An Alchemy of Confluence

Award-winning documenter of local architecture and culture Kerri McCaffety looks at the city’s most beautiful and iconic interiors in a quest to define the essence of New Orleans’ unique style.

In the next few issues, New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles will follow Kerri as she talks with designers, architects and artists best known for capturing the soul of the city.

This month, in the first excerpt from McCaffety’s newest book project, she interviews historicist decorator Thomas Jayne about the alchemy of confluence he feels led to New Orleans’ unique aesthetic.

California-born, New York-based designer Thomas Jayne is about as far from native New Orleans as they come, but his reverence for history, ritual and the beauty of tradition makes him a soul mate of the Crescent City. He quotes Hebrews as the core of his spirituality: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This kind of thinking might help us get to the essence of the question.

KM: What is New Orleans style, and why is it different from anywhere else in the world?

tj: The city evolved from an interaction of a lot of cultures, and its geography, a location at the end of a river that connects half of the continent and connects to the Caribbean. The confluence of French, Spanish and African traditions served as a springboard for all kinds of creativity.

KM: How does this show in our homes?

tj: As a historicist decorator, I am always looking to history for inspiration, and New Orleans has a rich past to draw from. The cultures that helped form New Orleans offer such a variety of handsome and beautiful influences.

KM: What do you find most interesting about local style?

tj: After 80 percent of the city flooded, what is being rebuilt and how it is being rebuilt is fascinating. This experience also emphasized how precious and fragile the historic elements of the city are.

How we choose to rebuild will be a reflection of our time. Now there is an emphasis on “green” building. Also today, people acknowledge the importance of architectural tradition. A generation ago, the history we now revere might have been ignored.

When Jayne and his partner, Rick Ellis, bought their French Quarter apartment about four years ago, they turned to architect Frank Masson for his expertise in indigenous architecture. They kept most of the original floor plan of the 1832 townhouse intact and replicated interior elements to suit the era.

Antique dealer and designer Peter Patout not only introduced Jayne and Ellis to such great local traditions as Mardi Gras but also shared his knowledge of Louisiana furniture and decorative history.

Jayne also gives credit to other locals who have become friends for their historic insights and the inspiration he got from their homes. “Lloyd Sensat and Gene Cizek continue to be influential,” says Jayne. 

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