Cutting-Edge Style
New Build of the Year 32
Bachelor Chic A French Quarter transformation 40
Design Masters
New Orleans design leaders at the top of their game 46
Best of Home 2024
Home design industry pros from across the area 52
The 2024 New Build of the Year is a sleek, modern home design by Flynn Desings and Precision Builders filled with custom touches. (p. 32)
Photograph
by
Jess Kearney
AUTUMN IS MY FAVORITE season. The temperatures start to dip. The light is softer. The air is fresher as humidity wanes. It’s a great time to plan outdoor get-togethers, enjoy some tailgating, dine al fresco, put away the swim gear and sweep out the sands of summer. It’s a transitional time between the scorching dog days to the coming rain and cold of winter.
This issue we celebrate some of those new beginnings with our annual New Build of the Year feature. This year’s light-filled home combines sleek sophistication with state-of-the-art, clean details for a winning combination that says, “Welcome home.”
We also highlight an elegant French Quarter apartment with plenty of touches of global style and luxurious design accents throughout. It’s truly a place anyone would be delighted to return to after a long journey.
Each year, we celebrate some of the city’s top Design Masters, each of whom are innovating design, décor, architecture and style in new way, as well as our Best of Home winners and finalists, voted on by you.
Plus, plenty of cozy chic design, a DIY backyard movie night, and fall style highlights to get you in the mood for autumn.
We invite you to take time to get cozy, relax and enjoy this respite before the big holiday season ahead.
EDITORIAL
Editor Ashley McLellan
Creative Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo
Style Editor Andy Myer
Web Editor Kelly Massicot
Contributing Writers Jenny Adams, Lee Cutrone, Fritz Esker, Rebecca Friedman, Misty Milioto, Margaret Zainey Roux
Copy Editor Liz Clearman
Senior Account Executive
Brooke Genusa
Brooke@MyNewOrleans.com
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Kate Henry, Kate@MyNewOrleans.com
Account Director Meggie Schmidt
Senior Account Executive Erin Chiartano
MARKETING
Marketing Manager Greer Stewart
Video Media Producer Mallary Wolfe
Sponsored Content Coordinator
Jeremy Marshall
RENAISSANCE PUBLISHING
PRODUCTION
Manager Rosa Balaguer Arostegui
Designers Ashley Pemberton, Czarlyn Ria Trinidad
CIRCULATION
Distribution John Holzer
ADMINISTRATION
Office Manager Emily Ruiz
Chief Executive Officer Todd Matherne
Pantone announced that Peach Fuzz is its 2024 Color of the Year, and it’s not too late to incorporate the uplifting color into your home. Farrow & Ball has six colors that illustrate the peachy trend. For example, Faded Terracotta No. CC8 is a soft, pale orange inspired by the shade of terracotta pots and tiles; and, for a slightly richer shade, try Fake Tan No. 9912, a warm peach with an earthy tone that looks particularly beautiful in rooms with southern exposure. Other colors in the collection include Pink Ground No. 202, Pink Cup No. 9801, Menagerie No. 63 and Setting Plaster No. 231. For the ultimate cocooning effect, International Brand Ambassador Patrick O’Donnell recommends color-drenching an entire room using the ultramatte Dead Flat finish in any one of these shades. Available at Spruce Wallpaper and Fabric Showroom, 2043 Magazine St., 265-0946, sprucenola.com
Fall is the perfect time to refresh gardens and flower beds, and a good gardening shoe can make all the difference when it comes to mud and garden scraps. A new mid-rise version of Muck Boots’ most popular boot, the women’s Muckster II Mid Boot, keeps feet warm and dry; the high-traction rubber outsole provides safe contact with wet surfaces; and the outsole design easily sheds debris. They are 100% waterproof with a breathable mesh lining. muckbootcompany.com
Danie Habig has opened Ladle and the Whisk on Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District, featuring all sorts of kitchen supplies. In addition to unique finds, innovative tools and gadgets, and oldfashioned kitchen staples, the shop offers other items like whole bean coffee, soup and dinner mixes, cookie cutters, seasonings and barware. “I got excited knowing that I picked out a line that even included the juicer from Oprah’s Favorite Things — the Fluicer,” Habig says. “One of my favorite lines we carry is our Chroma Cnives made with Japanese steel but German design. Customers [also] cannot seem to get enough of our miniature graters.” Also be sure to check out the floor mural painted by beloved local artist, Simon Hardeveld. 2130 Magazine St., 910-6199, ladleandthewhisk.com
Grit & Graffiti
House of No Era, a vintage lifestyle brand based in Cincinnati (but with strong ties to New Orleans), offers a range of interior design services — including staging, styling, sourcing, fine consignment and vintage resale. A new collection, dubbed Urban-Loftstyles, features designer furniture classics from the likes of B&B Italia, Saporiti Italia and Herman Miller, evoking the moody ambiance of 1990s-era Chloë Sevigny films alongside Miami’s global art and design influence. Noteworthy pieces include an oversized 1980s Vladimir Kagan-style postmodern sectional sofa, a 1970s lucite butterfly cocktail table and a 1970s lucite Z chair. Giovanni Offredi’s perforated purple leather dining chairs, Paolo Piva’s renowned Alanda coffee table and the iconic Coconut Chair by George Nelson also play pivotal roles in the drop. Defined by loud colors, sharp graphics and clean lines, the Urban-Loftstyles collection also features oversized graffiti canvases. The second half of the collection will be released this fall. houseofnoera.com
Local photographer Virginia Hanusik has released a new coffee-table book, “Into the Quiet and the Light: Water, Life, and Land Loss in South Louisiana.” The book focuses on the region where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico — an area where the water (and the history of controlling it) presents vulnerabilities and possibilities of living in South Louisiana during an ongoing climate catastrophe and the fallout of the fossil fuel industry. In addition to photography by Hanusik that complicate the disaster-oriented imagery often associated with the region and its people, the book includes microhistories, anecdotes and insights from scholars, artists, activists and practitioners working in the area. Available at The Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St., Ste. 8, 895-2266, gardendistrictbookshop.com
NOLA Boards, which opened in 2014 offering locally designed and created cutting boards (along with an array of home gifts), also offers custom butcher block countertops and islands. The shop, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary in September, also recently opened The Honey Bar inside the store hosts events and features a collection of honeys from around Louisiana. 4228 Magazine St., 256-0030, nolaboards.com
From historic center hall cottages to chic waterfront condos, interior designer Chad Graci knows what every New Orleans home needs for good and gracious living.
PRODUCED BY MARGARET ZAINEY ROUX
1
Better with Bamboo
Natural bamboo flatware can elevate the tablescape at a casual brunch or bring a little quirk to a luxe, lavish dinner. I love the texture and feeling of the utensils in hand. Beatrizball.com.
