Furnish your home with rare French pieces without ever leaving home
September 26, 2009
Site allows shoppers to browse one-of-a-kind and modern furniture and decor from dealers all over France
Have you ever wanted a real French crystal chandelier hanging in your living room? What about a Louis XV bookcase in the library? For those who love the history and quality workmanship of French antique and modern furniture and home decor items, nothing else comes close. These people are not IKEA shoppers. They browse antique shops or high-fashion design stores on the weekend, looking for that original treasure. When they are lucky enough to travel to Paris, they head straight to the districts selling furniture and the famous “puces” (flea markets that are definitely not flea-bitten) in the north of Paris.
But alas, it’s not always possible to drop everything and make hunting down the perfect antiques and reproductions the full time job it can be. That’s what makes the website www.furniture-decoration-paris.com such a find in itself. Here, shoppers anywhere in the world can browse for antique armchairs, tables and desks, the perfect bookcase or one-of-a-kind magnificent chandelier all without leaving their own armchair.
What makes the site so unique is that it is not a store per se, but an internet version of a marketplace…sort of like the biggest and highest quality flea market ever. It brings dealers of antiques and manufacturers of quality reproductions together in one place, and allows them to present their wares to international buyers. Most of them ship all over the world, so the jewel you discover can be sitting in your living room sooner than you think!
For those seeking a unique armchair or a set of chairs, the site offers a huge range of choices. A recent visit turned up delicate, elegant Louis XV upholstered chairs, as well as masculine club chairs and Chesterfield wing chairs covered in rich leather, either amazingly authentic reproductions or original antiques expertly restored. There are some beautiful modern chairs as well, from the Art Deco period and later, so sculptural that they could be considered works of art as easily as furniture.
Now that you’ve found the chair of your dreams, imagine doing your taxes or writing emails at an Empire style desk, or a gorgeous little secretary or writing table. Or eating takeout at a magnificent antique or high-fashion dining room table or discovering the coffee table that becomes the new focal point of your room. They can all be found here, at a wide range of styles and prices. Rather than boring storage solutions, your books and knickknacks can find a more original and elegant home in a one of the many bookcases that can be found here, and the photos really let shopper compare and “see” the pieces in their own home.
Smart and spectacular lighting solutions are plentiful among the site’s range of chandelier choices. You’ll find traditional and magnificent Bohemian crystal chandeliers as well as vintage pieces from the 1970s for a retro chic look.
Unless you get to spend a year in France exclusively trolling the shops, flea markets and estate sales, you will never get to see and compare the choices you will find here, or make the contacts with the dealers and manufacturers that you can just by going to this website.
Founded in 1998 by decorators in France, FADParis (Furniture and Decoration Paris) is a portal allowing home decor professionals to promote their products to lovers of quality home furnishings worldwide. The site features ancient, traditional and contemporary styles and a wide range of artists, craftspeople and manufacturers.
Services
PleinSite16 allée des charmes
91370 Verrières le Buisson
+33 (0)9 79 18 01 27
+33 (0)6 87 58 68 63
Email : Contact form
Web : http://www.furniture-decoration-paris.com
A marketplace for home decor from France, without leaving home
September 21, 2009
Site brings buyers, sellers and lovers of authentic French tradition and decor together in one place
A true Provencal stone fountain… in your own backyard? A quiet evening warming yourself by a French antique ceramic stove or an ancient fireplace? Outfitting your own kitchen with ancient quarry tile from France? it’s all possible now, and you don’t have to book a shopping expedition to France to browse — or buy– it all.
FADParis is a marketplace where French dealers in one-of-a-kind antiques and quality reproductions of French items and materials can open their doors to the world. Fans of home decor and antique French country style had better remember to breathe while browsing this site, because the selection and quality is likely to make them feel faint.You could spend months trying to see all this in person, and here it is all presented in one place for buyers to search, browse and get original ideas.
The site is also a boon to sellers in France, many of them small business owners or craftsmen, who can now make their unique and special wares such as ceramic stoves, ancient fireplaces and ancient quarry tile from France available to connoisseurs of style all over the world. Virtually all these items can be shipped worldwide.
