At Home With A Pleasant House
Today’s Happy Home Tour is with one of my favorite bloggers. She is one of the most entertaining writers on the internet today on A Pleasant House.
Her singular style always amuses. She starts out by taking you on a journey one way and then you land someplace else! I fell under her spell and hope you will too.
Get to know Cheryl of A Pleasant House where she shares recipes, cooking, gardening, decorating and design tips. Her perspective on parenting is eye-opening and she blogs about a range of other always unexpected Lifestyle subjects. She has an elegant way of drawing you in and then your hooked.
You’ll be hooked as soon as you see inside her elegant 1875 Greek Revival. It is a very well-appointed home in the historic Garden District of New Orleans. A lot of her fans have come to think of her as the queen of her castle and that does not just imply a place. That’s why I’m going to say I bow to my Queen today. Have fun and enjoy the tour.
The front parlor is elegant and yet comfy. I want to sit down and stay awhile. Notice that with the soft lighting and neutral walls, curtains and furniture colors make the front parlor warm and welcoming. Plus the two beautiful french doors with transom windows. All the ceilings are 12.5 feet including on the second floor.
Cheryl said many people have died in this house, as was common back when the house was built. They were laid out in the parlor and are buried down the street in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. A fun historical fact about the home is that in the “1980s Humphrey Bogart’s mistress, Verita Thompson Bouvaire, lived here. She rented a room upstairs from her girlfriend that owned the house. She evacuated for Katrina and never returned dying in Mississippi in 2008.”
Cheryl is expert at creating ambiance in her home with lighting. The house was built by a marble merchant with 2/3 fireplaces surrounded by his marble. I can’t step away without pointing out the beautiful chandelier.
Historically, the kitchen was built inside (often kitchens were outside due to fire) the house and is still about in its original location. Plus, even having a kitchen was a very modern convenience back in the day. Their master bedroom today used to be a series of pantries off the original kitchen.
I notice the island lights have the same square shape as the picture frames and cabinets doors creating a symmetrical design style.
They renovated the house!
Before we move on I want you to know the house was almost entirely renovated when they bought it, but Cheryl and her husband Ben did a lot of work to make it as beautiful as we see here today. You’ll see most of their work in the photos below.
They made it (intended play on words) a pleasant house by doing the following updates:
Changed all the light fixtures and water fixtures.
Brought all three fireplaces up to code.
Added a fireplace outside in the courtyard.
Changed out all the bath vanities.
Added two laundry facilities with one in the master bath and the other in an upstairs bath for guests. – nice queens with castles offer their subjects personal laundry areas.
A barroom off the kitchen – see below.
Changed all the colors.
Finished the interiors of all the closets.
Added a coat closet and a glass-front linen closet.
Carved out a ‘secret’ storage area under the stairs used to store luggage.
Completely renovated the two courtyards.
Something Cheryl cherishes are her children’s youth chairs hanging ready for grandchildren. The floors are unpolished tumbled marble. I am unsure if Cheryl painted the street lamp mural on the door. She did in fact stencil the wall pattern with paint.
All the rooms and furniture are beautiful including the library that was originally the master bedroom.
The most beautiful room.
The sunroom used to be a screened in porch. I love the shades and furniture, especially the red-flowered chair that reminds me of one my grandmother had and I always wanted. Again, we see more of the tasteful stenciled pattern on the walls.
The Bar room off the kitchen is another home improvement. The turquoise door leads us to………..
a view of the courtyard fountain that was a Christmas gift to Cheryl from Ben many years ago. Cheryl says “they’ve lugged it around ever since.”
When they moved in the stairs were open. Here is the clever under the stairs storage for luggage area they made that looks like it has always been there.
Heading up the stairs we see a piece of art on the wall that blends perfectly with the wall color.
The dark rich colored floors are Louisiana Pecan stained Ebony.
The upstairs 3 bedrooms were for “the help.” The help accessed their rooms from a separate stairway that went up the outside of the house onto a balcony which is now the upstairs hallway.
All the interior doors have these enchanting transom windows.
One of the bedrooms is the blue guest room. Love the lamp shade that matches the bed pillow and the art on the wall makes me think.
Green guest bedroom gives an inside view of the french doors and transom window.
Bath has jetted tub and open shower.
Master Bath vanities they replaced are gorgeous.
The house has 11 rooms, three full bathrooms plus this powder room.
Not seen is a full-width second-floor street balcony in the front of the house where “they watch the world go by and have a view of the city.”
Thank you, Cheryl, for inviting us into your home.
I can promise you’ll never be bored with all the original content on Cheryl’s fabulous blog A Pleasant House so head over and check her out.
If you’re new here, see last weeks Miller Manor Charming Home Story a Trash to Treasure Story.
Hi Carol, I was never so happy as to hear Cheryl agreed to share her lovely home with us and had to include the word Elegant in the title. Have the nicest weekend Carol.
I’m one of cheryl’s fans and have seen a few random shots of her gorgeous house. What a treat to see so much of it here! Hang on, Cheryl, I’m comin’!
I just love DARK floors. Everything seems to float on them!
It sure was! The construction is rock-solid and the details are the kind you just don’t see in homes too much anymore.
Hahahaa. The ‘chairs’ are small Youth chairs. I use a decorating trick the Shakers always used to make space seem more organized- hang rung-back chairs on pegs!
Thank you Vashti! The house is comfy but the architecture just builds-in the elegance. Sue was convincing. I haven’t put much about our home on-line, but Sue asked- and I always do what Sue says. Hahaaa
Thanks for the visit and reply Erica. In the meantime, I get to enjoy all your clever DIY home improvement ideas, and I mean that sincerely.
