Color and playful personality shine during this 1800s New Orleans Victorian. Over the past five years, Kim and Ray Martin have filled their gorgeous three-story home with colorful local artwork, eclectic furniture and classic heirlooms to accommodate their family.
With assistance from architect and designer Marie Palumbo, the few renovated the kitchen repurposed some chambers and revamped their backyard into an outdoor retreat, all without losing the home’s original charm.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Ray and Kim Martin and their 3 children, dog Elvis, bird Crystal and cat Hemme
Location: Uptown New Orleans
Size: Around 6,000 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half baths, plus a manicured pool home
Corynne Pless
The former owners left the spacious kitchen in great shape, but the Martins desired to add their own custom touches. A whitewash was inserted to the first brick fireplace wall to blend with fresh white cabinetry. “I just wanted something actual white and clean,” says Kim. “I thought the art would pop a bit more.”
Palumbo made a ladder rail system with this custom floor-to-ceiling storage unit. The ladder can easily move to any part of this kitchen.
Chairs, dining table: Madeleine and Pedestal, Restoration Hardware; tile: Stafford Tile and Stone; art above fireplace: Michael Banks; ladder, rail: Alaco
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Kim and Ray ensure the kitchen would have sufficient room for storage, dining and entertaining.
Chairs: Series 7 Barstool, Design Within Reach; artwork on rear wall, centre: Jennifer Hankings, Midnite Pottery
Corynne Pless
For extra storage, Palumbo made a full pullout pantry with baskets — observable behind Crystal, the family’s bird.
Palumbo also designed inset custom made closets with exposed hinges and touch-close hardware. Kim rearranged a few appliances moved the sink below a window, inserted a stainless steel laminate desk at which the bar once was and moved the bar to the dining area. Milk glass tile and honed Carrara marble countertops now create a crisp, bright space.
Wall paint: Swiss Coffee OC-45, Benjamin Moore; chandelier: Ingrid Broad, Julie Neill; refrigerator, freezer: Sub-Zero and Wolf
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The kitchen leads into a vibrant living room, connected to your sunroom through French doors that are original. The family considers that their sunroom a bonus space, where built-ins and a plush sofa allow for reading and relaxing. Kim commissioned the playful children’s portraits from local artist Sarah Ashley Longshore.
Corynne Pless
Colorful pillows from West Elm liven up a solid white sectional before a third custom portrait. Conventional pocket doors to the right open to the family’s formal dining area.
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The dining area is included by first pocket doors and dressed in more conventional furniture and artwork. Mardi Gras beads hang loosely across a abstract painting of the French Quarter by James Michalopoulos.
Chandelier: Scarlett, Julie Neill
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This second living space, between the dining room and foyer, has bold furniture and art that is mostly from local designers and artists.
The Krewe of Muses, an all-female group at the annual Mardi Gras parade, traditionally throws personalized heels into the crowds of onlookers. A few of these vibrant keepsakes jazz up the mantel on one of the home’s three fireplaces.
Artwork above mantel: David Harouni
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Artwork, creative accessories and large Victorian-style windows all confront the foyer, giving the formal living room a warm and inviting texture. Re-covered pink patent leather armchairs and an oversized candy painting, both from Sarah Ashley Longshore, brighten the space.
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The first-floor guest bath off the foyer shows elegant wallpaper by designer Angèle Parlange. Part of the designer’s Calling Card Collection, the wallpaper is moved from calling cards handed down through generations of her family.
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Accessories by Jonathan Adler and Tori Burch — and the family’s Dalmation combination, Elvis — decorate the inviting foyer. All of the home’s walls and trims were spruced up with a fresh paint color selected by local colorist Louie Aubert.
Wall paint: Natural Wicker, Benjamin Moore; console: Jonathan Adler; Paint: Eclectic Home; lucite “M” (on console): Tory Burch; portrait: Marion and Silber
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Longshore’s brilliant furniture and artwork fill lots of the rooms, including this teal patent leather loveseat in the foyer. The first staircase, accessorized with 2 conventional portraits, leads to the second-floor bedrooms.