New Orleans gardens can go from formal to wild with a tropical tilt. No matter the landscape style, fabulous urns or statues can lend distinction to outdoor spaces. Macmaison.com
Bradley Sabin’s floral installations are major statement-makers. The dynamic nature of his richly glazed pieces enhances any room in any configuration. Callancontmeporary.com
4
Biedermeier furniture has an architectural presence that makes it a must-have in my own home and in those of my clients. Thanks to its clean lines, it can harmonize with a variety of periods and styles. Uptownerantiques.com
5
With such a vast array of colors, papers, and design choices out there, customizable stationery allows you to create something that is truly emblematic of you. Scriptura.com
Chad Graci/Graci Interiors 1055 St. Charles Ave, Ste. 222, New Orleans Graciinteriors.com
Note: Watercolor portrait by Saint Brush @saintbrush80
You’ve probably seen those dreamy laundry rooms, the ones that could double as studio apartments, with pristine machines, counter space for days, and nary a stray sock in sight? Well, we can’t promise you more square footage or a new steam dryer, but we can share some tips to maximize the space you’ve got.
BY REBECCA FRIEDMAN
Skinny storage
Slim roll-out shelving squeezes into small spaces — like the nook between a washer and dryer. Pottery Barn
Maximize space
Even tight quarters can house a convenient folding surface, plus shelving and hooks for storage.
Go free-standing If you’re short on cabinets/ shelving but have an open corner, a freestanding unit can work organizational wonders.
Keep it contained
Labeled baskets and canisters neatly wrangle laundry and household-related items.
Go greener
Vintage Green Review on Magazine Street offers ecofriendlier laundry options, like these plastic-free laundry tablets.
Use your door
Drying racks can be awkward space hogs. Try a multitasking over-the-door model. West Elm
On the wall
Use wall space to keep ironing boards and cleaning supplies vertical and accessible.
WITH LAND LOSS IN LOUISIANA happening at an alarming rate, the work of photographer Ben Depp has special significance.
Depp’s arresting aerial images of Louisiana wetlands are part art, part catalyst for environmental preservation, and part historic record of the disappearing coast.
“A lot of people have told me the work is meaningful to them and has moved them,” said Depp.
Originally an editorial photographer, Depp spent his formative years in North Carolina and came to New Orleans in 2013. Observing the wetlands while on commercial flights inspired him to start an aerial photo project that would tell the story of the expanse, diversity and fragility of these lands in a journalistic way. He says while eye-level views are limited due to walls of grass, aerial views “help us understand what’s going on past that.”.
Using a one-seater powered paraglider that enables him to be airborne for several hours at a time, he discovered a world of surprising scenes, many of which have an abstract quality that commands the viewer’s attention and moved his work into the realm of fine art photography. In addition to being chronicled in National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine and Scientific American, acquired by both the Historic New Orleans Collection and the Ogden Museum, and compiled in his 2023 book, “Tide Lines,” they are shown and sold through Claire Elizabeth Gallery in New Orleans and Ann Connelly Fine Art in Baton Rouge.
“Some of the more abstract photographs make people stay and think a little deeper about this landscape that surrounds us,” he said.
Depp prefers to photograph the wetlands at sunrise and
sunset as the low light creates shadows and contrast, producing a mystical chiaroscuro that can be captured thanks to high sensitivity digital sensors. In one photo, a cloud of mayflies, backlit at sunrise, reads as an ethereal patch of fog. In another, the low light of daybreak illuminates a tree and grasses against the darkened water as if they are spotlit. Another, taken at sunset, shows a sky of blue, orange and purple bands above Wax Lake Delta in St. Mary Parish.
Having amassed a large body of work over the past decade, Depp has seen positive and negative changes. Ten years ago, he photographed an area along the river
in Plaquemines Parish where the marsh was disintegrating. Today, river sediment has filled it in. But after Hurricane Ida, he photographed areas in Terrebonne and Lafourche Parishes where beaches had moved inland, and islands had washed away. It’s a complex story he has no plans to stop recording anytime soon.
“I enjoy being out in this landscape,” he said. “And though it’s changing rapidly, it’s still an incredibly beautiful place.”
Ben Depp is part of a group show at Claire Elizabeth Gallery, September 26 to November 11 and has a solo show at the Pensacola Museum of Art, Dec. 6, 2024, to April 6, 2025. LEE CUTRONE
Chef Michael Gulotta combines sweet and savory flavors to create a hearty, seasonal side dish that your guests will go nuts for.
PRODUCED BY MARGARET ZAINEY ROUX
Roasted Acorn Squash with Spiced Yogurt, Satsuma and Candied Pecans
Serves 8
2 acorn squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch black pepper
1 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon garam masala, plus more for serving
4 leaves fresh basil
1 clove garlic
4 satsumas, peeled and sliced crosswise
½ cup candied pecans, chopped*
4 sprigs fresh dill
*Note: Use store-bought candied pecans for a quick and easy alternative.
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Peel the acorn squash and cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and cut the squash into ¾-inch thick slices.
3. Toss the squash slices with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Lay them out on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Remove from the oven and let cool.
4. In a blender, combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, honey, garam masala, basil, and garlic. Purée until smooth.
5. To serve, spread an even layer of the yogurt mixture on the bottom of a platter. Top it with the roasted squash slices and a fresh dusting of garam masala. Add the satsuma slices and finish with a sprinkle of chopped candied pecans and freshly picked dill leaves.
Chef Michael Gulotta Born and raised in New Orleans, Chef Michael
has been engrossed in the local food culture for decades. He is a graduate of the Chef John Folse Culinary Institute and is a fivetime James Beard Foundation Awards semifinalist for “Best Chef: South.” New Orleans Magazine’s also named him “Chef of the Year.” He is both a Chef and partner at MoPho, Maypop and, most recently, TANA, an upscale Italian restaurant in Old Metairie.
BY MISTY MILIOTO
When cultivated, carrots are visible above ground as a 1- to 2-foot-tall plant with compounded, deeply cut leaves that have a lacy, feathered appearance. The underground taproot (the actual carrot) varies in shape from short and blunt to long and cylindrical. In addition to the common orange color, carrots can be white, yellow or purple.
Among their many uses, roasting carrots brings out their natural sweetness when the edges are allowed to caramelize. Carrots also can be glazed, added to salads or oatmeal, pickled as a crunchy crudité, puréed in soups or shredded into carrot cake. Of course, carrots also are a great addition to a rich pot roast recipe. The green carrot tops also can be added to smoothies or chopped to make pesto or chimichurri.
According to the LSU AgCenter, it is best to plant carrot seeds in South Louisiana between August 15 and November 15. The seeds should be planted one-eighth of an inch deep with 1 to 2 inches between plants. The carrots will be ready for harvest in 70 to 75 days. Recommended varieties include Danvers 126, Purple Haze (AAS) and Thumbelina (AAS). General fertilizer or equivalent guidelines per 100 feet of row or per 300 square feet are 6 to 7 pounds 8-8-8 or 4 to 5 pounds 8-24-24 with side dressing three to four weeks after planting. Kale is a good rotator crop for carrots.
According to the Food Literacy Center, carrots (mostly purple) were grown in the Afghanistan region 5,000 years ago, and Egyptologists believe Egyptian temple drawings from 2,000 BC depict purple carrots. And, according to the World Carrot Museum, Dutch growers cultivated the orange carrot from yellow varieties in the late 15th century.
There are two types of carrots to avoid: the packaged baby carrots in the grocery store and the giant horse carrots. The first are simply whittled down from larger carrots, while true baby carrots are harvested before reaching maturity and are prized for their sweetness. The latter are watery and bland and are actually meant for horses.
