The heavy iron doors at 43, rue de Monceau in Paris guard Maison Kraemer and behind each of the French windows and quaint nautical style portholes lies one hundred and fifty years of unsurpassed workmanship in an artform that reflects not just penultimate craft but the physical manifestation of the designers' love for their patrons.

It is beautifully sedate townhouse of several stories, once the home of both a French ambassador posted to Scandinavian climes, and the renowned Hachet publishing dynasty, remarkable not for its facade which belies the astonishing inventory of its interior. This optimum understatement extends to the current owners who present themselves simply as the guardians of "a selection of furniture". But then, how could one openly compete with the passion of three French kings whose names equate with a celebration of the decorative arts that has found no equals.

If French period furniture is a symphony orchestra then the Kraemer, family are its most revered conductors. They live and breathe every nuance of their pieces, performing only what they absolutely love, nurturing the gifts of these rarities- if need be enhancing the craftsman's legacy with the most specialised techniques. They then send their wards out into the world - albeit reluctantly - that their pleasure may be afforded those who have both the appreciation and the magnificence to acquire a perfect artform. Kraemer et Cie, was founded by great grandfather Kraemer, a native of Strasbourg who came to Paris after the defeat of France by Germany in 1870. At a loss for a profession to which he could successfully turn his hand M. Kraemer was advised by his uncle, who had already established a flourishing trade in antiques and paintings, to "be in the business of old furniture. It is pleasurable and it is a good job!"

From such a modest introduction to the trade M. Kramer established himself as a dealer in fine French Furniture enhanced by a small complement of paintings. His son then entered the business applying his own strengthening touch, making the name well-known and well-respected before the trials of World War II wreaked their devastating damage. The occupying Germans stole the entire collection that both generations of Kraemers had so lovingly and selectively built to a fine art. Thus, to third generation Philippe Kramer was left the unenviable and quite heartbreaking task of counting the losses and reconstructing the house which he did, settling in the present location after a tenure on Place de Madelaine near Fauchon.

Today, Kraemer are in the remarkable situation of being able to settle only for perfection. They are the dealer's dealers - understated, entirely discreet and reputable beyond reproach. Kraemer are to antique dealing what the papacy is to the priesthood. As such, when one talks of Kraemer with other dealers, the tones are immediately hushed, voices drop several registers and the degree of reverence is nigh on religious. "Oh Kraemer..." the elliptical omission is duly loaded with silent praise.

Theirs is the most rarefied of occupations and their unrivalled status within it afford them the unique privilege of indulging an abiding passion and making an extremely comfortable living from it. Five floors of wall-to-wall museum quality perfection make Kraemer antique dealers whose preference and speciality is so exacting as to seemingly appear impossible to sate.

But theirs is a knowing that is largely intangible and mostly built on innate knowledge and insurmountable reputation. The Kraemer family rarely journey to a piece in the first instance. The mountain nearly always comes to Mohammed. "We do not very often go to the pieces, they come to us," says Laurent Kraemer with the confidence borne of simple fact. "People call us to let us know of a piece - if we are not previously aware of it then we ask them to forward us a photo and we have the support of other documentation to substantiate it."

"But, adds elder brother Olivier, "we never buy a piece without first investigating every detail. We travel constantly to do this but we never buy just on the strength of that first photo without viewing it ourselves. Our customers be they the museums or private collectors approach us. We never go to anyone. Some come every six weeks, some every year, others every six months... When we travel, we never travel for selling, we always travel for buying. Our customers come to see what we have here and they are clever and informed enough to make their own decisions on whether they will purchase the piece or not. We never court a sale."

The Kraemer triumverate today encompasses Philippe, the patriarch and his sons Laurent and Olivier. All three are as passionate as the other about the profession that is clearly "an infection in our blood."

