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A RENOVATED Stonewall Home WITH FRENCHACADIAN CHARM

Luxe fabrics, colorful Luxe fabrics, colorful wallpapers and beautiful wallpapers and beautiful furnishings give this furnishings give this fully renovated customfully renovated custombuilt family home a truly built family home a truly modern flair. Filled with modern flair. Filled with artsy decor ideas that artsy decor ideas that we can’t wait to copy, we can’t wait to copy, step inside, and see how step inside, and see how this realtor makes it all this realtor makes it all come together. come together.

BY ADAM BAILEY BY ADAM BAILEY PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARC GIBSON

O

riginally built in 2009, this renovated French-Acadian home in Stonewall’s North Desoto Estates was spectacularly renovated in 2021 and brings classic European architecture into

the present day—all with a sense of charm and artsy modernism. So, when homeowners Brian and Yvonne Davlin wanted to modernize their family home—the renovation quickly turned into a re-creation. According to Yvonne, the sky was the limit.

Brilliantly combining rustic and refined, today, the main house is a 2,000 square foot expansion of the original two-story structure—all with a hipped roof, beautiful entry and new porte-cochère. A shop forms the opposite side of a central courtyard where the pool is perfectly placed—perfect for entertaining. A screened porch that overlooks the pool area can be easily accessible from the inside or outside.

While not a ‘traditional’ open floor plan, the main entry does open into a large open space—easily combining the living and kitchen spaces, decorated with a little more glam than the rest of the house. “This house is so much about the entry,” says Yvonne. “It is very much a part of walking in and welcoming guests. It such a wonderful place to entertain.”

A celebration of natural material— wood beams and exposed brick—is apparent throughout the house. The apparent throughout the house. The hardwood floors, brick and wood beams tie the interior spaces together. The home is a celebration of natural material and a beautiful render-

ing of the French-Acadian style. But don’t let those quaint subtleties fool you. Bright airy color, sleek fabrics, imported tile and more await as you pass from room to room.

SB Magazine sat down with the Yvonne Dalvin to find out how she—along with her contractor husband, Brian—so elegantly created a design with an eye on a warm family home perfect for entertaining.

What inspired this home’s design?

“Inspiration for us came in many forms, over many years. We were very fortunate that we got to renovate this house from the ground up, literally! Brian originally built this home in 2009. So, after looking at all the homes he had built over the years, talking with his clients, flipping through magazines for ideas, and, of course, living here for fourteen years—we easily figured out what did and didn’t work. We understood what we truly used and what needed to be discarded. And, most importantly, we knew where to delete and where to add. Ultimately, we wanted to design this house to age in place—to be able to entertain, as well as have the ability to accommodate future grandchildren.”

egantly created a design with an eye on a warm family home “Inspiration for us came in many forms, over many years. We were very fortunate that we got to renovate this house from the ground up, literally! Brian originally built this home in 2009. So, after looking at all the homes he had built over the add. Ultimately, we wanted to design this house to age in place—to be able to entertain, as well as have the ability to throughout the interior spaces. I felt that—with all the fur nishings, bright colors, fun wallpapers, and fabrics—you

What did you want as the end goal for your house design? For it to be traditional, yet modern design—with artsy feel throughout the interior spaces. I felt that—with all the furnishings, bright colors, fun wallpapers, and fabrics—you

would really set off the house and bring some dramatic elements to the French-Acadian style.

What was your biggest obstacle in designing the home?

We were bound by an existing slab and odd shaped lot. The largest challenge was finding out where we could and couldn’t add square footage. Some areas we were able to go out, others we could only go up.

How did you choose the color palette?

Mrs. Gina Jenkins of Jenkins Construction helped with the color palette. We wanted a neutral and light wall color to really showcase the patterns and colors of the upholstery, drapery, and wallpaper.

What was your favorite room to design?

The kitchen is the winner handsdown. Not out of necessity, but because I’m too happy there. Why should I move? I enjoy company and can easily sit eight people at the island. The pantry doors came from Belgium and were handpicked from The Corbel in Jackson, LA. The kitchen, because of its proximity to everything—I miss nothing that goes on. A close second? My master closet. I really enjoyed watching it come to life.

Did a particular element tie the design together?

The porte-cochère on the exterior really added a complete element to the exterior and helped ties the old with the new.

What is your favorite feature of the home?

