Text by Tiffany Adams
Photography by Sara Essex Bradley
Styling by Margaret Zainy Roux
Inspired by the architecture and culture of its city, a historic New Orleans residence receives a lively update fit for its owner.
Classic architecture, a cul-de-sac where their kids could play, and a close proximity to their family business—Friend & Company Fine Jewelry—were just a few of the things that drew Nina and Ken Friend to their 1896 antebellum home. However, while its location and curb appeal wooed the couple, its interior was not as close a fit. In an effort to modernize the house, walls were relocated, wiring was updated, and new amenities were installed, but the space still wasn’t a true reflection of the fun-loving couple and their children.
“We really wanted to put our personal stamp on it,” says Nina Friend. Enter New Orleans interior designer Monica Melancon of Melancon Ortega Designs. “I was initially referred to Nina by her neighbor and hired to redo her master suite,” says Melancon.
She and Friend searched for months to find just the right drapery fabric for the bedroom. Finally, Melancon went to a trusted source, Zoffany fabrics, and found something they both loved. “That was really a springboard for our working relationship,” she says, noting it led to gradually updating the majority of the home’s private and public spaces.
The Friends, who have a penchant for French and Italian antiques as well as local art, appreciated this approach. “We’re collectors, and we live in a city that affords us the luxury of always being on the hunt for the next piece,” says Friend. The evolution of the design also allowed the couple’s style to develop and change with time.
For example, Friend was uncertain about the choice for the dining room draperies (above). “I was afraid they would be too bold but I trusted Monica, and when they were hung, she was right—I love them,” she says.
The master bedroom was one of the first spaces the designer helped the couple create. A base of neutral allows ornate antique pieces, many of which were collected from local Magazine Street shops, to shine.
Resources
Architect (pool, pool house, and rear porch), Patrick Melancon, Melancon Ortega Designs. Interior design and project management, Monica Melancon, Melancon Ortega Design. Landscape design, Amann and Associates. Formal living room: Drapery fabric, Bergamo. Settee fabric, Highland Court. Entry: Chest and mirror, Petricia Thompson Antiques.
Read more of “Classic Made Comfortable,”on page 63 in the January/February 2020 issue of Southern Home.
