is it Cajun? or Creole? what’s what with Louisiana cooking there’s a lot to love about the big easy roomplanners www.roomplanners.com JUNE 2010 New Orleans style elegant eclectic charming
Mar 24, 2016
is it Cajun? or Creole? what’s what with Louisiana cooking
there’s a lot to love about
the big easy
roomplanners www.roomplanners.com
JUNE 2010
New Orleans style
elegant eclectic
charming
2 www.roomplanners.com
a city, a style … too precious to forget It’s been 5 years since hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans.
The Crescent City suffered severe flood damage to 200,000 homes… many
of them among the most charming in America.
With many New Orleans homes still in need of repair, we‟ve dedicated
this issue to highlighting what makes this
city‟s architecture and design so special. New
Orleans‟ homes give us a glimpse into
America‟s golden age of design and some of
its most unique creations.
Sadly, at the time of this publication, the city
is again under siege; this time by an oil spill
that threatens their wildlife, seafood industry
and tourism. The tragedy of the past two
months motivated us even more to bring the
beauty of this city‟s culture, seen through the
design of its homes, to this issue.
You don‟t need to decorate in this style to
appreciate it, though you may be tempted to!
More than that, I hope this issue peeks your curiosity about New Orleans
enough to put it at the top of your list of places to visit... or even to help
restore. No other city in America offers such a unique mix of European,
American, African and Caribbean styles.
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We invite you to visit out web site
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ideas, or to take our survey to
identify your environmental
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variety of free home decorating articles, including room critiques,
product reviews, cooking and kitchen ideas.
Our RoomCues™ offer concise, practical guidance and inspiration
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look you love.
You‟ll find us online at:
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on the cover
An exuberant, eclectic mix of furnishings creates a relaxed
opulence in this Creole town-house in the French Quarter.
Hallmarks of New Orleans
interiors include a fondness for a more elegant past, a unique blend
of cultures and a tropical ambiance.
PHOTO COURTESY:
Richard Sexton
Loreen Epp President, RoomPlanners Inc.
All written information herein is copy-right ©2010 Room Planners Incorpo-rated. All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means without written permission from Room Planners Inc..
Our special thanks ...
A resident of New Orleans, Richard Sexton is a noted photographer,
artist, writer, critic, teacher and author. He specializes in the photography of architecture, design and landscapes.
Sexton‟s photos have been featured in books such as In the Victorian
Style, The Cottage Book, American Style: Classic Product Design from
Airstream to Zippo, in addition to books profiling New Orleans‟ archi-
tecture and interiors, Louisiana plantations and the Gulf Coast.
Several photos from his book, New Orleans: Elegance and Decadence
are featured in this issue. Published in 1993 and reprinted in 2003,
the book was dubbed “the best photography book ever done on the city.”
Right. Richard Sexton‟s books on Louisiana include: New Orleans: Elegance
and Decadence and Vestiges of Grandeur: The Plantations of Louisiana’s River
Road.
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A little history helps make sense of this unique city. Louisiana
was founded by France in 1699 (...it seems Louis XIV wasn‟t
busy enough building Versailles?) The new colony‟s capital,
New Orleans, was named in 1718, taken over by Spain in
1762, taken back by France under Napoleon in 1800, then
sold to the United States three years later.
As if all this cross-cultural exchange wasn‟t enough, the town‟s
Spanish and French folks shared both swamps and soirees
with African American and Caribbean neighbors. New Orleans,
in fact, claimed a unique mixed race class early on, with many free
blacks mingling with whites, socially and culturally.
In part, this openness toward cultural relations, together with
the steamy tropical heat, gave the city its popular nick-
name, the Big Easy. To this day, the laid-back, laissez-faire
attitude that seeps through New Orleans‟ music, speech,
food, squares and rooms is undeniable.
In many ways, the city feels a little lost in time. Charm,
beauty and hospitality (of the old-fashioned kind) exist
in equal measure. Intimate narrow streets, hidden brick
courtyards, peeling plaster and lush, well-manicured
estates offer a glimpse of a past age of elegance.
While we openly admit that nothing beats seeing New
Orleans in person, we‟ve tried to summarize this
enticing city by highlighting 9 of our favorite features...
the city there‟s a lot to love about the big easy
orleans new
It’s not an easy thing
to describe one’s first impression of New Orleans…
...for while it actually resembles no other city upon the face of the earth, yet it recalls
vague memories of a hundred cities… of towns in Italy and in Spain,
of cities in England... of seaports in the Mediterranean
and of seaports in the tropics.
