Written by Cecile Gottlich, Jacqueline Gonzalez, Eleanor Mason, Elizabeth Welsh and Kylie Cooper
Photography by Jason Page
More than a structure, our home tells a story of who we are. It provides a canvas for self-expression and reflects the personality of those inhabiting inside. The following pages detail a room-by-room journey through some of the Coastal Bend’s most thoughtfully designed spaces, each shaped by the hands and hearts of the people who call it home.
From bold color stories and architectural nods to personal heirlooms and playful design risks, these interiors celebrate the art of living well. Every room offers a glimpse into its creator’s point of view: nostalgic, daring, refined, deeply personal. As individual as the people behind them, these homes remind us that beauty isn’t just in the finishes, it’s in the feeling.
Sitting Room | Balanced Blue Bliss
When Peggy and Scott Fagan set out to build their dream home, they wanted to emulate the traditional design of the grand abodes that once lined Corpus Christi’s downtown.
“I’ve always been drawn to traditional style. It has been a dream of mine to build a classic style home,” Peggy said.
The design process was truly a family event, as after finalizing the architectural plans, the Fagans enlisted the help of their daughter, interior designer Elaina Fagan Darden.
The blue monotone sitting room is a standout space. From the ceiling and fireplace to the coffee table and velvet armchairs, the entirety of the room is enveloped in a hue inspired by the soft ocean blues as seen from most of the home’s windows.
In addition to the whimsical color scheme, the home features a balanced mix of traditional antiques and new pieces in the Grand Millennial style. See the home >>
Dining Room | Lavish In Limestone
Situated on a one-acre lot, the 3,500-square-foot home of Nicole Barrera and her husband, Dr. Gregg Silverman, offers a clean-lined canvas for a couple passionate about art and intentional design. Inspired by a midcentury California home they once spotted in a magazine, the couple sought to create a similar space.
While drawn to the architecture, Silverman sought a distinctly Texas sensibility—opting for limestone over brick and embracing a light, coastal approach that reflects the home’s Corpus Christi setting.
The eye-catching décor of the home was guided by colors and textures. Nicole identifies a set of bright Kelly green suede chairs on gold hairpin legs as one of her starting points. A custom marble dining table, echoing the same gold finish, followed, setting the tone for a sleek and expressive interior. See the home >>
Living Room | Mid Century Magic
The classic sense of community in the Lamar Park neighborhood is just one of many reasons Nick and Sofia Gignac of Gignac Architects fell in love with the 1960s mid-century gem they call home.
The wide, low-pitched structure needed a heavy facelift, a challenge Nick was eager to take on. After a quick make-ready, the Gignacs moved into what then became a multi-phased labor of love and reflection of their personal style.
Studio Cecile, a full-service interior architecture and design agency, curated the living room and even designed the lighting. Scandinavian-style furniture in warm whites and natural woods complements the family’s framed Beatles memorabilia, creating a serene sound bath in the formal living area. The seafoam steel coffee tables offer a nod to the cabinetry color in the kitchen, and the curved sofa accentuates the curved lines throughout the home. See the home >>
Living Room | Hacienda Haven
In a sprawling 1960s South Shores home, Mexican artistic tradition becomes the staple motif. A close-knit family of four purchased the home in 2016, becoming the second owners in its 60-year history.
With the help of the architect/interior designer duo Tina and Chuck Anastos, the family took on the challenge of modernizing the layout and putting their personal touch on the home. They transformed the space into a blend of Spanish hacienda architecture and bohemian style. While architectural symmetry reigns supreme in the double-width living room, an extraordinary two-sided fireplace stands sentinel in the space.
Traditional Equipale furniture is tastefully deployed amid vibrantly colored pillows and textiles. The fireplace is faced with hand-cut multi-colored Moroccan zellige mosaic tile and a molded flourish atop the floating mantel. The intricate masterpiece pays homage to the vibrant streets of Central Mexico and establishes the home’s color story. See the home >>
Kid’s Bathroom | Cheerful Charm
In the Del Mar neighborhood lives a family of five in a house filled with bold colors and bright decor. The traditional two-story home was built in 1941, and after all this time, it still holds character that would make the builders proud.
