I toured 8 homes in the French Quarter and it was a blast - and yes, I got blasted too..I mean come on, it's New Orleans after all. Hello Hurricanes!
I had so many pics that I've selected the best for you all to see - I really picked out the coolest architectural features and unique design choices. I got some GREAT ideas for my design projects and even my own home.
Let's start in the living room of one lovely woman who really knows how to decorate for small / interesting spaces. Her two story cottage was no more than 500 total square feet, yet with some of her great design choices, you'd think the space was much bigger.
Here's her living room:
Such a warm and inviting room - I love the brick of course. I also want to point out that she used "apartment sized" furniture - while the room looks cozy and comfortable, she also managed to keep it simple and uncluttered - totally important with a small room. She highlighted the brick wall with down facing lights in the ceiling - this is a great trick to create warmth, highlight wall art or highlight a feature wall. I love the zebra chair - take risks on accessories or small pieces - they will add just the right amount of flare.
Now to the fireplace:
Love the old mirror and antique clock mixed with a bit of African art to the left. You can mix and match and don't have to feel confined to one art style or time period.
Now to the upstairs:
I mean - wow. I LOVE this room. It was my favorite on the entire tour of New Orleans. By opening the ceiling and exposing the natural beams she created a sense of openness and height - making the room feel bigger. Plus - if you know me - you know I'm obsessed with beams. Notice she added up lighting to bring your eye up to the ceiling. She used lighting again to draw your attention to the best stuff in the room. Smart lady!
Here's the ceiling up close:
And no home tour is complete without the bathroom:
It's not often you see brick in the bathroom - I think it's wonderful. So warm and rich - it takes one coat of sealer to water proof brick making it a great material for a bathroom feature wall.
Now off to another great home. This couple also had some interesting spaces - while they had a full open living room, they had a small study in the back of their home and they added some great features to make the space more usable:
Floor to almost ceiling built-in bookcases are always a great choice in tight spaces - they add height and storage. Okay, okay, so I included more of the beams than the bookcases - I can't help it!
They had the perfect rounded windows in their living room - perfect for framing their Christmas tree:
Finally - the last house to feature had the best garden view ever!
I'm so jealous of their fountain - such a New Orleans staple. The best feature in this last home was the pass through from the living room to the kitchen:
With garden views, strip lighting, and floor to ceiling wine storage - I'm moving in. Think of all the prosecco I could fit in those racks! Cheers to New Orleans.
