When Robin Smith saw a longhorn skull in her friend Debra Mangual’s home furnishings shop,The Vintage Soul, she decided it was time to change her decor. “I was ready to redecorate,” Robin says,“ and that skull was just what I needed to get started.”
Nearly a decade ago, Debra helped Robin remodel her cottage.The palette was taupe, cream and pink, and featured salvaged pieces, ruffles and roses—and most of the furnishings and accessories came from Debra’s store.
Over time, Debra stocked her shop with an eclectic mix of French upholstered furniture, colorful Native American rugs and rustic farmhouse elements.And in the window was that Texas longhorn skull. The skull caught Robin’s attention. She went inside the store—and loved everything she saw. “I was ready to redecorate,”Robin says,“and that skull was just what I needed to get started.”Debra was delighted to work with Robin again. Their goal was to keep the uncluttered look they had put together 10 years ago, while adding eclectic Southwestern and rustic farmhouse touches.
Colorful woven pillows and a leather mission-style chair contrast crisp white slipcovers, a distressed farm table and wood architectural accents in Robin’s family room. Designer Debra Mangual softened the wall-hung skull with a fabric flower and painted frame. A tangle of greenery perched in a vintage birdcage and assorted succulents tucked into galvanized vessels bring a whiff of freshness to the coffee table.
To add interest and define the dining area, a salvaged barn door rests against one wall. Black-and-white serapes warm up the slipcovered wing chair and brass-studded settee that provide seating for the harvest table.
Robin wanted a break from keeping vases and bowls filled with fresh flowers. Debra suggested purchasing rustic containers and filling them with succulents, greenery and preserved branches that need less care. A former rusty barbecue charcoal starter is used in lieu of a vase for branches of fluffy cotton bolls while the wooden trough holds sunflowers heads.
Mixing cast-off screen doors with a refinished French pedestal table adds character to a small sitting area. A goat print pillow brings a touch of farmyard whimsy. “I like to think outside the box when it comes to flower containers,” Debra explains. Here, magnolia branches burst from an old paint can. Antlers rest in a vintage dough bowl.
Robin spotted this antique metal bed at a local shop. She says it was love at first sight. Fortunately, Debra agreed and dressed it with white bed linens and an old Mexican blanket for a pop of color. The nightstand, part of a 1920s vanity that was cut into smaller pieces, still wears a touch of nostalgic turquoise paint. Artist Mary Gregory painted the winsome lamb.
A fanciful interpretation of a steer head, a realistic screen-printed goat pillow and a geometric woven blanket add up to a beguiling bedroom.
A baby’s galvanized tin bathtub holds humble balls of twine. The kitchen’s farm hutch also displaysrattan-wrapped wine bottles and a pair of olive buckets.
The kitchen quietly embraces the Southwest with a Navajo-patterned floor runner. Industrial wheels and random-width planks transformed a shop workbench into a one-of-a-kind kitchen island. Open shelving with vintage white pottery and a backsplash of white wainscoting create a light and spacious feel.
Debra found the perfect- size reproduction windmill blades to fill the wall between the kitchen cabinets and the sitting room’s display hutch.
Redecorating on a budget (who isn’t these days!)? Give Debra Manual’s strategy a try. It really works!
*Borrow collectibles or accent items from several rooms to design a striking new tabletop or cabinet display in a new area.
*Skip the fancy finishes and wallpaper. Stick to one color of plain paint and buy in bulk. Add excitement with a scrap of wainscoting used as a backsplash or a few tiles placed as a focal point above a sink.
*Be judicious when choosing elements to add to what you already own. One colorful new rug will do more to change the look of a room than several smaller items.
*Shop local: It saves on shipping costs. Plus, neighborhood shopowners will alert you to upcoming sales.
To see more of Debra Mangual’s unique treasures and home goods, visit her shop, Vintage Soul, in St. Cloud, Florida. To browse online, you can find her on Facebook and Instagram at Vintage Soul Store.
PHOTOS MARK LOHMAN- STYLING FIFI