Yesterday I was in Paris, which on its own is pretty fantastic. To make it even more memorable, I spent the afternoon at what I now consider to be, without a doubt, one of the greatest stores for DIY home designers and decorators ever. I'd read about it before and thought of it like some mythical decor nirvana, but nothing prepared me for the wonder that is located on the Rue de Rivoli — BHV. Here is a peek inside:
BHV stands for Bazar de l'Hôtel de Ville. It is located across from the Hôtel de Ville and is the second oldest department store in Paris. This store has seemingly everything, from clothing, toys and perfume to furniture, books and crepe pans, but it is the all encompassing home project "etages" (floors) that really pulled me in...
The basement "bricolage" section is an unbelievable treat for anyone who loves poking around in hardware stores (so, in other words, pretty much everyone). It includes just about anything and everything hardware related, all in one place. This is a true "you name it, they have it" one stop shop with amazing access for for urbanites, located in the heart of the city, with a metro stop (Hôtel de Ville) right there.
As I describe the bricolage etage, it could possibly sound like a Home Depot or something mundane like that, but it's not — the selection is vast. Instead of a small selection of choices in a huge space like a big box type retailer, this is a big selection in a relatively compact city store, which makes it both mesmerizing and jealous making. I would love to have a resource like this in Chicago.
Pictured above are just a few views of the myriad sections of the Bricolage: some surprisingly colorful tool belts, a really big selection of bells (?!?!), wooden feet and legs of all shapes and sizes, a castor-go-round, traditional (and plenty of not so traditional) house numbers, a wide range of colorful plexiglas, modern faucets, radiators, fireplace supplies. Keep in mind that these photos are just glimpses at small parts of each these sections; they go on and on.
After visiting the basement, I made my way up to the 4th etage for the home decor section which is essentially the mothership of DIY design project sources.
I really can't think of an equivalent shopping experience to this floor in the US. To access this array of project supplies here at home, I'd have to visit multiple specialty stores and most likely, do some shopping online, but, at BHV it's jampacked with the materials and supplies needed for just about any home decor project, all in one place. And again, just as on the hardware floor, its all about selection - instead of the choice of a few basic lampshade blanks, there are aisles of them in all shapes and sizes, same with curtain rods, and tassels and drawer pulls...its like the grownup decorators version of a candy store. Fabrics, wallpapers, paints, craft supplies, the list goes on and on and because it is all in one shop and right in front of you, it is easy to compare and coordinate and you can make informed choices about color and quality. And to make it even more all-encompassing, the price points seemed varied — I saw really basic and bargain priced materials right along with designer branded goods.
Following my afternoon spent wandering happily through the aisles all I have to say is 5 small words: Please, BHV, come to America!
MORE INFO:
• BHV
• Post from Paris: The BHV
Images: Top:Kristen Hohenadel/Apartment Therapy, Gallery: Janel Laban
Veronica & Keith's Handmade Chic 
Before & After: A Bathroom Goes From Pinky Peach to Sleek and Chic
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Hunslet Dinner Plate
A Beginner's Guide to Superb Stir-Fry: Quick, Healthy Meals from a Wok
Easy Pitcher Cocktail Recipe: Strawberry Basil Margaritas
Comments (78)
I want to go now!! How great would that be to shop and poke around at a store like this. I will be sure to stop by next time when I am in Paris! :)
Impressive. Sure I don't have nothing like it or close
Oh! My! Do they ship? I LOVE LOVE LOVE the tool belts and fireplace tools in all those yummy colors!
I miss the BHV! That was my metro spot when I lived in Paris and one of the most FUN stores to visit. It's a goodie!
I want to go to there.
When I moved to Paris with absolutely no home things to speak of (I was 17) BHV was a the first place I went! I still have towels, cereal bowls and probably some other things from that wonderful, magical, has-everything-you-need store.
