The Thrill of the Hunt
An Antiquing Tour of Paris and Provence
I
PART ONE
It All Began in Paris
F
or as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by anything with a history. The stories that lurk behind a vintage object or an old building's façade provide a tantalizing glimpse into the past. When it comes to antiques, France has a history brimming with both gilded glory and Provençal charm, one that has always had the ability to tug at my heartstrings (not to mention my wallet). To get a better understanding of what the country has to offer, I teamed up with antiques expert Toma Clark Haines, founder of The Antiques Diva & Co. Originally from Oklahoma, Toma moved abroad to live the European life, at one point residing in Paris for several years. But after being denied a work visa in France, she found herself with a lot of free time on her hands. She occupied her days with various hobbies, including combing the many flea markets around the city. Her friends noticed that
she had a real knack for unearthing one- Written and Photographed of-a-kind treasures and nabbing them for by Alison Engstrom a great price. It wasn’t long before Toma stumbled upon an opportunity to turn her love of antiques into a full-fledged business — creating bespoke, private antiquing tours to some of the world’s most famous antiques markets — and in 2008, she did just that. Today she is based in Berlin, but her thriving company operates in 15 countries throughout Europe and Asia and now includes the United States, catering to a clientele that ranges from antique lovers to the design trade. I met up with Toma in Paris, where we began a five day antiquing trip which would culminate in Provence. Our adventure kicked off on a Friday evening. Danielle, one of Toma's Paris-based guides, and her husband, Jean-Pierre, hosted an intimate dinner party for her colleagues, in their spacious apartment, located on
12 1
ROSE & IV Y JOURNAL
