Photos by Diana Elizabeth The French Bee

From antiques to linens, these Valley shops bring the Old World into your world.

One trip to Paris and the centuries-old architecture and cobblestone streets remind us we live in an asphalt jungle whose oldest collection of Downtown buildings dates back 100 years at most. While it’s impossible to add flying buttresses or pointed arches to your home’s exterior (just ask your HOA), it is possible to bring into your home the finely crafted furnishings that define French and European elegance. These four favorite shops offer French and Euro décor ranging from florals and linens to antiques and architectural pieces. Stop in. You’ll be on your way to creating une belle maison.

The French Bee
With his trademark, one-of-a-kind European floral designs, owner Michael Hansen has come a long way since he started The French Bee 10 years ago in his garage. Sandwiched between a title loan shop and a buffet restaurant at 24th Street and Indian School Road, his main store location is unconventional, but Hansen resists moving into “a nice, new jewel box of a store” (although his Kierland Commons location is nothing to sneeze at). Still, the store attracts loyal clientele from across the Valley. “We’re definitely a destination,” Hansen says.

Among his offerings is a $1,700 floral arrangement packed with hydrangea, pomegranate, pears, green millet and yellow yarrow. He offers arrangements for every budget and specializes in silk but can also use fresh floral, depending on the project.

While the store’s specialty is European-inspired botanicals, it also offers Euro-influenced home décor, artwork and antique furnishings. When selecting decorative mirrors, vases, chandeliers and other pieces, Hansen chooses artisans who deliver a European mix with an influence of Italian and Moroccan. “This helps clients who are looking for items to blend with a straight Tuscan look,” he says.

Beau Mélange

Beau Mélange
The name of Susan Rose’s three-year-old Scottsdale antique store translates to “beautiful blend,” and this, to her, is a verb. “I try to blend things, beautiful things, from different countries and different time periods,” she says, adding that she leans toward French collections. “The French have such a sense of style and taste. It’s inspiring just to go there, just to see how they present everything.”

To walk into Beau Mélange is to feel welcomed into someone’s home. It’s an intimate setting abundant in French home décor, yet balanced with enough open space that you can step back and imagine how pieces might look in your own home. Specializing in an eclectic mix of French antiques, the store sells items from trunks and lighting fixtures to antique irons and architectural pieces.

Whether locating an antique leather mail bin ($75) or a French balancier ($595), buying in person at European markets or from East Coast suppliers, for Rose the joy is in the treasure hunt. “I love finding items that are beautiful and elegant and graceful,” she says.

Trouvé

Trouvé
Krissie Brubaker and her mom are on an endless pursuit, one they began 35 years ago when Krissie was in fifth grade. “On family vacations, we were always the two that would jump out of the car and run into the little antique store. We still do it today,” says Brubaker, who opened the Phoenix antique shop Trouvé (“found” in French) with her mom and business partner, Joan Colangelo, eight years ago. With an emphasis on 18th- and 19th-century French pieces, Trouvé also offers Italian, Spanish and Belgian collections.

Perhaps Trouvé’s 18th-century gilt wood chandelier ($2,200) or 19th-century French china cabinet of pine ($5,200) will call to you. Or maybe a simple set of 1890 French balusters ($150 each) will do.

Trouvé’s storefront and two adjacent showrooms illustrate the duo’s love of classic styling, neutral colors and natural textures. “We love the blank canvas – the beiges, neutrals and less patterned,” Brubaker says. “We have a low-key kind of lifestyle in Arizona. The kind of things we’re most drawn to are the pieces that work where we live, pieces that have a strong nod to the aesthetics and beauty of craftsmanship of the past but also can be lived with really easily in the present.”

Bleu d’Olive (by Via Mediterranée)

Bleu d’Olive
Since opening in June 2006 in the Scottsdale Arts District, Via Mediterranée carved its niche selling handmade ceramics from the south of France, wall décor and furniture from Morocco, and fountains from Italy. But like so many specialty boutiques, Via Mediterranée was forced by the economy to either close its doors or redefine itself.

Owner Sophie Christian did both. Her original boutique, Via Mediterranée, closes this month. Yet, already open at Scottsdale Marketplace, Via Mediterranée’s sister shop, Bleu d’Olive, offers a large selection of table linens imported from Southern France. “It’s a work in progress. That’s how we’ve been able to stay alive. We’ve adapted,” Christian says, noting that her linens’ vibrant color, affordability and durability have attracted a steady clientele even in the recession.

At Bleu d’Olive, customers can spend anywhere from $40 for a lower-end tablecloth to $200 for a Luxe jacquard. One of Christian’s favorite selections is the waterproof Teflon-protected jacquards.

Meanwhile, Christian is selling the remaining heavy pots, fountains and planters at Via Mediterranée before it closes. Expect up to 75 percent off in her First Avenue and Goldwater Boulevard location in March.

RESOURCES
Beau Mélange
7033 E. First Ave., Scottsdale
480-994-7379
Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Tuesday-Saturday

Bleu d’Olive
6310 N. Scottsdale Road,
Scottsdale
(Scottsdale Marketplace)
480-368-5720,
scottsdalemarketplace.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Monday-Saturday;
noon-5 p.m. Sunday

The French Bee (1)
2324 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix
602-955-4158,
thefrenchbee.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

The French Bee (2)
15220 N. Scottsdale Road,
Ste. 180, Scottsdale
602-954-2024
Hours: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
Monday-Saturday;
11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday

Trouvé
4225 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix
602-778-9777,
trouvehome.com
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday;
10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday