Historic Homes: Making Them Fresh and Beautiful Again

by Julie Koppman

Franco Nicolosi is an experienced contractor with a respect for historic New Orleans homes and a creative vision for how to bring them back to life — without breaking the bank. And Erin Nicolosi (Franco’s wife & work partner) is a talented interior designer who creates an updated style and aesthetic for their projects. (She also owns Abode, a furniture, lighting, and accessories store in Metairie with a full service design studio.) Together, when it comes to buying and selling, they work with savvy Rêve agents Rae Bryan and Breck Robinson. Rae and Breck know firsthand that Franco’s construction capabilities plus Erin’s design expertise make for a a great fit.

How Rae and Breck Met This Dynamic Duo

Rae first met Franco in 2018, when they both were renovating investment properties next door to each other on State Street. The houses were mirror images of each other, but Franco’s project was a little further along. They started chatting, picking each other’s brains, and quickly hit it off. Rae was so impressed that she asked Franco to be the contractor on her own project. She knew his creative problem-solving and quality artisanship would be a huge plus — making both properties more attractive to buyers. Says Franco, “We developed a relationship immediately, and it turned out to be a great thing for everyone.”

What Rae and Breck Bring to the Party

About that same time, Franco and Erin were having trouble selling a flip they’d renovated in Harahan. Having already worked with two other realtors unsuccessfully, Franco says they turned to Rae for “her market knowledge, approachable demeanor, feedback, and large network.” Once onboard, she was able to find a buyer in about 30 days.

Since then, Franco and Erin have worked with Rae and Breck to buy another flip on Chippewa Street. They appreciate Rae and Breck’s valuable input on what buyers are looking for in today’s market, their approach to reaching younger buyers, and the strength of their character and relationships.

Historic Properties Made New and Fresh

These days, Rae and Breck refer clients to Franco who’re in need of everything from foundation work to kitchen remodels to entire home renovations. Praising his strengths, Rae explains, “Franco goes in and keeps all the architectural elements you want without cutting corners. He’ll patch floors to keep the old hardwoods intact, and he’ll repair transoms so that they function properly. What he excels at is what everybody is looking for right now – a historic property that works, that’s beautiful architecturally, but that’s new, fresh, and renovated.”

Taking What’s There and Making it Beautiful

Franco takes those extra steps to fully finish a renovation, and his partnership with his wife Erin results in an elegant, up-to-date aesthetic that adds value to a property and elevates it. Says Breck, “Erin selects high-quality fixtures, finishes, and paint colors, has a great eye for design, and has staged some of the properties they’ve sold. Together, they just have a knack for taking what’s there, making the most of it, and making it beautiful.”

Complementary Skills Bring Properties to Life

When explaining how their husband & wife partnership works so well, Erin and Franco Nicolosi are only half-joking when they claim that she comes in near the end of the process to boss him around and clean up his mess. But in all seriousness, Erin notes, “Our skills complement each other, and we really try to make a property feel special. We embrace the character or architecture or some of the unique characteristics of each home, and bring it to life.”