The entrance to Alon and Emily’s home is bursting with life. Crisp white flower boxes overflow with color and a wall of lush greenery towers over a side gate, arching towards a tangerine-colored front door. The couple’s beloved canines, Henri and Ceci greet me with wagging tails and lead the way down a long outdoor side hall into an open kitchen and dining room. A big antique farm table and bench from Emily’s childhood home in Georgia are at the center of the airy, sun-filled space. An Art Deco leather settee and a pair of vintage rattan chairs, nestled perfectly between two windows, create an inviting little conversation nook. Entertaining is in this couple’s DNA, and it’s what inspired their home’s renovation a year ago.

On this sunny spring morning, music is playing, the doors are open, the iced coffee is flowing, and a soft breeze drifts through the space. Before the renovation, a wall divided the kitchen and dining room. Now that the wall is gone, the Shayas are better able to accommodate guests during their frequent dinner parties. For Alon, the critically acclaimed chef at the helm of three New Orleans restaurants, and Emily, who furnishes special events with her vast collection of unique vintage and antique decor, that’s no small thing.

“The house was already really beautiful and super quaint,” Emily says of their pre-renovation home, “We were drawn to the way it had been updated without forgetting about the old.” Original architectural details — french doors, high ceilings covered with heart pine wood, exposed beams, and pocket doors — were preserved. “We knew it was the one right when we walked in for the first time,” she recalls.

They lived in the house for four years before making plans to open up the kitchen. Room by room, the plans expanded and eventually led to the addition of a second story at the rear of house (known locally as a camelback). “We wanted to be able to have a guest room to invite family,” Alon says.

The couple worked closely with architect Lauren Hickman to build an addition that felt like a natural extension of the original structure they fell in love with. They used heart-pine, tongue and groove wood that was found behind every ceiling and wall downstairs as flooring upstairs. White shiplap walls create a clean, modern aesthetic with a hint of nostalgia. Vintage mirrors and light fixtures add an “old-timey feeling” Emily loves. The end result accomplishes another important goal of the Shayas — the creation of a home where they can kick back with guests and entertain with ease.

Over bowls of matzo ball soup around the kitchen island, conversation moves to comfort food, a topic Alon is exploring through memories, recipes, and photographs in the cookbook he is writing. He recalls cooking red beans and rice for New Orleanians in the days that followed Hurricane Katrina. The experience left a lasting impression. “I saw how food brought comfort to people,” he says. After lunch, the smell of chocolate and roasted hazelnuts fills the house while he tests a recipe for semi-freddo, a dessert that takes him back to the year after Hurricane Katrina when he lived in Italy and immersed himself in Italian cuisine.

When asked what recipe he associates with the home he and Emily have built together, Alon doesn’t hesitate. “Red beans and rice,” he says. Over a decade after Katrina, the classic New Orleans dish is punctuating another important chapter in his life, but this time he’s not the chef. On Monday nights, the couple opens their home to friends for red beans and rice dinner; Emily does the cooking. For the Shayas, married just five years, it’s a family tradition in the making.

Our Style: We wanted to have a house that juxtaposed vintage fixtures and soft goods with clean lines. A comfortable house where you can kick your feet up and not worry about ruining anything too precious. And one where we can entertain and cook with the same ease and creativity as in our restaurants.

Inspiration: Our architect, Lauren Hickman, took us on a modern home tour of NOLA. She showed us examples of camelback additions that were done well and not so well done. That was eye opening to us. We wanted the house to fit with the neighborhood but added some modern elements, like our play on the traditional shutter wall that masks the master bath windows.

Favorite Element: For Alon, certainly the dream kitchen with the BlueStar range, giant island, and plenty of storage. We did lots of white marble and dark blue kitchen cabinets throughout our kitchen with copper light fixtures. We thought the copper-finished range would complement the rest of our kitchen and also act as a centerpiece to see from several other rooms in the house. And the fact that the range came in more than 750 colors made the selection fun,. We also are able to customize the cooking surface to meet our personal preferences.

