My Houzz: Every Picture Has a Story in a 1920s New Orleans Rental
Original and secondhand artwork, furnishings and accessories come together in a creative couple’s 1,000-square-foot apartment
George Wallace and Kayla Stark have spent the past year personalizing their updated 1920s shotgun-style rental in New Orleans with secondhand finds. Wallace, who works for the fine art photography consulting business Jenny Bagert Consulting, describes their style as “curated, lived-in and practical. We both love old things — things with a story to tell that have lived a life before they’ve come into ours.” Stark, a graphic designer and Houzz contributor, has put her own touch on the interior with original art to reflect their vibrant and historic Bayou St. John neighborhood. For Wallace, a New Orleans native, their almost 300-year-old neighborhood is everything he loves about the city. “Bright, welcoming and not afraid to be itself. It’s quiet and comfortable, but during times like Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras, it bursts into life, reminding us why we love living here.”
“Our house has come together organically. Most of the pieces we have were either given to us or acquired one by one,” Wallace says. The flat file cabinet was given to Stark by her former professor Mark Grote. “I used this piece in my art studio in college as a desk and to store my drawings, paper and small supplies. When I graduated, Mark said I could keep it as long as I could move it out, which was no easy feat,” she says. “I recruited my brother, mom and George to move it to my house, and it’s now one of my favorite pieces.“
The industrial clamp task lamp was a gift from graphic designer Rebecca Zerilla, for whom Stark once worked. “She said as a young designer it may come in handy, and it has. I use it frequently for additional light when working on late-night projects. I painted it orange to bring in additional color,” she says.
The framed work above the cabinet is a reproduction of a drawing by Frank Lloyd Wright, picked up during a visit to his home and studio in Oak Park, Illinois.
The industrial clamp task lamp was a gift from graphic designer Rebecca Zerilla, for whom Stark once worked. “She said as a young designer it may come in handy, and it has. I use it frequently for additional light when working on late-night projects. I painted it orange to bring in additional color,” she says.
The framed work above the cabinet is a reproduction of a drawing by Frank Lloyd Wright, picked up during a visit to his home and studio in Oak Park, Illinois.
The blue Krueger chair on the right was a lucky roadside find a block from the couple’s old apartment. Wallace simply picked it up and carried it home.
Patterned upholstered chair: West Elm outlet in Tennessee
Patterned upholstered chair: West Elm outlet in Tennessee
A previous tenant in the unit down the hall from Stark’s first apartment left behind the wooden credenza that the couple uses as their media stand. “We nearly bit off more than we could chew moving the heavy piece in, but we’ve loved it ever since,” she says.
Coffee table: Pelican Furniture & Thrift; rug: Pottery Barn outlet in Tennessee
Coffee table: Pelican Furniture & Thrift; rug: Pottery Barn outlet in Tennessee
“We had fun decorating the old mantels,” Stark says. “Since they’re no longer functional fireplaces, we felt we needed to give them something to do.”
The framed piece hanging over the mantel is a Rothko print found in a thrift store in Tennessee. The small figurine is a souvenir gift from the couple’s friend, who bought it from a trading post off Route 66 in Arizona during a cross-country road trip. The green object in the middle is a guitar pedal, but Stark says, “I love it as a piece of design — the color is just incredible.” One bookend is a small replica of the building in Prague where Wallace lived for three months while studying abroad; the other is a piece of McCartys pottery from Merigold, Mississippi.
A 1991 Taylor 712 sits on a guitar stand. Wallace says, “I bought that one on eBay in 2008 on a whim without ever playing one. I was on the hunt for a different guitar entirely, but luckily it sounds even better than it looks and became a fast favorite.”
The framed piece hanging over the mantel is a Rothko print found in a thrift store in Tennessee. The small figurine is a souvenir gift from the couple’s friend, who bought it from a trading post off Route 66 in Arizona during a cross-country road trip. The green object in the middle is a guitar pedal, but Stark says, “I love it as a piece of design — the color is just incredible.” One bookend is a small replica of the building in Prague where Wallace lived for three months while studying abroad; the other is a piece of McCartys pottery from Merigold, Mississippi.
