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JUNE 2020

CELEBRATE

SUMMER MAJOR MILESTONES BECOME INTIMATE GATHERINGS IN AN OUTDOOR SETTING

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CONTENTS

Publisher & Editor: Ashley Sexton Gordon EDITORIAL Managing Editor: Kelli Bozeman Community Writer: Riley Bienvenu Bourgeois Digital Content Editor: Mark Clements Contributing Writers: Aimee Broussard, Maggie Heyn Richardson, Scott Reis, Jeff Roedel, Kate Stevens Contributing Photographers: Marie Constantin, Wil Norwood, Jenn Ocken, Jeannie Frey Rhodes, Collin Richie, Carolynn Seibert ADVERTISING Sales Manager: Elizabeth McCollister Hebert Senior Account Executive: Tricia Reed Account Executives: Liz Firesheets, Sadie Fury Ad Coordinator: Brittany Nieto CORPORATE MEDIA Editor: Lisa Tramontana Content Strategist: Allyson Guay MARKETING Chief Marketing Officer: Elizabeth McCollister Hebert Marketing & Events Assistant: Taylor Floyd Events: Abby Hamilton Community Liaison: Jeanne McCollister McNeil

Features

Departments

18 Experience

8 Publisher’s View

Weekend getaways within driving distance

24 Cover Story

Inspiring settings for an outdoor gathering

30 Out of Town

Kenneth Brown designs houses across country from home

43 Quality of Life

Travel ideas that will get you dreaming

46 Interiors

Ty Larkins transforms a Jefferson Highway home

11 In the Know 16 Dish 20 Giving Back 55 The Creatives 56 Aimee’s Pretty Palate 59 Sommelier 61 Community 72 Datebook

inRegister.com • June 2020

74 Archives

ON THE COVER: A garden party gets glamorous at the James Grace House. Story, pg. 24. Photo by Carolynn Seibert.

ADMINISTRATION Assistant Business Manager: Tiffany Durocher Digital Manager: James Hume Business Associate: Kirsten Milano Office Coordinator: Tara Lane Receptionist: Cathy Brown PRODUCTION/DESIGN Production Director: Melanie Samaha Art Director: Hoa Vu Graphic Designers: Melinda Gonzalez, Emily Witt AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT Audience Development Director: Katelyn Oglesby Audience Development Coordinator: Ivana Oubre A publication of Louisiana Business Inc. Chairman: Rolfe H. McCollister Jr. President and CEO: Julio Melara Editorial Director: Penny Font Circulation/Reprints 225-928-1700 email: circulation@businessreport.com Subscriptions/Customer Service 225-421-8181 email: subscriptions@businessreport.com Volume 31 Issue 10 ©Copyright 2020 by Louisiana Business Incorporated. All rights reserved by LBI. Reproduction without permission is prohibited. INREGISTER (USPS PE658 ISSN 2162-0474) is published monthly by Louisiana Business Inc. Business address: 9029 Jefferson Hwy., Ste 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. Business phone: 225-924-5339. Periodicals postage is paid at Baton Rouge, La. Subscription rate is $36.00 for 12 issues and $48.00 for 24 issues. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to inRegister, 9029 Jefferson Hwy., Ste 300, Baton Rouge, LA 70809. inRegister cannot be responsible for the return of unsolicited material—manuscripts or photographs—with or without the inclusion of a stamped, self-addressed return envelope. Information in this publication is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy and completeness of this information cannot be guaranteed.

PUBLISHER’S LETTER

Spitting Distance

JEANNIE FREY RHODES

inRegister.com • June 2020

ASHLEY SEXTON GORDON

t’s been a long season of sheltering in place. The same four walls. The same semblance of home-cooked meals served night after blessed night. The same shows. The same games. The same people’s faces (our people) seen through a new lens. An intense lens. A loving, judgmental, exhausting lens. And while we should be thankful for the meals, and the shelter, and the people, we become weary and weak and bored. And like the Israelites who were brought out of bondage in Egypt, we grumble about the manna. What, manna again? I’m so tired of manna. Yes, dear, they were out of chicken breasts at the store. Be thankful for the manna. I’m here to tell you to hold on a little longer. You’ve almost made it. I’ve been to the promised land, and I’ve tasted of the milk and honey. These days of wandering in the desert are coming to a close, and what waits on the other side is worth the wait. Have faith. That’s right. I’m talking about Buc-ee’s. Alabama opened its beaches before Louisiana even opened its restaurants and boutiques. So a small group of us headed to the Gulf Coast for a long weekend last month. Figured a change of scenery could do us some good. While I was used to being given a wide berth in grocery stores and gas stations back home, I found that the good people of Alabama saw no reason to steer clear of one another. Condo guests crammed elevators with me on the slow rise up to the 15th floor, and there was nary a face mask to be found. The beaches were packed, and scantily clad adults parked their rears

e page inRegister does not hav For the first time ever, . The ine gaz ma r ou in e tur fea after page of parties to ned or tpo pos be spring events to coronavirus caused all tely ple com s wa d car ce our dan canceled, and suddenly des bri e g thing emerged. Som empty. But an interestin g these ngs were planned durin ddi we ose and grooms wh their h wit rd wa for ve mo ided to weeks of isolation dec of our n tio sec k dedicate the bac vows. So we decided to a—to are r ou in nts eve erved for magazine—typically res l of dfu han that involved just a these intimate weddings to re’s He 61. e s starting on pag people. See their photo e! s that will last a lifetim joy ple sim the celebrating

within spitting distance of my toes in the sand. (Has spitting distance ever been so scary?) But it was my foray into the Buc-ee’s Travel Center off the Baldwin Beach Express that gave me a glimpse into a heavily populated paradise. It’s all I ever wanted, and more. First things first: If you have never pulled your car into a Buc-ee’s while traveling through Texas, then you are missing out on an experience. They claim to have the cleanest bathrooms in America, and while I haven’t sat on every gas station toilet in our country, I will agree that theirs seem stellar. But Buc-ee’s opened this location—with a whopping 52,000-square-foot store and 120 gas pumps—last year in Alabama, and it has become a destination for travelers going to and from the beach. This is no surprise given what Buc-ee’s offers. Namely, everything you’ve ever thought you wanted and might possibly want if given time to think about it, with their signature beaver stamp on it. Plus they have crushed ice and Styrofoam cups. So if you can think of any reason not to pull off the road and circle the barricades for a parking space, then you are a different bird than me. But on this particular day—on the cusp of the country being up in arms on how, when and why to open up businesses—I was flabbergasted by the crowd. At the Texas Roundup station in the middle of the store, patrons were waiting in line for their brisket tacos and the cooks couldn’t make them fast enough. Lines fanned out from the fountain drink stations. And hungry travelers were grabbing and snatching the 15 different kinds of jerky off the wall. It was like we hadn’t been out in a while. I got caught up in the commotion, suddenly scared that I didn’t know when my next vacation might be, and I loaded my basket with things I deemed vital: Buc-ee’s roasted nuts, a stainlesssteel tumbler with the gas-station logo, a pair of pajama pants in an Aztec print, and a set of barbecue grill tools with a lifetime guarantee. I felt human again. I felt vital. I felt like a consumer. I waited in a line 12 people deep to purchase these essential items, and no one was standing six feet apart. I felt alive. This is what it looks like on the other side. I’m here as an ambassador to give you hope. To give you purpose. To say yes, you are eating manna today and you should be thankful for it. But on the other side—once road travel becomes the norm again—there is a brisket, egg and cheese taco with your name on it (your name and a beaver’s face). So don’t despair. We will all go back to normal in time. When we can stand side by side, within spitting distance, and not throw a mask across our nose. And there, my friend, I will meet you in the land of milk and honey.

• AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received by the close of business today. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2020. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

STAND OUT

IN A BLACK AND WHITE WORLD

inRegister.com • June 2020

SOMETHING REAL

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DR. WEILER

P RO U D LY S U P P O RT S

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LUNCHEON HOSTED BY

Youâ€™re invited to show your support! JULY 23, 2020 | 11:30AM - 1:00PM CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL

speaker & author TONI COLLIER

BATON ROUGE

The Life of a Single Mom invites you to our annual Impact Luncheon offering a three-course meal, silent auction, and beautiful stories of lives being changed!

founder & CEO, TLSM JENNIFER MAGGIO

*In-Person & Virtual Tickets Available for This Event* For more information on corporate sponsorship opportunities or to buy tickets, call 225-341-8055 or visit: T H E L I F E O FA S I N G L E M O M .CO M

IN THE KNOW W

hen Todd Baker paid a visit to Queen Bess Island in mid-May, what he saw was nothing short of astounding. The birds were back. Only three months after the completion of a major restoration effort on the small Barataria Bay island northeast of Grand Isle, brown pelicans were nesting there in numbers that Baker, the project manager for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, could never have predicted. “To say that we have a success is quite an understatement,” said Baker during a webinar just days after his surveying trip to the island with Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority project manager Katie Freer. “To see this kind of strong response to a very small piece of ground shows how in need this type of habitat is, and how they will quickly use it if it’s made.” Many Louisianans don’t remember a time when brown pelicans were absent from the state, but that was the case just over half a century ago. The pesticide DDT had wiped out a thriving pelican

BY KELLI BOZEMAN

population. In 1968, the birds were reintroduced at Queen Bess, and they began to flourish again, until years of subsidence and erosion—topped off by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill—made this a much less hospitable home. Only five of the island’s 37 acres were available for nesting. “Our goal was to restore 30 acres of nesting and brood rearing habitat for brown pelicans and other wading birds, and about seven acres of nesting habitats for the types of birds that prefer to nest on bare ground,” says Freer. Using funds from the BP oil spill settlement, CPRA and LDWF had to work fast to get the island back in shape without disturbing pelicans during nesting season. “This project had to be built in a very short time frame,” says Baker. “They essentially had to wait for the 2019 nesting season to conclude, which is mid-September, and they had to be off the island before the next nesting season started, which is February 14.” They made the most of those five months. Twenty-two thousand tons of heavy riprap stone were used to elevate

a rock dyke around the island, with smaller limestone filling in the gaps. Barges brought in 157,000 cubic yards of Mississippi River sand to build up a bareground nesting habitat, and that sand was topped with geotextile fabric and gravel. More than 26,000 plants were put in, along with grass seed and 1,325 bales of hay. The scientists predicted that 1,500 pelicans would find the restored island suitable for nesting in this first year. But when Baker and Freer conducted their first survey in May, they found a whopping 8,000 pelican nests—along with a multitude of roseate spoonbills, great egrets, tricolored herons and other avian species. Next up, the partner agencies are poised to restore Rabbit Island, a Cameron Parish colony for brown pelicans. They’ll use the lessons learned during the Queen Bess initiative to inform their efforts. “This project wasn’t simply about building marsh. This project was about building birds, essentially,” says Baker. “It really clearly shows that more work like this needs to be done.”

inRegister.com • June 2020

COURTESY LDWF

For the Birds

IN THE KNOW

ETC.

KUDOS

Cup of Joy

Cara Peterson

RES SO GEAUX

Rocca Pizzeria’s new executive chef comes straight to the Capital City from one of our favorite NOLA restaurants, Alon Shaya’s Saba—so she clearly knows her way around a screaming-hot oven. Before rising to the post of chef de cuisine at Saba, Peterson was executive sous chef at Shaya, and she professes a passion for simple but nuanced flavors inspired by global cuisines. A new Rocca menu is in the works, featuring fresh options along with twists on some old favorite dishes.

COURTESY ESP

Brandi Plaisance sees life as a mug half full, and she’s working to spread her positive mindset through everyone’s favorite early morning drink: coffee. After working for years as an offshore paramedic, she took a leap of faith and hit the road with her own coffee truck, Espresso Geaux, last August. For the last few months, she has been traveling around to Baton Rouge’s subdivisions to bring a semblance of normalcy during the quarantine by delivering a healthy dose of caffeine and smiles. “I fell in love not necessarily with drinking coffee, but with serving it,” she says of the simple act that began while volunteering at church. “Coffee is people’s one special moment of the day. I love being able to be the person making them smile before they have to go to work.” espressogeaux.com

Zach Tompkins

You realize we’re all living in a historic moment, right? Zach Tompkins certainly does, and as university archivist at LSU, he’s here to preserve it for posterity. Tompkins and the team at LSU Libraries Special Collections launched a project to collect firsthand accounts of how COVID-19 has affected students, faculty and staff. Digital submissions from journal entries and audio recordings to photos and artwork are all being captured for the University Archives.

Flex Time

inRegister.com • June 2020

Ruff Life

When inRegister put out a call last summer for loveable fourlegged friends, the response was overwhelming, and dozens of canines graced the pages of our July 2019 issue. Clearly, Baton Rougeans love their pups! So we’re doing it all over again for 2020. For our second annual “Dog Days of Summer” contest, we want to know why your dog is the best in Baton Rouge. Just send a photo of your pooch, along with a few sentences describing him or her, to editor@inregister.com. Now we’re not trying to hound you, but don’t miss the June 19 deadline to enter.

Katrina Rivers Labouliere

Baton Rouge will soon have a new daycare and preschool specializing in American Sign Language and English immersion, thanks to the efforts of Rivers Labouliere. The daughter of two deaf parents, she has made it her life’s mission to help people who have hearing impairments. Blue Bridge ASL Academy will admit students who are deaf, hard of hearing or nonverbal, as well as those who can hear but have deaf family members.

JULY 2019

Thomas Wimberly Rowdy the rescue dog at Mayfair Lab School

PLAYFUL PETS, SERVIC E ANIMALS AND SHELTE R DOGS WHO SHINE

inRegister.com

$2.95

SAMUEL GASC

COURTESY OMC

If the coronavirus pandemic has seen you trade your workout wear for a Snuggie, Of Moving Colors has just the thing to get you stepping out again—without ever leaving home. In late April, the contemporary dance company launched a series of “IttyBittys”— short movement session videos led by OMC dancers and friends around the world. Available on the organization’s YouTube channel, the two- to 13-minute classes range from jazz with former Rockette (and October 2019 inRegister style section model) Jacie Scott to pilates and shoulder stretches. “Dance speaks a language beyond words,” says OMC artistic director Garland Goodwin Wilson, “that deeply connects with our current perspective.”

Vivid imagery created by this LSU alumnus is now being seen around the world. Wimberly’s artwork “Global Forefront,” which pays tribute to frontline workers during the pandemic, is displayed in huge scale on an exterior wall of NYU Langone Hospital in New York, an early coronavirus care hotspot, and in an art campaign used in other countries. You can even spot it on the cover of this month’s 225 magazine! Wimberly now works as an art director in Los Angeles.

Issue Date: April Ad proof #1

• Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions are received by the close of business today. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2020. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

MY FAVORITE THINGS

MARY ELLEN SLAYTER OWNER/CEO, REP CAP

Watching Supernatural. Who

GUILTY PLEASURE doesn’t love a good soap opera based on urban legends?

Pre-pandemic? An afternoon at

WAY TO SPEND $20 the movies. These days, fresh flowers for the house.

These days, my front porch. But I

PLACE FOR LUNCH really miss Christina’s.

Curled up in bed with my 4 year old,

WAY TO SPEND A drinking my coffee before it gets SATURDAY MORNING cold.

Latin. It may be a dead language, but

CLASS IN HIGH SCHOOL it’s great for your vocabulary.

The Baton Rouge Gallery. That place is so much more than art hanging on BATON ROUGE EXPERIENCE the walls; Jason and his team have OR ATTRACTION built a community of artists and the people who appreciate them. Oat milk au laits. You can judge the

WAY TO GET MYSELF morning by whether it’s a cup, a MOVING IN THE MORNING mug or a “bowl.”

Picking blackberries with my cousin Cheree in Dry Prong, and CHILDHOOD MEMORY coming back and eating bowls of them splashed with sugar and cream.

TV SHOW All time? Battlestar Galactica. SONG ON MY PLAYLIST “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” This pair of really soft sweatpants I

ITEM IN MY WARDROBE “borrowed” from my mother-in-law a couple of years ago. (Sorry, not sorry, Meg!) Long baths. Lots of bubbles. No

WAY TO UNWIND children barging in.

Spring. I delight in the

TIME OF YEAR unpredictability of it.

it up.

Minneapolis. It’s America’s

OUT-OF-TOWN greatest city—in the DESTINATION summer. Roger Clyne and the

CONCERT I Peacemakers. All 6 times EVER ATTENDED I’ve seen them.

