The Shop Keeper's House

So many shop owners have a keen eye for collecting things to sell, and then artfully arranging it in their stores. They travel the world accumulating a vast visual vocabulary. A love for collecting often results with things meant for the shop coming home. I think a very talented cadre of interior decorators comes from the ranks of the shop keeper.
Cindy St. Romaine from Covington, Louisiana is one such talent. Her home is very pretty, filled with things from her shop. It's featured in the April 2009 issue of Louisiana Homes and Gardens, and I share the images with you from my clipping file.

The living room features an 18th century Napoleon III mirror

The house is a post Katrina rescue of sorts, purchased by Cindy and her husband in 2006. It had been hurricane damaged, and they brought it back to life.
Travertine floors were laid throughout the whole house, and Cindy chose to paint the walls linen white. Cindy felt this would unify the new open airy floor plan.

The breakfast room with a ten foot long walnut farm table and French wood chandelier
The chairs are slip covered in 100 percent European linen - I love the flange edge!

The goal was to achieve a feeling of the south of France. There are family pieces, antiques, and contemporary pieces. We see the ubiquitous white slip cover. I like that Cindy uses black and white cow hide pillows, a nice alternative to the zebra print everyone has now.
I love the antique chandeliers used through out the house, as well as the mirrors and the art work.
In fact I was so struck by the nudes by artist Alice McNeely, that I looked up her web site. I just love them!

Another view of the living room showing Alice McNeely's paintings
I spy the white kitchen cabinets behind the breakfast room table,
and you can really see the great drop ruffle on the chair slipcovers

Painting from the web site of Alice McNeely HERE

A painted trumeau from the 1700's, Louis XVI chairs covered in toile
French bronze and crystal chandelier circa 1800 over Louis Phillipe walnut table
I love the lamp on the sideboard made from an old balustrade

Gold drapes are used throughout the entire house, another visual unification. The rods are very simple hand forged iron. Cindy uses sea grass rugs, white cow hides, and Aubusson rugs to great effect.

Master bedroom
Swedish demi lune side table
Early 19th century Venetian beaded birdcage chandelier

She has a knack for choosing the right upholstery, such as the chocolate velvet on the Bergere chairs in the library.


I love the pink taffeta chairs (Louis XVI) in the garden room, which I would call the orangeries.

Orangeries

The outside of the house has formal French gardens, Cindy says "filled with wild Louisiana flowers, and sugar kettles were added wherever possible to get that wild French look".

The large 100 year European style manse
is the second oldest home in Covington
The St. Romains have worked hard give it flourishes of Provence

Cindy's shop is called St. Romaine's and is in Convington, just across the lake from New Orleans. Covington is a very pretty town filled with wonderful antique shops, and well worth a day trip there.

Visit St. Romaine Interiors HERE

I plan to do more features on the homes of shop keepers, so stay tuned...