9 Things I Love About... New Orleans

...and how to bring its soulful, lived-in magic home.

Some places you remember.
New Orleans remembers you.

October is always one of my favorite months. It’s my favorite time to be home, but also to explore, travel and wander. The weather is lovely almost everywhere, the autumn vibes are vibing, and people are generally happy to be in this season.

Every time I travel, I bring home more than memories. I bring back a new way of seeing Home. What it represents and how to feels around the world. This October, that happened in New Orleans.

It was our first visit, and while we barely scratched the surface, we ate and drank our way through the French Quarter and can safely say I’m already excited to return for a deeper dive next time.

It’s a city so multifaceted, it’s hard to put in a box. It holds a little bit of every one of the Five Elements, and maybe a little bit of each of us…

Top L-R 1. Carousel Bar in Hotel Monteleone (we stayed at this hotel - heart of the French Quarter, the perfect spot for our first trip) 2. Commander’s Palace our last dinner - a decadent landmark, and super fun to see a bit of the Garden District too. 3. Pat O’Brien’s - had to try the Hurricane…. when in NOLA… Middle Row L-R 1. Street Car 2. Vibrant French Quarter 3. Napoleon House our favorite muffuletta of the trip Bottom Row L-R 1. Brennan’s for brunch! The original Banana’s Foster, flambéed table-side. 2. Café Du Monde coffee and beignets 3. Carriage ride - highly recommend you find Lemond if you want the best tour guide!

HERE you’ll find all of the recommendations I make below…

Welcome back to my travel-inspired design series…

If the juxtaposition of the solemnness of Lent and the vibrant energy of Mardi Gras live anywhere its, of course, New Orleans. A city of contrast: the vibrancy of life brushing up against grief, reverence against revelry.

New Orleans lives in extremes. This city isn’t polished, and that’s exactly why it’s beautiful. It teaches you how to live fully: messy, musical, imperfect and alive.

And like any place that stirs the soul, it has lessons for how we live and design at home. So whether you’ve wandered its cobblestone streets or only dreamt of them, here’s how to capture that New Orleans Spirit wherever you are.

And somehow, that contrast of the sacred and profane, the pious and decadent and it’s closeness with death is what makes it feel so alive.

It’s a city where the oldest gay bar sits proudly in a place that also hosts an annual Vampire Ball (invitation only). Where the French Quarter went almost untouched, while much of the city was underwater during Hurricane Katrina.

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1. Patina Over Perfection

There’s beauty in allowing things fade and age. New Orleans wears its history proudly. The peeling paint, weathered shutters, and faded facades all tell their stories of lives lived out loud.
At Home: Use things up to the last drop, not falling for the latest looks; love what you love for as long as it loves you back. Embrace aging gracefully (in all ways) mix worn wood, old brass, and vintage art... pieces with history. Showcase how beauty deepens with age.

Fleur De Lis Brooch | Vintage Tapestry | Brass Double Candle Holder

2. The Energy of Music

There’s no separating New Orleans from its sound. Music spills into the street from every venue. Turn the corner you’ll find a parade complete with brass band, a busker on a bucket or a performer belting out gospel, jazz oozing from a passing car… a feast for your ears that never stops.
At Home: Play your favorite music often, let sound become part of your home. Layer it like you would any design element. Notice how it feels as it moves through the rooms, from a record player or a speaker, in the morning or at night… Create a playlist that defines your mood, or invest in a beautiful record player that you’ll actually use.

Record Player | Custom Album Print | Vintage French Trumpet

3. Layers Tell the Story

New Orleans is layers on layers: faith, food, friendship, folklore and a funk. Nothing here is one note. Nuance is everything.
At Home: Show your depth… Mix fabrics, textures, eras: velvet + linen, crystal + clay, sacred + everyday. Harmony come from contrast and that Yin + Yang relationship.