225.926.6892 7620 OLD HAMMOND HWY.

inRegister.com • June 2020

Lolita. I experience that book

BOOK differently every time I pick

IN THE KNOW

Let It Shine S BY KELLI BOZEMAN

unscreen has sure come a long way since lifeguards first painted stripes of white zinc down their noses. Whether you’re sitting in the sand, hanging in a backyard hammock or just going about your day, there’s a perfect product for protecting that pretty epidermis of yours—and your hair and lips, too. Here are some of the latest beam-busting local finds.

inRegister.com • June 2020

1. Skinmedica Essential Defense Mineral Shield SPF 35, Williamson Cosmetic Center 2. Sol de Janeiro My Sol Stick SPF 50, Sephora 3. Jane Iredale LipDrink Lip Balm SPF 15, Woman’s Center for Wellness 4. Avene High Protection Tinted Compact SPF 50, Z Aesthetic Dermatology 5. Cover FX SPF 30 Booster Drops, Ulta 6. ZO Skin Health Sunscreen + Powder SPF 40, Ghere Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery 7. Elta MD UV Active full-body sunscreen SPF 50+, Baton Rouge Clinic Dermatology 8. Supergoop Glow Oil SPF 50, Currie 9. Revision Intellishade TruPhysical anti-aging tinted daily moisturizer SPF 45, The Dermatology Clinic 10. Oribe Invisible Defense Universal Protection Spray for hair, SOHO Boutique Salon 11. Rhonda Allison Reflect Broad Spectrum Sheer Tint Refinisher SPF 18, Avant Tous Beauty Bar and Spa

Your Doctor. Your Health.

Anywhere. Virtual or face-to-face care with your doctor, where you need it.

Need to see a doctor? Itâ€™s important not to delay getting the care you and your family need. Our clinics are open and ready to serve our patients. Make an in-person appointment or schedule a video visit with one of our doctors from the comfort of your home.

Visit ololphysiciangroup.com to schedule, or call us at (225) 765-5500.

Already a patient of one of our doctors and have an active MyChart account? Simply login to your account to schedule!

DISH

Our Mom’s Restaurant’s

Rockin’ Roast Beef Po’Boy BY MAGGIE HEYN RICHARDSON • PHOTO BY JENN OCKEN

inRegister.com • June 2020

omfort foods have kept us sane recently, and what sounds more comforting than a gooey, bib-worthy roast beef po’boy? A recent comfort food episode of the Cooking Channel’s Food Paradise featured Our Mom’s Restaurant’s Rockin’ Roast Beef Po’Boy, the brainchild of co-founders Trent Fresina and J.P. Ngo. The signature sandwich is prepared with marinated round

roast slow-cooked for six hours. “What makes it ‘rockin’,’” says Fresina, “is the candied jalapeño cream cheese spread. We make candied jalapeños in house and blend them with cream cheese and spices.” Delectably flaky Leidenheimer bread adds toothsome balance to the creamy, beefy mash-up inside. The sandwich is also available with fried or roast chicken.

Our Mom’s 250 West Lee Drive 456-5392 ourmomsrestaurant.com Open daily, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

EXPERIENCE THE

lifestyle, SAFELY.

SHOPPING MADE EASY AT TOWNE CENTER. IN STORE, CURBSIDE PICKUP, DELIVERY & ONLINE.

Corporate Blvd at Jefferson • 225.925.2344 • townecenteratcedarlodge.com • HEALTH • BEAUTY • DESIGNER SHOPPING • HOME DECOR • GOURMET DINING • AND MORE

inRegister.com • June 2020

Please check with each store to see what services they are offering

COURTESY BLACKBERRY FARM

EXPERIENCE

On the Road Again Blackberry Farm

inRegister.com • June 2020

WALLAND, TENNESSEE

According to travel advisor Kristin Diehl, getting out of the house also involves staying somewhat close to home as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift. “People are looking for destinations that are close enough that they can avoid the airport,” she explains. Making the road trip part of the experience, she suggests traveling a little farther and taking in the South’s great outdoors. The Great Smoky Mountains’ 420-acre Blackberry Farm—pictured above—offers a multitude of ways to do so, including fly fishing, mountain biking, hiking and even instructional farming and gardening classes. blackberryfarm.com

The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island AMELIA ISLAND, FLORIDA Situated on Florida’s northeast coast, Diehl’s next suggestion offers an alternative to the beaches that Baton Rougeans have become all too accustomed to. Private cabanas and hammock massages are hallmarks at this resort, in addition to a golf course, surfing lessons and hands-on activities for kids. ritzcarlton.com

BY RILEY BIENVENU BOURGEOIS

Pursell Farms

Barnsley Resort

SYLACAUGA, ALABAMA

ADAIRSVILLE, GEORGIA

In the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Pursell Farms features the intersection of old and new. Guests have the option to stay in the historic Old Hamilton Place, a home built in 1852, while enjoying Orvis sporting adventures and treatments at the Spring House Spa. Dog sitters are unnecessary, as this resort is pet friendly. pursellfarms.com

While England is out of the question for this summer, this English countryside-inspired resort is within reach, with its post-COVID opening set for June 12. Private cottages with porches and clawfoot tubs form a home base as guests explore the remnants of the original 19th-century manor, ride horses around the property, and forage for wild herbs and mushrooms. barnsleyresort.com

than

as we spend more time than ever at home, weâ€™re reminded of just how much the people and things we surround ourselves with every day truly matter. choose to surround yourself with what you love, and rediscover your home.

colleen waguespack interiors online at www.colleenwaguespackinteriors.com and on instagram @colleenwaguespack

GIVING BACK

Friendship Force of Baton Rouge

BY RILEY BIENVENU BOURGEOIS

COURTESY TRUDY IVY

eparting Brazil after a two-week trip in October of 2019, Trudy Ivy and her fellow Friendship Force of Baton Rouge members took home plenty of memories and souvenirs, but they also left behind a little piece of themselves. While in São Paulo, the group planted a tree with the help of the Friendship Force club in the city of Piracicaba. A simple gesture, the eco-friendly gift—and the act of planting it together—signified the union between the two organizations and their cities. Back in Baton Rouge, a “Friendship Forest” filled with trees planted alongside visiting clubs grows in Greenwood Community Park as a reminder of past visitors and the connection they share. “Our goal is to promote peace, and the best way to do that is to learn about other cultures,” explains Ivy, who has been a member of the local Friendship Force organization for eight years and currently serves as vice president. “You have to get out and meet the people. You never really know someone until you sit at their own dinner table.” And that’s exactly what Friendship Force of Baton Rouge members—as well as all of the other worldwide chapters of Friendship Force International—do each year. The local group Issue Date: Ad1 proof and #1one international partnersJune with one domestic • Please respond by e-mail or fax approval program. or minor revisions. club each year forwith an your exchange Instead • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless approval or final revisions of hotels, Friendship Force members stay in the are received by the close of business today.

While the group splits up at night to stay in different homes around a given city, members explore their destinations together during the day. Friendship Force of Baton Rouge members are pictured here in Belgium in 2017.

• Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS

inRegister.com • June 2020

The Village at Willow Grove 8201 Village Plaza Ct., Suite 1A 225.930.8818 • texturebr.com texture_br Texture BR

thank you

Many Friendship Force chapters set up “Friendship Forests” for members from other chapters to contribute to during visits. The Baton Rouge chapter is pictured here planting a tree in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil.

COURTESY TRUDY IVY

to our Members who helped connect the pieces of voluntarism & training and made an impact on our community under the leadership of our 2019 - 2020 President, Namisha Patel-Vasanji!

understanding through work with places like LPB. We also serve on Mayor Broome’s International Relations Committee.” Friendship Force members offer a unique perspective because of the way they choose to travel and the goals they have when doing so. With the club made up primarily of retirees, they take the time to learn about the history, landmarks and people before they travel. In addition, they don’t hide away in luxury resorts. Rather, they embrace the authenticity that comes with staying in a local person’s home, including language barriers and amenity differences. “You see the different ways people live all over the world,” remarks Ivy, noting that not everywhere indulges the need for air conditioning. “We create relationships that remain after we finish a trip. We meet up with people from past stays and reach out to them for travel advice.” And while COVID-19 has drastically changed the group’s plans for this and likely the coming year, Ivy and the rest of the club aren’t ready to give up on travel. For them, a world all ravaged by the same invisible enemy is just another example of how connected we are, despite the differences on the surface. They want to ensure that this virus brings us closer together, igniting a new curiosity in the cultures around us, regardless of our ability to travel there physically. “The virus has really affected us and we don’t know when and how to plan anymore,” explains Ivy. “But I know that we will be planning again and it will be better than ever.” friendshipforcebatonrouge.org