Looking to put in a hardwood floor? Why not choose a beautiful Versailles parquet floor in the artisanal tradition from among the offerings several of the top French companies? Some are made from ancient materials, others are stunning reproductions of the old styles…and none are the sort of thing you can find at your local flooring shop! Imagine having your guests step into your home onto a Versailles parquet floor in a stunning latticework pattern or intricate two-toned marquetry.
The site also presents suppliers of ancient quarry tile from Provence and elsewhere, to give that rustic, antique touch to your kitchen, bath, study and patio, as well as to the flooring of your main rooms. You’ll find gorgeous traditional red terra cotta tile, both glossy and matte, or glazed tile in brilliant colors or painted patterns, recovered second-hand and antique tiles and those that just look like antiques.
Looking for an ancient fireplace or mantelpiece, or even a traditional French ceramic stove to warm up a living room or den? The selection on the site allows shoppers to compare pieces that lend not just warmth but instant character to any room, even when there’s no fire! The fireplaces are in wood, marble and other stone in a range of styles and periods. The stoves, a staunchly guarded tradition still upheld by just a few manufacturers and craftsmen in France, are charming pieces in many shapes and colors, some with hand-painted decoration, and a few are even re-fitted to work electronically.
Moving outside the home, the site features purveyors of antique and reproduction fountains, from a massive circular stone fountain just like those one encounters in the ancient town squares of Provence, to smaller tinkling wall fountains decorated with lions or angels, perfect for a tranquil corner of a garden.
The decorating ideas are endless, so it’s a good thing the site makes it easy for shoppers to find exactly what they want from a myriad of manufacturers and dealers. The site is presented in both French and English, and there is a separate login for exhibitors and for members. The site puts buyers in touch with the dealers and manufacturers to discuss details of provenance, price, shipping, etc. Besides the items mentioned in this article, there is an exhaustive range of furniture, lighting, and textiles to be found, so it is possible to outfit your entire home without ever stepping away from your computer.
So if you can’t hop on a plane to Paris or Provence right now, but if you want to see and compare the most amazing range of antiques and decorative items for your home from the best craftspeople and dealers in France, step through the portal of FADParis at www.furniture-decoration-paris.com
Founded in 1998 by decorators in France, FADParis (Furniture and Decoration Paris) is a portal allowing home decor professionals to promote their products to lovers of quality home furnishings worldwide. The site features ancient, traditional and contemporary styles and a wide range of artists, craftspeople and manufacturers.
Services
PleinSite16 allée des charmes
91370 Verrières le Buisson
+33 (0)9 79 18 01 27
+33 (0)6 87 58 68 63
Email : Contact form
Web : http://www.furniture-decoration-paris.com
Buying a business in France is easier than you think
September 15, 2009
The dream of owning a business in France can come true with the right partner and opportunity
At a time when many people around the world are scaling back their business plans, other are scouring the globe for new opportunity. And some of the best business opportunities in France are being spotted in the the beautiful heart of France, in the area known as le Massif Central.
An area of long-held traditions and quality, Le Massif Central is a better place than ever to either buy or to start a small business France. For one thing, it has many and varied natural and business resources. And while the area has long been well-established as a French center of commerce, it is now much more accessible to the rest of the world than before, due to improved and expanded national and international service by airlines. Low cost flights are available to all the Massif Central airports: Rodez, Clermont-Ferrand, Nîmes, Montpellier, Limoges and Béziers.
Timing is also key when looking for a business for sale in France. And many businesses in the Massif Central region are now ripe for the picking, as the heads of family-run businesses near retirement age. The types of business for sale in France include: hotels for sale in France, French restaurants for sale and many other tourism business opportunities, as well as a good deal of French commercial property for sale, industrial properties and much more. A recent visit to the website of Uccimac turned up some treasures, including a castle near Clermont Ferrand with nine bedrooms a pond, and a swimming pool — a fabulous and unique bed-and-breakfast or business retreat site for an enterprising business person or even a couple looking to get into the hotel business in France.
For those more interested in commerce and industry than tourism, a visit to the Uccimac site yielded a range of French commercial property for sale, including thriving factories producing everything from plastic injection molds to agricultural products. And for those who would simply like to have shop or storefront, there are bars, bakeries, gas stations and restaurants for sale in France, just waiting for the right owner.
