A more recent addition to the Arcata Plaza in 2023, the lifestyle gift shop Bell & Hook, is the sister store — or what the staff playfully calls the “brother store” — to Plaza, a long-standing Arcata business.
Both are led by Natalie Walston, who made a “sharp left turn” into retail after a 12-year career at the university to resurrect Plaza, formerly Plaza Design, a popular local store that closed after a decades-long run. Plaza in all its forms had a pretty well-established feminine appeal, but there was a growing interest in a men’s section Walston helped to add when the store reopened.
With little room to expand at Plaza, Walston opened Bell & Hook, which caters to gift buyers and shoppers seeking a “masculine vibe.” In other words, you’ll know this store is for you if your ideal bar soap or aftershave smells like bourbon vanilla and golden tobacco or if quality flannels excite you.
As I walked around the shop, I imagined the kind of person I would purchase each item for: A hiking journal, camping tools and a hat for the outdoorsman.
A chess set, leather-bound journal for the bookish type. For the life of the party, tools and recipes to craft the perfect cocktail and a cool cologne to charm. Lastly, for the grill master, some practical heat resistant gloves and a locally-made hot sauce.
This little exercise shifted my attention to the holidays. Curious about what might make the best gift, I asked Walston to offer a few items from the shop that everyone should add to their wishlist list.
First, she recommended a Pendleton towel — oversized, fluffy, with beautiful prints, perfect for the beach or bath.
Then there’s the Opinel #8 knives, a handy French pocket utility knife. “They are basic and beautiful and elegant in their simplicity, Walston adds. “Both of my kids got one in their stocking last year.”
Her last recommendation: “Dumb Birds of North America,” a hilarious yet informative book that may, or may not, offend your birding friends.
Watson anticipated my next question: What’s up with the name Bell & Hook?
“No, it’s not Tinker Bell and Captain Hook.” She let out a lighthearted laugh. The bell and the hook, Walston explains, were meant to be symbolic of a life well lived and neatly tie together items found in the store.
“When you think of the combination of a bell and a hook in kind of the greater world, there’s a cowbell and a hay hook, there’s a buoy bell and a fish hook. There’s a dinner bell and a coat hook. There’s a doorbell and a hat hook. These are all things that are representative of people, living a life, doing things, being active, being part of something, whether it’s working or playing or socializing,” Walston says. “It’s how they enjoy life, it’s what they’re into and what they enjoy and we wanted to be able to serve that.”
This article appears in Humboldt Insider Fall/Winter 2024.
