A Quirky $60K DIY Reno Transformed an Incredibly Neglected 126-Year-Old New Orleans House

Rachel found this house — a 2400-square-foot two-story built in 1899 with lots of rooms and even more architectural character — on Zillow about seven years ago. She and John had been under contract with another house and that fell through, so Rachel admits she was feeling impulsive.

They went forward with purchasing this house mainly because it was “really affordable, big, and old with a lot of character. When we first bought the house and got to see it after the previous owners moved out we were pretty sure it was a colossal mistake. The kitchen counter tops were just pieces of plywood. PLYWOOD,” Rachel writes.

Other questionable design choices the previous owners made were painting around the furniture instead of behind it (“so when they moved out there were silhouettes of dressers and nightstands”). But while Rachel describes the house as kind of a “disaster” and with a style best described as “1993 Ashley Home Furniture,” the house also “was weird in lots of good ways and we had the help of my father-in-law to do the labor (thank you, Dan!).” 

Rachel is one of my favorite people to go estate sale shopping with. One time she purchased — with much teasing from me — a giant sculpture of a disembodied hand holding an old-timey candlestick telephone. I couldn’t even begin to imagine where something that kooky could go.

Let me assure you that not only did Rachel find a great spot for the weird sculpture, but it also looked incredibly cool, thanks to her styling. (Although, good luck trying to find said sculpture in the photos of this tour — Rachel updates her home more than any human I have ever known.) Her natural talents as a designer revolve around her ability to put together unusual elements in unique ways.

“I love ‘tension!'” she writes. “Mixing pieces that almost feel like they don’t work together but somehow do, ya know? I love brown and green. I love lavender and red. I love old Parisian apartments and ’70s modern. I’m also entering a farmhouse era. I’m also a sucker for a gothy boudoir.” So how would she describe her home’s style? “Parisian modern farmhouse goth.”

But Rachel’s talent also extends to DIY — the couple did a lot of the home’s bigger renovation projects themselves, and there have also been countless smaller but impactful additions created by Rachel, like an array of unique drawer pull updates, stained glass lampshades, paintings, tiled elements, and so much more. The entire home is a testament to creativity. John and Rachel play music together as a band called Baby Bats (and an entire bedroom is a recording studio), and Rachel makes lovely jewelry from vintage parts (under the name Lady Highway Jewelry) in the home’s front room-turned-craft space.

Rachel and John share their eclectic home with four cats: the shy but stunning Sabrina (only glimpsable in exchange for treats), the friendly and playful Joey (gray tabby), the indoor/outdoor scrappy Leo, and the very skittish, outdoor-only, basically-feral-showed-up-one-day Midnight.

It’s true that I’m quite biased about these homeowners and this house. But I still believe my love of the couple’s home style is quite valid; it’s a house that’s genuinely beautiful, envy-inducing, and full of inspiring ideas.

My favorite thing about their home is just how different it is each time I visit. The first time I was at their home, the room they use as a dining room now was a living room. When I next visited, she had swapped several of the rooms!

What are Rachel’s favorite elements? “My favorite thing about the house is that it doesn’t have any ghosts. Not one! I’ve been looking! That and the exposed wood doors, the tiles in my shower, the high ceilings upstairs, and the exposed beams in the kitchen.”

• Maurice Sofa — Joybird
• Arwen Bumper Chaise — Joybird
• Rug — Bed Bath & Beyond
• Lamp Shades — Target 

Thanks, Rachel!

This tour’s responses and photos were edited for length/size and clarity.

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