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W h e n i n t e r i o r designer Renea Abbott and her husband, Greg Manteris, sold their Sunset B o u l e v a r d townhouse a few years ago, the new owners purchased everything inside it, too, including the beds, fully made. It's no wonder: Since co-founding her antiques and interiors store, Shabby Slips, in 1991, Abbott's signature high-contrast design approach remains a favored Houston mise en scène. So when she and Manteris, who owns Creative Flooring Resources, landed in their new Royden Oaks home, they were starting from scratch. "This was my blank canvas," Abbott says. "I pulled it together over the past two years, plucking furniture from my warehouse and from Shabby Slips. I had so much fun editing and tweaking." Built in 2014 by Frank Liu Jr. of Lovett Commercial, the Mediterranean- style spec house with its beautiful clay tile roof required only minor cosmetic changes. "We loved the bones," Abbott says. "But I told them, 'I cannot move into this house with orange brick.'" Ergo, the exterior was painted white, and the windows and front door were glossed in black. A pair of antique gas lanterns, which Abbott sourced from France, adds gravitas, making the house feel like it's been in the neighborhood for ages. Inside, dark wood fl oors, elegantly arched windows and doorways, and a curved staircase are a seductive backdrop for Abbott's cinematic point of view. "I lean towards a Hollywood-glam Dorothy 130 ARTS DRAMATIC B Y R E B E C C A S H E R M A N . P H O T O G R A P H Y L I S A P E T R O L E . DESIGNER RENEA ABBOTT ORCHESTRATES A HIGH-CONTRAST BLACK-AND-WHITE STAGE. (continued on page 132) In the living room, French Regency-style daybed from Moxie. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Lucite coffee table. Antique French console. Bench in window is from Paris, upholstered in Brunschwig & Fils cut velvet. Cowhide rug.