This house is AMAZING! Something to strive for… Eventually, I’ll be able to send you my house Sue!! It’s not ready yet though 🙁
Cheryl’s a classy woman who also has an eye for decorating and did a lot of her own decor in her home too. There are so many little details that make her home cozy and yet elegant that we all need to take the tour two or three times to take it all in. Thanks for such a nice comment today Vashti.
Hi Sue! Wow! Cheryl’s house is elegant and classy, but also comfy and cozy. That’s a difficult combination to have. Good for her. Loved the ebony stained pecan floors, the chandelier in the dinning room, the turquoise French doors, and so much more. I could go on and on. Thanks for convincing Cheryl to let us peek into her house. 😉
Hi Jennifer and I am glad to see a new reader. A lot of readers loved seeing this elegant home especially liking the outside garden area too.
Wow such a lovely home, I’d be afraid to sit anywhere. I found the chair on the wall a little odd, but I’m not used to seeing elegant homes. I absolutely love the outside!
Hi Doreen, your words could not be more true on how the home was built when they knew how to design homes. I love it when my readers say what I think and forget to mention as the often put it so well like you do.
Such an elegant and sophisticated home, filled with beautiful design touches and history to spare. This home was built when they knew how to build and design homes, and it shows.
I have to agree about liking real people’s home more than celebrities. If you know anyone who would like to share their home send them my way please.
Yes, I agree. I love seeing how other “real” people live and do up their homes compared to celebrities.
Hi Anj – Of course you like the dark and light! I like how the color gives a rich and classy feel to everything.
oh of coarse i first fell in love with her dark & light stairs but everything is stunning great tour thanks so much for sharing Sue
Benjamin Moore makes such great paints!
I love Benjamin Moore colors and your blue doors. Our new color in the dining room is Benjamin Moore Palladium Blue.
The ‘lamp post’ door is actually a large piece of display art I bought from a store going out of business. I had it cut-down to standard door size, reinforced in the interior, backed with finished-ply put hinges and magnetized closures on and hung it! We love it too!
Thank you my rock-n-roll friend. Actually ALL of the exterior doors are painted that scrumptious color- Benj Moore Sea Glass, (I think?)
Wow! I don’t know where to start, so I’ll just say that I love all of it. You have impeccable taste Cheryl. I love your aesthetic (my kitchen French door is turquoise too!) and how you remained true to the history and integrity of the house. Just lovely.
Hi Cyndi, since you travel the world I consider you an expert at spotting treasure. I love the house and every single thing in it and am MAD for the garden and fountain too.
I love that lamp post pained on the door…and that little garden off the bar room just says New Orleans to me…heck the whole house is a treasure! Thanks for the tour!
That’s not too bad a price I think for such a beauty.
Cake is always waiting to be served my fellow Queen. XXOO
No surprise that your home is classy cozy elegant vixen. Oh, if these walls could talk! What a lovely sharing. So happy I popped in. I’ll have a slice of that chocolate cake in the parlor when you’re ready.
Hi Doreen, so happy you enjoyed the tour today.
Sue’s Housekaboodle is da’ bomb!!! Glad you found her!
You’re so welcome. I wouldn’t have done it without Sue’s steady hand.
It cost around $1000. And it had to be ordered Carolann.It was also professionally hung. I wasn’t taking ANY chances. hahaha
Why THANK YOU. I grew-up on Shelter magazines and my mother was an Interior Decorator. The apple may have not fallen far from the tree. Ha!
I was dreaming about the fountain and french doors last night….. “So many great ideas implemented so beautifully” is a perfect description Carol.
Amazing- right? Our’s is in different depths of milky glass.
Not sure I’ve ever seen a place with so many great ideas implemented so beautifully. I’m going to keep this open on my screen all day to have fun looking at them closely.
Oh my goodness it’s stunning! I love lighting and that caught my eye right away! Was it off the hook expensive?
I just checked out the ceiling at the hotel and it’s an explosion of rainbow colors and looked up Chihuly
Thanks Cheryl for the lovely tour!
Oh Cheryl I am in love with your home, it is so pretty and the history, wow!
I have also fallen in love withbthis site. I love houses!
We love them too. So elegant!
The light ‘art sculpture’ in the bar is by a student of the world famous Chihuly (He created the ceiling in the Bellagio Casino hotel in Las Vegas). It’s sooooo beautiful. Thank you Carolann!
That view is only a partial shot of the ‘back’ courtyard- the private space. We also have a ‘front’ courtyard where I have the gardens. Very public and starts a lot of conversation with people walking by. Love you TOO Sarah!
Sue’s series is really wonderful, isn’t it Crystal!
Thank you Crystal and I am very glad you are enjoying the series.
A fairytale garden describes her fountain perfectly Sarah. I was looking online at fountains and nothing compares.
Thanks for noticing, the light in the bar room really is delightful…so much to see here that is wonderful.
This is a gorgeous house. There are many aspects of it that I love. I am really fond of that kitchen and bathroom. I am enjoying seeing homes that belong to fellow bloggers.
Cheryl has fabulous taste! Love that gal! I also am mesmerized by all her antique pieces and that garden is just a fairytale!
Gosh yes Carol, the french doors to the bedrooms and the upstairs hallway look like you’re arriving at a hotel.
I love her little garden area and the bathroom is beautiful. With so much history, the beauty of the house is even more meaningful. I love that light fixture in the bar room too. Another great Happy Tour Sue. What fun! Thank for you allowing us into her home. Truly a beauty!
What I love the most is all the great windows and doors.