Hi,
Where would one go for furniture generally… Ok that is quite simplistic… but for general rustic pieces…
are there plentiful 2nd hand shops, or even yard sales.
going onto towels/cutlery etc …would you go for a Carrefour ? or other large type store…suppose that depends on colour schemes/quality …but just for the sake of it not overly fussed, just reasonable quality.
TIA
Glenn
I don’t find many bargains at yard sales/vide greniers but if you go to Trocs (secondhand stores) you often find bargains and they will negotiate. Otherwise look on Leboncoin website for things to buy. If you are on a budget and have a NOZ or Fair Fouille around then you can find crockery and household stuff there. Not the best of quality but perfectly functional. But that’s the kind of stuff you will find at a bargain at the boot sales, household glass and pans and tings. Good luck.
Ohh boot sales …for some reason it just never occurred to me 
…
Quite a few options there then Sandy, thanks very much.
Ikea, La Redoute, 3Suisses, Casa, Becquet, Amazon i.e all the usual suspects 
Thanks Simon, there is method in my madness… such as …is it worth bringing stuff from uk…or starting from scratch… the cost of driving & transporting a van full of gear , to just buying it in France in the first place.
Could be quite fun using the latter…well for an hour or two i suppose, after all it is shopping …
Glenn, if you have good furniture bring it over. We have family antique pieces that I had valued in UK and I decided to bring them because the price at auction in UK was about four or five times the price of buying here in France.
It really makes a difference to a gite if you have a mixture of old and modern furnishings and it is not all just from Ikea.
I believe that Emmaus has several furniture depots, but, of course, their opening hours ate for their own convenience, not those of customers.
Finding a really good bargain at brocantes etc is like finding hen’s teeth.
Hi Jane, you have me a little confuddled. If you have furniture that costs 4 to 5 times as much to buy in uk than France…unless it was sentimental value; surely you would, if possible want to sell it in uk, and with the proceeds, buy 4 times the products in France ? … maybe i have it wrong 
Not really an Ikea person at all, expect when nothing else available, sometimes kitchenware/containers.
When looking at property photos, have noticed the vast majority of those that are furnished have quite large furniture…some of it not really suiting the size of property it sits within. I sort of think it is the culture in France, of using items that are handed down in family, and not thrown like they do so much in uk these days.
Another reason i wish to rid myself of some of the uk’s now materialistic culture that pervades it’s greedy society.
France is a modern Western European country just like England, Scotland or Wales. Think what you would do if you were relocating in the UK and you will find that France has the same opportunities. Personal choice and budget will have more influence on how you furnish your holiday home than crossing an European border.
Thanks David, in that case shouldn’t be too much of an issue then
It won’t be - you’re only moving a few hundred miles! 
Glenn, sorry I got it the wrong way round. More expensive by far here in France.
We have stayed in a French gite where the towels were so thin that you could read through them!
Hi Glenn,
For linens on a budget, try TOTO stores in all main cities/towns.
On the web, you’ll find great buys at BrandAlley, Zalando.
For a more pricey range but beautiful Scandi things, I’ve always loved The Finnish Design Store. On line, great service, the antiques of the future so to speak. Makes you want to be an interior designer.
For bedding, I love the newish Teddyber from Belgium, especially as you can pay in installments. They’re online.
Let us know how you get on.
Best wishes,
Anna Louise
Thanks Jane, i thought i had lost my marble 
Thanks Anna Louise… some more names in the portfolio… should be able to cope with all this armament, thank you
Not sure what your taste is but we love Maison du Monde.
Furniture and lovely things for the house…if it is not in the store look for a catalogue.
Towels and stuff…soak and sleep in uk…they deliver.
We did a bit of both - bringing car load, browsing brocantes (which are plentiful in summer) supermarkets vary in quality to you, Leclerc was my choice and Action too. Depends how much you like trawling round any shop etc or Internet shopping. Just make it a fun day out!
Thanks Caz
We use Coolmax bed linen available from the Duvet Store.
People say thst they have had the best nights sleep for some time.
They are easy to launder and iron.
Their website is www.theduvetstore.co.uk .
I have just received an e mail from one of our guests thanking me for this information be ause they want to buy them for their own home.
Do you know what their duvets are like Jane? Been having a bit of a nightmare with faulty J Lewis duvets recently. Just about to send a third one back.
Ooo thank you Jane, could be very useful