< PreviousAt Texas A&M University at Galveston, marine biology students research the genetic mechanisms of Turritopsis dohrnii, a biologically immortal jellyfish, right alongside renowned faculty. While human immortality is distant, with this research and the advent of DNA-based technologies, relief for those with genetic disorders could be within a tentacle’s reach. Whether your interests take you above, below or on the water, as the marine & maritime campus of Texas A&M University, we have the resources you need to succeed. Discover your part in driving our blue economy with degrees in science, engineering, transportation, business and liberal arts. Chart the course to your future today. Visit tamug.edu for more. EVEN BETTER THAN 22 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2023 FEATURE PALETTE PERFECTION Pops of navy, teal and gold bring a seaside twist to the season story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA O range and earthy tones long have dominated fall décor. But this year, the season is getting more of a coastal twist thanks to a new color palette, de- sign expert Kay Stephens said. “For wreaths, ribbons and cushions, you’ll still see a lot of oranges and brown, but the color palette is more muted with paler oranges, and we are seeing a new color palette of grays, blues and yellows,” said Stephens, who is the home and garden buyer and interior coordinator for Calloways & Cornelius Nurseries, which operates Tom’s Thumb by Cornelius Nurs- ery in Galveston. “Think navy and pops of teal with mustard and even gold. They are great colors for Galveston’s coastal living.” Nature-inspired textures are another trend best demonstrated by the store’s fabric pumpkins made from felt, linen and knobby and fringed materials. Throw rugs and cushions are an easy way to make seasonal changes to outdoor and home décor, she said. But buying just the cushion cover is the best option. “Over the years, I bought so many seasonal cushions, I almost had a whole room in my house just filled with cush- ions,” she said. “But now with the covers, it is so easy to change and update.” Artificial flowers and leaves are another way to update existing décor. Simply wrap candlesticks or lanterns with fall-colored plants and you have a new look, she said. The quality of artificial flowers has improved to the point it’s difficult to tell natural from real, she said. “We had a customer recently who tried to return an artificial orchid in a pot,” she said. “She was annoyed the buds hadn’t opened after weeks of light watering.” Pumpkins remain a fall standard and it’s a good idea to mix real and plastic or ceramic pumpkins in a porch display, Stephens said. Brightly colored Talavera pumpkins that celebrate the Mexican design tra- dition remain popular. And live croton plants in pots also instantly add fall colors to a porch or stairs, she said.Wreaths are another way to bring fall flair to your outdoor decorating and Tom’s Thumb by Cornelius Nursery offers ready- made and custom wreaths in fall-, Hallow- een- and Thanksgiving-inspired designs. For fans of candles and other home fra- grance items, pumpkin spice remains the num- ber one choice and is joined by other food-in- spired scents, including espresso and Valencia orange. The candles make excellent hostess gifts, she said. With Halloween and Thanksgiv- ing entertaining becoming more informal, fall- themed paper plates and napkins are another great way to bring the season alive. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2023 23 (Clockwise from left) The addition of plush blankets, throw rugs and cushions is an easy way to make seasonal changes to outdoor and home decor; pumpkins, whether real, artificial or a mix of both, are a fall standard and easily arranged to evoke the spirit of the season; small touches of fall flair can be added to existing decor. (Opposite) A fall wreath is a must-have decor item. Traditional fall colors like yellows and oranges are being supple- mented with blues to widen the seasonal color palette. Porch styled by KAY STEPHENS, home and garden buyer and interior coordinator for Calloways & Cornelius Nurseries, which operates Tom’s Thumb by Cornelius Nursery in Galveston.26 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2023 HOMEPORT RENEGADE RENOVATION A pirate spirit is celebrated in remodel of once vacant 1914 island house story by BARBARA CANETTI photos by STUART VILLANUEVA M ike Cruz sees himself as a pirate. So, much so that the self-pro- claimed renegade has taken the time to decorate his boyhood home in Galveston as a haven for pirates. It’s all in fun, said Cruz, who renamed the lower level of the Victorian house Captain Mike’s Pirate Cave. His stately Broadway house was built in 1914. Before that, two little cottages occupied the corner from the 1870s, when a pair of sisters ran their sewing business for 40 years from their home. But after one died, the remaining sister sold the property for $600 to Charles Harper Anderson. Anderson, an attorney who repre- sented the interests of J.C. League, who lived across the street, demolished the cottages and built his large home. Anderson, who moved to Galveston in 1894, was the great-great-nephew of Meriwether Lewis, part of the Lew- is and Clark exploration team. Over the years, the house underwent many changes — from boarding house to long-term rental and later home to Cruz and his family. His parents bought the house in 1970 and the family lived there until 1999. In 2008, his mom moved out and the house was vacant and virtually abandoned. “That was the worst thing you can ever do to a house like this,” Cruz said. The Galveston Central Appraisal District in 2008 valued it at $27,000, which was for only the land. So, Cruz and his wife, Lisa, got to work. They restored each room, keeping as many of the significant architec- tural details as possible. They refinished the floors and replaced some of the glass in the more than 40 windows. They painted and repaired walls, while keeping the char- acter of the house intact. They decorated the house with period furniture and brought in family antiques and furnishings that comple- mented the rooms. They gave the house a second chance. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2023 27 Mike Cruz created an elaborately decorated pirate-themed basement he calls Captain Mike’s Pirate Cave in his short-term rental in Galveston.28 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2023 HOMEPORT COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2023 29 Captain Mike’s Pirate Cave features pirate décor, black lighting and game tables. Next >