Tour an Old-School New Orleans Home Filled With Eye-Popping Contemporary Design

Designer Maureen Stevens transformed this Greek Revival home into a modern-day tribute to New Orleans' Caribbean roots.

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October 07, 2021

By: Kamron Sanders

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Photo By: Kayla Stark

A New Orleans Townhouse With Classic Exterior Architecture

Hidden in the heart of New Orleans’ Garden District is a townhouse that, like many homes in the area, has a distinguished Greek Revival style featuring stately columns and a charming front porch entry. To maintain this classic beauty, Maureen Stevens, the designer responsible for the home’s most recent renovation, left the iconic exterior relatively untouched.

A Vibrant Coral Front Door Offers a Peek of the Bold Color to Come Inside

While maintaining a traditional facade, Maureen did overhaul the home's interior, aiming for modern classic design with an ode to New Orleans' Caribbean roots. "When one thinks of NOLA homes, they immediately think about its European history, French and Spanish, but New Orleans has an equally vibrant Caribbean history. Just think about the lively colors, pinks, yellows, greens. We aimed for a tropical feel juxtaposed with classic architecture," notes Maureen. The quaint front door finished in popping Ravishing Coral offers a sneak peek of the vibrant colors lying just inside.

Modern Design and Bold Shades of Coral and Grasshopper Green Define This Dining Area

Inside, worlds collide as Maureen bridges classic Greek Revival architecture with vibrant color and modern appointments in the form of new furniture, finishes and creative artistic touches.

A Colorful Mural + Sleek Lacquer Finishes Help to Further This Home's Trending Design

As you enter the home, you're immediately greeted by a colorful mural to the left that furthers the home's color story and theme. Regarding this process, Maureen says, "Scale first, we determined how far or how big it should be. Then the colors, then what shapes or ideas. This was a pretty simple one, but we wanted to make an impact by choosing colors that are cohesive with the theme."

Hand-Painted, Graphic Wall Art Gives This Home a Gallery-Chic Aesthetic

Maureen uses an outside-the-box approach to wall art throughout the home. While key nooks in the home could be accented with pictures and mirrors, Maureen chose a different, more bespoke approach. Layering this unique painted element with wall hangings on top offers more visual interest.

A Palm Tree Design Theme and Other Elements Repeat Throughout This Space

A gold palm tree lamp sits on the entryway table, tying into the palm trees surrounding the home's exterior. Many of Maureen's design choices are based on tying dissimilar spaces together through similar elements. "The trick is to always bring one element from one space to the next space," she advises.

A Vintage Stained-Glass Window Works Perfectly With This Home's New Look

Tucked just behind the palm tree outside is a stained-glass window that's original to the townhouse. Not only does the piece tie into the artistic approach of the home's renovation, but the color scheme of the piece conveniently matches the yellows, greens, teals and blues of the home's newfound Caribbean vibe.

Simple White Walls Allow More Colorful Elements to Pop

The home's walls and millwork have been painted stark white, making the interior feel open and inviting. Additionally, this makes the spots Maureen chose to add color immensely more vibrant and impactful.

Vintage Pink Chairs Are Rich Contrast With Mod White Dining Table

The bright white dining table is surrounded by punchy pink chairs that happen to be leftovers from the home's previous owners. Maureen contrasts that vintage design with modern chairs placed at the head of the table. "I always incorporate older items if it makes sense and is still cohesive with the design direction we are trying to achieve," she says.

A Colorful Fireplace Cover Ties A Kitchen and a Dining Room Together

Maureen ties into the unique color of the dining chairs with a hand-painted fireplace cover. Additional layers of vivid green speak to the bold greens in the courtyard just outside the windows.

A Picturesque New Orleans Brick Courtyard

With its patinaed perfection, the property's courtyard is peak New Orleans style. For this reason, it was left completely untouched during the renovation.

A Patinaed Fountain Lends New Orleans Charm to an Outdoor Space

Gorgeous New Orleans patina can be found in more than just the home's courtyard. Tucked below the home's exterior stairs is a fountain that Maureen was sure to leave in place.

