< Previous60 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 CURRENTS | ART not long after, Kristen, who is a textile artist and marketing expert, joined the company and helped turbo charge its growth. THroˉ Ceramics has an Instagram channel with 21,000 followers and an online store. There are the regular collections, the option for people to commission ceramics and a sub- scription service in which customers receive limited edition ceramics each month, with op- tions for mug, bowl and plate subscriptions. “We just really want to make hand-made ceramics available to as many people as possible,” Kristen said. “We say our ceramics are for everyday rituals, and we are hoping they become treasured heirlooms that stay in families for generations.” In July, the couple launched a servingware line with such items as dip and snack bowls, serving trays, colanders, butter dishes and mixing, nesting and serving bowls. The col- lection has close to 300 pieces all handmade by Erica. Each piece takes about two weeks to throw, dry and then glaze. As with other THroˉ ceramics, the clay is naturally a dark red brown and is sourced from Austin. “Having Kristen join the business has freed me up to follow my intuition and be more cre- p HOTOS: COU r T e SY SAMANTHA WIL e Y p HOTOG r A p HY COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 61 Celebrating30Years ative with my work,” Erica said. “The serving- ware collection has vibrant colors inspired by what I see around me in Galveston and other places I’ve lived. There’s a yellow color called Mawmaw’s House inspired by the carpet at my grandparents’ East Texas lake house.” Erica and Kristen moved to Galveston two years ago. Separately, they had visited as children and felt a connection to the island. Erica enjoys fishing and both of them love living in the East End Historic District after years of thinking Galveston was just “the beach and the seawall.” The creative scene on the island is tight- knit and they appreciate the welcoming support and sense of community they’ve discovered since moving here, they said. In September, a special edition THroˉ Ceramics mug will be sold at The Bryan Museum’s gift shop in Galveston, and Erica is contributing a tile mosaic artwork to the museum’s fourth annual Visions of the West Exhibition and Auction planned for Sept. 26 to Oct. 12. (Above) Erica Williams organizes her design test mugs. Williams took a college elective course in ceramics and fell in love with the craft. She has been shaping and molding creations for 13 years now. (Opposite, from left) Williams trims a mug at her pottery wheel; balls of clay are ready to be shaped into mugs; pieces from THroˉ Ceramics’ Kitchen + Serving Collection.62 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 HOMEPORT ‘WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE?’ Owners have added their own touches to a refurbished 1874 island house story by BARBARA CANETTI | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS I f Brian Smith wants to climb up to the belvedere atop his 1874 Italianate home, he’ll have 54 steps to tackle before reaching the cozy space with its 360-degree views of Galveston Island. Smith and his wife, Helen, purchased this home three years ago and were fortunate not to have the job of restoring and refurbishing it. A previous owner spent six years with that task, but she chose to leave during the pandemic. The only changes the Smiths made were to take advantage of the large, three-lot space in midtown, installing a pool, erecting a pool house to complement the architectur- al design of the house and a garage/workshop. “I didn’t want to have to cut all that lawn, so we built on it,” said Brian, noting he carefully crafted finishes on the two buildings to match the ornamental designs of the house. Architect Thomas J. Overmier designed the house for early land speculator J. Mayrant Smith — no relation to the present owners. He lived there briefly before selling it in 1881 to Susan Hartley, who was the sister of Rebecca Sealy, wife of prominent Galvestonian John Sealy. In 1930, Frank McCoy — owner of McCoy’s Building Supply — bought the house and made some drastic changes and built the original COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 63 brian and Helen Smith’s 1874 Italianate home in Galveston features a third-story belvedere with 360-degree views of the island. (Opposite) The Smiths stand in the grand piano in the music room of their home, which they purchased three years ago.64 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 HOMEPORT McCoy’s next door on a site now occupied by a church next to their garage. Later, the original house became an apart- ment building until it was abandoned decades ago. The present Smiths have added their own touches to the house, which is decorated with period Victorian furniture and furnishings. They added heavy beige drapes to the liv- ing/music room and a matching pair in blue for the parlor. Visitors enter the grand entry hallway where a massive carved hall tree stands at the entrance of the light-filled music room with a grand piano and large walk-through windows. The windows are the “doors” to the front porch- es. Although they have mixed some modern touches to the rooms, they kept the six original fireplaces with a variety of finishes. The pocket doors between rooms were restored and can be closed for privacy. A glass-fronted cabinet in the parlor features an antique cash register, a nod to the successful business machine company Brian’s father started decades ago. When his father retired, Brian took over the business, until he retired in 2018. The couple was drawn to Galveston Island for retirement because Brian had many clients on the Gulf Coast and fre- quently visited. “And there are so many cool things going on here,” he said. “We are really enjoying ourselves and it is so relaxing. I see things changing here and it is all good.” The expansive kitchen, brightly decorated with bold magno- lia print wallpaper and soft green cabinets, was created from combining three smaller