France | Kimball & Bean

I have to say that our new schedule of being open by chance or appointment has really freed us up to be able to spend more quality time finding great stuff. I am a afraid that the word “appointment” might be throwing you off a little, though. A visit to Kimball & Bean does not have to require a lot of planning. You can call anytime and we’ll do our best to make sure someone will be here to show you around. If you are in the neighborhood, just take a chance and stop by. We’d always love to see you.

We just returned from a whirlwind tour of some of our favorite stomping grounds and brought back all kinds of great new things to show you – including vintage birds and animals, beautiful ironwork, benches, chairs, new sundials and much more. We have most of it up online already and are working hard to load the rest…click here to go to our catalog.

: Vintage Concrete Cardinal

: 1930 “Sewer-pipe” Bird House

: 1920’s Cast Iron Hinged Grill

: Concrete Ducklings

: Terracotta Frog

: 1940’s Garden Folk Art Mushroom

: Concrete Woodpecker

: Bronze and Marble Sundial

: Vintage Concrete Bird

: Egyptian Revival Carved Limestone Urn

: 19th Century Chimney Pot

: Set of 4 Concrete Planters

: Carved Wooden Baluster

: “Loooooong” Rustic Park Bench

: 20″ Rustic Cedar Versailles Box

I don’t know about you, but it’s always the tiniest details that catch my heart and make me fall in love with something. I walked by this lovely French table at least twice before I noticed the dainty cloven hooves with beautifully trimmed fetlocks attached to it’s legs. The rouge marble top has a bit of a bite out of the edge, but just as in our married life, the two go together so nicely, we pay no mind to the slightly rough edges.

Speaking of things you love, what are your plans for Mother’s Day (or fête de mères, if you are French)? We’ve decided to have a little fun on Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, the 10th and 11th of May. We’ll be open 10-5 both days with treats for all and a special gift for the moms.

Seriously, just call or stop by, if you want to drop in. We’d love to see you.

All the best,
Beau

P.S If you want to know, it was Nancy’s ever so slightly “southern” accent and habit of singing, nearly every day, that made me fall in love with her more than 25 years ago.

Here is a bit of Valentine’s advice… If your plan for tonight involves sharing one of Applebee’s heart-shaped meatloaf dinners, followed by a dramatic recitation of the perfect ancient love poem you found online during your lunch hour, I suggest you set your literary research in 18th century England. That’s when St. Valentine’s Day really became more about celebrating romantic love. Before that, St. Valentine’s Day celebrations mostly consisted of retrieving an obscure saint’s petrified head from a box under the stairs and decorating it with flowers as a centerpiece for your feast day table.

Click Cookie Cutters for the Recipe

Our most important tip? Just stay home. That way, you won’t have to suffer through your hour late reservation on the busiest restaurant night of the year or the tears of that poor girl at the adjoining table who opens this year’s box to find yet another noncommittal bracelet or necklace. Nancy and I believe we have perfected our Valentine’s day recipe. First, we always pop open at least one great bottle of champagne. Then, Nancy pretends to let me prepare her a simple three course meal on my own. For dessert, she makes me my favorite cookies – a kind of a light shortbread, sugar cookie, oatmeal hybrid topped with frosting and sometimes shredded coconut that she calls “To My Valentines”. I know it sounds like an odd combination, but they are absolute heaven on a plate. She has lovingly made these delicious cookies for me every Valentine’s Day since 1988 and I can’t imagine ending our evening on a more romantic note.

I know you didn’t think I’d let you get away without at least a half-hearted attempt to sell you something. So, it’s Valentine’s Day and I’m thinking of romance. How about a huge vintage English, silver-plated punch bowl, perfect for chilling a few (or four) bottles of champagne. If you want to host a real “Downton Abbey” style, Edwardian party, fill that bowl up with a great, lemony, rye whiskey punch and buy the ten matching silver-plated punch cups to serve it in.

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Maybe this is the year to finally move that French garden plan you drew on a cocktail napkin to reality and pick out the perfect set of Versailles (can you think of a more romantic garden) planter boxes to anchor the corners. Perhaps it’s one perfect statue, armillary sphere or architectural element to tie-up the center of your love knot garden?