“Lots of favorites, but probably “Lots of favorites, but probably all of the smart home features really stand out. The automation systems that allow us to control everything remotely—lighting, security, entertainment, etc.— through phones or computers has been a game changer. There is nothing more relaxing than knowing that all your systems are optimized for efficiency without you having to monitor everything.”

Tell us about some of the special and custom touches throughout.

The pantry doors were hand-made in Belgium and we purchased them from The Corbel. The hood, along with the stair railings, were custom-made by Mark Ross at DMR Mechanical. Each bedroom can serve as its own master suite, with its own bathroom and walk-in closets. Obviously the master its own bathroom and walk-in closets. Obviously the master closet, with an eleven-foot island with glass tops for jewel closet, with an eleven-foot island with glass tops for jewelry display and other personal items. The master bedroom also has its own laundry room, apart from the kid’s laundry also has its own laundry room, apart from the kid’s laundry room—which is, of course very convenient and efficient.

What makes this project uniquely yours?

There isn’t anything specific. I’m always bursting with inspiration to try something different; however, I do think my personality is shown in the interiors. I think they are not only personality is shown in the interiors. I think they are not only artsy and modern—with all the custom furniture and décor— but always chic, relaxing and approachable. I’m a laid-back kind of girl and I get that real life happens in these spaces. kind of girl and I get that real life happens in these spaces. They make me feel homey and comfortable. I know firsthand what’s going to be practical and what isn’t. fireplace, as well as the brick in the master bedroom, is off of an old building. We wrote bible verses and quotes on the backside of the walls in every room. The kitchen drawers that have lots of my personal touches for how I cook and store things. Finally, the small windows on the porte-cochère are actually two storage rooms, which are great for storage instead of using the attic. Many of the items were salvaged from old building materials, like the brick—giving the home a sense of history and casual elegance. Needless to say, there is something about all this décor that makes this house feel like a home.

fireplace, as well as the brick in the master bedroom, is off of an old building. We wrote bible verses and quotes on the backside of the walls in every room. The kitchen drawers that have lots of my personal touches for how I cook and store things. Finally, the small windows on the porte-cochère are actually two storage rooms, which are great for storage instead of using the attic. Many of the items were salvaged from old building materials, like the brick—giving the home a sense of history and casual elegance. Needless to say, there is something about all this décor that makes this house feel like a home.

Brian and Yvonne Davlin would like to thank Brian and Yvonne Davlin would like to thank each and every person involved in this project, each and every person involved in this project, including all the subcontractors, suppliers and including all the subcontractors, suppliers and vendors who supplied products, materials, time vendors who supplied products, materials, time and energy into this very large and challenging and energy into this very large and challenging project. House plans drawn by Jack Crawford project. House plans drawn by Jack Crawford and Josh Contairo; Cabinetry, windows and and Josh Contairo; Cabinetry, windows and doors by Custom-Bilt Cabinet and Supply; doors by Custom-Bilt Cabinet and Supply; Plumbing by Peace Plumbing (Jeremy Peace); Plumbing by Peace Plumbing (Jeremy Peace); Plumbing supplies by National Wholesale Plumbing supplies by National Wholesale Plumbing Supply and Coburn Supply Company; Plumbing Supply and Coburn Supply Company; Electrical by Caddo Electrical Contracting Electrical by Caddo Electrical Contracting (Shaun Pendleton and Brandon Greenslate); (Shaun Pendleton and Brandon Greenslate); Site Prep by Performance Demo-Land Company Site Prep by Performance Demo-Land Company (Clint Davlin); Drywall by Cowtown Materials, (Clint Davlin); Drywall by Cowtown Materials, Inc.; Roofing by RSI/Advanced Building Inc.; Roofing by RSI/Advanced Building Products; Lighting by Henson’s Carpet One Products; Lighting by Henson’s Carpet One Floor & Home; Construction trim and frame by Floor & Home; Construction trim and frame by Chad Garcie; Flooring by SJ Flooring (Harold Chad Garcie; Flooring by SJ Flooring (Harold Johnson); Concrete by Red River Ready Mix Johnson); Concrete by Red River Ready Mix (Chris Jackson), Davila Concrete (Chris Davila) (Chris Jackson), Davila Concrete (Chris Davila) and; Pool by Moorehead Pools (Michael Moore); and; Pool by Moorehead Pools (Michael Moore); Interiors by Jenkins Construction (Gina Jenkins); Cabinets Interiors by Jenkins Construction (Gina Jenkins); Cabinets by McDowell Cabinets (Brett Walker); Paint by Caddo Paint by McDowell Cabinets (Brett Walker); Paint by Caddo Paint (Brain Sneadger); Garage Doors by Ark-La-Tex Garage Doors (Brain Sneadger); Garage Doors by Ark-La-Tex Garage Doors (Rocky Burk); Surround Sound by Custom Media Connections, (Rocky Burk); Surround Sound by Custom Media Connections, LLC (William Pendleton); Brick by Acme Brick and McDaniel LLC (William Pendleton); Brick by Acme Brick and McDaniel Masonry (Jared McDaniel); Vent Hood and Handrails by Masonry (Jared McDaniel); Vent Hood and Handrails by DMR Mechanical (Mark Ross); Outdoor furniture by Corner DMR Mechanical (Mark Ross); Outdoor furniture by Corner Collection; Landscaping by Beau Cook Lawn & Landscape Collection; Landscaping by Beau Cook Lawn & Landscape (Beau Cook); HVAC B&B AC Service and Repair (Bobby (Beau Cook); HVAC B&B AC Service and Repair (Bobby Mitchell); and Photography by Marc Gibson. Mitchell); and Photography by Marc Gibson.

