Revisiting History in Beau Chêne

by Poki Hampton

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 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 Moroccan-inspired 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 not have kitchen islands,” says Linda. “They used a large table.” Two glass chandeliers, which were originally gas, came from Michael’s grandmother’s New Orleans home. The floors are ash, which blend seamlessly into the original old-growth heart pine of the second story.

The kitchen opens onto the formal dining room and then into the great room. This room mimics that of the governor’s office in Huey Long’s mansion. Large beams and the brick fireplace with a rustic mantel are copies of the original. Cream walls are a pleasing complement to the wood accents.

A two-sided wraparound porch overlooks the lake on the fairway, which was originally the ox bow off Bayou Tete L’Ours. Furnished with comfortable outdoor furniture in neutral tones to complement the natural beauty of the outdoors, it’s a great place for relaxing in the shade of the oak trees. It gives one the feeling of being in a very sophisticated tree house, enjoying the natural surroundings outside.

The pristine master bedroom with its views of three fairways at Beau Chêne Country Club and its spa-like master bath were also designed by Linda. The king-sized sleigh bed is dressed in off-white bedcovers. The dupioni silk draperies and bed covers, designed by Jennifer DiCerbo of the French Mix, give a tranquil feel to the oversized light-filled room.

“I wanted a relaxing master bath with a soaking tub, huge walk-in shower with multi jets and an oversized bench, and marble everywhere, including the radiant heated floors,” says Linda. Originally a porch, the tranquil bathroom also has a daybed for relaxing with a glass of champagne, double vanity and sinks crowned with thick Carrera marble, and two walk-in closets. Linda left the exposed brick wall and the original cypress wood ceiling and added a sparkling crystal chandelier.

The other two bedrooms on the second floor mimic the children’s rooms in the governor’s mansion. In the daughter’s room, an ornate iron bed is topped with a crown; in the boy’s room, a map of the world is painted on the walls. Both rooms are large, with adjoining bathrooms and ample storage for books and toys.

The Grays have done the extensive renovation and restructuring with historic accuracy whenever possible—and also with a great plan as to what works for the day-to-day needs of their family. They have created a home with spacious rooms that is both practical and beautiful.

To read more on the history of the Kiskatom House, see the May-June 2009 issue of Inside Northside.