Melissa Garriga
If you have not been to Anchor Square in a while, you should see what’s new in the cottage shopping village. One new addition is That Gumbo Life, a refurbished furniture and home décor shop that is more than just your typical home store. With the help of the owner and designer, Monica Mingo, That Gumbo Life creates a shopping experience that combines both the personality of the customer with original creativity and style that results in unique but familiar home furnishings and décor.
The vibrant and welcoming Mrs. Mingo was born and raised in Louisiana but came to the Mississippi Gulf Coast via Maryland. After a stint in the professional-career business world, she realized that her heart and soul was just not in that type of work. Always a creative soul though, designing and creating film, books, art, or décor was only her natural path in life. She came to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for what was supposed to be a nine-month project, but four years later she remains here with her husband and nephew. After refurbishing furniture and home decorations for family members, she found her groove. Full of passion and explosive creative energy, her business That Gumbo Life began to come to life, like the old, tossed out pieces of furniture Mingo transforms. I asked Monica if she found the Gulf Coast different from up living up north. She explained that one thing that stands out to her about our Gulf Coast – our life here centers heavily around family. Whether it is dinner or recreation sports games, there is a strong presence of family solidarity at the event – grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles – the whole family shows up in support. That is one of the joys for her when working with a client to custom make a refurbished piece for their home. Giving the buyer an opportunity to create a piece that represents more than just their home, but their home and family is her goal. Her hope is for clients to walk to feel that same sense of being surrounded by family and love when they see or use their new custom design purchased from her store.
Unlike your regular refurbished furniture stores, That Gumbo Life offers a little more than just a repainted piece. When you walk through the store, you can find two different prices on her variety of treasures for sale. Customers can either buy the furniture as is or they can buy it with a personal, unique touch. Usually, Mrs. Mingo asks for a picture of the room the piece is going in or just a view of a living area that best represents the style of the customer. From there, she combines her artistic inspiration with your family style to give your home a piece of furniture that sparks joy when you walk into the room. However, when you visit her store at Anchor Square come prepare to buy something already finished. Her cottage is full of beautiful, unique items that are already for a place in your home. Just be prepared to be inspired by Monica’s engaging personality and the ‘stores warm charm – it almost feels like home.
You can visit That Gumbo Life on Facebook and Instagram.
The store hours are Tuesday – Thursday 10 AM – 6 PM; Friday 10 AM – 4 PM; and Saturday 10 AM – 2 PM. If you have any questions about refurbishing furniture, you can call Monica at (601) 274-3393.
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