This Sleek and Streamlined Neutral Kitchen Balances the Dining Room's Color Explosion

Sharing the space with the dining room is the home's kitchen, a real stunner. The muted gray, soft white and deep blue color scheme may take a backseat to some of the home's more vibrant hues, but the sleek finishes help the kitchen to strike a perfect balance between pretty and practical.

A Waterfall Countertop Gives This Kitchen a Luxe Feel

The standout feature in the kitchen is the island. The gray quartz waterfall countertop offers luxurious contrast to the bold wallpaper in the lounge area adjacent to the kitchen.

A Sophisticated Lounge Brings Serious Style to a Small Space

Just beyond the kitchen is one of the home's smaller spaces, but what it lacks in space is more than made up for in its sexy style.

This Cozy Sitting Area Has a Boutique Hotel Aesthetic

This lounge space acts as a spillover entertaining area for the kitchen. As Maureen says, "The kitchen always becomes the hub of a home anyway." Her fun, vintage furniture picks, luxe metallic finishes and creative touches give the space the look and feel of a boutique hotel lounge.

Vibrant Tropical Wallpaper Exudes Caribbean Vibes

Behind the bar cart is a wallpaper that looks as if it was designed specifically for this home. From the vibrant colors to the tropical print, it exudes the Caribbean vibes that Maureen worked so hard to capture through her design for the property. A large mirror helps to break up the busy print and visually enlarge the space.

Hand-Painted Busts Are Both Classic and Modern

Behind the sofa are six Greek busts that have been given a colorful twist. While leaving them untouched would've complemented the home's Greek Revival bones, Maureen says, "We wanted the hues to reflect the Caribbean feel we were aiming for." With a little paint, she was able to land somewhere between the home's past, present and future.

Massive Floor to Ceiling Windows Make This Living Room Feel Larger Than Life

With its massive windows and high ceilings, the home's living room feels larger than life. Though Maureen painted the walls, ceiling and millwork white, she added a colorful punch with the decor.

Vibrant Yellow Curtains Are the Perfect Accent in a White Living Room

Maureen chose to dress the windows in vibrant yellow with curtains that are intentionally hung to gather at the bottom, resting against the home's gorgeous ebony floors. "I like drapes that graze the floor. As far as what height, the closer to the ceiling, the better," she recommends.

A Gallery Wall Helps Hide a Large Wall-Mounted TV

Finding it hard to make a TV work with your living room's aesthetic? Take a page out of Maureen's design playbook. "I'm one who dislikes a TV being a focal point, doing a gallery wall around it is a great trick!" she advises.

Fun Furniture Picks Give This Living Room Its Personality

The furniture in the living room is anything but ordinary, boring or matchy-matchy. Maureen ties things together in more subtle ways, like placing a complementary mauve planter beside a mauve chair.

An Antique Chandelier Works Perfectly With a Contemporary Gallery Wall

Suspended above the space is an intricate chandelier that is original to the home. "I am such a sucker for keeping historical gems like these," says Maureen, advocating for statement lights that work with any design style and which looks especially luxurious when blended with modern elements.

Use Lighting as Both a Statement Piece and a Functional Element of Every Room

Regardless of whether or not they're mounted on the ceiling, the wall or the floor, Maureen chose to make every light fixture in the house a statement. "Lighting is very important in any space. I usually have several sources of lighting and at different levels. Some lighting is more for functionality, some mainly decorative but more often than not, it's both," she says.

Mix Bold Color and Monochrome Pieces in a Living Room for Design Interest

Maureen creates key vignettes in order to showcase color, such as placing a hot pink monstera leaf in the middle of a monochromatic coffee table display. These visual juxtapositions keep things fun and playful without compromising the home's edgy-meets-elegant style.

Living Room Pocket Doors Open Up to Multipurpose Space

At the back of the living room is a towering set of pocket doors opening to another large space on the main floor. The room is a sort of multipurpose space that Maureen designed to suit a variety of occasions.

Pocket Doors Are a Great Way to Separate Spaces in a Home

When the pocket doors are open, the space becomes one with the living room. An original chandelier matching the one in the living room offers visual cohesion, making the two spaces feel like one giant room.

