Curating a Life in Nice: A Designer's Insider Guide

So you’ve found your home on the Riviera: the light, the sea, the promise of a slower life. Now comes the question I hear from clients more than any other: where do I actually go to furnish it?

Nice is not short on beautiful shops, but not every showroom speaks the same language, and finding the pieces that feel like you takes more than one afternoon. This is the guide I wish I’d had when I arrived: the places I trust, the streets I return to, and the small rituals that turn shopping into part of the design journey itself.

How I Shop for a Home Here

For most of us, the design journey starts on Pinterest, or with a first walk into the local shops, to see, to touch, and to notice what connects with you. My advice: come with a plan of what you actually need. If that feels like too much on your own, get in touch, and we can do it together.

A few things worth knowing before you set out:

• Nice is a contemporary city at heart, so a more Provençal look takes an extra journey to find.
• Delivery times can run long here, so plan your timeline accordingly.
• Showroom collections change often, so a return visit can turn up something entirely new.

Shopping, to me, is never a single trip. A home is a curation of pieces gathered over time, not something bought in one afternoon.

The Grand Showrooms

When I’m starting a new project, I often begin at the top floor of Galeries Lafayette (6 Avenue Jean Médecin) and at Kave Home (44 Avenue Jean Médecin). These large showrooms set the stage: good quality, a wide variety of furniture and decor, and a fast way to understand what you like, both visually and financially.

For one piece in particular, though, it’s worth going straight to a specialist. If you’re shopping for a sofa, Bolia (31 Avenue Notre-Dame) is the one. Eco-conscious materials and a ten-year warranty make the price feel entirely justified by the quality. Sofa shopping is not a decision to rush, and this is where I send clients who want to get it right the first time.

Rue de la Liberté, the Design Mile

This beautiful shopping street is home to some of my favourite interior addresses in Nice.

Cosi (16 Rue de la Liberté) is one of them: a beautiful mix of Provençal and modern, with higher prices matched by higher quality. The colourful kilims and decor pieces are gorgeous, the shop smells divine, and some pieces are ready to take home the same day.

Right next door, Caravane (18 Rue de la Liberté) is a stop for any linen lover. Its decorative linen cushions change with the seasons, and it is known for linen curtains (a longer lead time, so plan ahead) and linen sofas, alongside some beautiful rugs.

On the same street you’ll also find Cobalt (9 Rue de la Liberté) for more contemporary furniture, and Madura (4 Rue de la Liberté), one of my personal favourites, for curtains, decorative cushions and a team that genuinely looks after you. Most curtains are in stock or ship quickly, and sizing fits everyone. They don’t shorten curtains in-house, but come and talk to me first: I’ll point you to where to get it done once you’ve bought.

Continue back towards Masséna and, if you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, let Roche Bobois on Place Masséna be the promise of inspiration. The store itself feels like a museum, with jaw-dropping, high-end furniture to spark ideas for your own space.

Ségurane, for Antiques and Artisans

Between Place Garibaldi and the port lies another shopping district, known mostly for its antique shops and art galleries. Hidden within it is one design address worth the detour.

Good Design Store (12 Rue Catherine Ségurane) is a contemporary furniture and decor destination with a constantly changing collection, and an excellent place to imagine how a piece might feel in your own home. The English-speaking team will guide you through what’s new, and they carry some genuinely fun lighting, including a collection made with local artisans.

Carabacel, for the Provençal Soul

If you’re after a more Provençal, country look and haven’t found it elsewhere, visit Costamagna (7 Boulevard Carabacel), next to the Tête Carrée sculpture. I regularly find pieces here I haven’t seen anywhere else, from soulful furniture to gorgeous dishware and outdoor pieces, with kitchens, tiles and bathroom materials upstairs. Some items are ready to take home the same day, and the team can arrange immediate delivery.

Right next door, Les Choses qu’on aime (2 Rue Defly) is a true hidden gem for textiles, decorative accessories and small gifts: the kind of final touches that finish a room. The scent at the entrance alone will make you want to stay all afternoon. Expect decorative cushions, beautiful vases, ambient lighting, blankets and lovely aromatherapy details for around the house. It’s a wonderful place to find a home gift, too.

