Design: Respectful Renovations

Respectful Renovations

By: Poki Hampton

Photo Credit: Steve Randon Studios

After Katrina, most of John and Susie Wozniak’s family moved to the Northshore. When John’s mother, Ms. Shirley, who lived in California, decided to relocate after her husband’s death, they began looking for a home for Ms. Shirley. John came across a beautiful property of 14 acres nestled in the woods in the heart of Mandeville. The French Colonial home with A. Hays Town influences was owned by Harriet and Roger Smith’s children after their passing.

Harriet, a general contractor, and Roger, an engineer, built this home in 1978. They built numerous homes and buildings on the Northshore during their careers.

“After acquiring the property, we set out on a journey to find the right combination of architects, contractors and interior designers who could help us make this home spectacular and enhance the surrounding area. One thing they all had to have was a deep knowledge of the A. Hays Town aesthetic,” John said.

“The interior of the house was very 1970s, complete with a sunken living room and small rooms and hallways everywhere,” John said. “We wanted a more open design while still honoring the bones of the house. We took the interior down to the studs and Designer Krista Bonin began working on the interior architectural elements.”

Bonin was involved in every facet of the interior design, from designing the whiskey cabinets and humidor for the bar, to studying the A. Hays Town brick arches. Everything from selecting fixtures and finishes for 10 bathrooms to choosing appliances and granite for the kitchen was under her responsibility.

“When I invited Sheryl Gruenig on board, we launched into furnishing as the home was still being built out. Sheryl is very well versed in the Southern vernacular of the Hays Town style making it easy to convey design intent,” Sheryl said.

“Krista and I hand-selected each piece of custom furniture in person. We wanted to create furnishings that look back to the home’s heritage and forward to its future generations. We chose timeless, classic designs that were comfortable and livable,” Sheryl said. Sustainable furniture and high-performance fabrics throughout the home brought in textures and color.

Large, custom, double mahogany doors open on the entrance. The flooring is European white oak, oiled to a soft sheen. To the left of the foyer is a large dining room with a custom table that can expand to seat 14. The table was hand-crafted in France. “We have a large family and we wanted to be able for everyone to sit at one table,” John said.

The two-toned cherry Louis Phillip style sideboard was also crafted in France. Surrounding the table are bench-made, upholstered wooden chairs with nailhead detail covered in performance fabric for easy care. A graceful matte gold and crystal chandelier hangs from the painted inset ceiling.

The large, relaxed living room features two curved back tailored sofas, barrel backed caned chairs with handpainted tortoise finish. A three-piece marble and metal cocktail table sits on a custom 18-foot Pakistani rug. Keith Morris’ “Arches in the Park,” which picks up the arches in the foyer, sits over the original fireplace mantel.

In the sunroom, swivel loungers in green and white paisley printed performance fabric sit beside an outdoor rattan and glass accent table. The rattan sofa is covered in oyster linen performance fabric. A natural teak root table sits beside the sofa. The flooring is St. Joe brick, while a leather and metal chandelier hangs above. A colorful painting of lily pads is by Baton Rouge artist Betty Efferson.

humidor showcasing John’s father’s collection of vintage cigar boxes. The faux-finished glass back wall in sage green with copper, gold and silver is designed to look like an antiqued smoking mirror. The functional bar with taps is completed by the custom espresso machine in copper, stainless and wood. The custom whiskey cabinets are actually doors, which open for plenty of storage. The memory swivel cane-backed, wood and leather barstools surround the bar.

The bar is everything a gentleman could dream of, with its aged copper wrapped bar top and custom designed

The old St. Joe brick flooring is carried through to the kitchen and breakfast room. The state-of-the-art kitchen has every possible amenity, including three dishwashers, two microwaves, a built-in dry ager, beverage cooler and coffee maker. “We love to entertain, and this kitchen is perfect,” John said. The cypress island is topped with Explosion Rouge Quartzite, while the perimeter is Crystallize Quartzite. The kitchen cabinets, designed and installed by Thom Maras, are painted Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist. The vent hood above the Thermador range has a weathered copper finish with applied brass straps, giving it a vintage look.

A sweeping staircase, created and installed by Thom Edmonds of the WoodWright Shop, leads to the piano room. This room pays homage to the previous history of the house. A “cabinet of curiosities” is filled with found objects as well as John’s father’s camera from World War II. Rather than lowering the ceiling in this room, Bonin worked with Burkhardt to design the wooden beams containing the air conditioning vents. A large abstract painting by Bernard Mattox hangs above the sofa. A soft leather sofa and upholstered bench provide comfortable seating. The piano was a gift from the Smith children to the new owners.

Another unexpected room upstairs is the very masculine lounge. A pure aniline sustainable leather sofa in Moss Green sets the tone of the room. A vintage organic shaped cocktail table and an Eames style lounger sit atop a hand-knotted wool rug in orange, grays and sage green. Perhaps the most striking element in the room is the fireplace, which is faced in Michaelangelo Quartzite, offering the illusion of tree branches.

On the third floor is a very wellequipped game room, complete with four decades of pinball machines on the back wall, a custom pool table and custom poker table with leather chairs on casters. A 14-foot shuffleboard also provides entertainment. Acoustic wallpaper was used for premium sound absorption. Additional accessories throughout the house were provided by Niche Modern Home and Livio Designs.

“We were so grateful to have acquired this amazing property. We felt it was our duty to restore it back to the glory days” John said. “I spent many months putting together the right team to achieve our goal of making this house spectacular and enhancing the Sharp Road community.”

“The desired French Colonial style of this house dictated every decision we made. There is a cohesion to every element of the home that only comes from a client who allows you to work at your own liberty and elevate each part to its full potential. This house radiates timeless beauty that will be enjoyed by all who visit,” Bonin said.

Architect: Kenneth Gowland

General Contractor: Brandon Construction

Wood work throughout: WoodWright Shop

Geothermal HVAC: Burkhardt Heating & Air

Landscaping: Smoketree Landscaping

Pool: Wetstone Custom Pools

Interior Design: King and Crown

Interior Design: Beautiful Interiors