Today I have the great pleasure to bring you a very special reader's home. She has been coming to perch. in New Orleans for design ideas, and over the last couple of years has become very dear to us.
A wing chair now in Kellie's house next to an antique armoireFabric from perch. - Note the matching dog bed!
I met Kellie when I first started working at perch. I liked her right away, liked the choices she made in the shop. We struck up a friendship. Sometimes she brought her husband Marc with her, who is adorable.
The wing chair then - cute, but Kellie made it cuter! Kellie loves to decorate, though she is not one aspiring to be a designer or a decorator. Her Mom has always done interesting serial home renovating and decorating, and Kellie can't remember a time some craft project was happening in her house.
Kellie is one of four girls. She was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where her mom was constantly redesigning, redecorating and rearranging. All four of the “girls” have the decorating bug, although they all have different styles.
Kellie says, "Maybe it’s genetic!?! When my mom was ready for a change, she went for it. One time mom decided she didn’t like the location of her kitchen. She called the plumber, electrician, painter, and carpenter and had them move her kitchen to an entirely different part of the house. The funny thing is…nobody flinched…not Dad, not my sisters. We were used to the constant projects and upgrades".
Bright green paint and a gas lantern are touches added by Kellie and MarcThe house is a new build in Greta, Louisiana, just on the other side of the Mississippi River from perch. It is adorable, and looks like it has been there for a hundred years.
Kellie and Marc purchased the house in August of 2004. Initially, Marc did not like the house at all and did not want to buy it. Admittedly, it wasn’t too spectacular. It needed some help but Kellie knew she could make the house a beautiful home. Also, she loved the neighborhood and loved the fact that they could walk to church, the post office, bank, coffee shop, florist, etc.
Kellie's design books Kellie loves design books, and magazines, and blogs, and she is well versed in what's happening in the design world. She knows how to use trends, and make them her own long lasting classics.
Her style is decidedly feminine, what's she calls as girly.
Kellie tells us, "Marc’s and my home is in a constant state of change. In the six years we have been in the house we have added a sun room, added a fireplace, re-did the kitchen, painted each room a godzillion times, and added and subtracted furniture and art. The den has been four different colors. Thank god my husband’s patient!"
Basket of shoes by the side doorWhat inspires Kellie's decor choices? She tells us, "I am definitely feminine and girly—maybe from growing up in a house full of girls. I like soft pastel-ly colors and lots of whites. I always lean toward soft pinks and lavenders. My husband is pretty laid back about my girlie-ness and decorating and takes it all in stride. His only request was that we not have a pink bedroom. So I painted our bedroom a color called Lily Lavender! I try to have an eclectic assortment of furniture. I don’t want to be too matchy-matchy. My furniture ranges from mid-century to antique French to contemporary. And I love, love, love buying art!"
Marc is perfectly at ease with Kellie's choices, and loves how pretty she has made their home.
Kellie and Marc Marc is in the military, and has been deployed overseas for a year. He is home for a small leave for a week or so, and Kellie is anxious to show him some of the changes she's made while he has been away.
Marc is a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army. He is an infantry soldier and has spent the past six months serving in Iraq. Marc knows that anytime he leaves for a deployment he will be coming home to an “updated” and changed house. Working on the house keeps Kellie occupied, and keeps her mind off of the realities of his job.
Detail of antique armoire doors Kellie is a methodical decorator. She knows what she wants, and she saves up her cash for it. She works hard, and she shops wisely. She loves to mix vintage and antique and contemporary things, using a pale color palette of blues, whites, grays, lavender, and pink.
Detail of antique armoireThere is a pooch in the house named Toulouse, so everything is dog friendly. Toulouse is affectionately called Lucy, and was found walking the streets of Houston.
LucyShe was homeless and they took her in. Kellie says, "I didn’t want a dog but Marc loved her so much that I caved."
Lucy has been a great dog and takes good care of Kellie while Marc is away. They assume Lucy is about 7 years old although they aren’t quite sure.
Kellie shops at perch. , and at other stores on Magazine Street. She supports local businesses as much as possible. She also is a savvy internet shopper.
She loves high end luxury things as well as anyone, but if her budget does allow for them, she scales down and uses one or two really nice things mixed in.
The living roomKravet linen covered sofa - a definite investment and splurge
Synthetic Antelope area rug is very affordable
All of these pieces including fabric for pillows
and white lacquer coffee table are from perch.
Pink chair is vintage
Kellie's sister made the pillows
Vintage trim on pillow from perch.
Papier mache antelope head over fireplace - Stray Dog from perch.
Vintage pink chairRight after Katrina, Kellie bought three Julie Neill chandeliers. She saved up for them and bought them one at a time. The prices were more reasonable then, though certainly not bargain basement.