If you love wood and stone, Pierre & Bois (4 Rue Gioffredo) is worth a visit for stone sinks, teak worktops and other one-of-a-kind pieces. A little further into Carabacel, Marie et Éric (10 Rue Foncet) is a small, intimate paradise of soulful Provençal furniture and antiques, famous for its terracotta pots and perfect for smaller pieces and tabletop finds.

A Morning Walk Through the Old Town

If you have a morning to spare, let me take you through my own neighbourhood. My clients often tell me how much it matters to see and touch a piece before choosing it, and the Old Town’s small boutiques are where that feeling lives most.

Start with the best coffee in town at Claque (8 Rue du Pont Vieux), my favourite spot, tucked into a small street, where the cortado is always perfect. Turn right onto Rue de la Boucherie, then head towards Rue du Marché.

Head first to Baobab (10 Rue du Marché), one of my absolute favourites, with unique home decor from small furniture to lighting, dishware and aromatic candles, in colours that feel divine. Nothing here is sold online; it’s all discovered in person, hand-picked and classy rather than high street. They also carry their own clothing and fashion pieces.

Along the same street, L’Épingle à Linge (18 Rue du Marché) is worth a look for cosy cushions, plaids and other fabric-based decor, and L’Art Gourmand (21 Rue du Marché) is best known for beautiful cotton towels and napkins, alongside some lovely dishware.

Continue through Place du Palais de Justice towards Rue Louis Gassin, right where Cours Saleya begins. Along the way, a small new shop specialises in washed sea-wood pieces. Then turn onto Cours Saleya itself for Fragonard (11 Cours Saleya), an experience in its own right, with a lovely pillowcase collection and a beautifully curated table decor range. While you’re there, treat yourself: my favourite is their Vrai Argan body oil. The smell will hypnotise you.

By then, you’ll have earned lunch. Try Safari (1 Cours Saleya) for classic Niçoise cuisine or, for something lighter, a nutritious smoothie at Eat Well (26 bis Cours Saleya).

For Every Budget

Back on the main high street, Avenue Jean Médecin, a few destinations are worth a stop whatever your budget.

Maisons du Monde, on the top floor of the Nice Étoile shopping centre (30 Avenue Jean Médecin), is a frequent stop of mine. Their online shop carries even more, and it’s a great base for lower-budget pieces. Bouchara (12 Avenue Jean Médecin) is another favourite for bedding, plaids and towels, with more affordable curtains upstairs and wonderful sales on table linen. H&M Home (15 Avenue Jean Médecin) has opened its doors here too, with a beautiful dark wood collection and budget-friendly decorative cushions.

And then, of course, Zara Home on Place Masséna. Calm and tranquil, it’s a friendly destination for every taste and budget: an inspirational decor piece, a satin bedsheet, and always their excellent cushion, blanket and bedspread collections. It’s one of my favourites for the final layers of a home, and their twice-yearly sales are always on my radar. Being an interior designer doesn’t mean I skip a good sale; it just means I know exactly which layer I’m still missing.

When You’d Rather Not Do It Alone

I hope you enjoy this journey through Nice. Take it as a day out, share it with a friend who is also settling in, and if you get stuck along the way, get in touch. A home is never built from one shop; it’s a curation of pieces that connect to you, gathered slowly.

If you’ve visited most of these showrooms and still haven’t found what you’re looking for, reach out: I know a number of excellent online brands too. And if the whole process, the decisions, the deliveries, the coordination, feels like too much to carry alone, that’s exactly what we’re here for. It’s what we do every day: sourcing everything from furniture and decor to appliances (and yes, even the teaspoons) for a home that’s ready the moment you walk in.

This guide is only the beginning. Next in the series: Cannes, Valbonne and Saint-Tropez. I’m also building a small community here on the Riviera for anyone shaping a home in this part of the world: a place for inspiration, honest guidance and, soon, home design workshops and coffee meet-ups where we can do some of this exploring together. Sign up below to stay close and be the first to know when it opens.

Yours, Jurgita