The Beat That My Heart Skipped – A blog dedicated to daily design inspirations. By Rohini Wahi.

Hello! Sorry I didn’t post yesterday, I just got back from a research trip to Paris and was catching up. This trip was to research vintage markets in Paris but I was most excited to visit Merci the conceptual homestore for the first time…

The courtyard was so pretty with a cute red Fiat parked in the space and coloured fairy lights strung overhead. Inside, the central atrium had a wonderful twiggy installation dangling from the rafters that mirrored the ones piled up inside the Fiat. The central area was also peppered with huge comfortable sofas for relaxing in. The whole space had such a natural sense of ease rather than a contrived one as most shopping experiences seem to be.

Merci was also a lot smaller and manageable than I expected it to be as pictures I’ve seen on blogs make it seem huge, but this added to making it a more personable and charming experience.

The homewares themselves were a mix of really reasonably priced unusual accessories and beautiful key design pieces effortlessly displayed. I bought two really special copper industrial style lights for only €15  each – bargain! And three of the wonderful enamelware target plates below in blue and black.

Since yesterday was such a glorious day in London – I thought I’d kick off with the promise of summers ahead with a much needed post on flowers!

From what I’ve gathered, flowers are a part of everyday life in France. You will find a florist on most street corners and next to essential stalls on busy thoroughfares ie. bread, newspapers, flowers. In Britain, however they are still considered a luxury.

Au Nom de la Rose is a chain of florists founded in Paris in 1991, and house roses of all varieties in their visually stunning stores. They have 53 stores in France alone and beginning with Belgium, Spain, Italy, Russia and Kuwait they are beginning to build a network of stores abroad.

Although I’m not a lover of chains and much prefer an independent bookstore, coffee-shop or bakery, sometimes it’s good to know what you’re getting and how much you can expect to pay. Au Nom de la Rose are the only florists to practice the same prices all year round, you can see their flat prices on elegant signs dotted around their windows.

I love my local florists, but sometimes I get the feeling, because there aren’t always prices attached to containers, that I am often buying blind and you can end up paying more than intended. Unless you buy a ready made bouquet which you don’t always want to, buying flowers on a budget can often be a daunting process.

I think the Au Nom de la Rose stores are simply charming and really seem to give the impression of an independent florist on your street corner as most stores are franchises.

Along with the French’s passion for beauty in the everyday, the brand also seems to have played a big part in making flowers a part of daily life. Now why don’t we have any in the UK!

A shop like this makes you realise that fairytales are inspired by reality. This gorgeous, vintage ‘La Mere de Famille’ sweet shop is Paris institution, was founded in 1761 and is known as the oldest confectioner in Paris.

Each and every corner is packed with treats and it offers over 1,200 references of sweets: chocolates, marshmallows, toffees, candied fruits, almond pastes, boiled sweets and fruit jellies, the list goes on!

The walls are lined with wood and glass cabinets and various colorful treats are housed in glass jars. It also has the most wonderful original tiled floor.

Could you ever imagine being unhappy if this was your day job???

I am restraining myself from inserting exclamations at the end of each sentence of this post…

How unbelievably adorable is this Patisserie in Paris? Clearly aimed at children Chez Bogato is every child’s ultimate dream [and every adult's too I would imagine]. Everything here is beautiful, delicious and amusing. Dog bone biscuits are displayed atop sweet melamine children’s tableware, cakes shaped like hamburgers and grinning Cheshire Cat cookies line the counters.

The patisserie is a clever mix of  edible treats and design-led products. Its windows drip with chocolate and a kitchen is created inside using decals. Wipe-clean tablemats featuring the child’s favourite treat are available for purchase, as are cookie cutters and mini aprons.

Clever owner Anaïs Olmer bakes her special orders within the Patisserie’s chocolate tiled walls, creating ridiculously imaginative cakes like Guinevere’s oozing chocolate castle studded with bright pink macaroons, or a plastic spiderman perched upon a tower of profiteroles covered in a volcano of red chocolate, anything you can dream up, she can create!

The patisserie also holds pastry workshops for children making it the ultimate mecca for kids. Children high on sugary treats – perfect!

Love these outtake images of Paris by stylist Pia Bijkerk from her book ‘Paris Made by Hand’ about shops and boutiques around Paris. So atmospheric. Courtesy of SfGirlBay