Houzz Tours
My Houzz: Industrial Style in a Converted Doctor’s Office
An elegant art collection and an open layout mark this couple’s Uptown New Orleans apartment
“Our apartment takes its lead from urban industrial materials such as stainless steel, steel and concrete — all with different shades of gray,” Mark Grote says about his New Orleans home. Mark, a sculptor and visual arts professor at Loyola University, and his wife, Kit, a learning specialist, had been living 45 minutes outside of New Orleans while working in the city. The commute started to wear them down, and they saw potential in an abandoned gynecologist’s office building. They spent seven months tearing down walls, laying concrete floors and reconfiguring the interior, converting it into a unique triplex.
The long, open living space includes a sizable dining area, with the industrial kitchen on the far left and a seating area on the right, plus a living room separated from the dining area by a low concrete divider. Mark drew up ideas for how he wanted to configure the space and worked with New Orleans architect Stephen Chauvin to finalize the floor plan.
The dining room features an Eames table that Mark bought from a corporate office in Covington, Louisiana, when the business was closing. At the time, he didn’t realize it was an Eames table. “I just knew it was a beautiful table,” he says. It wasn’t until he was conducting a meeting at the table that one of his colleagues recognized it and asked if she could crawl under. As an admirer of midcentury design, Mark was thrilled to learn that it was an original Eames design.
The centerpiece of the table is a Zulu wedding hat.
The dining room features an Eames table that Mark bought from a corporate office in Covington, Louisiana, when the business was closing. At the time, he didn’t realize it was an Eames table. “I just knew it was a beautiful table,” he says. It wasn’t until he was conducting a meeting at the table that one of his colleagues recognized it and asked if she could crawl under. As an admirer of midcentury design, Mark was thrilled to learn that it was an original Eames design.
The centerpiece of the table is a Zulu wedding hat.
The coffee table in the living area originally had a laminate top, but Mark contacted glass worker Norman Foxworth of Dependable Glass Works in Covington to build a glass top. Mark built the fireplace in the middle of the living area. It uses stacked logs that don’t require ventilation.
The armchairs in the living room are Knoll and survived Hurricane Katrina, needing only the work of a skilled upholsterer to bring them back to life.
The long, uninterrupted living space is perfect for the couple’s lifestyle.
The armchairs in the living room are Knoll and survived Hurricane Katrina, needing only the work of a skilled upholsterer to bring them back to life.
The long, uninterrupted living space is perfect for the couple’s lifestyle.
The piece on the right here, a Bamana door lock, was the first African piece that Mark and Kit acquired for their impressive collection. A sculpture done by Mark hangs on the left wall above the television, and three African hats are displayed on the left of the computer monitor. This little nook provides a small space for quick breakfasts in the morning and additional seating for nights of entertaining. The Grotes purchased the stools while they were on a trip to Houston.
The couple disagrees about which one of them came up with the idea for the center cement divider, but it’s a wonderful way to break up the open layout. It also acts as a pedestal for another piece in their African art collection. Kit and Mark also display other pieces of contemporary art and some of their original pieces. The framed photograph on the right wall was taken by one of Mark’s former students, Carlie Trosclair.
Next to the dining area is this built-in sideboard with African currency pieces on top. The salvaged, natural feel of sideboard’s wood provides warmth and history in a home with so many new, engineered finishes. This piece is an heirloom from Mark’s family in Ohio. During Hurricane Katrina, the home was flooded with nearly 4 feet of water, threatening many of the pieces of furniture and art, including this wood sideboard. Its doors buckled, but a local woodworker was able to restore it.
Mark designed, built and mounted the metal shelves seen here, which display more African currency pieces. The Grotes have collected African art for many years and bought much of their collection from the Davis Gallery in New Orleans and the Hamill Gallery of Tribal Art in Boston.
Seen to the left is a glass window that is connected to the master bathroom.
Mark designed, built and mounted the metal shelves seen here, which display more African currency pieces. The Grotes have collected African art for many years and bought much of their collection from the Davis Gallery in New Orleans and the Hamill Gallery of Tribal Art in Boston.
Seen to the left is a glass window that is connected to the master bathroom.
The two clocks in the kitchen show different times. One of them is set to New Orleans time, while the other is set to the time zones of Portland and Dubai, where their sons live. Portland is two hours behind New Orleans time and Dubai is 10 hours ahead, so the clock indicates the time for both — just 12 hours apart. D & S Sheet Metal Works in Metairie, Louisiana, helped the couple create this custom industrial kitchen out of metal and stainless steel. The hood above the oven is Scandinavian.
The rolling hospitality cabinets were originally used in industrial kitchens. Mark and Kit fashioned wood tops to contrast the stainless steel. “I wanted the kitchen to feel mobile, like it could be rolled out and moved,” Mark says.
