My Houzz: Gold Flourishes Accent a White Bungalow in New Orleans
Statement lighting and clean, modern lines come together for this first-time homeowner
“Simple, classic and modern” is how event planner Kristen Radakovich describes her interior design style. After living in Los Angeles and Dallas, Radakovich decided to put down roots in New Orleans. She bought her 1937 bungalow in summer 2013. The first-time homeowner then spent several months updating the interiors by refinishing original pine floors, giving the walls a fresh coat of white paint and adding statement lighting to each space. The result is a chic first home with airy, fresh style.
AFTER: The dining area perfectly reflects Radakovich’s style. It is also naturally well-lit, with large windows all along the left side of the home.
Radakovich has moved several times throughout her life, so when she decided to buy her forever home in New Orleans, she wanted it to feel very clean and uncluttered. “White, clean lines just felt right. I wanted it to be comfortable and livable for the long term,” she says.
Radakovich has moved several times throughout her life, so when she decided to buy her forever home in New Orleans, she wanted it to feel very clean and uncluttered. “White, clean lines just felt right. I wanted it to be comfortable and livable for the long term,” she says.
Decorative pieces like this gold shelf in the entry contrast the crisp white walls.
The dining room also opens to the front living room, creating an open and fluid layout.
The dining room also opens to the front living room, creating an open and fluid layout.
One of Radakovich’s main initial projects was installing an updated HVAC system, which is a must-have for Louisiana summers. She worked with contractor Andy Guzman of Guzman Enterprises. Because Radakovich travels often for work, it was important for her to find someone who could execute projects while she was away.
The fireplaces in the home are all original, but Radakovich painted the dark wood mantel in this room white to match the walls. She already had the couch, coffee table and Italian Venini chandelier.
The newly installed light fixtures throughout the home bring character and charm to each space. “They’re a mix of very modern, antique and New Orleans,” she says.
The newly installed light fixtures throughout the home bring character and charm to each space. “They’re a mix of very modern, antique and New Orleans,” she says.
The living room is ideal for both entertaining and spending time alone reading and relaxing. Radakovich keeps an assortment of coffee table books and games on display here.
Radakovich owned the chair seen here before she moved in, but she bought the French buffet-turned-media cabinet at Renaissance Interiors in New Orleans specifically for this spot. It houses electronics and wiring for the television that sits above it. Radakovich modified the cabinet by taking the back panel off to accommodate wiring.
This elegant settee in the entry is complemented by the beautiful drapery behind it. “I got the idea for the settee in the front room from the shop Source that was on lower Magazine [Street],” Radakovich says. She found a similar settee on Eloquence and re-covered it in a light blue velvet fabric with the help of a local upholsterer, Ernesto of Picture Perfect Upholstery. The vintage light fixture is from Karla Katz Antiques.
The dining room features warm brown and gold accents, thanks to the contemporary wood table, gold chandelier and framed artwork on the right wall. Radakovich calls the camel head bench Saul and Albert. She bought the piece when she lived in Los Angeles.
To the left of the table is a long window seat with custom white cushions. The window seat provides extra space for guests when Radakovich throws cocktail parties or entertains.
As a first-time homeowner, Radakovich gave herself permission to splurge on statement pieces she loved, including the Bond dining table by Jonathan Adler and the gold chandelier by Julie Neill Designs seen here.
The dining table top is mappa burl finished with a durable satin matte coating. Another original fireplace is in the dining room, with a large white mirror above that makes the space feel airier and more open. The mirror itself was a curbside find in need of only dusting and a fresh coat of paint to make it usable.
The dining table top is mappa burl finished with a durable satin matte coating. Another original fireplace is in the dining room, with a large white mirror above that makes the space feel airier and more open. The mirror itself was a curbside find in need of only dusting and a fresh coat of paint to make it usable.
The large framed artwork in the dining room was created by visual artist and Louisiana native Troy Dugas, who is represented by the Arthur Roger Gallery in New Orleans. It is a collage made up of gold cigar labels.
The dining chairs are actually an outdoor patio chair set that Radakovich bought from Sterling Provision in the Marigny and Bywater neighborhood. She transformed the chairs by making them white and shiny and adding a light gray velvet cushion for contrast. She also found a local business that could powder-coat the chairs and make her vision come to life. “Who knew there were so many shades of color available and about a hundred white options alone?” she says.
Installing floating shelves on the wall next to the fireplace provided display space for knickknacks and books. An ornate gold and black feather Mardi Gras mask sits on the mantel.