Lafacadio Hearn, 1887
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the music the balconies
the restaurants the party spirit Carnival, for many
people, is New
Orleans. Starting
in January, two
months of balls,
masquerades,
feasts and parades
culminate in Mardi
Gras, a final week
that draws thousands of visitors for
dawn-to-dusk-to-dawn parties!
Quite literally, Mardi Gras means
Fat Tuesday, a reference to all the
serious merrymaking and indulgences
that culminate just prior to Ash
Wednesday, the start of Lent season.
Those balconies
and porches! The
miradors of the
Spanish, the galleries
of the French…
both recall a golden
era in the city and a
very charming way
to cool off!
Often thought to be French, the fancy
iron balconies in the French Quarter
were imported from Spain or made
locally by free black men. Iron
balconies became more elaborate
under 19th century Victorian influence.
Louis Armstrong,
Jelly Roll Morton,
the jazz funeral...
The city of New
Orleans birthed
some of the most
unique and memo-
rable music tradi-
tions in America.
From the clubs on Frenchmen Street
to the Louisiana Music Factory, few
cities offer such an embarrassing rich-
ness of homegrown talent. But it‟s the
intimate stages in local clubs or on
the street that mesmerize visitors most.
It’s true that some
of New Orleans'
finest restaurants
didn’t survive
Katrina. But others
emerged to cook up
all that seafood...
and those unique
Cajun and Creole
recipes. New Orleans‟ culinary
melting pot owes to its unique cultural
melting pot; a blend of French, Span-
ish, African and Caribbean traditions.
New Orleans restaurants are local
and unique… and tour books on the city
always suggest visitors “come hungry”.
the colors The unabashed
colors of New
Orleans’ Creole
townhouses and
cottage homes
seem rooted in the
zesty, vibrant hues
of the neighboring
Caribbean. But
these brighter, zestier tropical
schemes emerged in the early 20th
century.
Authentic New Orleans colors draw
more on the sun-washed colors of
Mediterranean countries, including
southern Spain, France and Italy.
New Orleans is
no stranger to
tough times. The
city has had its
share of fires, riots,
revolutions, sick-
ness, poverty and
natural disasters.
In August, 2005,
Hurricane Katrina flooded nearly
80% of the city. The recent Gulf oil
spill now threatens the city‟s seafood
and hospitality industries. But grave
devastation and excruciatingly slow
recovery has yet to dampen the
city‟s spirit of hope and hospitality.
the french quarter One of the oldest
and most famous
neighborhoods in
America, New
Orleans‟ French
Quarter is home to
artists, musicians,
Mardi Gras and very
charming buildings.
As the cultural heart of the city, it‟s
the perfect place to shop art galleries
or antique stores, to stop for a beignet
and café au lait in a shady courtyard
or to sample crawfish. It‟s also home
to the infamous Bourbon Street.
the garden district The city’s most
elegant antebellum
(pre-Civil war)
mansions are lush
and rather well-
coifed! Best of all,
they can be viewed
easily from the
South St. Charles
Avenue streetcar, with its back-in-
time wooden seats.
The Garden District was built by
northeasterners who moved south to
make it big during the 19th century
cotton boom, then built big homes
to match!
the cemeteries Known as Cities
of the Dead, New
Orleans‟ rows of
crypt-like tomb
houses and vaults
have provided
endless fascination
to visitors and
movie makers alike.
Above-ground burial places were
common in both France and Spain.
But it was New Orleans‟ high water
table that reinforced the tradition in
the New World; coffins buried
underground were known to float to
the surface after the first hard rain.
the resilience
5
brought their love of dressy décor and the pomp and
pageantry of their Catholic religion. The Spanish brought
their knack for building houses that last forever and look
better with age. Neighboring islanders brought their
open-air lifestyle and breeze-management skills!
The Anglos were people of British descent, born in the
American northeast. Many flocked to Louisiana after the
colony was purchased by the United States. They brought
their love of Greek Revival and Queen Ann décor.
New Orleans‟ rich, varied history has left us with a style
of home décor that really can‟t be found anywhere else.
New Orleans’ music, muffeletta and Mardi Gras may
garner the most tourist attention. But until you’ve seen
this city’s homes, you haven’t really seen New Orleans.
