New Orleans Homes May 2008

Home + Design

Freshly Minted

New Orleans is geographically Southern, sure, but that’s about it. Our cuisine isn’t strictly Southern. Our accents definitely aren’t Southern. But just like everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone is Southern on Derby Day, and there’s no drink more Southern or more synonymous with the Kentucky Derby than the mint julep. The more […]

Lagniappe

Home Furnishings

Lafargue Pianos Ltd.Mandeville • 985/72P.IANO • www.LPianos.comLafargue Pianos Ltd. sells a variety of new acoustic and digital pianos including Mason & Hamlin, Yamaha, Kawai, Charles Walter and more. Used pianos such as Steinway and many more are also usually in stock. Player pianos from PianoDisc and Yamaha Disklavier are popular, and a “rent-to-own” program is available. Digital […]

The Crescent City Goes Green

As long as we are in the long process of rebuilding the post-Katrina Gulf Coast, many builders have taken the pledge to “go green.” The National Association of Home Builders has launched the National Green Building Program, and New Orleans is definitely on board. This month, the NAHB will hold its 10th annual National Green […]

Which Way is Up?

You say you’d like to buy a house in the local area, but the hand-wringing over the national economy and declining real estate prices in some cities combined with the lingering uncertainty about the local market have left you in a state of orange alert?Calm down. Things probably aren’t nearly as serious as you think. […]

Splish, Splash

It can be challenging to make something as basic as a bathroom beautiful. And unlike kitchens, which invite socialization and gatherings, bathrooms are very private spaces. In the morning, they are full of hurried energy as we rush to get out of the door on time; at nighttime, they help us unwind as we brush […]

Meals & Memories

As it becomes harder to ignore the effects of too many Big Macs, our kitchens are regaining a position of prominence in not just our homes but also our lifestyles. But the fact that we’re using them more doesn’t mean that they should be merely utilitarian. Kitchens are getting very fashionable, and they are far […]

Double Take

No one is less surprised than Katie Winters that she was able to turn a tattered turn-of-the-century double shotgun into a modern single-family home that skillfully blends its original notes of traditional New Orleans architecture with new clean-lined contemporary edges. By the time Winters, a defense attorney with Jones Walker, purchased the Uptown cottage, located […]

Fashion

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Trend watchers have forecast that 2008 will be about a back-to-basics approach to garden design. Here at New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, we think that this translates to three things –– start simple, shop local, and choose beautiful! At some of our favorite local nurseries (OK, we got a few items from Home Depot), we […]

Home + Design

A Glass Act

“We had one of those moms who did not get us a regular Christmas tree,” says Corinne Akins of her unique childhood and her mother’s singular approach both to child rearing and to life as a whole. “We would beg her to buy a tree every year, but she would always say, ‘No. We are […]

A Bona Fide Guide

There often comes a time for an antique collector when she or he hits a wall. It’s time for a new approach, a new way to broaden the hunt or a new learning experience. Enter the antique guide, a professional who knows the terrain and can help shoppers find exactly what they are looking for. […]

Entertaining

Kebabs with a Kick

Culture, color and cuisine: the three C’s of every Cinco de Mayo celebration. This year, pass up the nachos and enchiladas and opt for something a little lighter and a lot more creative –– seasonal fruit kebabs marinated in a fiery chili sauce. This zesty, colorful concoction is refreshing and totally unexpected. Party guests will […]

Shopping

Retailer Spotlight: Carol Laurence Simon

Selling home furnishings, artwork and unique decorative accessories, Interior Designs Inc. (formerly known as Interior Designs II) is a retail showroom that opened in 1988. Owned by Carol Laurence Simon, the staff also includes showroom manager Jill McGaughey and design associate Elizabeth Sullivan. Interior Designs carries items from more than 60 different vendors around the […]

Shopping

Retailer Spotlight: Barry Cologne

Cologne’s Custom Quality Cabinets builds custom kitchen and bath cabinets, entertainment centers, bookcases, fireplace mantels and other hand-crafted custom woodwork. The company, which has been in business since 1986, is owned by Barry Cologne Sr. and his wife, Ruth, and is located in Des Allemands. Barry Cologne Jr. does drafting work, while the eldest Barry […]

Fashion

Style

Show Case This unique tole vitrine is just as lovely as the pieces it displays. Its filigree mounts and etched glass are among the delicate details of note for this 19th-century English piece. Dunleith Designs & Antiques LLC, 1804 Magazine St., 272-0879, or go to www.dunleithdesigns.com. Shake It Up Turn on the Sinatra, pour a […]

Society + Culture

Editor’s Note

It’s funny what makes you nostalgic. Snapshots, old clothes, yearbooks, ticket stubs –– those are the obvious triggers, but when I packed up all of those things a few months ago to move back to New Orleans, it was in such a blind hurry that I didn’t really take the time to think about it. […]