autumn 2013 myneworleans.com
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Volume 16 Issue 4 Editor Sarah Ravits Art Director Tiffani Reding Amedeo associate Editors Haley Adams, Lauren LaBorde contributing Editors Laura Claverie, Lee Cutrone, Valorie Hart, Pamela Marquis, Ian McNulty, Robert Peyton, Peter Reichard, Margaret Zainey Roux, Lisa Tudor Contributing Photographers Thom Bennett, Ron Berard, Sara Essex Bradley, Cheryl Gerber, Jeffery Johnston, Eugenia Uhl interns Paige Nulty, Nina Takahashi
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A Publication of Renaissance Publishing LLC Printed in USA 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Ste. 123, Metairie, LA 70005 (504) 828-1380 New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, ISSN 1933-771X is distributed four times a year and published by Renaissance Publishing LLC, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; (504) 828-1380. For a subscription visit on line at www.NewOrleansHomesandLifestyles.com. Periodicals Postage Paid at Metairie LA and Additional Entry Offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, 110 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005. Copyright 2013 New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher. The trademark New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Magazine is registered. New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photos and artwork even if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. The opinions expressed in New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the magazines’ managers or owners.
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contents
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in every issue
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6. Editor’s Note 8. Style Produced by Margaret Zainey Roux
12. Artist Profile Hannah Chalew By Ian McNulty
14. Gatherings Just Beet It Juicy beets are at the root of this sensational fall salad. By Margaret Zainey Roux
16. For the Garden Healing Gardens Being outside benefits the mind, body and soul. By Pamela Marquis
18. Living with Antiques Garden Décor Creating a space that’s a reflection of yourself By Laura Claverie
20. Masters of Their Craft Lucky Charms
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Raegan Robinson of Lucky NOLA creates wall hangings, plates and jewelry out of unlikely materials. By lauren laborde
22. TrendWatch
18 features
The Finish Line Decorative items that have grown finer as they age mesh beautifully with polished, functional pieces. By lisa tudor
88. Home Renewal Outdoor Decisions 5 styles to consider for the garden By Peter Reichard
30. A First Home
90. retailer spotlight
A couple’s Broadmoor house comes together with some help from local experts.
Ashley Hall Interiors Modern Market – m2 Studio (p.92)
By valorie hart
By Pamela Marquis
38. Counter Fit
94. Resources
6 stylish kitchens and bathrooms By jenny peterson
52. 2013 Design masters By lee Cutrone
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96. Last Indulgence Sweet Temptations Brownies are a classic treat. By sarah ravits
www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 5
editor’s note
fall freshness I have this wonderful albeit clichéd fantasy of a Southern summer where I’m sprawled out on a chaise lounge, surrounded by tropical plants, with a dog-eared Flannery O’Connor book, pausing only to fan myself or sip a mint julep. It’s a pretty far cry from the busy, bug-slapping, sweaty reality of it all. Don’t get me wrong – I love the summers here: afternoon rainstorms; barbecues; cold drinks; the lighthearted fun of citywide events like the Red Dress Run and the Running of The Bulls; wearing a messy ponytail because, well, what’s the point of brushing it?; the excuse to eat a snowball for lunch because Lou-Lou’s is near our office, and walking there is technically exercise. (If you measured exercise by the amount of sweat produced, we’d all be marathoners.) But autumn always feels like such a reward. A cool, collective sigh of relief is felt around New Orleans this time of year. Hurricane season is drawing to a close, diminishing anxiety. Then we’re onto our next season’s events like cheering on our beloved football teams and admiring our cultural season of performing arts. The mosquito bites are starting to fade, and our once-bare feet are covered
with stylish new boots. We can all start planning our Halloween (and Carnival) costumes without feeling ridiculous. (That might be a stretch – many of you can admit that costume planning happens year-round.) Kids are back in school. It’s a fresh start. Amidst all the excitement, I look forward to the simple pleasure of being outside: riding my bike; jogging through City Park, being at outdoor concerts; sitting in the backyard … comfortably. With my enthusiasm for being outside, I find it serendipitous that in this, my first issue as editor of New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, we have three great articles that focus on exterior spaces. Pamela Marquis, in For The Garden, reveals some of the healing benefits of being en plein air, to which any nature-lover can attest. She also lets you know where you can socialize, exercise, meditate or just wax poetic among our city’s lush plant life. In Home Renewal, Peter Reichard explores several outdoor aesthetic styles and just might steer you in the right direction if you’re also feeling indecisive about how to decorate your garden. Plus, Laura Claverie offers some very useful tips on garden décor in Living with Antiques. While the garden is important, the kitchen is where meals and thus the best memories are made. Jenny Peterson has the scoop on three
On the Cover: Jackie and Gary Palumbo’s kitchen in Lake Vista, p. 40 Photographed by Jeffrey Johnston styled by Valorie Hart
fashionable kitchens that you certainly won’t soon forget, and the recipe that Margaret Roux discovered for Gatherings is easy to prepare, delicious and healthy – a perfect addition to any kitchen! We’re also excited to show off three fabulous local bathrooms that induce a sense of spa-like serenity. Like many newlyweds starting their lives together, Jacob and Amber Donnes needed guidance on how to turn their newly purchased house into a home. After teaming up with some talented local professionals, their shared space is now a stylish yet comfortable reflection of their personalities and interests. Also for this issue, Lee Cutrone assembled a “dream team” of 12 highly skilled individuals for our sixth annual Design Masters feature. Their abilities range from sustainable landscape design to lighting to furniture-building and beyond, and their endeavors and unwavering commitment to the city are impressive. It’s an unbeatable bunch! Lastly, if you’re a regular reader of this magazine, you will notice that I have replaced Eve Kidd Crawford as editor. Over the past five years, Eve has been a trusted colleague, mentor, editor and friend, and I look forward to continuing her good work and her commitment to present exciting style and content to you! n — Sarah Ravits, Editor cheryl gerber Photograph
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style
Produced by Margaret Zainey Roux
House Proud: Unique Home Design – Louisiana (Glitterati Inc., $50)
Croc-tail Hour World-renowned for fashionable yet functional décor, L’Objet launches its newest collection, Cabinet of Curiosités, this September in anticipation of the company’s 10th anniversary. Among the 63 new pieces are hand-crafted brass coasters that integrate sophisticated design, artistic integrity and material innovation with pure and unadorned elements of nature. Arabella Fine Gifts & Home Décor, 3902 Hwy. 22, Mandeville, (985) 727-9787 or go to l-objet.com.
In her newly released book, House Proud, locally based designer (and New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles contributor) Valorie Hart interviews a variety of homeowners who share stories of restoration, revival and redesign of their dream homes in Louisiana. The book’s photographer, Sara Essex Bradley, also a contributor to Homes & Lifestyles, warmly captures the personalities of these indigenous designs, offering a private tour of some of the most fashionable homes where Southern hospitality meets contemporary chic, whether it’s in the form of a Greek Revival house, a Creole cottage or a modern urban loft.
Play On The “Jack” cocktail table from Arteriors is more than just a furniture piece, it’s a conversation piece. Quirky yet sophisticated, its antique brass-finished base is made of sturdy aluminum and topped with heavy round glass to stand up to the tiniest of tots and rowdiest of rebel rousers. Villa Vici, 4112 Magazine St., 899-2931 or go to arteriors.com.
Soft Sell Mia + Finn’s Izia two-patterned reversible quilt is as soft on the skin as it is on eyes. Available in multiple sizes and color combinations, each quilt is handmade from cotton voile and adorned with a classic yet fresh hand-cover printed leaf motif created from low-impact, fiber-reactive dyes. Go to miaandfinn.com for retail information.
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select photos by sara essex bradley
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style Old-Fashioned Fun Game Night goes glam with Restoration Hardware’s vintage bookshelf games. Tucked inside cloth-bound boxes made to mimic books are classics like Scrabble, Monopoly and Clue with redesigned pieces made to look like original editions. Restoration Hardware at Lakeside Mall, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., 828-0203 or go to restorationhardware.com.
Sleeping Beauty The summer sun can do a number on skin – and lips are certainly no exception. Now that the temperature has started to drop, get back to beautiful with Own’s Nighttime Lip Therapy. With shea butter and glycerin, the soothing stick balm hydrates dry lips while you sleep so you wake up with full, supple lips. Go to ownproducts.com for retail information.
Sophisticated Scents This fall, the master perfumers at Jo Malone London introduce their newest concoction, Peony & Blush Suede cologne. Exquisite and flirtatious, the body and home fragrance combines the flower and leather with notes of red apple, jasmine, rose and gillyflower for a scent that is both soft and sensual. Saks Fifth Avenue, The Shops at Canal Place, 301 Canal St., 524-2200 or go to jomalone.com.
First Class Old World meets modern design in the Passport Collection from B. Viz. Designer Rebecca Vizard, beloved for her exquisite pillows made from antique textiles, reflects on inspirational images from her European travels to create pillows and drapery panels that are hand-painted in silver or gold on linen. Bremermann Designs, 3943 Magazine St., 891-7763 or bviz.com.
select photos by sara essex bradley
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artist profile
hannah chalew By Ian McNulty
Strictly speaking, most of the work in Hannah Chalew’s latest work, “Nature of the City,” holds still. It just doesn’t seem to. Drawings of a sagging shotgun house or a single roof line might start off conventionally enough, but then these man-made subjects become the framework, and the vivid green vines and weeds growing around them (and over them) take over, sometimes spreading to additional sheets of paper,
always creeping, twisting and seeming to grow again if you blink. Other pieces are almost like theatrical backdrops, a series of two-dimensional screens lending depth to the view of a derelict house and its engulfing surroundings. And then there are fully three-dimensional vignettes, like the vine-covered wreck of a cottage presenting a somewhat coherent façade to the street but then gutted and teetering behind.
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These are ostensibly empty but in fact highly active landscapes, scenes that are surreal but also documentary in their way. “These spaces have been forgotten, but not by nature,” says Chalew. “It’s the idea that the city used to be swamp; that’s the nature of the city, and there’s this ebb and flow where parts of it look like swamp again.” This work offers a perspective on post-Katrina New Orleans from an artist who came of age as her city was experiencing the first phases of that monumental upheaval. Chalew’s freshman orientation at Brandeis University in Massachusetts was in the fall of 2005, as things were going to pieces back home. She returned to New Orleans after graduation in 2009, the same year of the citywide Prospect.1 art exhibition. It opened her eyes to the artistic possibilities
of her hometown, and the neglected houses she saw each day while bicycling to her Bywater studio supplied the material for her own contribution. “I find them beautiful in a way, but they’re also these memorials to loss,” she says. Chalew’s work centers mainly on buildings, though she’s also found a way to reinterpret their onetime furnishings. She strips down sofas, armchairs, even a stillfunctional lamp and plants them with real vines, which entwine through trelliswork fixed to their frames. Some of the houses she’s depicted are no longer standing, but these furniture pieces literally do keep growing, whether you’re watching or not. n See more of Chalew’s work at the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery or online at www.hannahchalew.com.
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THOM BENNETT PHOTOGRAPHs
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gatherings
just beet it Juicy beets are at the root of this sensational fall salad. By Margaret Zainey Roux
Eugenia Uhl Photograph
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Beets: They’re just as rich in flavor as they are in color. Roast ’em and toss ’em with zesty oranges, savory onions and crunchy hazelnuts, and the nutrient-heavy root takes center stage in a light yet hearty salad. So if you’re searching for a colorful creation to serve at your next fall fête, look no further than this unbeatably simple recipe to satisfy even the most gourmet palates.
recipe Roasted Beet, Onion and Orange Salad 1 pound beets, preferably very small ones 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground pepper 20 large pearl onions, about 1/2 pound 2 oranges, peeled and cut into wedges 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh cilantro plus extra for garnish 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 tablespoons hazelnuts, toasted and peeled 1 ounce pecorino, grated on medium-sized holes of box grater
R Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the stems and tails off the beets. Do not peel. Line the bottom of a baking pan with foil. Place the beets in the pan and toss them with half of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
R Trim both ends off the pearl onions. Then toss them with remaining olive oil and salt and pepper. Add pearl onions to the beets and roast an additional 15 minutes until beets and onions are tender.
R Peel and remove the membranes from the oranges with a sharp paring knife. Cut the oranges in half lengthwise and then crosswise into thin slices. Seed the slices, if necessary.
R Peel and quarter the beets. Lay the beets on a large platter. Top the beets with the orange pieces. Scatter the roasted onions around the beats.
R In a medium bowl, combine the hazelnut oil, coriander and orange juice. Whisk until well-combined and season with salt and pepper.
R Drizzle the dressing on top and sprinkle with coriander, toasted hazelnuts and grated cheese. Serve immediately. Serves 4 Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello
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for the garden
healing gardens Being outside benefits the mind, body and soul. By Pamela Marquis
Gardeners have known it for the longest time: Communing with nature is a beneficial and healthy endeavor. Now there’s research to back it up. According to a recent study at Virginia Tech University, “A view of trees may reduce the recovery time in the hospital after surgery by almost a full day.” Other studies show that spending time outside in a garden positively affects a person’s emotions and improves a sense of well-being. Access to nature balances circadian rhythms, lowers blood pressure,
reduces stress and increases absorption of Vitamin D. There’s even a name for it: horticultural therapy, and it has become a method of recovery, both physical and mental, for Alzheimer’s patients; the physically handicapped; injured or ill patients; and troubled or abused children. Its benefits are now even being extended to young people with conditions such as autism and Down syndrome. No one knows the value of gardening better than Pamela Buckman, the manager of The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture
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Garden at The New Orleans Museum of Art. She combines her knowledge of gardening with a Master’s of Social Work to make sure those who visit and/or volunteer at the garden will always find a calming and satisfying experience. The garden occupies approximately 5 acres in City Park adjacent to the museum, and this November it will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Credit goes to a team headed by architect Lee Ledbetter and his collaborator, landscape architect Brian Sawyer, for the success and tranquil
beauty of this lovely oasis. It started with a stand of 200-year-old live oaks at one end, a neglected camellia garden, which was once the Men’s Camellia Collection at the other end, and a lagoon meandering smack-dab through the middle of it all. Looking at the now-peaceful landscape, it is difficult to visualize all the work that went into the substructure, which snakes underneath and through the site. It’s amazing so many of the original oak and pine trees still grace the space. The garden includes 63 sculptures, most of them
donated to the museum by The Sydney and Walda Besthoff Foundation. The collection includes works by some of the great master sculptors of the 20th century, such as Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth, as well as works by Louisiana artists Ida Kohlmeyer and George Rodrigue. “And though it is primarily the green of grass and bushes that serves as a backdrop to the sculptures, you can always find something blooming and something scented here,” says Buckman. “In the spring, the irises are especially dramatic.” The ornamental plantings include white and purple blooming lilies of the Nile and two varieties of ginger. The ground cover is a combination of holly fern and Asian jasmine, and St. Augustine sod is used for all the lawn areas. A variety of aquatic plants at the lagoon’s edge primarily consist of purple and yellow blooming varieties of the Louisiana irises, yellow flag irises, spider lilies, butterfly irises and horsetails. Buckman loves all of her duties as garden manager, but working with volunteers is clearly one of her favorite tasks. “Every day is different,” she says. “Sometimes we need to do trimming, other days weeding or raking pine straw, but whatever they are doing, the volunteers are commingling with nature and getting dirty. The great thing about the garden is you can assign a task and volunteers can finish it, so they experience a visible measure of success. And there is always something to do – the weeds never
take a vacation.” She also works with special groups such as court-ordered nonviolent offenders and clients from The Magnolia School, an organization that provides support to adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. “We like the experience because it gives our clients such a fulfilling feeling,” says Nancy Santolucito, horticulture trainer at the school. Magnolia also has a therapeutic garden on its campus, accessible to clients who use wheelchairs, walkers or canes. The raised-bed garden is a haven for residents, staff and visitors. “Our clients also help out at Longue Vue’s garden and at the zoo,” Santolucito says. “Being out in nature offers them a deep sense of well-being.” And if that’s not enough therapy, Buckman has joined forces with East Jefferson General Hospital’s Wellness Center to offer yoga and tai chi classes. Yoga class is available the first, second and third Saturday of every month in the garden at 8 a.m., and tai chi happens either in the gallery or garden on Mondays from 6 to 7 p.m. The fee is $5 per class and is free to Wellness Center and NOMA members. When all the therapeutic factors of gardening are combined, one easily sees that gardening truly benefits the body, heart and soul. Gardening constantly reminds us that we are capable of nurturing and cultivating the earth, and through that endeavor we can find true peace and happiness. n www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 17
living with antiques LEFT AND FACING PAGE: Uptown garden of Marianne Mumford BOTTOM: Fountain from M.S. Rau Antiques
garden décor Creating a space that’s a reflection of yourself By Laura Claverie
Peek into any beautiful garden, and you will find lush greenery, colorful flowers or a pattern of hedges that delights the eye. You might find towering trees, thick vines that seem to dance across an arbor or a fountain that offers a drink to a bird or butterfly. You might also notice a piece from the past – be it formal or whimsical – an antique that offers a detail and glimpse into the soul of the garden’s owner.
“Gardens are very personal spaces,” says Bill Rau, president of M.S. Rau Antiques on Royal Street and a fourth-generation antiques dealer. “I tell clients there is no right or wrong in gardening – just follow your own thoughts and tastes.” Rau finds that generally speaking, there are two aesthetics in gardens: the structured, disciplined, organized look and the unstructured, naturalist,
overgrown look. Both are good looks, and both can incorporate antiques. A structured garden benefits from the neoclassical, ancient Rome antiques, he says. Here a gardener might place bold urns, fountains and timeless statues or obelisks. An unstructured garden has no immediately noticeable centerpiece or focal point and might showcase antiques that are more funky or rustic. Landscape architect Marianne Mumford, co-owner of Landscape Images, often adds antiques to the gardens she designs. “Antiques add visual interest to a garden and a personal touch to any setting,” she says. Often, the antiques hold an emotional attachment to the owner and remind them of loved ones or treasured experience. For example, in one Uptown garden Mumford designed, the owner had a large weather vane that she purchased on a trip abroad. She wanted to place it in her garden, but didn’t want the weather vane to stick out. To soften the look, Mumford surrounded the antique with graceful agapanthus. The slender leaves and periwinkle sprouts added just the right accents. The antique looked right at home in its space. In my own garden, Mumford placed some vintage-era stone obelisks in a structured, geometric space. The obelisks had been in our family for decades and perfectly punctuated the area.
Some of the most popular antiques that gardeners are using are old sugar kettles, which add a decidedly Southern touch. Often used as planters, kettles add a bold, colorful statement when filled with annuals. Kettles can also be made into fountains, adding a touch of serenity with their gently running water. “We are finding clients who want antique olive jars and urns that are made
cheryl gerber photographs
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of stone or pottery. Iron or bronze benches are also popular today,” says Rau. He also finds that clients are looking for antique tables and chairs for dining outdoors. The biggest mistake a gardener can make is placing an antique outdoors that doesn’t belong there. “If your antique marble statue has never been outdoors, don’t place it there. It will be worn by the weather,” says Rau. “On the other hand, if it has always been outdoors, then leave it there as it has survived climate changes over the years.” Mumford says that a gardener should think of the scale of the item and make sure it is the appropriate size for the area. She recommends an antique be one-third the size of the area it is housed in. “A patio that is 10 feet by 10 feet should house a fountain or urn that is 3 feet tall,” she says. “If it is any larger, it will dominate the space.” Make sure that if your
antique holds water, such as a fountain, kettle or bird bath, the water moves continuously. If it doesn’t, it will soon become a fertile area for breeding mosquitoes and bacteria that could be harmful to butterflies and birds that drink from it. Consistency also matters. If you are planning a formal setting, don’t throw in a rustic wagon wheel, as it will look out of place. Last, the “less is more theory” is as important in a garden as anywhere. The eye, says Mumford, can absorb only so much. In the end, dress your garden as you would dress yourself or your home. Your garden is a reflection of yourself and what makes you happy. “The best part is that a garden is never finished,” says Rau. “It’s always evolving and growing. It changes with the seasons and with the gardener’s desires. That’s what makes it interesting and fun.” n www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 19
masters of their craft
lucky charms Raegan Robinson of Lucky NOLA creates wall hangings, plates and jewelry out of unlikely materials. By Lauren LaBorde
Artist Raegan Robinson roots through a box of sundry items that includes letter stamps, a pinecone, weeds and other plants, mysterious car parts and a small saucer stained with a rust-colored hue from
Hurricane Katrina’s floods. “A lot of these different things do have meaning to me, but anything that makes an impression is fair game,” she says. “Foolish things like this?” she says, holding up a scrap of yellow mesh. “This
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is my special, special thing – it’s from a lemon bag, but I love the texture. I thought I lost it once, and I almost had a breakdown.” Robinson uses these disparate objects to individually create small ceramic
wall hangings, plates and jewelry for her line Lucky NOLA, which is sold on Etsy (www.Etsy.com/Shop/ LuckyNola) and some local stores and art markets. She impresses these objects into the clay, creating pieces that cheryl gerber photographs
have a similar character to New Orleans: a mélange of overlapping shapes, patterns and textures with a distinct patina. The New Orleans native studied art at University of New Orleans, Dillard and Delgado – her time at that school, Robinson says, was most influential in her art training. Her early gallery shows and school projects featured large ceramic sculpture, but after graduating and losing constant access to a kiln, she wanted to scale back. Then her Mid-City studio was destroyed in Katrina’s floods. Then she had a baby. “I had a newborn at the time, so I thought, ‘What could I make that I could store in a smaller spot?’ And also – I didn’t want her not to be able to handle things. I wanted something sturdy, and I wanted to start making things she would enjoy,” Robinson, who is now in the process of finally moving back to her Mid-City studio space, says. “All of these things that I make now started from the idea of wanting to make things for her – something tactile, where you can feel the impressions and different things – but something that if you grew with it, you would never have to put it away.” She started making ceramic bunnies incorporating the original illustrations from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and, as many New Orleans artisans do, fleur de lis. “There was no way around it,” she says with a laugh.
“I thought, if I was going to make a fleur de lis that I liked, what would I do?” She begins each piece by cutting out a shape in clay, not caring too much about any cracks or imperfections. “A thing I like about this city is we hold onto things that are pretty old, so I like my clay to look aged,” she says. She pulls from her mixed bag of objects and makes impressions on the piece. Some of the works have a decidedly New Orleans theme, with impressions from wrought iron gate pieces and local imagery such as pelicans or magnolias, but many times the images and textures are linked in a subtle way. “You develop your own vocabulary with things, so you just naturally end up grabbing things,” Robinson says. After baking in the kiln, cracks and other subtleties are illuminated – impressions from one plant give the back of a plate the look of a photo negative. She says the plates she makes are food-safe, and all her pieces are free of lead and cadmium and are safe to handle – something that’s important to Robinson, since the special textures of her pieces lend themselves to being touched. “That’s the point: I wanted things to have impressions and to have something you feel kind of bonded to,” she says. “Even if it’s just something you put on your wall, I find that many people just come and they touch.” n www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 21
the finish line 1
Decorative items that have grown finer as they age mesh beautifully with polished, functional pieces. By Lisa Tudor Photographed by Cheryl Gerber Editorial Assistant Chloe Stoller
A unique architectural warehouse, local showrooms, second-hand stores and yard-sale finds provide the jumping-off point for the hands-on decorator with a penchant for that Old World look of decayed elegance. Other notable trends in furnishings are nail head trim accenting all manner of upholstered seating, as well as affordable metal accent pieces that add shine to function.
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1. Whitewashed Spider-back chair with violet velvet upholstery at Ashley Hall Interiors Ltd. 2. Antique Swedish grandfather clock (circa 1800s) at Dop Antiques & Architecturals. 3. Antique painted hutch fabricated from recycled and reclaimed materials at Dop Antiques & Architecturals. 4. Carine side table at Eclectic Home. 5. Bone veneer nesting side tables at Ashley Hall Interiors. 6. Polished nickel cafĂŠ table imported from the Netherlands at Dop Antiques & Architecturals. 7. Polished nickel counter stool imported from the Netherlands at Dop Antiques & Architecturals. 8. Limed oak coffee table with mirrored top and nail head trim at perch.
trendwatch
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9. Carved hutch painted with Napoleonic Blue and Country Grey Chalk Paint by New Orleans decorative painter Jane Drew for Creative Finishes Studio.* 10. Buffet Deux Corps painted with French Linen and Old White Chalk Paint by Jane Drew for Creative Finishes Studio.* 11. Vintage hand-carved Spanish chair at perch.
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* Chalk Paint decorative paint by Annie Sloan is available to purchase from local “Stockist” Jane Drew who also teaches how-to technique workshops on Spanish Fort Boulevard in Lake Vista at her Creative Finishes Studio. Chalk Paint, a lead-free, non-toxic water-based paint, is the unique decorative paint Brit Annie Sloan developed for furniture, floors and walls and can be used as a wash or to create textured, distressed or smooth contemporary finishes. www.chalkpaint.com
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12. Custom-designed and fabricated dining table made from reclaimed teak with distressed paint finish at Dop Antiques & Architecturals. 13. Green Country Buffet painted with Chateau Grey Chalk PaintŠ by Jane Drew for Creative Finishes Studio.* 14. Parisian lounge at perch. 15. Moroccan-style linen stool with nail head trim at perch.
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the best of autumn
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52 A First Home (p.30) Counter Fit (p.38) 2013 Design Masters (p.52)
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A First Home a couple’s house comes together with help from some local experts. By Valorie Hart photographed by Sara Essex Bradley
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mber and Jacob Donnes became friends in college at LSU, but after graduating they went their separate ways. Fortunately, they reunited later at the wedding of mutual friends. The rest is the beginning of their history together. Amber, a native of Shreveport, and Jacob, who’s from Thibodaux, fell in love and got married, and job opportunities brought them to New Orleans. All at once they were newlyweds with new jobs in a new city where they bought their first home. Located in Broadmoor, the house is about 80 years old. It’s an unusual and interesting split-level floor plan in a cottage style. The first floor of the house was flooded during Hurricane Katrina and subsequently completely gutted and renovated by the seller. The hard part was done, so the fun part of decorating could start right away. The Donneses have owned the home for about three years. They didn’t have much in the way of furnishings when they came together as a couple, and though the house had a clean slate, it did not have their emerging design personalities and developing point of view yet stamped onto it. Friends recommended a new interior design team, Logan Killen Interiors, comprising Katie Logan and Jensen Killen. The Donneses’ home was one of the firm’s first projects. Logan Killen Interiors offered plans and punch lists; suggested furniture layout and colors; planned and executed schedules; offered shopping tips and welcomed meditation during a stalemate, eventually steering the newlyweds toward discovery of a style that suited their personalities and their home. “We were excited to take the journey with them,” says Amber. She and Jacob believe hiring a decorator is of great value to new couples.
FACING PAGE: The dining room set is a budget-friendly vintage find. ABOVE: The artwork in the dining room is from One Kings Lane, a flash sale Internet shopping site; the chandelier is by Jonathan Adler.
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TOP, LEFT: Cut velvet tiger pillow is from One Kings Lane. TOP, RIGHT: Inexpensive prints and artwork are placeholders until the couple has a larger budget for art work. BOTTOM, LEFT: Logan Killen suggested a deep gray color for the built-in bookshelves to help visually integrate the large-screen television. Bottom, right: A built-in bookshelf covers one wall in the living room. facing page: Josie, the family dog, enjoys the couch by Jayne Furniture and ordered through Logan Killen Interiors.
32 | New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Autumn 2013
34 | New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Autumn 2013
They got the ball rolling by finding inspiration on the Internet, in shelter magazines and books. They shopped online and in local bricks-and-mortar stores with their design team. To get a lived-in, collected style, they sought vintage furnishings and accessories. They chose investment pieces with classic lines for quality and longevity. Jacob Donnes requested that the home contain a large-screen television for the living room and surround-sound wired throughout the house. A sleek built-in bookshelf unit was added along one entire wall of the living room to accommodate the television. Later, the decorators suggested painting it a deep charcoal gray. It was the perfect way to visually integrate the large television into the room. They chose a soft, neutral paint color for the rest of the downstairs. Logan Killen added a sensual green grass cloth wallpaper for the hall along the stairs. The kitchen had undergone solid and attractive renovation, but it still needed a little something more. Budget had to be considered, so new ceiling pendants were added, along with a tile backsplash that was installed just behind the stove and the sink. They used classic subway tile all the way up to the ceiling. The addition of gray grout made the simple materials a striking design focal point. The couple loves living in New Orleans: “Shreveport and Thibodaux are quiet. New Orleans is so expressive, where quirky is good. It transfers into the way people decorate their homes here,” says Amber. Because the house has three bedrooms, the couple is able to accommodate out-of-town family members on frequent visits to the city. This is not the couple’s “forever” house. Amber thinks they will stay in it for around 10 years or so. There is a nice outside deck that they enjoy entertaining on, but no yard for future children to play in. Jacob is easygoing about the direction and progress of the design and decoration of the house. Amber says, “If he doesn’t like something, he says so; otherwise he goes along with the choices. Comfort and function are the most important things to him.”
FACING PAGE: Layering mismatched bed linens and using vintage art work gives the bedroom personality. TOP: The vintage breakfast area table is paired with director’s chairs and a cowhide rug underneath. BOTTOM: Sideboard used as a bar is vintage from Renaissance Interiors; lamps are also vintage from Sterling Provisions.
Phase 2 of doing up their home involves converting the present garage into an office and den and adding another bathroom to this suite of rooms destined to become Jacob’s domain, the “man cave.” The upstairs master bedroom will be revamped with more help from Logan Killen. Amber will have the final say in the master bedroom, and Jacob will have his way in the office and den. It took about a year to finish Phase 1 of decorating the home. The couple wants to add artwork as time goes on and the budget permits. For now, attractive prints and vintage paintings add color to the walls, along with some of Amber’s grandmother’s plates from the two sets of china she gifted to her. There’s a sweet lull right now. The couple enjoys their new pretty and stylish downstairs rooms. The war chest is being replenished to carve out a budget for Phase 2. Amber says she misses the daily emails from her decorators. “It was always so exciting to see what they had for us to look at.” n TOP: Classic subway tile was installed just behind the stove and sink and taken all the way up to the ceiling. BOTTOM: A vintage nightstand is put to good use in the bathroom. FACING PAGE: The couple loves to entertain on the back deck.
5 Tips For Decorating A First Home 1. Choose transitional pieces. The Donneses have a pair of chests in their living room that could work in any other room of the house. They could also be used as nightstands, office furniture, a changing table in a nursery or additional storage in any room. 2. Invest in quality classic pieces such as your couch and arm chairs, the larger pieces that anchor a room. If they have solid construction and classic lines, they can always be reupholstered years from when they were first purchased. 3. Cowhide rugs are inexpensive and the most durable. The Donneses use one under their kitchen table and one by the front door. Amber loves the organic shape, and she says, “They are pretty and unique and easy to keep clean. I just sweep them off!” 4. Vintage adds personality to a home and is budgetfriendly. The dining room table with four chairs was only $400. Use different host chairs when a set does not have enough chairs. 5. Tried-and-true things often crop up in first homes, like the director’s chairs around the kitchen table. They are affordable and you can remove the seats and backs and throw them in the washing machine when they get dirty.
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A STYLIST SANCTUARY
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COMPLEMENTS IN THE KITCHEN
A WELL-APPOINTED KITCHEN
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SPA-LIKE SERINITY
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A REFRESHING RENOVATION
INSPIRED BY WATERFALLS
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kitchens & bathrooms www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 39
a stylish sanctuary
Sub-Zero glass-front fridge
Imperial antique pine floors
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hen your kitchen is as popular a gathering place as your living room, it’s important to keep the space both inviting and functional. That was the goal behind the design of Jackie and Gary Palumbo’s kitchen when they built their Lake Vista home from the ground-up. Vincent Palumbo, co-owner of Terminix, has a background in building homes and was able to design their kitchen
overlooking the lush greenery of their backyard bird sanctuary. Jackie is the co-owner of EarthSavers, a spa; and Well, a health and lifestyle boutique inside the spa. The most important goal to accomplish for the kitchen was to accommodate the dozen or so family members who visit every weekend. “We wanted to have a place to gather with that many people and still be comfortable,” Jackie says. “I wanted to be able have
Chandeliers from ABC Carpet in New York
Paradise marble countertops
Wolf eight-burner stove and double oven
Thanksgiving dinner with 20 people over and be able to cook for that.� The Palumbos chose contractors Gary Uhl with Caribbean Builders of Metairie for the design. A 14-foot marble-top island anchors the room; it seats guests while also providing plenty of space for meal preparation. The Wolf eight-burner stove and double oven handles large meals, and the Sub-Zero glass-front fridge keeps everything
inside looking tidy. Pocket doors allow the kitchen to have more privacy. The imperial antique pine floors are another standout feature. When decorating the kitchen, the Palumbos drew from the natural beauty of the backyard. The light green marble on the island and the understated cream cabinets strike a perfect balance with the sanctuary on the other side of the glass. What they’ve achieved is the perfect balance of beauty and function.
complements in the kitchen
Eco by Cosentino in “Polar Cap” (made with 75-percent recycled materials) countertops
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he original terrazzo floor in the kitchen of an Agate Street home in Lakeview was the only salvageable original feature left intact following Hurricane Katrina. Former owners Mark and Doreen Babo chose to refurbish the original floor using Bustamante Care Restoration and coordinate the whole kitchen with the same gray, beige and white color scheme when they renovated the home in 2010. Originally designed in 1960 by Architects Albert J. Saputo & Chase J. Rowe, the home “had terrific bones with the vaulted
ceilings and expansive windows,” Doreen says, and the couple chose to keep as many of the unique features of the time period in their thoughtful renovation design. The couple relocated to California and sold the home to Jack Adams, the current owner. But they recall the vision for the new kitchen. The marble-and-glass stacked tile walls were inspired by the stacked brick design that accents the home’s exterior, Doreen says. A particularly unique feature of the kitchen is the large corner
Appliances by IKEA
IKEA drawer pulls
Floors restored by Bustamante Care Services
Wooden bar on island custom-made by Louis Broussard
glass window that peeks out onto a well-landscaped yard. The total kitchen renovation included removing the walls to the adjacent breakfast room and family room for a more open floor plan. Everything else was replaced with brand-new, or repurposed, items. The Babos chose Eco by Cosentino countertops, which are made from 75-percent recycled materials. They are in a “Polar Cap” color, which includes metallic silver accents. The customized wooden bar on the kitchen island was
constructed by Louis Broussard. It’s mounted on a stainless steel base, which Doreen says makes it feel lighter. They work with the laminate glass-front cabinets that accent the stacked tile walls. Appliances and pulls are all from IKEA. Monique Bennett and Leslie Lomont-Relayson of Cabinets by Design collaborated with the Babos on the renovation project. The Babos truly achieved their renovation goal: to bring the kitchen and home back to life, while keeping the original 1960s style and feel of the home intact.
a well-appointed kitchen Restoration Hardware lighting
Thermador steel appliances
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ouisiana Senator John Alario Jr. says that being able to cook with his grandchildren was the motivation behind renovating the kitchen of his Westwego home in the Dumonde Oaks subdivision. “I wanted more space for us to dine and gather together,” he says. What was previously two separate kitchen and dining rooms became one large multipurpose space by removing and replacing the wall with large doors. The senator, who also owns John Alario Jr. Income Tax
Services, lives in the home with his daughter, Jan. During the renovation, he upgraded all the appliances in the kitchen for a clean, modern look. The Thermador steel appliances are particularly handsome additions to the new kitchen, accented by steel handles on the cabinets and drawers. Sen. Alario used contractor Machi Medrzycki of MLM, Inc. and Ed Perrier of VIP Kitchens to help create his new space. Almost everything was locally sourced. The cabinets, in a soft cream color, are from VIP
VIP Kitchens cabinetry
Triton Stone Gallery countertops
Triton Stone Gallery fixtures
Kitchens in Metairie. VIP also handled the installation of all the appliances. The countertops and fixtures are from Triton Stone Gallery of Harahan, and the lighting is from Restoration Hardware in Lakeside Shopping Center. Alario says choosing the color was “a collective effort” between the contractors’ suggestions and his own personal taste. “I reviewed several publications to get various ideas, which influenced my decisions,” he says. The backsplash above the stove and opposite wall gives
the otherwise soft-colored kitchen a pop of color. Little luxuries can be found tucked away throughout the space, including a wine cooler and glass-front cabinets above the stainless steel dishwasher. The kitchen is well-appointed, and in the tradition of South Louisiana, the senate president says his favorite pastime is to spend time in the kitchen entertaining. “I relax by cooking and having friends and family over,” he says. “We all have enjoyed the beauty and usefulness of the new area.”
