< Previous60 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 FEATURE “I took the best ideas from quilt houses I’ve visited,” Carlton said about planning Pelican View. She identified good quality equipment and outfitted her place with everything a quilter might need on retreat — spa- cious tables, ergonomic chairs, adjustable Ott lighting, ade- quate power strips, portable design boards and many other details specific to quilting. The first test group of quilters arrived in September 2021 after Carlton and Chide had prepared the house’s interior and exterior. Carlton asked guests to give feedback on what things were missing, what worked and what didn’t. Taking it all into consider- ation, the couple equipped the retreat with top-notch equip- ment and added many decora- tive touches, including a fabric découpage of colorful Kaffe Fassett textiles lining an entire wall of the elevator shaft from top to bottom. “Having the elevator to help haul equipment in is key,” Carlton said. Guests bring their own machines along with all the fabric, notions and other small equipment needed for a prod- uct and can comfortably cart them from their cars to the high-raised main floor via the custom-designed lift. Once settled in with proj- ects spread out on sewing tables, guests can’t help but gaze outward over Galveston Bay through the wall of tall windows lining the main room. Gulls, terns and pelicans soar and glide across the water, an occasional barge chugs toward the causeway or the ship chan- nel and dolphins frequently surface around the house’s pier (From top) Lois Akins, left, and Anita Farber work on their quilts at Pelican View Quilting Retreat House in Galveston; Pat Christie works on a square for a quilt. (Opposite) Susan Carlton’s quilted wall hangings decorate the rooms at the retreat house. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 61 jutting out into the bay. Carlton and Chide conve- niently have provided binocu- lars along the windowsills for a closer look. The house, purchased in May 2021, is tall, modern and roomy with clean lines and soothing colors throughout. The retreat features four bed- rooms — two with three single beds and two with queen- sized beds — two and a half baths, a spacious sewing room, areas for cutting and ironing, a well-equipped kitchen and dining area. There are multiple areas inside and outside to sit and talk while stitching or just relaxing, making for a retreat visitors don’t want to leave, a sentiment echoed throughout the guest book. Carlton dreamed for years of establishing a theme to design the house around and found it when she asked her friend, local nature photographer Ed Ferrin, for some of his bird pictures to decorate the place. Ferrin generously provided shots of local bird life to choose from and Pelican View was born — a retreat house with four bird-themed bedrooms: Night Heron, Egret, Spoonbill and Pelican. Ferrin’s photos and Carlton’s quilted wall hangings decorate the living and working spaces throughout. The future looks bright for Pelican View; dates for future stays are filling quickly through the retreat’s online calendar. Carlton, a retired University of Texas Medical Branch neuro- scientist, and Chide, a retired police officer with 40 years on the force, do all the cleaning and maintenance, lauding their guests for their good habits. “This is the perfect clientele if you’re gonna rent a house,” Carlton said. “They leave the house almost as clean as they found it.” www.pelicanviewgalveston.com “This is the perfect clientele if you’re gonna rent a house. They leave the house almost as clean as they found it.” SUSAN CARLTONSPECIAL EVENT VENUE EATcetera offers an elegant space for up to 32 seated guests for private events. This is the perfect island spot for your private dinner, party or event. The restaurant and sidewalk café are totally private and reserved just for your celebration. Call 409-762-0803 or 409-939-9403 408 25th Street Open Monday-Saturday, 11 am - 4 pm Parthenon Burger & Chicago Dog with Kettle Chips & Side Salad Join us for LUNCH EATcetera is a Local Family Eatery serving a variety of salads, sandwiches, paninis, burgers, and desserts. Dine inside or enjoy the dog-friendly sidewalk cafe under our signature red umbrellas. At EATcetera we like to say, Everyone Eats Together. A multitide of vegan and gluten-free offerings available. Dessert too! Call 409-762-0803Just Sold 1728 BALL ST, GALVESTON - EAST END 3 BED | 2 BATH | 1 GARAGE | $524,900 4027 SILVER REEF, GALVESTON - PIRATES BEACH WEST 4 BED | 3 BATH | 1 GARAGE | $899,900 2918 AVENUE O ½, GALVESTON - EAST END 2 BED | 1 BATH | $344,900 7700 SEAWALL BLVD #409, GALVESTON - THE BREAKERS 2 BED | 2 BATH | $419,000 2518 EWELL, LEAGUE CITY - THE LANDING 3 BED | 2 BATH | 1 GARAGE | $230,000 3828 AVENUE Q, GALVESTON Above Asking Price LIVING GROUP POWERED BY: Melissa Rekoff, REALTOR ® Broker Associate 409-996-9838 melissa@onyxrealtygrouptx.com Ask about our Educator Reward Program https://educatorrealestaterewards.com/64 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 HOMEPORT HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS