Absolutely dreamy. What a wonderful house. Congratulations.

I'm wondering what will be renovated. It appears as if it was already was done. Like others I hope that the original woodwork, stairs, etc. will be restored. All that white is blinding.

It's a wonderful house though!

So, what needs renovating?

What are your plans? I'm thinking that the corner window of the stairs is not original, nor is the kitchen and whole back end of the house. So restoration is surely not your goal, which releases you from stripping paint. (My brother lives in a vintage building, and in stripping the paint he learned that the wood for some trim was always intended to be painted.)

What a stunner! Almost as beautiful as those sweet girls. :) I'm also wondering what you plan to work on. I love the history of the home and area and can tell that you do too. I'm sure your continued research will help you stay true to the period while you make this gorgeous house your home. Please post lots and lots of pictures as you go!

ETA: Just checked the listing photos, and I'm guessing that maybe the mirrored bathroom is on the renovation list?

Yeah, I'm hoping that by "renovate" you really just mean "gut and renovate the incongruous modern kitchen and otherwise preserve and restore all the wonderful original features and Victorian charm".

If it turns out you want to do things like "modernize" and "open things up", you'll make plenty of folks here pretty angry with you. I'll certainly unsubscribe from this thread because I don't like to see owners with glorious houses wreck them.

Beautiful house, and what a great place for kids to grow up. It will be interesting to following along and see what your plans are.

Of course, renovation means to make new again, as something was once -- in other words, restore to its original condition. Remodel is to give it a different shape/condition, as in what happened in the kitchen.

DC, if you have any privacy concerns, be aware that all of your real estate photos are Google Image searchable and the search turns up the listing with address, selling info, etc.

What a real beauty!! How fortunate for you to be the keepers of this historic gem.

I actually like the painted white woodwork. (please don't throw anything!)

I am coming out of not responding to respond here. This house is a true gem. It's too bad all the woodwork was painted. It should be stripped back to its original wood. Gray is not a color that was used back in Victorian times. So there's that too.

The house looks like a decorator came in and gave it the HGTV treatment instead of sticking with what it should be. Please bring it back to its glory.

And as others have mentioned you want to restore, not renovate and get someone who does historical renovations.

Being from Louisiana I've enjoyed walking St. Charles Avenue many times. So nice to just jump on the streetcar when it was too hot to continue walking. This area is one of the most beautiful areas of New Orleans. You are very lucky to be able to pay respect to such a historic area and home. I agree with some of the other posters above to "restore and revivify" if you can. I know that these types of homes don't come on the market very often so you are very lucky! I'm going to follow this post and hope to see more. Congratulations!

Are there any "landmark", "historic district", or community requirements or limitations? For example, it may be that the houses DO have to be painted white.

Oh my. What a lovely home. Congratulations!! The staircase above all, second the mantles, give me a lump in my throat. It seems your beautiful home got a "pottery barn" makeover, aka a tidal wave of white paint. ew. I'd live with the kitchen while I attacked that gruesome foul. Very much looking forward to following.

Oh, what a beautiful house. Congratulations.

Very beautiful. I actually like the kitchen, minus the "decor". There and anywhere else, the modern track lighting must go. Fabulous antique light fixtures to replace them are out there to be found. Enjoy!

I swoon! Oh, the double parlors! That mantle with the claw feet! PLEASE don't turn it into an "open concept" nightmare! You are the guardian and steward of a very, very special home. Respect it.

I don't agree with the others about the kitchen. It's not awful and would be way down on my list of things to change. It has tons of cabinet and counter space. I'd look into just adding drawers to the bottom cabinets if possible. Yes, the HGTV sign and the spoon & fork must go - far too HGTV for this aristocratic dream of a house.

I can't wait to see what your plans are for this grande dame!

Welcome to the forums, Dirty Coast, and congratulations on the purchase of your beautiful home! Was this a big move for you or are you from the area? As a lover of old houses who just happens to be a member of some of New Orleans’ (and La’s in general) old-time families, I am particularly happy to make your virtual acquaintance. And I hope that, despite having received a most ungracious and downright rude “welcome” by so many, you’ll stick around and keep us updated as things unfold.

Maybe by genteel Big Easy standards some comments (mine included) were rude, but Houzz standards they were glowing. It does get bad here sometimes (just try painting that gorgeous door and see) but I don't think it is rude to comment on flubs made by former owners.

"...received a most ungracious and downright rude “welcome” by so many..."

