FROM THE LENS GRE AT WORKSPACES
Jail Break The husband-and-wife team at The Inn at the Old Jail offer a place for travelers to hit the pause button. BY M E L A N IE WAR NE R SPE NCER PHOTOS BY S A RA ES S EX BRA DLEY
away for good,” as it says on their website. (Visit the site at innattheoldjail.com to view historic photos and pre-renovation images.) Raul and Liz recently visited with Biz New Orleans to tell us more about the space and their family business.
What were your goals for the design?
Raul Canache: My goal was that when you step through the door, you feel that everything you see has been as it is since it was completed in 1902. We did this to honor the history of the building and the New Orleans Police Department.
What was the biggest design challenge and how was it overcome?
Raul Canache: Our greatest challenge was melding my design with the modern construction code restrictions in an historic building. The only way we overcame the differences was by working closely with the historic offices in Baton Rouge and Washington, D.C. along with the New Orleans fire marshal — a lot of give and take! T H E C I R C A- 1 8 9 0 S Q U E E N A N N E AT 2 5 5 2
Saint Philip St. has been home to a police patrol station and jail, a library and a community center. Most recently, however, it houses a nine-room boutique hotel that plays to its original history. Owners and
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innkeepers Raul and Liz Canache have lovingly restored the space to highlight the striking architecture and distinct history, reimagining it as The Inn at the Old Jail. The couple welcomes weary travelers, offering a place to get “locked
The 7,100-square-foot Inn at the Old Jail is located in Tremé. The circa-1890s Queen Anne-style building has a 2,500-square-foot rooftop deck. It has been a police station and jail, as well as a library and a community center.
What is the standout feature of the design and why does it stand out?
Liz Canache: The standout feature we tried to achieve was retaining the feel of an old Victorian police station