“IN NEW ORLEANS, YOU HAVE TO BE READY FOR anything to be thrown at you weather-wise. Because, it will be,” laughs Belinda Belk, owner and lead designer of Blue Gardenia Events, founded in 2004. “But I do love the idea of a great movie night, outside, in the fall.”
We love this idea too. We asked Belk an expert when it comes any event, from a big Southern wedding to hosting a cheeky, themed birthday shindig for her best advice when crafting your very own Prytania Theatre for the night.
Start with the Proper Guestlist
“You want to make sure everyone is comfortable, so for this one, do not over invite,” Belk says. “This guest list will build a foundation for how the party will go, and I’d say, keep it under 20. You need a plan B as good as your plan A. If it’s going to rain, have a way to host inside or even in a garage. If you are inviting kids, make sure the kids all get along well. I always love having those connector friends on the guest list. These are people who will help everyone meet and be friends.”
Set Your Stage
In addition to the movie screen (easily purchased on Amazon, set up in a flash and requiring minimal storage space when rolled up), you will need a great projector and some speakers. Instead of purchasing speakers, look to borrow from friends, particularly those in the music industry. Then, think outside the box quite literally. “I am a huge fan of inside furniture outside,” Belk says. “One of the most important tasks is
to pre-designate people who will help you carry it all back in at the end. Even if it’s not raining, dew will ruin soft furniture overnight. Camping chairs are great, if you’re doing a camping theme and showing an old movie like ‘Parent Trap.’”
Don’t be afraid to really go big on a small event, Belk advises. “We have amazing rental companies here that deliver. Distressed Rentals and Lovegood both offer low tables and poofs and pillows, with outdoor rugs to make it really cozy. Distressed even has a whole new line of colorful patio umbrellas, which at night would make it feel cozy.”
“I would definitely call a company like Mosquito Authority, and have them spray your yard the day before,” she says. “It’s not that expensive, and you can get that done for about $20. Also consider doing a cute basket of little bug sprays. You can even find homemade recipes online. I also recommend personal fans if it’s going to be hot, and it’s actually affordable to rent margarita machines, too. Having a frozen signature cocktail is a great way to beat the heat.”
Finally, Belk says one of the most important things is just a general rule for any great gathering here in New Orleans.
“Get a drink in a guest’s hand immediately,” she laughs. “Have a premade specialty cocktail or even just cans of cocktails. That starts the party, and it’s going to set the tone and free you up to enjoy your cinema night, too.”. — BY JENNY ADAMS
Add interest and depth with varying decorative materials for a cozy and collected look.
BY ANDY MYER PHOTOGRAPHY BY EUGENIA UHL
Lampshades, pillow: Rattan woven lampshades and sconce in a range of shapes and sizes, spot lapis pillow with embroidered design and natural linen back with cord finish; available at Maisonette, maisonetteshop. com. Rugs, placemat, butterfly art and candle: Dash & Albert by Annie Selke hand-tufted micro hooked wool rug in Paint Chip Coral (hanging), Dash & Albert by Annie Selke Torrey woven wool rug (on bottom), Kazi placemat ethically handwoven in Uganda from raffia and banana fibers with fringe edge, butterfly art by Tommy Mitchell, Baobab Doany Antongona candle covered in raffia and handwoven by a women’s cooperative in Madagascar; available at Sotre, sotrecollection.com.
Tiles (clockwise from top): Campton by Sonoma Tilemakers in Aquarius, trim pieces by Sonoma Tilemakers in Wildomar and Riviera, Campton by Sonoma in Goosedown, Sweet Bars by WOW in Mineral Grey, Akira by Sonoma Tilemakers in Gardenia, Artisan molding from The Winchester Tile Company; available at Stafford Tile & Stone, staffordtile. com. Wallpaper (clockwise): The Met Collection by Scalamandré Saxony Scroll in Latte, Soirée Collection by Scalamandré Valentina Embellished Sisal in Seaglass, Soirée Collection by Scalamandré Catwalk Embellished Grasscloth in Midnight; available at Spruce, sprucenola.com
Rug, placemat, candles: Dash & Albert by Annie Selke hand-tufted micro hooked wool rug in Paint Chip Natural, Kazi handwoven raffia and banana fiber placemat, Floral Society taper candles in a wide array of shades; available at Sotre, sotrecollection.com.
BY MISTY MILIOTO // PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESS KEARNEY
A CUSTOM LUXURY HOME IN DESTREHAN HAS ALL THE HALLMARKS OF SMART DESIGN/BUILD PRACTICES.
When a local married couple chose to build a custom home on Audubon Place in Destrehan, they turned to Joey Flynn, architect at Flynn Designs, and Jason Maenza, owner of Precision Builders, to make their dream home a reality. The homeowners chose the duo for this project after a successful remodel on their son’s home.
“Jason is always very involved in his custom home projects,” Flynn says. “We get him involved in the process early on, because he has helpful insight on how to bring to life the ideas we design. His background in engineering helps to bridge the concept and the construction to create beautiful and eclectic homes. There’s a reason why his company is called Precision Builders he is detail-oriented in a way that enhances the overall design elements.”
Flynn, who was involved with the project from beginning to end, began the conceptual, schematic designs and drawings in the winter of 2020 for what he says are unique and creative homeowners. Maenza and his team of subcontractors began building in the late summer of 2021 and completed the home in early 2023.
When it came to the exterior, the homeowners wanted a house with a clean and contemporary look that immediately catches the eye. “This street is unique in that there is not one architectural style that all homes fit into,” Flynn says. “Each home has its own personality, and that’s exactly what we did with [this home].”
In keeping with contemporary design, the 4,602-square-foot home (with an additional 2,524 square feet for porches and two separate garages) features an open floor plan, mono-slope roofs, blackand-white color sequences, plenty of natural light and an emphasis on clean lines (both on the exterior and interior). “Contemporary styles also utilize
Previous page: Flynn Designs created the architectural plans for the home. Facing page: The orange-painted steel beam in the courtyard matches the color of the homeowner’s car, which is displayed in the showcase garage. Top, right: The living room also features pops of orange pulled from the homeowner’s car in the showcase garage and other parts of the house. Bottom, left: The car turntable in the showcase garage — complete with spotlights — is visible from most of the main living spaces. Bottom, right: The open glass and iron staircase in the foyer (with seating area below) creates a sculptural element upon entering the home.
more raw materials, such as concrete and wood, and a unique example of this are the gabion fences at the front facade,” Flynn says.
Inside, the four-bedroom, three-bath (and three-half bath) home also includes an office, a workshop, an art studio and, most interestingly, a car turntable in the showcase garage. “One of the biggest goals of this design was to seamlessly incorporate the car turntable into the layout,” Flynn says. “[It] was part of the design from day one, and many of our design choices stemmed directly from this feature.”
For example, the homeowner wanted to be able to see the car turntable from several areas throughout the house. This request led Flynn to design a C-shaped plan. Upon walking through the pivoting front door, a rear window under the floating staircase provides a view to the showcase garage. “Utilizing [a] glass elevator and surrounding it with interior-facing and exterior-facing windows to be able to see the beauty of both spaces as you ascend/descend levels, proved to be well worth the effort,” Maenza says.
