Bringing in the New Year with New Inspirations

It has been just over a year since the Le Bourdon Home & Garden website was launched but the years culminating was time spent cultivating a dream to bring French inspirations to the sights and senses to everyone who visits our online storefront.
For those who are fortunate enough to visit the design shop, their senses are stimulated as soon as they pass through the carriage house doors. Not only are they amazed with the colors, textiles, and antiques, but their sense of smell is always tickled (this also includes the UPS, FedEx and USPS men that make their deliveries ;-).
As 2008 is upon us, we hope to continue to find new and vintage products that are true to our belief in celebrating our natural environment and the old world French style of living. We will continue to enhance your online experience and build relationships that inspire and we hope you can give the gift of French inspiration to others.
It is our goal to help you learn about what can be incorporated into your own spaces to create balance and serenity. This year we will focus on tried and true old world French decorating style and enhancing our site with custom ordering to fit your individual decorating needs.
We are excited where we've come and where we're going and we look forward to sharing it with our inspired members!
Meilleurs Voeux 2008~

New Stock ~ Inspired French T-Shirts, French Soaps & Kitchen Linens

We at LB are excited to find some new additions to our product line including more authentic French soaps, inspired t-shirts and kitchen linens & tableware from Comptoir de Famille. We've chosen our products to compliment our old world French palette of muted neutral colors with lots of texture and reflection. Here is a sampling of our new offerings:

Old World French Design ~ Holiday Style

The French love the holidays but it's not overdone in any sense of the word. They embellish what is already incorporated into their lives which in its timeless architecture and simple yet ornate beauty, needs only the smallest amount of decoration.
I try to practice the same restraint in decorating my home for Christmas. I use what is already in my house and use colors that compliment what is there. I hope you enjoy looking at these pictures as much as I do living in my historical spaces.

Say it in French ~ Inspired T-Shirts

We've created a line of t-shirts that is currently expanding but we thought it would be great to describe what makes these shirts so inspiring! It is not only the quality of the 100% sheer stretch cotton (with the weight and strength much like that of JCrew's tissue tee's) but the cut is very flattering with the exposed seams and bell sleeves.
But what makes these t-shirts a must-have accessory is our artwork that is applied using acrylic paints which provides clarity and long-lasting wear. (Thank you Gwen!) Now for the best part! The images we've used include a buzzing bee on the sleeve and our logo located on the back side just under the collar (which was modeled after a sign we found in Paris ~ see below).
The artwork that we've used to inspire you includes French sayings such as "sensibilite française" (the French sensibility), "simplement beau" (simply beautiful) and "la vie française" (the French life). We've also created "Je ne sais quoi" with the image of a French woman walking along the Eiffel Tower with her poodle and shopping bags, and a French vintage post card with the saying "J'adore Paris".

We sell these like hot cakes at our shows. We hope you love these as much as our many inspired customers do!

Coming soon, our new long sleeve and short sleeve logo tee's.

Our Last Chance at Decorating Before the Snow

We've begun to decorate for the holidays and since it has to be done here and there without any strategy, we are purely driven by off-the-cuff inspiration! It was a mad dash yesterday to finish with the impending snow storm on the way. In another week we hope to begin decking the halls indoors. Here are some images of the outdoors @ LB...

The Essence of Linen Water ~ An Essential for Everyday

There are some things that you just can't live without once you experience them. I have found this to be true about using linen water on your sheets everyday before making the bed. At our online storefront, we offer two varieties of linen water with a spray attachment as seen pictured below.
Just a few sprays and your linens and room are freshened right through the day so that when you slip into bed and the fragrance begins to relax you.

Brrr...It's Starting to Feel a Lot Like Christmas! Our Marché de Noël Show ~

I'm very aware that the French hold their outdoor markets all year round and I've been to them in the dead of winter with temperatures in the twenties. We didn't fare so well in Providence, not because of the cold, but the gusty winds up the narrow street lined with Victorian era homes forced many vendors inside.
Le Bourdon Home & Garden participated in the the second annual Marché de Noël, an outdoor Christmas street market sponsored by the French American School of RI. Held in the spirit of of French and European Christmas markets, the Marché offers distinctive, quality and special goods with an accent of handcrafted items as well as seasonal foods and delicacies.
Here are some pictures of our booth setup early in the morning.

Inspired "Le Petite Mannequin" ~ Our Newest Design

We're so excited about our newest vintage creation! Our petite mannequin was assembled with some of our finest vintage textiles and trims from France.
What makes this accessory so interesting is that each side is embellished differently and the stand allows you to easily turn it around depending upon which look you like best. Please let us know what you think! We would love to hear from you.

French Vintage Pillows ~ My Passion

There is nothing more rewarding for me than to find that worn and tattered vintage textile in France and to bring it back to life and create something beautiful with it. This is what enlivens my soul and even makes "green" sense. These textiles have been enjoyed and used generously because the French truly appreciate and admire the beauty in their surroundings.
I have spent some time listing some of our large collection of these textile creations where we've lovingly restored and repurposed everything from the smallest remnant of lace to create accessories that bring character and purpose to our interiors.
The cushion sizes you'll find are distinctive in their shape and often reflect the larger sizes that the French often use either as floor pillows or on their settees. We haven't forgotten man's best friends either. Fifi can also enjoy his/her French inspired pillows!
Our collection has taken many years to assemble. All of these cushions are assembled by hand and will continue to wear and show their age gracefully. Nothing can add texture to a room more than a vintage textile.
Browse our vast selection of cushions:
- Bolsters
- Indoor/Outdoor Cushions
- Pillows
- Lavender Cushions
- Vintage Canine

Vintage Cashmere Embellished Sweaters & Scarves ~ Meaningful & Inspiring Gift Ideas

This holiday, when you're looking to find that distinctive gift that expresses a thoughtful and inspiring look for someone, our hand sewn scarves made with the finest cashmere and French vintage embellishments make memorable and meaningful gifts.

Our vintage cashmere sweaters are selected from the finest makers of cashmere (Nieman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, etc.) and add cashmere flowers with tufted rosettes, silk ribbon, and sometimes buttons to them. Pair them with our vintage jewelry line, and these gifts make a thoughtful and French inspired gift!
We've lovingly assembled using the finest and softest velvets these luxe scarves using French vintage laces, buttons, passementerie, satin ribbons and trims. Each one is different and distinctive and a gift that offers such versatality and comfort!

LB Gift Packaging - French Inspired & Unique Gift Ideas

We are offering special gift wrapping for some of our most popular products that make wonderful hostess gifts or gifts for that person who has everything. We've not forgotten gifts for our best friends that include vintage blanket dog toys and Mrs. Meyers pet wipes!



If you'd like a custom gift basket assembled, please contact us and we'd love to fulfill your special inspired request!