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Barry Dixon, Baton Rouge, courtyard, designer, DIY outdoor drapes, drop cloth, Elway Hall, floor plan, French, historic house, historical renovation, House tour, interior design, interior designer, Italian chandelier, Ivy, library, neoclassical, painters drop clothes, Parsons desk, Target, Thomas O'Brien, toile, traditional, Travertine, Ty Larkins, West Elm
Historical renovation is something I am passionate about because of my love for the architectural features. In my “About Me” section. I referenced almost buying a beautiful, historic house named Elway Hall, but it was just too far away from my office and I would have spent a minimum of 3 hours in the car a day. Two interior designers ended up buying the house that I had to begrudgingly pass on; it seems that interior designers frequently take the challenge of older homes head on without thinking twice.
House Beautiful profiled one such designer…
Take for example, Interior designer Ty Larkins, who grew up in New Orleans where he attained his love for old houses, classic and elegant architecture and antiques. In a recent interview, he spoke of how his style has changed through the years from antiques only to what he called ” young, fresh” or “hip-traditional and the renovation and interior design of his historic Baton Rouge house. I really relate to that.
(As I’ve aged, my taste has evolved from very traditional – with just a love for antiques – to a longing for cleaner, more modern lines to intermingle with my current furnishings. Years ago, I wouldn’t have paid much attention to a modern aesthetic because I thought it emitted a certain coldness. I just hadn’t seen it often nor done well.)
He also offered great advice: if doing a color, do it in a room that is not a primary room that you are in often. This is why the one room in his house that he opted for color is his dining room. He said of the dining room, “When I first did it, it was all classic antiques. But after a while, I thought: This is boring. It sort of had this Granny’s-house air about it. We’re a young family. Why not do something that represents the people who live here? So I put toile slipcovers on modern chairs and paired them with a French country dining table. The chandelier is new, although you can’t tell by looking at it that it’s not some crusty old French chandelier.”
His living room, swathed in neutrals, houses his favorite object: a 17th-century Italian chandelier. “It’s probably the only piece I wouldn’t part with because it’s so rare, and I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
He prefers a neutral palette. He explained that it allows you to change the look of a room, to inject a little bit of fashion — new throw pillows, a funky lamp — without blowing the budget. “It gives you a timeless foundation. No, I hate to use the word ‘timeless.’ I don’t know if there is such a thing. Let’s just say it has longevity.”
He even kept it neutral outside which looks very elegant.
Fig ivy accentuates the courtyard’s garden walls.
Which room gets the most traffic? The kitchen. It’s family central, where everything happens. The marble island’s got pen marks, but it’s nothing that a little stone cleaner can’t handle. Getting back to the theme of separate rooms — I like a kitchen to be private and intimate. You lose that when it opens onto other spaces.
Where have you splurged? There are probably more splurges here than stingies. The dining room chandelier was certainly a splurge. I’m not rich, by any stretch of the imagination. I buy slowly, a piece at a time, but I buy the best I can afford. One of my favorite quotes is from Miles Redd: ‘Buy the best and you only cry once.’ There’s another one I like: ‘Quality is long remembered after price has been forgotten.’ That’s one to live by.
But the really important thing that I tell people is to buy what you like, first of all. You’ll find when you buy what you like, there’s a consistency. Those things will usually just go together, seamlessly.
You’re a former lawyer with a sexy, non-lawyer kind of library. Libraries are cozy rooms that people don’t do anymore. They do home offices now, which are very utilitarian. But the whole notion of a room with built-in bookshelves and deep, rich color…I wish it would come back.
Where have you spent moderately? One of my favorite things is a Parsons desk from West Elm because it’s so honest about what it is. That’s when inexpensive pieces work best — when they’re not pretending to be something else.
- Tension rods
- Grommets ($3-4 for a pack of 12)
- Grommet tool ($7 or better if you look around)
- Canvas (5’x9′ for $11)
Then hem them to desired length by sewing or fusing with fusing tape. If you like, you could also paint, stamp or adorn them as you like 🙂
I hope you enjoyed looking at what Ty Larkins did with his home and found his advice useful 🙂 Have a great day!!
Gorgeous!!!
Beautiful images!
