Greater Park Hill Community

The Fields-Howard Home - 2247 Forest Street

Aug 25, 2006

What happens when a New Orleans native and a film and theatre art director team up to renovate a vintage Park Hill home? Come to the Tour and see the rich, quirky and elegant redux of this Forest Street original.
When the owners purchased this house, it was all about the porch. Southern living centers around the front porch, and this Southern-born owner found a rare example in Park Hill. The wrap-around porch has been transformed into outdoor living at its most sophisticated with a large and cozy set of upholstered furniture and burgundy paint. This exterior perch overlooks the front garden, which the owners have terraced, adding a fountain and numerous perennials. Continuing this outdoor space around the side to the back, the tour-goer will delight in the richly landscaped back yard. A lavish and stately pergola atop a brick patio creates a one-of-a kind outdoor room, both elegant and functional.
Across that wonderful front porch you?’ll step into the foyer and be hard-pressed to see that the entry was recently added. The handsome sand-colored tiled entry with copper flower centers sets the tone for this wonderful home. Photos of the original owners hang in the family room to the right. As part of their renovation philosophy, the owners took the long view and researched the history of the home and its owners. As yet another example of the caretaker approach to renovation, these owners restored the home by honoring its original style with many period details, even as they added some distinctly 21st century elements.
The family room, created from the original dining room, features a granite bar and a tiled, built-in hutch. The textured stucco walls are painted a vibrant yellow/green and decorated with bright 20s era posters. Across the foyer is the combination living and dining room. The d?©cor is rich and eclectic. As the owners say, it was a bit of a challenge to mingle their two tastes into this rectangular space, but the effect is a wonderful grouping of modern and vintage.
The room houses several pieces of art, some painted by the owner himself. He also lent his theatrical design training to the window coverings, which blend lush fabrics and chic box valences. The original, elaborately tiled fireplace received a new but period mantle with columns to match the foyer. On cold winter evenings, the family enjoys a meal in front of the fire in this lovely room.
The second floor originally held four small bedrooms and a single bath clustered around an open landing. The owners combined two of the rooms into an extraordinary master suite. As they didn?’t want to fully disrupt the room?’s scale, they opted for oak built-ins, including a canopy and headboard, throughout the room. Adding a bay window with seat, the couple has a restful sitting spot overlooking the back garden. The narrow room didn?’t afford space for bedside tables, so the owner designed a unique paneled headboard with shelves and inset lighting. The curved sides of the canopy gracefully frame the bed. The converted fourth bedroom is now a fabulous dressing room and en-suite bath with peach wallpaper and a marble topped antique sink.
Of the remaining two bedrooms, one is a home office/music room. Here rich green paint and creamy white trim encircle both modern and antique accoutrement. The family?’s daughter has created her own special lair in the final bedroom. Clearly inheriting her father?’s talent for design, she has filled her space with colorful accents against a canvas of bright green, pink and white.