Served 30+ organizations

Reached a milestone of $1M in community micro-grants

WELCOMED 120 NEW MEMBERS Secured $540,000 in Fundraising Distributed 500,000 diapers

Hosted member

special-topic 20 training sessions

GREW ENDOWMENT OVER $2 MILLION

Members of the Junior League of Baton Rouge, become an integral partner in continuing the League's mission of promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Learn more about the League's leadership and legacy at JUNIORLEAGUEBR.ORG

inRegister.com • June 2020

homes of club members from that city, enjoying homemade meals and getting a unique view of the city through the eyes of natives. “Our hosts act as our guides,” says Ivy of the trips to places from Belgium to Canada to Colombia. “They welcome you at the airport and spend their week introducing you to the best things to see and do in that city. They also make sure you have everything you need. It’s like having a mother with you on the trip.” Baton Rouge members’ adventures don’t end after they return home. Members of the clubs that previously hosted become guests in the Capital City, as local members welcome them into their homes and introduce them to everything from alligators to plantation homes to Cajun dancers. “Who better to show you Baton Rouge than me,” says Ivy with a laugh, noting that she wakes her guests with Louisiana staples like beignets. “Hosting actually becomes a staycation for us. We go to all different places around Louisiana and get to see our everyday surroundings in a new way. It’s pretty fun.” When they aren’t traveling or hosting, the 50 members of the local chapter dedicate their time to bettering the city that they show off to guests far and wide. The group hosts a Christmas in July event for the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson in addition to volunteering with philanthropic organizations like Louisiana Public Broadcasting and Cancer Services. “We don’t only travel,” says Ivy. “Philanthropy is important to us, and we have been able to help promote international

DEVELOPING MEMBERS & IMPACTING COMMUNITY: 2019-2020 BY THE NUMBERS

CONGRATULATIONS TO

CLASS OF 2020! WILLIAM Oâ€™NEAL ASHBY, JR.

CAROLINE WHEATON BARDWELL

SARAH CLAIRE BARTON

ELIZABETH GRACE BOUDREAUX

WILLIAM BRADY BRASELL

CRUZ PHILIP BRIDGES

JOHN DANIEL BULLOCK

JAMES HAYDEN CAILLOUET

ELLA RENEE CLARK

ETHAN ALEXANDER COLES

DAVIS MITCHELL COVINGTON

DANIEL HAMPTON CRUMP

DAVID THOMAS CRUMP

WHITNEY ANNE DODD

ANDREW CADEN EAGLETON

CATHERINE ELIZABETH ENOS

CLAYTON PARKER FAIR

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COVER STORY

Celebrate

Summer

MAJOR MILESTONES BECOME INTIMATE GATHERINGS IN AN OUTDOOR SETTING WRITTEN BY ASHLEY SEXTON GORDON PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAROLYNN SIEBERT EVENT PLANNING BY ANGELA DIVINCENTI BABIN

pring and summer in south Louisiana have always drawn families and friends outdoors on pleasant evenings. But the stay-at-home mandate due to COVID-19 created an even greater need to celebrate in wide open spaces this year. Suddenly every inside event that required more than a handful of people was postponed, and small gatherings moved to the lawn for safety and health reasons. Now, as the rules relax and we are once again (cautiously) dining with others, we recognize that any size event is worth doing well. “Everyone has their own story to tell, and it is up to them on how to tell it,” says Angela DiVincenti Babin of Angela Marie Events. Before the pandemic, she created an inspirational outdoor bridal event, pictured on the next few pages, for this magazine. But during the lockdown, Babin helped a few brides reimagine their planned weddings on smaller terms. “For some couples, their family is everything and an intimate

wedding with their family members is enough.” In this scene, the oversized floral centerpiece sets the stage for a grand garden party. Babin used roses, sweet peas, delphiniums, ranunculus, hyacinths, lilacs and more to add color and texture. A simple but sophisticated place setting, pretty place cards and menus, and a lilac tablecloth all reflect the floral bounty and remind guests that color—subtle color—is always in season. So are small, intimate gatherings. “The trend for smaller events has been happening for the last few years,” says Babin, noting that the pandemic forced this new reality for some, with great results. “Brides realize that they don’t have to have 300 people at a wedding while sacrificing what they really want—beautiful florals, food, furniture and such. Instead, they have fewer people and they create a scene that is precisely what they dreamed of. They realize what is really important to them, and there is not sacrifice. That’s what’s really beautiful.”

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COVER STORY

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COVER STORY

RESOURCES VENUE The James Grace House FURNITURE Element FLORALS AND DESIGNS Angela Marie Events INVITATIONS AND PAPER DÉCOR Rachael Roxanne by Hand CAKE Sweet Stirrings HAIR Sarah Pagoulato, SOHO Boutique Salon MAKEUP Abby Manuel LINENS Nuage Designs Inc. CHAMPAGNE CHILLER Laura Welch Taylor Art MODEL Natalie Caruso

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OUT OF TOWN

“Design should be one-third about the architecture of the house, one-third about the homeowner’s personality and viewpoint, and onethird my interpretation of how those things come together. It’s not about selling a lot of furniture.” —Kenneth Brown

MARIE CONSTANTIN

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Kenneth Brown stands in the front yard of his Baton Rouge home with his family’s miniature dachshund puppies, Millie Mae and Vander.

FAR and AWAY FROM HIS HOME BASE IN BATON ROUGE, KENNETH BROWN CREATES CHIC SPACES ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY BY KELLI BOZEMAN CHRISTOPHER LUKER

“I have to have tons of natural light,” Brown says of this at-home workspace that served as his hub during the stay-athome order. “I don’t want it to feel like an office. It has to feel like a home.”

and to communicate effectively with clients, contractors and vendors from coast to coast. In addition to residential and commercial projects here in Baton Rouge, Brown is busy with major undertakings elsewhere including

a high-profile building at the new Hollywood Park development surrounding SoFi Stadium, soon to be home to the Los Angeles Rams. “I live in Baton Rouge because I love the city I grew up in,” Brown says. “I have figured out how to

live here and still work on projects all over the country—but it took me years to get to this.” Brown’s career was launched in California after graduating with an interior design degree from LSU in 1995. He worked for a firm

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he summer sun in southern Arizona shows no mercy to mere mortals. With temperatures soaring up to 110 or more, the desert-meets-mountain landscape is beautiful yet brutal. The summer sun in south Louisiana is only slightly more hospitable. Heavy with humidity, the breezes blow through live oak branches only ever so gently this time of year. Sizzling summer location A: Where interior designer Kenneth Brown’s East Coast client opted to build a home. Seeking a serene setting in which to find rest for mind, body and spirit, she secured a property on the grounds of Tucson’s famed Canyon Ranch Wellness Resort upon which she could build a house in the style known as “rammed earth.” Here, she could see the sun rise over Sabino Creek and hike past 40-foot-tall saguaro cacti on her way to exercise classes and art workshops. Sizzling summer location B: Where Brown himself chose to move back after many years living in California, and where he was while carrying the design of that Tucson home through to completion. Seeking a comfortable setting in which to raise his two young children, he eventually secured a property upon which he would build a house in the style he dubs “Southern modern.” Here, he could see family members and friends without braving Los Angeles freeway gridlock—and just as easily, he could take on projects from Arizona to New York without leaving the Louisiana home he loves. Nearly a decade after decamping from Southern California, Brown has settled into an easy rhythm back in the Bayou State. Systems formed by necessity and honed by trial and error allow him to manage employees in two offices separated by 1,600 miles

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for readers of all ages. Visit ebrpl.com/ digitallibrary to see what’s online for you. The East Baton Rouge Parish Library has some exciting online events happening as well. Check the calendar at EBRPL.com for updates.

Take the opportunity to boost your work life with the Job & Career Accelerator inside Learning Express, modules that have been designed for remote learning. Find a career match, explore new occupations, and search for jobs and internships. Do research and plan ahead with the school and scholarship finder. Need to learn how to use the digital resources? EBRPL’s Niche Academy has quick videos on how to utilize the digital resources the Library makes available, like Ancestry Library, Consumer Reports, Gale courses and more. Just look for the blue “Tutorials” tab on the right the Digital Library page.

