Her home needed to feel like if it were carefully picked up and dropped in another place, it would still feel like New Orleans – not in a tacky way of course, but instead in an honoring of New Orleans character. 

See below for some New Orleans home style inspiration and then photos of the client’s final product at the end that tie it all together!

New Orleans is an old city

There are a lot of old cities, and other parts of the world are far older than a lot of Americans can imagine. But you know what I mean when I say “old city,” right? The roots go deep, and there are more layers to the culture than a croissant at a French bakery. Even in rebuilding itself after Hurricane Katrina, the city didn’t lose its beautiful, community-based oldness. My client and I figured out together that this new-build needed some old touches to reflect the city it’s in.

In the midst of the project I found this beautiful antique door at Ricca’s Architectural Sales over in Mid City NOLA. Bower Home got this to custom fit into our client’s home, and it was a great example of lifting something from forgettable to absolutely signature.

We knew we wanted to incorporate custom moulding on the walls that would be similar to the historic trim in older houses. Bower Home sourced, crafted, and installed beautiful millwork for us! Now the whole house looks period-appropriate. 

New Orleans character and style come from its color and vibrance

You are not going to walk around any other city in the US with so many yellows, reds, purples, pinks, and greens. (You should know that pink and green consistently light a fire in me). Even the most outspoken of sports fans don’t have anything on NOLA’s vibrance. These are regular homes of regular people! Show me purple and yellow trim on the same house someplace else Honey, I dare you. New Orleans is not afraid of color, and you shouldn’t be either. 

The organic wall of it all! There is something about how the greenery and structures of this city work together in a unique way. It is just full of life! In many places, plants almost have a somehow sterile nature to them, very man-designed. In NOLA it honestly just feels like we’re all in this together.

Relatedly, art in New Orleans really has something special, and I’m excited to keep exploring that on my blog here. For now I’ll talk about what we had in mind for this Bywater project. Art here isn’t necessarily “maximalist” but minimalists would be uncomfortable. There’s a lot of reliance on organic shapes, community-based messages, lots of vibrant color of course, black lines, extremely… analog? I’ll include some photos of NOLA art I’ve come across recently, but also please do check out @cubsthepoet on Instagram. Christian Davenport is VERY delightfully New Orleans. 

New Orleans is a Black city

NOLA may have heavy French influence, but this city is Black. The majority of the city’s population is Black, the people who built it were Black, and this client, too, is Black. This huge part of NOLA was missing in my client’s home, and we leaned heavily into Black, in style and most notably in the wallpaper of the dining room (you’ll see below).

Bringing it all together

This was one of my favorite projects to date. I think you’ll see why. Oh, and send me a note if you’re looking for some more style and character in your New Orleans home!

The post Infusing Historic New Orleans Character Into A Boring, New-Build Home appeared first on Fortune House Shop.

Adding a rug to any room instantly grounds the space and makes it feel cozier and more polished. My favorite style of rug to achieve the ultimate balance of modern geometrics and traditional craftsmanship is a vintage kilim rug. One-of-a-kind vintage rugs can be difficult for consumers to source by themselves as they’re often reserved for high-budget and custom client work. Here, I’ve gathered some of my favorite vintage kilim rugs, along with a collection of modern replicas and accessories to give you exclusive access to this usual trade-only product. Here are some of my favorites from the collection: Shop The Entire Collection Here *Affiliate Link: purchases made through this link pay designer commission.

Vintage Geometric Beige Brown And Blue Wool Kilim Rug

This one-of-a-kind vintage rug by Rug + Kilim measures 5×7 feet and would be stunning layered over a sturdy jute rug. I love the pastel colors blending with the aubergine and sage.

Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Kilim Pink Runner Rug

Made with hand-woven wool originating from Turkey between 1950-1960, this vintage mid-century Kilim runner enjoys the distinction and gentility of a seldom-seen pink colorway, gracefully accented by a play of golden-beige and cream hues lending a complementary sense of depth and gravity to the medallion field design.

Vintage Kilim Style Pillow Cover With Tassels

For a less expensive way to add vintage style and texture to a room, I love seeing lilim-style pillows layered with luxury fabrics like velvet. The tassels on this pillow add a sweet touch.

Vintage Mid-Century Moroccan Berber Transitional Pink And Beige Wool Rug – Confetti Accent

Originating from Morocco in 1950, this vintage midcentury Moroccan Berber rug has a combination of both distinct and subtle symbolism with particularly unique colourways. Hand knotted in durable wool, the eye-catching hot pink lozenges symbolizing femininity are complemented by parallel open-angled lozenges, commonly representing the transition into womanhood and maturity. A more uncommon feature of this piece is the especially finely woven sparks of confetti-like rainbow hues throughout the beige field, indicating an almost celebratory tone to the piece complementing its imagery.

1960s Vintage Zeki Muren Distressed Rug With Art Deco Pattern

Hand-knotted in wool, a distressed style rug from the celebrated artist Zeki Muren with abstract and art deco inspirations is one of his latest pieces to join Rug & Kilim’s Midcentury Pasha collection. This Turkish drawing from circa 1960-1970 boasts Western abstract modernism with a unique personality where a geometric pattern stands imbued in grey,black,yellow,orange,green tones lending versatility to suit different moods and styles. Carrying distressed low pile height consistent with age and the technique of this lineage, a perfect shabby chic rendering in Boho style—well suited for living rooms and drawing rooms in monochrome and neutral tones. A thoughtful choice for maximalist interiors, though the possibilities are limitless. 

Kilim Upholstery Fabric by Kravet

For custom pieces or to DIY wall tapestries, this fabric from Cravat comes in two color ways and looks like vintage kilim.

Modern Kilim (Cotton) Woven Rugs and Accessories

For budget infusions of kilim style, I’m all for buying a modern nod to the vintage classics. Use these items wisely. A 2×3 rug doesn’t have to be a door mat. You can install it on the wall as art or use it as a bath mat. These rugs are thin and could be used as a table runner on a large rectangle table. Get creative with these items under $150!

This is a small selection of vintage style rugs from a much larger curated collection available for you to purchase via Side Door.
Click Here To Shop The Full Collection Through Side Door.
* Affiliate Link: purchases made through this link pay designer commission.

The post Designer Obsession: Vintage Kilim Rugs appeared first on Fortune House Shop.