A Center Hall House In The Irish Channel

If you know me then you know my favorite style of house in New Orleans is the center hall house. And you might know that I love my neighborhood, the Irish Channel. And you might know, I along with Sister Parish, think that no more than two pieces of brown furniture are my cup of tea in a room.

The entry hall looking into the parlor

A gem of a house just went on sale in the Irish Channel. Some kind of uncomfortable real estate bubble is happening in my humble little neighborhood. Realtors knock on our door wanting us to list our house for sale, promising big bucks. We are not going anywhere. Once mocked for choosing this neighborhood, we are now part of a happening neighborhood with serious money being spent for modest homes.

The center hall - the walls look they are plaster

A settee in the center hall

This Creole house built in 1840 is beautiful and unique. It is one of six center hall houses in the Irish Channel, and it is a bit older than most homes in the neighborhood. It is in near original condition, not falling prey to the epidemic of open floor plan cheap renovations that ruin so many old homes.  And it is for sale.

1840 center hall house in the Irish Channel in New Orleans

Butler Burdine an advertising executive bought this house in 2004, for $260,000. It was the same year we bought our house for a hundred grand less.  It was important to Butler Burdine to purchase a home that maintained its original integrity, with no renovations. Ten years ago, he and partner Patrick Harper found just that in a Creole center-hall cottage in the Irish Channel.

A corner in the parlor

An overview of the parlor - note the original wood ceiling.

Built in 1840 by German immigrants, the 2,650-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bath home was in its native state, with four rooms total. After updating plumbing and wiring, the duo sought to create an authentic interior that would make its original owners proud. Burdine selected a paint palette of spicy ochre, coral, and sage green. “They’re colors I gravitate to,” he says, “but they’re also historically correct for the period,” a time when colorful interiors were fashionable. (from Domaine)

A daybed draped with netting in the parlor

Burdine is right about the colors. We are often awash in neutrals these days, so it is refreshing to see the deeper Creole palette. And the use of so many pieces of the now unfashionable brown furniture, and oriental rugs, seems fresh and new again in this house.

The dining room looking into the kitchen

A painting by one of my favorite artists David Harouni hangs over the dining table

There are  original hardwood floors, twelve-foot ceilings, and nine-foot cypress doors. Burdine calls his aesthetic “rustic and full of mystique, just like New Orleans,” yet declares his goal is truly to restore the home correctly. “It’s a never-ending project.” A friend told  Burdine: “We’re only stewards of these old houses. We’re not owners.” from Domaine

The kitchen with an old fashion stove

Love the vintage stove

The bathroom looks like it is carved out of the back porch

A corner of the bathroom

The tub is sunken

A close up of the sunken tub

And I guess he won't be the steward for long. 
The house is listed for $675,000, HERE

There's a wonderful large hidden courtyard

Go to the real estate listing for more details and photos.
Go to Domaine for some more pretty pictures.


So what would you do to this house if you bought it? I wonder if the owners are selling the furniture. It fits the house so perfectly.

A special thanks to Julie for pointing me to this...

Hover over any image to Pin it
Please add my NEW address to your blog list: http://thevisualvamp.blogspot.com
And please become a Follower again (or for the first time) on this newer VV blog