"I had exactly the same relationship with my father as I do with my sons in terms of training them in the business," says Phillippe. "He never, ever pushed us," confirms Olivier. "He would take us to museums only if we asked to go. He never insisted and that is the way that Laurent and I are with our own children. In the beginning, it was a hobby for us at high school and then it became very natural says Laurent. "But you see, in this business no-one can possibly know everything. Our father allowed us much initiative from the very start, giving us the opportunity early on to make executive decisions. It was up to us to form an opinion and to admit if we were not sure of our assessment."

Their family heritage is accepted as their own impeccable provenance but they utilise its repute in much the same way as they perceive the provenance of their collectables: interesting, perhaps amusing but not as important as the actuality of their work.

"Of course the heritage is very important but in this business and in many businesses, the reputation is built on winning every day not just sitting on ones laurels," says Laurent.

"People send us a great number of photos and we see so very much but what is important to us is to say 'no, we do not want to buy'. Even if there is a great profit to be made, we still only buy what we like..."

'We could not even speak about something that we do not like in order just to sell it," says Olivier in undisguised disgust. "We buy only according to our own tastes. We buy things we would like to have in our own houses and when we buy there is no question of profit or such things, we buy only what we absolutely fall in love with. We buy almost like amateur collectors but with the knowledge of professionals. It is comparable to diamonds - you can have one carat diamonds, ten, fifty or more, but there will always be a D flawless every time.

When it comes to period furniture and the finest examples of the style, the family Kraemer share a pervasive, quite polygamous love. They admit to feeling frustration when a particular piece leaves their showroom too quickly and they have not had sufficient time to enjoy it for themselves. As such, they revel in the long time guest feeling far from completed to sell it quickly.

"Sometimes a piece can stay with us for a very long time which doesn't matter to us at all," says Olivier, "because we love it. And when we want to relax ourselves, you can often find one of us alone, sitting here just looking at the piece. "We only buy what we love" as a simple statement of quality will become a familiar reprise throughout our discussions. It is the justification for and the reasons behind their breathtaking collection. The Kraemer brotherhood is a very discreet, self perpetuating clan. The beauty and authenticity of their wares are beyond reproach, as is the discretion with which every purchase is negotiated and for this clients from all over Europe and the Americas come to 43 , rue de Monceau with the ubiquitous bulging pocketbooks and mostly, a fundamental knowledge of their prospective acquisitions. Kraemer never advertise: it is neither warranted nor are they willing to make concessions for a broader demographic - those who may desire second to the best.

"If we advertised, then we would be obliged to buy for the people who come through the advertisement," says Laurent. "They may say that they want a particular style of table which is not such an important piece. Thus, if we see a good table, which is not so important, we would be obliged to buy it for this type of customer. This, we do not wish to do."

"It is a reversal of the norm," says Olivier. "We make our selection and we select only the ultimate."

"This is why we never advertise nor do we have showings," adds Laurent. "We wish to be obliged to buy only what we like, what we ourselves want. It is our pleasure to operate like this:It is also our passion and when one is able to have a business from one's passion, then I think that one is doing very well indeed, n'est-ce pas?

"It is always difficult to get important pieces at very low prices - but it is possible to get important, beautiful pieces at normal prices!"

"If you take a picture for example," says Philippe, "if it is an unknown master, most people would weigh it up: 'For this money I can buy a house in the country.' Those who think like this will buy the country house. The ones with the passion for art will not even think of the comparison.

"Often the more expensive a piece is, the more people wish to buy it. Every era though, it seems expensive - it is all relative to the times. when I look at catalogues from twenty years ago, I perceive the prices as not being expensive at all. Today's prices will be seen in the same way."

"Perhaps it was easier twenty years ago, when the prices were not so enormous" adds Laurent. " Maybe it was a little more 'human', if you like, but I maintain that people who come to purchase beautiful pieces of art also have great human qualities."