The unique mix… from Creole townhouses, cottages and
shotgun homes to majestic Greek Revival mansions… is
unlike anything you‟ll find in any other city.
Second only to New York as the largest port of entry into
America during the 19th century, settlers arrived from all
over, bringing their style preferences with them.
The Creoles were people of French or Spanish descent
born in the Indies or New World colonies. The French
The mirrors in her house are dim and their frames
tarnished, all her house is dim and beautiful with age. She reclines gracefully
upon a dull brocade chaise-longue…
and the draperies are arranged in formal folds.
She lives in an atmosphere of a bygone
and more gracious age.”
William Faulkner, New Orleans
Is it Creole? Or Anglo?
Creole...
townhouses, cottages and shotgun homes favored hall-less arrangements, sun-washed
color and eclectic, Old World charm. Located downriver, Creole homes featured
small homes with street-front balconies or
porches, colorfully painted window shutters and quaint, secluded courtyards.
Anglo-American... mansions and estates favored center or side-hall arrangements and the formal Greek
Revival architecture used back in Britain and the American northeast. Located
upriver, Anglo American homes featured
grand, column-clad architecture, deep porches and lush, fenced-in gardens.
on the inside eclectic, charming, elegant… a décor unlike any other
orleans new
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paint colors
Behr 410D-4 / D-5
“fern”
Behr 360D-6 / D-7
“gold”
Behr 370E-4 /E-5
“maize”
Behr W-F-610
“antique white”
Behr 360F-4 / F-5
“old gold”
Behr 300E-1/ E-2 / E-3
“ginger”
Behr 700E-3 / F-4 / F-5 / F-6
“verdigris”
Behr 330C-3 / D-4
“brown sugar”
This exuberant, but elegant
palette reveals a touch of Paris, a smattering of the south of
Spain, a whiff of island style and a bit of bravado from
Victorian London.
There‟s no fear of using color
in New Orleans; a city where multiple cultures, intense
climate and fiery food are a daily way of life. But there‟s
something subdued about
even the boldest colors used in
New Orleans homes. They seem elegantly aged by time,
slightly romantic and even moody… as if always seen
under low light.
Behr 200F-4 / F-5 / F-6
“brick”
Behr 770F-6 / F-7
“wrought iron”
Behr 380E-2 / E-3 / E-4
“olive”
Behr 160D-4 / D-5
“watermelon”
faded elegance comes from
its mix of aged patinas, brick,
plaster, painted shutters,
waxed wood, tarnished
metals and just about any
older-looking furniture style.
There‟s no effort to conceal
age or wear here. In fact,
the style prefers to preserve
things just the way they are.
But what was common to
both was a love of elegance,
toned-down to suit a languid,
tropical lifestyle.
A room renovated in
„New Orleans‟ or „Creole‟
style today may follow the
traditional, but relaxed,
opulence the city is famous
for. But it may also mix old
and new to create fresh new
interpretations of this
unique style. In many ways
New Orleans offers wel-
come ideas for today‟s trend
to eclectic, unexpected décor.
The charm of a New Orleans
home is in its ambiance
more than its style. A feeling
of oldness, sensuality and
There‟s no one style of
furniture that identifies a
New Orleans home.
While French and Spanish-
inspired homes were rooted
in the Mediterranean‟s
romantic and picturesque
styles, English-inspired
homes reflected ancient
Greece and Italy‟s classic,
restrained styles.
room tips
Here they are… eight of our
favorite ways to achieve New Orleans, or Creole,
style at home. Read more
about each on the following pages!
colorful walls and painted trim feel exuberant and elegant
unmatched furniture inspired by French or English styles from the 18th and 19th centuries look inherited or bought at a flea market
one-of-a-kind objects look unique, personal and connected to a more elegant past
picture walls amass a lot of artwork together in all shapes and sized
tall windows & shutters recall French, Spanish and island architecture
ferns and fans add a lazy, tropical ambiance
iron furniture and furnishings look as fancy as they look strong
brick, plaster & paint feel old, permanent and weather-worthy
new orleans style
room décor...