Chandelier from perch.
spa-like serenity
Kohler shower
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ackie Palumbo wanted the bathroom in her Lake Vista home to be the most relaxing room in the house. It started with a distinctive and delicate chandelier that caught and held her interest at first sight. “I was driving down Magazine Street and saw this amazing glass chandelier in the window. It was nighttime, and it was lit up and beautiful. I said, ‘I have to go back,’” Jackie says. She decided to re-create the spa-like atmosphere in
her home’s master bathroom when she and her husband, Vincent, built their new house. Simplicity is the tone for the all-white Italian marble bathroom on the top floor that offers a beautiful view of the nearby lake. “We wanted to take advantage of the views; we really worked with the architect on that,” says Jackie. The Palumbos chose contractor Gary Uhl with Caribbean Builders of Metairie to create the space. The
Custom open-bottom double sink by Jay’s Solid Surface in Sulphur
Kohler Infinity tub
all-white color design leaves room for creative and unique design touches. “You can add any accent color to it – green towels or a green bench – everything goes with white,” Jackie notes. The Palumbos carefully chose many of the bathroom fixtures themselves, including a Kohler Infinity tub and Kohler shower with dual showerheads that double as a steamer. The most unique feature in the bathroom is the
custom-made white double sink, specially made by builder Jay’s Solid Surface in Sulphur. A painting originally intended for a guest bedroom found its permanent home in the bathroom after Jackie noticed the subject, a woman, appears to be gracefully draped in a towel. Those one-of-a-kind touches add to the unique and relaxing atmosphere of the room. “It’s just clean and pure and very spa-like,” she says. “It’s really the most relaxing place in the house.”
a refreshing renovation
Service Glass shower and glass partition
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few extra inches of space can go a long way when it comes to bathroom renovation. That’s just what architect Jody Zeringue of SCNZ Architects proposed for an Agate Street home in Lakeview – to take a few inches from the adjacent bedroom to turn the bathroom into a noticeably more open place to relax. Doreen Babo, a former Tulane School of Public Health professor, and her husband, Mark, a physician, bought and renovated the home in 2010. It had flooded during Hurricane
Katrina. Like the rest of the house, the bathroom had been gutted and was awaiting a new look. “We wanted it to look fresh and modern, but all the while keeping with the home’s mid-century modern aesthetic,” Doreen says. Key features she wanted were a separate tub and shower, double sinks, adequate storage and a private area for the toilet. The Babos moved to California after the renovation and sold the home to Jack Adams. Yet Doreen recalls they were
Tile walls from ABC Tile & Stone
Cabinets from California Closets Duravit rounded tub
inspired to renovate the room around the four outstanding skylights that brought in plenty of natural light. The skylights were repositioned so that they took full advantage of the room. “I loved lying in the tub and looking up at the sky, whether morning or night,” Doreen says. The custom cabinets by California Closets allow the room to feel more spacious with its narrow, yet deep, storage space. The color scheme is gray, gold and beige, matching the home’s original terrazzo floors that were expertly refurbished.
To complement those colors, the bathroom countertops are silver vein-cut travertine with just a pop of color and texture from the tile walls. The tile came from ABC Tile & Stone and was installed with metal edging by Ted Johnson. The shower and glass partition are from Service Glass. A “domineering square tub” was replaced by a Duravit rounded tub design. The acid-etched glass partition creates privacy without a thick and bulky feel. The result of the renovation is a beautiful, open and relaxing space.
inspired by waterfalls
Two Rainhead showerheads, two hand-held showerheads, four body sprays
Flaminia Bianco tile
Sumerain waterfall faucet
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eborah Taylor created a waterfall-inspired sanctuary for her master bathroom when she was renovating her Slidell home in the new Cross Gates subdivision. The bathroom hosts impressive aquatic features, including a soaker tub with a Sumerain waterfall faucet and a spacious 9-foot long shower that takes up an entire wall. A ribbon of black-and-white patterned Flaminia Bianco tile
runs down the center of the shower wall, giving the illusion of a cascade. The shower is enclosed on three sides by Italian porcelain tile and a 7-foot glass enclosure. It featured two Rainhead showerheads, two hand-held showers and four body sprays – the ultimate in shower luxury. Deborah, a certified pharmacy technician and IT
Kovacs Lighting in the cubism design
White Delta Vero vessel
Black Wood Cambria
Delta Vero collection
specialist, and her husband, John, employed contractor Machi Medrzycki of MLM, Inc., to bring their waterfall dreams to life. The same Flaminia Bianco cascading tile frames the mirror over the nearby vanity. The Taylors used the Delta Vero collection for the faucets on the sink, lavatory, tub and shower system. The sinks are white Mollie vessel sitting on Black Wood Cambria countertops. The vanity is custom-made from
maple with a deep chocolate glaze. Illuminating the room from all sides are modern light fixtures in a Cubism design by Kovacs Lighting. There is a four-way and a two-way light fixture above the dual custom vanities, two cube pendant lights over the tub and three above the shower. “We are absolutely thrilled with the total project and will certainly enjoy it for many years to come,” says Deborah. n
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DESIGN MASTERS Produced by Lee Cutrone Photographs by Ron J. Berard
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he year 2013 will be memorable for many things – including the portfolio of work accomplished by (appropriately enough) 13 talented individuals gracing this magazine’s sixth annual Design Masters feature. The buildings, homes, rooms and gardens they’ve shaped speak volumes about where New Orleans has been and where it is headed. Second-generation custom cabinetmaker Ruppert Kohlmaier is a true master craftsman whose work is deeply rooted in the elite decorative traditions of the past. Interior designer Gerrie Bremermann is nothing less than the doyenne of local interior designers (the esteemed work of both Kohlmaier and Bremermann also draw a national clientele). Like Bremermann, interior designer Penny Francis has built both a thriving design business and a well-curated retail establishment (the former designer deals in antiques mixed with contemporary pieces; the latter deals in contemporary décor) and has partnered with one of her manufacturers to create a line of lighting, a subcategory of design about which she’s passionate. Visionary real estate developer Sean Cummings
of Ekistics and architect/ educator Byron Mouton of Bild Design are known for their distinctively contemporary and highly individual aesthetics (the former for his residential lofts and boutique hotels; the latter most recently for his collection of modern Riverbend residences along Leake Avenue). Father and son Bruce and B.J. Farrell of Campbell Cabinets started more than 40 years ago and are beautifying the world a kitchen at a time (actually, they design and sell thousands each year), while Curtain Exchange owner Elaine Cullen tackles the task one window at a time with both off-therack and custom curtains. Kenny and Jennifer Rabalais of The Plant Gallery and Travis Cleaver and Demetria Christo of EcoUrban Sustainable Landscaping have literally kept the bloom on the city with their landscaping expertise. And finally, Mehmet Ergelen of Bluebag LLC has blended the concept of personal shopping with the affordability of IKEA, creating a business that provides multiple levels of assistance for customers interested in IKEA goods. Congratulations, Design Masters, on your tireless efforts and their pleasing effects!
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MASTERS of green design EcoUrban landscaping design + services “Here in New Orleans, our environmental challenges offer our biggest opportunities.” – demetria Christo
Tell us about your background. Demetria Christo: I was born in New Orleans and raised in Virginia. I have a bachelor’s of science in biology and ecology with a minor in art from Tulane. I have about eight years of fisheries lab and field science experience in the Chesapeake Bay. That’s what got me into this business – I wanted to stop studying environmental problems and start creating sustainable solutions. Travis Cleaver: I’m originally from West Virginia. Demetria and I met at Tulane University, where I studied architecture. When I was the foreman at another landscaping company, I kept thinking to myself, there’s got to be a greener way to landscape. Form and function are both important components of a design; a yard shouldn’t just look gorgeous, it should also produce food, harvest rainwater and serve as an urban wildlife habitat. Who are the principals of your business? Travis Cleaver and Demetria Christo. How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and challenges? D.C. Our environmental challenges offer our biggest opportunities. Excess water and flooding are problems in New Orleans, but if we see the abundance of water as a resource, we can harvest rainwater for landscape irrigation and outdoor water use. By using EcoUrban’s cisterns, homeowners and businesses have the opportunity to save 20 percent on their water bills, while New Orleans as a whole benefits from the reduced strain on the storm water pump infrastructure. Additionally, by allowing this water to be utilized locally instead of pumped away into Lake Pontchartrain, the city’s water gets replenished, thereby reducing subsidence. There’s a whole emerging industry catering to hazard mitigation through storm water management; EcoUrban installs rain gardens, bioswales and cisterns. New Orleans has quite a bit of land per capita, so the city is an ideal place for urban food production. Citizens have room to compost, grow their own vegetables and plant orchards. EcoUrban has developed a line of products to aid urban growers including soil, rain barrels and compost barrels. Tell us about your current projects. T.C.: We are working with Habitat for Humanity on their next 30 home installations, where we’ve designed small, simple “nativescapes,” which use 100-percent native, low-water, low-maintenance plants with locally harvested pine straw mulch. We have a number of residential projects ranging from formal Uptown gardens to subtropical Zen gardens – each with orchards and raised vegetable planters. We’re pleased to work with Project Lazarus installing a cistern with a pressurized rain-fed irrigation system for their raised vegetable planters. We’re also in the early design stages of a large-scale, zero-runoff residential landscaping project.
Tell us about your background. I began my career 40 years ago. After doing a room in the first Junior League house, I woke up and found myself in the design world. I was in the right place at the right time and have been lucky ever since.
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Who are the principals of your business? I have three employees: Sarah Vizard, Mel Hickey and Katherine Sauska. How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and challenges? New Orleans is a wonderful place to do design work. The architecture, art, antiques market, creative and design world all have no boundaries. You can design in any direction you choose. I love New Orleans. Tell us about your current projects. My projects range from a new large mansion on St. Charles Ave to a new penthouse condo in the Warehouse District, 425 Notre Dame St. I also just completed a beautiful house in Montecito, Calif. What else would you do if you weren’t doing this? I can’t imagine that. Travel, maybe.
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MASTER of interior design bremermann DESIGNS “ New Orleans is a wonderful place to do design work. The architecture, art, antiques market, creative and design world all have no boundaries. ”
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Tell us about your background. Eclectic Home has now been in business for 13 years. I had always dreamed of owning my own store someday, where I could provide access to furnishings from many periods and styles. As a decorator, I found it took longer and was more difficult to complete projects without having direct access to resources. The hardest part for most clients is only relying on a drawing or a picture. Having the store helps them to visualize more clearly the design direction. Who are the principals of your business? Myself.
MASTER of lighting eclectic home
“ I am energized by this city’s diverse culture, passion and resilience. ”
How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and challenges? I am energized by this city’s diverse culture, passion and resilience. After moving to Houston for two years after Katrina, so many encouraged me to leave the city with my business and family and said that I would “do better in another city.” Well, I refused to believe that, and my business and family have thrived. One of the misconceptions that goes along with being in the Big Easy is that we also are slow and not “on top” of design trends and resources like other parts of the country. Nothing could be further from the truth. New Orleans has so many talented people and wonderful resources. I am obsessed with interiors and committed to showcasing the best in design. Tell us about your current projects. I love that my projects are diverse. I am completing three large new construction projects as well as several home renovations and remodeling four kitchens and eight bathrooms. I also have clients that I have worked with over the years, one room at a time.
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Tell us about your background. After finishing college with a degree in management and marketing, my love of nature inspired me to start The Plant Gallery in 1991. It began as a plant shop in the French Market, across from the open-air market with two full-time employees. Who are the principals of your business? My wife, Jennifer, and I are the principals of our business. How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and the challenges? I am blessed to live and work in such a resilient, ever-changing city. Our clients are always striving for excellence and the quality that I find energizing and refreshing. It is easy to be passionate about what you do when the people you work with share the same passion, and New Orleans has a lot of passion. Tell us about your current projects. The Plant Gallery is a comprehensive center for sophisticated lifestyles, gardening services and products. TPG offers a variety of services, ranging from estate and commercial landscaping to floral creations for all occasions. We believe that we offer our clients a superior experience by consolidating our services and resources to one central location. While TPG projects vary greatly in scope, each exhibits a sensitive response to the unique needs of the design – with our clients’ goals in mind.
MASTER of landscaping the plant gallery
“I am blessed to live and work in such a resilient, ever-changing city.”
[Ed. Note: All answers by B.J. Farrell] Tell us about your background. In 1995, I graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University with a bachelor’s of arts in marketing. A week after graduation, I started working at Campbell’s to gain experience and utilize my education. My dad, Bruce Farrell, spent most of his career in the banking industry, so we have a great combination here, with my education in marketing combined with his financial background. Who are the principals of your firm/ business? My dad and myself are the owners of Campbell’s, but we have a great staff of office personnel, warehouse workers and kitchen designers. We work together as a team and have one goal: to make our kitchens and bathrooms beautiful and keep the customers happy. Our kitchen designers have been with us for many years, making them the most experienced and qualified team in the area.
