For several years, a Washington, D.C. couple searched for a house in New Orleans where they could spend time and make memories with their children and friends. Then they stumbled upon a four-story unit in the St. Elizabeth’s Condominiums, just two blocks from the wife’s childhood home. The historic character and unusually grand scale of the 19th century building immediately appealed to their tastes, and the familiar location along the Uptown parade route suited their love of entertaining at Mardi Gras.
“Sweeping high ceilings, exposed brick, old creaky floors; we were looking for a place with patina, and it certainly has that in spades,” said the wife.
Moreover, the couple knew just the person to renovate and design an interior where old bones meet urbane contemporary design.
“We’d wanted to work with Wendy for years,” said the wife who has been best friends with architect/interior designer Wendy Kerrigan of Atelier Design since childhood. “When you work with a designer who really knows you, you end up getting the best version of yourself that you could probably never do on your own. She took our ideas and grew them and made them so much better in the space.”
Both husband and wife contributed to the project’s wish list. He wanted a large sectional sofa in the main living area. She wanted skirted storage below the kitchen counters, a powder room cozily wrapped head-to-toe in one pattern, and a happy dormitory-style space for the kids (ages 22 to 12) inspired by the building’s past as an orphanage. They trusted Kerrigan to lead the way on the details.
“It was a little less of ‘this is what we want’ and more ‘what would you do with it?’” said Kerrigan of the clients’ wishes.
Kerrigan began with the job of changing a few design choices (made when St. Elizabeth’s was converted into condos during the aughts) to better highlight the building’s original features. For instance, she restored undersized doors and spaces to their original proportions, added cased openings that echo the heavy millwork surrounding the many windows and removed both a hall that obscured a window in the primary suite and a closet that hid a window on the top floor.
Considering the original intent of the building’s second empire architecture also provided inspiration for design creativity. Kerrigan made the window in the primary a focal point that looks original by turning it into an elegant alcove with a window seat that conceals the return air below.
“Where there is a problem, there is a design opportunity,” said Kerrigan.
The large laundry room was divided into three spaces — a small laundry area, a powder room and a bar. The fourth floor was reconfigured to house multiple areas: the kids’ room, a guest room and two bathrooms, all of which still live large.
While the original architectural features are core to the condo’s charm, Kerrigan refreshed them for a new era by bleaching floors and whitewashing brick, and by adding the contrast of modern elements, particularly in the kitchen and baths.
“There is a constant play of creating balance and tension between the new and the old, the colors, the scale and the pieces themselves,” said Kerrigan.
The second empire architecture, which includes a sloping mansard roof and a massive staircase connecting the four floors of the residence, is suggestive of Paris, a destination that the clients love. Kerrigan added to the Parisian flavor with luxurious drapery made with reams of fine fabric and trim. At the same time, the four-story layout (bar and powder room on the first floor; primary suite and office on the second; living room, kitchen, second bar, powder room and dining room on the third; and the kids’ room, guest room and two baths on the top floor) is akin to an NYC townhouse where living spaces are stacked one above the other.
Kerrigan met the husband’s request for a sectional sofa by covering what has become a mainstay of modern minimalist design with a maximalist floral chintz, turning the sum of the parts into a piece with vintage personality. She likewise chose what appears at first glance to be a classic black-and-white toile for the cozy powder room, but on closer inspection is a tongue-in-cheek toile depicting a classical female figure with 21st century tech accessories. In the kitchen, she contrasted the old-world style of the skirted storage and raw brick with the modernity of streamlined appliances and cabinetry and a geometric wallpaper. In the living room, the trompe l’oeil floor drawn from centuries-old tradition, is given a quirky New Orleans nod with the addition of a sisal alligator rug.
Over the course of several years, the wife and Kerrigan gathered antiques, miscellaneous objects and art from auctions and estate sales and put them in storage for future use. The wife also inherited items from her parents’ downsize. The resulting mix encompasses everything from Magazine Street antiques and midcentury finds to custom made designs and unique new pieces. One of the wife’s favorite acquisitions is the suite of antique French oyster and asparagus plates, which came from an antiques store in Fairhope, Alabama and are now displayed in the dining room.
“It was like a treasure hunt,” said Kerrigan.
“When we pulled everything out of storage, it kind of felt like we were going shopping for free,” said the wife. “Even now it’s a surprise when I pull out silver and china for entertaining.”
Color and pattern, introduced with whimsical wallpaper, floral fabrics, and finished stone surfaces, are threaded together with touches of black-and-white, memorable artwork and lighting that enhances the interior like well-placed jewels. A self-described “recovering fan of neutrals”, the wife credits Kerrigan with helping her push the design envelope while still making it comfortable for all to enjoy.
“We have a house where we can all hang out,” said the clients. “The kids love coming to New Orleans. It’s a true second home.”