Additionally, the lot is adjacent to industrial warehouses, thereby posing privacy challenges. So, rather than having a traditional large backyard, the main outdoor living space is tucked into the side of the property - resembling more of a courtyard. “This way, the pool and main outdoor area feel more private and do not have any view of the warehouses,” Flynn says.
Another unique solution was using a large steel beam to support the second floor, while still maintaining a large porch without columns. “Often, we try to hide structural elements as they can be unsightly,” Flynn says. “In this case, we highlighted the steel structure by painting it bright orange to match the car in the turntable room.”
On the interior, the team veered away from typical, allwood stairs and instead used steel, wood and glass. “As soon as you walk in the front door, the staircase catches your attention,” Flynn says. “With the glass railings, the stairs become part of the room almost like a sculpture.”
Meanwhile, the kitchen and bar with design and layout by Michael Baudin and Nicole Jones of Legend Interiors feature quartzite countertops; flush-panel cabinetry; and sleek, high-gloss paint that is toned down with walnut accents. “The design and layout from Legend Interiors is what truly sets this open kitchen and bar area apart from any other,” Maenza says.
Baudin and Jones, who also designed and provided all cabinetry throughout the home, also created a walnut floating corner unit and floating shelf display. “Jason and our team had to make sure it would work properly, [so] there were a lot of field meetings and CAD drawings going back and forth before one piece was framed,” Baudin says. “It’s one of the first things you see when you come from the foyer, and it makes a statement.”
In all, every aspect of this home was thoroughly planned and given a purpose. “This was one of our favorite projects mainly because of the homeowners,” Baudin adds. “[They] were always appreciative of our time and ideas, and that made everyone want to work extra hard to make sure everything was perfect.”
By Misty Milioto
Photography by Alison Gootee
When a neuroscientist from California who has been visiting New Orleans since the 1990s and has long wanted a second home here found an available condo in the French Quarter, he purchased it sight unseen. While the bones of the historic home were beautiful, the interior design was quite dated. The real estate agent who sold the home, Rachael Kansas, referred the homeowner to Hattie Sparks Collins, owner, creative and decorator at Hattie Sparks Interiors, to transform the space.
The interior design work on the 2,300-squarefoot, two bedroom/two-and-one-half bath condo began with phase one in June 2021, which included light renovation and a full redesign of the dining room, living spaces, powder room and two bedrooms. Phase two began in June 2023, including a full renovation of the kitchen, bar and bathrooms, with all work completed last October. Collins used the historic shell and created a modern bachelor pad using paint, wallpaper, window
treatments, lighting, hardware and furniture.
The homeowner who also travels and presents lectures worldwide, particularly in Africa and Southeast Asia wanted the home to have a collected, global feel. He also wanted the home to have a masculine touch and to reflect its location in New Orleans.
To meet these criteria, Collins layered old and new pieces to give the home personality and depth. For example, she incorporated elements from the homeowner’s travels and sourced vintage rugs from Turkey, decorative
elements from Africa and natural materials like marble, leather and worn wood. Meanwhile, she avoided traditionally masculine clichés like all dark colors and heavy fabrics, and instead used neutral colors and a mix of rich fabrics (like velvet, bouclé, linen and aged leather) to complement the traditional architectural shell and nod to classic New Orleans style. The homeowner also loves art, so Collins incorporated pieces from local and regional artists such as Frank Relle, William McLure, Marjorie Pierson and Marc Chagall.
Previous spread, left: The home features two connecting downstairs living rooms; interior designer Hattie Sparks Collins designed each to feel distinct yet cohesive. The second of the two is painted in Strong White by Farrow & Ball (with trim painted in All White by Farrow & Ball) and includes vintage leather chairs from Chairish, a wool rug from 1stDibs, curtains from Fairfax Fabric Company, custom demilune tables by Dop Antiques, a chandelier and lamps from Visual Comfort, and artwork by Salvador Dali via Martine Chaisson Gallery. Right: The primary bedroom features an Eames lounge chair, a reading lamp from Visual Comfort and a large-scale photo by local photographer Frank Relle to evoke a sense of place.
Left: The fully gutted and renovated kitchen (with help from Daniel Bell, LLC) now includes countertops and full-height backsplash (with Denali quartzite from Mediterranean Marble) and cabinetry (painted in Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball). The space also features HRLBrass hardware and sconces from Visual Comfort.
Facing page, top right: The first living room, which connects to the second, features chairs from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams and a custom sofa from Clad Home. Bottom left: In the dining room, Collins added a table by Kathy Kuo, vintage chairs from 1stDibs, a mirror and antique commode from Dop Antiques, and an antique rug from Chairish. Bottom right: The cozy second living room also features a settee from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, a coffee table from Restoration Hardware and a marble table from Arteriors.
Facing page, top left: The primary bedroom comes to life with Napoleonic Bee wallpaper by Timorous Beasties. The bed and nightstand are from Restoration Hardware; the lamps are from Visual Comfort; and the bedding is from Sunday Shop. Top right: The fully gutted primary bath (also with help from Daniel Bell, LLC) includes marine life-inspired wallpaper by Timorous Beasties, a custom vanity (created by Bell) with Rejuvenation Hardware, sconces from Visual Comfort and marble countertops from Mediterranean Marble. Bottom left: The guest bedroom, with its sloped ceiling, includes nightstands from Chairish, lamps from Visual Comfort, a painted vintage bed, a vintage rug and café curtains from Fairfax Fabric Company. Bottom right: Clé Zellige tile in the master bathroom shower creates a wow moment. The marble flooring is topped with a vintage rug. Above: The welcoming and comfortable upstairs lounge features a leather sleeper sofa, velvet chairs from Restoration Hardware, a vintage rug, a coffee table from CB2, a console table from Dop Antiques, a lamp from Visual Comfort and vintage posters from Willi’s Wine Bar (one of the homeowner’s favorite spots in Paris).
“I wanted the home to feel fresh and current, but still retain its historic charm and welcoming vibe,” Collins says. “We stripped away the more opulent decorative elements but maintained the beautiful millwork, door and window hardware, oversized mirrors and [original wood] floors. The various textures within the home help the space feel layered, welcoming and multidimensional. Furniture and decor is a layered mix of new, custom and antique pieces [sourced from 1stDibs, Chairish and local vendors] that intentionally helped the home look like it had been thoughtfully curated.”
Some darker colors do come into play, like navy blue walls in the dining room and smoke gray walls in the kitchen (painted by Maxin Cre-
ations). Wallpaper also plays a role in the primary bedroom and bathrooms, installed by Women Who Wallpaper.
“We found a wallpaper for his bedroom with the Napoleonic bee represented, which is a wink to New Orleans,” Collins says. “The primary suite papers are both from Timorous Beasties, and the bathroom paper is extra special. Along with being a neuroscientist, the client is a big marine life enthusiast. We found this paper that looks like a Rorschach test (a nod to his neuroscientist background), but, if you look closely, it’s scuba divers, sharks, fish and underwater elements. The powder room wallpaper is by Palm Orleans and is a fun tribute to Mardi Gras.”