UCCIMAC (Union of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the Massif Central) was created in 1975 as a non-profit organization, which groups together 26 Chambers of Commerce and Industry belonging to 19 French departments spread over 6 regions: Auvergne, Limousin, Rhône-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées and Burgundy. On behalf of these local Chambers of Commerce, the organization hopes to attract companies and individuals from around the world looking for new business opportunities in France in one of the most varied and attractive regions of France. Uccimac is a one-stop-shop for some of the best business opportunities in this part of the world.
Uccimac is also involved as an information center and a “think tank” for business development in the Massif Central area. Uccimac is unique in helping international business people and investors to buy a business in France. Once a prospective buyer expresses an interest in a property, Uccimac places him or her in contact with the local Chamber of Commerce where the property is located. The Chamber of Commerce then dedicates an English-speaking partner to guide them through the sometimes complicated process of doing business in France, getting the right paperwork and permits. The local partner advises prospective investors on legal matters and help them raise financing to buy their business in France. Uccimac gives people coming from outside France access to local Chamber of Commerce contacts who give invaluable inside information about the cultural landscape and the local economic environment. So even if you are coming from a foreign country, Uccimac makes you feel at home as soon as you start looking for a business for sale in France.
So Uccimac is the perfect partner for anyone with an interest in purchasing a business in the heart of France, whether a buyer is looking for French restaurants for sale , a factory, a shop or hotels for sale in France. A non-profit organization, Uccimac is impartial and honest with its partners about the economic potential and also the challenges of the opportunities is makes available. Of course, Uccimac does have an interest in enhancing the economic landscape of the region it serves, and that means dynamic business community. This is why the organization has taken the bold initiative to court those from outside France and invite them to participate in the growth of the region of which they are so proud.
Founded in 1975, UCCIMAC (Union of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the Massif Central) is a non-profit organization representing 26 Chambers of Commerce and Industry of 19 French departments in the French interior regions of Auvergne, Limousin, Rhône-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon, Midi-Pyrénées and Burgundy. The organization is dedicated to promoting commerce and industry in the Massif Central region it serves, and to assisting outside investors in participating in local business opportunities.
Services
- business opportunities in France
- business for sale in France
- French restaurants for sale
- hotels for sale in France
- French commercial property for sale
Email : Contact form
Website : http://www.massifcentral-businessopportunities.com
Travellers to France escape the big cities for rural vacations
September 14, 2009
More tourists to France going for the green at charming French country hotels
For most tourists visiting France, it’s all about Paris–the excitement, the lights, the cosmopolitan vibe, the wealth of choices for nightlife and cultural activities. These are also often the travelers who arrive home needing a vacation from their vacation! For a slower pace, a warm welcome, and a really carefree vacation, there’s nothing like a countryside weekend in France. The Loire’s green meadows raked with vineyards. The mountains of Provence that inspired Cezanne. The quaint country towns with the thatched rooves and half-timbered houses of Normandy that look like a child’s fairy tale. All conspire to charm visitors and show them the more rustic and simple side of France.
One of the best parts of this journey of discovery weekend in France is staying in the charming French hotels and inns you’ll find dotting the countryside, each with its own unique character. For those who love the outdoors, there are many possibilities for nature tourism for holidays in France.
One French hotel website gives tourists to France a wide range of French country hotels to choose from and book easily online. Inter Hotel is a network of 271 independent two- and three-star hotels all over France, all distinct but all adhering to the rigorous Inter-Hotel standards for quality, hospitality and regional authenticity. The hotels cater to different styles and interests and some offer special packages and deals for your countryside weekend in France.
Within the Inter-Hotel network, travelers can stay in charming French hotels all over France and enjoy consistent and pleasing quality and charm everywhere they stay, without the anonymity and monotony of hotel chains.
Wherever you choose to spend your holiday in France, all hotels in the Inter-Hotel network follow strict standards of service, cleanliness and authenticity. So your charming French hotel affords more comforts than just a good bed. You’ll feel right at home with the good old-fashioned French country welcome provided by your hosts.