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OUT OF TOWN doing design work for casinos and then began flipping houses “before flipping houses was a thing.” “That’s how HGTV found me,” he says. An appearance on the cable network’s popular program House Hunters with his own rehabbed home led to Brown being given his own show, reDesign, in 2004, and then to another show on TLC four years later. Around that time, House Beautiful named him one of the “Top 100 American Interior Designers,” and he soon had a long list of celebrity clients. But even with all of his West Coast success, he felt lured back to Louisiana, and he replanted roots here in 2011. “I’ve lived in lots of places, and I will tell you that Baton Rouge is a great place to live,” he says. “People who’ve always been here sometimes don’t realize that. But

everyone here really looks out for each other. When I moved back home, people asked, ‘What can I do to help you?’ Back in L.A., the question people asked was ‘What can you do to help me get ahead?’” But even with an office in Baton Rouge in addition to the office he held onto in Los Angeles—“It’s my baby, and I’ll never let go of it,” he says—maintaining relationships with clients and other professionals from afar was challenging at first. “In the beginning, there was a little bit of chaos, I’ll be honest with you,” he says, recalling years when he was flying to California every other week to check on projects. “I’ve learned a lot since then.” Biweekly visits eventually became monthly, and then every two months, as Brown realized that with effective systems of

only. If they want to text, we use texting only. We make everyone choose from the get-go.” The designer and each client also agree to have a certain day and time each week during which to communicate. “So instead of bombarding them with questions and choices as they come up, we save all of the questions and issues for that dedicated time,” he says. “Because if you send an email every time there’s an issue, it becomes overwhelming.” As simple as it sounds, overnight shipping is also an essential part of Brown’s process for each project. “We understand that we work in a very tactile career— sometimes you need to not only see something but you need to feel it,” he says. “If we are talking about furniture, you will have the fabric samples the next day. You need to have them in your hand

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This Hollywood Hills home was built in 1947 as part of the Case Study Program, an experimental initiative aimed at offering Americans new models of modern architecture at affordable prices. For his actor client, Brown brought in midcentury furniture pieces befitting the home’s style.

communication in place, he could get as much done from here as he could by physically being present on every jobsite. “About five years ago, I started noticing an increase in requests for virtual meetings,” he says. “Even when I was actually in California, contractors and developers would ask to meet over FaceTime. If you think about it, it makes sense—it could take hours to get somewhere in L.A. traffic.” Brown embraced that new efficiency and set it in place for all of his projects, whether local or remote. In their contracts, new design clients now select a preferred method of communication, and everyone sticks to that choice. “We’re not going to do text, FaceTime, GoToMeeting, Zoom and email,” he says. “When you communicate in every possible way, it makes things cloudy. So if they choose email, we use email

HOLLYWOOD HILLS HOME PHOTOS BY JULIUS SHULMAN

OUT OF TOWN

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The Hollywood Hills home’s living room, open to the outdoors via retractable glass walls, features a floating fireplace and a dining area decked out with a painting Brown commissioned of the actor’s favorite old-school star, Bruce Lee.

The sloping site of the Hollywood Hills residence allows the pool to actually rise above the house itself. “When you have all the doors open, you feel like you’re in a kid’s treehouse,” Brown says. “He was a young kid himself, so I didn’t want to it to feel too serious. There’s a playfulness to it.”

A Lawson-Fenning leather lounge chair is a bright spot in the subdued palette of the master bedroom in the Hollywood Hills home. A Dunbar chest and a Curtis Jeré sunburst sculpture add to the midcentury vibe.

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TO OUR HEROES CARING FOR OUR COMMUNITY Since the beginning of this pandemic, The Baton Rouge Clinic has continued to care for our community through video visits, in the hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation facilities, at the city-wide testing site, and at our own on-site testing facility.

An original Case Study daybed is a hangout spot in the Hollywood Hills home’s TV room. Don’t see a TV here? That’s because the actor replaced the painting with a flat-screen after this photo shoot. “That painting is now in my powder room,” says Brown with a laugh.

of how it will work. And then from day one, the project feels easy. It’s not like walking in the dark.” Brown’s reputation for smoothly running projects—along with a portfolio that’s as diverse in style as it is visually striking—has helped to grow his client base here and around the country. Back in L.A., one of his early big-name clients was a young actor who had just starred in a wildly successful Disney Channel movie musical and had purchased a 1947-built Case Study Program home in the Hollywood Hills. With walls of glass looking out on a pool built into the hillside, finding inspiration was easy for Brown, who insisted on outfitting the twobedroom house with authentic midcentury furnishings. “We could barely meet,” Brown recalls. “There were paparazzi following him everywhere. When we went

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while it’s still fresh in your mind. That helps to eliminate any delays in production.” All of the little details are geared around what Brown calls a very linear process of taking each design project from start to finish. Each job is broken into phases, and clients need not worry about something that will happen in a future phase when that time hasn’t yet arrived. “That removes stress,” he says. “If you don’t have good linear systems in place, a lot of anxiety can build up. My goal has always been to remove as much stress as possible.” He likens his efforts to a paint job, when the best results come only after proper prep work like sanding and taping. “It’s the same with a design project: we start by planning communications and how we will share documents, so everyone has a clear understanding

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OUT OF TOWN somewhere together, he had to lie down in the backseat of the car to hide from the photographers.” The stark contrast between that home and another of Brown’s Southern California projects highlights his range as a designer. Here in a 20,000-square-foot Mediterranean mansion overlooking the Bel-Air Country Club golf course, he played off the homeowners’ Italian roots to infuse the house with European details. “The architecture was so strong, I thought the clean lines of Italian furniture would work nicely,” Brown explains. “The challenge with these huge homes is that the scale is so far out of human scale. We used fewer, larger pieces of furniture instead of a lot of small pieces that would make it look like a dollhouse.” It took more than three years of construction for Brown’s Tucson client’s home to be completed. Working in that 110-degree heat, artisans created walls from the very ground on which the house was being built, using a method of construction that’s likened to making modern-day sedimentary rock. The result is a structure that’s both highly insulated and highly evocative of its environment. “She wanted it to feel like part of the land and to be a healing experience,” Brown says of his client. “I never thought I would do this style of home; it was a challenge for us. We had to respect

BEL-AIR HOME PHOTOS BY ELIO TOLOT

A massive home deserves a massive sofa, right? For this 20,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style house in the Bel-Air neighborhood of Los Angeles, Brown chose a 20-foot-long Minotti sectional sofa to balance the breadth of the living room. “The beams overhead were originally gold, but we painted over that, and now the geometry of the beams work with the geometry of the sofa below,” says Brown.

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A low-slung B&B Italia sectional sofa suits the casual atmosphere of this upstairs playroom in the Bel-Air house. Two beanbag-style ottomans offer places to perch drinks as well as hidden storage inside. The colorful rug is by Paul Smith.

Bold leaf-motif wallpaper by Italian manufacturer Fornasetti in the BelAir client’s home office reminds her of her late mother. Hidden antique keys in the design inspired Brown to hang real antique keys on the wall for a three-dimensional effect. An asymmetrical Cassina table serves as a desk while offering another homage to the family’s Italian roots.

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OUT OF TOWN The view from the arched windows of the master bedroom in the Bel-Air house extends beyond the golf course to the Getty Center in the distance. Here, Brown had the walls plastered for a texture that takes in the natural light, and he installed a calfskin-covered paneled wall behind the bed. Custom Donghia drapes reflect the family’s Italian heritage.

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Brown commissioned a Los Angeles lighting artist to create a custom installation on the wall behind the bed in a son’s room in the Bel-Air house. The bulbs cast shadows on an ombré wallcovering and set off the custom lounge-style bed.

TUCSON HOME PHOTOS BY CHRISTOPHER BOWDEN

For this new home on Tucson’s Canyon Ranch, Brown drew inspiration from the area’s earthy vibe and brick walls made onsite by incorporating details like salvaged local wood beams and handmade Paul Ferrante light fixtures. In the living room, an A. Rudin sofa and a velvet-covered wingback chair play off the rustic backdrop.

home for Jeff Jenkins of Bernhard Capital Partners and two other new-construction houses in Bocage, developer Charles Landry’s Rouzan home, and Louisiana native and Beverly Hills business owner Blaine Lourd’s new Willow Grove residence (that previously belonged to another notable name, Les Miles). Brown is also having a full-circle moment by handling design work for Gov’t Taco, the soon-to-open restaurant by Jay Ducote—whom Brown first met when the two were doing junkets together for HGTV and the Food Network. Having methods of remote communication already established made continuing work during the coronavirus pandemic this spring seamless for Brown and his team, which includes four fulltime staff members here in Baton Rouge and an office manager and freelancers in California. Though the Baton Rouge office at Studio Park was closed for several weeks, Brown and his staff worked from home while still being able to connect with each other and with their clients. “By staying with the systems we had in place, the clients were still getting the service

In the dining room of the Tucson house, a Gregorius Pineo table and chairs are illuminated by an oversized Paul Ferrante pendant with wavy glass. “Those are the details that are so important in design,” Brown says. “We live in such a massproduced world. Handmade things like these give a house its spirit.”

