This is my Vieux Carre part II Pied a Terre post.
This is the condo’s previous owner in the living room. She’s very happy. She never lived in the unit. Right after purchasing it, a single home nearby on Washington Square became available. That was larger and nicer and she didn’t need two French Quarter properties. The sale was good for her and good for us as she wanted to sell quickly.
My idea was to keep furnishings simple and reasonably priced. I didn’t want a major re-do. The ugly wall to wall carpeting came up and I was hoping to see old hardwood underneath. The floors were in poor condition with many patches and would have required lots of bucks to restore. During the early 1900s the houses in this area were used as warehouses to store grain and other goods. We laid plywood over the wood and installed wall to wall rich brown carpeting. That served 2 purposes: sound and temperature insulation and protection for the original floors if someone ever wanted to restore them. An old Oushak overlaid really brightened the room which was rather dark with 2 brick walls. Durable and inexpensive wicker chairs and a sofa bed in a rose colored linen added ample seating.
When this was a single family dwelling, there was a doorway to another room, in the left of this picture. It became the perfect place to display Carnival ball invitations and masks. One of my least favorite Audubon prints seemed to compliment the dark table and chairs.
These 3 doorways between the living room, 2 bedrooms and small hall outside of the bathroom seemed awkward at first but after using the condo to accommodate 3 couples, I understood why they were there. Each room could have access to the bath without going through another room. Moral-live in a place a while before making changes you’ll regret.
All the kitchen needed was a little paint-on the cabinets and over the wallpaper. This was long before Casart added sensibility to wallpaper and I wasn’t about to try to get that paper off!
This doorway turned bookshelf is opposite the other one shown above.
Step into the bedrooms with me next week.
– Lorre Lei
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