
A local husband and wife, who are both originally from New Orleans and moved back to the Crescent City in 2019 after spending time in New York, purchased their home on Audubon Boulevard that same year. When they decided they wanted to add a fully covered outdoor cabana space with adjacency to their first floor living space, they turned to Tracie Ashe, partner at Practis, who also worked with Ross Karsen as project manager.
“Predominantly our passion is travel, and that’s what inspired the backyard and most of the home,” the homeowner says. “We wanted to create an environment that felt comfortable but also elevated as if you were almost in a hotel. Our backyard and downstairs area feels more akin to something in Los Angeles or Palm Springs. We love to use our home to entertain friends and family.”

Ashe’s role as architect was to guide the entire design process, from shape, form and function to construction type, material selection, and the selection of kitchen cabinets, light fixtures, tile, fireplace, hardware and color. “Our design began in September 2021 with a feasibility study and existing conditions documentation, followed by full design efforts, permitting and the start of construction in November 2022,” she says.
To begin, Ashe first considered the homeowners’ goals and how they were using their back yard, pool and adjacent storage area. They wanted a full kitchen, dining space and lounge area for outdoor living, plus a solution for protected storage of bicycles and other items. “The feasibility study allowed us to test options and get a preliminary idea of what might work in the space using sketches and 3D modeling, and what, if any, code or zoning issues we’d need to address,” Ashe says. “Following the feasibility study, the owners decided to move forward with the project and we dove into the development of the preferred option from the feasibility study.”

The homeowners envisioned a structure that would support an outdoor kitchen (as the husband loves to grill and cook). “We wanted a full dining area [with a single table] that, at a minimum, could fit 10,” the wife says. “I come from a large family and we love to entertain, so we wanted to make sure we had room for everyone, plus a hangout area where we could have the game on or watch a movie.”
Taking inspiration from the homeowners’ modern aesthetic, Ashe created a backyard element which, while not necessarily small in scale, feels subservient and respectful of the existing historic home. “It runs along the property line, perpendicular to the street, utilizing the existing stucco fence as its back wall and focusing the view toward the pool and deck,” she says. “A series of columns frame the kitchen, dining and living areas of the cabana. Around the side of the house where storage was a priority, a series of enclosed areas are clad in the same wood as the cabana ceilings and they’re lower in height. These moves reinforce the cabana as the primary experience.”

Meanwhile, a stucco finish ties the major framing of the cabana back to the house, while wood ceilings and details bring warmth and a sense of connection to natural materials. The homeowners helped the contractor source the original pool decking stone, thereby seamlessly integrating the cabana with the existing pool and hot tub area. The ceiling wood turns down at the living space to become a screen on which an outdoor television is mounted.
During construction, the homeowners took a Christmas trip to Colorado, where the husband’s parents have a home, and they quickly realized they wanted a fireplace integrated into the design of the cabana. “[Practis] was very helpful in figuring out how our concepts could actually become livable and usable in the specific ways that the cabana completes our home,” the homeowner says.
“The tiled-in fireplace with curved face below the TV is a focal point,” Ashe says. “Along the fence in the dining area is a green wall made with synthetic outdoor foliage, and along the fence in the lounge area is a planter that forms the back of the built-in seating. The wood plank ceilings were laid out on angles to create interest above. Recessed linear tape lights create a whimsical and fun starry-night type effect for the evening hours.”

For the color palette, Ashe used calm neutrals with a pop of color from the bright yellow kitchen cabinets. “The wood brings in a warmth that complements the blues inside the house on the first floor,” she says. “The greenery [along the] wall and planter tie the cabana more closely into the yard and reinforces a tropical feeling.”
“Tracie’s design aesthetic appealed to us because there are very few people in New Orleans who actually do modern design,” the homeowner says. “She was able to achieve both a clean and interesting design, along with being able to make the space incredibly functional. The new space has completely shifted the way we live. We’ve been able to enjoy all the spaces in our house in a very different way, and, when we want to do something that’s more formal, we find we’re spending time in the kitchen and the formal dining room and living room. Thanks to the fireplace, the cabana is usable year-round [for more casual gatherings]. It’s everything we could have wanted and and more.”