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the surroundings. Everything we brought in is truly authentic.” Most recently, Brown completed a home for a repeat client in an Ian Schrager building in Manhattan’s West Village, and he is now working on helping a talent agent turn an old stable into a luxury home in Brentwood, California, and another sixtime repeat client transform a chapel into a home outside Seattle. Other current work includes projects in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Orange County and North Carolina, along with the Hollywood Park venture that is turning a former racetrack in Inglewood, California, into a contemporary destination. There, Brown is overseeing the entire interior aesthetic of a building that will include luxury residences, co-working spaces, a theater, and a rooftop lounge with views of LAX Airport and the new Rams stadium. “It’s a modern, masculine vision that pulls from the history of the area near LAX,” Brown says. “Our vision is shaped by rich textures with clean tailored lines.” Back home in Baton Rouge, Brown’s current work includes a

OUT OF TOWN

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An outdoor patio dining area in the Tucson home features a corner fireplace true to the region’s architectural roots. Custom shutters with iron straps over wood are designed to withstand the elements.

they would have had otherwise,” he says. For Brown, that meant setting up temporary shop in the sunfilled home office in the house built for him and his family near Southdowns in 2015. Executed by architect Dwayne Carruth of The Front Door Design Studio, the house embodies Brown’s personal penchant for warm but contemporary surroundings. Clean lines and a tailored vision combine with a sense of comfort brought by dark colors and unexpected rustic elements. It’s a juxtaposition that seems to suit someone who left a life in the L.A. fast lane for the Southern comforts of his hometown—and has managed to thrive by embracing both the old and the new in his career as well. “Most of our clients are repeat clients, because the systems we created resulted in a pleasant experience,” he says. “I built those out of necessity to be able to work remotely on my projects. These systems were things I was forced to create by choosing to raise my kids in Louisiana. And they have actually made my business even more successful. The process is more thorough, it’s enjoyable, and it’s authentic.”

Rammed-earth walls with handmade bricks are highlighted in the entryway of the Tucson house, where Brown placed a peacockcolored console and an orange Moroccan runner. The vintage mirror is by Arte de Mexico.

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QUALITY OF LIFE

Breaking Free

Sedona, Arizona

BY RILEY BIENVENU BOURGEOIS

LOCAL TRAVEL EXPERTS TALK GETTING OUT AND GOING PLACES THIS SUMMER

its continued spread. However, after months spent indoors and countless plans canceled, people are still looking to seize the summer in one way or another. The answer? According to Clements and many other travel professionals, it’s rediscovering the beauty of the country we call home. “My advice is to focus on the outdoors,” Clements says. She and her team have begun working on new trips for the AstridTravel Club to places like Santa Fe, Savannah, Lake Placid, Sedona and even the Hamptons. Each trip has an overarching theme that allows travelers to see the destination in a unique and authentic light. “Our goal is to create interesting and enriching trips in the United States that highlight the beauty and diversity of America,” she notes. “I want to show people places that aren’t overrun by tourists.”

And with distancing as the standard for the foreseeable future, the wide open spaces of the American frontier are looking more and more desirable, even for those who might have never considered themselves to be anything other than beach people. “I’ve been suggesting places like Colorado, Wyoming and North Carolina,” says travel advisor Caitlin Stolzenthaler of Rove & Roam Travel. “Of course, people have still been dying to get to the beach, but I have had people looking for something different and these places offer open space and the adventures of the great outdoors.” “By focusing on domestic travel, you are directly supporting local economies and local people,” adds Clements. “You’re choosing to spend your money in the U.S., and that helps local businesses stay afloat during this time.” For those still looking to leave

the country, Caribbean islands are slowly starting to open up, and some countries like Nicaragua and Sweden never closed. No matter the destination, Clements suggests checking the U.S. Department of State website and doing extensive research about the rules currently in place, since they vary heavily even from state to state. “Travel is based on comfort zones,” explains Solzenthaler, who notes that travel insurance is a must during uncertain times. “There are plenty of people who will stick around North America for a while, but there are still people who want to see the sights and they don’t want to waste time.” “People will travel again when they feel safe,” Clements remarks. “There’s no avoiding the fact that there will be a new normal. My advice is to dream now and travel later.”

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ravel advisor Astrid Clements spends her socially distanced days furiously reading through news related to the travel restrictions that crashed onto the scene as the world has struggled to address the COVID19 pandemic. Notes written about airplane changes, country closures and preventative measures all lead her back to the words written in bold at the top of the U.S. Department of State’s website: “Global Level 4 Health Advisory Do Not Travel.” “It’s usually only during wartime that such a widespread advisory would be put in place,” she explains. “It’s the first time in my lifetime that I’ve seen something like this.” The advisory puts any travel out of the United States as a major risk, speaking to the far-reaching impact of COVID-19 and the drastic measures being taken to stifle

QUALITY OF LIFE

Oh, the Places You’ll Go

BY RILEY BIENVENU BOURGEOIS

SHENANDOAH NATIONAL PARK, VIRGINIA “When things started opening up, the first thing I did was go to The Backpacker. My brother-in-law and I pushed our four-day hiking trip in Shenandoah National Park back to mid-June. After that, we’re going to their house on Lake Gaston in North Carolina. I plan to bring my plein air painting materials and spend some quiet time there. In July, I’m driving to Denver to move my daughter and also do some hiking and painting.”

—Branden Barker, president of Barker Real Estate and Management Services

WATERCOLOR INN & RESORT, SANTA ROSA BEACH, FLORIDA “I have several trips in mind because I’m ready to go. I want to take my family to the Smoky Mountains to go whitewater rafting. We’ve taken my four kids before and it was the best vacation. I also want to go on a beach trip with my friends to somewhere easy like WaterColor. The last thing is New Orleans with my husband. We usually go once a month so we are overdue.”

—Kate Freeman, primary care physician with Ochsner

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—Laura Siu Nguyen, owner of Laura Siu Planning & Events

PORTO, PORTUGAL “Last year, we did a threeweek trip across Europe and fell in love with Portugal. The people, the culture and the natural beauty were amazing. It’s an unpretentious side of Europe.” —Dom Peré, CEO of Marex Services Group (For more on the Peré family, turn to page 46.)

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—Bridget Tate, co-owner of Capital City Lighting

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—Nanci Charpentier, artist

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA “My husband Kenny and I planned a whole trip to Japan for this summer. We’ve moved that to 2021 but I would love to go to Charleston, South Carolina, this summer. We went for our honeymoon and fell in love with the city. It has such a homey, Southern vibe.”

COURTESY WATERCOLOR INN & RESORT

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MALLORCA, SPAIN “We’ve been looking back at old photos from family trips we’ve taken and enjoying memories of a trip to France we took in 2015 with our kids in particular. This year, we’d planned to bring them to the Mediterranean island of Mallorca in Spain. When we have the green light to go, we’ll be packing our bags for sunny Spain!”

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK “We have a daughter who lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, a daughter in New Orleans, and a daughter working in Montana for the summer. We are hoping to all meet up in Montana and travel to Mount Glacier and Yellowstone National Park.” —Shannon Countryman, co-owner of Ingle Eats

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BELIZE “We’re just ready to get out of our house, honestly. We haven’t planned anything yet but Mexico or Belize would be nice. I think sometime this summer we’re going to drive up to Birmingham to visit friends.”

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ven a pandemic can’t stop summer wanderlust. We reached out to fellow Baton Rougeans and asked where they have their sights set for upcoming trips. From Virginia to Spain, they’re looking far and wide for new adventures to spice up post-quarantine life.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS “We already traveled to 30A and plan to go back again this summer. We love riding our bikes up and down and enjoying the scenic views. Seeing some of the restaurants open made us feel semi-normal again. For the future, we love Chicago. We were planning to go in early April but that got canceled. We’re creatures of habit so we love going back to the same places.” —Meredith Waguespack, owner pf Sweet Baton Rouge and founder of Local Pop-Up Shop

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MAINTENANCE | CONSTRUCTION

INTERIORS

MODERN Renaissance A GLOBETROTTING COUPLE REDEFINES A CLASSIC HOME TO MAKE IT CURRENT

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BY ASHLEY SEXTON GORDON • PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHAD CHENIER

“I’ve always been a big music enthusiast,” says Dom Peré, “so I wanted the living room to be an area of music, art and conversation.” Dom plays the guitar and his son plays the piano. The living room has proven to be a perfect spot for large parties or intimate gatherings.

