Time is always obvious at the White house. That’s because Nancy White has masterfully arranged a collection of 17 clocks on every wall and some surfaces in the one-bedroom apartment she shares with her husband, Clint. Most of the clocks are chimes, some are cuckoo, one is a plate, all work — and all are old.
Nearly all of the timepieces are holdover inventory from the days when White, 62, ran a popular antique shop in Dallas. But she doesn’t get hung up on the word “antique.” While many of the pieces in her beloved collection of Willow Blue and Flow Blue china sets and the cut glass her father introduced her to decades ago can genuinely be called antiques, she plainly calls them as she sees them: old.
“My things are 30 to 40 years old,” she says looking around the room. “That ceiling fan is 25 years old. My son wanted me to get rid of it. Why? It works.” Pausing to consider the logic of what she’s just said, the tall, sassy Virginia-born Texan looks at the living-room seating area and picks up from where she left off.
“The couches are old, the TV entertainment center is old. The newest thing I have is my refrigerator,” she says, laughing.
Things may be old at the White house, but they are not dated, and the combinations create ease. A sense of fun starts at the front door with a small bank of tiny gold-framed mirrors that accents the greeting wall. In the kitchen, a combination of soft holiday lights above the cabinets, night lights in all the kitchen outlets and mirrors form a welcoming party for guests. Even the traces of color in the throw rug match the orange Descoware pots on top of the cabinet, a gift from her mother-in-law in 1965. “See, they still have the tags on,” White says. “I never used them.”
Among her favorite things are the tabletop aquariums in the living room and the fish pond she and her husband built on the balcony. She attends to them all with care. “We just sit out there and enjoy it,” she says.
If there is something White has that doesn’t quite work for her needs, she will retrofit it in a heartbeat. By way of example she explains: “I had an old bookcase once but I needed a bar.” So, she swapped the wooden shelves in the bookcase for glass shelves, put a mirror on the bottom and added her collection of drinking glasses and liquor. She created the curio cabinet for her prize cut glass the same way.
“My apartment is not ultra modern,” White said. “I just make things work.”
STYLE PHILOSOPHY — I’m for mixing the old with the new. Put it on the wall, and if it doesn’t work, take it down.
STYLE SECRETS — I am a mirror person. If you have a small space, forget the picture and put up the mirror.
GOT STYLE FROM — I’ve always had a knack with clothes and putting things together. I can go into an empty room and see where things should go. I take out each item … and walk it around to see how it will fit in.
COMFORT VS. STYLE — More comfort than style. You can have anything and make it stylish. When you walk into my place, you are comfortable right away. Anybody who comes in here can sit anywhere they want.
COLOR VS. TEXTURE – They both go together for me. My couches are very old but they have done well until the last few years. The texture is to die for, pure cotton and I haven’t found anything like it. The two gold tone pictures with pink lilies I have on the wall go great with the couches.
FAVORITE COLOR — For me, it’s black and white, game over. I also love maroon.
WHAT DOES COLOR SAY TO YOU? — It says personality. Walk in here, and it’s a comfort zone.
MUST-HAVES IN YOUR HOUSE — I must have an old toothbrush and a little knife for cleaning dirt from narrow areas like the track of the sliding glass doors on the balcony. A big must-have is my Magic Eraser for stains on walls and fabric. It’s fast and really works.
MOST BELOVED OBJECT — I have a few. I love my pond and my aquariums. They add a lot of comfort to the room. They make you feel good. I also love my Flow Blue and Willow Blue china.
WHAT PEOPLE WOULDN’T KNOW ABOUT ME — I like to stay home in my robe all day long and watch TV. I’m almost like a cheap date. Stay home and watch football.
I WOULD NEVER — Try to hurt someone. I’m not vindictive. I can’t be ugly to people. I might talk like I want to be ugly, but I’m not. And I would never eat off paper plates. Never. I can’t stand that. When you come to my house, it’s real dishes, silverware and glasses.
FAVORITE DESIGNERS — I do what’s comfortable for me. Everybody is their own designer. Sometimes they need a little help.
MOST UNUSUAL THING ABOUT ME — Even though I’m comfortable to be around, I’m a neat freak. There’s a place for everything. Plates in the sink during the party are OK, but when the party is over I won’t go to bed until everything is back in order.
HOT TIP — Go with the flow. The little bitty things people complain about? Get over it.
LIFE ADVICE — Put a smile on your face. Don’t walk around with a heavy heart. I call it: Play the game. I’m a good game player. I can put a smile on my face. You can’t wear you feelings on your sleeve.
