A lasting beauty
Published 6:00 pm Sunday, June 3, 2018
<p class="p1">Nancy Granich and her husband built their Sulphur home in 1980, and Nancy has gradually filled it with timeless classics, giving it a subtle Old World warmth and charm. J.D. Flowers was cabinet builder. Nancy’s husband did much of the work except for the brick laying and plumbing. </p><p class="p2">Unlike the couple’s friends who, through the years, have decided to build and build again or who become enamored with he prospect of remodeling, Nancy wanted to create a house with which she would always be content– the first time around. </p><p class="p2">When her grandchildren express their opinions about what they would change “if it were their home,” she explains the wisdom and economy of investing in timeless, quality-made furnishings and decor instead of trending styles. (She is not sure she always gets through.) </p><p class="p2">“I remember praying to choose the things that would make me happy through the lifetime of the home, things that would last,” she said. </p><p class="p2">There is one thing she would have done differently: the placement of electrical switches, outlets and fixtures. </p><p class="p2">“Many people center the dining room light fixture,” she said. “Very seldom is it possible to place the table in the center of the room. It’s more often that you have a wall with a sidebar or serving pieces to consider.” </p><p class="p2">She gives credit for her taste in antiques and ability to decorate to the influence of her late sister. </p><p class="p2">“We were planning to go into the antique business together when I retired from teaching,” Nancy said. </p><p class="p2">Her sister died a couple of years before Nancy retired, but she kept her memory alive by naming her first antique business after her: Sue’s Inspirations Antiques and Interiors. Now she owns and operates The Corner Gallery, a Ryan Street antique store. Throughout the Granich house are reminders of Sue, Nancy’s mother and Nancy’s in-laws. </p><p class="p2">The Granich home boasts 36 dogs, three cats and four roosters. However, they are represented in low maintenance figurines – mostly Staffordshire – and in artwork. </p><p class="p2">“I bought the copper rooster,” Nancy said. “But it was my mother who got the copper collection started. She gave her three children a piece of copper every Christmas after we married.” </p><p class="p2">The large rooster in her kitchen was purchased only after it was heavily discounted. </p><p class="p2">“I watched the price for months,” Nancy said. “I was going to take it to the shop but it never made it that far.” </p><p class="p2">The Springer spaniel in the painting over the fireplace is almost the spitting image of the dog the family had when the boys were growing up. </p><p class="p2">Two dogs are depicted in the dining room tapestry. The tapestry is a reproduction of a Medieval France original. The scene reflects the attitude toward French aristocracy. “My kids say I have a rug on the wall,” she said. </p><p class="p2">The dining room also features a large mirror that once hung with mirror clips in Nancy’s mother’s living room. It’s been framed with a wide, lightly stained wood, the ideal texture and look against the brick wall. The crisp cotton drapes with the subtle oriental pattern, were from an estate sale. </p><p class="p2">Staffordshire dogs – found in packs in Nancy’s home– are popular collectibles. Originals were made in the County of Staffordshire from 1720 to 1900. The Antiques Almanac calls the dogs the quintessential Victorian decoration. The dogs were fashioned after Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, named for King Charles II of England. It’s common for an entire pack of these spaniels to be displayed. Some of the Staffordshires in the Granich home are reproductions. </p><p class="p2">Nancy collects Amari porcelain, barley twist drop leaf tables and candle holders, Blue Willow and antique wooden boxes. She has a door salvaged from her husband’s aunt’s home devastated by Hurricane Katrina. She purchased an antique sidebar from a local store, which was one of the few items that survived Hurricane Rita. </p><p class="p2">Her husband still has his stereo equipment from college and it’s concealed in an estate armoire. </p><p class="p2">“I would say that 90 percent of the furnishings and décor in this house are pre-owned,” said Nancy. </p><p class="p3">These furnishings not only have served to provide quality furnishings at a savings for a young couple living on teaching salaries, but have also created a home filled with charm and character that only antiques can give. Nancy and her husband have invested plenty of sweat equity in making their house a home. They have raised their children there, and she has enjoyed times with grandchildren in her home, including tea parties. The tea set was, of course, Blue Willow. </p>