Village of Pinecrest Aventura Mkt Council

Pockets of history remain in Pinecrest, although they are rapidly disappearing to the developer's bulldozer.

Mark Perry shows off some of the silk flowers in his French Door Gift Shop.

One such slice of the past is tucked away in a corner of the Natureland property at 9550 SW 67 Ave. The 1920s era structure made of Dade County pine houses a quaint little gift shop that goes by the name of the French Door.

"We understand that it was built as a foreman's house when they were putting the Florida East Coast Railroad through here," said Mark Perry, proprietor of the French Door. "I don't know much more than that. But, it certainly is a piece of history and something to see, with the cathedral ceiling and the fireplace."

Perry is something of an anomaly, too. A little over a year ago, he decided it was time for a career change and, after 10 years in the restaurant business, he resigned as manager of the Retter Café at the Bascom-Palmer Eye Institute and opened his little Pinecrest gift shop.

"It was time for a business change," Perry said. "I just decided that I wanted to do something different."

Perry, originally from Chicago, came to Miami in 1979 to attend Florida International University, where he earned an associate's degree in culinary arts. Like many, he liked the weather and stayed.

He said the mainstay of his new enterprise is silk flower arrangements.

"We mainly work with silk orchids," he said. "We arrange them to look like you brought them in from your orchid house. They really do look like the real thing. They hang naturally, feel real and look real, even the green foliage and moss at the base."

Perry also carries fresh cut flowers and does fresh flower arrangements for sale and delivery. He puts together beautiful flowered gift baskets arranged with his floral expertise.

But, beyond the flowers, the French Door is a veritable plethora of unusual gift items scattered throughout this historic little house. There's a huge sunburst wall mirror for $1,095, which Perry says is the most expensive item in his shop. On the low side, there's a ceramic pot for $5.95.

In between, there are lovely copper butterflies and bumblebees, assorted pottery, vases, baskets, a selection of reindeer and small Christmas trees magically woven from dried vines, miniature automobiles, teddy bears, wind chimes, wooden bowls, ceramic turtles, fish and coconuts, bird feeders and bird houses.

There are foot-long wooden dragonflies mounted on three-foot sticks, perfect for sticking in the ground and decorating a garden. There are oriental birdcages, garden statues and exquisitely detailed pillboxes featuring colorful butterflies painted on the lids. There are even Pet Rocks with the likeness of kittens painted on them.

"Yes, we have a lot of things," said Perry with a smile. "But we don't have any French doors, except for our front door. And, we do get calls every now and then asking if we carry them."

Check out the French Door for a special Christmas gift and a taste of South Florida as it once was.

For more information on the French Door, call 305-662-2670.