I've been visiting France for more than a dozen years. (Yikes, that's hard to believe.) And have…read moreprobably driven past this store more than 20 times during each visit. Have I even popped in to take a look? Noope. So we figured we take a peek and see what we were missing. The store is like a Home Depot. Lot o' paint and tools and doo dads to fix your broken doo dads back home. But this place stands out in two areas, Space Saving and Windows and Doors. France is a country that's jam packed full o' people so they've had to come up with some interesting solutions to tiny places. The shower enclosure with doors that slide opposite directions from a shared corner and the sink as part of the toilet tank are two cool ones. And the French seemed to have cornered the market on stunning windows and doors. They have beautifully executed what seems like a zillion permutations of ways to keep the bad guys out while changing up the amount of sunshine and breeze that you let in. Casto' will never qualify as a tourist attraction but it gives you a cool little glance into the way the French live.

Most probably the smallest Castorama around but it is very well located in Place de Clichy close to…read moremany buses and the Metro station. The plants and outdoor/indoor gardening tools are upstairs while the main items are downstairs. It can get very very hot inside if the place is packed so choose wisely when you are going to visit (avoid end of the day) Do not hesitate to ask for advices to their team as they always come up with good ideas or something close to it. I could spend 2h hours going around when in decorative mood!

A friend had a sparking loose wire - and we needed to get something to tie up the end of the wire,…read morecap it, and then seal it and keep it safe. Castorama is one of these huge DIY (they call it "bricolage" here in France) places where you can find just about everything. Just be patient :-)