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INTERIORS

inRegister.com • June 2020

estled along a zippy strip of Jefferson Highway, tucked behind high hedges and a wrought-iron fence, sits a classically appointed house with great proportions, a broad green lawn and manicured foliage. Eye pleasing yet understated. Sophisticated yet unpretentious. One might assume that the owners of the house were traditional without compromise. Stuck in their ways. Staid. Perhaps a tad cautious. One would assume wrong. “The exterior of our home feels very old world,” says Dom Peré, who purchased the house with his wife Ashley in 2014. “But the inside feels nothing like that. We wanted spaces that could embrace our energetic and sometimes chaotic life, with friends and family, animals and entertaining. We loved this home’s location, and we saw its potential. We knew we could work with it.”

And Dom and Ashley are used to making things work. Early in their marriage, the duo moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, after graduating from LSU. From Dubai, they traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia and Africa and were influenced by various cultures and food and landscapes. After starting a family, they returned to south Louisiana knowing that Dom’s global transportation and logistics company— Marex Services Group—could be stationed anywhere. The Perés looked for a forever home that would incorporate their “open door policy” of parties for business clients and friends. They found this home in the center of town with the right mix of style, scale and space, so they turned to interior designer Ty Larkins for inspiration. “Dom and Ashley really know what they like. They wanted something classic and timeless,

1. “I love to paint floors in houses when it works, and it really worked in the dining room of this house,” says Ty Larkins, who commissioned Sally Conklin to paint the floor in a black-and-white pattern to accentuate the perfect squareness of the room. 2. A velvet tufted banquet nestles into a corner of the living room, creating a small, separate seating space near the piano.

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and they wanted to put their design stamp on the house,” says Larkins, who notes that the Jefferson Highway home is believed to be the city’s former Italian Country Club from the 1930s. “They are very well traveled, and they wanted to incorporate a lot of their own ideas into the home. We were on the same page, designwise, from the beginning.” Larkins began by giving the home an urban color palette, with black painted windows, white walls and darkly stained floors. He notes that this gives furnishings a chance to take center stage. In the front living room, Larkins created

a space designed for entertaining, with separate seating areas conducive to large gatherings or small groups. Two Tony Mose paintings—one topping the sofa and the other above the mantel—introduce color into the room and are a launching pad for the blue accent hue used here and throughout the house. The blue is a dominant color in the adjacent dining room. “We discovered that the dining room was a perfect square, which is very unusual in architecture,” says Larkins. “I knew we had to have a round dining table. But then I really wanted to reinforce the dimensions of the room in

3. The kitchen area had been opened up by a previous homeowner, so all Larkins needed to do was freshen up with new paint, quartzite countertops and backsplash, and new brass hardware. 4. A painting by Ralph Turturro (cousin of actor John Turturro) hangs above the fireplace in the family room, giving the room a jolt of color that is reflected in the chairs. 5. The master bathroom was completely gutted to make way for this sophisticated space reminiscent of a grand hotel. An oversized mirror in the center of the room separates the his-and-hers vanities in an unconventional way. 6. Ashley and Dom Peré, with their older children Landry and Caswell, welcomed twins Genevieve and Reeves to the family this year. Their updated house was created with family, friends and animals in mind.

AARON HOGAN/EYE WANDER PHOTOGRAPHY

inRegister.com • June 2020

other ways as well.” In the dining room, Larkins had the floors painted by Sally Conklin to emphasize the geometry of the space. To infuse 1940s glamour into the scene, he reimagined curtains with tiebacks but used modern bold hues to update the look. It was a risky move—an updated take on an old-school execution, but it worked. A modern light fixture with steel cables counters the classic chairs surrounding the table. The blue hue extends into the family room, where the Perés spend the most time with their children Landry, 11; Caswell, 9; and their four-month-old twins Genevieve and Reeves. This room opens to a refreshed kitchen with new paint, brass hardware and hardworking quartzite countertops. But it is the treasure of the private quarters of the house, especially the master bathroom, that evokes an otherworldliness worth staying home for. “When it came to the master bathroom, I was inspired by the idea of an old-school Ritz Carlton reimagined in a modern way,”

INTERIORS

inRegister.com • June 2020

says Larkins, who created a 3-D rendering of the space to explain his vision to the Perés. “The room was large, but the previous layout didn’t take advantage of the space. So we started over.” The centerpiece of the new master bathroom is a mirror that seems to float in the center of the room, separating the two vanities. Custom millwork and oversized Statuary marble along the floors and walls, along with black marble with subtle veining, gives this often-overlooked space a wow factor. “For design inspiration, I usually look backward. I look to the past and make it fresh again,” says Larkins, who pores over design books from different decades for ideas. “I take what has been done successfully, and I put a new twist on it. I make it feel new.” So although the exterior of the Perés’ home is decidedly well-established and charming, the interiors are as fresh and new as this young family. They filled the house with pieces they love from travels abroad, and they’ve created a space that can accommodate a crowd but is just as pleasing for their private family moments. “We wanted each room in our house to have meaning,” says Dom. “The smaller and the more boutique the better. We love boutique hotels and we want every inch of our space to feel unique. Now we have a space that is all our own.” 7. The Perés’ home on Jefferson Highway, not far from Government Street, is believed to be the Italian Country Club of the 1930s. 8. “We entertain a lot, and we love to entertain outside,” says Ashley. “We both love to cook, and we have an open-door policy with friends. We can be grilling outside and feel completely isolated from the outside world because of the privacy of the backyard, even though we are in the center of town.”

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feel looking at birds is what I want others to feel.” Watching her grandfather race pigeons—a bird she proclaims is woefully underrated— Ferguson first fell in love with birds as a child. Today, every image she completes—be it a vivid cardinal, feather-festooned egret or common mallard—evokes strong memories and feelings of her youth. After years working in retail while cataloging sketches and paintings that few people ever saw, Ferguson felt stifled and unfulfilled. A little more than a year ago, she decided to put her creativity into a more “serious space,” as she puts it. The shy artist who studied

PHOTOS BY COLLIN RICHIE

fashion design and fine art at Auburn knocked out dozens of paintings and began signing up for local markets as ThistleBee Art. “No matter how fearful I was, I knew I had to do it,” she says. “I told myself, I don’t want this to just be a hobby.” Now she draws inspiration from walks through her neighborhood, local parks and daytrips farther afield. Using a bright and warm palette, her work reflects the excitement she has for close encounters with the incredible birds around us. “If you’ve ever been driving across the Causeway and had a pelican flying along with you, you know it’s the most amazing feeling.” Ferguson has been embraced

by the local makers community, which she says helped her through all of her “firsts” as a branded artist. Her advice for those just starting is simple: “Believe in yourself, and work in a sketchbook every day.” Ferguson’s brand name points to firm belief, too. Her thistle and bee imagery were taken from the tartan and crest of her Scottish family clan. The Ferguson motto is even more relevant to creatives—especially in our postCOVID-19 landscape. Dulcius Ex Asperis, the Latin saying goes. “It means ‘Life is sweeter after difficulties,’” Ferguson relays. “And you can’t get any better than that.”

inRegister.com • June 2020

ith verdant tail feathers falling in gentle curls like ornate ceremonial robes, a neon-splashed sky shimmers in sherbet waves melting behind the gold leaf circling the quetzal’s head. Beak poised. Eyes knowing. The halo crowning this avian saint is unmistakable. Long fascinated by religious iconography, Denham Springsbased artist Mitzi Ferguson endows the brightly rendered birds of her flock with symbols more commonly seen at mass than in a magnolia. “I really want a sense of reverence to come across in my work,” Ferguson says. “That awe that I

BY JEFF ROEDEL

A IMEE’ S PRE T T Y PA L ATE

BLUE HAWAII INGREDIENTS

4 4 4 1½

oz. Blue Curacao liqueur oz. coconut rum oz. vodka oz. sweet and sour mix

Combine all ingredients and pour into glasses over ice. Or combine with 2 to 3 cups of ice in blender for a frozen beverage. Makes 2 servings.

inRegister.com • June 2020

Staycation Libations

AIMEE BROUSSARD AIMEE BROUSSARD is a Southern food blogger and award-winning cookbook author. Seen on QVC, Rachael Ray and more, she is a selfproclaimed accidental entrepreneur with a penchant for porches and sweet hospitality. Find her online at aimeebroussard.com.