Custom pieces also are layered throughout the home, including a ninefoot sofa from Clad Home. When the pillows are removed, the sofa can act as another bed. Collins also saw an antique black demilune table that she wanted to incorporate, but she needed a pair. So she enlisted Dop Antiques to create them. Meanwhile, the copper-top bar was at the client’s request. “It reminds him of the piano bar at Pat O’Brien’s,” Collins says.
The only challenge Collins faced was when it came to getting the new refrigerator into the kitchen. “[It] wouldn’t fit up the winding 19th century staircase, so we had to shut down the street with the New Orleans Police Department, hire a crane and lift it up through the top floor windows to the kitchen,” she says. “It was so nerve-wracking, but it went off without a hitch.”
Overall, the redesigned condo exudes sophistication with a touch of playfulness. And in the spirit of New Orleans, Sparks says that the condo is apparently a wee bit haunted. “We made sure to sage it prior to the client’s first stay,” she says.
In celebrating skilled practitioners of design, we honor their eye for that perfect detail. The curve of a wooden drawer, a just-right wall color, a garden whose elements bloom in careful concert. An expert brush stroke, an illuminating choice of glass over masonry it’s the sum of innumerable actions that make mastery. In New Orleans, we are blessed with an abundance of design talent across all disciplines. Our 2024 Design Masters enhance the city’s built and natural environment by paying attention to those small details. Their efforts add up to make our surroundings better and more beautiful.
BY REBECCA FRIEDMAN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESS KEARNEY
rowing up in São Paulo, Brazil, Regina Correa loved poring over apartment floor plans pictured in magazine advertisements. Little did she imagine while flipping those pages that she would one day design interiors for spaces like that over 4,500 miles away in New Orleans.
Correa’s journey was unexpected. She was happily teaching English in São Paulo when an outing to a nightspot called Bourbon Street Music Club introduced her to a band from New Orleans. The connection eventually led her to visit New Orleans in 1999 and the city cast a surprising spell. “I really was infatuated,” said Correa. “I stayed in a place outside Louis Armstrong Park and would walk into the French Quarter every day… I was like, oh my god, this is so enchanting.”
An immigration attorney recommended school as the best path to stay in the U.S. legally. Correa discovered Delgado Community College’s interior design program, harkening back to her lifelong affinity for planning spaces, arranging furniture, and making curtains for her mother’s kitchen. With the support of local friends, she enrolled and stayed put in New Orleans. “It turned out to be the best decision I’ve made, to do something I was so passionate about,” said Correa. “And here I am almost 25 years later. It’s still a joy to me to start a floor plan and furniture layouts and to select the fabrics and color palette… and in the end, seeing a client’s satisfaction.”
She recalls one happy example. A client wanted a tranquil space for
reading and Correa delivered a library, replete with wraparound bookcases, rich burgundy tones, and a chaise lounge for enjoying the collection of books amassed over a lifetime. “Once I styled everything, and she came in and saw it, she started crying,” recalled Correa. “That specific moment when the client [sees] everything, that beautiful transformation… makes it so worth it.”
Correa also created “Riche the Mag,” a digital publication she releases every other month to share inspirations on home décor and more. Correa initially sought to boost her business’s SEO through blogging but found the idea of a newsletter uninspiring: “It’s just an article, and then what?” The pandemic provided the push to create Riche, allowing Correa an outlet for positivity and creativity and to engage with readers (and potential clients). “I want people to look forward to it and flood it with imagery and some information so they get inspired to either do something themselves or call me to do something for them.”
Art and travel feature prominently in Riche because both are dear to Correa’s heart. Through features like “No Blank Walls,” she encouraged readers to enhance their space through artwork, and she frequently profiles local artists. Her yen for travel also seems suited to a person who uprooted her life to replant in a new country. A recent South African safari left her with visions for a dream project: designing a “top-to-bottom” house in South Africa. When that call comes, Correa will be ready: “Let’s do it! When do I leave?”
hese days Andrew Nixon gravitates to walnut and white oak, but his affinity for wood has roots in the family tree. Both grandfathers were experts: one with a backyard woodshop where Nixon spent childhood weekends learning the craft, the other a contractor who schooled his grandson in home construction including plenty of carpentry. That fieldwork combined with detailed woodworking knowledge gave Nixon a unique perspective on millwork and furniture making. He adds an eye for detail and artistry (he’s also a painter), plus a joyful approach that motivates him to tackle challenges and share his hard-earned knowledge with others.
Nixon’s early career had him working for himself and others through various stages, building his skills. He learned from mentors including those at former employer Gus Hartdegen & Sons. As Nixon recalled, “I was around 25. I thought I knew everything, then started working for this other guy and realized I didn’t know anything… He’s the one that taught me how to cut the knives to make moldings, and how to build freestanding staircases… I owe a lot for what they taught me it was a whole different level of carpentry.”
Throughout this period, Nixon was also struggling with drug addiction, and at age 33, reached a turning point. He went to Bridge House, put in a lot of time and effort to get clean, and has been sober for more than a decade. Nixon shares this part of his story because, as he said, “It might help somebody else that had the same problem and they can see
that you can come out of it.”
Nixon’s next rebuilding step was buying a raised house in Chalmette and creating his own shop underneath. Now, along with three colleagues, Nixon puts out some of most artistic cabinetry and furnishings in the city, crafted with details that matter to him like mortise and tenon joinery, continuous cabinet fronts (meaning no visible lines between cabinets), and painstaking dovetailing.
“It’s like a really nice pair of Italian shoes,” said Nixon. “You can’t really tell what the difference is – you can look at them from a distance, and they definitely look a lot better than regular shoes, but when you come up close, you see the fine details.” In his work, that might translate to real 22-karat gold leaf on a bow front poplar chest with black mirror finish or a kitchen island with strikingly curved drawers made from walnut (one of Nixon’s favorite materials).
He can’t imagine plying his trade anywhere but within the [crooked] walls of timeless New Orleans homes, filled with the architectural details he appreciates. Nixon’s goal is to ornament these homes with handcrafted furniture that serves as “usable sculpture,” and maybe a “really cool staircase” conjured from his imagination.
He also strives to teach others the craft of woodworking, in the way it was passed to him. Here Nixon references a saying learned from AA: “You’ve got to give it away to keep it.” As Nixon believes, “It works for everything in life.”
f I’m stagnant, I’m not happy.” That growth-oriented mindset has shaped Marianne Mumford’s perspective as a gardener, business owner, and world traveler constantly seeking inspiration to make gardens both hers and her clients’ more beautiful.
Marianne caught the horticulture bug in high school, working for local florist Meade Wenzel. At LSU, Marianne fell in love with landscape architecture from the very first class. She subsequently fell for Alan Mumford (a fellow landscape architecture student) on a department trip to Europe led by a professor. That journey spawned a group that still travels together, exploring gardens in far-flung locales from Morocco to Japan and Brazil. Like this travel cohort, the Mumford union flourished, creating Landscape Images in 1984 and growing the company into one of the area’s premier landscape design, build, and maintenance firms.