Sculptures and paintings take center stage at Clear Lake Shores house story by SUE MAYFIELD GEIGER | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA W hen Sylvia Lucas and Paul Fannin were looking for a house to buy in Clear Lake Shores 16 years ago, there was one in particular that stood out. It had an unusual rectangular shape, a second floor with 22-foot ceilings that opened up to a third level mezzanine and was at an odd angle on the property. They bought it. “Some have said it looks like a boat, even a church, but our long, narrow house is just as interesting inside as it is outside,” Lucas said. “The view from the third level looking down is reminiscent of the mod-revival period, which is perfect for our collection of art and furniture.” The art collection throughout the house is a mix of mid-century, mid-century modern, modern, contemporary and abstract, including pieces from Lucas and Fannin. The three-bedroom, two-bath home includes a living room, COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 65 From the Michelle O’Michael sculpture outside to the couple’s own creations, Sylvia Lucas and Paul Fannin’s Clear Lake Shores home is a place where art takes center stage.66 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 66 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 Tall, arched windows create a feeling of airy openness in the living room. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 67 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 67 HOMEPORT kitchen and master suite on level two, with a loft, guest room and bath on level three. The downstairs is used for storage. “We haven’t done much structurally to the house except remove a wall to open up the staircase and redesign the kitchen,” Lucas said. “We removed a furr down and everything was reddish brown, so we painted the walls a soft gray, added Silestone countertops and installed cabinets. The chrome dining ta- ble and chairs are from Finland and the barstools are from Spain. The adjoining porch was here, but Paul screened it in, and it makes for a nice place to sit in cooler weather.” Fannin, a marine surveyor and talented craftsman, built the banister on the side of the staircase leading to the third floor. His other projects include building a bed- frame for the guest room, and sculptures he has designed within the interior and exterior of the house. Lucas, a hairstylist, has been collecting art and furniture for years and has a keen eye when it comes to the pieces she brings into their space, preferring mod- ern mixed with mid-century and a blend of contemporary, she said. “Some things are authentic, and others are just things I like, but I do make it a point to keep up with some of the local artists,” she said. The art and sculpture collection the couple has amassed during their 22 years together is extraordinary. The narrow hall from the kitchen to the living room begins with a noticeable purple neon sign that says “Shampoo” — the name of Lucas’ salon — above a Herman Miller slat bench. On the opposite wall are four abstracts by Houston artist RamZ, and a sculpture by Houston artist Michelle O’Michael on a table below. To the right is the master suite that includes a varied mix of art and photo- graphs, including a papier-mâché piece, and a modern work titled “Three Celestial Beauties” by Houston artist Susan Pro- vost-Dubois. The living room’s tall, arched windows are the perfect backdrop for the Eames chair with ottoman, mid-century mod- ern sectional couch, tiled fireplace and turntable, along with an assortment of vintage albums and Klipsch speakers. (Clockwise from left) A quartet of abstracts by Houston artist RamZ; a purple neon sign is an ode to Sylvia Lucas’ hair salon; mid-century modern furniture com- bines with artwork in the living room. On the shelves are a painting of Phil Glass, a world-renowned composer, and a clock sculpture designed by Paul Fannin.68 COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 HOMEPORT Yet, it’s the collection of art that takes center stage. “Paul’s metal sculpture of three flowers with three eyes is a piece he made for my birthday a few years ago,” Lucas said. “He also designed the hand-holding clock sculpture out of elm and walnut wood. An- other interesting piece is a painting of Philip Glass, a world-renowned composer, painted by Adelyn Cooper, an artist who lives here in Clear Lake Shores.” (From top) Sylvia Lucas and Paul Fannin left much of the structure of their house the same but did remodel the kitchen. They painted the walls a soft gray, added Silestone countertops and installed cabinets; a tiny diver poised to leap adds a touch of whimsy above a window in a bathroom. (Opposite, clockwise from top) A metal sculpture created by Paul Fannin as a birthday gift for Sylvia Lucas is displayed in the living room; Lucas purchased a sculpture of a smallish yellow man going up a ladder at an art festival; the art collection throughout the house is a mix of mid-century, mid-century modern, modern, contemporary and abstract, including pieces from Lucas and Fannin. COASTMONTHLY.COM | OCTOber 2022 69Next >