If what they say is true—that a home is like a body—then standing on LaSalle Place in 1910 would have been like listening to New Orleans’ own heartbeat. Beneath outstretched arms of ancient oaks, the rhythmic clatter of horse-drawn carriages mingled with distant strains of early jazz. LaSalle Place was more than a street; it was an artery nourishing the city’s flourishing growth spurt. Newly built neighborhoods veined across the landscape. And at the heart of this legacy stood 11 LaSalle Place, its bones crafted from longleaf pine and cypress timbers harvested from the forests of Mandeville, one of the nation’s top lumber-producing cities.
Today, nearly 114 years later, the Northshore continues to bring new life to the enduring charm of New Orleans’ homes. Nestled in Audubon, 11 LaSalle Place—recently redesigned by the expert design firm Greige Home Interiors—has emerged as a fusion of historic elegance and modern sophistication.
“To arrive at the home,” says project manager Ryan Jordan, “you drive through 100-plus-year-old oaks and onto a brick-paved road.” Situated within a privately-walled compound, the historic estate comes into view.
As you pass through the entrance of the home, you are greeted by gleaming pine floors, which accentuate the finely crafted millwork and elegant crown molding. The foyer opens into a formal dining room and an expansive living area where a wall of French doors reveals the meticulously landscaped grounds, merging the indoor and outdoor spaces.
“This design was unique,” Ryan says, “because we crafted visually striking spaces with custom furniture, furnishings, and lighting fixtures.” Guided by the belief that a home’s interior should mirror the beauty and intentionality of its exterior, Ryan’s careful attention to detail is evident everywhere. “The relationship between exterior and interior of the home was greatly influenced by the full wall of windows in the main living and entertaining space of the home. We used original art, décor, and finishes to pull the exterior in.”
A grand staircase ascends to the second floor, where a set of antique chandeliers casts a warm glow along the hallway leading to the primary suite. This suite embodies the home’s refined elegance. The handcrafted chandeliers evoke a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era. To Ryan and his team, these fixtures held a unique allure, becoming, as he describes, “the main inspiration for our project”—a centerpiece that bridges history and luxury, the past and the present. “Designing with custom fabrics and the blending of antique and new,” Ryan explains, “is what makes a space feel truly special to individual homeowners.” And perhaps the true takeaway from this project is a paradoxical one: that sometimes, in order to move forward, we must go back to retrieve what is worth preserving.
Over time, cars replaced the horse-drawn carriages that once rolled down LaSalle Place, and the rhythmic clatter of hooves gave way to the quiet hum of engines. Yet, 11 LaSalle Place remains a sanctuary of sophistication that celebrates the marriage of tradition and modernity, past and present. For those who visit, the home stands as proudly as it did over a century ago, its walls quietly recounting New Orleans’ history—echoes of elegance woven into every corner. As Ryan notes, “The beauty and experience of this home is an inspiration in itself.”
In the end, 11 LaSalle Place is more than just a home; it’s a living legacy, an alchemy of architecture and design that bridges the Northshore and New Orleans, the past and the future, the early 20th century with our own—a place where each room, finish, and fixture tells a story worth preserving.
A home’s interior should mirror the beauty and intentionality of its exterior.