Social Network
Common House, a 20,000-square-foot modern social club, will open in the former Louisiana Children’s Museum space in the Warehouse District next summer. The venue will feature a restaurant, rooftop pool, fitness center, courtyard, open co-working space, conference rooms, event rental space and more. In addition to the club’s amenities, members also will have access to weekly programming, including live music, wellness classes, wine tastings, speaker series and networking opportunities. Constructed in the 1840s, the building’s exterior, iconic blue arched doors and unique historic features will be preserved thanks to the help of Hartshorne Plunkard Architecture and Joshua Joseph Interiors. This location marks Common House’s fourth location (with three other venues in Charlottesville, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; and Chattanooga, Tennessee).
420 Julia St., commonhouse.com/nola
Expressive Design
Farrow & Ball’s Color Curator Joa Studholme has released her top three interior decorating trends for 2024. According to Studholme, decor in 2024 will be all about finding balance. For starters, she says that clay tones (such as Jitney, Stirabout, Oxford Stone and Tanner’s Brown) will be popular, as a way of nurturing homeowners in their space. And for those who want to try something new, combining different sheens and wallpaper is ideal for celebrating individuality. Meanwhile, balancing an ultra-matte dead flat with full gloss is a way to give spaces a modern and polished feel (think: a kitchen island painted in full gloss, while the walls are painted in a matching color but in dead flat). Finally, Studholme says that wallpaper is a great way to transform a space. She suggests using two colorways of the same pattern in the same space, or taking wallpaper up and over the ceiling as a way to add the illusion of height.
Available at Spruce (by appointment only), 2043 Magazine St., 265-0946, sprucenola.com
Modernist Design on Magazine
Nomita Joshi Interior Design recently opened its much-anticipated design studio and gallery on Magazine Street. The studio focuses on experiential design, while the gallery showcases international modernist design through furniture, art and a concept apartment. Represented lines and artists include Phantom Hands, Pani Jurek, Courtney Simon de Montfort, Audiowood and Paul Troyano.
2035 Magazine St., 616-7073, nomitajoshi.com
Intentional Design + Intuitive Exploration
Originally established by Wayne Troyer as Wayne Troyer Architects and rebranded to studioWTA in 2013, the award-winning firm has once again rebranded as practis and moved to a new location. The women-owned architecture and design firm, led by Tracie Ashe and Julie Babin, has undertaken this new brand identity as a way to reflect its evolution and continued dedication to learning and growing with each project. Practis specializes in modern, bespoke designs and has an extensive portfolio that includes residential, hospitality, commercial and institutional projects.
3450 Magazine St., practis.design
Historic Hotel Renovation
The Dew Drop Inn Hotel and Lounge was recently renovated and reopened in Central City with 17 boutique hotel rooms, a live music venue and a resort-style pool. Originally opened in 1939 by Frank Painia, the Dew Drop was a hotel, barber shop and music venue that hosted legendary musicians such as Ray Charles, Little Richard, Deacon John and Irma Thomas. The Green Book-listed music venue and hotel received $50,000 in grant funding from the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund, a program from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to support the development of historic exhibits throughout the venue.
2836 Lasalle St., 948-3002, dewdropinnnola.com
