Friday, May 1, 2009

The Shop Keeper's House

So many shop owners have a keen eye for collecting things to sell, and then artfully arranging it in their stores. They travel the world accumulating a vast visual vocabulary. A love for collecting often results with things meant for the shop coming home. I think a very talented cadre of interior decorators comes from the ranks of the shop keeper.
Cindy St. Romaine from Covington, Louisiana is one such talent. Her home is very pretty, filled with things from her shop. It's featured in the April 2009 issue of Louisiana Homes and Gardens, and I share the images with you from my clipping file.

The living room features an 18th century Napoleon III mirror


The house is a post Katrina rescue of sorts, purchased by Cindy and her husband in 2006. It had been hurricane damaged, and they brought it back to life.
Travertine floors were laid throughout the whole house, and Cindy chose to paint the walls linen white. Cindy felt this would unify the new open airy floor plan.


The breakfast room with a ten foot long walnut farm table and French wood chandelier
The chairs are slip covered in 100 percent European linen - I love the flange edge!


The goal was to achieve a feeling of the south of France. There are family pieces, antiques, and contemporary pieces. We see the ubiquitous white slip cover. I like that Cindy uses black and white cow hide pillows, a nice alternative to the zebra print everyone has now.
I love the antique chandeliers used through out the house, as well as the mirrors and the art work.
In fact I was so struck by the nudes by artist Alice McNeely, that I looked up her web site. I just love them!

Another view of the living room showing Alice McNeely's paintings
I spy the white kitchen cabinets behind the breakfast room table,
and you can really see the great drop ruffle on the chair slipcovers


Painting from the web site of Alice McNeely HERE


A painted trumeau from the 1700's, Louis XVI chairs covered in toile
French bronze and crystal chandelier circa 1800 over Louis Phillipe walnut table
I love the lamp on the sideboard made from an old balustrade


Gold drapes are used throughout the entire house, another visual unification. The rods are very simple hand forged iron. Cindy uses sea grass rugs, white cow hides, and Aubusson rugs to great effect.

Master bedroom
Swedish demi lune side table
Early 19th century Venetian beaded birdcage chandelier

She has a knack for choosing the right upholstery, such as the chocolate velvet on the Bergere chairs in the library.


I love the pink taffeta chairs (Louis XVI) in the garden room, which I would call the orangeries.

Orangeries

The outside of the house has formal French gardens, Cindy says "filled with wild Louisiana flowers, and sugar kettles were added wherever possible to get that wild French look".

The large 100 year European style manse
is the second oldest home in Covington
The St. Romains have worked hard give it flourishes of Provence



Cindy's shop is called St. Romaine's and is in Convington, just across the lake from New Orleans. Covington is a very pretty town filled with wonderful antique shops, and well worth a day trip there.

Visit St. Romaine Interiors HERE


I plan to do more features on the homes of shop keepers, so stay tuned...

9 comments:

  1. Very, very nice house indeed - thanks for sharing!
    I see also that inside floral arrangements are very fresh and add a lot.
    Happy May 1st!
    Cheers,

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  2. I am going there in a couple of weeks. Must go see that lovely shop.

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  3. Better get the RDX Razzle Dazzle headed out I-12 now too! Thanks for the great post - I sometimes forget to head out that way when I hit the road.
    Have a great week-end. We're off to the "north" for a shrimp boil this evening and I am ever so ready! No JazzFest this time around, but shrimp will do nicely!

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  4. OMgoodness, I love your blog. This house is so darn beautiful!!! Your post regarding slipcovers is awesome too. That's as far as I've gotten and decided I just had to comment. Can't wait to continue reading.

    Warm regards,
    Nola @ The Bloom Girls
    Nashville, TN

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  5. I too like the cow hide pillow. I sometimes feel zebra stripes are effective but mostly I find them jarring and over used.
    The shop looks like a fun place to visit. She has a sharp eye.

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  6. This is absolutely fabulous house. Love the interior arrangements of the house. Thanks for sharing.

    Regards,
    clipping path

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  7. I love everything about this home!
    Thank you for sharing.
    can't wait to see more homes in the series of 'shop keepers houses' :-)
    Irina,
    Hong Kong

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  8. Great house - the dining room is my favorite, and I love how well done the neutral color scheme is executed. The exterior was a surprise, I did not imagine it looking like that - but I love that they did some things to make the exterior look more French.

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  9. I would feel ever so at home in that space (so, if you come by, I'll be in the Orangerie). What a delightful pop those pink armchairs were after gliding through all the golds and neutrals. I was also surprised by the exterior of the house, but I like it. Since they're not in France, it's good that the house retains its native core with just a bit of French flavor.

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