What do you consider the guiding design aesthetic for St. Romain Interiors?
A European sensibility, above all, and it hasn’t wavered since the very beginning. Having lived in Greece, Italy, and Germany, I saw firsthand that relaxed but elegant way of surrounding yourself with beautiful things, and that’s what I’ve always wanted to give my clients. It’s never a solo act, though. The best rooms come out of really listening, so the finished space is a true reflection of the person living in it, an idea we started together. The word I keep coming back to is authentic. I want things that are real: natural materials, pieces with soul, things that only get better with age.
You’ve recently expanded your design team. Could you introduce them?
Yes, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Both designers carry the St. Romain sensibility forward while bringing something all their own. Heather Booth is drawn to raw, natural materials, especially primitive wood furniture, and takes many cues from nature; her spaces feel elevated and genuine without ever being precious. Paula Trent brings a real European perspective, with a particular love for seventeenth- and eighteenth-century French antiques. We share the same foundation but see things a little differently, and the client benefits from all of it.
St. Romain Interiors is known for combining antiques with modern aesthetics. How do you bring that perspective and style to homes in the Greater New Orleans area and Baton Rouge?
It’s all in the mix. I love setting something old beside something new, a mid-century or contemporary piece grounded by an antique or one exceptional fabric. That contrast is its own kind of artistic expression, and it’s what makes a room feel collected rather than decorated. Homes here take to it beautifully. There’s such a love of history and character in this part of the world that an antique never reads as out of place; it feels like it’s always been there. My job is to honor that history while keeping a space fresh and easy to actually live in.
shoppe@stromaininteriors.com // 985-845-7411 // stromaininteriors.com // 209 St John St., Madisonville