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MASTERS of kitchen & bath design campbell cabinets “Because of our great reputation, we stay busy year-round, which is fun because every new kitchen and bathroom presents a new challenge.”
How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and challenges? New Orleans has an amazing array of architecture and culture. If you look at the different styles of homes in the New Orleans area, including Jefferson Parish, Orleans Parish, Eastbank and West Bank, the architecture differs among these areas, which in turn will reflect the kitchen style, color and design. Because of the different architectural styles of houses, we offer a large selection of cabinet styles and finishes to fit most décors. Tell us about your current projects. Remodeling has always been strong in our area, but this year, we have seen an increase in new construction. Of course, Lakeview remains a hot new construction market, but we are seeing an increase of new construction on the Northshore. Currently, we are working on some multi-unit condominiums in the area, as well as some local celebrities’ kitchens and bathrooms. Because of our great reputation, we stay busy year-round, which is fun because every new kitchen and bathroom presents a new challenge. What else would you be doing if you weren’t doing this? I have always had a love for advertising. After graduating in marketing, I always felt that advertising would be my future. Similar to kitchen design, you need creativity and an eye for design.
Who are the principals of your business? Myself, and I have three helpers. How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and challenges? A lot of people bring antiques to me to be restored, remodeled or made (reproductions of antiques). I also make furniture from photographs. I make only period furniture. Benefits: I get very close to my customers. They become part of my life. Challenges: I also designed Oriental rugs, was in the interior design business, made leather-tooled tabletops, restored antique clocks and their movements for 28 years and did custom upholstery with hand-stitched edges. My father influenced me to go into many different art fields. The challenges are to be successful with so many things and to accomplish what the client wants. I strictly work for individuals and a few decorators. Tell us about your current projects. I am making some fine reproductions of period pieces made by my father and me that were on exhibition at Longue Vue House & Gardens in 1985. They are 18th-century Hepplewhite designs: chests of drawers, veneered and inlaid with sunburst tops and in the sunburst, a display of seashell designs in marquetry, and some of the seashells will be painted. I just completed a secretary and a fine bed, and I am making a Hepplewhite table.
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Tell us about your background. I was born here in 1936. I started working professionally in 1954 with my father, a first-class cabinetmaker from Germany, building chairs, tables and beds. We worked for many plantations and private people in New Orleans, New York, Connecticut and other places. My father taught me inlay making and marquetry when I was 12. I learned carving and sculpture from Maurice Hewllant. Most of the furniture I build is 18th- and 19th-century period furniture. Kohlmaier & Kohlmaier has made furniture for two Louisiana governors, Robert Kennon and Mike Foster. From 1954 until my father’s death in 2002, all of our furniture was signed in German: “Ruppert Kohlmaier Sr.-Jr.”
MASTER of furniture design kohlmaier & KOHLMAIER
“ I get very close to my customers. They become part of my life. ”
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MASTER of Architecture bild design “Aiming to produce contemporary architecture in New Orleans can be challenging, yet I believe it is our responsibility as professionals to think forward and create architecture of its time.”
Tell us about your background. I am an architect, educator, New Orleans native and alumnus of Tulane University. I left home for Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, then went on to professional practice in Central Europe. Eventually I made my way back to New Orleans and founded the architecture studio BILD Design. I also hold an academic appointment as Professor of Practice at Tulane’s School of Architecture where I am director of their design/ build program, URBANbuild. Recently, I have been recognized as the Tulane University New Day Professor of Social Entrepreneurship. Who are the principals of your firm? I am the principal and founder of BILD Design, a studio for independent architects, designers and fabricators to come together and collaborate. BILD is a studio in its truest sense: Each participant has his or her own individual portfolio of experience and talent. The common thread is a shared dedication to the rebirth of the New Orleans region. How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and challenges? New Orleans is a unique place. Its benefits are also its challenges – good food, good drinks and a comfortable pace of life. It is a place that forces you to be creative by asking for much to be done with little. New Orleans’ deep-seated architectural heritage also forces respect for nostalgia. Aiming to produce contemporary architecture in New Orleans can be challenging, yet I believe it is our responsibility as professionals to think forward and create architecture of its time. Tell us about your current projects. A little old, a little new. At the moment, we have a restoration project underway in the Marigny, but we are also applying a contemporary addition to the rear. We are developing a residential project along the banks of Bayou St. John, and we have a major project wrapping up along the riverfront on Leake Avenue. In addition, my teaching with Tulane School of Architecture and its URBANbuild program is very rewarding. This past spring we finished our eighth design-build project with students. All of these projects have been located in underprivileged neighborhoods of New Orleans, and we have worked with a number of our community’s nonprofit groups.
Who are the principals of your business? I am the sole principal, founder and master IKEAlogist at Bluebag LLC. How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and challenges? Because New Orleans is considered a small market, IKEA has never had plans of opening a store here, and the closest IKEA is in Houston. Using this gap as an opportunity, we provide design, personal shopping and installation services to local residents, including students, households and businesses. The film industry has become a new and exciting group of clientele as well. The challenge of marketing the modern aesthetic to a town full of historic architecture has been adventurous, and the marriage of the different styles is a continuing mission to respect the past and embrace the future. Tell us about your current projects. Our design team works on commercial and residential projects. We just completed the new offices for the New Orleans area Habitat for Humanity. On the residential side, we are involved in whole house renovations in addition to kitchen, bathroom and closet designs for our clients, using IKEA products exclusively.
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Tell us about your background. I moved from Istanbul, Turkey, to study aerospace engineering at the University of Texas – Austin. I went on to receive an MFA in industrial design from Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, N.Y. In the past, I have designed a wide range of products including office furniture for Herman Miller, snowboard bindings for Burton and consumer electronics for MIT startups, working both for small consulting firms and corporate giants such as Procter & Gamble. When I arrived in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina I was already familiar with IKEA furniture and made regular journeys to Houston when I was renovating my Uptown double shotgun. My friends capitalized on my expertise, and I parlayed what began as shopping trips for friends into a full-blown lifestyle. Since I began Bluebag LLC in 2010, we have provided design services, personal shopping, delivery and assembly of IKEA products to more than 3,500 clients in Greater New Orleans via our weekly trip to IKEA Houston and out of our Lower Garden District showroom.
MASTER of innovative concept bluebag llc “The challenge of marketing the modern aesthetic to a town full of historic architecture has been adventurous.”
elaine cullen g MASTER of window treatments the curtain exchange
“ With so many new people moving [here], it’s always a pleasure working with people furnishing their first New Orleans home. ”
Tell us about your background. I’m originally from New York State, about 60 miles from New York City. I first moved to New Orleans in 1975 and worked for Godchaux’s as the buyer for boyswear. I left New Orleans in 1981 and moved back in 2000. Who are the principals of your business? I own the store by myself, having purchased the store in 2007 from Georgina Callan, who started The Curtain Exchange, now a franchise business with 12 stores in 10 states, in 1997. How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and challenges? As a retailer of fine window fashions, New Orleans and The Curtain Exchange are a perfect match. With the typical Uptown window that measures 120 inches long, an “off the rack” solution had never been possible. We have ready-to-hang curtains in stock in these long lengths, as well as the ability to manufacture any desired length in a very short time, often in less than three weeks. These long windows have always required custom work, so it is sometimes a challenge to convince people that we actually have custom quality curtains already to go in the store. Tell us about your current projects. With so many new people moving [here], it’s always a pleasure working with people furnishing their first New Orleans home. We recently helped a newly transplanted family with window coverings for every room in the house that really did put the finishing touch to their home. What else would you be doing if you weren’t doing this? I would still be in retail. I have always enjoyed working with my customers in a store setting, especially in New Orleans.
Tell us about your background. I was born in New Orleans. I received an Urban Studies degree from Brown University and studied at the London School of Economics. At 22, I started Ekistics, a New Orleans-based real estate development firm, creating the city’s first lofts in 1988, first boutique hotel in 1998, 18 other buildings and, through public service, the lifetime opportunity to reinvent the city’s Riverfront in 2008. Who are the principals of your business? I am the CEO, but since every vice president is a woman, well, I kinda know to let them run things. How does New Orleans affect your profession? What are the benefits and challenges? New Orleans is attracting new talent with new ideas, and whether one paints on a canvas or her company is her canvas, we love to collaborate with artists and entrepreneurs – inspired rebels with a cause. We love simple products made exceptionally well by passionate people who care way more than normal people do. I’m also inspired by this city’s exotic beauty, a rich mix of African, Caribbean, Native American and European influences. Tell us about your current projects. We are creating new lofts and a design institute that we will announce in the fall. This one means a lot to me because the father of American architecture, Benjamin Latrobe, died on the property. Our design has to be breathtakingly original to properly honor the man who gave us a quintessentially American architectural style and the design vocabulary for a radically different nation. What else would you be doing if you weren’t doing this? I’d make films. Creatively, it’s remarkably similar, though maybe even more difficult than the thousands of design decisions and relentless attention to detail that our buildings require.
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MASTER of creative vision/real estate ekistics “ We love to collaborate with artists and entrepreneurs – inspired rebels with a cause. ”
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Shop
Blueswood, Inc. 4904R Magazine St. New Orleans 662/609-5473 blueswood.com
California Closets 3211 N. Causeway Blvd. Metairie 504/828-5705 californiaclosets.com/ Metairie
Cameron Kitchen and Bath 8019 Palm St. New Orleans 504/486-3759 cameronkitchens.com
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Cabinets By Design 5201 Tchoupitoulas St. New Orleans 504/899-2300 cabinetsbydesign.com
www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 65
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Shop
Classic Cupboards 5809 River Oaks Road South Harahan 504/734-9088 classiccupboards.com
Ferguson 901 S. Labarre Road, Suite 204 Metairie 504/849-3060 ferguson.com
The French Mix 228 Lee Lane Covington 985/809-3152 shopthefrenchmix.com
Custom Woodwork and Design 504/722-1390 customwoodworkanddesign.com
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Shop
HOME DÉCOR 10920 E. I-10 Service Road New Orleans 504/245-8288 hd-kitchenandbath.com
LOUISIANA CUSTOM CLOSETS 13405 Seymour Meyer Blvd. #24 Covington 985/871-0810 louisianacustomclosets.com
Modern Market Lifestyle 3138 C Magazine St. New Orleans 504/896-2206 modernmarketlifestyle.com
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Villa Vici 4112 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/899-2931 villavici.com
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Shop Stafford Tile & Stone 5234 Magazine St., New Orleans 504/895-5000 4273 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge 225/925-1233
PIERI TILE & MARBLE CO. INC. 3622 Toulouse St. New Orleans 504/488-1509 pieritile.com
Mullin Landscape Associates, LLC 621 Distributor Row Suite F Harahan 504/275-6617 mullinlandscape.com
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Nancy Robbins 816 Asbury Drive, Suite A Mandeville 985/727-4565 985/789-5770 nancyrobbinsinteriors.com
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Shop
RUG CHIC HOME DÉCOR 4240 Hwy. 22 Mandeville 985/674-1070 rugchic.com
NORDIC KITCHENS & BATHS INC. 1818 Veterans Blvd. Metairie 504/888-2300 nordickitchens.com Rivers Spencer Interiors 4610 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/609-2436 riversspencer.com
Roussel Builders LLC 201 Marguerite Road Metairie 504/415-6730 www.rousselbuilders.com
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Shop CAMPBELL CABINET CO. 220 Hord St., Harahan 504/733-4687 4040 Hwy. 59, Mandeville 985/892-7713 campbellcabinets.com
PALATIAL STONE 2052 Paxton St., Harvey 504/340-2229 2033 N. Highway 190 Suite 9, Covington 985/249-6868 palatialstone.com
Talebloo Oriental Rugs 2015 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/581-9700 talebloorugs.com
MLM INCORPORATED 3500 N. Causeway Blvd. Suite 160 Metairie 504/322-7050 mlm-inc.com
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Shop
Jefferson Door 1227 First Ave. Harvey 504/340-2471 jeffersondoor.com
The Historic New Orleans Collection 533 Royal St. New Orleans 504/523-4662 hnoc.org
FLOOR & DÉCOR DESIGN GALLERY 2801 Magazine St. 504/891-3005 4 Westside Shopping Center, Gretna 504/361-0501 flooranddecoroutlets.com
Ashley Hall Interiors LTD, Inc. 832 Howard Ave. New Orleans 504/524-0196 ashleyhallinteriors.com 76 | New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Autumn 2013
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Northshore Living
H
ome is where the heart is – and that makes home a pretty important place. Making sure your home is special can be accomplished any number of ways, and finding those that suit you and your family can make all the difference in where you spend your time and energy. As Northshore communities and families consistently grow, a variety of home and home design services are helping find ways to ensure a home reflects not just a family’s needs, but also its personalities. From interior design to custom furniture, cabinetry and closets, the following Northshore and Southshore experts are invaluable resources for those looking to build, renovate or simply add a personal touch to their living space. Famous for preserving Louisiana’s culture and heritage through woodworking and furniture making, Greg Arceneaux builds furniture based on early Creole and Acadian designs using traditional techniques and indigenous materials. Arceneaux specializes in 18th-century joinery and uses a handrubbed oil finish topped with a French wax or his signature painted gold-leaf finish.
