Magic on the Bayou
Three years ago, having sold her house in Covington, Margaret Schexnayder perused the internet for a new home in the wee hours of the morning. A 200-hundred-year…
Author: Photos by Sarah Essex Bradley
A Nod to Mod
Family has been important to Aimee and Michael Bell’s Covington home in more ways than one. For starters, Aimee grew up spending time and making lasting memories at the house, which was built as a weekend get-away by her grandparents,…
No Small Thing
Thea Pagel is an expert when it comes to transforming spaces. As an event planner with 30 years of experience, she creates memorable environments for everyone from debutantes to major corporations, including Microsoft and The New York Stock Exchange.…
Designer’s Own
Rather than fight the off-center placement of the original ceiling medallion, Nomita made the rest of the rear parlor asymmetrical as well. Globe light fixture, Aerin Lauder for Circa Lighting; Jonathan Adler sofa, through Nomita Joshi…
Inside Out
For Nathan Fell, founder and principle of Nathan Fell Architecture, long and narrow site constraints — those typical of New…
In the Pink
"I'm not a designer or a decorator—I'm a stylist." Looking back, Margaret Zainey Roux recalls that her love of old houses and interior design began early. “Growing up in the early ‘80s everybody wanted the…
Renovation of the Year
When empty nesters Judy and Bob Hendel relocated to New Orleans from Miami so Bob could head up Tulane University’s Heart & Vascular Institute, they originally thought they wanted to downsize to a smaller home. But after touring a huge…
Home: Gather Round
“I always wanted the big house with the big family gatherings; I thought maybe if I build it, they will come,” says Vanessa Mayfield, invoking the magical mantra from the movie “Field of Dreams.” Vanessa and her husband Jeffrey, both…
Best of Cracklins
The Cajun boucherie dates back centuries, a communal hog butchering where careful attempts were made to use every inch of the animal to adequately feed the coterie. Usually held in cold weather months, the boucherie produced items for backbone stew,…
Sanctuary
Melinda McSpadden finally found her dream job running The Sully Mansion,…
New Build of the Year
Every age experiences progress. Older buildings fall into disrepair and are replaced with something new. Visionary thinkers want to brush away the cobwebs of staid ideas. Trends are constantly changing, updating as fast as an app on a smartphone.…
Design Masters
The following verbs and phrases all refer to the art of mastering something: learning, grasping, picking up, understanding, getting, comprehending, studying, excelling in, knowing backwards, becoming expert in, becoming proficient in, boning up, getting down pat and knowing inside…
Saints & Sinners
It’s summertime, and while the living might be easy, choosing clean and healthy foods that still satisfy our cravings might not be as simple. What better way to cool down on hot days than…
Caftans & Cocktails
The Menu The Cocktails: Shochu Sunset & The Sweet Dream The Food: Spicy Shrimp Deviled Eggs Lemongrass Sausage Meatballs with Sambal Glaze Vegetable Cutlet with Tomato Chutney Thai Chicken and Glass Noodle Salad in Lettuce Cups Grilled Pineapple with Banana…
Atlantis Found
New Orleans is a place of water. Lakes and bayous surround it, and its geography is defined by the Mississippi River. A vision made liquid by the chimera of a summer day, the air thick with moisture…
Home: Invested
Tufted velvet sofas provide seating in the two-sided living room with gold linen curtains, metal chairs, an animal hide rug and antique reproduction chandeliers added for a touch of Hollywood glam. Outside, Amanda Shaw’s Bywater cottage looks like much of…