Having dispensed with the crudity of finance, it goes without saying that specific price tags are never discussed at Kraemer - in passing or otherwise. One feels quite sacrilegious in even mentally assessing the monetary worth of the total. Inestimable and irreplaceable - if one must ask, then one cannot afford.

"The majority of the pieces that we acquire come from private owners and it is well known that we are very serious people professionally - our word is our bond," says Laurent. "That is why people come to us and call us time and time again.

"We are also very discreet in the provenance," adds Olivier, perhaps alluding to certain nobility whose immediate financial straits may warrant the dispensation of a priceless period piece without the attraction of bothersome publicity. It goes without saying that trust in both the authenticity of the piece and the family, is one of Kraemer's most salient qualities.

Maison Kraemer is an historical paradise essentially built on French period - the eden of the French decorative arts. Although they dabble in the decorative legacies immediately following. for Kraemer, the zenith of their interest is reached in the epoch spanning the grandeur of Louis XIV, the Sun King to the opulence of Louis XVI. Like the royal patrons, Kraemer are inspired first and foremost by love of art for arts sake which perhaps explains their unwavering affinity with the excellence of this decorative heritage.

"We specialise in French period from the fourteenth period until the sixteenth period to around 1790," says Laurent. "We do not go further although there are other periods which pique our interest. But from Louis XIV to Louis XVI that was when furniture was a major art. There is enough to do and to learn each day in this area of specialisation that we cannot extend ourselves into all the periods. You see what we do, we want to do very, very well indeed."

The five floors act as a most exclusive repository, perhaps even a sanctuary from a machinated world for the magical legacy of a time in furniture design long gone. The contemporary counterparts are the result of highly mechanised, unspirited and expedient fashioning. The embellishments that took 17th century artisan weeks, perhaps month to render impeccably by hand, are executed in a matter of minutes today, in sophisticated exact replicants but lacking the history timeframe, soul and the formality of design elements which defy contrivance. Such is the trade off between reproduction and prototype.

"Today, they could probably execute the same workmanship as in the past. They could do it but they have no interest in doing it - all those hours of work to achieve something that is not an original but a copy. You see, this was the major artform around Paris for 150 years," says Olivier, explaining the eternal attraction for the genuine article. "Today, the major artform is probably technology; twenty years ago it was the construction of large bridges... today, the major artforms of the world do not encompass furniture design as in French period.

"The inspiration of the patron was also so every important in the design sensibility and the input of the Louis' created such a unique period that it will never recur. Cabinet makers may have had many employees but everything was handmade. with the nineteenth century came machination and everything was manufacturered in factories instead of being executed in workmanship as well as the actual craft."

At Maison Kraemer, the only concessions to the current century are of a practical nature: A tape measure is draped casually over an enormous workdesk - circa 1985. "The tape measure is not an antique of course," quips Olivier Kraemer, 'but it is quite important. You see, although people buy a work of art for itself, for its own integral beauty, it must still fit into a room!"

Pointing to an armoire, intricately embellished with detail so involved as to be nigh on scientific in its execution, Laurent confirms that it is certainly, the largest and most elaborate example of its type. "We know that in our lifetimes, we will never again find the equivalent of this piece," he says. "We will have other very important pieces in this style, but for this and certain others, we will never find the same Ever."

Preserving the beauty and time-specific craftsmanship of period furniture is no easy task and as regards restoration, Kraemer are loathe to allow even the slightest modernity to the renovation of the authentic example. They do not operate their own workshops for such a purpose, preferring instead to farm the pieces requiring amendment to one of several ateliers that they hand pick for the fidelity of their restorative technique.

"No, we do not have our own workshops but we are the most important customers of several different ateliers. You see, we wish to remain entirely independent and we understand that our clients want this too, so consequently we enjoy a freedom of choice ensuring that every piece is sent to the 'right' place," says Laurent.

