Fairy tales have long entertained the possibility that objects come alive at
night while their oblivious masters sleep. In “Fantasia,” a broom dances around like a drunken fool on payday; in “Beauty and the Beast,” a candle melts
the heart of blushing feather duster. If ever such magical domesticity has
existed, then surely the spell was cast at Patty Turner’s home in Hollywood
Heights.
The objects that Patty has collected fairly jump off of the shelves in their
eagerness to make their stories known. Fortunately for them, they have a
knowledgeable and compassionate translator in Patty. “I have been amassing
things for years,” Patty says. She visits estate sales weekly, and she has had
a booth at the Love Field antique mall since 1993. As an antique collector,
Patty specializes in housewares from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, but her personal
interests are not limited to any particular era or culture. In addition to embroidered linens and porcelain figurines, Patty has several hand-made dolls that she found on a trip to the Hopi Indian reservation in Northern Arizona. She also has a sizable collection of folk art from the American South and Mexico.
“I really don’t think of myself as really artistic,” Patty says, but her creations
suggest otherwise. For her husband, Jerry Kelley, Patty assembled and painted
a collage that resembles an elaborate tabernacle. The collage is decorated
with small angels and antique keys, which Patty spent chose with great care
and effort. Another example of her skill and creativity is a lamp is made of
china fragments. To make the lamp, Patty sought out chipped china plates at
garage sales. She then administered the coup de grace , shattering the plates and embedding the remains in grout. She used the same technique to make an
end table for the living room. Patty is presently collecting antique spools
for an upcoming project inspired by old-fashioned “spool art.”
Given Patty’s interest in the past, it is not surprising that Patty and Jerry’s house has an interesting history. Still, it is rather remarkable that its story begins long before the house was built in 1940. The limestone is finished in a way that preserves the stones naturally-occurring fossils. “That’s why we chose this house, “ Patti explains. “We call it the fossil house.” Their home’s richly textured exterior is indicative of the enchanted objects within, each with its own history and meaning.
If you know of a unique home or garden in our neighborhood that we could include in a story, give us a call at 214-823-5885, ext. 210.