< Previoussome more vintage touches in the kitchen, starting with cabinet hard- ware and a new paint job. Nearby, a pair of wooden baker’s racks she acquired when she bought a mystery storage unit are filled with an assortment of books, bowls, boxes and baubles, which she ro- tates out when she finds new items. She added a tortilla press recently, which had been her grandmother’s in Mexico. A corner coffee bar was a little white cabinet and a very old sewing 60 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 HOMEPORT (Above) The living room features numerous antiques, including a wooden baker’s rack, antique sewing machine and a grandfather clock cabinet. (Left) Old books and other antique items rest inside a curio cabinet. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 61 machine with a working foot pedal. It’s used as an end table next to the couch. A large grandfather clock cab- inet awaits a new clock face, but is a beautiful wooden corner piece. The dining room is interesting. Each of the six chairs are different, purchased from six different places at different times. The table is a group- ing of shiplap wood melded together and covered in a shiny finish. “I pick up old finds and put things together,” she said. “It is fun and like a treasure hunt for me.” (Above) An antique table is surrounded by mismatched antique chairs in the dining room. (Right) An old deli scale Tiffany Cloud found at a garage sale sits atop the granite kitchen counter.62 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 HOMEPORT (Clockwise from top) Tiffany and Tyler Cloud are reflected in a large, three-section mirror in their Dickinson home. The ornate Rococo triple oval ring mirror, a very sought-after collectors’ piece, was found at a Houston estate sale; an antique wooden bed frame is used to enlarge a headboard in the primary bedroom; a collection of antique large-group photos hangs on a wall. Tiffany enjoys looking at the faces of the smiling subjects, she said. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 63 G aido R eal e state G Roup Carolyn T. Gaido REALTOR® CLHMS, CRS, RSPS, SRS 713.851.3377 CarolynGaido@SandNSea.com CarolynGaido.com Sand `N Sea Properties, LLC Top Agent Since 1999 Michael J. Gaido, III REALTOR ® 409.457.4900 MichaelGaido.com Kimberly A. Gaido REALTOR ® , SRS 713.498.2020 sandnsea.com A trusted name with over 50 years of real estate experience 4116 AVENUE T $649,000 1 & 2 WESTWIND $399,000 21019 W. SUNSET BAY DR. $245,000 22118 MATAGORDA $550,000 12020A FM 3005 $399,000 3823 PERIWINKLE $1,330,000 The primary bedroom has an antique wooden double-bed frame cleverly convert- ed into a queen-size frame, with a pair of matching dressers and tables. For a wed- ding gift, her grandmother gave her two sets of antique bedroom furniture, which she’s using in one of the three upstairs bed- rooms. One of those bedrooms also serves as her office, where she creates crafts she sells on Etsy. She has a growing following on Insta- gram (clouds_vintagecottage) and TikTok (cloudsvintagecottage), where she shares ideas and decorating details from her home. Recently, she began collecting antique large-group photos of people she doesn’t know or places and organizations that have no connection to her. She likes the old group photos and enjoys looking at the faces of the smiling subjects, she said. One of her most recent acquisitions is a heavy and large three-section mirror, which hangs over a buffet cabinet. She later found out that the mirror — an ornate gold-rimmed piece — is very sought after. In fact, this Rococo triple oval ring mirror, which can be found online selling for hun- dreds of dollars, was found in Houston at an estate sale for $50. “I grabbed it,” she said. But the price of something means little to her, she said. “It is not about how much something costs,” she said. “It is more about what it has been through. And a lot of my stuff most definitely has character.” “It is not about how much something costs. It is more about what it has been through. And a lot of my stuff most definitely has character.” TIFFANY CLOUDStart your next chapter with our weight loss surgery team. If you’re considering weight loss surgery, our team at St. Luke’s Health is ready to help you on your path to success. You will have the support of our doctors, nurses, and nutritionists every step of the way. Our weight loss program is built to fi t your individual needs. Many have gone before you to experience spectacular success. It’s your turn now. Start a new chapter, with a new you. Learn more