That comment is simply so silly as to not warrant a second thought. Every single posting in this thread has been laudatory and positive.

Add me to the list of the curious. What's there to do??? What a beautiful home!! The close up of the hinge shows some of the things other pictures do not I suppose i.e. paint not perfect. Are you bringing back some of the wood? Can we assume it was every stained and not painted?? Well keep us up to day please!!!

Gorgeous old house.

FWIW I'd have to vote against restoring the trim and stairs if there are kiddos in the house. Old paint usually contains lead. I restored my own art deco era built-ins but that restoration work involved a respirator, and bagging and destroying my work clothes. I wouldn't mess with old lead paint in a house with children even if professionals were doing the work. Wait until the kids are grown and out of the house at college before stripping any woodwork of paint. Lead is hazardous stuff, especially for growing children.

I had to throw in that Nervous Nelly comment because the risks are real. Just wait a few years before disturbing any old paint. Kids grow up fast.

I think it's worth testing the paint on the trim - it's entirely possible that the trim was only first painted after lead paint was banned, which would mean it's all latex. Heck, maybe the previous owners painted it to stage the house (it's possible - the owner of one house we looked at to buy told us he'd fired his first listing agent for telling him to paint the original finish trim in his Foursquare white, and our family friends selling their high end house were advised by their stager to paint their solid mahogany kitchen cabinets white - they were appalled and declined to do that).

Furthermore, if there is lead in the paint, you can do chemical stripper only (no heat gun, which can let lead vapor into the air) and keep all the paint much better encapsulated during removal.

It's dirty tedious work any way you do it, but it would be oh so worth it for this house. The downstairs trim was definitely meant to be wood - I'd bet money on it. Bedrooms and stuff? Very often painted from the get go.

PS: that tacky staging decor in the kitchen is hilarious and deserves all the snark. It's definitely not the OP's fault. I sometimes follow SF real estate listings - you'll often get these elaborate old Edwardians for sale full of the most appallingly inappropriate staging garbage. Frankly, I'd rather look at a house that's empty (the Victorian we bought was empty).

It's possible to remove lead paint if good safety precautions are followed. I've done it.
But there is no acceptable level of lead exposure for children or pregnant women. It's too great a risk to strip old paint in a house where either type of person is living. If the paint has lead, and if the OP wants to remove it, then they should just wait a few years until the kids are grown up and away at school. Seems like a fun "Empty Nester" project.

" . . . this is my first attempt at this large of a renovation."

You have my sympathy. You are going to learn more than you ever wanted.

A beautiful home, but I hate to see the woodwork being painted. I think it’s a trend in your area to paint woodwork to white. You have 2 beautiful kids. Is the porch safe for them without any railings? The listing was removed on 10/29, the status should be "Sold" not "Listing removed" on Zillow. Tell your realtor to change it. 5,894 sq ft is a good size for sure. Did you purchase the furniture in the listing photos? Those are beautiful pieces. Here are more lovely listing photos:

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/10-Rosa-Park-New-Orleans-LA-70115/73845234_zpid/?fullpage=true

Uh, WOW. I didn't expect to generate anywhere near this response with a single post. First off, thank all of you for taking the time to comment. It's nice to see the genuine appreciation for this old lady, patina and all. I would love to answer all of your questions (and even respond to some of the borderline rude comments, even by my thick skin standards), but I am unfamiliar with this discussion format (I am more accustomed to the online forum format where I can respond to your comments individually). Hopefully I can edit my post above to take care of most, if not all of what has been asked thus far.

Spent some time last night with an after dinner glass of Chablis in front of me enjoying your photos in more detail. Again, fantastic house! I'm looking forward to following along. You might want to start a blog. I'm following a couple of others and this would be a welcome addition to those.

Well, apparently I am unable to edit my original post, so I'll start over here.

For starters, I see I will have to be more precise with my verbiage. To keep everyone's cortisol levels down, forth going I'll only use the word "restore" to describe our intentions. Please, put down your pitchforks and torches. I promise we aren't going to be building bonfires with longleaf heartpine flooring and mahogany pocket doors.

I'll start with the overall plan to answer most questions asked and then address the remaining individual comments far below. I know it almost seems unfair to list these plans without seeing the "before" pictures, but I will get around to it soon. First the beauty. The ugly will come later.

P.S. I am not sure if this format is the best way to discuss this. Is there a better way? As it is, I am keeping a written journal as the project unfolds. Perhaps someone will enjoy reliving the journey after I am long gone?