A 1991 Taylor 712 sits on a guitar stand. Wallace says, “I bought that one on eBay in 2008 on a whim without ever playing one. I was on the hunt for a different guitar entirely, but luckily it sounds even better than it looks and became a fast favorite.”
A fairy castle cactus and an orchid thrive in a brightly lit spot under the window.
Side table and wooden puzzle: T.J. Maxx
Side table and wooden puzzle: T.J. Maxx
The couple’s two cats — Bunny on the left and Blue on the right — love to climb on top of the different surfaces, including the sofa arms. The couch is a sleeper sofa, which is convenient for when friends and family come to stay with the couple during Mardi Gras.
The framed artwork on the left is Memory Map, one of Stark’s original pen-and-ink drawings.
Black linen throw pillows: Restoration Hardware
The framed artwork on the left is Memory Map, one of Stark’s original pen-and-ink drawings.
Black linen throw pillows: Restoration Hardware
The Marcel Breuer Wassily chair is from M. Furniture Gallerie, a secondhand furniture store in New Orleans’ Bywater neighborhood. “This is my latest addition to the Bauhaus furniture collection. I’m running out of room,” Stark says.
The 1970s French art exhibition poster is from SecondLine Arts and Antiques in the city’s French Quarter. “We weren’t familiar with the artist, but George loved the vibrant Klein blue color and matte finish so much that he speed-walked through the French Quarter on his lunch break to buy it three days after we saw it at French Quarter Fest,” Stark says.
“It’s fun to think about who might have been stopping through an op-art exhibit on the Boulevard St. Germain in the summer of 1971,” Wallace adds.
Architectural Icon: The World’s First Bauhaus House
The 1970s French art exhibition poster is from SecondLine Arts and Antiques in the city’s French Quarter. “We weren’t familiar with the artist, but George loved the vibrant Klein blue color and matte finish so much that he speed-walked through the French Quarter on his lunch break to buy it three days after we saw it at French Quarter Fest,” Stark says.
“It’s fun to think about who might have been stopping through an op-art exhibit on the Boulevard St. Germain in the summer of 1971,” Wallace adds.
Architectural Icon: The World’s First Bauhaus House
This framed poster is also French and a fun find from the attic of Stark’s parents. The lamp mimics the style of the Wassily chair across the room. “Although it lacks the Bauhaus bona fides, it does the job just fine,” Wallace says.
The leaning guitar case is a limited edition of 500 from 2007 and holds a Fender John Mayer Signature Stratocaster. “I do sometimes get nervous keeping it near the door, but since I don’t play electric as often these days — being a good neighbor is no fun — I can’t help but admire it,” Wallace says.
The leaning guitar case is a limited edition of 500 from 2007 and holds a Fender John Mayer Signature Stratocaster. “I do sometimes get nervous keeping it near the door, but since I don’t play electric as often these days — being a good neighbor is no fun — I can’t help but admire it,” Wallace says.
The refrigerator features a collection of family photos, postcards, beer coasters, birthday cards, diagrams, bottle caps, foreign currency and scraps of paper. “I like this kind of colorful, organized clutter. It has its own rhythm, a kind of controlled chaos,” Stark says.
Eero Saarinen chairs and wooden table: Something Different NOLA
Eero Saarinen chairs and wooden table: Something Different NOLA
Stark bought a set of Mies van der Rohe tubular steel armchairs after a trip to Berlin in 2014. “I visited the Bauhaus museum and fell completely in love with modern German furniture,” Stark says.
This wooden shelving unit is from Pelican Furniture & Thrift. “My kitchen has almost no storage, so I welcomed this additional space. I keep everything from tableware to cookbooks and vases in the cubbies,” she says. The white-and-gray Muriel Grateau china in the cubbies is an estate sale find. A small collection of McCartys pottery is in the top right cubby and on top.
Also on top is an old man’s beard cactus, and three large aloe plants are in the pot to the left. “I love how plants can bring so much texture, life and personality to a space. Each one has its own temperament and quirks,” Stark says.
A cast-iron skillet from Stark’s grandfather hangs on an antique hook and forged nail above the pot.
This wooden shelving unit is from Pelican Furniture & Thrift. “My kitchen has almost no storage, so I welcomed this additional space. I keep everything from tableware to cookbooks and vases in the cubbies,” she says. The white-and-gray Muriel Grateau china in the cubbies is an estate sale find. A small collection of McCartys pottery is in the top right cubby and on top.