IF CANCELED VACATIONS turned holiday staycations have left you sad and blue, I’ve come bearing adult libations for you. And speaking of blue, the Blue Hawaii cocktail will immediately transport you to the beaches of Hawaii with its tropical taste and its vibrant blue coloring. Don’t get it confused with the Blue Hawaiian, though—that cocktail uses crème de coconut rather than coconut rum. Having my own vacation canceled had me venturing to the liquor section of Rouses for Chambord in order to make some Kir Royales. I have no idea if my Blackberry Kir Royale rivals that of the Twenty Third Bar, an Amsterdam Top 10 Cocktail Bars finalist, but at least it kept me from wallowing too much about a trip to the Amsterdam Tulip Festival last month

that has inevitably been put on indefinite hold. Also on team #nowallowing when we all have our health is my group of friends we refer to as the “Fab Five.” All five of us joined the Krewe of Artemis at the same time several years ago and celebrate parade day every single year with Heather’s Parade Punch. It’s a glorious combination of fruity goodness that has since transpired into our signature celebration drink of choice. In fact, Heather recently delivered individual containers to all of our porches so that we could enjoy while indulging in a little virtual happy hour. Lucky for you, you don’t need to be part of our Fab Five to get your hands on the recipe because Heather agreed to share it with the world. Cheers!

BLACKBERRY KIR ROYALE INGREDIENTS

4 blackberries 1½ oz. Chambord liqueur Champagne Add blackberries and Chambord to a Champagne flute or tall glass. Use the back of a spoon to gently smash blackberries. Top with Champagne. Makes 1 serving.

Issue Date: June Ad proof #1

• Please respond by e-mail or fax with your approval or minor revisions. • AD WILL RUN AS IS unless revision requests are received within 24 hours. • Additional revisions must be requested and may be subject to production fees. Carefully check this ad for: CORRECT ADDRESS • CORRECT PHONE NUMBER • ANY TYPOS This ad design © Louisiana Business, Inc. 2020. All rights reserved. Phone 225-928-1700 • Fax 225-926-1329

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A IMEE’ S PRE T T Y PA L ATE

FAB FIVE PARADE PUNCH INGREDIENTS

2 (2-liter) bottles 7-Up 1 (750-ml) bottle vodka (whipped cream flavor was used for ours) 1 (46-oz.) pineapple juice concentrate 1 can orange juice concentrate ¼ cup cherry juice or ½ cup cherry syrup Combine all ingredients and pour into glasses over ice. Or freeze in gallon-size containers and serve semi-frozen like slushies, aka how we do it on parade day. Makes many servings.

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Rombauer Chardonnay

ne of life’s toughest challenges is selecting a bottle of wine from wine lists that seem as thick as War and Peace. But reject that wine war and discover peace by ordering Rombauer Chardonnay. It’s often my go-to pick and Wine & Spirits magazine agrees, awarding Rombauer the “#1 Most Popular Chardonnay in American Restaurants.” This California chardonnay begins on the nose where marzipan meets aromas of almond croissant. Flavors of fresh Georgia peach and Tahitian vanilla bean unfold on the palate to meet ripe tropical fruits backed with key lime zest. With loads of crowd appeal and a reasonable price tag, Rombauer can keep Louisiana seafood diners happy and satisfied all summer long. Rombauer Chardonnay is available BTG at J. Alexander’s Restaurant, where it pairs perfectly with the Carolina Crab Cakes. Or pass by Alexander’s Highland Market, pick up a bottle for $35 and serve this easygoing but complex white wine before dinner, with appetizers all the way through salad and onto the main event. Abandon the battle. Order Rombauer Chardonnay. Mission accomplished!

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COMMUNITY

Socially Distanced Celebrations LOCAL COUPLES MARRY AMID COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

In place of inRegister’s usual Community section—filled with fundraisers and galas that normally take place this time of year—this month we are highlighting couples like Emma and Kevin who chose to begin their married life during this time despite the chaos in the world around them. In addition to the images from the Murrells’ wedding on this page, the section that follows includes additional local couples who opted to downsize their celebrations and start their lives together with intimate ceremonies, backyard first dances and even car parades. Unprecedented, perhaps, but unforgettable, without a doubt. Did you get married during the COVID-19 crisis? Share your wedding details with us by emailing editor@inregister.com.

KLEINPETER PHOTOGRAPHY

THE WORD “unprecedented” could certainly be used to describe the situation many couples planning to tie the knot this spring found themselves in when the coronavirus pandemic struck. Large gatherings of friends and family were suddenly no longer a possibility. But when bride Emma Louise Gordon married Kevin Murrell at her parents’ house on May 1, she was simply following in her great-grandmother’s footsteps. Her namesake, Agnes Louise, was married in a backyard ceremony in 1920 amid the breakout of the Spanish Flu. “It’s so crazy how it all played out in history,” says Emma. “In a way, the quarantined ceremony made us feel a lot more grateful for the support system that we have. We were able to slow down and reprioritize.”

BY RILEY BIENVENU BOURGEOIS

inRegister.com • June 2020 61

COMMUNITY

Elise Doran & Hunter Ewing APRIL 18

BRENDA TEEPELL

“When plans had to change due to the coronavirus pandemic, we knew we definitely did not want to postpone starting our married lives together,” Elise says. “We said our vows on a neighbor’s front porch and celebrated with a front yard first dance and a Champagne toast. I did a FaceTime dress reveal with each of my bridesmaids, and we had wedding guests film video messages and send them to my sister, who complied them into a 48-minute-long video for us to watch to finish out our wedding night.”

Issue Date: June Ad proof #2

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COMMUNITY

Sydney Powell & Evan Sinon MAY 2

BERKLEY MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY

“Although the day was far from our original plan, it was more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined,” explains Sydney of the ceremony at the groom’s aunt and uncle’s home in Covington. “We livestreamed the whole thing for all of our guests, and that was truly the best. Everyone was able to share in the best day of our lives, which is exactly what the day is all about!”

Issue Date: June Ad proof #1

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inRegister.com • June 2020

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Emily Hodges & Zachary Stephenson APRIL 3

THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY

“My husband and I were beyond disappointed at first that we would not be able to have the big, fun wedding with all of our family and friends,” says Emily of the ceremony that was held in her grandmother’s front yard, followed by a reception at her parents’ house. “We were only able to have our immediate families present, but our extended family Zoomed in, and my sister put together a video of clips of all of our wedding party telling their favorite stories from our friendships, which made it so special. Ultimately, we felt loved and cherished on our big day, which is exactly what we hoped for.”

Issue Date: June Ad1 proof #3

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COMMUNITY

Sarah Major & Nicholas Billiot

Haley Blythe & Jeff DeBlieux

“We got married at St. Joseph Co-Cathedral in Thibodaux, but because of COVID-19, there were only 10 people allowed in the church,” explains Sarah. “We were able to livestream it on Facebook. We had over 1,000 views! The ceremony was so beautiful and even though it was not as planned, it was definitely the wedding of my dreams. So special and once in a lifetime!”

“We were determined to be married so we came to the conclusion of having a Zoom wedding,” says Haley. “We found a gorgeous public area between the Old State Capitol and City Hall and got married in front of a little fountain. Our wedding day was incredibly special, intimate and perfect.”

COURTESY HALEY BLYTHE DEBLIEUX

APRIL 4

BERKLEY MARTIN PHOTOGRAPHY

APRIL 25

Issue Date: March Ad proof #1

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inRegister.com • June 2020 67

COMMUNITY

Celeste Gary & Louis Bartels

Annie Hernandez & Daniel Rosson

“We originally planned to have our small ceremony in our yard and walk over to Jazz Fest for our reception,” explains Celeste. “With the help of Mark Romig, our officiant, and our amazing photographer, Cindy Abney, we were still able to go ahead with an intimate ceremony. We will forever cherish our personal vows and the pictures of our children playing in the yard while we promised forever to each other.”

“Two weeks before our wedding, we were hit with the devastating news that it wouldn’t happen,” says Annie. “So instead, we got married in our apartment living room. It’s not what we envisioned but we became one that day.”

APRIL 11

CINDY ABNEY PHOTOGRAPHY

COURTESY ANNIE HERNANDEZ ROSSON

APRIL 30

It’s time you took

ANOTHER LOOK inRegister.com

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