The Yolo house

It is, but a dream

I recently got a blank email from Josh with a realtors link attached to it. I don’t think this has ever happened before. We are not looking for a house (well, HE is not looking for a house). But this house was a very special house. I met this house one day many years ago after Katrina, when a friend drove me by it. She was looking for a house, as hers had been inundated by 10 ft of water. But this house wasn’t for sale and she moved on, (but not without first knocking on the door and endearing herself to the owner.) So when I got the link and looked at the address, I knew exactly which house it was. And immediately thought of my friend. The house is a rare mid-century modern on a quiet dead end street in uptown New Orleans. Very UPTOWN New Orleans. It was designed by Buster Curtis, a famed partner in the architectural firm that built the Superdome. It is a beautiful 1963 modernist time capsule. We checked it out and I dreamed the dream of leaving my now house full of mixed up interiors and tchotchkes, walking out the door with only a few of my beloved mid century pieces and handing the key to someone else. I was running very fast to the light filled, terrazzo floored, multiple patios, built-in, minimalistic haven on a quite street blocks from my kids school, synagogue and to the street car line. Ahh, the dream. But in reality, it is but a dream. With private spaces in need of major reno, with obvious drainage issues and a hefty price tag, it is not meant to be for us, or for my friend, for that matter. So I share these pictures with you. It is the house that calls to me, but not the house that IS me.

 

Mathilda loves the look of the main living area. It has courtyard views on both ends. On the left and suspended on iron rods (and accessible from both sides), the built-in cabinetry separates the living area from the hall.

Marquette living mj

In the kitchen, dishes are also mid century, detailing my “time capsule” reference.

Marquette dishes

Mathilda’s friend checks out the kitchen and all it’s built in marvels.

Marquette gryson

The dining room, with mod lighting, looks out to a flower petal detail patio that calls to me and I die.

Marquette ding looking to courtyard

Maquette house courtyard 1

Another look at the dining room.

Marquette looking to dining

With Shoji screens and black brick floors, the hallway (with said cabinetry on the right) leads down to the gutted master plus 2 bedrooms and up to the 4 bedrooms and 2 baths.

Marquette hall

As mentioned in intro, the private areas including a sunken downstairs master was flooded during Katrina and has not yet been renovated. Upstairs are 4 bedrooms. A couple vignettes of them were captured here.

 

Boy.

Marquette blue bedroom

Girl.

Marquette pink room

Outside again the view to the breakfast room via the perfect circle path. I die again.

Marquette house stones backyard

The breakfast room with Saarinen bar stools.

Marquette house kitchen

In my minimalist dream world, Mathilda and Grayson pose in front of the oak tree that canopies the pool I would build in the back yard. I guess I’ll just keep dreaming, but what a great dream it is.

marquette mj and gray

 

 

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One Response to “The Yolo house”

  1. Nell Curtis Tilton says November 6, 2013

    Hi Jill,
    Aimee sent me this wonderful blog and your compliments about our family home. I was so thrilled to read what you said and, as I told Aimee, it’s so great to see through others’ eyes what had been so familiar to us. I LOVED seeing your home as well when I attended a Kidsmart fundraiser there a few years ago. You are so very creative and talented. I’m glad to discover this blog and will be subscribing. Hoping to meet you sometime, Nell

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