ABOVE: The entry hall and stairwell of Miguel and Loretta Trevino’s home are decorated with many of Loretta’s early painting studies. OPPOSITE: The studio was built off the back of the house, constructed entirely by her husband, Miguel. The Trevino’s dog, Zoe, relaxes on a pink indoor/outdoor rug from Tom’s Thumb Nursery in Galveston.
A JOYFUL PALETTE GALVESTON ARTIST FILLS HER HOME AND PAINTINGS WITH INSPIRING COLOR STORY & PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARAH GANDY
“No way!” thought Loretta Trevino the first time she saw the tattered
That gut feeling must have been correct because more than twenty
house on Galveston Island that would become her home and studio.
years later Trevino and her husband Miguel have made the 1892 mid-
“When we first drove up to the house it looked horrible,” remembers
island home their own, thanks in large part to Loretta’s design sense and
Trevino, a hairdresser by day and artist by night. “There was no paint,
Miguel’s construction know-how. “I come up with the ideas and put
just scrapings on the outside. But we were with a realtor so we went
him to work,” says Trevino with a smile. Through the decades the cou-
inside anyway and then something came over me—I loved it. I had to
ple has renovated the kitchen, enclosed an upper porch and added a
have the house.”
back balcony, refurbished the exterior including the aforementioned
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ABOVE: An orange throw adds a quick and easy punch of color to an artscape in Loretta's dining room. Loretta recommends starting small if big color changes make you nervous. A bright vase, pillow or throw can have big impact in a room. OPPOSITE: A large table in Loretta’s studio is a salvaged antique that now provides storage and display space.
paint, and, most recently, added an art studio to the back of the house. For Trevino, the studio off her kitchen, constructed entirely by
every wall of her home, bringing an array of color to each room. She is perhaps best known for her favorite subjects, horses and houses. “Most of the houses I paint are local,” says Trevino. “Sometimes I’ll
Miguel, was a dream come true. “I pictured a studio on the back of my house. I had a vision for it,” says Trevino. “I needed a bigger space for
see an old house that needs paint and take a picture. And I decide ‘I’ll
bigger canvases and I needed lots of light. I pictured it right next to the
paint it myself’. I’ll paint it the color I think it should be — I fix it up. I
kitchen so I could be painting and maybe I could have a pot of soup
can use the structure of a house, and then the colors will come to me
cooking and go back and forth. It was kind of a fantasy for me. I get in
during the process. That day, I might be feeling a purple house with a
my studio now and I’m so happy.”
yellow sky. The sky doesn’t necessarily have to be blue. I love taking
Trevino’s work can be found in a number of galleries and shops on
bright colors and putting them against each other.”
the island, though the work of the prolific artist also spills onto nearly
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The flair for color that Trevino displays in her paintings can be
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ABOVE: The spacious new studio constructed by Miguel features ample natural light for Loretta to paint by. OPPOSITE: The mantle in the dining room was found at The Front Parlor in Galveston and anchors a grouping of Loretta’s more subtle, black and white themed paintings.
seen throughout her home as well. “I need color in every room,” says
painting. “Life is going by…and some days something comes over
Trevino. “At least a splash—it might be bold, it might be subtle, it
me. I’ll wake up one day and know this is the day to do something
might be bright, but I love to put bright colors together.
new.”
I love oranges and reds right now, so I’ve added small pieces to my house that I can see when I walk in a room. I can walk in the door of
also be seen throughout the home’s eclectic interiors. “For me furnish-
a room and get a ‘zing’ of that color.”
ings are the same as art—I know it when I see it. I’m not necessarily
Though her colorful paintings have a strong local following,
into antiques or very modern pieces, but I know when I see some-
Trevino only started practicing her art seriously in the last five years.
thing how I want to put it together. Styling to me is as much fun as
“I always wanted to be an artist, but I didn’t have the opportunity in
painting.”
the beginning,” says Trevino, “So I did hair as my art.” Then, one day in 2007, Trevino decided it was time to feed her life-long interest in
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The free-spirited style that emanates from Trevino’s paintings can
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“I think I live an artistic life—whether it’s dressing or the house or hair or painting. All day it’s all about art.”
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The two-story home was built in 1892 and is believed to be a cottage that was raised up at some point to add the first floor underneath. Lorretta’s gift for artful arrangement is evident throughout the home, including this space at the top of the stairs. 36
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The upstairs bedroom serves as a dressing room for Loretta, who sees art in many aspects of her life—painting, hair styling, home design and fashion. 37
Loretta’s Tips for incorporating color into your home LET PAINT BE YOUR ALLY. “Paint color swatches make me so happy, and color is easy to change if you don’t like it. So many people are afraid to change a wall color, but it’s so simple.”
ABOVE: The upstairs studio was originally a porch which Trevino’s husband enclosed. It was her first painting studio before the larger one was built more recently off the back of the house. Calvin the cat keeps guard over the artwork. OPPOSITE: Loretta’s studio features not only her vibrant paintings, but also her talent for eye-pleasing storage and display. Even her painter’s toolbox is a visual treat.
FIND INSPIRATION. “I love looking through home décor magazines,” says Loretta. “I suggest people find something they like and use it as a blueprint to explore. There are no rules.” IF YOU’RE NERVOUS, TAKE BABY STEPS. “If there’s a color you love, start by trying it in small spots—a pillow, a vase—something that will bring the color into the room without having to make a big change.” DON’T BE A SLAVE TO MATCHING. “When I see a color I love it makes my heart race—it has a direct effect on my emotions,” says Loretta. “If I like that color and I like this color, I put them next to each other. Don’t be afraid to put colors together.”
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Where to find Loretta’s Artwork DOWNTOWN BLOOMS 2309 Ship’s Mechanic Row, Galveston LUNA 525 22nd Street, Galveston NEFERTITI 202 25th Street, Galveston WAGNER SOUSA 404 25th Street, Galveston
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