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Arceneaux’s Louisiana Heritage Collection includes everything from chairs and benches to tables, shelves and armoires. Arceneaux also does custom work and cabinetry. From Sept. 14 through Oct. 29, his work will be on exhibit in Lafayette at the Acadiana Center for Arts. The exhibit, named “Furnishing Louisiana, Then and Now by Greg Arceneaux,” features the classic Creole designs for which Arceneaux is known and lauded. For a gallery of designs, visit Greg Arceneaux Cabinetmakers online at GregArceneaux.com. If you would like to place an order, please contact his workshop, located at 17319 Norwell Drive in Covington, by calling (985) 893-8782. For a custom closet, pantry, home office or garage, superior service is available in your Northshore neighborhood. Since 2003, Louisiana Custom Closets has been tailoring rooms, shelves, hampers, hutches and more to fit the needs of residents in South Louisiana and along the Gulf Coast. Don Wise, the company’s founder, has been designing closets for more than 18 years. Wise has an unparalleled commitment to customer service, sometimes spending hours listening to the unique wants and needs a client has for the space in his or her home. Louisiana Custom Closets uses leading technology and software for design, providing clients with computer-generated images. They use high quality materials and custom-build each closet in their warehouse – from the slanted shelves for shoes and the various rods and valets for hanging clothes, to the spacious hutch drawers and cubicles for purses, sweaters and more. With competitive pricing, Louisiana Custom Closets will find an affordable solution to your home needs. Visit LouisianaCustomClosets.com or call for a free estimate: (985) 8710810 or (504) 885-3188. For more than 14 years, Rug Chic has served as South Louisiana’s connection to international markets of fine quality, one-of-a-kind rugs that will last for generations. Beth Assaf has traveled the world in search of the highest quality craftsmen and suppliers using superior quality materials and dyes, and she is careful in choosing only items that are made with 100-percent child-free labor. From street markets in Nepal, Turkey, India, China and Pakistan, Assaf brings an array of antique, traditional and contemporary rugs, hand-selected antique furniture, as well as exclusive fine upholstered furniture, unique accessories and art to clients on both the Northshore and Southshore, providing distinctive looks to homes while complementing today’s interior design. Rug Chic supplies an extensive collection of fine, hand-knotted rugs, Tibetan rugs by Tufenkian, and two upholstered furniture lines by Lee Industries and Baker. The Rug Chic showroom is located in Mandeville at 4240 Highway 22, Suite 6. View the gallery online at RugChic.com or call (985) 674-1070 for more information. Since 1997, Gomez Pine Straw of Mandeville has been committed to offering premium quality ground cover at competitive prices and impeccable customer service year-round. A family business, Gomez Pine Straw takes pride in their product and status as the largest and best pine straw supplier across the state. Gomez Pine Straw has a history of working on key projects in and around Greater New Orleans and enjoys providing that finishing touch for homeowners, commercial landscapes, boulevards and highways across the region.
a dv ertis in g s ec tio n Pine straw presents an earth-friendly alternative to wood mulches because the harvesting of trees is not necessary for production. In addition, wood mulch may attract termites where pine straw does not. Gomez Pine Straw is hand-raked, hand-baled, and free of debris, pinecones and dirt. Each tight bale covers approximately at least 40-50 square feet. For more information or to inquire about any job, large or small, call (985) 264-3567 or visit GomezPineStrawLLC.com. What began as a mother-daughter venture 26 years ago is now a respected business for Laurie Martin and her two brothers, Perry and Larry Frey, who continue to provide the same personal attention and customer service for which their beloved mother, the late Kay Frey, was known. Doors of Elegance offers customers individualized attention to help make the complete process of purchasing a new entryway for their home easy with just six simple steps. “We sell everything you need to replace an existing front door – from the hardware to choosing the perfect stain color,” says Martin. Visit Doors of Elegance for a wide variety of doors, and take advantage of their quality, professional installation for a guaranteed, weather-tight fit. A new, at-home refinishing service is available for customers looking to restore an entryway to its prior elegance. In July, Doors of Elegance consolidated their Northshore showroom with their Southshore showroom. They will continue to service Northshore customers through their Metairie location at 3100 Kingman St., next to Clearview Shopping Center, and look forward to at least another 26 years in business. For more information, visit DoorsofElegance.com, or call (504) 887-5440. Offering the broadest selection of artisan, decorative and stone tiles on the Northshore, Palatial Stone & Tile has experienced designers with the knowledge to take your residential and commercial projects to the next level. In a market flooded with similarly styled products, Palatial Stone offers a boutique designer showroom filled with unique designs from Artistic Tile, Encore Ceramics, Tabarka, Alys Edwards & Mosaique Surface and others. Many are one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted artisan tiles with coordinating stone. Architects, designers, contractors and homeowners are invited to view all samples and products available at Palatial. Locally and family owned, Palatial Stone has served the Greater New Orleans area for more than 10 years, operating two full-service showrooms in Harvey and Covington. They offer fine custom countertops of natural stone, engineered quartz and recycled glass fabricated in their Harvey warehouse. They stock many stone products in Harvey, eliminating the need for extended shipping times. For more information, stop by a showroom, visit their website, PalatialStone.com, and like them on Facebook. Call (504) 340-2229 (Harvey)
Gomez Pine Straw or (985) 249-6868 (Covington). Established in 1991 by local husband and wife team Vikki Leftwich and Bryan Colwell, Villa Vici offers eclectic home décor, from modern to classic. “Our philosophy has always remained constant; to offer our customers the highest quality in product, service and value without compromising style and comfort,” says Leftwich. A carefully selected product mix is chosen from the finest vendors in America and around the world to yield a timeless home environment that excites the senses. Whether planning to furnish an entire space or just looking to add that one special item, feel at ease shopping with Villa Vici at your own pace. Collections by Mitchell Gold+Bob Williams, LEE Industries, Cisco Brothers & Oly Studio include sofas, beds, tables, cabinets, lighting and artwork. Offering professional design services and installation, Villa Vici is truly a one-stop shop for all of your home furnishing and design needs. By definition, “villa vici” means to conquer a house. Welcome to the world of Villa Vici. Visit VillaVici.com or call (504) 899-2931. Combining timeless appeal and modern influence, The French Mix in historic downtown Covington offers full service interior design for Home and Baby, as well as custom furnishings, hand-knotted rugs, statement-making lighting, original art, luxury bedding, draperies and chic transitional décor. So when “Ordinary Won’t Do,” visit their beautiful 3,000-square-foot showroom at 228 Lee Lane or contact Jennifer DiCerbo for an in-home design consultation. Jennifer shops design markets in New York, Dallas and High Point to find the perfect pieces for both her design clients and her store. To view her portfolio, visit ShopTheFrenchMix.com, and for new arrivals, Like The French Mix on Facebook at Facebook.com/TheFrenchMix. To schedule a consultation with Jennifer, call the showroom at (985) 809-3152 or call Jennifer directly at (985) 590-9543. Your home is the place that most Greg Arceneaux www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 79
a dv ertis in g s ec tio n reflects your lifestyle – comfort and taste, your way of living. Whether you are designing a new home or renovating your current one, the design process is most important for ensuring your personal comforts and satisfaction. Attention to detail is the specialty of Nancy Robbins, designer and owner of Nancy Robbins Interiors. Robbins offers a tailor-made service specific to the desires of each client. With years of experience in pre-construction design, renovations, lighting plans and furnishings, Robbins knows the ins and outs of exacting and creating the atmosphere that you want for living, entertaining and relaxing. Before planning the design of your new home or updating that old kitchen or bath, before you freshen up your furnishings and paint selections, schedule a consultation with the Northshore’s premier interior designer. For Nancy Robbins, communication is key in determining the perfect fit for you and your family. For more information or to schedule a consultation, visit NancyRobbinsInteriors.com or call (985) 7274565 or (985) 789-5770 (cell). Northshore Millwork, LLC, was started in 2007 by a family who has been in business in Louisiana since 1900. They specialize in the custom manufacturing of high quality cabinetry, builtins, doors, windows and mouldings for homes and businesses. They excel in custom architectural and radius millwork, and they work with new builds as well as renovations. An extensive inventory of exotic hardwoods and popular wood species are stored on site in their 40,000 square-foot millwork shop and showroom in Mandeville. Northshore Millwork’s experienced craftsmen follow the highest quality standards as set by the Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) and have been featured in Architectural Digest for their amazing work. They are a full-service retailer for Marvin Windows and custom manufacture traditional Louisiana wood windows as well. Photos of recently completed work can be found at NorthshoreMillwork.com, and their Mandeville showroom is open by appointment Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Experience the difference in quality cabinetry and craftsmanship. The exterior of a home reflects the style of its owner as much as the inside, and for nearly two decades, JimStone Co. has been transforming outdoor spaces such as courtyards, patios, pool surrounds, fountains, chimneys and outdoor kitchens into works of art. With products and design services to fit every budget, their selection of shapes, colors and textures gives homeowners the freedom to create the outdoor paradise of their dreams. Whether you’re hunting moss or river rock, Dublin pavers or Pennsylvania bluestone, turn to JimStone Co. for all of your stone needs. JimStone services the Northshore and Southshore of New Orleans through their Lacombe location, located at 30440 Highway 190. JimStone also maintains offices and showrooms in Lafayette and Baton Rouge, and is a Louisiana staple with quality and service “set in stone.” For more information, call (985) 882-5907 or visit JimStoneCo.com for a photo gallery and list of products. A South Louisiana fixture since 1972, Campbell Cabinets has more than 40 years of experience providing homeowners, designers and contractors with kitchen and bath cabinets, 80 | New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Autumn 2013
Louisiana Custom Closets countertops, decorative hardware, appliances and sinks. With three locations spread across the Southshore, Northshore and Southern Mississippi, Campbell’s has one of the largest selections in the region, including a large selection of in-stock cabinets. “I’d venture to say we have the most experienced team of kitchen designers, too,” says BJ Farrell, co-owner of Campbell Cabinets. “The designers at Campbell’s have been in the industry for a very long time.” Campbell’s supplies cabinets for any room, including kitchen, bath, closets, bars, playrooms, entertainment centers and more. They provide free 3D computer design previews of each project, whether for the price-conscious investment property owner, a couple and their first home purchase, or a qualitydriven builder working on a spacious new home. A community-minded business, Campbell’s only supplies American-made kitchen cabinets and encourages recycling of business materials by donating to various local organizations. For more information on their products, services and locations, visit CampbellCabinets.com or call the Mandeville store at (985) 892-7713. Rooted in the Louisiana communities they serve, Fidelity is a local bank owned by its customers. Since its founding in 1908, Fidelity has grown with the community’s changing needs to offer a full array of banking services, including commercial, consumer and residential loans. They are focused on quality personal service, competitive rates and strong local ties, following a relationship banking philosophy that looks beyond transactions and numbers. Fidelity handles custom mortgages every day at every branch, with local decision-making, extraordinary service and fast turnaround times. Fidelity is proud to serve the Northshore with locations in Covington, Hammond, Mandeville, Ponchatoula and Slidell. For more information on Fidelity please visit FidelityHomestead.com, call Fidelity’s 24-hour fast line at 1 (800) 220-2497 or visit your nearest Fidelity branch. •
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building materials Doors of Elegance 3100 Kingman St., Suite 107 Metairie 504/887-5440 985/893-0057 doorsofelegance.com After 27 years of business, Doors of Elegance attributes their success to providing their customers with the highest-quality doors, affordable pricing and to their continued commitment to outstanding customer service.