This Office Doubles as Entertaining Space and a Guest Bedroom

Multipurpose spaces are a big trend. This space is one-part entertaining space and one-part home office. Because the townhouse acts as the owner's second residence, the use and design of the space differs from that of a primary residence, explaining the unique chaise lounges. "They can actually convert to full-size beds! We were first fueled by functionality — this is a home office but they also wanted it to be an overflow space when they have more than the usual amount of guests. On our plans, we also called it 'Parlor 2,' a place to lounge when gatherings, soirees, and parties are happening, so on any given day of the week, it's a home office, a place for happy hour and a sleeping space all at the same time."

This Home Office Writing Desk Is Both Chic and Functional

A small writing desk makes for a practical spot to take a phone call or knock out a task or two, and shows you shouldn't sacrifice style when setting up a home office.

Creative Decor Ideas Further This Home's Design Theme

The bookshelves behind the desk (another leftover from the previous owner) have been given an artistic makeover. Because of the room's unique purpose, the choice was made to keep the bookshelves, but to prioritize form over function. Just as she did throughout the home, Maureen used this as an opportunity to dive deeper into her theme, painting acrylic boxes in the tropical, Caribbean color palette.

This Enormous Bedroom Takes Maximum Design Advantage of the Space

Upstairs is the home's massive main bedroom. The space is so large, that the choice was made to break it up into two parts. To help add distinction to the wide-open space, Maureen painted a floor-to-ceiling stripe in a soft green hue. In true Maureen fashion, she was sure to prioritize cohesion and borrowed the green hue from the fireplace cover downstairs.

A Sectional Is Transformed Into Two Chaise Lounges

A large jute rug also does its part to define the lounge area of the bedroom, providing the perfect backdrop for the red chaise lounges. Surprisingly, these bold sofas are yet another leftover from the home's previous owner that Maureen was able to repurpose in a separate space. Originally, these were connected as a sectional in the living room.

A White Marble Coffee Table Offers Contrast to This Bedroom's Intense Reds

With bold red chaise lounges flanking the space, the bedroom's lounge area needed something on the soft and subtle side to anchor it. Maureen opted for a delicate marble coffee table dotted with pretty decor.

A Clever New Way to Use a Sectional as a Reading Nook

In the hallway at the top of the stairs sits the remainder of the repurposed red sectional, transforming an otherwise unused spot into a vibrant visual destination.

Tucked Into a Corner, This Stylish Bed Becomes Extra Cozy

This stylish bed maintains the homes' colorful approach reminiscent of the Caribbean. Wall-mounted reading lights keep the bedside tables decluttered, while a simple fabric wall hanging adds a colorful textural element to the blank white wall.

This Guest Bedroom Headboard Is a Study in Modern Color and Shapes

In the home's guest bedroom, Maureen artistically experiments with shapes. From the art on the wall to the throw on the bed to the subtle geometric design of the bedside table, she leaves no corner untouched. Perhaps the most notable decor element is the geometric display acting as the bed's headboard.

A Faux Headboard Sits Against This Geometric Wallpaper

The bed's "headboard" isn't actually a headboard at all. "We opted for an almost no-headboard feel, and a single panel of a mural paired with a wall-mounted leather faux headboard did the trick," notes Maureen. In her opinion, this look could easily become a DIY project.

Place Meaningful Artworks in a Prominent Position

Sitting at the top of the stairs is a lone chest of drawers beneath a vibrant piece of artwork that, though it's tucked away in a less-visited area of the home, is crucial to the home's theme.

Photograph of Mardi Gras Indians Taps Into New Orleans Culture

This contemporary photograph of the Mardi Gras Indians is a testament to New Orleans' complex history. "When we think of Mardi Gras in NOLA, we think of those big boat parades, but Mardi Gras Indians are very much a cornerstone and a part of this celebration in NOLA. Indians named themselves after native Indians to pay them respect for their assistance in escaping the tyranny of slavery. These days during Mardi Gras, they wear extravagant and colorful costumes and paint their faces," explains Maureen.