A Sense of Place: Understated elegance on River Road
Wherever we look we are inspired by historical references and influences. In the case of one Louisiana-style plantation home, there are echoes of the past at every turn. This elegant residence on River Road complements the lifestyle of the owners with a sense of history and comfort while adding luster to the legacy of a gentler time.
There is an art to making a new home such as this look as though it has been there for many years. A St. Charles parish family managed to create a gracious residence that resembles a treasure from the Old South, with a décor that reflects their impeccable taste. “It looks like it has been there forever,” says Nancy Robbins, who was asked to do the interior of the home in St. Charles Parish this past year. “They weren’t quite finished building their home when Katrina hit,” she explains.
Robbins takes great care to custom design each home she encounters. “When I consult with my clients for the first time, I always want to know about the use of space, if it’s formal or understated, and understand how they want to use it,” she confides. “A multifaceted designer and proprietor of Nancy Robbins, Inc. (her opulent retail store has been in Mandeville since 1995), Robbins brought her many years of experience to this handsome dwelling. She tended it lovingly with a unique style that is all her own; much of the furniture and accessories are from her shop, which has a wide range of offerings. Just about everything in her store can be customized. Window treatments, furnishings, flooring, lighting, wall coverings, accessories, and original art are showcased.
“I like to mix styles according to the homeowner’s taste,” she says. “The family that lives in the home has four boys. So I created different seating groupings in the living room to create intimate areas, but it also allows the family to be together.”
The 24-foot-tall ceilings in the living room provide a sense of spaciousness and grandeur. One seating group centers around a large brick fireplace. “They like to have a lot of friends over, so the advantage is that there can be extra seating around the fireplace,” Robbins comments.
A gallery sofa faces a bench rather than a coffee table, and a daybed serves as the other seating in the group, providing an intimate setting that is open to the other side of the room. “I used a six-foot bench so that they could sit with their feet up and read around the fireplace,” she says. The sofa’s custom pillows (designed by Robbins) are covered in a fine ticking silk stripe, adding a touch of elegance. “Everything I do for my clients is custom,” Robbins says. “I used a Louis XVI daybed so that you can lie down or seat people on either side, because the back part of the daybed faces the dining room. It’s all made for a lot of comfort for the family. It is both practical and beautiful.” A Madonna and child painting resides above the fireplace. “It had been in the owner’s master bedroom and we moved it there because it brings your eyes to that space,” Robbins explains.
Another seating group in the living room is designed around an antique stripe velvet, dark chocolate sofa from Robbins’ shop. The brown monogram pillow, with its terra cotta and gold tassel fringe, is another custom item designed by Robbins. “The coffee table is actually an old piece that the owners had. The kids can put their feet up on it,” Robbins remarks.
A media center is nestled inside an antique Louis XVI cherry French armoire facing the sofa. “We took all of the shelves out of there and reused the wood to build the media interior to accommodate a large TV in the armoire,” she says. “It’s beautiful.” A music area with a grand piano enriches the graceful ambience of the room. A silk velvet tiger print bench provides extra seating nearby.
The view from the dining room is breathtaking. Guests gaze out onto the covered porch, the pool area, and gazebo. “I used a Tuscan color on the walls in the dining room to warm it up,” Robbins explains. “Then I used golden sheer linen as the draperies.” A French antique urn was used as the centerpiece on the dining room table; the adjacent candelabras from Nancy Robbins, Inc. are made out of oyster shells. “Oyster shells are native to Louisiana,” Robbins explains. “It brings in the culture. It is also tactile, and it brings in all the different natural colors. It adds a certain ambience to the area. It goes well with crystal and silver as with more casual place settings.”
The master bedroom has an eight-foot-tall four-poster king bed that was custom made by Robbins. “I created a four-by-six Abusson padded headboard that was recessed into the iron so that there is a soft area,” Robbins says. “By using a very tall headboard, I made it look more vertical.” Sheer linen cream colored draperies soften the room. “I wanted an ethereal, soft look,” explains Robbins. “They break on the floor. We have plantation shutters for total privacy. When you use a really wide louver on the shutter, it doesn’t break up the visibility of the view.”
A reproduction Louis XV writing table with alligator insets resides at the foot of the bed, accented with a petit alabaster column lamp on tap from Nancy Robbins. A dreamy oil painting over the mantel in the master bedroom depicts the owners’ children at the beach. “For safety’s sake, I put battery operated flameless candles on the mantel in an herb tray,” Robbins adds.
For added comfort, Robbins placed a one-arm chaise with an upholstery weight Sanderson linen depicting a faded, pale rose pattern in the corner near the bed. “It picks up the green that is in the duvet cover on the bed,” Robbins remarks. Pillows designed by Robbins soften the area. A cast iron garden table was positioned near the Recamier for reading. “It looks like an old table; it’s from the shop,” she adds.
By combining the old with the new, Robbins has created a soothing, elegant environment, one that resonates with a timeless beauty the family will enjoy for many years to come. ✦