For Emily, our dreamy bathroom with a six-and-a-half foot claw-foot tub alcove situated below windows. You can see the stars out those windows at night.

Biggest Challenge: Before we started the project, Emily’s dad Joel said “You’re going to ruin that house…” When adding a second story onto a 100-year-old house, it’s hard to make the addition not feel out of place. We wanted the upstairs and downstairs to feel seamless. Luckily, we found heart pine tongue and groove wood behind every ceiling and wall downstairs, so we were able to reuse those original house components as our floors upstairs.

What Friends Say: Friends like to hang out around the kitchen island, no surprise there!

Biggest Embarrassment: We hate it when our flower boxes aren’t overflowing with color…which has happened quite a few times. We use local gardener Niki Epstein to keep things up to date — she always knows where the best plants are around town!

Proudest DIY: We used regular wood knobs for most of our doors around the house and painted them the color of the wall or door. A simple DIY but it made a big difference!

Biggest Indulgence: The BlueStar range was not so much an indulgence, but a necessity, because I (Alon) can cook at home with the same power that I use at my restaurants. The BTUs are unstoppable and I have the freedom to create any menu without feeling limited by my cooking power. I can use all eight burners at once when I need to, or add on the grill and griddle when I want to add some more diversity to my menus for friends and family.

Best Advice: When choosing your fixtures, try to steer clear of the generic. The best way to do this is rewire vintage fixtures, use local artisans or shop for lighting on Etsy. You need to know what you want at least a few weeks before your contractor needs it, otherwise, you will end up with Home Depot sconces.

Dream Sources: We adore Lucullus in New Orleans but their selection usually falls outside of our budget.

GENERAL:
Emily spends a great deal of time sourcing vintage pieces for her boutique rental company, Pret a Fete and picks up pieces for the house along the way. She has been known to swap out the chairs in the house from her rental collection now and again to keep things fresh. Many of the items around the house are from trips to the Antiques Weekend around Round Top Texas and frequent visits to thrift and consignment shops around New Orleans.

PAINT & COLORS
Downstairs living and dining area + hallways – Benjamin Moore – Hint of Mint
Upstairs guest suite – Benjamin Moore – Windswept
Downstairs guest – Farrow & Ball – Dimpse
Master Bedroom – Satin Slipper
Exterior colors: Had it colormatched to what was here when we moved in
Kitchen cabinets: Benjamin Moore Washington Blue

LIVING ROOM
Sofa — Gus Modern Margot Sofa from All Modern
Side tables —Renaissance Interiors
Ceiling fan —Hunter Originals
Side Chairs —1920s Art Deco Leather Club Chairs from Marburger Antiques Show
Blue Antique Ottoman — Estate Sale in New Orleans
Bird painting — Ashley Longshore
Red Chair — Estate Sale in New Orleans
Bar cart — Round Top Antiques Show
Record player — TEAC
Floor lamp —Estate Sale
3 Oil paintings — Alon’s grandmother painted the oil paintings. One of them is of Jaffa (the old city in Tel Aviv) where we got engaged

DINING ROOM
Dining Table and bench – Antique from Emily’s childhood home in Georgia
Chairs – Dop Antiques
Sinners are much more fun painting — Butch Anthony
Antique Buffet — Family heirloom, overhead is a collection of art and mirrors that includes a gift Emily gave Alon (the turnip photo) and a photo of Emily’s grandfather
Antique bar with mirror — Family heirloom
Light fixt ure —Marburger Antiques Show
Portrait of old man over bar — La Belle Nouvelle Antiques
Barware — A mixture of items from travels — the horse head wine cooler is from Mexico City + a collection of things from thrift stores

DINING ROOM SITTING AREA:
Leather loveseat — This was a major score from Marburger Antiques show last year. I adore Deco and leather and this settee fits perfectly in this nook
Wall sconce — La Belle Nouvelle Antiques
Little side tables — Pelican Thrift
Rattan chairs — Estate Sale
Coffee table cubes — Renaissance Interiors

