The residence of Toby Shor is a break from usual coastal homes. The paprika and purple exterior paints a picture along the horizon line that hints at the tasteful interior, which feels a bit like the Art Museum of South Texas.
Shor meets me at the front door. First impression: a mannequin in a tuxedo, positioned mid-gesture near the entrance, waiting to greet guests. The foyer, with its bright yellow accent wall and low ceiling, leads guests to the dining room. However, dinner is not the point. Guests will eat, then turn toward the living room, where the real dessert awaits: a wall of art, course after course for the eye.
A few steps take you from a cozy space to the open living room. Natural light streams in through the tall windows of the double-height room, shining on a wall covered with beautiful paintings. One is by Bruno Andrade, which Shor bought before she ever considered herself a collector.
“I’d always loved color,” Shor said. “I never knew, you know, people did that, that artists did that.”
Color has always felt natural to her, and buying that first painting meant more than just making a purchase. Andrade became a friend, and Shor went on to collect his work. As she traveled, she met more artists and her collection grew.
Her love of color shaped her taste and how she experiences art, so much so that she felt compelled to bring pieces home.
Shor acts as my own personal docent as we walk through her home together, but she does not speak like a curator. No, there is no highfalutin’ vocabulary. When asked whether her eyes came from studying cities, architecture or art, her answer is simpler.
“It’s innate,” she said. “I just see things, and I know it’s a good piece.”
Shor studied anthropology, earned a master’s in city planning and worked as a city planner in Los Angeles before moving to Corpus Christi to become a TV reporter. Her jobs changed, but her curiosity stayed the same. Her home shows that same spirit.
As we continue the tour, we talk about the home’s renovation. Built in 1956, the house looked very different when Shor bought it in 1991. She remembers wood paneling, shag carpet and a midcentury style that evoked the aesthetic of “The Brady Bunch.” Local architect Court Koester helped transform the house. Shor said he was worth his weight in gold for helping her with the renovations. She spent a year looking through magazines, gathering ideas and showing Koester what she envisioned.
“The whole thing … everything was sought out, considered,” Shor said.
Koester helped with architectural elements such as the dining room area. “When you have a dinner party, you don’t want high ceilings, because it reverberates,” Shor explained.
The house feels both cozy and grand, creating spaces for close gatherings and moments of awe whenever Shor has guests. She even welcomed renowned Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreta –– the visionary behind the Art Museum of South Texas’ 2006 addition –– as a guest, personally guiding him on the same tour of the home.
Elements from the original home did not disappear. The original wood of the home is put on display in the theater room. The combination of aging, patinated wood with vintage shag carpeting creates a room that feels built for movie nights; comfortable and nostalgic where the family could gather and share time.
Downstairs from the movie room, there’s a cozy corner that feels like a conversation pit, revealing more about Shor and her connection to art. A collector, she also shows her roots as an artist. The decorated bookcases tell her story, filled with family photos, her own sculptures and keepsakes. “I always loved art, but didn’t know I had any talent until college,” Shor said. A sculpting class gave her a way to express herself, and her many sculptures show how she’s grown. You can see her journey in the clay.
Shor’s house tells her story. It’s a place where her taste and creativity are on display, from the renovation to the art collection. Her home is like a museum of her life, bringing together her travels, ambition, career and family. Everything feels intentional, a reflection of a life well lived.
