• Home
  • Houses
    • Outside
    • Celeb, Show & Historic Houses
    • Our Houses
  • Kitchens
    • Blk&Wht Kitchen
    • Blue Kitchen
    • Gray & Neutral Kitchens
    • Green Kitchen
    • Red, Orange, Purple Kitchen
    • White Kitchen
    • Yellow Kitchen
    • Rustic Kitchen
    • Wood Kitchen
    • Modern Kitchen
    • Kitchen & Cabinet Features
    • Sinks & Faucets
  • Decor
    • Accessories
    • Collecting
    • Color
    • Domestic Details
    • Holiday
    • For Kids
    • Laundry-Utility-Mudrooms
    • For Pets
    • Picture Walls & Windows
    • Rooms
    • Rugs
  • Bathrooms
    • Cottage Bath
    • Eclectic Bath
    • Modern Bath
    • Traditional Bath
    • Powder Room
    • Bath Features
  • Cooking
  • Press
  • About
  • Contact

Atticmag

Home Décor & Home Cooking

  • Home
  • Houses
    • Outside
    • Celeb, Show & Historic Houses
    • Our Houses
  • Kitchens
    • Blk&Wht Kitchen
    • Blue Kitchen
    • Gray & Neutral Kitchens
    • Green Kitchen
    • Red, Orange, Purple Kitchen
    • White Kitchen
    • Yellow Kitchen
    • Rustic Kitchen
    • Wood Kitchen
    • Modern Kitchen
    • Kitchen & Cabinet Features
    • Sinks & Faucets
  • Decor
    • Accessories
    • Collecting
    • Color
    • Domestic Details
    • Holiday
    • For Kids
    • Laundry-Utility-Mudrooms
    • For Pets
    • Picture Walls & Windows
    • Rooms
    • Rugs
  • Bathrooms
    • Cottage Bath
    • Eclectic Bath
    • Modern Bath
    • Traditional Bath
    • Powder Room
    • Bath Features
  • Cooking
  • Press
  • About
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Houses / Our Houses / European Entrance Decor

European Entrance Decor

October 27, 2011 by Allison 2 Comments

entrance décor - vintage brass doorbell with Latin inscription: vocem mean audi, qui me tangit - AtticmagUnique items dress up our entrance décor and are natural conversation starters.

On a recent stroll through a local antique store I spotted a smaller version of the bell my parents purchased ago when traveling through Europe.  While their shiny brass doorbell has been untouched by weather — it hangs in their breakfast room) — my purchase had already developed a patina from having been installed as entrance décor outside.  The origin of the vintage doorbell is unknown although similar bells can be found in France and Germany where they are still used in churches, schools and homes.  Around the top of the bell, an inscription in Latin reads “vocem mean audi, qui me tangit,” which translates as “he who touches me hears my voice.” I was given a hard time by our contractor, the electrician and Mr. Shops for not installing a normal, electric doorbell during construction.  Of all people, Mr. Shops should know by now that “normal” is not my thing.
entrance décor - pottery Aubagne cicada or cigale door charm from Provence, France - AtticmagI have always been fascinated by cicadas emerging from the ground after being buried for many years, and enjoy listening to their summer songs.  So when I saw my first pottery cigale offered in a French online online shop [top, above] my finger couldn’t hit “Buy” fast enough. Throughout Provence locals hang a wall pocket shaped cigale by the main entrance to symbolize good luck.  Declared the emblem of the region in 1895 by ceramicist Louis Sicard, these pottery pieces are still made in the quaint town of Aubagne, France. I have a cigale outside our front entrance [bottom, above] and I also purchased a larger one to hang on a beam where the kitchen and great room meet — after all, one can never have too much good luck.  Guests (not to mention our dog when he first spotted) are usually caught by surprise by the rather large bug and enjoy hearing the story behind it.

(Source: Tongue in Cheek)

Copy and Paste the Link to Quick-Share this Post: http://bit.ly/IFKlvi

Filed Under: Our Houses Tagged With: Atticmag, ceramic cicada French door charm, entrance décor, European door bell, figured vintage doorbell, French pottery cigale

Comments

  1. RHome410 says

    October 28, 2011 at 2:44 pm

    That is a neat story.

    There was a handleset shaped like a salmon I SO wanted to get for our front door when we built our house. But I could never quite come to the conclusion that it was a good use of $2500. But it would’ve been cool, and appropriate on our NW American Foursquare with fishing enthusiasts inside. 🙂

    Reply
  2. Allison says

    October 29, 2011 at 9:09 am

    I would have skipped right by it too, RHome! With the internet, anything is possible. I looked forever for a zinc horse head from a French butcher shop until I found one in my price range. Keep your eyes open! Etsy is a great source.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This blog is kept spam free by WP-SpamFree.

Home Decor

mini two-compartment architectural planter by Vagabond Vintage - via Atticmag

Mini Architectural Planters

September 5, 2018 By Jane F Leave a Comment

linen bed sheets - Italian linen triple hemstich linen bed sheets -Cuddledown via Atticmag

Making Sense of Linen Bed Sheets

May 30, 2018 By Jane F 2 Comments

ready made curtain hack for store bought linen panels - aticmag

Ready-Made Curtain Panels Hack

May 7, 2018 By Jane F 5 Comments

cobalt blue front door - Southern Living via Atticmag

Front Door Blues

May 14, 2017 By Jane F 2 Comments

peony pink - vase of pink peony flowers - Pinterest via Atticmag

Peony Pink Power

April 24, 2017 By Jane F 1 Comment

Recent Comments

  • justin leon on Kitchen Cabinet Pull-Out Ideas
  • Jane on Making Sense of Linen Bed Sheets
  • Sherrie on Unfitted English Kitchens
  • Marilyn on Whimsical Bicycle Vanity
  • ann rattay on Vintage Limoges & Silver Table
Tweets by atticmag

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in