The house was bare and needed tender love and care that the homeowners were enthusiastic to provide when moving in back in 2016. Interior designer Cecile Gottlich helped the owner create a master plan that paved the way for what the home is today.
Having three children strengthens the need for space, which is exactly what the owner created in the upstairs Jack and Jill bathroom. Wallpaper by Jacqueline Colley enlivens the space with a whimsical New York City scene, where King Kong, Godzilla and even a UFO playfully invade the skyline alongside pop culture icons. With such a bold backdrop, the mint green vanity, matte black hardware, shiny gold sconces and twin rattan mirrors add a mix of accents to the overall cheerfulness of the room. See the home >>
Sunroom | Sunny Sanctuary
Tucked behind a Secret Garden-esque 10-foot brick wall lies one of the great hidden treasures of Corpus Christi. A 1950s-era Humble Oil filling station once serviced the town’s burgeoning automobile population. Fast forward two decades and a few innovative owners, and the property was purchased by Katie Reichert’s parents.
In 2018, Katie and John Reichert purchased the historic building and began the two-year transformation of their dream home. Large format Saltillo tile flooring spans most of the house, while wood flooring covers the sunroom-style space. Encased in floor-to-ceiling windows, the area is transformed into a reverse atrium and gives panoramic view of the lush flora that fill the surrounding courtyard.
A door opens into the large courtyard, where John lovingly tends to the Eden that envelops every corner. Pots of blooms and shrubs hang from the tall pergola above a brick path, offering physical form to whimsicality. See the home >>
Kitchen + Dining Room | Modern Masterpiece
Morgane Heinz Blackmon has fantasized about building her dream home since she was a child. When she and her husband, Henry, purchased their lot in Hyde Park in 2019, she was well-prepared to bring her vision to life.
Blackmon’s main goal for the home was to create an open, casual space ripe for entertaining and comfortable for her, her husband and their two golden retrievers. With the help of interior designer Jon Hall of Prime Designs and builder Chuck Clark of South Shore Homes, Blackmon’s dream home came to fruition.
One of the most notable elements of the home is the stunning art collection. Blackmon, who owns MHB Art Advisory, thoughtfully curated each piece. Above the fireplace, local artist Ricardo Ruiz’s “Wide Awake in the Milagro Wood” is a piece Blackmon considers one of her most prized possessions. Recessed wood bookcases flank the fireplace in the dining room—perfect for displaying Blackmon’s primitive pottery collection. See the home >>
Kitchen + Dining Room | Colorful Canvas
Monica and Scott Ellison’s mid-sized 1937 build sits quietly behind a curtain of foliage, almost completely invisible from the street. As you enter the home through an arching church-style door, you’re met by a rainbow of hues—36 different colors (to be exact) paint life into the Ellison house.
Perhaps the most vibrant space in the house is the open kitchen and dining room concept. It boasts every texture imaginable and soaks in natural sunlight from counter-to-ceiling windows. The counter-height island pops with green, blue and white tiles, and a feature wall has been entirely redone in brick.
An abstract by Texas native Cande Aguilar brings even more personality to the space. When it comes to adding pieces to their already impressive collection, the Ellisons believe there is only one rule: If they like it, they buy it. See the home >>
Formal Living Room + Library | Timeless Treasures
Just off Ocean Drive is the stellar estate of Mary Margaret Ara, M.D., Reagan Sahadi, Esq., and their two young boys. The house was built in 1971, prior to Hurricane Celia.
The open floor plan allows seamless movement from the living room to the library where the wall-to-wall built-in bookshelf houses volumes honoring Texas history, collectibles from travels and a myriad of family photos.
In fierce commitment to dress the home with local designs, all the woodwork has been done by Cory Hooper, owner of All Custom Wood Floors, Inc. Standout pieces created by local artists adorn most of the walls in the Sahadi home. This particular abstract expressionist piece was done by Jerry Bass.
The formal living room’s design inspiration was birthed when Ara first saw the Kerman rug accented with hints of purple at Kaskas Oriental Rugs in Austin. She fell in love with the broad color palette in the textile of the rug and its asymmetrical knot-on cotton foundation. See the home >>