Snake Tieback | Tapestry Floral Ottoman | Wool Rug

4. The Porch Life

Who wouldn’t love a porch moment? Porches blur the line between home and community; private yet open creating connection through openness.
At Home: Create your own “porch moment.” Create a space to linger, a chair on a balcony, a bench by a window, somewhere to wave to the world… spaces that face outward invite life in.

Hammock (sold out) | Hanging Fern | Rocking Chair

5. Welcome Spirit

Spirit is woven into daily life here… candlelit cathedrals, Voodoo altars, ancestral connections and haunted everything. Something about the closeness with death here is what makes it feel so alive.
At Home: Curate a corner of meaning; a simple altar or box. A candle, a photo, an heirloom. Light it, tend to it, interact with it often. Let it remind you you’re part of something bigger.

Small Oratory sold out (similar) | Altar Bell | Antique Tibetan Altar Cabinet s/o

6. Color Without Apology

In a world that tends to shy away from showing up big and loud the Big Easy does the opposite. Bright red doors, coral houses, lilac trim, chartreuse shutters... From buttery yellows to faded turquoise it’s confident, bold and never afraid to feel.
At Home: Don’t hold back. Choose a space to be bold: bring in a color drenched rug, try a patterned tile or paint something an unexpected hue. Color is courage.

Velvet Pillows | Vibrant Wall Art | Vintage Hand Blown Pitcher

7. Rituals of Pleasure

In New Orleans hedonism reigns and there is no shame in that game. Here, indulgence isn’t excess… it’s an art. Long dinners under string lights, strong cocktails, beignets, and jazz at midnight all embrace indulgence. Cheers to a place where honoring pleasure is sacred.
At Home: Let life be a pleasurable experience… live in the small luxuries. Pour yourself a drink in a beautiful glass. Light a candle. Linger at the table. Design a life that helps slow you down and take it all in.

Lavender Cocktail Garnish s/o | Shell Doorstop | Cocktail Glasses and Decanter

8. Mystery + Magic

The beauty of New Orleans also carries shadows. Cemeteries above ground, flickering gas lamps, whispers of ghosts. Mystery consumes the landscape and Magic consumes the thoughts…
At Home: Embrace the mysterious. Candlelight, layers of shadow, a moody scent (amber, tobacco + gardenia). Set the tone for inviting magic. Allow your space to feel a little dramatic.

Textured Glass Candle - Tobacco |Dark Moon Art | Match Striker s/o

9. Resilience and Joy

New Orleans endures. Storm after storm, it rebuilds. Through its music, with parades, with color… it keeps living. Its philosophy is simple: Joy is resistance. And Joy breathes life into this city over and over.
At Home: Keep joy visible and remind yourself of your strength. Bring in a favorite color, a memory filled photo or book, an item that speak to your accomplishments. Let your home tell your story of endurance and breathe life into you.

Leather Photo Album | Joy Print | Wallpaper

The Spirit of New Orleans at Home

New Orleans teaches that beauty isn’t just in balance but in contrast. To live like New Orleans is to live fully:to honor joy and grief, history, and potential, all in the same breath.

Since we got back, I’ve found myself lighting candles at breakfast and playing music in the kitchen — small rituals that make home feel a little more alive.

So, if this speaks to you light a candle or pour something strong, open the windows, and let the music spill in. Share this piece with someone who loves New Orleans, or just needs a reminder that beauty lives in imperfection.

And if you’re ready for a home that feels this alive and beautifully imperfect… That’s the work I love doing. Infusing intention, the spice of a Place and You into your space. Let’s design your version of New Orleans at home.

Book a consult.

xo,
Abby

Here are a couple mood boards that give off that nostalgic layered New Orleans feel to me… what do you think?

Table Lamp | Accent Chair | Side Table| Ottoman | Art | Crane Wall Charms | Throw Pillow

Ruffled Bed s/o | Tapestry | Nightstand | Leopard Lamp | Velvet Bedding | Mirror |

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xo

Abby

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