Saddle Peak House
Saddle Peak House is a breathtaking modern vacation villa in Topanga Canyon above Los Angeles, overlooking the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Coast.
We’re within walking distance of the restaurants and attractions of the French Quarter but you don’t hear a sound. It was really important to us that you could seek refuge away from all the hubbub.
How would you describe The Louie in a nutshell?
The Louie is a serene hideaway that really articulates our vision of New Orleans - one that is historical, with a little surprise around each and every corner. At the end of the day, it’s a space that is all about relaxation and a sense of place.
What was your inspiration to create the project?
I had been traveling to New Orleans (primarily for work) for the last few years and had really enjoyed my short stays. Slowly but surely I was starting to venture outside of the tourist-frequented areas to other neighbourhoods and off-the-beaten-track restaurants.
After living in Brooklyn for many years, my husband and I moved to San Francisco for a couple of years. One morning I woke up and realised that it was overpriced for what we were getting at this stage in our lives and New Orleans came back on our radar. I slyly convinced him to spend a weekend here and lined up all my favourite things - amazing music, food, walks - and just like that, we found a house that we loved and just dove in head first and took on this project.
Tell us about the layout of the apartment and the rooms.
The Louie is what New Orleans lovingly calls a ‘double shotgun with a camelback’. It was built in 1890 in a long and thin design that has two sides to it (‘double’), with the idea that, hypothetically, you would be able to shoot a shotgun through, front to back. Its ‘camelback’ was a later addition and dates to a time when there were architectural restrictions in New Orleans.
Often we think of historical homes as being quite dark but The Louie is very light and airy. We’ve retained its original fireplaces (although they aren’t in operation) and restored the beautiful 4x4 windows, as well as keeping many of the original details intact. For example, the antique stove in the kitchen that is still working and many of the doors and handles. As a result, you get a sense of what it was like to be living in New Orleans at that time.
How would you describe the atmosphere of The Louie and its interior design?
When we set out to renovate The Louie, we wanted to tell a story and retain the historical sensibility of the house, paying homage to its original. We particularly loved the windows, so a big part of the renovations involved the windows because they make such a difference to the rooms.
While restoring many of the original features, we also mixed that up with design elements that have a more modern sensibility. Some of the lighting takes on more of a modern tone, as do the textiles. The sofa in the living room is velvet, so it’s very opulent and luxurious, while a lot of the other linen we had custom-made to fit into that vibe of being both historical and contemporary at the same time.
Many of the furnishings we sourced locally. The chairs in the living room we restored from a jazz bar just down the street from us. So there’s a little nod to that history. Then we also incorporated some of the fun objects that we’ve found during our time so far in New Orleans.
The Louie’s fronted by a deck that’s covered in jasmine and you enter into the open living and dining area. Ahead lies the kitchen and the bathroom that we particularly love as we were able to retain many of the original fittings. On the left is the den which is one of our favourite spaces and provides a lovely place to read or snooze. At the back of the house is the first bedroom, which is really cosy with an original window that looks out onto the quiet street and a cottage-like feel. A small stairwell takes you to the upper level and the second bedroom. It’s very spacious with a lounge chair where you can read a book and look out across the back garden.
The layout makes it ideal for two couples and maybe one additional person or two kids. The Louie is more suited to couples and family units, rather than bachelor/bachelorette parties. We live downstairs, so we’re available to offer recommendations and we love showing people New Orleans and some of our favourite places.
Firstly the music! The calibre of music here is just incredible and it’s largely free, which is unique. So definitely check out a jazz show. I would also say just wandering the neighbourhoods like Marigny, our neighbourhood. Just down the road from us is the Bywater, which is a very cool, quaint neighbourhood. There are a lot of colourful homes and beautiful architecture, so a walk or casual bike ride through there is not to be missed.
Then, of course, there’s the food. There are so many exceptional restaurants in both high and low price brackets that I would recommend. One in particular that we love is called the Bacchanal, which is a combination music venue and restaurant. You enter through a wine store where you can purchase a bottle, then it opens out into this magical backyard where there’s always live music. They’ll curate a cheese platter for you and open your wine. It’s incredibly casual but often exactly what you want on a given evening.
New Orleans is pretty small. There’s basically Uptown and Downtown, with the French Quarter splitting the two. We’re situated on the Downtown side in the neighbourhood of Marigny, which is really accessible and within walking distance of all the restaurants and attractions of the French Quarter, as well as Frenchman’s Street, which is the main jazz bar alley. So it’s very convenient but at the same time, you don’t hear a sound and that was really important to us that you could seek refuge in the house, away from all the hubbub.
Our time in Brooklyn really showed us how much neighbourhood character means to us and that’s very strong in Marigny. It’s quite bohemian, with a lot of poets and jazz musicians residing here. There are a lot of local cafes and people walking their dogs. A sense of place. There are neighbourhood paths along the Mississippi River that we really enjoy walking and some great art galleries to explore.
The most popular time to visit New Orleans is in the spring, which is during the festival season. But the fall is also a lovely time to visit. We do get hurricane warnings up until September, so October or November is a terrific time. Something that we’ve learned living here is that the summers are also really beautiful in New Orleans. It’s definitely steamy but it’s charming because it’s quiet and it feels very tropical, otherworldly. So for people that have visited New Orleans before, summer can be a great time to experience it in a whole different way. Plus, you have easy access to things that you wouldn’t otherwise, such as restaurant reservations. Ideally, I would say a four-day weekend is perfect for visiting New Orleans. It will give you a sense of the breadth and depth of everything that’s going on. At a minimum, two nights, although that would feel very short.
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