A Creole-inspired interior features the ubiquitous tall ceilings, narrow French windows, mahogany-like furniture, planked ceiling, seagrass rug and French-inspired wall color. American Drew, Laura Ashley
Behr 710E-2 / E-3
“heath”
Behr 580B-5
“wedgewood”
Behr 520F-4 / F-5
“viridian”
Behr 790C-1 / C-2 / C-3
“pewter”
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Camel-back sofas are a favorite in New Orleans-style interiors. Hooker Furniture, Beladora
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colored
Perhaps it’s being around all those Cajun spices… all that tropical sunshine that fades anything but bold colors… or that melting pot of cultures from Paris to Port au Prince, from Seville to Sierra Leone. Whatever the inspiration, the use of color in New Orleans is nothing short of fearless, both in the exuberant choice of colors and how they’re used together.
New Orleans’ colorful hues look elegant, even if a little faded. Some are known by their French names... Paris green, Gros Rouge or Brun d’Espagnol, It’s believed these pretty hues were intended to complement skin tones. Trust the French to consider that when picking paint!
In a Creole home, walls, baseboards, planked ceilings, trim and doors are painted to preserve wood.
Left. A Creole-inspired dining room with a French country
influence. Drexel Heritage Furniture, Accents Francais
If the Cajun food isn’t enough, New Orleans’ room colors pack their own punch.
The elegant, flattering colors of 18th and 19th century New Orleans‟ interiors are featured in Interview with the Vampire (1994, Geffen Pictures). The movie includes plenty of French Quarter scenes.
A dilapidated, but colorful Creole home plays a starring role in A Love Song for Bobby Long (2004, Destination Films). The movie is a must-see; as much for the way it captures the city of New Orleans as for the story.
walls
New Orleans style Here’s how!
choose a wall color from
the New Orleans paint
color palette on page 6
cover walls with plenty of
artwork or furniture; it
tones down the brightest wall colors without losing
the dramatic backdrop they create
apply paint over a
textured plaster wall... or use a subtle paint
technique that simulates the texture of plaster
use paint, rather than
stain, on baseboards and
trim; go lighter or darker
than the walls
unless living in New
Orleans, avoid mixing too many bright colors
together. It‟s like wearing a Hawaiian shirt in
Chicago... some ideas
just work better in their local context...
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furniture It’s unlikely to find matching upholstery and bedrooms suites in a Creole interior. An eclectic, collected-over-time quality is much preferred. Furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries… French or English, city or country... are favorite choices and freely mixed. The parlor is the prized room in a Creole home, and it’s rarely without a shapely camel back sofa, a few 18th century chairs, a well-dressed mantel, tall drapes or charming shutters. But formal gives way to familiar as traditional style is toned down with slightly faded, worn or aged-looking materials.
Left, Kincaid Furniture, Carriage House
New Orleans style Here’s how!
avoid matching sets of
furniture
use a sofa or settee with a
shapely camel back
use velvets, brocades and
other formal fabrics from
the past; if they look faded or worn, even better!
place a settee or accent
chair in a bedroom
use French (Rococo) or
English (Victorian) accent chairs with button tufting,
shaped wood frames or curved cabriole legs
use mahogany wood
stain or grain; it recalls colonial furniture that
might have been imported from the West Indies
use small accent furniture
(small tables and drawer
chests, accent chairs, etc);
it helps create the eclectic, non-matching look
No one furniture style defines New Orleans interiors, though French influences die hard.
unmatched
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The front parlor of an old Creole townhouse, Casa Hinard, in New Orleans‟ French Quarter. Notice
the mood of faded elegance and patina of age. A portrait over the mantel and a mismatched collection of antique Spanish and French furniture add Creole-style charm. PHOTO: Richard Sexton
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objects one-of-a-kind
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New Orleans style Here’s how!
display a variety of old,
precious items together on
a mantel, table, ledge or shelf... mismatched photo
frames, religious icons, porcelain vases, old books,
hurricane lamps, Mardi
Gras beads or masks, busts, etc.
place an antique-looking
candelabra (or a pair) on a
table or mantel
place a crocheted lace
doily under a group of objects or an antique lamp
hang an ornate, antique
mirror or wall sconce on
the wall; the more elaborate and weathered,
the better!
hang an antique-looking
chandelier in a bathroom, bedroom or living room.
Choose one that looks tarnished and elaborate
Unique and disparate objects perfectly coexist in a New Orleans home and there’s little effort to coordinate them. With each object sharing traces of the past, an agreeable harmony results, despite the mismatching.
A chipped or faded surface is always welcome; it gives objects an inherited or old quality.
Such tendencies to display favorite objects is rooted in a French appreciation for beautiful things in the 18th century... and a ferocious Victorian penchant for collecting in the 19th.
