youthful spirit writer and producer: MARGARET ZAINEY ROUX photographer: BRIE WILLIAMS stylists: JESSICA BRINKERT HOLTAM and KIMBERLY CLARKE

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1 Virginia and Robert Nelson s study holds an 18th-century marriage armoire purchased on their honeymoon in France. The grand walnut piece features carved motifs symbolizing love, wealth, and fertility. It was likely part of a bride s dowry centuries ago. 16 country french BHG.com/CountryFrench

2 youthful spirit Exquisite French antiques and classic modern pieces happily mingle in a New Orleans family home, basking in the glow of an ethereal color palette. writer and producer: MARGARET ZAINEY ROUX photographer: BRIE WILLIAMS stylists: JESSICA BRINKERT HOLTAM and KIMBERLY CLARKE BHG.com/CountryFrench country french 17

3 LEFT: A grand oak tree shades the front facade of the Nelsons West Indies-style home. BELOW: Virginia finds country French style both elegant and familyfriendly. OPPOSITE: Antiques from France, Italy, and Sweden socialize with modern furnishings and local artwork in the living room. hhurricane Katrina washed away many things in 2005, including Virginia and Robert Nelson s dreams for a beach wedding. With their family and friends displaced all over the United States, the New Orleans couple looked toward the sunny side of the stormy situation and rerouted their nuptials to Paris, where they planned to honeymoon. Our change in plans was bittersweet, Virginia says. We had always envisioned having our loved ones with us to celebrate our marriage, but a small Paris wedding was hardly a sacrifice. The whole experience was surreal and extremely romantic. It was truly an adventure and an unforgettable way to start our life together. Following an intimate ceremony at the Cathédrale Américaine on Avenue Montaigne, the newlyweds set out for Provence and the villages of the Luberon Valley, where they met up with their friend and decorator Alix Rico. The decorator guided the Nelsons through the quaint countryside markets, where they purchased several antiques that would lend a sense of age and authenticity to their newly built West Indies-style home in New Orleans. Upon returning from France, the couple eagerly awaited the arrival of their container, which included a Directoire table and Louis XVI chairs for the dining room, an 18th-century Louis XVI commode for the foyer, and a walnut buffet deux corps for the master bedroom, as well as a Louis XV writing table and traditional marriage armoire for the study. These pieces visually anchor each room and set a tone of elegance, but they are far more than showpieces. Virginia and Robert defy the look-but-don t-touch mentality by letting their children and pets live with their antiques, not just around them, Rico says. If you 18 country french BHG.com/CountryFrench

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5 THIS PHOTO: In the foyer, a collection of 18th-century altar sticks and bois doré (gilded wood) mirrored crosses sit atop a Louis XVI walnut commode from a château near Cassis, France. OPPOSITE: The soft glow from an antique Italian chandelier reflects off a silver-leaf ceiling in the dining room. The Directoire Period table is surrounded by painted Louis XVI chairs upholstered in pearlizedleather fronts for practicality and Fortuny backs for panache. 20 country french BHG.com/CountryFrench

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7 RIGHT: Antique heart pine floors, hand-hewn ceiling beams, and flamed granite lend old-world charm to the new kitchen. OPPOSITE: The breakfast nook comfortably accommodates large family dinners around an antique Swedish farm table while offering intimate seating for two at a cozy fireside banquette. think about it, antiques are really family-friendly. They have withstood generations of use, and yet they still radiate beauty. Their patina reflects the love they have received over the course of a few centuries. But not every piece in the house is a precious antique. In the living room, a metallic-painted coffee table and shelter sofa, along with a modern piece of art by New Orleans artist Nicole Charbonnet, strike a contemporary note that balances the patina of a 17th-century Regence fragment from a haute porte (doorway) that once resided in the home of the Duke d Orleans. A hide rug takes the formal edge off the study s gilded antiques, while handblown-glass lamps twinkle in the dining room. High ceilings and tall windows also do their part to maintain a light and open countenance. Layers of sumptuous silk, velvet, and linen at the windows and on furnishings keep things soft and inviting. Warm white walls unify spaces and provide a blank canvas for sea-inspired greens and blues and pops of yellow and orange. Derived from the vivid antique Oushak rugs and abstract paintings by local artists that grace the home s 22 country french BHG.com/CountryFrench

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9 obstacle works A strict adherence to a particular style or period is an to creating your own personal style. If you love it, it. Period. 24 decorator ALIX RICO floors and walls, these tropical hues energize the home The little unexpected twists the shots of color and wink to its architectural origins. The home s West and modern accessories and art bring the formality Indies-style architecture makes it a perfect match for down a notch to keep the Nelsons house looking and country French decor, Rico says. Both styles have a feeling homey. Our style is somewhere in the middle sense of easygoing elegance, and beyond aesthetics of refined and fun, Virginia says. We have some very there is a historic correlation: The Caribbean islands of beautiful and special antiques, and we want to honor the French Antilles were colonies of France. them but not take them too seriously. country french BHG.com/CountryFrench

10 THIS PHOTO: The master bedroom s silvery-blue palette reflects the sparkling waters of the pool visible outside the windows. OPPOSITE: Just steps off the kitchen, a vine-covered porch offers the perfect setting for alfresco dining. BHG.com/CountryFrench country french 25