Dining room chandelier thenRecently Kellie wanted to change her dining room chandelier, to coordinate with a Julie Neill fixture in her open floor plan kitchen/dining area/ living room. She had a modern one that ended up HERE
The two different chandeliers really work!We searched long and hard for her, and realized that matching the kitchen fixture would be impossible, and that two different chandeliers could coexist, and be quite interesting and beautiful.
The dining room chandelier now
The candle chandelier was wired for electricityAntique Swedish dining table from perch.
I found a candle chandelier at Tommys Flower Shop in the French Quarter (933 Rue Royal, New Orleans, LA 70116, phone - 504-522-6563), and we had our perch. electrician wire it up.
The best part is that the cost was only $465. total! Compared to the starting cost in the $2000. range for a chandelier style like this we were pleased and Kellie was thrilled.
Kellie's grandmother's china Kellie has some lovely china from her grandmother, and she mixes in vintage silverware and lovely monogrammed linen napkins when she sets the table.
Hem stitch linen napkin and vintage silverware
Dining roomMarc and Kellie had the kitchen redone. It has a small footprint, so they were able to use the luxury items they wanted: stone counter tops, farm house sink, stainless appliances, Carera subway tile black splash, and the drum style Julie Neill chandelier.
Carera marble subway tiles
The kitchen has a great mixEach of the three bedrooms in the home are unique and beautiful.
The front bedroom has a French daybed, an antique tall clock, a zebra print hide on the floor, and a Lucite desk with a seat belt chair.
Seat belt chair from perch. paired with a Lucite desk
Antique daybed and Julie Neill chandelier in the office 
Antique case clock in the bedroom that doubles as an officeThe guest bedroom is all vintage from the charming painted bed and dresser, to the lamps and the chandelier.
Vintage painted bed in the guest roomThe silk drapes were made by Kellie's sister, and the hand made return rod came from perch. The mirror night stands are from Pottery Barn.
Kellie got one king sham from Leontine Linens for the guest room She said they were so nice to her to suggest this as a way to have a little luxury
Vintage painted dresser in guest room Metal antlers from perch.
The lavender master bedroom has the third Julie Neill chandelier.
Kellie and Marc and I have been married for 7 years. They are a great match!
She says, "I’m a high-strung lunatic and he is cool, calm and laid-back. I am fortunate that my husband lets me do my thing with the house. He never balks at my girlie decorating or my constant projects. He is definitely secure in his masculinity. I think it’s great that my combat soldier of a husband sleeps in a Lily Lavender bedroom."
The Lily Lavender master bedroom There are vintage side tables and chairs, and a fabulous Barbara Barry vanity with a Kartell Victoria Ghost chair and an antique trumeau mirror above it.
Barbara Barry vanity
Kartell Victoria Ghost chair
Side table in master bedroom
Silk drapes in master bedroom The enclosed back porch (sun room) is adorable, with a French settee covered in pink on one side of the room, and a pair of sleek white Barcelona chairs on the other.
White drapes and a pink settee on the back porchHeavily lined white duck drapes are very elegant and help keep the room cool in the Summer and warm in the winter.
White Barcelona chairs on the back porch
White Barcelona chairs on back porch
Lady paintings on the porch
Sweet blue shed in the back yard The art collection interweaves a story throughout the entire house. Kellie and Marc collect local artists, and what they love. It is colorful and whimsical.
Side hall art gallery
Vintage lady paintings 
Vintage lady paintings 
Vintage lady paintingsSo there you have it! Kellie and Marc and their pretty little house. I hope it inspires you and that you had as much fun looking at all the photos as I had taking them.
Doll house in the officeKellie's sister Maggie, is a beautiful seamstress and she has sewn all of the curtains and pillows throughout the house. She has an etsy website where she sells her original designs and creations, and she can also make just about anything to order.
In addition to her etsy website she sews military bags and purses for a company called “Hero On My Arm”. You can order a bag HERE
Kellie's sister Maggie makes the "Hero On My Arm" bags 
Maggie used Marc's old fatigues and lined the bag with cute a cute floralI asked Kellie how her home made her and Marc feel: "I am definitely a nester, and I love my nest. My job is in sales and I spend my days talking and meeting and negotiating. At the end of the day, I want tranquility. My house is just that…soft, calm and quiet. I love when it’s late at night and Marc and I are on the couch watching TV with the dog at our feet and the dishwasher humming. I feel safe and serene. So lovely. Marc’s much simpler and easier than me. He just wants a place to eat his Cheetos, take a shower, and grow tomatoes."
Marc and Kellie both grew up in New Orleans but in different parts of the city. She was a west bank kid (Algiers) and Marc grew up in eastern New Orleans and the Northshore. They both love New Orleans and plan on staying.
PS Today is my birthday. I am holding at 100! My birthday wish is for Marc and all those who are serving to come home safe and sound.
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