He indicates a chair that to the untrained eye appears perfectly acceptable, but Kraemer have destined it for the workshops. "The upholstery must be repaired and here, you can see that the gliding has been cleaned to reveal some cracks," says Olivier pointing to a series of almost microscopic lines "Only the parts that are cracked will be repaired - nothing else. The restoration must be done in the best possible way but always, the minimum only so that the original piece is not distorted. Sometimes it takes longer this way than to make it like new but this is the way that we do it."

"Everything must be removed and then replaced just the way it was because we do not just repair the surface problem. We must anticipate future wear and tear," adds Laurent.

"When we reglue, we do it in the traditional way using the fish glues of the old craftsmen," says Olivier," and the cat is around to check the authenticity of the adhesive! We have very good restorers but we follow the original designs to the letter. Sever times a week, we visit the workshop to check the evolution of the restoration: our people are very, very good but we always supervise.

In the final analysis of selection, the three Kraemers must all agree on a particular piece in consideration also, of the duty of care to their clients if one has doubts, they simply abstain from the purchase although, as Laurent says it is rare for them not to agree. "In fact, when we see a piece of furniture, generally we have the same reaction - our father, Olivier and myself. When there is even a little discrepancy between us in taste or in the authenticity of the item, we simply don't buy it."

The choosing in unison extends to their private domains with the decor of their own homes being largely interchangeable . This comes of course, from blood ties and also perhaps from the more esoteric nature of their collective instinct. "If we moved just a few pieces around in the living rooms, we could very comfortably move into each others homes!" says Laurent.

One of the greater pleasures they derive from their industry is rechercher - finding and returning to Paris and the museums, some irreplaceable pieces that have been absented from France for generations. "This is a piece that has must come back to the Chateau de Versailles," says Laurent indicating an unusual object at his side. "It was taken after the Revolution, around 1826 and since then has been in many collections. It was returned by us to the Chateau just two months ago. It is King Louis XV's barometer from Versailles - La Grande Barometre du Roi.

"When pieces like these are returned to France we consider that they are then safe for the next thirty or fifty years because of the way that we keep and restore them.

"Sometimes we buy back pieces that our great-grandfather sold seventy or so years ago," says Laurent, "and that gives us enormous pleasure."

Although none will divulge the names of their clients: "We are like bankers - our lips are sealed", they are happy to speak of their broad spectrum of nations from which their clients hail to illustrate the internationalism of their specialised period.

"We are a very international company despite being based in France and there is a specific reason for the wide spread of our clientele," says Olivier. "You see, French furniture of this period is really the only art furniture that is very international. When a museum wants to create a decorative arts department - apart form some local pieces of interest - they automatically select eighteenth century French furniture."

Not surprisingly then, Kraemer being purveyors of museum quality furniture are frequently called upon to supply museums with their wares, such as the prestigious Musee Nissim Camondo in Paris. So prolific is the contribution to this institution - although they disclaim the title of consultant - that Kraemer do not supply the curious journalist with a catalogue, they prefer instead the inventory listing of the Museum as an indication of their collections.

"We are professionals, we take our risk for ourselves and the way that we work the risks are really zero," says Olivier. "We appreciate the people from the museums a great deal and they make their own choices. We are not curators - they come to visit us and then make their selections themselves."

"The French curators, although not well-known world-wide are still very, very good in their speciality fields," adds Laurent. "They are not well known commercially because they do not enjoy the publicity."

So primary is their passion that when the respective brothers holiday, they tend to take their families to regions yielding a plethora of castles and museums. Such specialised venturing augurs well for the qualifications of the fifth generation of Kraemers. As much a part of their lives as a trip to the amusement park, the children of Laurent and Olivier are probably unaware of how strong, how natural the "virus" is in themselves.

"When you love art, it is better to be an antique dealer than to do anything else with your professional life," their grandfather observes. "You know, it is very interesting when you are in this sort of industry, profit is never the primary motive. The love of art always takes precedence.

"This philosophy has spanned four generations and by happy coincidence, we have all loved art throughout our family history. It will continue.