It’s probably fair to say that buying a house without seeing it first is regularly considered a no-no in the world of real estate. But that’s exactly what KV Harper, Principal and Founder of Kex Design + Build, did when she bought her double shotgun house in New Orleans — what else can you do when you see a listing and just know it’s your home? “I don’t think I really chose the house. I very much feel like the house chose me,” KV describes the feeling of first stumbling on her home online. By looking at pictures alone, she knew that she had found a true New Orleans gem. She made an offer and soon enough, found herself immersed in designing and renovating the old house that she is now proud to call home.
KV runs one of the few women and people of color-owned design-build firms in New Orleans. When renovating her own shotgun house, KV wanted to respect its original features and make it a celebration of the city’s black history. The house and its style served as the main inspiration, leading to design choices that KV wouldn’t necessarily have made otherwise, like a brick floor in the kitchen. “I felt that the history of this house needed those floors — it’s not something I would normally do,” she explains. The renovation process also taught KV about being respectful of materials and choosing them wisely. Opting for reclaimed and smart-growth timber ensured a low carbon footprint but also brought a level of quality that would have been impossible to achieve otherwise.
It’s the nod to history that makes KV feel so in love with her shotgun home. Walking through the door, she immediately feels embraced by the house and the people who have called it home before her. “Especially when I come […] home in the late evening, I very much feel the people that have lived here in the past.” Besides the sense of deep roots and history, one KV’s favorite features in her home is the bar area that was originally supposed to be a bedroom. As someone who entertains a lot, having a bar at home is a dream come true. Now, most of KV’s parties start at the bar and end in the spacious living room, where guests gather around the piano for some late-night tunes. How her home flows and functions today is exactly how KV imagines it did 50 years ago as well — rooms filled with friends, music, and laughter. —Sofia
Photography by Beau Ciolino
Image above: A warm afternoon glow welcomes friends to gather around the large table in KV’s kitchen. Drinks are served at the bar, a quirky spot that KV dreamed up for her new home.
from Design*Sponge http://www.designsponge.com/2018/04/a-shotgun-home-that-celebrates-black-history-in-new-orleans.html
from Home Improvment http://notelocreesnitu.tumblr.com/post/173326557744
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