The following is an online extra from our March 2019 issue, heading to newsstands now.
French antiques (Photo courtesy French Bee Boutique)
Richmonders may have heard the name Priscilla George from her more than 25 years’ experience in the interior design industry, but what they may not know is she’s also a Francophile with an eye for French art and antiques. Turning that passion into an online shop, in late 2018 she opened French Bee Boutique.
The boutique specializes in items including lighting, silver tableware and paintings. George says that so far some of the most popular items have been porcelain figurines, rare books, etchings and watercolor paintings. She obtains most of her items straight from the source during buying trips to France and other destinations in Europe. During one fateful trip in 2006, she and her husband of 32 years, Thomas, became the proud owners of a petite Maison de Bourgeois in the Loire Valley of France, where they currently spend about three months of the year. The remainder of the year is spent in their apartment in Richmond.
A European painting (Photo courtesy French Bee Boutique)
George wants her antiques to be obtainable, so she keeps the prices reasonable. Plus, once a purchase is made, she ships it beautifully wrapped along with a card thanking customers for their purchase and detailing the backstory of the piece.
“There’s always a story that goes along with the antiques, whether it be their age or the history of the piece or even the artist who created it,” George says. She also includes a bit of French lavender that she harvests from large bushes in front of her home in France. The name of the business is derived from the bumblebees that pollinate that very lavender.
For those interested in taking in the sites of France for themselves and experiencing all the Loire Valley has to offer, the Georges host two private tours, each for four people, per year. The Georges love making new friends, so the tour is designed to be a reflection of their own experiences living in the gorgeous countryside. The tour is infused with local color and small-town charm while visiting sites for which the region is famous. There’s a tour of the area including restaurants and local sites, George serves family-style meals using local ingredients, and other highlights include a visit to the Grand Chateaux, sipping the award-winning chenin blanc (a rare white wine native to the region), trips through small picturesque villages and shopping at large brocantes fairs that are similar to a flea market.
Priscilla and Thomas George's petite Maison de Bourgeois in the Loire Valley of France (Photo courtesy French Bee Boutique)
The Georges have owned the house for about 13 years, and Priscilla explains that the Loire Valley is very different from more renowned French cities such as Paris.
“It’s like going back in time, and there’s nothing new built around. It’s just an escape for my husband and I,” she says.
With grown children no longer living at home, the Georges downsized to an apartment in Richmond. They both still work in the area, but the nature of Priscilla’s job currently allows her to travel back and forth more often than her husband.
“My poor husband, he doesn’t get to come as long, but he’s gracious to let me go on my own.”
However, the plan is to eventually retire and divide their time equally between the two countries, six months in France and six in Richmond. Until then, the Georges will continue juggling their time between Richmond, where they enjoy time with friends and family, and the country that stole their hearts. And along the way, their hope is to share a taste of the French countryside through French Bee Boutique and tours of their European home.
