New Orleans

When I first saw the home of photographer Paul Costello and his wife, Sara Ruffin Costello, a writer and the former creative director of Domino magazine - I instantly wanted more.

Originally from New York, this power couple decided to uplift the family to a slower paced lifestyle in the Garden District of New Orleans. You can see why when you lay your eyes on this two-story Gothic Italianate house with deep gables, arched windows and a facade the color of a sun-faded peach!

The Costellos enlisted the help of the architect Michael Carbine and consulted the original decorator, Gerrie Bremermann — an 87-year-old New Orleans native with whom Sara shared a passion for the interiors of the ’70s modernist John Dickinson — to restore the home to its former grandeur. To make it livable for a modern family, closets were built underneath staircases, gutters were added to the exterior and a charred wood stove was removed from the centre of the kitchen. Everywhere, among the crystal chandeliers and trellised windows, there are signs that this home is meant for living including the dining table which is a Ping-Pong table!

Sara's effortlessly cool vibe translates through out the house and can be clearly seen here in this interview on her how to throw a successful party! How I would kill to go to one of their parties!