Before and After: An 1860s New Orleans Double Parlor Is Brought Back to Life

Written by

Jacqueline Marque
Jacqueline Marque
Jacqueline is a commercial and editorial photographer based in her beloved hometown of New Orleans. She spent 16 years working as a newspaper photojournalist in Newport, RI, before returning home. When she isn't taking photos of her spirited 9-year-old, she's busy beading her…read more
updated May 3, 2019
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(Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)

When Tim purchased his house in 2010, it had been abandoned since 2004, a year before Hurricane Katrina. The windows were left open and the walls were covered with mold. The property was what Tim describes as “marginally livable,” and didn’t even meet the requirements for financing. He would have to pay out of pocket to get a hot water heater installed, the electricity turned on, and have the mold re-mediated in order to secure a mortgage.

Despite its rough condition, this stately Southern home had the grand features Tim has always wanted in a home: 13-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a double parlor with gorgeous architectural details still in tact.

(Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)
(Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)

The double parlor’s original details — an elegant archway embellished with decorative columns, two marble fireplace mantels, original windows, wood moldings and doors, and heart pine floors survived the years of neglect.

(Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)
(Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)

Tim opted to keep his furnishings simple in order to let the Greek Revival home’s stunning features shine.

(Image credit: Tim Sheehan)
(Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)

Stripping the wood doors and painting the walls a crisp white allows the home’s gorgeous original details take center stage.

(Image credit: Jacqueline Marque)

Thank you, Tim! See more of this house’s amazing transformation → “Decay on Display” in a Grand Historic New Orleans Home