House Proud

Book excerpt: Experience the joy of décor and design, restoration and rebirth, color and comfort--all in the enchanting locale of Louisiana. A New Orleans-based interior designer, Valorie Hart expertly leads a private tour of the most fashionable homes in the state. Sara Essex Bradley's photographs document the personality of Louisiana's homes, from the formal Greek revival house to the warm Creole cottage, the pre-Civil war beauty to the kitschy '50s-style ranch, the grand Victorian to the modern urban loft. This is not simply a design inspiration book, but rather a thoughtful compilation of homeowners' personal stories of restoring and redesigning their dream houses--the stories of the "house-proud." In addition to Debra Shriver's forward, Hart gives her creative expertise on re-purposing furniture, displaying art collections, creating extra rooms, and rethinking storage. Hart presents us with today's Louisiana homes: the feel of southern hospitality married with a look of contemporary chic.