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Near the front door, a credenza in the living room displays Johnnie Edwards’ collection of bowling pins, wedding cake toppers and some orange California art pottery from the 1950s. ‘Whenever we find something orange from that era it goes right to the living room,’ Edwards said.

By Diane S. Morales, Caller-Times

August 21, 2005

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

An antique Seth Thomas mantel clock sits on top of an antique sideboard in the dining room. ‘When I got up in the mornings at my grandparents’ house, all you could hear was the sound of a clock ticking,’ Johnnie Edwards said. ‘I can hear that in the mornings and it just sounds like home.’

An ominous red neon “E” monograms a lime green and purple house-front on the 600 block of Del Mar Boulevard in sharp contrast to the traditional brick homes, shuttered windows and manicured lawns on the street.

“We’ve had the pizza guy ask us if the ‘E’ stood for Enron and someone asked if it stood for ‘E-Bay,’” Johnnie Edwards said. “It stands for Edwards, actually, or entrance, exit, entertainment or whatever E-word you like.”

And that’s just a hint of the curious musings Edwards and her family has encountered since they moved from Austin into their home in August 2001. Edwards and husband Larry Edwards get a kick out of the inquiries their home has stirred with its front yard pool and white lattice fence.

The two years of remodeling work and a few raised eyebrows about their home’s exterior has been worth it to create a kitschy home.

“We needed a bigger house and pre-9/11 real estate skyrocketed in Austin,” Johnnie Edwards said.

The couple sought property in Corpus Christi where Larry Edwards’ family lives.

“We wanted a slower-paced lifestyle, to relax with the kids,” Johnnie Edwards said. “Little did I know we would open an antique store.”

They also own some tattoo shops in Austin and co-own a tattoo shop in downtown Corpus Christi.

Johnnie Edwards’ attraction to ‘50s kitsch shows in the living room’s pencil leg furniture reminiscent of her childhood.

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

Yellow walls contrast with teal shaded fabrics in 7-year-old Joey Lynn’s room. ‘The room is yellow because when the girl’s were born, I gave them each a color and an animal theme,’ Johnnie Edwards said. ‘Joey Lynn’s was yellow and ducks and Jolie Faye got lavender and lambs.’

“The couch and chair belonged to my grandparents,” she said. “It’s from 1956. I wanted it since I was a kid. I had planned to re-cover it but figured it lasted this long.”

Sun orange floral curtains frame a window overlooking the front yard swimming pool. Edwards said she wasn’t sure what possessed her to buy the funky curtains she found in Austin.

“My mom said they were the exact same ones we had when I was a kid, but a different color,” she said. “I guess you’re always drawn to things from you’re childhood.”

Moss green walls in the living area blend with the quirky tropical accents in the room, and ivory painted archways, part of the home’s original architecture, lead to the dining room, kitchen and family room in the 2,500-square-foot home.

The couple repainted each room in the house, enclosed a faux fireplace in the living room, gutted the kitchen and rerouted the plumbing, while maintaining most of the home’s interior architecture.

“Every room has a different theme because I don’t like to limit myself to one decorating style,” she said.

Johnnie Edwards went shabby chic in the home’s four bedrooms and guest cottage. Her 7-year old daughter Joey Lynn’s room is affectionately called the peacock room because of its yellow walls, sari teal curtains, and of course, a peacock wall hanging.

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

Boldly labeled drawers on an Ikea unit helps the Edwards family stay organized in the kitchen, while collectible cookie jars and other funny figurines add some comic relief.

Egyptian antique furniture with a matching headboard, a three-closet armoire set and dressing table with a floor sized mirror highlight the room. The stuffed animals, crocheted coverlet and a family antique dressing table Joey Lynn uses as a desk subdue the furniture’s ornate style.

“We use every room in the house,” Johnnie Edwards said. “When I was growing up we had a rule that we couldn’t sit on this one couch. I don’t want the kids to feel they can’t touch.”

Back through the archways, blood red walls envelope the Asian motif dining room, a theme sprinkled throughout most of the home, but centralized in the dining area.

“To some degree, I like the principles of feng shui,” Johnnie Edwards said. “Red promotes conversation, digestion and it’s dramatic. Plus, the white wainscoting helps tone it down.” Four red and gold relief panels framed in black hang on the dining room wall.

Chinese majolica clay tiles glazed in various colors outline the entry-way to the family room behind the rosewood dining table. Two antique fu dog statues overlook the dining area from the family room.

Next to the dining room is an airy kitchen decked in Ikea free-standing units and shelves in a natural wood finish. Wire shelves, tin signs advertising coffee for 5 cents and hot dogs for 15 cents create a diner feel, especially with a 1950s dinette near a kitchen window.

“I got a smokin’ deal on this table from a shop in East Texas,” Johnnie Edwards said. “I paid $123 and the chairs have the original upholstery.”

When Edwards isn’t whipping up hearty Southern meals, she and her daughters enjoy listening to the soothing waterfall in their backyard pond.

“Life is fulfilling in Corpus Christi,” Edwards said. “I’ve gained true, dear friends in the neighborhood. There’s a connectedness here that I wouldn’t trade for the world. I just love this house.”