This place looks AMAZING! I can't even believe it exists! Oh how I wish they would come to the US :)
I was there a few years ago and was equally impressed. It's like a combination IKEA, Muji and Home Depot. Tokyo Hands in Japan is similar and even more vast. Best of all, at BHV you can go to the cafeteria floor and choose from an incredible array of delicious food to fill the belly after hours of shopping.
I'm always looking for an excuse to go to Paris - BHV is on my list. If only there were an equivalent playground in LA...
Oh my freakin' gosh!
It was definitely the place where I hung out during a recent visit to Paris. Quite conveniently the metro exit leads directly to the basement DIY department - and - mon dieu - formidable! A good walk-through for a bit of respite from rainy and cold Paris.
I think this must be what heaven looks like.
Ooh, la, la, the assortment of furniture legs alone gives me a thrill. I want to know the story on the colorful radiators. They look like the antique steam or water units I've had in some of my homes. Those in the photo above look as though they have electrical cords coming out of them. More info on these would be great! :o)
I am drooling and jealous!!
Wow! I'd disappear for days in that place!
I too want to go to there!
youngbloop - good eye! yes, they were electric space heaters designed like old fashioned steam radiators
Ditto - BHV, Please come to America!
Yes, BHV is where we go when we need a special screw, or a special plug, or a special piece of lamp (it used to be in the basement). And I used to be Parisian until one year ago, when I moved to L.A. Home Depot is not so bad for a Parisian like me, I just miss the knowledge of the sellers. However, if you go to the story where they sell paints for the walls in BHV, the Parisian sellers suck, very disappointing, I can tell you ! Did you try the Samaritaine ? Probably the oldest big store in Paris. I didn't go a lot, it has been renewed recently, but I have been told it is great now ("On trouve tout a la Samaritaine" !) However, for home improvement, I agree BHV is the best.
The only thing I really cannot find in the US, are the lampshade skeletons (I don't how we call that ?) I used to decorate lampshades myself, but I can't find these things here... Does someone can help me with that please ???
Yael Bolender (Cuculapraline-Frenchic)
Oh SIIIGH. I made a bee-line for BHV as soon as I made it to Paris the first time. It's everything I've heard... and more.
There is a HILARIOUS description of this store in The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz.
WOW...this store is just amazing I got chills just looking at the photos! Another reason to plan a trip to Paris!
OMG! It's like the mothership is calling me home!
Sad news from www.bhv.fr *(translated)
"Orders placed on bhv.fr can be delivered in France, Corsica and Monaco and, in Belgium, Luxembourg and Andorra. Unfortunately, your orders no can be delivered in the overseas territories."
I admit, a place like this very awesome. But for me it doesn't beat my local architectural salvage warehouse.
I have lived here in Paris for nearly ten years, and BHV is pretty much the Go To shop for Parisians looking for tools and things for their DIY projects.
But I truly think that it doesn't hold a candle to the myriad of specialty shops available in anglophone countries - all the wonderful shops that you can find which are dedicated to one type of thing. For example - The Container Store? There is NOTHING like that here. We have to be content with a limited selection of stuff in BHV.
The second problem are the prices. They are above and beyond everything you would expect to pay for the same thing in an anglophone country, because you don't have any choice in the matter. It's not because it's Paris that it's expensive - it's because there's nothing else like it.
When I and my friends here need things for DIY projects, we'll find ourselves ordering online from overseas.
BHV is really pretty. The French know how to put displays out. Plus it's Paris. So YAY. But I don't think it's the best home project store in the world.
Excuse the cynicsm in my last comment. It IS an awesome shop, and I was just there this week. ;) It's just not the be all and end all.
I've been there, but clearly not on the right floors, because I couldn't find the mythical decorating section. Of course, my husband was hounding me to do things other than be in a department store, but the rest of the department store is not very exciting.
I love the BHV! I used to live down the street from this location. In one night i managed to get new circuit breakers and an Yves San Laurent belt for under 100 euros... If I had been more handy around the house I could have done so much DIY!
