by Poki Hampton
34
Inside Northside
REVISITING
to the house, but quickly ruled that out when we realized it would be wood burning,” says Linda. The new, second-floor kitchen is the heart of the home, and a very generous heart at that. Crisp and spacious, it is bright and inviting. Linda spent countless hours with the cabinet maker to ensure a beautiful and well-organized space. The custom cabinets are in a soft-gloss white embellished with chrome designer
hardware; the countertops are Carrera marble. The commercial-grade stove takes center stage, with its oversized vent hood and backsplash of Moroccaninspired mosaic marble tiles. Instead of a center island, Linda opted to use a table. The table top was found underneath Michael’s aunt’s home on Louisiana Avenue in New Orleans. It was lovingly refinished, and an iron base was added. “In the early 20th century, homes did
photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN
WHEN THE GRAYS BOUGHT their historic Beau Chêne home, Kiskatom, in 2007, they began a decade-long renovation and restoration. Some walls from the original 1937 house had been taken down to create a more open floor plan, but not all. “We needed a lot of vision to open up walls made with structural steel,” says Michael. He and Linda did extensive research into the history of the house, wanting to use its attributes while envisioning a home to accommodate the lifestyles of their very active family. “It took forensics to undo previous renovations and restore the original intent.” The house has had several owners since originally being built as a summer house by Leon C. Weiss, the architect who had designed the Capitol Building in Baton Rouge and the governor’s mansion for Huey P. Long. “The first time I came here 25-30 years ago, I was greeted in a small, uninviting foyer, and there was a rabbit warren of small rooms downstairs,” says Michael. “It was quite a challenge, but we opened up as much as possible to determine what could and couldn’t be done with the downstairs.” On the ground floor, the small entrance was expanded, and the staircase was reworked to ascend from the foyer to the upstairs. The jumble of rooms was gutted and made into a large home gym; two walls surrounding the wet bar were removed. A family-friendly media room and a mother-in-law suite, with private bath and sitting room, were created. The original kitchen is now used for catering and is convenient to the pool and outdoor area for the family’s frequent entertaining. Its 1950’s O’Keefe and Merritt stove and period cabinets add a touch of nostalgia. “We thought of putting in a stove period