Cynthia
That was fun! Great advice. I do the same with clothes. One or two really decent pairs of shoes, well-made comfortable and in a neutral colors will see you far better than a dozen pair of cheap ones.
Oh!! That’s such a great point! I completely agree!!
🙂
what a wonderful home. I have to agree, the lighter neutral colours work for me big time. when I first met my husband he had so many dark pieces of furniture, doors, window frames that i think I had him attached to a white pot of paint for months!
That is so funny!! You’re lucky he’s willing to paint! I do all of our painting!
Breathtaking. Again. I don’t even know what to say, your posts are always so beautiful and inspiring.
Awww!! Thank you so much!! That really means so much to me to hear 😀
That bathroom shall be mine.
lol!!
Painters canvas drop cloths! Genius! I never considered that when I put curtains on my arbor; I used a beige shade cloth, hemmed on top and inserted onto a tension rod. I made tiebacks also, but when the early morning sun is hot, I let the curtains down to help block the heat.
Now I have a new idea for next year…..my husband will be thrilled…..lol
Aren’t they always with our grand ideas 🙂 Haha!! What is a “shade cloth”?
I also like the idea of an off-white tulle (although it’s not really a great option for blocking the heat, but it would block mosquitoes) because it would blow in the wind…so romantic looking 🙂 I think you can just hose off tulle and I don’t think it’s an expensive fabric either – another bonus!
Shade cloth is what they used on top of the greenhouse/garden center, like Home Depot……it gave my arbor the look of a cabana…….
That’s ingenious!!
You can see a photo of my arbor under “A Work in Progress” on my blog from April of this year.
Oh you’ve just given me the best idea – the painter’s dropcloths for the porch. I keep toying with the idea of turning the living room into a library & really wish that I’d done built in’s when we built. So many wonderful ideas in all of these pictures. I had to laugh though about buying the best because my mother once told me – don’t do that with everyday furniture because you’re going to get tired of it & feel guilty about throwing it out, even after kids & dogs destroy it.
So funny different people’s wisdom – my mom subscribed to Ty’s way of thinking and was always so proud of buying white furniture when we were kids. But the sofa’s upholstery was wool and itchy, so that alone kept us off of it! Speaking of kids, did you ever figure out what those knobs were for in your daughter’s new apartment? Do you think they were just decorative “hooks” to hang clothes or something??
I think my mother liked redecorating but felt too guilty getting rid of ‘good’ furniture. As for those crazy knobs, we still have no idea because of their placement – too low for hanging and the spacing doesn’t make sense. One is beside a window and I thought it might be for a curtain tie back but then there’s another just in the middle of a different wall. I think someone put them there to drive me crazy.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful home! I love when you leave the character of the house and add a little twist of the modern:) Have a Beautiful Day!
I really enjoyed this post. I also like the idea of neutral colors and then adding a splash here and there of color. Also I would rather get one piece at a time that is great then to settle for something less. We plan on buying a home within a year or so and your blog gives me so many great ideas when we do find one. Always enjoy reading your posts!
As usual, great pix and ideas 🙂
“Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten” is attributed to Aldo Gucci, the famous designer. I thoroughly agree. We often wait to get things so that we can get the best.
That’s when I’m not recycling or making do. I like to work to extremes!
I love your blog – true eye candy… re the painters drops – I staple a pair of cheap white King size sheets as a canopy to shade us from the sun on our veranda They look like a marquee all summer, and come down in the autumn..
I love the effort you put into your posts — very nice
Kearney,
I love the kitchen idea with the clock and the chalkboard – would be great in our house with the kids.
But my real love is all of those exteriors. I was really trying to fix up the backyard and deck this summer, and I’m getting inspired to get back to it.
– Jen
Hi Jen! Aren’t they so pretty! I kept saying all summer I was going to fix up our loggia – my husband put junk down there and just left it there (ggrrr!!), but I never did 😦 So, if you find any extra energy, send it my way 😉 haha!
Well, I know who I’m calling when I buy my first house and have no idea what to do with it…this is so beautiful and elegant! But it also looks really inviting and homey. I wouldn’t feel bad about kicking off my shoes in there!
love the garden, bath tub and study! x
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