Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1535714
I never tire of carved, gilded mirrors, especially when they're a little scuffed up. distinguished Houston estate, found their way to Shabby Slips Home before landing here. The walls are wrapped in a raffia covering by the Italian house Colony, which Abbott says reminds her of old-fashioned petit point, lending the space a subtle country note. A massive Spanish refectory table, once a longtime fixture in her store, now anchors a sunlit corner beneath a bank of windows opposite the liv ing room. Abbott discovered the piece in the fields at the Montpellier antiques shows in southern France, and its brown finish was lacquered black before being brought home. The horn chairs came from her house in Santa Fe, and the white-linen-slipcovered armchairs — modeled after a John Saladino design and available at her shop — introduce a relaxed, bohemian spirit. "I always make sure to have a few of those on hand," she says. The table provides a fantastic view of the green pastures outside, so it's become Abbott's go-to spot for meals, and the 10-foot length is perfect for entertaining guests. "I've never even used the dining room," she says. The living room is easily the most glamorous space in the house, where Abbott corrals a curved sofa, chaise longue, and round marble table — with a pair of swinging 1950s armchairs on chrome bases. Round Top dealer Joe Collins sourced the chairs from a storied Miami estate. "People love those chairs because they not only swivel, but they rock," she says. Abbott makes a point of including something gilded and antique in every room, and here, a 19th-century French mirror that shows its age hits the mark. "I never tire of carved, gilded mirrors, especially when they're a little scuffed up," she says. "That just makes it more beautiful — something I'd never try to fix." 62 — Renea Abbott