How to Modernize the Classic French Quarter Design for Your Home

911 Elysian Fields Avenue, Listed By Lane Washburn

New Orleans brims with culture, color and history, which is time-capsuled in the city's beautiful historical homes and design. No wonder the city welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors yearly for a taste of the Big Easy's vibe and entertainment.

However, while classic French Quarter interiors are a sight to be seen, they don't exactly meet today's design standards. Unless you're genuinely interested in collecting antiques and artifacts, it might not be the most functional style for modern design enthusiasts.

If you're wondering how to pay tribute to the classic look in a more contemporary fashion, you must understand what elements make up the traditional French Quarter look.

Elements of Classic NOLA-Style Interiors

You know the French Quarter when you see it — lush private courtyards surrounded by cast-iron fixtures, streets lined with vibrant shotgun homes filled with gold, crystals and antiques.

Walking into a French Quarter home, though, you'll notice specific elements of the classic NOLA design, including:

• Elegant french antique furniture
• Low-country pieces as an ode to South Carolina furnishing adopted by French settlers
• Wrought-iron on balconies and stair railings throughout the city
• Chandeliers draped in crystals
• Ornate crown moldings, reminiscent of Rococo and Baroque styles
• Luxurious gilding and tufting, common to Parisian design
• Mardis Gras-inspired decor and colors

Perhaps what stands out the most in a classic French Quarter home is pride in New Orleans's history and culture, best depicted in most design features.

5 Ways to Modernize Classic French Quarter Design

The class NOLA-inspired interior design is visually stunning but isn't for everyone's tastes. Fortunately, there are several ways you can modernize the classic French Quarter design to make your home more comfortable while still aligning with New Orleans tradition.

1. Mix Old and New

Antiques are a hot commodity. According to online re-sale furniture retailer Chairish, there was a 31% uptick in antique furniture sales in 2020. Additionally, 1stDibs — another popular second-hand home furnishing marketplace — found over 60% of orders are from millennials eager to buy vintage and antique pieces in the name of sustainability.

Striking a balance between old and new is essential to updating the classic French Quarter design. Traditionally, New Orleans pays homage to its history and it's typical to find homes decked out in floor-to-ceiling antiques.

Concentrate on adding family heirlooms, old artwork, wrought-iron wall art or statement pieces like an ornate mirror. Perhaps you might decorate with nuanced Rococco and Baroque-style ornamental features. Just make sure to keep accessories to a minimum. Antiques should add details to a modern room, not overpower it.

2. Paint in Neutrals

Neutrals are timeless and work in any style of home or interior design. Consider white, cream, light khaki and sage to create the perfect backdrop for furnishings, metals, paintings and accessories.

However, not all neutrals are created equal. Before deciding on a color, it's crucial to understand the room’s natural lighting and how you intend for the space to function and make you feel.

Color experts agree taupe possesses the perfect tonal qualities for appending a room's sophistication, beauty, class and versatility. Taupe shades work well with a hint of gray or different shades of white, excellent for juxtaposing accents colors against neutral layers.

Painting your ceiling and trims a crisp white will also add height and continuity to your home while highlighting some of the French Quarter's historic imperfections and architectural features.

3. Accent in Color

New Orleans is a vibrant city with different shades and color combinations, making passers-by do a double take. In many instances, homeowners opt for Mardis Gras colors — green, purple and gold — which were chosen as the official colors in 1872 when Russian Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich Romanoff visited the city.

According to MardiGrasNewOrleans.com, the parade organizers believed a king must have two things — a kingdom and a flag. Ultimately, the Mardis Gras flag followed traditional heraldry rules of mixing metals and colors.

Nowadays, classic French Quarter design often leans toward bold, jewel-toned color choices. It's not uncommon to walk into a rich green dining room or living room with bright yellow walls.

While color is undoubtedly welcome in French Quarter interior design, the key to modernizing the classic look is to decorate with minimal accents. For instance, decorative pillows, throw blankets, rugs and paintings may be all you need for a pop of color. You can also opt for muted shades of NOLA-inspired colors for an accent wall or textiles.

4. Add Hints of Glam

Metallics like gold and brass are typical in French Quarter and French provincial interiors. However, similar to the rules of adding bright colors, modernizing classic NOLA design requires subtly when incorporating gold into your home.

Update your kitchen hardware with gold handles and knobs or look for modern pendant lights with a brassy finish to hang over a kitchen island. Metals can also infuse the right amount of glam to your contemporary French Quarter home with a mirror or side table lamp.

A quick and easy DIY project is to spray paint little details in gold and brass, such as pipes or faux florals for a vase. You can even work in gold and brass accents with faucets, bar stools, trash bins, picture frames or wall sconces in a nod to the gilded era without going overboard.

5. Choose Delicate Furniture

Furnishing classic French Quarter homes can be tricky if you're trying to modernize the look. While mixing modern and vintage pieces is an obvious choice, looking for traditional furniture that isn't bulky or overly ornate is essential. You also want to choose colors that fit your palette choices.

Vintage wood tables with thin legs or sofas and chairs with subdued patterns may be best — look for more delicate refurbished or re-upholstered pieces with linen, leather or velvet.

While many NOLA-style homes also prefer crystal chandeliers, you might want to scale back in size or choose a simpler antique chandelier with shades or candles.

Remember — you want to focus on the pieces' quality, not quantity. Too many furnishings can make the space feel smaller and more cluttered.

Modernize Classic French Quarter Design for Enhanced Comfortability

Creating a balance between minimalism and maximalism can be conducive to a relaxing space for you to rejuvenate. Aim for comfortability by paying homage to New Orleans tradition but remaining in control of the design elements.

*Written By Rose Morrison of renovated.com