Maison Pélican: St. Barth's Cult Gallery for Mid-Century Design & Contemporary Art
A Gustavia concept store where Perriand chairs, Vallauris ceramics, and rotating art shows share one sunlit room.
Why Go
Tucked on the corner of rue de la France and rue du Général de Gaulle—just across from Le Select—Maison Pélican feels less like a shop and more like a private collector's apartment that happens to be open to the public. Push past the palm-shaded doorway and you land in a curated jumble of mid-century French furniture, ethnic sculpture, and canvases by artists you'll want to Google before you leave. It's the kind of place that turns a quick 'let's just peek' into an hour of quietly falling in love.
The Experience
The gallery unfolds room-by-room with the intimacy of a Parisian pied-à-terre transplanted to the tropics. Expect several hundred pieces of vintage design—rope chairs by Audoux-Minet, oak-and-straw seating by Guillerme et Chambron, and coveted Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand originals—layered against a rotating program of contemporary paintings, limited-edition prints, and sculpture from international and local artists. The staff are collectors themselves: knowledgeable, unhurried, and happy to walk you through provenance without a whiff of the hard sell. If you're outfitting a villa (or dreaming of one), ask about the in-house atelier, which produces custom furniture designed on the island.
What to Try
Start with the mid-century seating tucked toward the back—the Jeanneret and Perriand pieces are the anchors of the collection and rarely surface elsewhere in the Caribbean. Then work your way through the Vallauris ceramics (perfect small-format souvenirs that actually fit in a carry-on) and the current exhibition wall, where you'll usually find an accessible entry point into the gallery's contemporary artist roster. Design pros: request the lookbook of custom atelier commissions—benches, consoles, and lighting they'll build and ship globally.
Insider Tip
Worldwide shipping is the not-so-secret weapon here, and it's genuinely rare on the island—so don't rule out the heavy pieces just because you flew in with a duffel. If you're serious about a commission, come mid-morning on a weekday when the owners have time to sit down with a coffee and sketch ideas; drop-in browsing is welcome, but the atelier conversations happen when the boutique is quiet.
The Practical Stuff
Corner of rue de la France & 1 rue du Général de Gaulle, Gustavia 97133, directly across from Le Select café—an easy five-minute stroll from the harbor. No reservation needed for browsing; email or call ahead if you want dedicated design consultation time. Cards accepted, worldwide shipping arranged in-store, and the front room is stroller/wheelchair-accessible though the interior layout is snug. Pair your visit with lunch or an evening drink nearby to make an afternoon of Gustavia's compact shopping quarter.
Pair It With
- Abyss Restaurant Guide — A short walk from the gallery—ideal for a long, unhurried lunch to debrief over what you just saw (or bought).
- 6e SENS Massage Wellness Beauty Saint Barth Guide — Book a treatment after browsing; the pace of Gustavia shopping deserves a proper wind-down before dinner.
- Absolute Hot Yoga Guide — Start the morning with a Gustavia yoga class, then wander to Maison Pélican with a clear head for slow, considered looking.
- A C C E S S Stbarth Guide — Handy concierge and island guide for pairing a Maison Pélican visit with the rest of a Gustavia design-and-dining itinerary.