Marianne’s journey through the industry initially focused on the business building and maintenance side of the organization. After Hurricane Katrina, she was drawn more deeply into design and found a happy medium integrating the two. “Maintenance is so key to everything we do in design,” she said. “I don’t know how people can operate without having a maintenance part of their company because you design something with an intent of how big it’s going to be, how round it’s going to be, how you want it to eventually grow. If you don’t have that, it’s all for nothing.”
Marianne constantly visits client properties to keep an eye on progress and consult with crews. She prizes education and training for staff, with
weekly demonstrations on techniques like arranging pots with different palettes of color. “They love it, they’re really engaged in it because they want to learn,” she said. “Sometimes we take that for granted, but it’s a super important part of our day.”
While Marianne appreciates all garden styles, from contemporary to formal to native (balanced with structure) and pollinator-friendly, she holds a special fondness for certain smaller or “off-the-wall” projects, like the couple who asked her to design a garden with a run path for their Great Dane, or the Lower Garden District home centered around a precious tree. “The oak tree ruled every move we made through the whole build,” she recalled. She loves using color in a garden and believes in giving careful weight to a home’s architectural style and the needs of its owners all skills she has honed over many years in the business: “If you don’t listen to the client, you know nothing.”
Today the Mumfords split their time between New Orleans and the Mississippi farm they’ve owned for decades, where they grow plants for use in their business. The farm also serves as a playground for experimentation inspired by travels, like the Japanese garden currently in development. Marianne is also embarking on a refresh of the garden in her Uptown home, letting in more sunlight which will allow her to plant some long-desired additions. As she observed: “My style will change a little bit… gardens are always meant to change.”
t’s lucky that E. Lee Jahncke’s parents routinely “hauled” her to adult parties as a child, as those outings became opportunities to indulge her curiosity about beautiful interiors. “There was always something that would interest me, like a painted wall or painted piece of furniture,” she recalled. “Everyone who lives in New Orleans, by and large, just has an appreciation for interesting decorative items and art.”
Jahncke may have had an extra-aesthetic predisposition. Her uncle is architect Davis Jahncke, and her grandmother was also a talented artist. Jahncke studied art in college and knew from the start that she “needed to be tangibly touching and painting things.” She launched her career in the Washington, DC area, pursuing work that introduced her to the fundamentals of painting in homes. She deepened her decorative painting expertise by attending the North American Chapter of The City and Guilds of London Institute in conjunction with the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. That program taught her the detailed skills of the trade everything from basic painting to highly decorative wood grains and gilding.
Jahncke moved home to New Orleans and dived into the local scene with projects like a set of metal doors at the Historic New Orleans Collection that she painted in highly decorative crotch mahogany. She applied her talents to homes, like one in the Garden District that allowed her to play off elements of a chinoiserie wallpaper in a hand-painted
mural extending beyond the paper’s borders and a complementary bamboo pattern below. “It’s funny because a lot of people don’t realize that it’s hand painted,” said Jahncke. “Because it’s very thin little lines and very subtle but special.”
Over the years, Jahncke discovered that she works best with constraints, the kinds presented by a restricted color palette or tiny space, or the many quirks present in old New Orleans homes. “It doesn’t matter if the house is big or small, old or new, [it’s] the nature of the way things are here,” she noted. “Every house has some little funky something or other that needs to be disguised or thought about in a different way.” That might mean painting a fabric shower curtain to appear as an extension of wallpaper, or helping travel-loving homeowners transform a small stone porch into a subtly Turkish-inspired haven that feels like it’s been there “for a long, long time.”
Jahncke also paints furniture, lighting and fabrics for her own bespoke products and for local designers and makers. “The busier I get, the more ideas I get for different things,” she observed.
She finds constant inspiration in her hometown and its residents who prefer to stand out from the crowd: “Here, everybody loves to be different as opposed to exactly the same. As a result of living here, I don’t ever do a project twice everything is unique to a family and their home, and every day is a different day for me… I probably wouldn’t be able to live if my life wasn’t like that.”
egan Bell and Lindsay Butler credit many factors for their success, but “resourcefulness” and love for telling a “cohesive design story” rank high on the list. These shared traits have helped make Bell Butler the ‘go-to’ for a growing number of clients in New Orleans and beyond.
Resourcefulness might mean creative problem solving with the City’s Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) or envisioning DIY art installations to add budget-friendly interest to bare walls. As Bell said, “It’s being able to do good work on a budget, not just defaulting to the most expensive, pretty materials that everyone’s going to like.”
That said, their work is plenty pretty. Highlights include Spyre, the health and wellness center that Bell Butler helped bring to life in the former Scandinavian Jazz Church and Cultural Center, and Framework, the Lower Garden District commercial space that has earned design accolades (and imitators) with its sleek silhouettes and masterful use of outdoor space. A transitional home they created Uptown earned an AIA Design Award in 2022. And their imprint can be seen in range of stunning food hall projects, including the former Auction House Market in New Orleans and the Politan Row spaces in Atlanta and other cities.
The pair’s joint journey began serendipitously. Bell’s professional experiences included working at studioWTA before leaving to start her own venture (and a family). Work was coming to Bell at a steady clip when a friend introduced her to Butler, an Alabama native and experienced
architect who relocated to New Orleans from Athens, Georgia, planning to work for a large architectural firm. The two hit it off and began collaborating on various projects which continued to grow in scope. After about a year and a half, they decided to formalize the arrangement.
Bell Butler has grown to a staff of six (including the two principals) and settled into an office they recently purchased and renovated in the Bywater. “Chewbacchus parties will be the regular, as long as they keep their parade route,” promised Butler.
Their latest opportunity is a new dining hall building on the campus of Southern University at New Orleans. Bell and Butler are excited not only to be working in the education space but to design according to the state’s recently adopted energy code, one of the nation’s greenest. “We’re going to be meeting a tighter standard than most of California,” noted Butler. “That project in particular is our first opportunity to really dive into it.”
As for the cohesive design storytelling? It underpins every project, and both Bell and Butler pride themselves on sticking to a story, even in the face of challenges. As Butler explained, “What we do is try to really stay true to that design story and see it through until the end. Because you can generate it, but there’s always things coming at you trying to derail you between schedules, budget… the fire marshal! But to make sure that vision succeeds in the end. And so far, I think we’ve been pretty successful at it.”
Each year our readers vote by online ballot for their favorite home design industry professionals in New Orleans. The businesses cover the scope of everything homeowners need to make and maintain a beautiful house and home. Your votes have been tallied and we present The 2024 Best of Home winners.