KITCHEN
Kitchen Stools – Target
Sink – Kohler Farm Sink
Faucet – Dornbracht Tara
Pot Filler – Dornbracht Tara
Range — 48″ BlueStar Platinum Series in Infused Copper
Kitchen Ventilation — 52″ BlueStar Metal Liner
Copper light fixtures — Dyke & Dean
Pendant lights — Pepe & Carols on Etsy
Refrigerator — Samsung
Juice press — Food 52
Pig painting — “For the Love of Pig” by New Orleans artist Alex Beard. It was a gift from the Emeril Lagasse Foundation for participating in the inaugural Bourbon, Boudin & Beer
Chopping blocks — John Boos
Wine refrigerator — Uline
Combination Steam Oven — Miele (It’s one of Alon’s favorite things in the house.)

MASTER BEDROOM
Bed – Wilkerson’s Row in New Orleans
Sheets – Parachute Home
Sconces – Schoolhouse Electric Isaac Sconce
Shades – The Shade Store
Drapes – Anthropologie
Dresser – Renaissance
Side Tables – Renaissance
Windmill palm hook rack — Anthropologie
Antique wood chair — Dop Antiques
Porch furniture — Mix of vintage items, sofa from Terrain

UPSTAIRS GUEST BEDROOM
Seahorse rattan headboard – Serena and Lily
Fan – Hunter
Bedding – Parachute Home
Side table — Estate Sale
Table lamp — Estate Sale
Bentwood chairs — Marburger Antiques Show
Tiffany-style floor lamp — Virgil’s Antiques in Adairsville, Ga
Poodle paintings and wood frames — Kiernan Dunn
Wicker seat and small wood side table on porch — Thrift store
Wicker Hanging chair — Serena & Lily
Curtains — Custom

DOWNSTAIRS BEDROOM
Bed – CB2
Dresser — ExCess @ Round Top Market
Lamps – flea market in Georgia
Rattan table/shelving — Pelican Thrift
Record player — Crosley
Antique carved wooden chairs — Dop Antiques
Country Hams print — Atlanta Food & Wine Festival
Bedding — Kenzo
Alonzo Garbanzo watercolor — Frances Rodriguez

MASTER BATHROOM:
Ceiling Lights – Foscarini Mysterio
Pendant light over bathtub – Swell Wide in White from All Modern
Doors – New Orleans Millworks
Bath Tub – Ricca’s New Orleans
Bath Tub Fixtures – Hansgrohe Axor Montreux
Sink Vanities – Dop Antiques
Sink Fixtures – Hansgrohe Axor Montreux
Small antique table — Dop Antiques
Hats — Lili Vintage Boutique in New Orleans
Bathtub caddy — Sunday Shop
Equestrian towel hooks — Anthropologie
Shower tiles — Dandelion Marrakesh Design

UPSTAIRS GUEST BATHROOM:
Mirror — Round Top Antiques Show
Sconces — Estate Sale
Shower Curtain — Serena & Lily
Vintage metal box — Renaissance Interiors

DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM:
Sink – Duravit Vero Wall Mount
Pendant light – from an estate sale in New Orleans
Bathroom Sconces – Barn Light Electric
Shower tiles — Kimono By Marrakech Design
Shower Head — Hansgrohe
Wallpaper — Studio Printworks; pattern is Pineapple.

HALLWAY:
Four floral artworks in hallway (across from the bathroom) — Paintings by Alon’s grandmother Matilda Gerassi
Light Fixture — From the set of American Horror Story
Pelican Print — Print of Audubon’s White Pelican, we purchased it on a road trip to Natchez, MS

YARD:
Herb garden planter — Perino’s
Furniture — Vintage furniture from Pret a Fete

SIDEHALL:
Horse coat rack — Renaissance Interiors
Sconces — Pepe & Carols

PORCH:
White Planters — Cb2 filled with flowers with the help of Niki Eptstein

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