Artfully Cluttered

A collector’s paradise

Story by Brittany Nunn | Photos by Danny Fulgencio

If you drove by Rob and Suzy Renz’s house in 2008 and then drove by today, you’d probably do a double take.

In 2009, the Renz house was stripped down to the floors and rebuilt with a refreshing new look by Bella Vista Company.

But as remarkable as the complete remodel is, the most noteworthy thing about the Renz home is the way they’ve finished it.

Suzy and Rob are pack rats at heart.

“We’ve been married 30 years, so we’ve been collecting a long, long time,” Suzy says. “We go to antique stores all the time. Wherever we are, if we’re in a small town somewhere, we’ll go find the antique stores and look around. Rob likes to do that stuff with me, which is nice.”

Fortunately, they have the vision and talent to use the items they find as tasteful decor or repurpose them into custom-made furniture. “My architect calls it Texas eclectic,” Suzy says of her style. “It used to be called country, but when I think of country, I think of doilies and lace, and that’s not me at all. This is more Hill Country mixed with craftsman.”

They also incorporated quirky finds into the finish-out of the house while it was being rebuilt.

“I found a guy who goes to Hungary several times a year, and he imports containers full of furniture and architectural salvage,” Suzy says. “So we bought a lot of that. Once the plans were drawn, we spent a day at his warehouse picking stuff out.”

For the parts of the house that aren’t actually old, the Renzes paid a faux-finisher to make them look that way, such as the island in their kitchen. “The island is new,” Suzy says. “Everyone thinks it’s old, but it’s faux-finished.”

Top/The kitchen is the same size as it was before the remodel, which is unusual for a house built in 1952, so they didn’t have to rework the plumbing. Suzy did, however, manage to squeeze in a coveted walk-in pantry.

Below/One day Suzy had the idea to use a collection of old wine corks to create a mural as the backsplash of the wet bar, and she asked a friend to design it for her. “We really did drink all the wine,” she says, laughing.

The Renzes’ house was featured on the Dallas County Master Gardener annual garden tour in October 2009 and 2013, the Lakewood Home Tour in November 2010, and the Nate Berkus Show in January 2011.

East Dallas Christian Church Welcomes You To A Journey Through Holy Week

GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 7:30 PM

“Stay With Me” – The Stations of the Cross

A worship service led by The Chancel Choir

Featuring Music of Dallas Composer - Debra Scroggins

SATURDAY, APRIL 19, 2-3 PM

Community Easter Egg Hunt

EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 20

CELEBRATING THE RISEN CHRIST

6:45 AM Sunrise Service

Back Parking Lot

10:50-Noon - The Sanctuary Worship Service

Joyous Music by the Chancel Choir, Handbells, Brass & Organ

Sermon, Baptism, and Communion

EAST DALLAS

CHRISTIAN

Above/ For years, the Renzes have been collecting antique bottles, particularly large, colorful Seltzer bottles.

Left/ The Renzes enjoy watching the TV show “American Pickers,” where they’ve picked up some helpful hints. “Did you know stop signs were yellow until the 1930s, and they turned red? We learned that on ‘American Pickers,’ so when I saw that stop sign in Round Top [Texas], I immediately bought it.”

“We like old stuff,” Suzy explains, “which is funny because I was raised in a house with a bunch of fine antiques and we could never put our feet up on anything, and we are so not that way. We just think, if it gets gauged or if there’s a water spot on it, so what? Because everything we have is old anyways.”

Make this summer one to remember by sending your child and their grandparent(s) to Grandparents University® . This two-day event allows kids ages 7-12 to study two of 10 “majors” alongside their grandparents. They can even spend the night in a dorm for the full college experience! Majors range from robotics to apparel merchandising to geocaching. Get the full list and register today at call.unt.edu/GU or call 940.565.3481 for more information.