My Friend Liz is a New Orleans Cover Girl!

Liz Bordes in her beautiful home, which she and her husband, Lance completely renovated and decorated themselves, on the cover of New Orleans Homes and Lifestyles Magazine

In the very surreal days of the city's repopulating following the evacuation after Hurricane Katrina, a truly amazing couple found their way into my shop. That couple was Lance and Liz Bordes. I was struck immediately by their hopeful outlook, by their high level of energy, by their outgoing, story telling, laughter loving, friendship forming ways. These two people were very obviously in love with each other and with life. They were a dose of delight during a very tenuous time.

They came into my shop looking for a special chandelier for the entrance in the house they were renovating. It was not a typical high ceilinged uptown house, in fact the ceilings were pretty low, and Lance and Liz were looking for something to be custom made that would be fabulous and welcoming and would set the tone for the house, but it had to be pretty short to accomodate the low ceiling in that space. I agreed to do some sketches for them and call them in a few days.

Well, the very next day, they came back in to see me. They said that although they had already purchased a chandelier for their dining room, that they wanted one of my pieces and had decided to use the other one somewhere else in the house.

After looking at some of the samples that were in the shop at the time, and considering their options for having another custom piece made, Lance pointed to a chandelier that we had just hung up after completing it as a custom piece for another client. "Baby," he said to Liz, "this one's speaking to me."

"Then, Baby, that's the one we'll get."

From then on, Lance and Liz have been one of my favorite couples to work with.

Here's what I came up with for the Entry Not too tall but still fabulous, and of course, it's named Elizabeth

Elizabeth Close up This is the "Hello Moment" Lance and Liz were looking for.

The talented couple in their sitting room with their beloved cat, Baby Oatmeal. The painting is by Aaron Collier from Cole Pratt Gallery.

A corner of the Entry with the inevitable french chair adds a welcoming presence to this inviting space

Baby, this Dining Room speaks to me. The fabulous chandelier was chosen by Liz and Lance to light up their hip, casual entertaining style. The crowns at the top and bottom of the fixture remind guests that they're being entertained royally by the king and queen of style and decor.

The Master Bedroom is a study in cool, sophisticated glamour. Crisp whites combined with robin's egg blue and chocolate brown provide a an atmosphere of calm. Jonathan Adler headboard and benches are from Hazelnut and the bed linens are from my friend, Jane Scott Hodges' Leontine Linens. The graphic brown and blue rug by Angela Adams gives the room its edge.

Lance designed and built the Hollywood vanity as a surprise for Liz.

Liz and Lance Bordes are truly a special couple. An excerpt from the article:

A tour through the Bordes' home reveals that this dream house is as much about their life together as it is about the perfect interplay of its carefully considered parts. Displayed thoughout the house are various items, including an antique radio and pieces of Fiestaware, found in the houses that the couple has renovated. There are also family items like the Japanese goddess handed down from an aunt, mementos like the plate invitation from the couples' 2004 wedding, and an antique Navajo prayer pot used during the ceremony.

The Bordes home is beautiful because it reflects the couple who designed it and reside in it. Congratulations, Lance and Liz!