Whatcha Gonna Do With All That Junk?

Throughout the deconstruction and building process, we've attempted to save as much material from the site as possible. The types of wood that are available in an old house in New Orleans are usually long-leaf pine and cypress boards, most of which cannot be found in any building supply store. The wood that we were able to salvage from the house could be used for trim, re-framing, building door casings, and re-used as flooring.

So all this junk had to be de-nailed and sorted so as to get an idea of what was possible. This process is a lot more labor intensive, but it saves resources by recycling, utilizes a priceless resource, and gives historic charm to the details in a house.

One craftsman who is putting these pieces to good use is Jeremy Shatz, who turns "trash into treasure" at his shop, Recycled Cypress of New Orleans. Having worked at the shop for a brief spell, I got to see a board go from being in a dumpster to being part of a beautiful piece of furniture. Throughout New Orleans, craftsmen are salvaging these hidden treasures and making them into beautiful pieces, restoring them to former glory.

As I said before, the back of the house needed work. Houses in New Orleans, especially in the French Quarter, are known for their rear courtyards and the significant emphasis on the beauty contained therein. It allows for a relatively unassuming front of house with a sometimes extravagant rear/courtyard. Embracing that theme, the kitchen/dining/outdoor back area was going to be a focal point for this place. To conceptualize this design motif, I once regaled an audience in a design critique with my analogy of a New Orleans house to a mullet. Not the fish, the hairstyle. Business up front, party in the back.

One begins to understand the kind of grace that goes into such a thought process--it is ignoring the naysayers, pioneering out into the wilderness of style, and crafting something unique for all to see....oh, I'm still talking about the mullet...

The house has similar details and feel. It is going to be a long wide gallery on one side, swinging into a large, open kitchen, and also be nearly contiguous with the outside space. It allows for greater flow throughout the house, and once it's done, I think it's going to look marvelous. For now, you'll have to bask in the splendor that is the mullet.

If you wanted another analogy for this motif, I'd say equate it to someone with a big butt, or a funky butt. Which brings me to another point: Who is going to reopen the FUNKY BUTT?!? that place was the best venue in New Orleans before the storm!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/funky-butt-new-orleans

and

Pic of Guy Wearing a "Funky Butt" Shirt, and a Lady with a Funky Butt