Left. A collection of one-of-a-kind frames are anchored by a crocheted doily. The mantel is the favorite palace to display unique objects. PHOTO: Richard Sexton
New Orleans interiors are perhaps most famous for how they’re accessorized.
Ornate, tarnished French candelabras, like those seen in Interview with the Vampire (1994, Geffen Pictures), are a must-have accessory in an authentic New Orleans home, alone or in a pair.
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New Orleans style Here’s how!
collect art with ornate or
antique gilded frames
avoid matching art pieces
or pairs; mix oval and rectangular shapes in a
variety of sizes
collect painting-like images
with rich Renaissance hues
lean large pictures or
empty frames against an
open wall
don‟t worry about placing
artwork together with furniture to create a focal
point—covering an entire wall or stairwell is more
authentic
illuminate large paintings
with a small brass art lamp
hang artwork over a richly
painted wall; a watermelon
hue is a favorite
hang artwork on the center
gables of a large bookcase
picture
Exuberantly covering an interior wall with framed artwork is distinctly New Orleans thing to do.
Surrounded by so much artwork, Creole homeowners could peer
into the past. The ‘picture wall’ tradition also recalls Victorians’ habit of creating ‘picture rooms’ that simulated art galleries, or creating wall collages out of a variety of mismatched pictures.
Oil paintings with rich Renaissance colors and gilded frames are favored in older New Orleans homes, but any mix of size, shape
or style of paintings can create a New Orleans picture wall’, especially when they’re clustered together, or even leaned against walls or mantels. Left, paintings are casually leaned and hung against a richly-colored plaster
wall. PHOTO: Richard Sexton
This Creole living room offers all the richness of a European
art gallery. On a New Orleans picture wall, individual items matter less than the rich effect of all the items seen together. PHOTO: Richard Sexton
A love of history shows up all over New Orleans… but nowhere more than on walls.
Picture-rich walls are set against a deep watermelon-colored plaster wall in Double Jeopardy (1999, Paramount Pictures). The movie also features scenes in and around the French Quarter, including a look inside a French Quarter party and an above-ground cemetery.
walls
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A wall of artwork seen against a white walls updates the look. Bernhardt Furniture
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They’re tall, narrow, elegant and very European. Multi-sectioned French doors grace nearly all the buildings in New Orleans, recalling Paris apartments with their tall doors leading out onto narrow iron-clad balconies filled with flower pots.
Hinged shutters frame both windows and doors on Creole-style homes; a clever and practical idea in a tropical, hurricane-prone zone… and an undeniable hallmark of New Orleans style. Louvered shutters are believed to be uniquely Spanish; board-and-batten shutters more French.
Stanley Furniture, Serafina
New Orleans style Here’s how!
make windows look taller
than they are by running
curtains from the ceiling
right to the floor
use curtains with a triple
thickness; let them pool slightly on the floor for a
luxuriously French look
use louvered plantation
shutters on windows
choose tall, narrow, multi
-paned French windows,
if buying new
install a set of double
doors between rooms; the narrower and taller, the
better
use patio doors that open
out, rather than slide
replace an interior wood
door with a French-paned
glass door
use louvered closet
doors; paint them a
New Orleans color
Tall, multi-paned doors and windows. Is there anything more charming… or French?
& shutters tall windows
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ferns
New Orleans style Here’s how!
hang fans from the ceiling
instead of lighting fixtures
use louvered plantation-
style blinds or shutters on
windows—they add instant tropical style and
cool summer breezes
use hardwood floors, if
budget allows, with faded
oriental rugs or textured seagrass rugs
use lush ferns and palms to
fill the corner of a room
paint shutters in a strong
New Orleans color; they‟re bold enough to not look
washed out under a hot sun
use wood or woven accent
chairs rather than fully
upholstered ones; they look
more tropical and relaxed
cover chairs or sofas with
white muslin slipcovers or sheets in the summer
It’s a compelling picture… lush ferns hung from wire baskets, enclosing porches or filling rooms ... tropical ceiling fans in every room... louvered shutters letting in a breeze... muslin slipcovers protecting furniture from perspiration and insects... hardwood floors with rolled-out area rugs that get rolled-up in the summer.
A New Orleans’ home feels summery and sultry, inviting us to slow down and cool off. With deep porches, windows clad with lush drapery or shutters (or both!)... interiors look slightly dim; shaded from the sunlight and protected from the elements.