Also on top is an old man’s beard cactus, and three large aloe plants are in the pot to the left. “I love how plants can bring so much texture, life and personality to a space. Each one has its own temperament and quirks,” Stark says.
A cast-iron skillet from Stark’s grandfather hangs on an antique hook and forged nail above the pot.
The pink bathroom rug is from Little Flea, a monthly outdoor market in the Lower Garden District that the couple enjoys going to. Stark won the trio of copper-potted succulents at a white elephant Christmas party.
Shower curtain: Crate & Barrel; towels: Restoration Hardware
Shower curtain: Crate & Barrel; towels: Restoration Hardware
The abstract painting is from a Little Flea vendor called Panthera Textiles. “We love having breakfast at the coffee shop next door on Sunday mornings and popping over after,” Stark says.
“Many of our favorite pieces in the house we’ve found when we weren’t looking for them. If you’ve got a good eye and don’t mind digging, things will find you,” Wallace adds.
This potted plant was outside for about two years and was recently brought inside to liven up the bathroom. “I love the way the pothos acts as a living curtain in this space,” Stark says.
“Many of our favorite pieces in the house we’ve found when we weren’t looking for them. If you’ve got a good eye and don’t mind digging, things will find you,” Wallace adds.
This potted plant was outside for about two years and was recently brought inside to liven up the bathroom. “I love the way the pothos acts as a living curtain in this space,” Stark says.
It’s unusual for a shotgun home to have a hallway, but the couple’s apartment was reconfigured and has an interior hallway with the bathroom and walk-in closet along the exterior wall. “I like playing with the additional wall space that the hallway provides,” Stark says. She made the felt cactuses and tissue paper garland wreath to add color to the white walls.
Because the hallway was originally a dining or living room, there’s a mantel in the space. “It’s another opportunity to have fun and curate a space,” Stark says. The architectural sculpture on the left is one of her original pieces, and McCartys pottery is on the right.
The bedroom is in the back of the apartment, which is preferable to the usual shotgun layout, where you have to walk through the bedroom to access the kitchen in the back.
“Earlier this summer, I splurged and bought this linen bedding set from Restoration Hardware, which has been one of my favorite purchases. For summers in the South, I’ll never go without linen bedding again,” Stark says. “It breathes so much better than cotton. I never wake up sweating anymore.”
The framed photograph is one of Stark’s original pieces.
Stonewashed Belgian linen sheet set and duvet cover: Restoration Hardware
“Earlier this summer, I splurged and bought this linen bedding set from Restoration Hardware, which has been one of my favorite purchases. For summers in the South, I’ll never go without linen bedding again,” Stark says. “It breathes so much better than cotton. I never wake up sweating anymore.”
The framed photograph is one of Stark’s original pieces.
Stonewashed Belgian linen sheet set and duvet cover: Restoration Hardware
The chifforobe in the bedroom originally belonged to Stark’s great-grandparents, who bought it in the 1950s after they got married. “My parents had it in our home growing up and gave it to me when I moved into my first apartment, which had almost no closet space, so I was very thankful,” she says. “My mom said that at one point, it was painted yellow. Then she and my nana stripped the paint to bring it back to its original color.”
Wallace had been looking for a wooden valet for nearly a year before finding one locally at Pelican Furniture & Thrift. “It’s one of those useless necessities; you won’t miss it if you never have one, but as soon as you do [get one], you can’t remember how you ever did without,” he says.
Stark, left, and Wallace, right, lived in the University area of New Orleans for more than four years and wanted a change of scenery after graduating from college. They love exploring their Bayou St. John neighborhood, which is just 2 miles from the French Quarter and all the local secondhand shops.
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See more photos of this 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: Kayla Stark, George Wallace and their cats, Bunny and Blue
Location: Bayou St. John neighborhood of New Orleans
Size: 1,000 square feet (93 square meters): one bedroom, one bathroom
Year built: About 1920
This corner of the main living area serves as a home office for Stark. “When I work from home, I like to set up my laptop here. This eastern-facing window provides amazing natural light in the morning. My cats also love this spot for sunbathing and peering out at the neighborhood,” she says.