DESIGNED BY RENOWNED Louisiana
architect A. Hays Town, the original
construction of this home for Bob and
Stevie Mack took 16 months before its
completion in 1985. “Mr. Town was a
wonderful gentleman, and at age 82, he
was as spry as a 50-year-
old,” says Bob. “He was so
knowledgeable and had a
fabulous eye for proportions
and the use of old materials
in modern construction.
Stevie and I were able to work
with Mr. Town to pick out
the handmade soft red New
Orleans jumbo bricks from
an old late-1800s building on
St. Charles Avenue. We picked
out cypress beams and ceilings
and the 12-inch-wide heart pine
Après le déluge
November-December 2016 3736 INsIDe NorthsIDe
>>
(with apologies toMadame de Pompadour)
Restoring an A. Hays Town home after the flood
by Poki Hampton
photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN
38 INsIDe NorthsIDe November-December 2016 39
flooring that came out of an old New Orleans school.
Working with him was a wonderful experience.”
Together they created a beautiful example of ideals.
“From the day Rick and I moved into our
Covington home, it felt like a stewardship,” says
current owner Lori Murphy. “Living in Louisiana
in an A. Hays Town home carries with it some
responsibilities to preserve his style and even his
idiosyncrasies. When we made alterations, it was
always with a mind toward minimal impact on his
trademarks. When the flood waters rose in our home
last spring, we were freed from strict adherence
to that idea because things were going to change
whether we wanted them to or not. Our contractor
knew how much the details meant to us, and the
whole team carefully preserved whatever they could.
They meticulously numbered each board of trim
and casing, although not all survived to be re-used.
Choosing options to replace Town’s curated collection
of materials was a painstaking process. When the first-
floor sheetrock was stripped out to four feet high, we
were able to reimagine what a 2016 A. Hays Town
home might feel like.”
After the gutting was complete, a cadre of designers
stepped up to help with the restoration. The new wall
color, Benjamin Moore Ballet White, was a breath of
fresh air that played beautifully off the wood and brick >>
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Above: Ellen Bajon of EMB Interiors used natural fabrics that
incorporated a touch of iridescence to add formality to the
relaxed feeling in the dining room. Above right: The living room is
transformed in neutral tones of white, cream and touches of light
blue under the direction of Jennifer Dicerbo of The French Mix.
The hand-knotted wool rugs from Rug Chic anchor rooms without
hiding the old heart pine floors that are an A. Hays Town trademark.
Antique maps frame an old church pew accented with a
bench cushion in golden eyelash-fringed silk from Hestia
Luxury in Linens and pillows from The French Mix.
November-December 2016 41
framing every room on the first floor. The
walls of the entrance hall are lined with
framed antique maps of places special to
the couple that Rick has collected over the
years. Anchoring that hall is an antique
church pew that Town himself might have
selected.
Jenifer Dicerbo of The French
Mix began the process of reimagining
the interiors with the paint color and
choosing furnishings and finishes for the
living room. The result is more modern
and lighter in so many aspects. The
living room, with its wide-plank heart
pine floors, is transformed in neutral
tones of white and cream with touches
of pale blue. The slipcovered sofa in
a creamy Belgian linen dominates the
room, while a pair of custom chairs
beautifully upholstered in a faux
shagreen add texture and interest to the
timeless French Bergère. Highlighting an
assortment of throw pillows is a white
faux-fur oblong pillow that brings a
touch of whimsy. In lieu of traditional,
heavy wood furnishings, Jennifer and
her associate, Chris Piazza, selected
pieces featuring glass, burnished metal
and bright, crisp acrylic. The antique
trumeau mirror in a soft off-white glaze
with burnished gold accents hangs
between French doors accentuated with
billowing white silk draperies. A large
contemporary painting by Michele Y
Williams infuses the room with drama
and color. One departure from a Town
trademark of lamp lighting for the living
room was the addition of a chandelier
from Bevolo Gas and Electric Lights. Its
grace and scale are perfectly at home in
the room.
Reflecting the architect’s dramatic
use of color, the original dining room
had deep red walls and an antique brass
candle chandelier. As the house took on
its lighter personality, Lori called Ellen
Bajon of EMB Interiors to help her select
a new wall color. In lieu of color, she
suggested the painted architecture of
wainscoting and framework to provide
definition. The Murphys had the round
walnut table that Ellen surrounded with
clean-lined contemporary dining chairs
upholstered in textured pewter/bronze
linen with a slight iridescence. They chose
soft, pleated draperies in shades of oyster
with a pearlized shimmer to hang on
custom iron rods. A tranquil landscape
scene by local artist Gretchen Armbruster
was the color inspiration for the room. On
another wall, a family portrait was placed
above a French marble-top sideboard. The
floor-to-ceiling cypress windows of the
alcove are a feature often found in A. Hays
Town homes. Tucked into the alcove,
a pair of arm chairs flank an antique
writing table highlighted with a marble
and brass table lamp and accessories from
EMB. Adding a rustic touch is the six-arm
iron chandelier, which is original to the
house, though not to this room. Four
contemporary art pieces from Michele Y
Williams flank the alcove.
Town’s cypress cabinets in the >>
Glazed lower cabinets are topped in a honed-
finish, Taj Mahal quartzite from Stone Source
in the refurbished kitchen. A painting by James
Michalopoulos hangs to the right of the kitchen,
which is framed in reclaimed cypress beams.
