The Keep Wimberley Beautiful’s Beautification Award is awarded once a quarter to a community business and local establishments the membership recognizes as exhibiting care to enhance a property.
Landscaping, external refreshing or renovation and/or building revitalization all serve as catalysts for consideration by the members who attend monthly meetings to discuss and nominate improved businesses, parks, schools or community centers. According to the organization, the KWB believes that giving the award may encourage others to beautify their places or assist others for the betterment of the community.
2022’s fourth quarter recipient was The Bell House, located at 300 River Road, owned by Bruce and Tracy Levinson. The Levinsons purchased the property in 2018 while visiting the community.
“We were looking for a certain place. Nothing had really spoken until we walked into this one,” shared Tracy. “I felt like we were wasting the agents’ time to look at properties. We’d been ‘looking’ for five restless years.”
“But, when we opened the doors, I ‘saw’ what it could be,” she continued. “I walked straight into what once was the warehouse and knew it. We knew this was the place.”
The Bell House was initially a collection of three structures which included a residence, a warehouse and what was at one time a drive up snow cone stand. Most of the open property was paved for parking. It had undergone a host of iterations — including serving as the former location of Wimberley’s Thrift Store — before the Levinsons went to work to transform it into a haven for cooking classes, special events and shortterm rentals.
In February 2019, the entirety of the property was taken down to the studs, beginning a nearly two-year metamorphosis. The Levinsons moved into their home in May 2020 and now bring people together through cooking, design and memorable experiences a mere couple of blocks from downtown Wimberley.
“We’ve been doing short-term cooking experiences over the past five years,” Tracey said. “It’s such a fun format. We’ve traveled for some of these classes, even to Italy, but most were in Texas. We wanted to bring that to our home, to this place.”
“I love artists, and I believe whole-heartedly that chefs are artists,” she explained. “So, that is part of what we do here — along with gatherings like rehearsal dinners, small weddings and such.”
The property is zoned commercial with residential use, allowing for the Levinsons to live in their dream build while engaging in businesses that serve to sustain them. A separate entrance to the living quarters allows the Levinsons to provide a room and loft area as an Airbnb.
A historical highlight of the facility for Tracy is keeping much of the warehouse floorplan intact to pay tribute to the many who served — and were served — when the Thrift Store occupied the space.
“So much good was done here and help was provided to so many that we wanted the nostalgia to remain intact,” she added. “Wimberley is the most charming town. I love the downtown area so living here on River Road is like a dream because we can walk to visit the shops and people- watch.”
“We moved down here with the idea of someday being retired,” Bruce shared. “We thought that once we began the Airbnb that things would settle in, but ... now we’re working more than we thought we would. We saw the cooking classes ‘down the road,’ but the events are self-generating and are a blessing. We’re meeting new people and building community, which is what we really want here in Wimberley.”
Bruce shared his appreciation for local chefs and restaurateurs having taught and hosted in their kitchen.
“We wanted to find the best chefs in the area, have them come in, and be the stars of the show,” he said. “Damian Mandola (Trattoria Lisina), Mark Grimes (RR12 Supper Club), Sibby Barrett (Onion Creek Kitchens), CJ Jacobsen (Aba Austin), are part of our lineup of artistic food rock stars. Ryan Hildebrand (Hildee’s) is the guest chef scheduled to close out the year on Dec. 12. It’s been exhausting, but it also has been a lot of fun.”
For more about The Bell House visit thebellhousewimberley. com.