Inter-Hotel’s easy-to-navigate website makes it fun and simple to shop around for the perfect country hotel in France from among the network’s hundreds of member hotels. Travellers can search by region, by interest (gastronomy, sports, family, spas) and other criteria, including seeing a list of “country” hotels. If the photos and detailed descriptions of the various properties don’t have you packing your bags, there’s another reason to book early: many hotels in the Inter-Hotel network offer an early-bird discount of 15% to guests who reserve at least six weeks in advance.
Paris and other big French cities will always be fascinating destinations, but if you’d like a vacation in France this year that is less whirlwind tour and more rest and relaxation, or if your stay in Paris or Bordeaux affords you time to take a weekend out of the city, staying in a French country hotels off the beaten track affords a breath of fresh air and a slower pace. With Inter-Hotel, the perfect French country hideaway awaits, just a click or two away.
Inter-Hotel, founded in1967, is a network of 271 independently operated hotels all over France that share the values of hospitality, regional authenticity and rigorous quality standards.
Services
- charming French hotels
- nature tourism for holidays in France
- countryside weekend in France
- discovery weekend in France
Inter Hotel
100 rue Petit
75 165 PARIS CEDEX 19
FRANCE
Phone : +33 4 71 60 58 23
Fax : +33 4 71 60 09 38
Contact : Reservation centre
Website : http://www.inter-hotel.com
Looking for a hotel in Turkey? This site offers a bazaar of choices
September 7, 2009
A modern way to choose and book a hotel in the site of the old Ottoman Empire
A trip to Turkey, where East meets West, can be at turns exotic and sophisticated. Centuries of Ottoman history await you, as well as modern European-style touches. For travellers who want to make a Turkey hotel reservation, but who are not familiar with the cities, choosing their hotel may feel a bit daunting. How can you know if you are close enough to the places you want to visit? What if you are looking for hotel in Turkey on a
quiet back road, and end up on a bustling boulevard? Are you looking for a more traditional charm in your hotel, or do you prefer a more modern style with newer buildings and all the conveniences?
Cosy Hotels (www.cosy-hotels.com) makes those looking for a Turkey hotel reservation feel at home as soon as they start to plan their trip from the comfort of their own living room. Cosy Hotels lives up to its name, with a wide selection of charming accommodations for those looking for a hotel in Turkey. But that doesn’t mean they only offer small or modest hotels in their online lineup. Their site makes it easy to shop for everything from a delightful family-run inn in Cappadocia to a Turkey resort hotel in Istanbul.
Those visiting Cosy Hotels’ website will be able to compare different hotel amenities, photos of the accommodations and even the hotels’ exact distances from various historical monuments, train stations, airports and other sites of interest, thanks to a very complete description of each hotel, what it offers, and its location. Google maps showing the location of each of Cosy Hotels’ hotels in Turkey are embedded right on hotel’s profile page. You will also know which hotels have meeting rooms for business, which offer free internet, which are appropriate for the handicapped, and which allow pets, among many other minute but important details. So the only surprises you will have on your
trip are the happy ones that come with a positive travel experience.
Once you’ve found the Turkey resort hotel or boutique hotel that interests you, Cosy Hotels offers the convenience of real-time availability checking and booking right from their website for your Turkey hotel reservation. No need to waste time visiting the websites of every hotel in Turkey that caught your eye, only to find out it is booked on the nights you wanted.
A visit to Turkey can be a great adventure, but if you want your hotel choice to be a sure thing, start planning your travel using Cosy Hotels. You will have exactly the hotel in Turkey you want, exactly where you want it.
Cosy Hotels offers online real-time reservations at 500+ hotels in countries across Europe, as well as India, China, Canada and the United Arab Emirates.
- hotel in Turkey
- Turkey hotel reservation
- Turkey resort hotel
Com-Ten, French firm in the US, creates high-end testing equipment
September 6, 2009
Companies across all industries around the world benefit from quality control from torque gauges and pull testing from Florida-based Com-Ten Industries
Roofing, medicine, industry and more all need to make sure their products, packaging, components and structures are sound, and things that are meant to be attached stay attached. That is where Com-Ten comes in. A leader in the testing industry, Com-Ten has been a manufacturer of cutting-edge Torque Analyzers, Torque Gauges, Spring Testers and Pull testers for almost 50 years.