42 INsIDe NorthsIDe November-December 2016 43
kitchen, which he had bench made for
each home, were topped with Saltillo
tile. Though the lower cabinets needed
replacement after the flood, carpenters
were careful not to disturb the wall-
mounted backsplash of cream-colored
handmade tiles dotted with classic
imagery. Rick took control of the
kitchen. A native of Baton Rouge, Ellen
knew Town and offered suggestions on
ways to keep the feeling of the design
while adapting it to new ideas. Though
the tile was striking, it was also soft
and porous, not the best choice for this
family hub. She suggested a Taj Mahal
quartzite in a honed finish to tie the
backsplash into the new cabinets and
stand up to everyday abuse. Monique
Bennett of Cabinets by Design suggested
raised-panel Wood-Mode cabinets in a
light grey/green finish to complement
the original cypress upper cabinets
and the brick floor. New appliances
were added, including Rick’s favorite
upgrade, a 150-bottle wine cooler.
Copper pendants from Bevolo tie in with
the original copper vent hood, which
was taken down and reworked. It had
to be. During demolition, it was found
that the hood hid a small vent wedged
into a beam, making odd twists and
turns. With a little ingenuity, the original
copper vent now looks great and is up
to code. Surrounded by five French-style
bentwood bar stools, the large island
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provides a great place to sit and converse
with the cook. It features the original
thick cypress plank top over new Wood-
Mode cabinetry. The wood-paneled
ceiling and beams run from the kitchen
into the breakfast room. A French-style
rectangle table and four antique ladder-
back chairs sit on the brick floor in front
of a Louis Phillipe buffet á deux corps
from the late 1880s. It occupies a spot
that before the restoration was given up
to an air return that has been relocated
into the back hallway.
Adjacent to the breakfast room is
a small den with a wood-burning
fireplace and original cypress
cabinets. The post-flood work
provided an opportunity to revive
a forgotten corner of those built-
ins. Designed as a wet bar, it had
been sacrificed to the television,
which now hangs over the fireplace.
Though such a placement wouldn’t
likely be a feature of the architect’s
interior design choices, it does
return the symmetry he strived for
in his plans. A group of stacking
tables in gold leaf and marble from >>
Top left: A Jackie Ellens
painting hangs over
the master bed, which
is dressed in linens
from Hestia. The 1860s
marble-topped Directoire
chest serves as an
oversized nightstand.
Left: Cappuccino marble
countertops contrast
nicely with the bench
made cabinets from
Susan Currie Design.
A rustic lantern and soft velvet pumpkins from deCoeur sit atop
the handmade cypress table. The Louis Phillip buffet á deux corps
holds several entertaining necessities from Niche Modern Home.
Painting by Mary Helen Seago.
44 INsIDe NorthsIDe November-December 2016 45
The gold leaf iron sconces with natural
paper shades are from Circa Lighting,
flanking the trumeau mirrors finished
in distressed dark charcoal. “The paint
color for the walls, Edamame by PPG
Paint, was inspired by nature found
just outside the large window and is
a perfect complement to the cypress-
board walls and the antique brick floor.”
Shown above the tub is a fluid floral
abstract painting by Mary Helen Seago.
Finishing touches were added by Jenny
Mutter of Hestia Luxury in Linens.
“This should be a sanctuary,” she says.
Bringing softness to the brick and wood
enclave, she used rich warm taupes in
the towels and rugs.
In 1985, in A. Hays Town’s time,
practical, luxury elements like soft-close
drawers and self-closing cabinet hinges
were not in wide use. The post-flood
restoration took his classic Southern
style and blended it with a few fresh
alternatives. “We believe Mr. Town
would approve if he were building this
home today,” say the Murphys.
Footnote from Lori Murphy.
In the restoration of our home, we
benefitted from the outpouring of care and
expertise from so many professionals working
across the northshore. They have helped us
love our home even more. In addition to
those mentioned here, I need to specifically
thank contractors Jared Riecke, Bryant
Caruso and Gerald Fischer, Jerry Dupont
and Steve King, who carefully navigated
between us and them, designer Matt Voelkel,
Don Wise of Louisiana Custom Closets,
Stephanie Hendry of deCoeur, Steve Macloud
of Niche Modern Home, Southland Plumbing,
Paul Gement of Pine Grove Electric, artist Jim
Seitz, Mary Wiley from Artistry of Light, CJ
Ladner, Margarita, Abraham and so many
other clients, friends, family and members of
my “it takes a village.” Thank you, from the
bottom of our hearts.
Arabella sits between two swivel rockers
upholstered in an oyster crushed velvet.
A white linen slipcovered sofa faces an
oversized cocktail table—and the roaring
fire on a chilly evening.
The master bathroom, with his
and hers areas, is the last spot that
got an overhaul après déluge. What
constituted “well-appointed” 30 years
ago has certainly changed, but the fact
is Mr. Town didn’t really put much
stock in bathrooms even then. The
Jack-and-Jill style of the bathroom suite
was complicated even more with too
many walls and doors to be viewed as a
modern space. The signature materials
are used in the new room, double the
size of its 1985 rendition. The focal point
of a wall-sized window is now set amidst
a brand-new set of bench made cabinets.
“Remembering the home’s heritage,
we used raised-panel cabinets, which
fit with the A. Hays Town original
aesthetic,” says designer Susan Currie.
“The Cappuccino marble counters
and tub surround from Stone Source
contrast nicely with the cabinets’ Warm
Cottage Tan finish with a brown glaze.”
Cast aluminum dining set and
cushions from Outdoor Living Center.