarion, April 2026), brings together her unique guidance and practical knowledge, with a strong sense of atmosphere.
Accompanied by photography by Franck Schmitt and Joanna Maclennan, it invites readers into the inspiring world of French antiques and the culture that surrounds them, exploring how France’s most collected objects are sourced, assessed, cared for and lived with at home.
A Look Inside the Book
Combining her outsider’s curiosity with decades of lived experience, the book unfolds across ten chapters, each focusing on a distinct genre of French collectibles. From Provençal quilts and printed textiles to floral transferware, silverware, historic linens, paintings and gardenware, each chapter pairs historical context with close visual detail, offering insight into how these pieces have shaped interiors and daily life over generations.
Alongside historical context, practical guidance is woven in with a light touch, including advice on navigating auctions, déballages (professional fairs), village markets, boutiques and brocantes, alongside a helpful glossary, buyer’s guide and essential French phrases for international collectors. Conversations with experienced dealers further demystify the process, with behind-the-scenes insights on how to gauge provenance, make thoughtful buying decisions and build knowledge over time.
Where to Get the Book
Available for pre-order on Amazon, the book will be released in major bookstores around the U.S. beginning in April. To mark its publication, signed copies of The Art of Antiquing in France will also be included in the February edition of My French Country Home Box, curated by Sharon herself. The box will also feature two French antiques selected by Sharon and a small collection of objects from her personal universe.
Clear, measured and deeply informed, The Art of Antiquing in France is designed to be used both at home and on the road, offering inspiration alongside practical guidance for your own buying adventures. Generous and personal in tone, it is a reference you’ll return to again and again — not just for what to buy, but to discover a way of looking at things that rewards patience and attention to detail.
Title: The Art of Antiquing: France’s Markets and Brocantes
Author: Sharon Santoni
Publisher: FlammarionPublication Date: April 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 pages
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