The rolling hospitality cabinets were originally used in industrial kitchens. Mark and Kit fashioned wood tops to contrast the stainless steel. “I wanted the kitchen to feel mobile, like it could be rolled out and moved,” Mark says.
In the kitchen, the necessary household items are cleverly kept neat and tucked away. Above the refrigerator is a custom wine bottle holder made with plastic pipes and metal sheets. To the right of the refrigerator are two large compartments that slide open and store items like pots, plans, baking sheets, spices and food.
Just off the main living area is Kit’s office, one of two workspaces in the home.
Books, knickknacks, family pictures and other objects of curiosity are displayed here. They sit on a minimalist wood floating shelf unit suspended by steel cables that Mark created. On the top shelf are African pieces as well as toys, like a 19th-century beach toy, seen on the far right, and a sculpture of a kneeling Jesus that dates back to the 1600s.
A small shelf on the right wall in the office holds a row of Filipino dolls and a Chinese prosperity figurine on the far left. The small sculpture above the shelf was made by Wayne Amedee, a local artist and close friend of the couple’s.
In the hallway leading to the second office is the family’s collection of African hats. The supple organic shapes of the hats starkly contrast the geometric chair below. The hallway also has a space-saving industrial-style barn door, seen on the right. The framed work to the left was created by Kit, who as an artist goes by her maiden name — Kitten Christovich.
During the renovation, the Grotes kept the aluminum wall protectors seen here. Although they are not typically used in residential design, Kit notes that they help maintain the clean lines of the space and reinforce the walls where they can usually be dented.
Real Good chair: Blu Dot
During the renovation, the Grotes kept the aluminum wall protectors seen here. Although they are not typically used in residential design, Kit notes that they help maintain the clean lines of the space and reinforce the walls where they can usually be dented.
Real Good chair: Blu Dot
The orange sofa in Mark’s office is an original midcentury piece formerly owned by Kit’s grandparents in the ’60s. This room contains some of the couple’s most important African artifacts.
The shelving in Mark’s office, which he also built, mirrors that in Kit’s. The shelves house more examples of the couple’s sizable African art collection, along with an impressive library of art and design books.
The twin offices provide quiet, contemplative spaces for work, filled with the objects Mark and Kit hold dear. Here, even a space as utilitarian as the office is still remarkably evocative of the couple’s design ethos.
The closets in the master bedroom were originally nooks where filing cabinets were kept in the doctor’s office. During the renovation, Mark fashioned black glass doors for them. He also built both of the platform beds in the apartment, each with a fold-down headboard that houses additional storage behind. The master bedroom contains more midcentury modern classics, like a Barcelona bench at the foot of the bed and Saarinen Tulip side tables that flank the bed.
The decorative piece over the bed is a wool sleigh blanket that was owned by Mark’s great-grandparents in Ohio. This traditional German wool blanket was made after they immigrated to America, and the couple considers it an heirloom that connects Mark’s family’s past and present.
In daughter Elyria’s room, a charmingly wrinkled vintage Breakfast at Tiffany’s poster brings a dash of fun. The Bertoia Diamond chair in the corner is a cozy place to read.
A small seating area was created in the foyer just inside the front door.
Magazine holder: Mark Grote; framed artwork: Karoline Schleh
Magazine holder: Mark Grote; framed artwork: Karoline Schleh
A frosted glass panel allows in light from the home’s entryway while providing the privacy needed for a residential space. The tiles that comprise the floor are original to the building.
The framed artwork to the left is by Gerald Cannon.
The framed artwork to the left is by Gerald Cannon.
The exterior still reflects the architectural structure of a doctor’s office building, with just a small “A” to the right of the door to notify the mail carrier and visitors of the apartment unit. The entrances to the other two units are on the side of the building. The couple utilizes the extra space of the entryway to store miscellaneous items like bikes and coats.
Mark and Kit, seen here, are happy to have a cozy place centrally located with a much closer commute to work.
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More: My Houzz: African Art and Midcentury Style in a Louisiana Home
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See more photos of this home
More: My Houzz: African Art and Midcentury Style in a Louisiana Home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style:
Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Kit and Mark Grote, and daughter Elyria
Location: Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans
Size: 1,800 square feet (167.2 square meters); two bedrooms, two bathrooms
One of the couple’s favorite aspects of their new home’s layout is how open the kitchen is to the living area. When the Grotes host dinner parties, they aren’t separated from their guests while preparing food and cocktails. The couple found the midcentury-inspired sofa seen here on a trip on Chicago.
The Grotes poured concrete floors throughout the home, which was one of their biggest splurges in the renovation.
Red has been used in the living area as an accent color. It’s a bright and lively contrast to the room’s palette of metal finishes, grays and neutrals.