As a child, when my friends in Algiers Point were drawing rocket ships and puppies, I was drawing houses. One preschool-era picture even included details like shutters and a rose-covered picket fence. I wish I still had that one.
In my hands anything could be shaped into a house: books, blocks, bricks and scraps of wood.
This deep interest and love of houses eventually led me to a career in design. Yes, I am one of those very fortunate people who have a passion for their work.
Community had a lot to do with that passion as well. By the time I came along, the Point was an area of near picture-perfect blocks of Eastlake shotgun doubles and cottages embellished with gingerbread.
My home was in the middle of a close-knit community, too, and my parents made me aware of just how special it was.
All the elements of a village were in place: churches, schools, a post office, a firehouse and a courthouse; an Andrew Carnegie grant public library, a community theater and numerous corner stores, bars and restaurants; a bank, three movie theaters and a small general hospital.
The green slopes of the levee and the batture called out to be explored. Two ferry crossings let us travel into the city; one went to Canal Street and the other to the French Market.
What’s all this got to do with introducing my new interior design column? It helps to explain how architecture, people and community came together to create my career as a designer. All of these things help bring us to that pride of place we crave in our homes.
Join me in the coming weeks as the column begins by posing the question, “What do you say to a naked room?” We’ll go step-by-step in explaining how to start with an empty room and end up with a space that you’ll love to live in, from placing electrical outlets to choosing art.
I hope to share my love of houses with you, as well as my years of experience and the lessons that I have learned along the way.
To get started, let me share a few truisms I think are important.
TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS: That inner voice will tell you what truly appeals to you. Listen to it. Don’t be overly influenced by the shiny and new or by your overly opinionated cousin.
Remember trendy is often just a few steps ahead of tacky.
MANAGE THE BUDGET: Almost everyone has one, but too often little is left for art and accessories after making major purchases.
Do not skimp on that final layer. The selection of art and objects allows your personality to take center stage. You can “thrift” and stretch that budget, but do include objects and collections that add dimension to your home.
ART PLACEMENT: When you introduce a new piece of art, avoid the temptation to hang it on the first empty wall you see.
Instead, look for the best location for that piece. This may result in relocating several pieces around the house, thus placing each in a fresh light.
When art hangs in the same place long enough, it may just as well be wallpaper.
KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN: Design does not exist in a vacuum. We are all influenced by what others have created. Borrow from the best. The colors in a great painting or garden blossoms may inspire the color palette in your home.
HAVE FUN: Add your personality to the design and create a home that is uniquely your own. Display that collection of vintage, brass garden hose nozzles on the mantel. You will enjoy them, and in turn, family and friends will enjoy them, too.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Louis J. Aubert — pronounce that “Louie” — is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers and an avid preservationist. Some of his most visible New Orleans projects include making interior color selections for Gallier Hall, Trinity Episcopal Church and the Louisiana Supreme Court Royal Street Courthouse, and both interior and exterior selections for St. Stephen’s Basilica. Contact him at [email protected].