Overhead fans and louvered window shutters create a breezy ambiance. Homes in New Orleans are
often pared back in the summer; carpets are rolled up and sofas covered with white muslin slipcovers. PHOTO: Richard Sexton
A sub-tropical climate and a by-the-bayou location makes it summer every day.
& fans
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New Orleans style Here’s how!
use a metal bed instead of
a wood one. Choose one with a simple, narrow
frame... or one that resembles a New Orleans
iron fence or scrolled gate.
use metal grills on a door,
window, fence or gate
use metal instead of wood
balusters for stair railings
use a large French lantern-
inspired lighting fixture
over the dining table
hang a wire-framed basket
filled with flowers or ferns
hang tall draperies from a
wrought iron curtain pole
place a cast iron bench, a
French bistro table and
chairs or a French lantern in an outdoor garden
use over-sized metal
hinges on shutters or doors
iron furniture
Were all those fancy iron balconies in the French Quarter a French idea? A Spanish import? A Victorian excuse to elaborate?
No matter. Curiosity about the origin of all that wrought and cast iron in New Orleans is usually quickly replaced by an appreciation for how well iron works as decoration rather than just structure!
In New Orleans, intricate, exquisitely detailed ironwork scrolls its way onto balconies, gates, fences, doors, planters, staircases, beds, lanterns, candelabras and more.
Cast and wrought iron in New Orleans has all the twists and turns of a mystery novel.
The elegant iron balconies of New Orleans‟ French Quarter are featured in both King Creole (1958, Paramount Pictures, with Elvis Presley, top) and A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, Charles K. Feldman Group, with Marlon Brando, bottom).
& furnishings
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brick, plaster
New Orleans style Here’s how!
use tall, elegant
baseboards and wide window and door trim
paint baseboards,
window and door trim in
a New Orleans color,
instead of staining
trim interior doorways
with extra-wide trim
add a planked board
ceiling for an authentic Creole cottage look, a
plastered ceiling for a Creole townhouse look
use plaster-covered walls,
or a textured paint finish that gently simulates
aged plaster (a very slight
color texture is all that‟s needed; avoid heavy,
exaggerated faux finishes)
use brick for interior
walls, outdoors patios or
courtyards
New Orleans homes suggest centuries of attempts to resist harsh weather conditions and intense heat.
Simulating something between old-world European ruins and color-rich Caribbean island architecture, the walls of
Creoles homes may utilize brick, plaster, painted wood, or a combination of all three.
Painting wood trim, shutters or ceilings preserved them from weather and insects… and offered Creoles more places to add color)! Brick walls clad with plaster were used to re-build city center homes after disastrous fires in 1788 and 1794. Today, these materials suggest the romantic ambi-ance of bygone days.
Left. Creole kitchens were often simpler than other rooms in the
home, with their rustic cypress tables and stand-alone cabinets.
A look of permanence, a patina of age... suggest homes that have been through a lot.
& paint
PHOTO: Richard Sexton www.roomplanners.com
Rich-colored plaster walls with over-sized painted trim is seen in Double Jeopardy (1999, Paramount Pictures, with Ashley Judd).
15
Is it Creole? Or Cajun?
A rich, multicultural heritage.
Waterways teeming with fish
and seafood.
Together they created what we know today
simply as New Orleans, or Louisiana-style
cuisine.
Creoles ... were named after Europeans (mostly from France and
Spain), Caribbeanites and Africans born in New Orleans.
These first residents continued
to cook with foods from their homeland, including beans,
rice, tomatoes, peppers, sauces and sausages. Combined with
fresh local ingredients, their cuisine became an eclectic
melting pot!
New Orleans’ cuisine is deeply rooted in two cultures
and cuisines... Creole and Cajun. Together, they‟ve
created a dynamic cuisine known as the food of Louisiana.
A rich local supply of shellfish (crawfish, crab, shrimp and
oysters, alligator, redfish, flounder, snapper and catfish),
along with a rich cultural heritage continue to inspire area
chefs, restaurateurs and home cooks. Among them, New
Orleans‟ Chefs Paul Prudhomme and Emeril Lagasse
have helped raise the profile of the city‟s cuisine and
champion flavorful Southern-style cuisine.
Sadly, residents now worry about the Gulf‟s recent oil
spill and its effect on their precious supply of seafood.
on the menu where else could you find such a culinary melting pot?
orleans new
The terms are often used interchangeably, but there are
unique differences between Creole and Cajun cooking.
