The French Cupboard - The French Cupboard 62/64 Queen Street

The French Cupboard is home to an eclectic mix of genuine French antique and vintage furniture and collectibles (hand picked by us in France), table linen and bed covers, new and vintage cushions, French soaps and a wide range of beautiful giftware and homewares, both genuine French and French inspired. We aim to have 90 percent of our shop contents made in France.
We travel to France once a year to search for things that we love to bring back here in New Zealand.  Our shop is a mix of old and new, and showcases how modern homes can look amazing with just one or two character pieces to mix with contemporary furnishings. 

We are also proud stockists of Chalk Paint (TM) Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan. There are 32 beautiful colours in her range.  We also hold 3 hour workshops teaching 4 fabulous looks to achieve with this wonderful paint.  Please email or telephone for dates.

We initially went to France in 2004, where we fell in love with the country, the people, the food and wine, the culture and history....   In 2005 we bought a lovely little house in the centre of France, just a few minutes drive from the medieval village of Crozant, surrounded by farmland, fields of sunflowers, wheat and maize.  The same year we started our business called "Coeur de la France" which literally means "heart of France" as ours really are there !!  We are in between two cities, Chateauroux and Limoges - which are the areas we buy all our vintage and antique furniture from.  The fabrics and soaps come from the South. We travel to France once a year to find new things to bring back to New Zealand.  We started out in Silverdale, then after a year or so we moved our shop to larger premises in Browns Bay.  Now, a number of years later, we have come back to Silverdale and renamed our shop "The French Cupboard".  The French Cupboard was originally an online shop for our table and bed linens.  We still have tablecloths, napkins, runners, cushions in a wide range of Provencal colours and designs, plus some beautiful 100 % French linen which we have made up into cushions and runners.  We bring back just a small amount of the linen each trip, always looking for new designs.  We also bring back vintage and antique sheets and tea towels. 

In the beginning The French Cupboard was originally created for beautiful table and bed linens, from a love for France and for the classical, elegant, timeless and romantic French style. Inspiration has been drawn from what the French have been doing for centuries - dressing the table to celebrate the enjoyment of eating and drinking.

Everywhere throughout France a strong sense of heritage and an eye for detail is apparent. The French hold their traditions true, from their meticulous gardens and vineyards, breathtaking Renaissance Chateau's and medieval hilltop towns, to the gastronomical delights derived from an undying passion for food. France’s seductive beauty and charm are legendary, the flavours, both gastronomically and visually, so diverse.

Provence, South of France.  An enchanting land bathed in sunshine.  A contrasting land of dramatic gorges, sleepy hilltop villages, red tiled roofs and ochre cliffs, azure blue skies, sun-drenched beaches and rolling acres of lavender.

The French country style is beautifully depicted in The French Cupboard’s range of table linen and bed fabrics, suiting both classic and contemporary styles.  Add touches of sunny, vivid Mediterranean colour, or subtle pattern and texture with fabrics in soft, comforting hues of washed blues, ochre, white and taupe, to indoor or outdoor living spaces to your home, beach house, courtyard or garden.

Exclusive to us, all our fabrics are manufactured in France and are uniquely hand cut and sewn to a 'made to order' style here in New Zealand.

- Anita and Ian 
Owners of The French Cupboard