The Legend of Mary Louise

After months of searching for a vintage bar cart, Melissa Smrekar hit the jackpot at a Dallas estate sale—and then she learned about the woman who loved it first

WHEN I WAS A BABY, my mother routinely found me crawling up the stairs to return to my nursery. "You've always liked being surrounded by your things," she says. It's true: I must have my trinkets.

Everything in my house tells my story, from an ashtray turned catchall I bought at Bar Hemingway in Paris to the Italian game table (with a hidden roulette wheel!) found at a beauty parlor. It's no surprise that I love estate sales.

A couple of years ago, I visited one held at a Dallas home that was perfectly preserved in the mid1950s. As I walked through the place, it was as if a black-and-white film turned to color. Items in each room illuminated the owner's life: a rolling rack of candy-colored cardigans, chintz drapes that matched the bedspread, quilted satin dressing gowns, a bow headband on the vanity, and white lettuce-ware dishes. In the bubblegum-pink primary bath, a hand towel embroidered with the words "Her Majesty" and a cat wearing a crown was placed next to a stack of bright white monogrammed ones. The lady of the house was named Mary Louise, and I instantly felt a connection to her.