Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

Warm tones in the living room come to life with crimson colors and animal print textures. The Nichols kept the home’s original stone fireplace façade, but had some unsightly vents on the exterior surface covered with more stone.

By Diane S. Morales, Caller-Times

October 02, 2005

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

It has taken awhile for homeowner Tammy Nichols to get used to the bold accessories and furniture in the dining room, including the red walls. But the combination of weight, color and textures balances the richness of the space.

What started as a three-room remodeling project for Tammy and Monte Nichols turned into a home improvement overhaul.

The couple and their two children slept on mattresses in a spare bedroom for about six months until finishing their 2,450 square foot home-makeover on the 4100 block of Nicklaus Lane.

“The majority of the house was torn to the studs,” Tammy said. “I had my family here ripping out walls, baseboards, carpet all night until 1 a.m., and then we’d head to Denny’s.”

That was about 14 months ago when the business owners moved from the Calallen area to Corpus Christi to be closer to friends and family.

Tammy said her husband was hesitant about leaving Calallen behind, much less remodeling four bedrooms and two and a half baths rather than building a new home. But after all was said and done, the Nichols transformed an outdated home into a show-room-quality haven.

Outdoors on the inside

In the entryway, a glass-paneled atrium survived the Nichols’ demolition team and displays a collection of faux potted plants and palm trees, impressing a bit of outdoors inside the home. Past the atrium, hardwood floors lead to an open living area with dark beige walls, rich tan and red leather furniture and accessories a la Trend House.

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

In her teenage daughter’s room, Tammy worked around a hot pink comforter to infuse zebra prints and colorful throw pillows against bright turquoise walls.

“I was going crazy because I didn’t know how to start with (wall) color, because I didn’t have furniture,” Tammy said. “How do you start without furniture? So we went with a neutral.”

Tammy credits Dana Chayer, a design consultant from Trend House for selecting paint colors, flooring, furniture and most of the accessories.

“I tried mixing my own colors and Dana kept saying ‘No. Trust me, trust me, it’s going to look good when everything is put together,’ “ Tammy said.

With a tan leather sofa against the atrium and a matching loveseat across from it, two red leather armchairs add a zest of color against the white built-in bookshelves.

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

In the entryway, a wooden side table and other affects from Trend House combine tropical accents for a hint of British colonial décor.

To open the kitchen to the living room, Tammy replaced a wet bar set where the tan leather sofa sits and had a portion of a wall removed to create a granite-top bar that overlooks the kitchen.

“My husband fought it because he didn’t think it would work,” she said. “But I talked him into it.”

Hardwood floors transition to ivory-tanned tiled floors in the kitchen. Custom-made maple cabinets by Hundl’s Cabinets crafted corbels at the base and top corners of the cabinets, which was a new experience for cabinetmaker Mike Hundl.

“We looked through magazines. She (Tammy) wanted something fancy, so I designed it and she was happy,” Hundl said.

The same cabinetry work is repeated in the master and full baths with stain work done by DB Designs.

Seeing red

Through the kitchen, a vibrant red-walled dining room with white crown molding holds a bold oval dining table and matching marble-top buffet. A massive tarnished gold framed mirror hangs above the buffet.

“I was afraid of the color,” Tammy said. “I couldn’t believe I was doing it, but now I’m used to it.”

The bold wall color and furniture scale commands a rich presence without overwhelming the space.

Eddie Seal/Caller-Times

A sophisticated race car-driving theme wins the finish line of décor in 21-year old Monte Nichols III room with modern black leather furniture and dashes of fire red color accents, which Tammy Nichols said she selected.

Across the living room and down the hallway, wall colors personalize the bedrooms. In Tammy’s 16-year-old daughter Tiffany’s room, turquoise walls mix with hot pink bedding and zebra print accessories.

“I found the zebra print stuff at Bombay Kids,” Tammy said.

Sheer zebra print curtains with pink ribbon trim dress the window and a matching canopy cascades around a hot pink cushioned chair in a corner.

Next to Tiffany’s room is her 21-year-old brother Monte’s room decked in a racecar driver’s motif. It took five paint jobs until Tammy Nichols settled on the light gray wall color.

At the end of the hallway, olive spring colored walls in the master suite are a far cry from the rotted wood Tammy and her husband discovered during the remodeling job.

“The master suite was the toughest job because it was rotted by termites,” Tammy said.

Tammy’s preference for animal prints and tropical themes takes shape in the master suite with leopard print throw pillows accenting the tan bedding on the four-post bed. Subtle leopard print sheers mixed with a solid sheer panel swag the windows on each side of the bed.

In the master bath, a V-shaped vanity covered in a granite countertop provides a sleek space for his/her sinks. Glass panels on the tan tiled shower look effortlessly spotless, but Tammy’s penchant for tidiness and decorative perfection makes the Nichols’ residence a model among remodeled homes.