With roots in a classical European cooking tradition,
Creole cooking tends to be more sophisticated. With roots
in a more rustic cooking heritage, Cajun cooking is more
peasant-like. Many Cajun recipes, for example, are made
with a dark roux (a mixture of fat and flour) to add texture
and flavor; Creole recipes use butter and cream instead.
Cajun foods also tend to be more robust in flavor than
Creole cooking, though Creole food is spicier.
Cajuns… were named after French Acadians exiled by the
British from eastern Canada (Nova Scotia). They settled
in a swampy area west of
New Orleans where they lived on the wildlife they
found on land and in the water including duck,
chicken, pork and seafood.
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16
...some of New Orleans legendary dishes & ingredients
Dirty rice gets its name
because of the addition of
meat, giving this dish a dark
appearance. Typically, the
meat used is chicken livers and
giblets. This version uses a
blend of ground beef and pork.
1 tbsp (15 mL) cooking oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 ribs celery, very thinly sliced
125 g (1/4 lb) extra lean ground beef
125 g (1/4 lb) lean ground pork
1 teaspoon (5 mL) Creole Seasoning (recipe follows)
2-1/2 cups (625 mL) cooked white rice
3 green onions, thinly sliced
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion
and celery; cook and stir until onion is soft and celery is
tender-crisp, about 6 or 7 minutes. Add ground beef and
ground pork; cook until meat is browned, stirring often
to break up. Drain off any fat. Add seasoning, rice and
green onions. Cook for a few minutes until rice is heated
through. Taste and add more seasoning, if desired.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Wendi Hiebert is a home economist
and food writer, living in Kitchener, Ontario. For more of her recipes,
visit www.CookingQuarters.
wordpress.com
quarters cooking
southern dirty rice
creole seasoning Use this seasoning blend to add a Creole flavor to eggs, rice,
casseroles and vegetables. Recipe Source: Emeril Lagasse
5 tbsp (75 mL) paprika
1/4 cup (60 mL) garlic powder
4 tbsp (50 mL) salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) onion powder
2 tbsp (30 mL) cayenne
2 tbsp (30 mL) dried oregano
2 tbsp (30 mL) dried thyme
Combine ingredients, blending well. Store in an airtight
container for up to 3 months. Shake or stir well before use.
Makes about 1-1/3 cups (325 mL)
(an-doo-ee)
Spicy smoked pork sausages used in dishes such as Red
Beans and Rice, Jambalaya
and Gumbo.
andouilee
(boo-dan)
Spicy ground pork sausages
made with onions, herbs and
cooked rice.
boudin
(bin-yay)
Deep-fried square yeast pastry
or fritter served with pow-
dered sugar. Can also be savory (eg. herb or crab).
beignet
(ka-fay broo-low)
Coffee, spices, orange peel,
and brandy traditionally pre-
pared in a chafing dish, then ignited and ladled into cups.
café brulot
(ay-too-fay)
Tangy tomato-based sauce
usually made with crawfish or
shrimp.
etouffee
(fee-lay)
Seasoning made from the
ground, dried leaves of the
sassafras tree used to thicken and flavor gumbo and other
Creole dishes. A woodsy flavor.
file powder
Thick stew-like dish that can
be made with vegetables, meats, poultry and seafood.
gumbo
(jum-buh-lie-yah)
Versatile dish made with a
ingredients such as tomatoes,
onions, green peppers, celery, cooked rice, seasonings, and
ham, shrimp, and/or chicken. Many different varieties.
jambalaya
(muff-ah-leh-ta)
Layered sandwich made
inside a round Italian bread.
Layers include Italian meats, cheeses, and olives.
muffeletta
Sandwich served on French
bread. Legend says it began as a 5¢ lunch for poor boys! Many
versions exist...fried oyster, shrimp or potato, roast beef and
gravy, or softshell crab.
po-boy
A New Orleans staple, made
with kidney beans, seasonings, rice, spices and sausage.
red beans & rice
Freshwater crustaceans that
resemble small lobsters. Can be served in a variety of ways,
including boiled. Turn bright red when cooked. Also known
as crayfish or crawdads.
crawfish
Cooked rice sautéed with
green peppers, celery, onions, stock and giblets or other meat.
dirty rice
what’s what with Louisiana cooking
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