Story
The Bell House Wimberley
In 1946, The Bell House Wimberley property was platted. Thereafter, a modest 2-bedroom home was constructed. A few years later, the owners created a drive-through snow cone shop. (You can still see and walk through what once was the drive-through window because it became the attachment between the two larger buildings.) It is now where we serve champagne to our guests! At some point in time, a much larger addition was built on the empty lot next door. It served as a TV repair business, front porch swing shop & floral shop. This new space is connected to the original home by what was once the snow cone drive-through lane. Eventually, the property was converted into the long-time home of the Wimberley Village Thrift Store. Outgrowing this space, the Thrift Store moved a few doors down on River Road.
In April of 2018, we were dreaming of finding a design project in the Texas Hill Country. Wimberley is hands down our favorite Texas town. When we drove by the old Thrift Store, it looked extremely tired and broken down. Mutually sensing the vision for restoration, we bought it on the spot. Our goal was to enhance and honor many of the original elements. Working with our brilliant draftsman, Nathan Estrada, (estradadesignco.com) was a serendipitous partnership. In February 2019, 300 River Road was taken down to the studs and began a two-year metamorphosis. Gratefully, it is now our delightful home and gathering place.
Designer, Tracy Levinson and her husband Bruce, a former wine and spirits rep, have transformed an old thrift store into a haven for wedding-related events, corporate events, private cooking experiences, and two lovely short-term rental suites. Only steps away from the historic downtown Wimberley, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, two passionate foodies are now bringing people together through the art of cooking, design, and memorable experiences.
Tracy: Welcome to The Bell House! We built this space to share our love for design, cuisine, and the joy of gathering. I was born and raised in Texas and Wimberley is my favorite small town. We loved creating The Bell House and imagining the people who might enjoy this space as much as we do. As a designer by trade, my expertise originated in theatrical design and made its way into dwellings and workspaces.
Bruce and I are enthusiastic foodies and we love a farm-to-table experience. We also share an appreciation for great wine. Bruce used to represent fine wines and I am a level 1 WSET Sommelier. We have 2 adult children, a fantastic daughter-in-law and two precious grand-babies. A dear friend of mine said it best the first time they walked through our space: “This place is just happy!” So come see The Bell House for yourself. We can’t wait to share this historic home with you.
Bruce: Hello and welcome to The Bell House Wimberley. I’m the reason there’s a bumper sticker that says, “I’m not from Texas but I got here as quick as I could”! That’s probably because I grew up in snow-filled Rochester, New York, and went to Michigan State University while securing a business degree in Hotel Restaurant Management. I then worked for the Plaza Hotel in NYC and the Ritz Carlton in Houston. I also sold fine wine, champagne, and spirits for the Kobrand Corporation. I recently completed my 30th year in the television industry.
It’s also my pleasure to operate The Bell House. In addition, I am also getting my master’s degree at Texas State University in hopes of someday teaching business and mass communications at the college level. So, how did I end up in Texas?? Well, I met this beautiful girl from Beaumont named Tracy while we were both living in Los Angeles. It wasn’t long before we moved to Texas, got married, and had two amazing children together. Twice I moved Tracy away from this great state for business relocations and I’ve since learned that I should never try to do that again. In fact, I now consider myself to be a Texan and I can’t imagine living anywhere else but Wimberley. Come visit our little slice of heaven sometime. We’d love to host you.
Bella: Our spirited teddy bear puppy.