26 Jul Ding Ding, Dinner Bell!
Ding ding!
DINNER TIME!
Wood floors creaking, little feet pounding, house resonating as it sounds like about fifty people are running down the stairs…
Ah, the sound of mealtimes at my house. Although a dinner bell might make you think of crystal and starched collars, I assure you I didn’t invest in one for sophisticated purposes. Instead, I bought one simply because I thought it was a neat way to call everyone together. Something the kids would remember, a more pleasant memory than yelling their names upstairs or out into the backyard.
By the way, I’m not talking about these.
Vermont Country Iron
Maybe a little more sophisticated than that.
Whether your kitchen is modern, traditional, or in-between, I think a dinner bell adds a unique charm to the space.
The Wicker House
Can you find the dinner bell here?
vrbo.com (Rental home in Carmel Valley, California)
Love this one! Don’t you just want to plop your the farmer’s market finds on that countertop and make a beautiful dinner?
Velvet and Linen
Adding a dinner bell is such a great idea for those of you that live in an apartment or have newer homes in need of a little character or sense of individuality. Little details like this can make your home shine.
Apartment Therapy
Teal and Lime
Teal and Lime
The silver bell pictured in the kitchens above is available here from Amazon. Doesn’t it give the room an extra sparkle that makes you happy?
Amazon
A hand bell is a fun option too if you don’t want to put anything in the wall. This one was $10 at TJ Maxx.
Looking for something more unexpected? Check out this little guy from Etsy. It is sold, but you could always message the seller and see if she will make more.
My little ringer? It was discovered at one of my favorite local stores, Old Home Supply. There are many stores like this across the country housing neat old materials ready to be salvaged or repurposed. I use it to get the family together for every meal, not just dinner. Come to think of it, I grew up calling dinner “supper”, I wonder when that changed?
Do you have memories of a bell ringing in your mealtimes? How will you use this in your home?
Sound off in the comments!
Kat
Posted at 09:32h, 26 JulyAbsolutely love this. And someday will have one in my kitchen. My husband’s family had a rather large free-standing dinner bell located outside at the lake cabin. He remembers fondly as his Grandmother rang the bell for dinner. It was a necessity on the lake to call everyone in from the water. I’ve attempted to ring this bell to see its impact on our own visits to that same lake cabin. It’s a little out of sorts now, but still quite lovely.
Grace
Posted at 21:05h, 26 JulyI love this story, Kat! Thank you so much for sharing! Send me a pic of your dinner bell when you get one.
Julianne
Posted at 16:54h, 06 AugustI love this post too. Reminds me of growing up and I’ll have to find the perfect one for our next home too. My parent’s have a dinner bell too!! I grew up on over 50 acres in the country and my brother and I would go play outside in the piney woods of East Texas for hours on end. My mom would often whistle for us to come in but was often overpowered by the nearby train. My mom had a large black bell that she would ring for us to come back to the house for dinner. I can hear it now…
Grace
Posted at 08:22h, 07 AugustOh, what a great memory! I love this, Julianne!