Portraits: Marion and Silber; artwork above couch: “An Invisible Thread” and “Your Day Will Proceed,” by Sugarboo Designs
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The first master bedroom and research were repurposed into two bedrooms to the children.
Wall paint: Green Wave, Benjamin Moore; desk, bedding, nightstand: PBTeen; butterfly artwork: Sugarboo Designs
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Palumbo made this custom built-in closet and dresser in 1 room, drew up a toilet plan for the area where the original master closet was.
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Once the analysis, this chamber now corrals cowboy-print cloths, a vintage rocking horse and timeworn furniture to the most youthful Martin.
Wall paint: Indian White, Benjamin Moore; twin beds: Red Door Antiques
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Timeless heirlooms, such as Ray’s mother’s desk, add subtle charm to the kid’s room. “I’m still sentimental to quite a few things, so I keep it and freshen it up with much more modern things if it’s traditional,” states Kim. She uses a lot of bright colours and has a bit more eclectic style.
Bunk bed: Camp-Twin-Over-Full Bunk Bed, Pottery Barn Kids; wall paint: Lady Finger, Benjamin Moore
Corynne Pless
Corynne Pless
The beige penny tile in the guest toilet adds warmth to the bathroom’s clean lines. The console, originally from Mexico, has been bought in Mississippi. The vintage red seat traveled with the family from Minnesota.
Sink: Duravit; penny tile, flooring tile: Stafford Tile and Stone; lights: Chandler sconce, Restoration Hardware; medicine cabinets: framed lit directly- and left-opening, Restoration Hardware; wall paint: Lighthouse Landing, Benjamin Moore
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Down the hallway from the kids’ rooms, the master bedroom showcases Kim’s eclectic style. As in other areas of the home, the white linens and calming paint color create a platform for your own artwork and bright cushions to stand out against.
Artwork at right: William Heard; mattress: Drexel Heritage; wall paint: Old Prairie, Benjamin Moore; nightstand, lamps: World’s Off; chandelier: Julie Neill; drapes: custom
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Palumbo reconfigured the whole layout of this new master bathroom to make it appear to be a natural expansion of this bedroom.
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Conventional art, a new layout and contemporary hardware gave the master toilet an update while preserving the traditional particulars. Vertical marble walls enclose the shower. A custom vanity has been made to seem like a piece of furniture.
Tile: Stafford Tile and Stone
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A wrought iron gate, with all the look of a French balcony, protects the first bathroom windows.
Bathtub: Kohler; tile: Stafford Tile and Stone
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The third story’s built in twin beds, bookshelves and completed toilet secured the deal to both Kim and Ray. They included a drum set, a little puppet stand, vibrant bedding, a television and a video game setup to create the ideal amusement area for their family members and guests.
Bedding: Orla Kiely; wall paint: Natural Wicker, Benjamin Moore
Corynne Pless
Clean lines and contemporary hardware give this little bathroom a fresh look. A narrow staircase at the rear of the home connects all 3 floors.
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The guesthouse connects to the main home; it’s an outdoor living room and dining area.
Pool design and construct: Sedona Stone (now closed)
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The Martins completely renovated the backyard, gutting everything but the palm tree. Palumbo rebuilt a once-outdoor kitchen into a one-bedroom suite with a bath.
Outside furniture: Restoration Hardware
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A huge front porch on the primary home overlooks the area’s serene, tree-lined road.
Swing: The Mustard Seed Antique Emporium, Oxford, Mississippi
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The porch has a small circular tower and wraps around the front of the home. Large floor-to-ceiling windows confront the neighborhood.
Exterior paint : Spring at Aspen; shutter paint: Brandon Beige, both by Benjamin Moore
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Much like the city of New Orleans itself, this 1800s Victorian home has a historic and traditional exterior, but a vibrant charm radiates supporting the doors.
Corynne Pless
What’s next for the Martins? Kim, shown here, want to work one final time on her daughter’s room. “I will likely redo it one more time because of her [before] she puts into high school,” she states.
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