Craftsman to Creole Cottage

By removing the existing gabled front porch overhang and replacing it with a low hipped front porch that spans the full width of the house, the entire exterior was transformed. We replaced the old, rotting siding and, most importantly, added four pairs of narrow french doors across the front of the home to capture the Creole Cottage feel. Adding quintessential New Orleans style details like handcrafted copper gas lanterns (complete with details like a vintage “fleur de lis” locking piece), a haint blue ceiling, an antique brick walkway and skirt along the home, custom porch swings and full length shutters completed the look.

After removing the wall separating the existing dining room and kitchen, expanding the one arched opening and adding a second arched entry to balance the space; we had a nicely sized blank slate to work with. The center island needed to be the focal point of this kitchen, as Cynthia expressed wanting a large island for entertaining. Based on her reaction of literally hugging her island, I think we managed to meet her expectations:).
One of the really unexpected aspects of this kitchen is the “hidden pantry.” We used the space that had been a small laundry room and created a large, walk-in pantry. In order to keep the run of cabinetry looking cohesive, we incorporated the pantry door into the cabinetry as one large piece, while making it look like the rest of the inset drawers and doors. Only when that cabinet door is opened, can you see the walk-in pantry space.

(And, don’t worry, we added on a new, large laundry room during “Phase Two” of the remodel for the Coopers. We weren’t able to complete the entire home remodel in the timeframe we had to film the episode, so we actually divided the project into two phases. After filming was wrapped, we completed the second phase of the remodel which included the downstairs bedroom and bathroom, a new powder bath carved out of a nook under the stairs and an additional laundry/mudroom).

After exposing the backside of the existing fireplace (and filling the old pipe holes with mortar – we didn’t leave the holes open! I saw a few questions concerning those old creature habitats:)), I needed to cover the round mortared holes in the brick and knew a large-scale piece of art would fit with Cynthia’s New Orlean’s eclectic art-style. Scotty suggested a painting of their adorable pup, Nola (perfect name) and I had the art commissioned by a local artist. I love how the brick provides warmth to the kitchen and the painting is playful and unexpected. (Clearly, Nola was unimpressed as she still tried to maul me!)

The gorgeous dining table was hand-crafted by Chase Looney and the gold-inlay created the perfect finishing touch to tie in the gold from the lighting. The final result is a modern take on a traditional dining table with a touch of luxury – which feels very “New Orleans.”