Oh no! You missed the cutest part of BHV: the "Bricolo Cafe", located on the basement too. It's very Harry Potter - I found this pic on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/chromavincent/366815066/
WOW.
Now, I must plan a trip to BHV! Looks like I could spend a few days there! Please post more places like this!! I would love to know where these kinds of places are in different countries!
Another great place in Japan which seems to look similar is Joyful Honda. It is like IKEA, Home Depot, Michael's, and Target rolled into one place! It is SO FABULOUS!
I've been going to Paris every year for over 20 years and the BHV is one of the first stores. It's a great place to get stuff I need that I can't get at home.
went in a few years ago for the air conditioning. stayed for a few shellshocked hours of browsing.
Personally I would trade our BHV for all the choices you have the US. I miss Home depot!
wow never seen a home improvement store like that. i would probably DIY more if i had a resource like that nearby, instead i just end up frustrated looking for what i need
I am so glad this isn't in Philly. I'd spend all my time and money there... but my house would look awesome!
it's funny because i live in Paris so i really know well the BHV, but i dream of YOUR store ;-)!
It just looks amazing. Do they frown on people camping in the aisles?
Actually, the BHV was the worst place to go to for DIY project when I lived in Paris (am French, but moved to another city). However, it's just the best place ever for wallpaper and fabric. The rest seems awesome because you have no hardware store in Paris (where would you put it ?), so this is the only store for a whopping 8 million Parisiens. I don't miss that store for its tools.
But I sure miss the decoration section so much... I used to spend hours drooling on fabrics I could never afford. Now that we moved, I could afford them, but there is no other store like the one in Rivoli. So sad.
A must on each of my trips to Paris.
I'm in love. I must find a few days to go to Paris and visit BHV.
I got this great pillow with a silk-screened image of a Parisian rooftop on it there last year.
There were three in the window, but there were none on the sales floor. I managed to enlist the help of a customer service rep and they sold me one from the display. Love that place!!
Why can't that be here in Munich!! So, close and yet so far away.
I LOVE this place, last time I was in Paris I spent a whole day there!
<swoons over door handles photo>
So, I should take an empty suitcase next time I visit Paris?
This is one of the few places in Paris where you can find mostly everything for any random home project. Don't believe that you will be getting the best price, however. But, what choice do you have unless you have to time to run to 5 or 6 different stores all around Paris to find the equivalent.
omg!!!!!!
There are things in your pics that I've been looking for!
Alright, there has to be someone on here with an entrepreneurial mind - PLEASE open a store here!
I haven't been there but it reminds me of Gracious Home in NYC. They have all sorts of hardware and are a combo of hardwear store, appliance store and home decoration store. Tons of knobs and radiator covers as screws and things and then also things like mailboxes, curtain rods and kitchen appliances and cleaning supplies. They also have georgeous sheets, some rugs and lamps and things. Very pricy but good quality items and a good selection and some very unique things and also the most basic things needed to run a home.
I love love LOVE this store. I was there in December and had to practice considerable restraint...
OMG I'm so glad you posted this. It's one of my favourite stores not only in Paris... Everywhere!!! There are no words to describe how rich and original their stock is. The prices have a very wide range and what I appreciate is the fact cheaper products are not of lesser quality or taste.
It looks so easy to have such a selection of such beautiful stuff. Why oh why can't American and Canadian retailers give us this?
Thanks for telling us about this, just in case we ever get to visit Paris. :)
If you want to spend days there I am sure you may even get a tent and squat there too...
Well sometimes I wonder why I left the place to live in Japan where the DIY is not ingrained and cost more than the finished product!
Looks great but I have to say if I were on vacation in Paris, the last thing I'd be thinking about are DIY projects.
BHV is my favorite store ever. The hardware selection is amazing and they have the widest selection of everything related to home and garden. Like casters - they don't just have one style, they have 20. Casters! I always want to be able to diy while I am there, just to be able to chose from the vast selection. My favorites are window and door hardware (knobs, hinges, beautiful old fashioned locks). Also cool - in the basement, they have french signage like address numbers, men's and women's restroom, beware of dog and no parking signs, cool little metal tags that hotels use for room numbers...great for souvenirs. They also have great shoe insoles!
c'est magnifique!