P.P.S. And no, that is not our furniture, decor, etc. in the photos.

Overview of the planned "RESTORATION" (as we see it now...):

Phase 1 looks something like this:

• Waterproof exterior: new gutters, repair any soffit/fascia damage, re-glaze windows, repair any roof issues or any other ingress of water
• Plumbing: One long run of copper under crawlspace to tie into two new on-demand water heaters to replace some dangerous looking old ones and free up some workshop space.
• Electrical: Replace and install new upgraded service panel for 3 bedrooms and dining room (the last remaining knob and tube wiring that we found)
• Lighting: remove hideous track lighting, halogens, etc. Install LED can lights throughout, replace missing plaster medallion in foyer, replace chandeliers & sconces throughout first and second floor
• Master bathroom: Complete gutting and "restore" with a more tasteful classic design with some modern elements.
• Master closet: Guttting of previous renovation
• Two upstairs bathrooms: Complete gutting and "restoration" with style similar to master
• One downstairs bathroom: complete gutting (You'll be shocked to see whats there now) and "restoration"
• Paint entire interior with classic timeless simplicity in mind.
• Refinish all floors on all three levels: remove/sand pickling on first floor and "restore" to match throughout; remove stair carpet and refinish treads to original wood
• Stair railing: Strip paint to expose wood and "restore" to original
• Window treatments: this is my wife and her designer's department; but classic and tasteful is the goal.
• Pool house: Gut interior and transform into an open workshop. (I have more tools than Home Depot AND I know how to use them. Fabrication with stainless, aluminum, and mild steel is my preferred medium, but I like to transform dead tree carcasses into nice things as well).

Phase 2

We'll move in at this point and see how it starts to feel while addressing the remaining exterior issues which partially include:

• Front porch: removing current painted plywood ceiling, Restoring back to tongue and groove bead board, painting with the classic sky blue used on New Orleans' porches, replace fan/light, repair and paint porch deck
• Main entry: Add copper Bevolo French Quarter Yolk gas lamp over entrance
• Pool improvements
• Landscaping
• Driveway: Demolition and replacement
• Any other exterior deficiencies
• Guest house: transformation to wood encased trophy and gun room that smells of cigars, bourbon, old leather, and burnt shell casings. It is to be filled with dead animal's heads, alligator skins, skulls, furs, fish, rods, reels, gunpowder, ammunition, and everything else that my wife doesn't want inside... except for the guns (Internet Stalkers: consider yourselves warned).

Phase 3

• Kitchen: We are anticipating a total gut and full kitchen "restoration" within 2 years. (And NO, those are NOT our HGTV word "art" and sundry other wall crap-ettes.)
• Breakfast area: same as above
• Wetbar: improvements to match the remaining areas and improve functionality for entertaining

Phase 4

• Outdoor living space next to pool
• Outdoor kitchen

Phase 5

• T.B.D.

(This will be fun to refer back to two years from now to see how much plans have changed)

================================================

Remaining comments:

@pwanna1 - Please do take a streetcar tour of St. Charles Avenue, but be sure to slow down and take the time to walk and admire the details in the old historic gems up close. If there is a way to message me through this system, feel free to do so. I am Tulane alumni. Roll Wave!

@queenvictorian - How do I add the tag "This Old House"?

@Architectrunnerguy "...your posts title scares the hell out of me." It shouldn't. You don't know me. Chill out. You seem to scare easily but internet stalk well.

@bpath Oh Sophie - Yes, that curved Oriel bay window in the front is 100% original with thick beveled glass edges and marble sea. It is only one of two examples that we know of in the city thus far. Only one of our preservationist-minded builders has seen another example like this in person. (He has just under one-hundred historic St. Charles Ave, Garden District, and Uptown home restorations under his belt)

@chicagoans and @beckysharp Reinstate SW Unconditionally - Thanks for the heads up. I gave it some thought, but reconciled that the home was still rather easy to find for those that want to take the energy to do so and post unnecessary information in the comments while making assumptions about one's wealth and ability. (see @Architectrunnerguy post as above).

@Sammy - Thank you for your comment (and noticing the tone of the "welcoming" party). We are New Orleanians and are relocating from only a few blocks away from the Upper Audubon neighborhood. We will miss the view of Audubon Park and the immediate access to the grounds, but we feel that is something we can live with as it is still very near by. What we are really going to miss the most is the many truly wonderful and genuine neighbors we have become friends with. For those that don't know, New Orleans is a VERY small town and your neighbors quickly become your extended family. But I don't have to tell you that. ;)

@greenfish1234 - "It does get bad here sometimes (just try painting that gorgeous door and see) but I don't think it is rude to comment on flubs made by former owners." Duly noted. Thanks for the warning. And I agree with regards to previous failed attempts of "improvement".