directory
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HECKER RIDGE TILES LLC 47177 Conrad E. Anderson Drive Hammond 504/733-8550 800/248-4537 heckerridgetiles.com Hecker Ridge Tiles will give you that finished look; whether re-roofing or building new, our ridge tiles will add that “old New Orleans” look. Jefferson Door 1227 First Ave. Harvey 504/340-2471 jeffersondoor.com Providing high-quality doors, windows, cabinets, molding and more, with excellent customer service, to the New Orleans area since 1959. PALATIAL STONE 2052 Paxton St. Harvey 504/340-2229 2033 N. Highway 190, Suite 9 Covington 985/249-6868 palatialstone.com Specializes in designing kitchens, baths and interiors with natural stone of all sizes, shapes, patterns and textures. Pieri Tile & Marble Co. Inc. 3622 Toulouse St. New Orleans 504/488-1509 pieritile.com Pieri Tile & Marble Co. Inc., the premier stone fabricator and installer in the New Orleans area for more than 40 years. culinary Audubon Nature Institute 6500 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/212-5301
auduboninstitute.org/events/private Fabulous events at Audubon’s Tea Room, clubhouse, zoo and aquarium. Your special event is our expertise. Ralph Brennan Catering & Events 111 Veterans Blvd. Metairie 504/539-5511 ralphbrennancatering.com Full-service off-site, in-home or in-restaurant catering; pick-up and drop-off party platters. We work. You play! custom home builders MLM INCORPORATED 3500 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 160 Metairie 504/322-7050 www.mlm-inc.com
General Contractor Roussel Builders LLC 201 Marguerite Road Metairie 504/415-6730 rousselbuilders.com Local business specializing in renovation, trim work, custom cabinetry, columns and much more. financial Gulf Coast Bank & Trust 3221 Behrman Place New Orleans 504/599-5747 sarafernandez@gulfbank.com 1825 Veterans Blvd. Metairie 504/556-4232
marcialeone@gulfbank.com Let us help you with all your mortgage needs. FIDELITY HOMESTEAD SAVINGS BANK 800/220-2497 fidelityhomestead.com Founded in 1908, Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank provides a full array of banking services, including commercial, consumer and residential loans, with high integrity and personalized service to communities throughout Southeast Louisiana. For more information, please visit www.fidelityhomestead.com, call Fidelity’s 24-hour fast line at 800/2202497 or visit your nearest Fidelity branch.
advertising section
Rivers Spencer
gardening/landscape Exterior Designs, Inc 2903 Octavia St. New Orleans 504/866-0276 exteriordesignsbev.com
Exterior Designs, Inc. is a design/ build company that incorporates all phases of a front or rear yard renovation. Landscape design and installation is the key element to complete the New Orleans Courtyard or Pool Area. Gomez Pine Straw LLC 2025 Spartan Drive Mandeville 504/481-9416 gomezpinestrawllc.com We sell the best; forget about the rest! Your No. 1 provider for pine straw and landscape mulch. Mullin Landscape Associates LLC 621 Distributors Row Suite F
Harahan 504/275-6617 mullinlandscape.com Comprehensive design build firm offering an array of services from landscape architecture, site planning, planting, irrigation design and landscape maintenance. home furnishings & accessories ABODE 2114 Veterans Blvd. Metairie 504/266-2135
shopatabode.com Boutique home store offering fabulous finds of unique furniture, custom upholstery, lighting, artwork, rugs, accessories and gifts. Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, 12 p.m.-4 p.m. ASHLEY HALL INTERIORS LTD, INC. 832 Howard Ave. New Orleans 504/524-0196 ashleyhallinteriors.com
Full service interior design service and furniture store. Blue Easel Club Uptown New Orleans 504/256-1588 blueeaselclub.com Come learn to draw from life with the Blue Easel Club-Atelier of Carol Peebles. Happy drawing! Blueswood Inc. 4904R Magazine St. New Orleans 662/609-5473 blueswood.com Unique handcrafted furniture constructed from antique cypress harvested from the Mississippi Delta. Custom WoodworK and Design 504/722-1390 customwoodworkanddesign.com
Custom Woodwork and Design offers high quality custom cabinetry and furniture pieces, home www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 83
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advertising resource directory renovations and general contracting services. Please contact us at (504)722-1390, email contact@ customwoodworkanddesign.com or view our website at www.customwoodworkanddesign.com. Eclectic Home 8211 Oak St. New Orleans 504/866-6654 Eclectichome.net Amazing furniture, custom upholstery, lighting, accessories and gifts.
Greg Arceneaux Cabinetmakers Inc. 17319 Norwell Drive Covington 985/893-8782 gregarceneaux.com We handcraft a line of early Creole- and Acadian-style furniture using 18th-century joinery and indigenous materials. Guy Lyman Fine Art 3645 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/899-4687 guylymanfineart.com From classic to contemporary, great art at affordable prices! Jon Vaccari Antiques and Design 1912 St. Charles Ave. New Orleans 504/899-7632 JonVaccariDesign.com New Orleans’ finest selection of 20th-century antiques and design accessories.
Pieri Tile & Marble Co. Inc.
Mignon Faget 3801 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/891-2005 The Shops at Canal Place New Orleans 504/524-2973 Lakeside Shopping Center Metairie 504/835-2244 Mignonfaget.com New Orleans artist and designer Mignon Faget creates unique home accessories reflecting the nature and architecture of her native environment. Northshore Millwork, LLC 1750 South Ln., Ste. 2 Mandeville 985/867-1813 northshoremillwork.com
We specialize in high-quality custom cabinetry, built-ins, doors, windows, radius millwork and custom mouldings for homes and businesses. Modern Market 3138 C Magazine St. New Orleans 504/896-2206 ModernMarketLifestyle.com
A modern retail store focusing on emerging product design for creative living. Nancy Robbins 816 Asbury Drive, Suite A Mandeville 985/727-4565 985/789-5770 nancyrobbinsinteriors.com Design studio that carries furniture, art, accessories, plantation shutters, draperies, Oriental rugs and lighting in stock and by custom order. Also designs renovations, lighting plans and furniture floor plans. Nola Rugs 3944 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/891-3304 nolarugs.com We have beautiful hand-knotted rugs from around the world. More than 2,500 contemporary and modern pieces are here in the store.
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ORIENT EXPRESSED 3905 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/899-3060 orientexpressed.com Orient Expressed offers an exclusive collection of children’s clothing and exciting home decor and gifts. perch. 2844 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/899-2122 perch-home.com perch. offers a spectrum of styles for the home: 19th-century pieces co-exist with avant-garde contemporary. Modern lines merge with antique objects. The New Orleans look redefined. Rivers Spencer Interiors 4610 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/609-2436 riversspencer.com Rivers Spencer Interiors is a carefully curated collection of fine home furnishings, including name brand antique reproductions, private-label upholstery, gifts, original art and design services. Rug Chic Home Decor 4240 Hwy. 22 Mandeville 985/674-1070 rugchic.com Featuring a beautiful array of fine hand-woven rugs in today’s colors, unique accessories, local art and fine upholstered furniture by Lee and Baker. SHADES OF BLUE 3530 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/891-1575 shadesofblueinc.com Furnishings, Custom Draperies, Flooring and Local Artwork housed in a unique little shop on Historic Magazine St. Interior Design Services also available. TALEBLOO ORIENTAL RUGS 2015 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/581-9700
a d v e rt i s i n g s e c t i o n
talebloorugs.com Talebloo Oriental Rugs offers the finest selection of traditional Persian carpets in addition to the finest selection of the rarest most exceptional and decorative pieces available. The French Mix 228 Lee Lane Covington 985/809-3152 shopthefrenchmix.com Stylish and chic home interiors, custom furnishings, slipcovered furniture and interior design services. The Historic New Orleans Collection 533 Royal St. New Orleans 504/523-4662 hnoc.org
The Shop at The Collection features tableware, glassware, decorative accents, and more. Villa Vici 4112 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/899-2931 736 E. Boston St. Covington 985/871-6122 villavici.com Your one-stop design resource, providing eclectic modern designs alongside reclaimed wood and antique one-of-a kind objects. Wren’s Tontine Shade & Design 1533 Prytania St. New Orleans 504/525-7409 wrenstontine.com Third-generation decorating shop that specializes in window treatments. Well-known for the high-quality shutters, roller shades, and bamboo woven-wood Roman shades. inspiration New Orleans Museum of Art
City Park, 1 Collins Diboll Circle New Orleans 504/658-4100 noma.org
The New Orleans Museum of
Art, founded in 1910 by Isaac Delgado, houses nearly 40,000 art objects encompassing 4,000 years of world art. Works from the permanent collection, along with continuously changing temporary exhibitions, are on view in the museum’s 46 galleries. kitchen & bath CABINETS BY DESIGN 5201 Tchoupitoulas St. New Orleans 504/899-2300 cabinetsbydesign.com Our long history of designing beautiful kitchens and baths reflects our design experience and dedication to our clients. With a large selection of quality products including cabinets, appliances, plumbing fixtures, decorative tile and decorative hardware, we can assist you with every stage of your project, from conception to completion. For a closer look, visit our new website. Cameron Kitchen & Bath Designs Inc. 8019 Palm St. New Orleans 504/486-3759 cameronkitchens.com Design, furnish and install custom cabinets and fixtures for kitchens, baths, bookcases, etc. CAMPBELL CABINET CO. 220 Hord St. Harahan 504/733-4687 4040 Hwy. 59 Mandeville 985/892-7713 campbellcabinets.com Since 1972, Campbell Cabinet Co. has been offering homeowners, designers and contractors the very latest in kitchen and bath products at affordable prices. Campbell’s specializes in kitchen and bath cabinets, countertops, decorative hardware, appliances and sinks. Classic Cupboards 5809 River Oaks Road S. Harahan 504/734-9088 classiccupboards.com Specializing in kitchen design and www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 85
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advertising resource directory offering quality custom cabinetry and appliances for more than 30 years. Your dream, our expertise! Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery 901 S. Labarre Road, Suite 204 Metairie 504/849-3060 ferguson.com
For all your kitchen and bath remodeling needs, visit your local Ferguson Bath, Kitchen and Lighting Gallery, the premier choice for quality brands, limitless selection, and personalized service. HOME DÉCOR 10920 E. I-10 Service Road New Orleans 504/245-8288 hd-kitchenandbath.com Home Décor has a reputation for quality products, service and pricing that allowed us to establish a firm position to be one of the most prestigious cabinet and granite providers to builders, dealers and consumers. We welcome you to visit one of our showrooms for more information.
staffordtile.com Custom water-jet glass mosaic in aquamarine and dusk. Available exclusively through Stafford Tile. Call for a custom quote. retirement living Lambeth House 150 Broadway New Orleans 504/865-1960 LambethHouse.com Situated next to Audubon Park and the river, Lambeth House offers active, carefree retirement living, plus the security of LifeCare. specialists California Closets 3211 N. Causeway Blvd. Metairie 504/828-5705 californiaclosets.com/Metairie California Closets has been serving South Louisiana since 1984, providing custom storage systems for all areas of the home. Floor & Décor Design Gallery 2801 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/891-3005 4 Westside Shopping Center Gretna 504/361-0501 flooranddecorneworleans.com
Tile, wood and stone all in stock at the lowest prices! Free design services! Jim Stone Co. 30440 Hwy. 190 Lacombe 985/882-5907 jimstoneco.com Locations in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, as well. With more than 15 years of experience and three locations to serve you, Jim Stone Co. is your one-stop shopping source for natural stone, pavers, cultured stone and much more. Louisiana Custom Closets 13405 Seymour Meyer Blvd., #24 Covington 985/871-0810 louisianacustomclosets.com Louisiana Custom Closets designs and installs custom shelving and cabinets for closets, pantries, laundry rooms and garages. M2 Studio
3138 C Magazine St. New Orleans 504/896-2206
ModernMarketLifestyle.com An architecture and interior design firm focusing on affordable design solutions, clarity of design, and sustainability. Pet Care Center 2212 David Drive
Metairie 504/887-2999 petcarecenterinc.com Pet Care Center is a place where the genuine care and comfort of our patients and pet resort guests are our highest priorities. We pledge to provide the highest- quality medical care so your pet may experience a longer, healthier life. Our goal is personal service in beautiful surroundings to ensure Pet Care Center is your pet’s home away from home. RUSSELL’S CLEANING SERVICES 3401 Tulane Ave. New Orleans 504/482-3153 3704 Robertson St. Metairie 504/832-1546 russellscleaning.com Provides customers with quality cleaning services, area rug cleaning, drapery cleaning, upholstery and carpet cleaning. Plus they clean beaded gowns, furs and feathers. Tassin Integrated Systems Metairie 504/488-9664 tassinsecurity.com Your local alarm and integration company with local alarm monitoring. •
Nordic Kitchens & Baths Inc. 1818 Veterans Blvd. Metairie 504/888-2300 nordickitchens.com Kitchen design and sales of luxury products including cabinetry, appliances, outdoor kitchens and grills. Stafford Tile & Stone 5234 Magazine St. New Orleans 504/895-5000 4273 Perkins Rd. Baton Rouge 22/925-1233 86 | New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Autumn 2013
Classic Cupboards
www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 87
home renewal
outdoor decisions 5 styles to consider for the garden By Peter Reichard
Beyond the sliding glass doors of a rear bedroom, my backyard offers a quiet, unused space. A corner palm offers shade, and vines meander along the surface of the fence. Other than that, it’s a blank slate. There is little ground covered, aside from a smattering of pebbles and the occasional weed. No garden beds, no patio. The area needs some affection and, more to the point, imagination. Over the past six months, I’ve been pondering what to do with this space and researching the possi-
“The pine tree lives for a thousand years, the morning-glory but for a single day; yet both have fulfilled their destiny” – Japanese proverb
bilities. I’ve come across a variety of concepts and ultimately placed them under five possible thematic approaches. But I don’t yet know which to embrace.
