Colorful, bold, classic and fun — those four words perfectly describe not only this home, but also the best friends who share the Corpus Christi vacation home. Growing up in Corpus Christi in the 1960s, these seven friends knew they were destined to stay in each other’s lives forever. Throughout the decades, they have remained close by going on trips together, aptly naming their friend group “The Golden Girls.”
In 2020, after years of meeting up all over the world, the Golden Girls decided it was time to establish a permanent vacation home they could all share. “My friends and I were together one weekend and decided it’d be fun to all live together,” said the homeowner. Now living in the Houston area, the homeowner decided to purchase a home in Corpus for the friends to share. “When all my friends are here, it feels like I’m coming home,” she said.
The vibrant design concept started with the homeowner’s request for a Lily Pulitzer color palette — hot pink, turquoise and colors that pop. “It’s hard to imagine how this house used to look. It was all beige and yellow with dark parquet floors. I didn’t know it could look this good,” said the homeowner.
That is, until she hired Rhonda Bosquez and Judy Buchanan from The Castor Collection. Working closely with their contractor, Res-Con, Bosquez and Buchanan created a design that is bold and joyful, and reflects the personalities of the women who call it home. “The house was very closed off and dark. They wanted it open and bright,” said designer Bosquez. “Clients are often afraid of this much color, so it was a fun project for us.”
Each of the seven best friends from Ray High School Class of 1969 was involved in the design process. “We went to the tile store, and each girl got to pick out what they wanted in their bathrooms. Every friend is proud of their contribution,” said the homeowner. This hands-on approach is evident in every room, as each space reflects the personality of its occupant.
One bedroom includes teal rattan headboards, fuchsia bedding, turquoise patterned benches and colorful art, while another bedroom is a reprieve from the bold tones in the rest of the house. This space includes a calming, muted palette with a white rattan headboard and subtle tropical print bedding. The primary bedroom is the homeowner’s retreat. Its turquoise walls and eye-catching coverlet are a nice balance with the calm primary bathroom’s lacquered Tiffany blue cabinetry.
“Our designers guided us. They made us feel like we were part of the process, but they kept us in line,” said one of the friends. This guidance was especially significant when reconfiguring the space for entertaining, which was a main goal for the homeowner. In the kitchen, she specifically requested two of each appliance.
The designers reworked this space, taking over the breakfast room to make a larger kitchen and removing the wall between the open dining area and living room. Adding a bigger window above the kitchen sink allowed for more natural light as well. The pantry, which was formerly an exercise room, is painted a bright fuchsia and includes a coffee bar and tons of storage. Around the corner from the open dining and kitchen space is a reading nook with a custom sofa upholstered in a bold, ’60s floral print.
This home and this friend group are bursting with personality and love. “It’s been a joyful place for all of us to come and spend time together,” said one of the friends. “Every time we walk into this house after being away, we say, ‘This house makes me so happy!’”
