< Previous50 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 (From top) Stacey Weber-Rubio talks about her most recent apron acquisition from a mother-daughter trip to France earlier this summer. Some of her aprons have been given to her and others are souvenirs from trips; Weber-Rubio’s collection of rolling pins is displayed in a ceramic crock in her kitchen; in addition to aprons and rolling pins, Weber-Rubio also collects cookbooks. COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 51 TREASURE TROVE COLLECTIBLE COOKWARE From aprons to copper pots, modern kitchen is filled with vintage memorabilia story by SHANNON CALDWELL | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS I slander Stacey Weber-Rubio has an impressive collection of kitchen memorabilia thanks to her keen eye for yard-sale treasures and a little help from family and friends. “I love estate sales for kitchen memorabilia,” Weber-Rubio said. “I won’t slow down for a chair or cabinet, but if I see a pot or pan by the side of the road, I’m there. Some of my family and friends say, ‘Stacey not a pot more,’ then others are like ‘Stacey will love this.’” Weber-Rubio designed her modern kitchen, in Gal- veston’s Evia neighborhood, around an old O’Keefe & Merritt stove she lovingly calls Pearl. There are vintage finds throughout, including copper pans, a cabinet from her paternal great-great-grandfather August Weber Sr. and a glass bear-shaped honeypot belonging to her father. Her most-loved items are her collections of rolling pins, aprons and cookbooks. “I love vintage items because not only are they bet- ter made but they hold so many memories.” She has more than a dozen rolling pins, including a glass rolling pin you fill with water and a Joseph Joseph brand precision pin with color-coded rings for creating different pastry thicknesses. The aprons include workhorse aprons she wears regularly and delicate Victorian ones too precious to wear. There are aprons from foodie destinations visited with her husband, Jesse, and monogrammed aprons worn when cooking with their granddaughter Adelynn. Her cookbook collection has treasures old and new, including old church cookbooks, a baking company handbook and books from restaurants and regions she has visited — each tells a story. Each month, Coast Monthly highlights intriguing relics or antiques on the upper Texas coast. Wearing one of her many aprons, Stacey Weber-Rubio, a keen baker and cook, shows off her first rolling pin and a handwritten cookbook from her mother.52 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE: GOOD EATS COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 5354 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 COUNTER CULTURE PRACTICAL AND PRETTY Couple makes the kitchen in their 1895 home more useful while honoring history story by BARBARA CANETTI photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS T ake what’s here and make it better. That’s the philosophy of John and Gina Manlove when they’re tackling a renovation of their 19th-century Galveston home. “We honor the history of the house,” said Gina, as she explains the renovation of their 1895 kitchen in their historical home. “We replaced some cabinets, but kept the floors. I would never change these floors. They have been walked on and show there has been life here.” And despite some ancient imperfections left in existing furnishings of the kitchen, she appreciates and loves the “divots” that punctuate the room. The Manloves, who have owned the house since 2009, decided to renovate the kitchen because the existing layout minimized its use. They worked with contractor Jose Lopez Construction Co., sharing with principals of the company their vision. The Manloves were pleased with the outcome. They divide their time between their home in Pasa- dena and Galveston, but John remembers the historical island neighborhood from his youth. His parents and grandparents were born and lived in Galveston and he was on the island every weekend and all summers growing up, he said. When they decided to tackle the kitchen renovation project, they replaced the center island with one that comfortably seats three, and put the sink and dish- washer on one side. They installed lights behind the seating area, which gives a soft glow at night. The white quartz top and waterfall side gives the room a bright, crisp look. They left the existing brick chimney, which extends through the roof, and enhanced it with floating shelves on one side and a waist-high cabinet below, to hold the microwave. COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 55 Gina and John Manlove honored the history of their 1895 home when they renovated its kitchen. They kept the original floors and created an island around an old brick chimney. Also in their kitchen is a framed photo of the home during the island’s grade raising. It was given to them by the original owner’s grandson.56 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 COUNTER CULTURE On one wall in the room, the couple repurposed a long, slender door, cov- ered it in thick glass and balanced it over two end tables, making an extend- ed, useful serving center. “We left the hole where the door- knob was,” Gina said. “It belongs there.” The table rests below a window that looks into a back hallway. Originally, the hall was the exterior of the house, but sometime after the 1900 Storm the area was enclosed. Rather than remove the window, they left it as another reminder of