rooms. A 12-foot-long marble-topped island sits in the middle of the room, housing the microwave drawer and wine cooler. A gigantic Italian-made Bertazzoni gas range completes the kitchen. All the cabinets were custom-built onsite and an eat-in kitchen is where the Smiths usually enjoy meals. The kitchen also opens onto a side porch, which faces south and catches the cool Gulf breezes. The formal dining room also leads out to a porch — one of seven available. COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 65 Of particular note in the hallway below a massive crystal chandelier is a deep cut in the long leaf pine floor. This im- perfection has a tale and Chuck Morris, the contractor who worked on the house, said it can be traced to the 1900 Storm in Galveston, when rushing flood waters pushed houses off their bases. It’s said that homeowners used hatchets to make holes in the floor to let the water rush in and save the structure from floating away. There are several hatchet scars in the floors. The massive winding staircase leads to the second floor, where three bedrooms and three bathrooms were rebuilt. The view down the curved staircase is a sculptured spiral (From right) The kitchen features pale-green cabinets, a large island that seats four and a bold wallpaper with a magnolia design; the formal dining room is spacious for entertaining. (Opposite, clockwise from left) Custom drapes hang from floor to ceiling in the entry. The hand-made drapes feature matching crystals and were made to match each room of the home; a photo of the 1874 Smith-Hartley House sits on a mantel; a mark on the long-leaf pine floors is said to be a hatchet scar from the 1900 Storm. The homeowners made holes to try to keep the house from floating away.66 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 HOMEPORT (From top) A large sitting room leads to the primary suite, which features a massive canopy bed; the primary bathroom includes a clawfoot slipper tub. COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 67 Bay Area Kitchens Our Showroom is Open BY APPOINTMENT ONLY 17306 Highway 3, Webster, TX 77598 281.338.2737 We Begin With Thoughtful Design. MINDFUL KITCHEN DESIGN | GOURMET APPLIANCES | LUXURY CUSTOM CABINETRY SCAN TO VIEW OUR WORK design, demonstrating the precision crafts- manship of the early builders. Some of the wooden banisters and balusters had to be replaced and hand carved to match exist- ing posts. Century-old and framed adver- tisements from women’s fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar hang on the walls. The bedrooms all have fireplaces and lots of windows. But the primary bedroom actually is a suite of rooms. First, it’s a large sitting room with television and other en- tertainment equipment, which opens to an attached room with an immense canopy bed. Around the corner is the primary bathroom, with a slipper tub and double sinks. It’s all finished in marble and feels quite luxurious. A huge, deep closet is attached. The bed- room also has a private porch. “This feels like a luxury suite in a Europe- an city,” Smith said. The third floor is merely a landing, but a double bed is tucked into a corner, giving additional space for guests. And there’s that belvedere at the top of the stairs — 54 steps from the first floor with unobstructed Gulf views, the Port of Galveston and nearby St. Patrick Catholic Church. Early photos of the house found at Rosen- berg Library showed the belvedere, and then later pictures revealed it was gone. The story goes that the McCoy children used it to sneak out onto the roof, so it was removed. But contractor Morris rebuilt it to match the earliest designs. “What is there not to like about this house?” Smith said. “True, some of the furni- ture is not comfortable, but it is unique and beautiful and very cool.” “What is there not to like about this house? True, some of the furniture is not comfortable, but it is unique and beautiful and very cool.” BRIAN SMITH68 COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 FEATURE CIRCLE OF JOY For years, friends have gathered weekly at island resort for the magic of mahjong story by LAURA PENNINO | photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS M ost Mondays and Tuesdays and many Wednesdays and Fridays, a circle of serious mahjong players led by Joy Fertitta gather at The San Luis Resort in Galveston for friendly competition, tasty lunches and lively conversations. Bootsie Cordray, Mary Kay Gaido, Susie Grubbs, Karen Hear- ring, Georgia Perrett, Rosemarie Porretto, Patricia Rennick and Cheryl Vaiani regularly dress up and show up to play mahjong with Fertitta and to savor their time together as friends. Grubbs, who has been playing mahjong since 1972, drives two and a half hours each way from the city of Anderson to enjoy mahjong game days. Joy Fertitta is the mother of island-born billionaire and prom- inent U.S. businessman Tilman Fertitta, who built a dining, hos- pitality and entertainment empire as owner of Houston-based Landry’s Inc. and he owns the Houston Rockets. Where Tilman Fertitta was nominated by President Don- ald Trump to be ambassador of Italy, Joy Fertitta is a vibrant ambassador for The San Luis Resort, which her son owns, and also for the game of mahjong. Joy plays mahjong with her friends for five or more hours on their game days at Blake’s Bistro or Grotto at The San Luis Resort. In July, Galveston Regional Chamber of Commerce Presi- dent Gina Spagnola stopped by The San Luis Resort while Joy Fertitta was having lunch with family and friends to surprise her with some big news: Joy Fertitta was named the Galveston (Right) Georgia Perrett, from left, Karen Hearring and Joy Fertitta wait for Rosemarie Porretto, right, to make her play during a mahjong game at Grotto, a restaurant in The San Luis Resort in Galveston. Informal groups of four to 10 players who are led by Fertitta have been playing at Grotto or The San Luis’ other restaurant, Blake’s Bistro, for years. They play for five or more hours on game days. COASTMONTHLY.COM | SepTeMber 2025 69Next >