What “hidden gems” are in your design?

The fireplace mantles, which are antique beams along with the corbels they sit on, are from The Corbel. The brick on the

Advances in OVARIAN CANCER

Understanding & Treatment.

BY RICHARD MANSOUR, MD

While treatment of cancer has evolved over hundreds of years, the specialized practice of medical and clinical oncology was not widely implemented until the 1960s, due to the progression of chemotherapy treatments. During this time, surgeons, although highly skilled, were not trained in oncologic procedures nor did they have the extensive research, medical image advancement and specialized training like a modern day oncologic gynecologic surgeon has today. Ultrasound was a new but emerging skill for radiologists, CT scans were experimental, and there were no MRI or PET scans. The cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) blood test had not been approved for clinical use. The familial tendency to ovarian cancer due to the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations were yet to be discovered. Much of what we know and practice regarding ovarian cancer has totally changed over the past 50 years.

The importance of mutations in the BRCA1 gene was reported in 1994 and BRCA2 in 1995. Mutations in the BRCA genes gives a woman an increased lifetime risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. Three cancer-related mutations in these genes are found in 1 in 50 Jewish people of eastern European heritage and are associated with very high lifetime risk for breast and ovarian cancer. Although BRCA mutations are most common in families who have Jewish ancestry, they also appear in Caucasian and African American women. We now know the incidence of ovarian cancer in BRCA mutation carriers is markedly reduced if an oophorectomy, the surgical removal of one or both ovaries, is performed at age 35 for BRCA1 and age 45 for BRCA2. Surgical standards have advanced in numerous ways. Multiple studies have reported improved outcomes when ovarian cancer surgery is performed by a gynecology oncology surgical specialist versus a general surgeon or a general gynecologist. These outcomes are due to the extensive training and experience of a gynecologic surgical oncologist. Chemotherapy has had major improvements over the past 40 years as well. Cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug, was applied to ovarian cancer in the 1980s, followed by the more tolerable Carboplatin in the 1990s. In the late 1990s, Paclitaxel was successfully added to Cisplatin and Carboplatin, achieving deeper and longer remission than ever seen before in both advanced ovarian cancer and post-operative adjuvant therapy. A more recent advance was the finding that pre-operative chemotherapy with Paclitaxel and Carboplatin increased the surgical success in selected patients with a large intra-abdominal ovarian cancer burden. Large improvements in anti-nausea medications and drugs to reduce bone marrow suppression have improved tolerability of these treatments. Most cases of ovarian cancer are aggressive. Although patients live much longer now than years ago, this type of cancer usually returns and is challenging to control. Successful strategies to keep patients in remission have been elusive in the past, but recently, a class of medications that exploits DNA repair defects, such as BRCA mutations, has been found to sustain remission in a substantial percentage of patients. Medical oncology continues to advance.

I have had the privilege of seeing advanced aggressive ovarian cancer survival after diagnosis increase from 3 to 6 months in the 1970s to 24–60 months in the current era. The quality of life has improved, and the toxicity of the therapy has been moderated. The fellows that we are training today may get to participate in the cure of this disease thanks to past and current clinical trials and research. www.lsuhs.edu/fwcc

Dr. Richard Mansour is a Professor of Medicine and Program Director of Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at LSU Health. September is National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.