the Zen Retreat During his years in Japan, Lafcadio Hearn wrote of gardens in detail. “To comprehend the beauty of a Japanese garden,” he wrote, “it is necessary to understand … the beauty of stones.” The goal of a Japanese garden is to create a quiet space for meditative sitting, typically in a confined area, ideally
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one overlooked by a porch. The Japanese garden can be completely focused on rocks, with large rocks serving as mountain islands surrounded by “seas” of gravel. The gravel can be raked into serene ripple patterns meant to imitate water. To this, you can add grassy mounds, which can also serve as islands or, at the perimeter, as the “shore.” Top each mound with a small tree or bushes pruned to look like trees. You can also collect large rocks together in formations that imitate small mountain ranges or maybe even add a small
pond or reflecting pool. To include a sonic component to the ambience, you can hang mellow, bass wind chimes from a tree. And for a particularly Japanese feeling, include decorative elements made from bamboo (but not bamboo itself, unless you have a way of keeping it from growing out of control).
The Secret Garden To cultivate an intimate space, begin by rimming your garden with a collection of small, verdant trees, like crepe myrtles, and smaller plantings. The centerpiece of a secret
garden, however, would be a patio contained beneath a pergola. The space should be surrounded by lush plants, such as elephant ears, and the pergola should be covered in bougainvillea or something similar. (I did this myself once upon a time, planting vines at the bases of the posts. I found the crawling flora more than willing to overwhelm the structure. With a hammock underneath, it made for a private, sleepy spot.) Under the pergola, place a seating area or, better yet, a dining table. Attach lanterns to the posts, and set one on the table. At night, over dinner, guests might find this space to be ever so slightly romantic. It would work particularly well in a location with ready access to the kitchen, so you can reach for the next bottle of wine without delay.
The Modern Oasis Recently, I worked with a landscape architect who designed for me a spectacular modern concept. The plantings included a variety of grasses, lavender, rosemary, red yucca and a blue agave. The most striking feature: On a bed of Mexican pebbles, he arranged a series of 6-inch-wide, 3-foot-long concrete pavers. If the pavers are remarkable enough and arranged with some artistry, they can become the centerpiece of a modern landscape.
The Tropical Paradise Various thematic approaches are possible, depending on whether your ideal is Caribbean or Tiki. If you go the Tiki route, grimacing
masks would play a role in your garden. You would also at least consider putting in a hammock and, perhaps with tongue-in-cheek, a bar with palm roof thatching. In the past, I’ve used bamboo screening to good effect. As to plantings, a mix of large and small palms, ginger, birds of paradise, gardenias, hibiscus and bougainvillea would all fit the bill. All thrive in the New Orleans climate, which is, for a good part of the year after all, tropical.
The Glorious Mess Winston Churchill spent years working on his Kentish garden at Chartwell and delighted in strolling – and painting – the grounds there. He left tangles of natural undergrowth to their own devices, planted flowers with the needs of butterflies in mind and generally cultivated a verdant chaos in contrast to the stately country house. Think heathers, lavenders and nectar plants. My wife took a similar approach to one of her gardens. She simply planted a bunch of her favorites, predominantly lavenders, in one garden, and let them grow up together in colorful commotion. Here and there, in the gaps, she planted more over time, based on what she happened to like at the moment. It was a stream-ofconsciousness expression, a cluster of various notions. And it worked. Churchill once said, “Every garden presents innumerable fascinating problems. Every land, every parish, has its own tale to tell.” I suppose I’m still waiting for that corner of my backyard to tell its tale, so I can make up my damn mind. n www.neworleanshomesandlifestyles.com New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles | 89
retailer spotlight
ashley hall interiors By Pamela Marquis
Ashley Hall Interiors is a full-service interior design firm. Since 1967, it’s been creating luxury interiors for homes and businesses, nationally and internationally. With one of the largest interior design resource libraries in the South, it’s a great place to start your plans for interior design. Its focus supports emerging product design and ideas for creative living. Designer Shauna Leftwich shares some of her thoughts. How does living in New Orleans influence your work?
New Orleans is such an architecturally and culturally rich city. Many of the homes here are historic. It is beautiful when you can seamlessly blend the old and the new. What was the best design advice anyone gave you? It
is better to have a master plan and implement it as it becomes possible. This will avoid redoing things done hastily, which is so much more costly in the long run. Decorate with trendy items in ways that are less expensive to change. The trends will and always do change.
How would you summarize your design philosophy?
I think a person’s home is an extension of his or her personality. It should be a sanctuary. It is wonderful when a person can tell a life story through the accessories, art and furniture in the home. What design trend do you wish would disappear?
White on white on white! Color is such a beautiful thing – both bold tones as well as pale hues; it breathes life onto a blank canvas. What is your favorite item in your own home? Bristol
lamps from Bristol, England, that were left to me by my husband’s grandmother. n
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832 Howard Ave. 524-0196 ashleyhallinteriors.com cheryl gerber photo
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retailer spotlight
modern market m2 studio By Pamela Marquis
Charles J. Neyrey and Sherrie Hope combined their strengths and talents to establish two complementary businesses that work seamlessly together. Hope, a member of the National Council for Interior Design, founded Modern Market. The 1,500-square-foot boutique showroom provides a curated collection of contemporary, fashionable and affordable modern furniture and accessories. It focuses on emerging design and ideas for creative living. It also rents, on a short-term basis, unique furniture and accessories for corporate events, parties and film shoots. Charles J. Neyrey, founder of M2 Modern, is a member of the American Institute of Architects, bringing 15 years of experience and advanced knowledge of technology to each one of his projects. The architectural and interior design firm provides residential and commercial services. The following questions are answered collaboratively by Hope and Neyrey. How would you summarize your design philosophy? “Just
good design.� We are designdriven and solution-oriented. We believe in sustainable
practices and progressive solutions that are innovative and inspiring. We understand that every client and project is unique, therefore we are relationship-focused, and we crave client collaboration to create custom-tailored and amazing environments. Where do you get your inspiration? We get our
inspiration from fashion, industrial design, graphic design and branding ideas, film, photography, the natural environment and our travels. What kinds of projects are in your future? We are working
on a new modern juice bar on Magazine Street and a multi-family renovation in the Warehouse District. n
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3138C Magazine St.
 896-2206 modernmarketlifestyle.com cheryl gerber photo
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resources
The area code is 504, unless otherwise noted.
Artist Profile, p. 12 Hannah Chalew, hannahchalew.com; Jonathan Ferrara Gallery, 400 Julia St., 522-5471, jonathanferraragallery.com
For the Garden, p. 16 “Healing Gardens” New Orleans Museum of Art, One Collins C. Diboll Circle, City Park, 658-4100, noma.org; The Magnolia School, 307 Shrewsbury Road, 731-1310, magnoliaschool.com
Living with Antiques, p. 18 “Garden Décor” M.S. Rau, 630 Royal St., 523-5660; Landscape Images, Ltd., 655 Central Ave., 734-8380
Masters of Their Craft, p. 20 “Lucky Charms” Lucky NOLA, luckynola.com, etsy.com/shop/ luckynola
Trendwatch, p. 22 “The Finish Line” Ashley Hall Interiors, 832 Howard Ave., 524-0196, ashleyhallinteriors.com Dop Antiques & Architecturals, 300 Jefferson Hwy., 231-3397, dopantiques.com. perch., 2844 Magazine St., 899-2122, perch-home.com. Eclectic Home, 8211 Oak St., 866-6654, eclectichome. net Jane Drew for Creative Finishes Studio, 6504 Spanish Fort Blvd., 666-2609, chalkpaint.com “A First Home,” p. 29 Logan Killen Interiors, 117 Focis St., Suite 208, Metairie, (225) 284-0492, (225) 975-3101, logankilleninteriors.com, hello@ logankilleninteriors.com; One Kings Lane, onekingslane.com; Sterling Provision, 2402 Royal St.; Jonathan Adler, jonathanadler. com; Renaissance Interiors,
A First Home, p. 29
2727 Edenborn Ave., Metairie, 454-3320 “Counter Fit,” p. 36 Caribbean Builders, 1412 Helios Ave., Metairie, 834-8933; ABC Carpet & Home, 888 Broadway, New York City, (212) 473-3000, abchome.com; Bustamante Care Services, bustamantemarblerestoration.com; Louis Broussard; Cabinets by Design, 5201 Tchoupitoulas St., 899-2300, cabinetsbydesign.com; Ikea, ikea.com; MLM Incorporated, 3500 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 160, 322-7050, mlm-inc.com; VIP Kitchens, 141 West Harrison Ave., Suite C, 324-7930, myvipkitchens.com; Triton Stone Gallery, 6131 River Road, Harahan, 738-2228, tritonstone.com; Restoration Hardware, 3301 Veterans Memorial Blvd., #36, Metairie, 828-0203, restorationhardware.com; perch., 2844 Magazine St., 899-2122, perch-home.com; Jay’s Solid Surface, (337) 526-3077; SCNZ Architects, 2134 Magazine St., 301-3722, scnz.net; California Closets, 3211 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, 828-5705, californiaclosets.com;
Living With Antiques, p.18
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ABC Tile, 3105 18th St., Metairie, 833-5543, abctile.com; Service Glass, 4316 Eastview Drive, 241-5031 2013 Design Masters, p. 50 Bluebag LLC, 651 Richard St., (888) 622-8202, lovebluebag.com; Bremermann Designs, 3943 Magazine St., 891-7763, bremermanndesigns.com; Byron Mouton, 7721 Leake Ave., 861-0042, bildit.com; Campbell Cabinets, 220 Hord St., 733-4687, campbellcabinets.com; The Curtain Exchange, 3936 Magazine St., 897-2444, thecurtainexchange.com; Eclectic Home, 8211 Oak St., 866-6654, eclectichome.net; EcoUrban Landscaping Design + Services, 4433 Ulloa St., 957-7706, ecourbanllc.com; Ekistics Entrepreneur’s Row, 220 Camp St., 593-9494, Ekistics.net; The Plant Gallery, 9401 Airline Hwy., 488-8887, theplantgallery. com; Kohlmaier & Kohlmaier Cabinet, 1018 Harmony St.
Retailer Spotlights, p. 90 Ashley Hall Interiors 832 Howard Ave., 524-0196, ashleyhallinteriors.com Modern Market 3138 Magazine St., Suite C, 896-2206, modernmarketlifestyle.com n
last indulgence
sweet temptations Brownies are a classic treat. By Sarah Ravits
I think that Oscar Wilde put it best when he wrote, “I can resist anything except temptation.” I am someone who likes words as much as I like sweets, and brownies are synonymous with temptation in the context of this quote. I prefer them when they are fresh out of the oven so that I run the risk of burning my mouth, because it offers me a perfectly logical excuse to use ice cream as a cooling mechanism, citing safety first. Before a recent dinner party, I baked brownies that called for peanut butter chips, and I confess that I put a dent in the pan before all the guests had arrived – for quality-control purposes, of course. Like a lot of desserts these days, even a brownie isn’t immune to an upscale, creative revamp: I tried a variation recently that incorporated bourbon, orange peel and orange liqueur. But no matter how decadent this dessert can get, no matter how many obscure or perhaps unlikely ingredients in the batter, the chocolatey treat will always be a simple, irresistible pleasure. n