KEVIN AND MELANIE CLABERT were looking for land to build on when Katrina hit. After the storm, Kevin heard of a 24-acre site for sale in Folsom. It was owned by an older woman who rode the storm in a mobile home on the property and was ready to sell and leave. The area was perfect for what Melanie and Kevin had in mind. “We love the rolling hills out here, and we wanted a home that was classic in design with a simple, timeless style,” says Kevin. “We also wanted a home to live in with our three girls,” says Melanie. Kevin has a background in construction, and an MBA in construction management; he knew his way around the building business. He says, “We had to build up the site and dig ponds, along with clearing the land of the mangled mess left by the storm.” Kevin and Melanie poured over design books and gravitated to designs by Baton Rouge architect A. Hays Town. The house has many influences of an A. Hays Town home—the heart-pine floors throughout, the Old Chicago brick and the large wooden beams. “The wooden beams were milled after Katrina from the fallen trees on the property,” says Kevin. Jennifer Dicerbo and Chris Piazza of the french mix in Covington helped Melanie and Kevin with >>
Inset: Influences of A. Hays Town are seen in the elements of the Clabert’s home. Right: Arches in Old Chicago brick, roughhewn beams and heartpine floors are seen throughout. 34
Inside Northside
A house where life is lived