I'll be in Paris for a week the end of April, and will be sure to stop in and check BHV out. Thank you for the bright idea. Any other suggestions let me know.
Interesting... it seems like a bourgeois walmart.
Yes! BHV is like dying and going to DIY heaven. I bought from there one of the most important kitchen tools ever - my crepe roller/smoother, a must-have to make crepes that I have not seen it anywhere else.
i think i would have sensory overload and not be able to make a decision about anything!
This is un-freaking-believable!!! I think I'm actually drooling. Ok, now where can I drop my 2 little kids for a day when I am in Paris this summer so I can shop ;)?
I love Paris. This is just another reason for me to go this year. It's been too long! Where can we find those great heaters in the states?
I know this place. We stay just around the corner from it when we're in Paris. It is a fun shop to browse through.
Wow, looks great. I'm in Paris next month and I've added this to my "must see" list.
I live in Paris. One of the coolest things BHV ever did was, during the sales period (twice a year in France) sell Le Crueset cookware by the kilo. They just had a giant pile of pots and lids and you could combine what you wanted. I didn't have much money at the time - bought my very first piece then.
They do have everything. But know that 1) it's always packed; 2) in the winter they turn the heat up incredibly high so be prepared to carry your coat; and 3) they do have elevators - if you're in the hardware basement definitely follow the signs for 'ascenseur' or the elevator icon to go to the higher floors. The escalator takes forever!
Also there's a great chapter on BHV in 'Paris to the Moon' - more what it's like to live here and shop there. The joke is that that famous Doisneau photo of the couple kissing in front of the Hotel de Ville is because they managed to get out BHV alive (the crowds, ha ha).
Wish I had gone here instead of the Louvre : )
yet another reason to hope i can one day visit paris!
Tres magnifique! Je vais y aller prochaine fois que je suis à Paris ! Learning to speak French so that I can go back to Paris and shop 'til I drop. Will definitely make a stop at BHV.
There is also - in the middle of all that "bricolage" - a small pub/café with real rough wooden benches. As a young woman I never really dared to go in there and order something, but it must surely be the best place for all the "hardworking guys" out there. ;-)
perfection. when can we get one in the states? have been on the hunt for a lampshade, my refinished lamp stands naked without one!
You had me at plexiglass.
It looks like a professional decorator's wet dream...
I love the BHV, and go there every time I am in Paris. I love to go to the paint department and buy the small sized cans of paint in the wonderful colors you can only find there. I use the paint to customize vintage furniture finds that are even more special with their unique French tone.
Bliss....lock me in and throw away the key!
Wonderful photos! It takes me back to my year living in Paris and going to Parsons...we always went here to find unusal materials for art projects. I miss it!
Salivating! I sure wish I would have known about BHV when I was in Paris last summer.
Just a note, from a Californian who moved to Paris three years ago with nothing and has decorated/furnished an apartment from scratch: BHV is fantastic for many things, but sometimes the prices are significantly higher than other stores. Also, there actually ARE other Home Depot type stores IN Paris: Leroy Merlin & Castorama (not to be confused with horrible Conforama).
I have found BHV to be great for things like good quality paint (and yes, the staff in the paint department is awful) and wallpapers, specialty wood products (bamboo poles) and random projects that require odd little pieces. Their small appliances, plumbling supplies, kitchen supplies and bathroom furnishings are generally way overpriced - for those, I go to Leroy Merlin (it's near the Pompidou Center).
For little things that can be packed in a suitcase, there's some cool home decor/design shops near the Marché Enfants Rouges in the Marais and Lafayette Home (multiple floors in a modern space near the Printemps and the other Lafayette stores)
Oh, and Samaritaine has been closed since 2005.
BHV has excellent choice, a wide range of prices, and the worst staff ever. And both my brothers have worked there...