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Bring Bourbon Street to Your Street

by Liz Gray February 21, 2012 8 Comments

Happy Fat Tuesday! Tonight, the real Bourbon Street will be overflowing with Mardi Gras revelers hungry for beads, Hurricanes and King Cake.

Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Photo by Cosmo Condina; courtesy of NewOrleansOnline.com

But we found another place where Mardi Gras beads are commonplace: a Pennsylvania basement?! Homeowners Penny and Tony needed more than a pot of gumbo to recreate their weekends in New Orleans. They needed a 3-story, 2,000-square-foot basement replica of Bourbon Street, complete with their own bar, stage and balcony. Now, they can say “Laissez les bons temps rouler!” 365 days a year. Take a tour now:

What do you think? Would you like a built-in Bourbon Street for your very own zydeco band, or do you prefer to visit the real thing?

NOLA: What is Important to You? Before I Die…

by Kayla Kitts May 24, 2011 11 Comments

Almost six years later, the ravaging impacts of Hurricane Katrina still affect New Orleans. Candy Chang, a public installation artist, urban planner and designer, wanted to remind NOLA residents of what’s truly important. So this winter, Chang picked 900 Marigny Street, a blighted and abandoned house, as the site for an interactive public art project where residents shared their dreams, goals and aspirations … together.

NOLA-Candy-Chang-Before-I-Die-HGTV-DesignHappens

Chang says on her website, “Before I Die transforms a neglected space into a constructive one where we can learn about the hopes and aspirations of the people around us. It’s about improving both our physical spaces and our individual well-being,” After just one day, the wall was entirely filled with moving (and sometimes quirky) responses. After Chang photographed and documented it, the wall was erased, cleaned and given a fresh start. It filled up again. And again. From winter into spring.

NOLA-Candy-Chang-Before-I-Die-HGTV-DesignHappens

Some set personal goals … “find love”, “write a novel”, “swim without holding my nose”, “abandon all insecurities”.

Featured

Daily Delight: New Orleans Charm

by Lili Zarghami May 7, 2011 1 Comment

The New York Times recently featured a home lovingly pieced back together after Hurricane Katrina destroyed its predecessor.

Photo: Sara Essex for The New York Times

Karina Gentinetta rebuilt her family’s home three years ago on the ruins of her former one in New Orleans. Gentinetta filled her home with pieces she found at flea markets, consignment shops and salvaged select pieces from her old house. The result is a warm, beautiful home with a sense of history and place.

Featured

Happy Mardi Gras!

by Lili Zarghami March 8, 2011 10 Comments

King cake is so evocative of Mardi Gras for me, that I thought I’d use it as design inspiration today.

king cake
The New Orleans-style dessert cake is topped with the three traditional colors of Mardi Gras: green, yellow and purple. So in honor of this delicious galette des Rois, here are some of my favorite Mardi Gras-colored rooms.

Featured

Daily Delight: Alligator House

by Lili Zarghami March 6, 2011 3 Comments

If you listen hard enough, you can hear the Mardi Gras revelers letting les bons temps rouler in New Orleans from where you are. It’s true. Try it.

alligator house

While I’ve never made it to New Orleans for Mardi Gras festivities, I certainly will put this house on my to-do list for next time I’m in the Big Easy. Dubbed the “Alligator House “(can you see the alligator?) by buildingstudio, it was built as a low-cost home for a Katrina victim in the Central City neighborhood. It’s such an interesting interpretation of the classic shotgun-style home and creates such an unforgettable street impression.