Their handheld and test stand solutions, now with sophisticated digital sensors, measure components found in automotive, aerospace, building supplies and electronics, in the US, France and now all over the world. They also supply application software to support their testing equipment and the automation of all kinds of tests.
Com-Ten makes a huge range of Torque Gauges. Some are designed to measure the hold of even the tiniest screws used in medicine and electronics. Some of Com-Ten’s torque gauges are adapted for field testing, to see how screws and bolts perform under real-life conditions. With the advanced digital sensors that Com-Ten designs to work with its Torque Gauges, a maximum amount of information is displayed and measured for each test on the large graphic display, creating greater value for the user. The Centor W is Com-Ten’s latest and most advanced digital Torque Gauge.
For companies whose equipment or products include springs, Com-ten is the the professional choice for Spring Testers. Their Spring test series is designed to measure force and torque on all types of springs, such as compression spring, tension springs, torsion springs and others. Com-ten also provides customers with spring-testing stands, for a total solution
Pull testers are designed to measure the soundness and strength of various kinds of fasteners, a vital point for quality and safety, especially in the building, automotive and aeronautic industries, for example. Com-Ten’s digital and analog pull testers have been specially adapted for measuring the strength of hundreds of types of fastenings in the areas of roofing, building, general industry, etc. Designed for pull-out tests and non-destructive tests.
Accurate measurements need accurate tools. But how to make sure that those tools retain their precision over time? Torque Analyzers such as Com-Ten’s Centormeter H and Centormeter W allow customers to calibrate and check all of their small capacity torque measuring instruments, such as torque wrenches, torque screwdrivers, screw guns, compression and tension systems, force gauges, and more. These tools are essential in ensuring the quality of your measurements throughout the lifetime of your instruments.
Coming up September 22-24, Com-Ten Industries will exhibit its full range of force and torque instruments at the Design & Manufacturing Midwest trade show in Rosemont, IL. Attendees can visit their booth # 735, home of the French Trade Commission. Visit the Com-Ten.com website for a special link to register online for free and save $55 on a three-day pass to the show, where the best and brightest of industrial design will be on display.
COM-TEN Industries, based in Florida, is a leading manufacturer of force testing equipment since 1960 and serves companies in aeronautics, building, medical devices and other industries worldwide.
Business travel management solution brings global corporate employees together
September 3, 2009
Global meetings and events made easy with this international business travel booking service
Getting half a dozen people in the same office to agree to the same meeting time is a challenge. But arranging business meetings and events for employees from around the world could make an HR person’s head spin. There are the physical logistics, the changing airline connections, the time zones, the languages, the special needs. The more people have to attend, the more these details are multiplied, and the more things can get lost in translation.
This is further complicated by the fact that most travel agents are strongest in their own country, rather than being truly international, limiting their ability to offer an entire travel management solution. And online-only booking sites with one-size-fits -all service don’t take into account more complex travel requirements, exceptional needs or customers’ technical questions, leaving them to fend for themselves.
Fortunately, there is a business travel solution that answers all of these concerns.
Egencia, part of the Expedia group, is a complete corporate travel agency, specializing in international business travel. For 7 years, Egencia has been organizing business group travel for companies around the globe. With its relationship with the Expedia network, the travel management company combines the most robust of online travel booking tools and technology, massive purchasing power, plus fully integrated offline phone support for its valued customers worldwide. Egencia is more than a travel agency; in fact, people refer to it as a travel management company. Beyond just getting people to the event anywhere in the world from anywhere in the world, they will even help organize the events themselves, even what attendees may do in their downtime.
For example, Egencia recently organized the travel and helped design the events around a world conference in Shanghai for an electronics company, bringing together more than 200 group managers from around the world. Elements such as accommodations, evening entertainments, activities, meetings, registration, etc. were all handled seamlessly by Egencia, and attendees were able to book their own travel effortlessly online in their home countries using Egencia’s online booking tools.
For a telecommunications client, Egencia orchestrated a more intimate corporate travel solution for a VIP sales event in Iceland for the company’s 35 best salesmen. The attendees enjoyed five days of original activities exploring the island. Egencia faciliatated organizing the flights, accommodations, evening entertainments, activities and more. Egencia meticulously researches hotels, services and activities available in the area to help companies plan interesting and appropriate activities pre and post meeting.