@Mark Bischak, Architect - "You have my sympathy. You are going to learn more than you ever wanted." A sincere thank you. It will neither be cheap nor fast, but I look forward to the journey.

Hi dirty coast-sorry if you thought any comments of mine were rude, certainly not intended. I and others try to be funny, otherwise this forum could be so boring. Obviously we all love your house, it just hurts to see some of the most beautiful woodwork imaginable painted white. I think many of us are hoping to see you try to restore some of this to its historical grandeur. Balancing that with modern elements such as furniture, newer additions, the kitchen (minus the staging decor!!) is lovely.

You don't need to change your post OR respond to every person/question. It does not look like a mess. Just add comments and we will see them.

I think the one burning question in everyone's mind is: what do you mean by "Renovation?" What are your first priorities?

It seems your beautiful home got a "pottery barn" makeover, aka a tidal wave of white paint.

I was going to post the same sentiment but couldn't find the words. Thank you!

Congrats on the house.

Dirty Coast...Thanks for the invite to message you. You used to be able to on here (when I first joined) but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to now??? I would love to message you off this thread for some neighborhood recommendations while we're there! My email is Polly@bassline-shift.com. (and I'm Polly :) )

pwanna, go to "Your Houzz" > "Edit Profile" (on the right with the little pencil) > "Advanced Settings". Then scroll all the way down to "Privacy Settings" and under "Who can message me", toggle it to "Anyone can message me".

"Architectrunnerguy........Chill out. You seem to scare easily but internet stalk well."

Now folks, please tell me, is THAT a prime candidate for making my annual "The Year in 100 Quotes" list or what?

I'll stand up for Architect runner guy-he helped me tremendously with a mistake my builders made. I think people who know how to find listings from listing photos (I don't) assume everyone can and therefore that it is public knowledge.

Sounds like quite an ambitious list and I am hoping you continue to keep us in the loop-I would just love to see that staircase (and mantles) stripped!!

also so glad to hear you are looking to restore original lighting. You will have a blast haunting the salvage shops I'm sure. My house is nothing like yours but I regret leaning so heavily on recessed lighting. I hate the way everyone and everything looks in LED, yet sometimes in some spaces you NEED all that light. I suggest you really think about where you NEED it vs where your reclaimed lighting and beautiful lamps will do the trick to much better effect. I thought it was just the thing better builds did but now I see that it is best for some but not all areas of the house.

Thanks greenfish...I remember your project. Glad it turned out out well and glad to have helped out. Looks like the OP doesn't know me either.

Thanks Beckysharp...I think it's his that isn't set up to message...I was trying to message him. :) Good to know that feature is STILL on here!

That window in the stair is original? Swoon!

(This will be fun to refer back to two years from now to see how much plans have changed)

lol good luck : ) .

I tend toward the conservative regarding personal info online. I know everyone's tolerance is different.

OT: Architectrunnerguy I would love to know which building blogs you are following.

OP: What a beautiful old home. I'm looking forward to following along on your project.

@Dirty Coast: sounds excellent. Pitchfork has been put away. Only things I disagree with are 1) can lights - they've always struck me as being out of place in old Victorians and Craftsmans. They'd be fine in bedrooms and bathrooms and such, but for public spaces, I'd stick with the central fixture, scones, and lamps if in your shoes. But that's just an opinion. Been arguing with my husband about can lights in our eventual Victorian kitchen renovation - he thinks they're fine and I think they're anachronistic. And 2) mounted dead animals not being allowed in the house. Just think about how incredibly epic your deer heads and alligator skin are going to look mounted in your epic wood paneled Victorian living room and dining room. Especially if you also display antique rifles and stuff. Your wife is wrong here. If I had any taxidermy I would definitely decorate with it.

As for editing category tags, I have no idea - I've never actually created a thread here. If you do find out, might want to also remove this thread from the "Building a Home" category - placement in that gave me a Kevin Rose* flashback.