at StLukesHealth.org/WeightLoss.BENTonHealthyLiving.com JOINUSINTHENEWSTUDIOAT BENTONHEALTHYLIVINGWELLNESSCENTER IsleCycleStudiobringsyoubikesweaffectionatelycall“the girls”—Spinderella,Dolly,Becky,Thelma,Louise,andsoon—and adozenexperiencedandfuninstructors.BentonHealthy LivingWellnessCenterowner,RenaeBentley,isexcitedto bringindoorcyclingclassestoGalveston! Locatedat291053rdStreet-Galveston,TX Giveusacallat(409)220-3901 Signuponlineat66 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 COUNTER CULTURE ‘WHERE IT’S HAPPENING’ Open kitchen designed for a chef is the center of family gatherings story by BARBARA CANETTI | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS W hen it came to designing their kitchen, Eric and Sherri Nelson knew what they wanted: lots of counter prep space, clean surfaces and a view of the rest of the first floor of the house so the chef is never alone. And they got exactly that. Their League City kitchen is made for a chef and for good reason. Eric, a professionally trained Cordon Bleu chef who now runs his own restaurant and catering business called Good Vibes in Pearland, spent several years at Number 13 Prime Steak and Seafood in Galveston, de- signing the kitchen and dining area in 2013. He stayed at that restau- rant until the pandemic caused upheaval in the restaurant industry and decided to go into business for himself, he said. And although he can prepare just about anything from classical French recipes to complex elaborate meals, he prefers to prepare comfort foods and spicy Mexican dishes when he’s at home, he said. Eric has been cooking since he was 15 and attended a culinary insti- tute in Scottsdale. But it’s his wife who cooks at home for him and their three kids, he said. “I am not a tough critic,” he said. “I love her cooking.” The kitchen in their five-bedroom home is spacious. The 10-foot- long Carrara quartz stone island is big enough for four people to sit and features a small sink for washing vegetables and lots of open space for food preparation. Three geometric chandeliers hang over the island and the room is bathed in natural light because of all the win- dows. Built into the island is a drawer microwave, cabinets galore and a trash bin. Adjacent to the island is another wall of dark espresso-col- ored cabinets and a large six-burner Wolf stove. All the countertops are clutter-free because the nearby large walk-in pantry holds all the small appliances and kitchen-related trimmings needed for cooking. “I just wanted it open and as clutter-free as possible,” Eric said. The couple bought the house in 2018 from friends who lived in it when Hurricane Harvey flooded the area the year before. The house needed a lot of work and the Nelsons gutted the downstairs and redesigned it to meet their needs. They created a comfortable dining room in the front of the house and the large kitchen along one side of the first floor. They added a small breakfast area and coffee bar, which doubles as the display case for Eric’s collection of fine bourbons. COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 67 Sherri and Eric Nelson enjoy a bourbon before hosting friends for dinner in their League City kitchen.68 COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 COUNTER CULTURE “This kitchen is where it is happening and because it is open, and everyone wants to congregate in the kitchen to watch and talk, we can be part of it.” ERIC NELSON COASTMONTHLY.COM | MArCH 2023 69 (Clockwise from left) A coffee bar in Eric and Sherri Nelson’s kitchen also is where their collection of fine bourbons is kept and displayed; The Nelsons create one-of-a kind lamps from empty bottles, including one from a Bacardi Gran Reserva Limitada Rum bottle and one from a Woodford Reserve bourbon bottle. (Opposite) A breakfast nook at one end of the kitchen. He keeps the bottles from the bour- bons when he finishes them and cre- ates unique lamps, which are placed around the house. “It’s just a hobby of mine,” he said. “But I’ve been collecting the bour- bons since 2010. I have a garage full of empty bottles.” The walls of the kitchen are tum- bled white marble — the backsplash goes up to the ceiling. The wall sur- rounding the coffee bar is a chevron or herringbone tile, which gives the area a different feel. The adjacent navy blue living room, with a coastal feel, repeats the herringbone tile de- sign on the fireplace. The Nelsons did most of the work themselves. They chose a champagne bronze color for the faucets and fixtures, including the wet bar, vegetable sink Next >