PAD PEEK: Kelli Collins

Seeing Kelli Collins’ home –lovingly called “Mango Manor”– totally makes us feel like we’re on island time. A vibrant color palette effortlessly blends with the tropical, lush oasis of her waterside home in the Space Coast of Florida. We’re all about her bold use of color and mega-cool pattern mixing all throughout the eclectic family home. The range of décor feels fresh, unique and oh-so-maximal. Her family jams out to music all the time, which we can totally imagine given such a festive environment! Kelli cleanses everything that comes into the house to preserve only the best of vibes. So much so, that her daughters asked if they’d need to sage their new rescue puppy when they brought her home! The name ended up sticking & their lil’ pup is fittingly named Sage! We chatted with Kelli to hear all about how her rockin’ ranch-style home went from a sight-unseen purchase to the staycation-sorta-sanctuary it is today. Take a peek…

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I live with my husband, Tony, our two daughters, Lindy & Mallory & our puppy, Sage. Tony is in the Coast Guard and we have lived all over the US including San Francisco, San Diego, Key West, Seattle, Oahu, Big Island & now the Space Coast of Florida. I was previously a Marine Scientist for the Coast Guard, and I now do lifestyle photography!

Tell us about your home.
Our Florida ranch-style home is 20 years old & we’ve been here for about 3 years now. We bought it sight unseen! In fact, when I asked our realtor if she’d buy it, she told me that it had good bones but very white walls. That wasn’t a problem for me, though! It has an open floor plan, which I wasn’t thrilled about in the first place but now I can’t imagine living without one!

How would you describe the style you’ve created in your home?
Tropical boho bungalow! I found a vintage street sign at a flea market that says “Mango Manor,” so I’ve been calling it that ever since we got it!

How is your lifestyle reflected in your home décor?
Our life IS our home! We are vibrant, colorful, fun, crazy, artistic people. I think our home is a direct reflection of our entire family!

When people walk into your home, how do you want them to feel?
I want them to feel like they’re on vacation! I’ve always traveled and have wanted a home that feels like I’m in an exotic location! I love to make people feel at home & comfortable. There’s always lots of laughter, music, good food & good drinks!

What are your most prized treasures?
Our tree of life! It was pulled off a temple in Bali around the 1930s & ended up discarded in a big pile at the back of antique shop next to our Hawaii home. The owner sold it to us in exchange for peanuts & it’s my favorite piece in our home. He told us that it had been there for years and no one had even given it a second glance. I was ecstatic to find this piece!! My parents would always tell me ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,’ and this is the best example of that saying!

Do you have a favorite room or space in your home?
I love my master bathroom! At first, I had a different vision for it, but I’m color blind and it ended up turning out very different from my original plan! I almost painted it another color after I realized just how different it looked in person, but then I fell in love with it as soon as I started adding décor into the space. I love walking into a sunny, yellow, happy bathroom in the morning! Nothing says “hello” like yellow!

What do you do to ensure your home has good vibes?
We ALWAYS have music on – lots of singing and dancing all day long! We keep doors and windows open so we can all feel the warm, tropical breeze. We thrift a lot, so we clear all of the items we bring into the house. We meditate, burn smudge sticks, charge our crystals, sleep with Himalayan salt lamps by our bedside & love our oils. Good vibes only around here!

What is your astrological sign?
Pisces – and I’m married to a Taurus!

What inspires you?
The beach, the Florida Keys, the works of Hemingway, the ranch in Mexico where my great-grandparents lived for many years, South American restaurants, the list goes on…

We seriously cannot get enough of Kelli’s vivid, joyous space that she has created for her fun fam. You can’t help but crack a smile when you see every single (super colorful!) detail that has gone into creating such an inviting, interesting home – right?! Wanna follow along and see what sorta décor magic Kelli comes up with next? You can find her on Instagram here!