*Kevin Rose was a California tech bro who, a few years ago, spent seven figures on a historic Queen Anne Victorian that was the biggest, oldest, and most beautiful house in its stately old Portland neighborhood. Turned out he didn't care one lick about any of that history or preservation nonsense - he just wanted the view. So he quietly removed the house from the local historic register, applied for a demolition permit, and had an architect draw up plans for a modern bunker-like box of a house shockily out of line with the rest of the neighborhood, which Rose named after a video game. Neighbors, which included influential lawyers, luckily caught wind of his plans, persuaded him to sell the house back, compensated him for the architecture fees, and ran him out of town.

Welp, don't want to end on a downer, so here's another story from the other end of the spectrum of possible things that new owners might do to their seven-figure Queen Anne Victorians: There was this giant white 1895 Queen Anne across the way from where I grew up (and where my parents still live). It was not unlike your house. It had been owned by the same family for decades. My dad had been in the house before - it was in its original state but beaten up and worn out. A couple from the east coast came in, bought the house in cash, then spent as much again "renovating" it. My dad went over after the renovation was complete....

He said it was like time traveling back to 1895 - the house was the same but brand new again. Other than complete restoration of the interior, they'd done a ton of foundation work and other "invisible" upgrades and retrofits. I think for the exterior they just freshened up the white paint - still looks exactly the same from outside (as it should).

Congratulations on such an incredibly beautiful house. I hope that you will post photos as you go. Even though it looks like a massive undertaking, from the pictures you posted it looks to be in beautiful shape.

I will echo what everyone here has already said and encourage you to restore that beautiful and detailed woodwork back to it's former glory. It seems as though the previous owners had a very white color scheme which is pretty, but seems way too modern for this house.

That curving bay window is very beautiful and unusual. I can't even imagine what something like that would cost to have made today:) I've seen them made on "How It's Made" and they are incredibly complicated to manufacture.

Welcome to the forum. I've renovated in the Lower Garden District and our first home was behind Fat Harrys. Sadly, we've left NOLA. But, renovating there is an adventure. Don't forget that you will need to tip the inspector when he does you the courtesy of inspecting the installation of those new on-demand hot water heaters. $20.00 should do it.

Number one priority is to take care of any water issues, roof, gutters, drains and foundations. Formosan's are the enemy. Second priority is the electrical. Everything else can wait unless someone is making their debut. Looks like that could be a while. In which case, you can just do a New Orleans paint job:) (You will never understand that unless you have lived in New Orleans.) Plenty of good spots for that Rex memorabilia, too.

Can't wait to see what you do to the old girl. Just don't be in too big a hurry to get it all done for the Junior League Tour of Homes. They can wait. If you rush, you make mistakes.

Best of luck to you. These are labors of love that should keep you busy for this lifetime and into the next. Boy, this makes me home sick.

@Dirty Coast,

Regulars of the Building a Home forum aren't rude so much as blunt. Everyone is passionate about the subject, and we've all fallen in love with your house, for better or worse.

I, too, hope you publish a blog chronicling this restoration.

Your house is just marvelous. You had me at the hinge.

Please keep posting photos to keep us apprised of your progress.

What an absolutely gorgeous house! I'm sure you and your family will make many happy memories there.

I love your gorgeous house!! It looks amazing now, and I am sure will be even better after you finish with it. Congratulations!

Best wishes on the remodel. You got lucky on the price after a $300K drop in the asking price!

I can't wait to see the results of all your hard work! Many of us on GW have seen some brutal renovations of old historic homes. Some of the things I've seen done to gorgeous big old houses in the Central West End in St Louis (houses built at the time of the World's Fair), could make one cry. Sounds like you very much know what you're doing! Good luck!

Congratulations on your beautiful old home! I look forward to watching the project. A blog might be a better format, if you're planning to go in depth. It can be linked here, where it's easier for everyone respond (and find).

FWIW, @Architectrunnerguy is a good guy to have on your side and will provide excellent advice, if needed. While I have not personally gotten advice from him, he spends a lot of time helping others. You'll come to love his sense of humor.

As far as internet stalkers; they are out there, but the people here that will look up your house do so to see more photos. A simple Google image search requires all of 10 seconds of their time. I did, to see the bathrooms. Mercy, that powder room! What were they thinking?! We love houses, architecture and/or interior design, or else we wouldn't be posting. The stalkers you should be worried about are the ones that do not post.

Just thought I'd check back to see what you've accomplished so far??? Hoping there would be some new pictures. Unrelated to the thread, my son got accepted to Tulane and is being flown down for BienvenueTU the 14th for scholarship interviews...looks like we'll be visiting NOLA often! :)