Spaces: Antiques and Art Mix in Monte Vista

If the objects in a home tell the life story of its owner, the home of and has plenty to say. Their Monte Vista bungalow is jam-packed with antiques and art, and each object has significance for the owners.While Mexican folk art and Asian themes predominate, a visitor never knows what will appear around the next corner - whimsical figurines of a bride and groom or a wooden carving of a saint. Much of the furniture is antique, either family heirlooms or finds from antique stores."We are the keepers of the old things from our families, but we also have bought so many things over the years," Soele said. "Your house should be the history of your life, and ours is. The things we have here remind of us our friends, family, people we've met and places we've been."The living room, with its rich red walls, has an Asian theme, with tall Oriental vases in the front window and other objects scattered around the room. But a dominant piece, the large tin holiday tree in the front window, came from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico."We keep it up year-round and decorate it for Easter and Valentine's, too," Rodriguez said.The wide central hallway that bisects the house has three areas: an antique Asian bar in front, a comfortable seating area in the middle and a large glass dining table at the back. Family photos are arranged on several surfaces, and a bronze sculpture of a ballerina's legs is displayed on a stand. The owners designated one wall as their "arts wall" and covered it with photos of artists and performers they've met.Two red plaster pedestals in the dining area were a must-buy because they're exactly like a pair seen on the TV show "Gossip Girl."The sunroom at the back of the house is called the "jungle room" because of the animal-print upholstery and window sheers, as well as artwork in the room.The kitchen features a century-old wooden table that is used both as a breakfast table and an island for food preparation. China is stored in a metal cage that originally was a locker in the workout area of the Gunter Hotel.Blue Murano glass objects decorate the window over the sink, which also has a stained-glass frame.Dominating the adjacent dinette area is a 5-foot-tall wooden statue of the angel Gabriel, probably from Spain, that the owners found in four pieces in a local antique store and had restored.The two bedrooms are packed with items. Both have antique beds and other furniture. The back bedroom features a wall of crosses and religious figures. The front bedroom is decorated largely in Mexican folk art, including an altar piece the owners bought from a church in San Miguel. The bed also is from Mexico.Last but not least is the ornately decorated guest bath, which the owners call the "ladies room" because all the art objects depict women. The lights on an antique makeup mirror still work.With so many objects in the house, an obvious question arises: Who does the dusting"We have a great housekeeper," Soele said with a smile.