Mimi's Montrose Home
Who? Mimi Yeatts; Houston native, scruffy dog lover and self-proclaimed cozy connoisseur.
Where? Mimi and Keaton's moody yet cozy 1930s Montrose home.
Kara: Are you able to describe your home in a few words?
Mimi: Cozy, yet breathable. Sometimes places can be so cozy that you feel you need to get out of it after an hour. I really like to merge romance with eclecticism, so you'll see a lot of objects like that. I find a lot of inspiration from this British Designers book — I open it up and look at corners in my house and see what the book would say to do.
K: How has living on a farm in La Grange for a period of time post-grad helped shape your decorating style?
M: After living there, I had more of a tangible ideal for what a British cozy cottage or French Provençale could be. Shopping thrift in La Grange made me have more of an appreciation for American things, more of a frontier style. I love old things, old books... I like for every object to have had a journey. That makes them start to feel more like friends and less like stuff. I love a good story and every thing in this house has a story, even if it's a lame one.
K: How do you make this rental home feel like yours?
M: I honestly think that we got so lucky with the details of this place. I like playing with what's already there. I also have a pretty adaptable style; it changes every year. So I take stock of what's happening in the home and find a way for my style to meet what's already happening. If you're going to be so particular, you have to build. If you are renting, you're taking what's already there and putting yourself into it — however it fits.
K: Where do you tend to find your favorite items for your home?
M: I've been so lucky to be in situations where the perfect item just appears, and it's staring me in the face for like $20. The Guild Shop has been good to me, but the prices are so high that estate sales are usually where I find more luck. And honestly, Goodwill.
K: What's your favorite DIY item in your home?
M: My faux cow hide upholstered club chairs.
K: What do you love about Montrose and your neighborhood?
M: Montrose is definitely my favorite part of Houston. It's such a weird mix of people. Top of the list in Montrose is all of the thrifting... also Nobie's for dinner — order literally anything. West Alabama Ice House and the taco truck parked across the street (editor's note: cash only!) and The Menil.
K: The golden question: best Tex-Mex in Houston?
M: Okay, not tex-mex but 100% Taquito is the best for enchiladas with cilantro and onions and a little bit of spice. Picos on Kirby has the best tamarind margarita.
K: Favorite spot in Texas?
M: Camp Wood. It's the best that Texas has to offer- river, desert, lush landscape... I have never gone and not felt, "wow, this is God's creation."
K: Favorite thing about Houstonians?
M: We have everything that Dallas and Austin have to offer, to a certain extent (not all, but most), but we are very laid back, chill people. In Dallas, everyone talked about their salaries and corporate goals, which is very different. In Austin, I love to visit but everyone is trying so hard to be so... Austin. There is no Houston stereotype. You can be whatever you are here and be very comfortable doing that.
K: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
M: Nothing other than Texas feels like home. I feel like I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I love to travel but I love the feeling of coming home.
"There's no Houston stereotype. You can be whatever you are here and can be very comfortable doing that."
