Alex’s Uptown New Orleans Nest

Name: Alex Geriner of Doorman Designs
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

I’m a furniture designer, craftsman, and entrepreneur who lives in the quaint bustling neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans. My one bedroom apartment is an 1,100 square foot “shotgun” style layout nestled on the second floor of a bright and sunny Victorian home. The place was a diamond in the rough that needed some work when I moved in two years ago but it was love at first site! She’s got great bones throughout-12 foot ceilings, original brick and cypress fireplaces, wide wood floors, and most importantly huge windows that face the east and south sides.

I’m a design aficionado to say the least. Three years ago I started a custom furniture and lighting business, Doorman Designs. My emphasis was to build uniquely designed furniture from reclaimed historic New Orleans homes that were damaged or destroyed nearly 10 years ago in Hurricane Katrina. Since then I’ve traveled to Europe, Latin America, and Asia looking for trends and styles to inject in to my New Orleans built pieces. I picked this apartment because I knew with a little TLC and a fresh coat of paint that I could rehab it back into a space that my represents my quirky, yet globally artistic style.

I love truly modern spaces but my design pallet is too selfish for just one kind of look. My space is filled with a mixture of my own designs but also with art and curiosity pieces that I’ve picked up on my travels. My headboard is one I upholstered from an Ikat pattern and jute rope I found this summer in Cambodia. My coffee table, kitchen island, and iron floor lamp are all pieces I’ve built from reclaimed New Orleans homes and machine parts.

The living room and bedroom are my favorite spaces to hangout. I love big dramatic pieces of art to cover the walls, so I hung a series of iron sculpted men above my sofa, a large slab of old growth cypress, and some paintings I bought in Vietnam. From the living room flows the dining room and kitchen. In the dining room the table is made from a teak ship hatch and a portrait of a young Swedish girl hangs above the mantel.

My most prized possession is the 1964 Zenith record player in the dining room. I draped it with the American flag because my great aunt and uncle who fought in WWII bought it for their home in Gulfport, Mississippi. It’s survived 50 years of hurricanes and still sounds beautiful. My bedroom is filled with an assortment of art, antiques, and structural finds. Instead of putting a mirror above my dresser, I have “Edgar”. I found this oversized poster of a goofy faced kid lying by the trash one day and just couldn’t pass him by. His smile makes getting out of bed each morning a lot easier!

I hope you’ve enjoyed studying my space. When life gets hectic my sunny apartment is the perfect retreat. It’s nice to put a record on, relax and concept a design for my next piece of furniture.

Thanks, Alex Geriner! See more of his work on his Etsy page, as well.

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