Treasure Hunt

Antiques are the star of the show in this exquisite, thoughtfully remodeled kitchen near Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans.

Having raised a family, traveled the world and invested in their local economy, this entrepreneur and his wife took on another big project: renovating the kitchen, one of their favorite places to relax at their primary residence near Lake Pontchartrain. Having seen and been impressed by the work by architect R. Stephen Chauvin, they asked him to tackle the kitchen inside of their 1960s-era home.

Connecting the kitchen to an adjacent family room opened it to the main entertaining area, and a small sofa and cypress-top bar add more comfortable seating. The door to the driveway was embellished with decorative wrought iron, and a window above the sink that overlooked the neighbor's house was replaced with a mirror. "This made the room more introverted," Chauvin explains. "Also, the focus then became the French doors that open to their very beautiful backyard." Chauvin accompanied the homeowner along with interior designer/antique dealer Tara Shaw on buying jaunts. The excitement of finding the Italian armoire that measured 'just right' for a Sub-Zero was one of the project's defining moments. They also discovered the large table of iron and marble, iron chandelier; sink base console, and carved wood panel that fit perfectly over the Wolf hood liner. "The Wolf hood liner is fabulous," Chauvin exclaims. "I like the ability to turn it into something different, and make it our own."

The homeowners say the kitchen is truly the heart of their home now, where they can be social while creating etouffees, gumbos and French stews among other cuisines in their repertoire. "I love the Wolf range," says the lady of the house. "It cooks everything perfectly. I have some huge pots and can use two burners for one pot. I like the heaviness of the grates, and that when you close the oven door it has a tight seal so it doesn't make my kitchen hot and bakes everything very evenly."