Best Antiques
Winner: Dop Antiques
Finalists: M.S. Rau, Renaissance Interiors
Best Appliances
Winner: Ferguson Plumbing Supply
Finalists: Campo Appliances, Southland Plumbing Supply
Best Architect
Winner: Albert Architecture
Finalists: Melancon Ortega Designs, Practis Architecture + Design, Mouton Long Turner
Best Art
Winner: Sherry Haydel Ltd. Finalists: Eclectic Home
Best Bank
Winner: Metairie Bank
Finalists: Hancock Whitney Bank, Gulf Coast Bank
Best Bathroom Remodeling
Winner: Legend Interiors
Finalists: Eclectic Home, Fisher Kelly Renovations, Palatial Stone & Tile
Best Bedding
Winner: Leontine Linens
Finalists: Bedding Plus
Best Cabinets
Winner: Campbell Cabinets
Finalists: Cabinets by Design, Classic Kitchens, Legend Interiors
Best Closet Design/ Installation
Winner: Louisiana Custom Closets
Finalists: Bayou Closets, California Closets
Best Construction Company
Winner: JLV Construction
Finalists: Big Easy Construction, Boh Bros. Construction, Burke Construction and Development
Best Contractor
Winner: MLR Builders LLC
Finalists: Cox Parker Contractors, Burke Construction and Development, JLV Construction
Best Demolition
Winner: Demo Diva
Finalists: JLV Construction
Best Doors
Winner: The Bank
Architectural Antiques
Finalists: Jefferson Door Company, Ricca’s Architectural Sales
Best Fencing
Winner: Impact Fence & Deck
Finalists: Arrow Fence and Supply, Zorro Fencing
Best Flooring
Winner: Palatial Stone & Tile
Finalists: Acadian Flooring, Legend Interiors, Toca Flooring
Best Gardening Supplies
Winner: Perrino’s Home & Garden Center
Finalists: Jefferson Feed, Pet & Garden Center, Urban Roots Garden Center
Best Gas Lighting
Winner: Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights
Finalists: Flambeaux Lighting
Best Gutter
Winner: Audubon Gutters
Finalists: C3NOLA Construction, Perdomo Roofing & Sheet Metal
Best Home Builder
Winner: Precision Builders
Finalists: Burk Construction & Development, JLV Construction, MLM Custom Homes & Renovations
Best Home Décor
Winner: Eclectic Home
Finalists: Legend Interiors, Maureen Stevens Design
Best Home Hurricane Protection
Winner: LAS Shutters + Windows
Finalists: Perdomo Roofing & Sheet Metal
Best Interior Designer
Winner: Maureen Stevens Design
Finalists: Eclectic Home, Legend Interiors, Logan Killen Interiors
Best Kitchen Design
Winner: Legend Interiors
Finalists: Cabinets by Design, Campbell Cabinets, Palatial Stone & Tile
Best Landscaping
Winner: ILEX Design Build
Finalists: Mullin Landscape
Best Lighting
Winner: Eclectic Home
Finalists: Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting
Best Modern or
Contemporary Furniture
Winner: Eclectic Home
Finalists: Scandinavia, West Elm
Best Mortgage Lender
Winner: Metairie Bank
Finalists: Gulf Coast Bank, Home Bank
Best Movers
Winner: Atmosphere
Finalists: Lee Moving & Storage
Best Outdoor Fountains
Winner: The Garden Gates Finalists: Mullin Landscape
Best Outdoor Furniture
Winner: Niche Modern
Home
Finalists: The Garden Gates
Best Paint
Winner: Helm Paint & Decorating
Finalists: Sherwin-Williams
Best Patio Design
Winner: ILEX Design Build Finalists: Mullin Landscape
Best Pest Control
Winner: DA Exterminating Finalists: Earth Flip LLC, J&J Exterminating, Terminix
Best Pet Supplies
Winner: Jefferson Feed, Pet & Garden Center Finalists: Double “M” Feed
Best Plumbing
Winner: All Hours Plumbing Finalists: Bob’s Plumbing, Natal’s Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical
Best Plumbing Fixtures
Winner: Ferguson Plumbing Supply Finalists: Southland Plumbing
Best Pool Design
Winner: ILEX Design Build Finalists: Oasis Pools & Spas, Paradise Pools & Spas
Best Private Chef or Home Catering Winner: Meraki Events
Best Real Estate
Winner: NOLA Living Realty Finalists: Entablature, Rêve Realty
Best Restoration
Winner: JLV Construction Finalists: Entablature, Yazoo Restorations
Best Roofing
Winner: Storm Guard Roofing & Construction Finalists: C3NOLA Construction, Perdomo Roofing & Sheet Metal
Best Rugs
Winner: NOLA Rugs Finalists: Banana Manor
Best Security
Winner: ADT Finalists: ABC Fire & Burglar Alarm
Best Shoring
Winner: Davie Shoring Finalists: Abry Brothers
Best Solar Panel Installation
Winner: Solar Alternatives Finalists: GenSouth
Best Stained Glass
Winner: Lizano’s Glass Haus Finalists: Attenhofer’s Stained Glass
Best Stone/Granite
Winner: Stone Interiors
Finalists: Palatial Stone & Tile, Triton Stone
Best Tile
Winner: Palatial Stone & Tile Finalists: Emser Tile, Legend Interiors, Stafford Tile & Stone
Best Tree Cutting
Winner: Risk Tree Service Finalists: Bayou Tree Service
Best Vintage or Antique Furniture
Winner: Dop Antiques Finalists: Renaissance Interiors
Best Window Treatments
Winner: Wren’s Tontine Shade & Design
Finalists: Peyroux’s Custom Curtains
Best Windows
Winner: Acadian Windows Finalists: New South Window Solutions
Best Woodwork
Winner: Architectural Lathe & Millwork
Finalists: GoodWood NOLA
IT MAY SEEM COUNTERINTUITIVE TO THINK about swimming pools as fall is arriving, but for people considering adding a pool to their backyard, the cooler weather months are the ideal time to start the process so it will be ready once spring comes.
Earl Hardouin, owner of Paradise Pools and Spas, said the installation process, if handled by a well-run company, will usually last about eight weeks. He said the majority of pools cost somewhere between $60,000$100,000 to install. However, fancier pools can run as high as $500,000.
Installation should take into account how the owner plans to use the pool. According to Hardouin, people want pools for different reasons. The installer should ask the owner for their goals. Will the pool be used mainly for exercise? Or is it there for aesthetics? Do they want a shallow, kid-friendly pool? If the owner loves to grill, an outdoor kitchen area would be a good add-on to the pool.
Pools can be either saltwater or freshwater. Hardouin said 85-90% of the pools Paradise installs now are saltwater. A saltwater pool will be more expensive upfront to install but offers some benefits over a freshwater pool. Because saltwater pools do not have chlorine, it is gentler on the eyes and skin. It also requires fewer chemicals to maintain, so maintenance costs will be lower.
For Hardouin, many customers have the misconception that a saltwater pool will have the same concentration of salt as, say, the Gulf of Mexico. But in reality, a saltwater pool has a much milder concentration of salt.
Saltwater pool owners should be aware of their surroundings when installing the pool. Hardouin noted that if there is natural stone surrounding the pool, owners should seal that stone. This is because the salt does not evaporate.
Pool owners should be aware of maintenance considerations. Uptown
resident and pool owner Jason Sanchez said people should have their pools inspected for leaks. And that last year’s drought caused the ground to settle due to a lack of water, which can lead to cracks in a pool.
“You should have professionals inspect for leaks because they may not be obvious,” he said.
According to Hardouin, skimmer tablets and pump baskets should be cleaned out weekly, filters and salt cells should be cleaned quarterly, and homeowners should test the pH in their pool every one to two weeks. This can be done with a home testing kit. If you host a big party with a lot of people in the pool, you should shock (decontaminate) it the next day. Many pools now have switches to make shocking easier.