the house’s history. A grandson of original owner Robert Palliser sent them a framed archival pho- tograph of the house during the time it was being raised after the storm, which killed more than 6,000 people on the island alone. “As you can see in the photo, we have the same front door and windows dating back to its original,” she said. Another narrow door found in the house was repurposed and used in a slim spot to make a cabinet with eight shelves for spices and condiments. An antique glass doorknob accentuates it. “It looked like we were building a coffin, but the size and shape worked here,” she said. All of the cabinets, which reach to the high ceilings, are painted white. The uppermost cabinets, lighted from within, showcase a set of green goblets given to the couple 49 years ago as wedding gifts. They pulled the green color from those goblets onto the walls, painting it a soft sage green. The natural light that filters into the room keeps it bright all day. A large window between some of the cabinets has been covered with a clear, leaded glass insert. That glass and a matching one in the hall staircase came from their home in Pasadena when they replaced the front double doors. “They just fit here perfectly,” Gina said. “They had been mahogany, but we painted them white to match the windows.” At one time, there was a window in the back of the kitchen. It was replaced by another door that leads out to an expansive porch overlooking the yard. And in the corner of the room, they made use of yet another window, building a com- fortable cushioned window seat so they can see out- side. Nearby open shelves hold cook- books and serving pieces, displayed but used often. One piece of furniture in the kitchen is particularly special to the couple — John’s great-grandmother’s pie safe, a wooden cabinet with shelves for dishes and a place for the family’s multi-gener- ational china. “We use this every day,” Gina said. “I love the imperfections and areas that look well used. I look at it and see life — this is useful, not just pretty.” They also were able to create a large walk-in pantry for the washer/dryer, as well as a place to store small appliances. The couple entertains frequently and the new kitchen meets their needs. “Lots of business and pleasure here,” John said “It turned out just as we want- ed it and we love it. This is it for us.” (Left, from top) Gina and John Manlove use a pie safe that belonged to John’s great-grandmother to store their china; the couple repurposed a narrow door and two end tables to create a serving area. (Opposite, from top) The white quartz-topped island with a waterfall side is built around an old, brick chimney and seats three; a seat with a window view is tucked into the corner of the kitchen; using an old door found in their 1895 home, the Manloves added a spice cabinet to the back corner of their kitchen. “It turned out just as we wanted it and we love it. This is it for us.” JOHN MANLOVE57 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 57 20-MINUTE SHRIMP CEVICHE Serves: 4 ½ cup lemon juice 14 ounces pre-made medium or spicy pico de gallo 2 medium ripe avocados, chopped ½ cup cilantro (can be used for garnish before serving) 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons butter ½ pound raw, peeled, deveined shrimp Chips or crackers for serving Mix first five ingredients. Chop raw shrimp into bite-size pieces. Add olive oil and butter to warm skillet. Add cut shrimp and sauté for 2 min- utes. Add cooked shrimp to mixture. Garnish with cilantro. Serve with chips or crackers of your choice. Note: Add ¼ cup ketchup to mix- ture for a sweeter taste. Gina and John Manlove’s 20-minute shrimp ceviche is a go-to summer recipe for the couple.58 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 59 CURRENTS | ART SEIZING THE CLAY Island company hopes its handmade ceramics become family heirlooms story by SHANNON CALDWELL I sland couple Erica and Kristen Williams are the creative forces behind THroˉ Ceramics, a stylish dinnerware com- pany that has won a loyal following and grabbed the attention of lifestyle influencers, including Joanna Gaines of Magnolia and the well-respected website and blog Apartment Therapy. “Every piece is hand-made with intention to be functional and aesthetically pleasing,” Erica said. “Choosing a coffee mug that looks good and works well can change your whole day. I just want people to be able to experience that.” Launched 11 years ago by Erica, THroˉ Ce- ramics began with a simple coffee mug with a square mid-century modern-inspired handle. It’s still part of the range today and Erica has a tattoo of the design on her wrist. Over time, she introduced new dinnerware pieces in black, white or neutral colors. THroˉ Ce- ramics now has a full range of dinnerware in a variety of seasonal combination of colors introduced each year. Two years ago, the couple married and (Above) Married couple and business partners Kristen and Erica Williams of THroˉ Ceramics in their shipping room. Erica works as a ceramic artist while Kristen handles the administrative and marketing side of the operation. (Opposite) THroˉ Ceramics’ three-piece nesting bowl set. p HOTOS: COU r T e SY SAMANTHA WIL e Y p HOTOG r A p HY “We just really want to make hand-made ceramics available to as many people as possible. We say our ceramics are for everyday rituals, and we are hoping they become treasured heirlooms that stay in families for generations.” KRISTEN WILLIAMSNext >