I came across the space by chance (or we can call it fate). My children play in the little public garden that faces the shopfront and I’ve always been drawn to its window because it was one of the rare galleries left in Paris where an artist paints and sells his own work. I once took a picture of the sign on the door that said he was “seeking models” and shared it on my Instagram. I later heard that he had been very grateful for the sudden and mysterious influx of volunteers. Not only that, the artist, known for his paintings of Notre Dame by night, is one of the elegantly-dressed locals that I’ve often spotted walking to his atelier and featured in my people watching series (he’s the one wearing the yellow trousers). So when I walked by his gallery one rainy afternoon in March and saw a new sign saying that he was selling his lease, something told me that this particular sign was meant for me.
For years I’d tried to make this virtual online clubhouse feel like a space where we can share stories, in the summer of 2024, I finally took the biggest leap and opened Messy Nessy’s Cabinet, a physical manifestation of my online curiosity cabinet.
Nestled in the Latin Quarter, just behind the Seine and mere steps from Notre Dame, the shop is as hard to define as the blog itself — a curious mix of antique shop, bookstore, and art gallery, imbued with Parisian nostalgia. The space is a natural extension of my own taste and storytelling over the years, with each item handpicked by moi.
I didn’t really plan on getting into retail, but the space almost chose me. Located on Rue de Bièvre, a street named after a lost river that still flows beneath the surface of Paris, the shop’s location seemed imbued with the same forgotten stories that I’ve had the fortune to build my career on. There’s a sense of continuity here, especially with the previous occupant of the space being an artist who used the gallery to both create and sell his work. I now write stories from a bookshop; so there’s something poetic about that.
From my own Don’t be a Tourist books to bespoke card games encouraging whimsical exploration of Paris, the items in Messy Nessy’s Cabinet are also here to blur the lines between art and play. Kitsch novelties, such as the bestselling “Eau de Seine”—a bottle of Seine river water packaged with vintage apothecary flair— sit alongside a collection of niche English-language books and Parisian antiques. Each item tells a story.
Beyond its role as a shop, Messy Nessy’s Cabinet has also become a gathering space for Paris’s literary and creative communities. The recently launched Paris Readers & Writers Club hosts monthly salon-style discussions for Keyholders with wine and snacks, and I’m always planning more intimate pop-up events, book signings, and artistic interactive workshops. In a neighborhood steeped in the literary history of the Lost Generation, I hope that my shop can bring back the spirit of the salons that shaped Parisian culture.
Looking forward to meeting you in Paris at Messy Nessy’s Cabinet! Stay tuned and as always, stay curious.
UPDATE! We’re proud to be featured in the Guardian as 1 of 13 of the most beautiful shops in Paris!