A light and airy guest room is just just off the dining room. Bold, bright accent colors are found in the brilliant orange silk curtains and the artwork above the mantel. This room is used by family and friends when they come to visit.
“I splurged on the bedroom curtain materials,” Radakovich says. The drapery in this room and the master are some of Radakovich’s favorite pieces to accessorize with. The drapes and curtain rods were custom-made for the space, and the curtain rings were painted to match the rods.
Lighting fixture: A.K.A. Stella Gray
“I splurged on the bedroom curtain materials,” Radakovich says. The drapery in this room and the master are some of Radakovich’s favorite pieces to accessorize with. The drapes and curtain rods were custom-made for the space, and the curtain rings were painted to match the rods.
Lighting fixture: A.K.A. Stella Gray
The floors in the bedrooms are painted glossy white. Radakovich originally wanted to paint the floors throughout the whole house the same, but decided it was more practical to just have glossy white floors in the bedrooms and office.
Achieving this bright color wasn’t easy. During the renovation, the team finished painting these floors only to come back the next day and see that the paint had turned yellow. The only thing they could think of was that the new paint was reacting to some old chemical in the wood. To counteract the yellow, they had to lightly sand the floors again and apply Kilz primer, two additional coats of white paint and a glossy topcoat later. Luckily, the primer created a barrier between the floors and the new paint, and the result is beautiful, crisp and clean.
Achieving this bright color wasn’t easy. During the renovation, the team finished painting these floors only to come back the next day and see that the paint had turned yellow. The only thing they could think of was that the new paint was reacting to some old chemical in the wood. To counteract the yellow, they had to lightly sand the floors again and apply Kilz primer, two additional coats of white paint and a glossy topcoat later. Luckily, the primer created a barrier between the floors and the new paint, and the result is beautiful, crisp and clean.
Before Radakovich moved to New Orleans, she bought a signed Blue Dog piece by Cajun artist George Rodrigue. “Maybe I knew a long time ago that I was going to be settling here,” she says.
The tiles on the floor and in the fireplace are original, while the while paint was added to brighten the dark brick and wood.
This black chair in the corner of the guest bedroom is the mate to the chair in the living room. The modern style of the chair, with its tubular chrome base, make the space feel contemporary and chic. It’s the perfect contrast to the rich, bright velvet curtains.
The bathroom is just off the hallway between the master bedroom and the guest room. The bathroom wasn’t on the original list of rooms to renovate, but after discovering leaks in the plumbing, Radakovich decided to remodel it. She also figured it would be wise to tackle the update while the rest of the home was being renovated, instead of kicking the can down the road and living in the home during the renovation.
The only dark floor in the home is in the bathroom, and it is actually clad in wall tile. A fashionable light fixture hangs overhead.
The only dark floor in the home is in the bathroom, and it is actually clad in wall tile. A fashionable light fixture hangs overhead.
Radakovich had trouble finding a vanity that she loved, so she had this cabinet made for the space and chose a simple sink to sit atop. Because the bottom of the cabinet is open, it leaves the P-trap below exposed. “I had to search for a pretty P-trap. That wasn’t easy,” she says. Ambro Plumbing completed all of the plumbing in the home.
Sconces: Karla Katz Antiques
Sconces: Karla Katz Antiques
The quiet and secluded master bedroom is located toward the back of the home and is the farthest room from the front yard. This vintage gold jewelry case next to the door complements the antique-style chandelier.
The closet, seen on the left, extends all the way to the ceiling, utilizing the height of the tall ceilings. Because Radakovich wanted more storage space, she and contractor Andy Guzman decided to mirror the design of this closet in building another closet in the guest bedroom, nearly doubling the amount of closet space in the house.
Guzman’s father, a talented woodworker, custom-crafted these closet doors. Radakovich is still trying to find the perfect handles for the closet, but in the meantime she enjoys the minimalist, clean lines of the white doors.
Guzman’s father, a talented woodworker, custom-crafted these closet doors. Radakovich is still trying to find the perfect handles for the closet, but in the meantime she enjoys the minimalist, clean lines of the white doors.
A full-length mirror is conveniently propped next to the closet. The drapery in the master bedroom is the same fabric as the drapery in the guest room, but in a subtler color. They both have a blackout lining, making it easier to sleep in the morning.
Radakovich is an avid reader and keeps a stacks of books here and in the guest bedroom.
Radakovich is an avid reader and keeps a stacks of books here and in the guest bedroom.
