Le Passé – Le Présent is a cave of wonders, a true cavern of Ali Baba in the center of Cotignac.

Nadine Dehennin and her husband opened this brocante and decoration shop more than 30 years ago. It is full of beautiful discoveries, one-of-a-kind items that Nadine finds in her native Belgium, but also in Scandinavia and the Netherlands, where she knows the best artisans and makers.

Nadine is also an expert at renovating old furniture. She re-paints them or gives them a patine effect, or sometimes adding more modern features.

Customers spend hours in her shop browsing and chatting with her. She is so knowledgeable and lovely, she’s a pleasure to talk to!

Her favourite item in the shop? ‘I can’t just choose one’ she says, ‘it is too difficult!’. She has a soft spot for mirrors, big or small, and old baker’s wooden boards that she finds in Germany.