Style and Substance

Here's a look behind closed doors of a very stylish home in New Orleans featured in the Winter 2013 issue of New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Magazine.

The home of Pam and Seph Dupuy in New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Magazine -  story and styling by Valorie Hart, photos by Sara Essex Bradley, Assistant stylist Mitchell Settoon

I scouted this home a few months ago when I was there for a committee meeting. I was so taken with the unusual floor plan of this shotgun house (Ithought I had seen them all!), and smitten with the way the home owners Pamm and Seph Dupuy had furnished and decorated it.

My proposal to feature it in New Orleans Homes & Lifestyle Magazine was accepted. I got my favorite photographer Sara Essex Bradley on board, and enlisted the help of a designer associate Mitchell Settoon to assist me with the styling. We set a table for twenty, and that's a lot of china, silver, and crystal to play with.

The dining room in the Dupuy home is comprised of two rooms in a shotgun house made into one long room that has a table that can seat twenty (or more) - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

Read the entire article in New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles. And enjoy these out takes from the photo shoot too. The art director Tiffani Reding Amedeo does an amazing job laying out the story, but Sara and I always shoot more photos than needed. If you can pick up the hard copy, do so (or even subscribe!). It always looks best when you can see the photos larger than on a blog post.

A mix of different dining room chairs collected by the Dupuys over the years -  photo by Sara Essex Bradley

There is a huge floor to ceiling bookshelf in the dining room, making the room do double duty as a library and reading room Photo by Sara Essex Bradley

Detail of the bookshelves in the dining room

I love this painting by Sandy Chism in the dining room - photo by Sra Essex Bradley

In another area of the dining room - Victorian settee with cut velvet tiger pillow from Shaun Smith Home, Walking Figures by Damian Aquiles over settee are a nice modern twist - Photo by Sara Essex Bradley

There are two fireplaces int he dining room - Pamela brought the pikulan pole, displayed on the mantel, home from a trip to the Republic of Myanmar in 1998. The painting is by William Parrot. The glass vases are from the New Orleans Museum of Art gift shop - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

You can see this painting in the hall from the dining room - Painting by Jacqueline Humphries; antique bench holds stacks of shelter magazines - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

There is a double parlor at the front of the house that the Dupuys use as a salon and music room - Art work by John Geldersma (spirit poles), Glenn Maxwell (couple), Raine Bedsole (small lightning painting) -  photo by Sara Essex Bradley

Here's a view of the double parlor dissected by back to back fireplaces = photo by Sara Essex Bradley

Painting over mantle by Sidonie Villere, and a painting near piano by Dan Tague

This chest is in the music room and holds table linens - painting by Mark Bercier - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

There is also room for a ladies writing desk in the music room; painting by Hardy Albritton - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

A view from the double parlor into the dining room - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

This is the breakfast area - love the squirrel - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

The family room - Kelly Wearstler throw, skull pillow from Leontine Linens - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

A view into the master bedroom - love the shutters and the antique armoire - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

Master bedroom in the home of Pam and Seph Dupuy, painting by Sandy Chism - photo by Sara Essex Bradley

 

Hope you enjoyed the home of Pamm and Seph Dupuy featured in New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles Winter 2013, story and styling by Valorie Hart. photos by Sara Essex Bradley, assistant stylist Mitchell Settoon

I always like to give five takeaways from a home I write about. These are what you can take away from the Dupuy home:

Five Takeaways

1. Mix all styles of dining chairs.
2. Paint all the rooms a pretty neutral, such as Bleeker Beige.
3. Collect different sets of china, flatware and glassware, and mix them together.
4. Turn a garden cart into a bar cart.
5. Make your dining room do double duty as a library by adding bookshelves.

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What Do You Think Of Plants In The House?

I am not one for house plants. I know they can look nice and give refreshing oxygen to the air, but somehow they always remind me of sad doctors' offices, or office building lobbies, or the old look from the 1970s of macrame plant hangers.

Groovy house plants - Two trends! Macrame and terrariums!

Of course, times have changed, and plants have become a more styled layer to a room.

House plants have become a stylish layer again

Simple and modern and sculptural little house plants

Terrariums are back in vogue too  - K?

Are you into terrariums?

Do you keep house plants in your home? If so what kind and where? If not, why not?



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French Quarter Mod

This classic French Quarter house was built in the 1830's. But wait until you see what is behind the stately shutters.

Creole cottage circa 1830 in the French Quarter

It's a totally contemporary decor, done by the owners Leslie and Hal Stokes, who collect modern art and modern furniture. It's on the market now HERE.

And look at what is inside!!! Love the floating steel staircase!

The dining room - I believe the table and chairs are by Mario Villa

Marble floors run throughout the entire home

The open kitchen has everything concealed behind sleek cabinets

Check out the wine storage

The guest bedroom is at street level, and the French doors you see are the ones with the green shutters on the outside of the house

In the guest bath - Stainless steel bathroom fixtures, a walk in shower, and a high mounted toilet make it user friendly

The large master suite is on the second floor

It includes a nice size home office tucked in at the tops of the stairs

The outside space is spectacular, a long deep lot with a lap pool, and an out building for the laundry and storage

The best part is a seven car (!) parking area at the back of the house

Since it's up for sale now, and I am so happy that I got to experience this lovely home and lovely couple when I did the event decor for a fundraiser in their home.

I did a party in the courtyard for the Stokes - Event decor by Valorie Hart

It was a seated dinner for 60 and I decided to use the pool for one very long table. I felt communal dining with family style dining enhanced the mood of a fund raiser.

The pool before I had covered with Plexiglas so I could put a table on it for a dinner party

Steel trusses were installed

Sheets of thick Plexiglas were laid on top of the trusses

It was magical - I added an extra table adjacent to the pool as the guest list got bigger - Event decor by Valorie Hart

Detail of the table setting - Event decor by Valorie Hart

Event decor by Valorie Hart

Event decor by Valorie Hart

I always wanted to publish this house in New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles, but never got around to it. I found this little shot I took when I did the party. I think Sara Essex Bradley might have some scouting shots we did together somewhere, and if I find them, I will post them.  Hal Stokes is Dr. Stokes who is a hand surgeon, so the couple has an amazing collection of hand themed objects.

I snapped this picture of a pair of amazing vintage Italian hand chairs in the home of Leslie and Hal Stokes

Their two cute little doggies are named Digit and Midget.

Is it Digit or Midget? I snapped this photo when I was installing the event decor

Leslie tells me they are onto a fabulous new project, and I wish them well and a speedy sale of their lovely mod French Quarter home.

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What Do You Think Of Using A Wallpaper Panel?

Wallpaper can be costly to buy and have installed. It also can be overwhelming in terms of committing to a whole room, or even just one entire wall. And it's a daunting DIY project.

Yes or No?

So lots of people just use a panel (one or more) as an accent on accent wall kind of vibe. Sometimes it gets framed out with simple molding.

This is interesting - It's very expensive Clarence House wallpaper done on a board without borders, and then used as a leaner

Another leaner, but framed this time

This is a classic way to frame wallpaper panels

Kind of quirky - Using dowel rods, wrap the two short ends of your panel and secure with glue. - Hang using some ribbon

Have you done this with wallpaper? If not what do you think?

Check out this Etsy shop Accentuwall for really cute and affordable peel and stick wallpaper.

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