None of this flawless service is an accident. All aspects of Egencia’s business travel solutions are designed especially for –and have been road-tested by– road warriors from all over the world. Egencia also offers VIP business travel services are worthy of being called VIP.
Attendees get access to a dedicated website devoted solely to their meeting, complete with timetables and location details for the event and all activities. This valuable feature, beyond merely providing information and keeping everyone organized, serves to foster the feeling of being on the same team. Eventers can even access the details from their mobile phone or PDA.
Such a high level of service would seem to be more expensive than a DIY travel solution. But Egencia’s business travel services are perfect for companies controlling corporate travel costs because of the efficiency, purchasing power and seamless integration around the globe that Egencia offers.
The right business travel solution matters even more when doing business internationally. Companies that want to bring together employees from everywhere, and make them all feel like part of something special, would do well to arrange their corporate travel through Egencia.
Egencia is a complete business travel management company, part of the Expedia travel network, specializing in organizing business group travel for attendees from around the world and providing total corporate travel solutions to companies worldwide.
Services
- Corporate Travel Agency
- Business group travel
- Controlling corporate travel costs
- Business meetings and events
- Business travel solutions
Headquarters:
24 Chiswell St
London EC1Y 4TY
Manchester:
Wellington House
39a Piccadilly Manchester M11LQ
Web : http://www.egencia.co.uk
Email : Contact form
Foodies, rejoice! Sample hotel stays in France where gastronomy is the destination
September 1, 2009
Discover a network of charming hotels throughout France that caters to foodies
Sure, lovers of dining and gastronomic adventures known as “foodies” love traveling and sampling the local fare in all countries…but France, the world capital of gastronomy, has to be considered the ultimate foodie Mecca. Besides its famous haute cuisine, France is home to a huge and rich range of regional styles of cooking, each exquisite in its own way. From the crepes of Normandy to the wine-soaked casseroles of Burgundy to the garlicky bouillabaisse of Marseilles and everything in between, eating your way through France is some travelers’ idea of the perfect vacation.
While consulting your guide books for the region’s best restaurants, travellers may find that some of the best are in gastronomic French hotels. So when choosing a place to stay, foodies would be wise to choose a hotel with a respected restaurant, especially since some will offer attractive packages for those who stay and dine there. Plus, you can indulge to the fullest, as there’s no driving back to your hotel after a couple of bottles of local Bordeaux!
One network of hotels has been catering to lovers of fine French regional cuisine since 1967. Inter Hotel is a network of independent two- and three-star hotels all over France, many with restaurants on site or close by that are destinations in themselves. And they offer packages for two that include a breakfast and a dinner “chez eux” (at their place) along with your accommodation, so you already will have a great meal to look forward to as soon as you book your stay!
The Inter Hotel website allows foodie travelers to search their hotel-restaurants and hotels with restaurant partners by region. Search for special offers in French hotels in Auvergne with charming restaurants, or try a gastronomic weekend in France at a hotel in Brittany and enjoy the bracing sea air along with the seafood. The site lists all amenities at the hotel and has beautiful photographs that show the atmosphere of both the accommodations and the restaurants, so you can know what sort of experience to expect. All participants in the Inter Hotel network are committed to regional authenticity in all aspects of their services, from the decor to the cuisine, so guests are assured of a distinct and memorable stay. And once you find your perfect gastronomic French hotel, Inter Hotel lets you book any of their member hotels online from their website. Special offers in French hotels in the Inter Hotel network are also viewable and bookable online.
So if a gastronomic stay in France sounds like a delicious idea to you, sample the offerings of Inter Hotel all over France. But make sure to leave room for le dessert!
Inter-Hotel, founded in1967, is a network of 272 independently operated hotels all over France that pride themselves on regional authenticity and warm hospitality — a home away from home.
Services
- gastronomic French hotels
- gastronomic stay in France
- special offers in French hotels
- gastronomic weekend in France
100 rue Petit
75 165 PARIS CEDEX 19
FRANCE
Tel : +33 4 71 60 58 23
Fax : +33 4 71 60 09 38
Email : reservation@inter-hotel.com
Web : http://www.inter-hotel.com