Inspired by the Southern Creole style of well-known architect Ken Tate, this LSU alumna Claire Boyles wanted a home with a timeless and livable mix of old and new. She hired architect J. Marshall Porterfield to create his spin on Louisiana style and Steve Blalock to build her dream home. Keeping to clean lines and a primarily white color palette for the walls, the homeowner warms up the space with rich plaster, wonderful antiques and pops of contemporary art.

The entry hall has a great modern meets old world feel with these custom-made lanterns from Boxwood Interiors that echo the metal and glass front door. We plastered the walls and ceilings in the tone of the homeowner’s favorite white (Benjamin Moore “White Dove”). Though making a plaster this white proved challenging because plaster has a natural gray cast, I love the way that plaster made these tones warm. The rich medium brown flooring from Peacock Pavers out of Alabama also adds wonderful character!

This elegant dining room is so timeless with its antique elements like the gorgeous chandelier and French dining table, both from AREA. The white, slipcovered chairs are a temporary fix from IKEA, but definitely fooled me! She brought in a bit of an animal theme that continues into other areas with the artwork and antelope patterned wool rug from Creative Flooring. Carrying over the same plaster treatment from the entry really balances the great earth tones in this room and adds to the flow of the home.  As the homeowner says, “plaster brings so much life to variations of white which I absolutely love!”

This study has such a fun, eclectic feel!!! The homeowner collaborated with her friend, designer Holly Hibbert, to come up with the thoughtful placement of accessories on the shelves. It creates an incredible focal point that draws you into the room. The two red paintings by Houston artist Van McFarland provide a great pop against the Sherwin Williams “Anonymous” painted built-ins and paneling. The different textures of the Conrad grass cloth shades and the layered rugs adds so much dimension! And I love the sawhorse desk from AREA!

Inspired by Betaplus interior design books that showcase Belgian interiors, the homeowner came up with this lovely mix of sleek and antique elements. The concrete by Del Gunnells creates a contemporary feel amidst antique accents like the gilded mirror from Carl Moore Antiques and the sconces from Janet Wiebe. The baskets underneath from Indulge add great texture – plus extra storage!

This bar area that functions as a butler’s pantry and wet bar is an ideal space for entertaining! Its geometric, clean lines work wonderfully mixed with the beautiful oval window and custom-made doors.

To achieve a sophisticated, yet comfortable living room, Claire focused on building a backdrop that would bring history and warmth. The wood beams, wide-plank floors, and stone fireplace play up the architecture while the plastered walls develop greater depth. She brought in some of her favorite antique finds but kept the room from feeling too formal through the styling. For instance, using two unique lamps rather than a pair of matching ones adds an unexpected touch, and leaving the mirror resting on the mantle rather than hung lessens the formality.

For the breakfast area, Claire played with simple elements to create a winning combination. The modern artwork from Frame Tek is a great graphic accent. Notice the mix of chairs to go with this beautiful table from The Sitting Room!!! Once again, all the chairs are from IKEA!!!

Serving as a central gathering place, the kitchen needed to be functional, light-filled and inviting. To help create the right ambience and ensure efficient use of the space, Susan Schneider was brought on as her kitchen designer. Benjamin Moore “White Dove” on the walls and Martin Senour “Polished Granite” on the cabinets perfectly complements the beautiful Calcutta Gold marble countertops. While marble can be porous, “the imperfections that develop over time add character, and the beauty of the marble makes it worth any of the downsides,” according Claire. Susan did an excellent job incorporating the appliance panel, a have-to-have on her list of wants! The hanging light fixtures were custom-made from C. Damien Fox Lamps which specializes in custom pieces and one-of-a-kind lighting.

Even the staircase has personality!!! Getting inspiration from designer Blake Winston, a close friend, this leopard runner was added to liven up the stairs and hold up to kids and dogs. The painting by Houston artist Marthann Masterson who happens to also be the homeowner’s mother-in-law adds just the right amount of color!!! And the geometric lines of the chair in the painting carry over to the beautiful balustrades that the homeowner found at the Warrenton Antique Festival.

The kids love using this upstairs space as an extra area to hang out for video game extravaganzas. The slipcovers, made of white hemp from High Fashion, are great for easy clean up! To personalize the space, the kids’ artwork adds a great pop of color.  I love the old balustrades that are used as side tables!!

Her son’s room has a great Texas-themed neutral palette. These new pine beams from The Wood Shop of Texas were distressed and grayed to look old, keeping costs down. Blake Winston helped again in choosing the fabrics, paint and furnishings. I love this neutral stripe fabric they chose from Pindler and Pindler!

The backyard is such a nice place to relax and enjoy the pool. These chairs were a great find from Roundtop. Formerly bright red, we painted them a nice, rich gray brown to look like her patio furniture. The house just turned out amazing!! Claire you did an amazing job!!!  Thanks to Wade Blissard for such wonderful photography!!  Hope you have a wonderful week!!