Antoine Billore, antique dealer and vintage furniture hunter, has created a playful and emotional world, where each object tells a unique story. Jeanne Damas met him in his Parisian space — part workshop, part cabinet of curiosities.
His new collection, combining antique elements with contemporary pieces, will be shown at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in April 2026. Following the exhibition, Antoine will open his first shop in Paris’s 10th arrondissement, a place to hunt for treasures and be enchanted.
INTERVIEW
JD: Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do?
AB: My name is Antoine. I sell antiques and vintage objects, furniture and other items. I have been doing this for four years. Before that, I was already buying furniture. I worked for a scarf brand, and also for a perfumer, where I was in charge of store layouts for a long time.
JD: What do you mean by store layouts?
AB: I was mainly in charge of the interior design side of the projects. I worked with architects, because I am not an architect myself, but I was the one sourcing all the furniture. Over time, the projects started taking place farther and farther away from Paris. I got a bit tired of traveling, and I really loved the furniture buying part. That is how I started selling. And it took off right away.
JD: Did you start selling online?
AB: Yes, on Instagram. And now it has been four years.
JD: How did it go from something quite casual to something more professional? Was there a turning point?
AB: I actually kept another job during the first two years, so there was not much pressure for it to work. Then I quit my other job, and at that point, it really had to work. From then on, many projects started coming in. Today, I do quite a lot of dedicated sourcing for brands, but also for architects. And I am starting to do a lot more art sourcing.
JD: For private clients?
AB: Mostly for groups, especially hotels.
The original idea of the project was called Stolen Object from my ex’s. I wanted something funny and playful, not at all like a pretentious flea market or antique shop. I wanted it to be fun. I sell almost exclusively unsigned furniture, that is really my thing. I am not very interested in signatures, the pretentious side, or the investment and collecting aspect.
I love pieces where you can feel they were not made for a brand or a company — you can feel they were made by someone.
Antoine Billore
JD: So it is more about personal favorites?
AB: Exactly. Well-made objects, objects I fall in love with. I truly believe that today, if you
want to furnish your home well, you have to buy second hand. Otherwise, it is either not
very good or extremely expensive, even though some furniture publishers are incredible
JD: How would you define your style?
AB: I like objects that are a bit playful, and I like folk art. I love pieces where you can feel they were not made for a brand or a company. You can feel that they were made by someone.
JD: And if you had to choose three types of objects that define what you do?
AB: What I sell a lot are columns, pillars, and pedestals of all kinds. I also love very small side tables. Paintings are taking up more and more space today. And chairs as well—I sell a lot of chairs.
JD: And your sourcing process? Where do you go?
AB: Everywhere.
JD: And your rhythm? How do you organize yourself?
AB: Before, when I had another job, I had very specific periods dedicated to buying. Now, I buy all the time, almost every day. But my philosophy is to keep living a normal life. I do many things, I have friends, I move around a lot, and wherever I go, I try to find places where I can discover things. I also look online a bit beforehand. If I have a weekend somewhere, I can arrange to arrive three hours before lunch and ask in advance, “Do you know a nice little place nearby?”
JD: Which country do you think is the best for sourcing?
AB: Not necessarily for the best deals, but for the best selection in Europe, I would say Belgium. Antwerp, for example, with the Rue des Antiquaires, is incredible. In Brussels as well, there are a lot of dealers. However, that is not where I get the best prices.
JD: So it is expensive?
AB: Yes, these are real market prices. But you can still negotiate, maybe not as much as elsewhere, and above all, you find a lot of things. In the end, you leave happy. It is really very good.
JD: And Drouot, do you go there?
AB: Yes, I do everything: Drouot, Leboncoin, all the platforms.
JD: Online as well?
AB: Yes.
JD: So now you scroll through Drouot instead of Instagram.
JD: How do you express your aesthetic today? What motivates you to keep going and to go further?
AB: I truly believe in what I do. I think it is right. Today, we really need emotion, and selling unique objects, knowing that there is only one, is incredible. It is a lot of work and it is tiring, but it suits me. I love the objects I sell. I think it is amazing that every piece is unique. Today, everyone is looking for that little something, that emotion, and it is much easier to convey when you know the object is unique.
Today, everyone is looking for that little something, that emotion, and it’s much easier to convey when you know the object is unique.
Antoine Billore
JD: Your exhibition in Milan in April 2026 marks an important milestone. How did this project come about, and what does it represent for you personally and artistically?
AB: I have loved the Salone del Mobile for a long time. I had wanted to do something there for a while. Last year, when I went, I saw more and more Salone side events, small scale and very charming, in apartments. That really motivated me. It was also a good excuse, because I had wanted to make my own furniture for a long time, and that is very much the spirit of the Salone. I am very happy. I am going to present a small collection.
In these pieces, there will be integrated antique elements: sofas, armchairs, chairs, and small tables. Every time I find an antique element to integrate, it can be fabric on a chair, or an old marquetry panel, or decorative elements like metal or tin plates. I also make columns in which I integrate vases. These are true art objects.
JD: They will not be produced as series?
AB: No, they will be unique pieces, new objects with antique elements. I am very excited. The next step is not fully defined yet, but I think that after the summer, I will have a shop. It is my dream. I think it will be in the tenth arrondissement. I have wanted to do this for a long time. Here, this place is not perceived as a shop, it is my warehouse. I am here every day, I work, and there are always visitors. It is great. I sell very well. The difference with a shop is that it will be street facing.
JD: And what will it be called?
AB: I do not yet know if I will call it Antoine Billore or if I will continue with Stolen Object from my ex’s. Maybe both. I think Stolen Object from my ex’s really attracts people.
JD: Yes, maybe write that in smaller lettering. It could be fun, and it would also attract people passing by, not only followers.
AB: That is exactly the idea.
I truly believe that today, if you
want to furnish your home well, you have to buy second hand.
antoine billore
MORE ARTIST ROOMS