Having a pool can boost the owner’s social life, Sanchez said, noting that if you own a pool, people are often eager to visit. He added that your friends will start expecting you to host every party.
Hardouin agrees that the social aspect can be good for families as well. When children are in their teen years and getting ready to leave for college, a pool is a way to encourage them to spend more time at home with their parents. It is also a great way to get to know your child’s friends because they will want to come over and swim in the pool.
“It [a pool] will create some great memories for that time in your children’s lives,” Hardouin said. “It’s also a way to get to away from our computers and our phones and really talk to our friends and family.”
A pool can also provide fitness benefits. While this is true for people of any age, a pool can be especially useful for older people. Aquatic exercise is easier on the joints than jogging or walking. It is also a way to stay cool while working out even though New Orleans’ climate features five to six months of summer. And it allows you to exercise without leaving your home.
“It’s a constant reminder to exercise,” Sanchez said. — FRITZ ESKER
Even discarded envelopes look elegant when tossed into a croc-inspired silver wastebasket with genuine silver leaf over embossed wood (labrazel.com). Available locally at maisonetteshop.com.
Keep your collection of Crescent City novels in place with a pair of cast iron snail bookends with a distressed gold finish. hazelnutneworleans.com
Swivel in style in a Manchester upholstered desk chair. Chic elements include an outline of antique bronze nail heads and finishes like espresso, gray wash or seadrift (pictured) that make for a light, natural base. potterybarn.com.
Lightening up a home library is far from a work of fiction.
BY AMY GABRIEL
Evoke a storybook space with Biblioteca wallpaper by Ekaterina Panikanova. This collection features digital copies of books with mural-style illustrations painted atop for a touch of whimsy. thepatterncollective.com.
The rich Book Binder paint from Behr is a visual encouragement to brush up on your reading. behr.com. A light bulb table light, made with an 11.75-inch glass dome that encases a smaller exposed bulb on a brass stand, is sure to evoke bright ideas. eclectichome.net.
Your vintage Smith Corona will look perfect upon a Helena desk. Divine details include a wrapped burl-wood veneer, brushed brass drawer handles and brushed brass sabots and accents on the tapering legs. villavici.com.
Shelve your most inspiring décor accents upon a Mora bookcase. Handcrafted from solid FSC certified white ash, each shelf is accentuated with winged back detailing for added appeal. sundayshop.co.
WITH THE EXHAUSTIVE HEAT OF SUMMER dwindling, everyone’s itching to get outside. Fortunately, there’s plenty of work to be done around the lawn and garden in fall, one of the best seasons of the year in Louisiana for planting, pruning, and maintenance. This season, we’ve checked in with local landscapers and gardeners to get an annual checklist of fall outdoor to-dos.
“Presentation and good plant health depend on the fall season preparations,” says Beverly Katz, owner of Exterior Designs, Inc. “Correcting drainage, cleanup, removal of diseased or weak plants from gardens, installation of new plant materials, providing a fresh layer of mulch and an irrigation system are all essential for a beautiful landscape. Maintenance is the key,” she says.
Maintenance is naturally a year-round affair, but fall maintenance may look a little different from other seasons.
“As cooler weather sets in, plant and lawn growth slows, requiring only biweekly mowing,” says Daniel Ybos, residential garden manager at Mullin. You may be mowing less than you did during the wet early summer, but you’ll certainly be raking more and doing seasonal pruning and preparations.
“While the fall brings on beautiful color hues, deciduous trees begin to defoliate in this season, and ultimately leaves cover the ground,” says Katz. “Commonly, the homeowner’s maintenance will include removal by raking, then installing mulch in garden beds,” she says.
“In the garden, careful pruning is crucial, particularly for camellias and azaleas, which set their flowers for fall and winter,” says Ybos. “To avoid cutting off these eagerly awaited blooms, it’s best to do any hard pruning or shaping after they’ve finished flowering.”
proper function and then beauty.”
Fall is also a good time to correct problems brought on by pests and disease.
“In Louisiana, our climate — with heavy rains, intense heat, and colder winters — makes pest and disease vigilance essential,” says Ybos. “A common issue is sod webworms, which create crop circle-like patterns in the lawn.” For effective treatment, Ybos recommends using both a granular insecticide to target bugs beneath the surface and a spray insecticide that attaches to your hose to address those on top.
Another warning sign of landscape problems is browning or discoloration of leaves. Katz recommends looking under the leaves for discoloration and abnormalities. Pests and plant diseases on shrubs, lawns, and other plants should be treated as soon as they are noticed to prevent spread to other healthy plants. She recommends asking a professional arborist or horticultural service for help and advice when needed.
Another key to maintenance, according to Katz, is seasonally adjusting and monitoring the amount of water your landscape requires. Hot summer months in New Orleans will require more water than other seasons, so irrigation must be adjusted accordingly.
“The two important and key considerations and necessities for the New Orleans area are an irrigation system and good drainage,” says Katz. “Correcting problems such as drainage issues must be addressed first for
Fall is also the best time to prepare for winter. Katz says to weed all garden beds and add mulch to protect root systems from the upcoming cold weather and to control water runoff.
“Think of it as throwing a blanket over the plants,” she says.
“To reduce plant and property damage during cold spells, I advise purchasing materials early, as supplies at big box stores can run out quickly,” says Ybos. “Utilizing freeze blankets can help trap heat from the ground, warming the roots of tender tropical plants. Additionally, a thick layer of pine straw provides excellent insulation.”
Is fall too close to winter for planting new trees, flowers, and shrubs? Absolutely not, say the experts.
“Spring and fall are the best times to plant new shrubs and trees,” says Ybos. “The cooler weather gives the plants time to grow strong deep roots before the temps get too hot or too cold.”
Katz’s recommendations for cool season annuals and perennials for color include chrysanthemums, pansies, violas, dianthus, snapdragons, Louisiana iris, daylilies, and more.
“All are hardy enough to take you through fall and winter,” she says. “Some of our favorite shrubs to plant are azaleas, camellias, sasanqua, sweet olive, Indian hawthorns, Variegated ginger, cleyera, and gardenia.”
KELCY WILBURN
eclectichome.net
Add interest to any space with the use of this versatile pattern.
Stripes are not only a juxtaposition of color, they are diametrically opposed in many ways. They are sophisticated yet playful; timeless yet fresh. Stripes can be straight and formal or curved and organically inspired; they can be skinny or fat; they can be bold and dynamic or subtle and soft. However, you choose to incorporate them either in a big way (through wallpaper or paint) or in smaller touches (like delicate, woven textiles) stripes are a smart choice for spaces big and small. For example, vertical stripes can make a small space appear more expansive, while horizontal stripes can appear to widen a space. A recent design that we particularly love is shown in this kitchen nook with a custom banquette covered in Falsetto in saffron/mango fabric by JF Fabrics set against a backdrop of Martinique Celebration in Theodor wallpaper by CW Stockwell x VOUTSA. Also fun? The wallpaper pattern is available in fabric as well. Available at Spruce Wallpaper and Fabric Showroom, 2043 Magazine St., 265-0946, sprucenola.com— MISTY MILIOTO
