Quest
When you live in an area where the average weather forecast calls for sun and 78-degree temperatures, there’s no question that a big part of your daily life will be spent out-of-doors. And nowhere else is this optimal weather, along with spectacular ocean views and beautiful scenery, taken advantage of more than in Palm Beach. So, naturally, the gardens and loggias of the grand and not-so-grand residences are considered extensions of the interiors, and receive the same degree of attention as indoor spaces- and sometimes more.
To find the proper elements for gracious outdoor living, look no further than Authentic Provence in West Palm Beach. Started three years ago by Susan and Wolfgang Hofherr, Authentic Provence is the source for hand-sculpted marble and limestone fountains, fireplace mantels, reliefs, wrought-iron gates and elements, masks, sundials, urns, planters, vases, stone tables, antique garden ornaments, and other architectural artifacts.
When you step into the store from Clematis Street, the pervasive aroma of lavender that announces you’ve left Palm Beach proper. Despite its name, not everything on view at Authentic Provence is from France. many of the Hofherr’s sources, such as the makers of large-scale terra-cotta pots and planters, are from Italy.>
The store was started by the Hofherrs at the urging of clients and friends. The couple, who previously had an antiques business in Vero Beach, about an hour’s drive north of Palm Beach, heard that Palm Beach was the place to be. “We had sold a few pieces of garden furniture and architectural ornaments out of our Vero Beach shop,” Susan Hofherr says, “but were told there was a need for us in Palm Beach. There were no good sources there for decorating the out-side of the houses. And the area draws an international, very sophisticated clientele.”
It’s the one-of-a-kind pieces the Hofherrs find on buying trips that have made their shop a popular destination for Palm Beach homeowners, landscape designers, architects, and other design pros. “We bring new things in every six weeks,” Susan says. Most the antique pieces are bought at auctions, estate sales, and markets she decribes as “off the beaten track.”
> Authentic Provence is also a source for re-editions of antique garden elements, with the emphasis on quality and authenticity.
> “We don’t deal in cast concrete, resin, or plastic,” Susan states adamantly. The idea of faux anything is alien to her.
> Besides the West Palm Beach shop, the Hofherrs have developed a growing business through the internet. Their website, www.authenticprovence.com, has attracted the attention of clients in California, Texas, New York, Canada, And Ohio
Authentic Provence, 522 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, Fl. 561.805.9995
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