Radakovich is also still waiting to find the perfect bed for the master bedroom. “I’d rather wait for the right piece,” she says. Clean white bedding complements the rest of the room.
In the corner of the master bedroom is a small sitting area with a framed black-and-white image of shoes. Radakovich loves shoes and used to own and operate a high-end shoe store in Dallas called Linus Lounge, which can still be found online and which she thinks about reopening some day. “Linus was all about finding that perfect, right, artful shoe,” she says — a philosophy she also applies to decorating her home.
The small office just behind the bedroom is surrounded on three sides by beautiful windows that look out onto the backyard. Radakovich works primarily from home when not traveling, and she loves this home office because of its natural light.
A light gray cowhide rug is below the corner desk and chair, adding texture and organic visual interest. An antique-inspired chandelier from Julie Neill Designs hangs in the office.
The small sitting area in the office is flanked by two side tables that used to be in the Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter. Radakovich painted them light blue but might repaint them white.
The aesthetic in the kitchen is very clean and contemporary. Radakovich splurged on the kitchen appliances but was also able to save by buying everything at once from Campo. The dishwasher and stove hood were included when she bought the stove and refrigerator.
Radakovich has always enjoyed cooking meals at home, but had gotten out of the habit. “I was hoping an awesome kitchen would inspire me to get back in the kitchen, and it does sometimes,” she says.
Chandelier: Julie Neill Designs
Radakovich has always enjoyed cooking meals at home, but had gotten out of the habit. “I was hoping an awesome kitchen would inspire me to get back in the kitchen, and it does sometimes,” she says.
Chandelier: Julie Neill Designs
The kitchen table is from A.K.A. Stella Gray, while the homeowner bought the two red kitchen chairs in San Francisco a few years ago.
The kitchen needed a piece that would provide extra storage. The large kitchen hutch on the left wall came from Discoveries Furniture & Finds on Magazine Street in New Orleans. When Radakovich found this hutch, she knew it would work, but it was all sorts of crazy colors. It was fun, but didn’t fit in with the house. It now works after “so many coats of white paint later,” she says with a laugh.
The kitchen needed a piece that would provide extra storage. The large kitchen hutch on the left wall came from Discoveries Furniture & Finds on Magazine Street in New Orleans. When Radakovich found this hutch, she knew it would work, but it was all sorts of crazy colors. It was fun, but didn’t fit in with the house. It now works after “so many coats of white paint later,” she says with a laugh.
Radakovich wanted to keep the original hardware of the home. Unfortunately, much of the amazing old hardware was rusty, corroded or otherwise damaged. “I got to be fast friends with the folks over at Zito’s Plating & Polishing Works, because I kept taking them hardware as it was pulled off the house,” Radakovich says.
Seen here are doorknobs, keyholes, hinges, window pulls and the hardware used to open the transom window above the door, all restored by Zito’s.
Seen here are doorknobs, keyholes, hinges, window pulls and the hardware used to open the transom window above the door, all restored by Zito’s.
The exterior is typical of a bungalow-style home but with an atypical staircase leading up to it. The brilliant blue brings colorful New Orleans flair to the exterior, fitting in with the rest of the eclectic homes in this Uptown neighborhood.
A cement lion named Roosevelt sits on the front porch. Radakovich says, “I used to run by this house in the Garden District, and they would dress their lion up for the holidays. It totally cracked me up.” After buying her home, she set out on a quest to find her own lion. Now Roosevelt, seen here wearing a few strands of Mardi Gras beads, proudly guards the porch with his festive accessories.
A cement lion named Roosevelt sits on the front porch. Radakovich says, “I used to run by this house in the Garden District, and they would dress their lion up for the holidays. It totally cracked me up.” After buying her home, she set out on a quest to find her own lion. Now Roosevelt, seen here wearing a few strands of Mardi Gras beads, proudly guards the porch with his festive accessories.
Radakovich, seen here, loves to spend time working, relaxing and reading in this cozy dining room nook.
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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: Kristen Radakovich
Location: Uptown neighborhood of New Orleans
Size: About 1,550 square feet (143.9 square meters); two bedrooms, one bathroom
Year built: 1937
BEFORE: One of the first projects on Radakovich’s to-do list was opening up the small wall separating the dining room from the entry, to open up the space.
She also refinished the original pine floors in the living room and dining room, pickling them to lighten them up. The individual flooring planks run the entire length of each room, instead of being composed of smaller boards that are pieced together, creating long lines that stretch from one end of each room to the other.