The House on First Street

The September issue of Elle Decor is on newsstands now, and while everyone seems to be talking about covergirl Reese Witherspoon's Ojai retreat (it's lovely), I went CRAZY over this Greek Revival renovation in New Orleans. Purchased almost one year prior to Hurricane Katrina, the renovation journey was, needless to say, filled with extraordinary challenges. So much so that homeowner, Julia Reed, wrote a book about her experiences (and her newly adopted city of New Orleans) called, "House On First Street."

The Elle Decor article--written by Julia herself--is charming. Her friend, interior designer Thomas Jayne, worked with her to design the interiors of the home with input from other friends, Suzanne Rheinstein and Patrick Dunne(!!). And, one thing that resonated with me, as a fellow home renovator, was how Julia took her time with the restoration. She saved money for things she wanted (Waterworks fixtures everywhere!), and held out for items on her wishlist. The result is nothing short of remarkable-- A Greek Revival stunner in the heart of New Orleans that oozes historic charm. Thanks for the inspiration, Julia.

but wait, there's more...

The landscape and courtyard design was done by Ben Page of Page Duke Landscape Architects. Holy moly. What a talented firm this is. Here are just a few snippets from the Page Duke portfolio (which is pretty mind blowing). For more, please visit their gallery HERE.