The Craigs' art collection pops against the serene grey and blue color scheme.
The living room features a large flush-mount fixture with brass leaves and organic quartz crystals to add height. Also featured are pieces from the Craigs' art collection.
The living room features a large flush-mount fixture with brass leaves and organic quartz crystals, and pale blue draperies reach to the ceiling to add height.
Pattern and texture add energy to the room.
Scot and Stephanie Craig have been in their Lakewood South home for only about four months.
Landscaping was done by New Orleans company Ponseti Landscaping.
In the powder room, branch-like sconces play off of the geometric pattern of the navy wallpaper to create the feeling of a larger space.
The exterior is part of the Craigs' update: It gets a glass-paneled double door, squared columns, new gardens by Ponseti Landscaping, and linear gas sconces by Bevolo.
A contemporary coffee table in the living area has a modified arabesque shape and a linen/shagreen finish.
Geometric patterns in furnishings add textural interest.
The Craigs have incorporated their dining table, which has sentimental meaning, into their new décor. Upholstered captain’s chairs at either end and a masculine chandelier with crystal teardrops update the look.
In the master bedroom, luxurious window treatments camouflage a small window and make it appear in proportion to the larger one.
An eclectic mix of artwork shares space in the living area.
The master bath gets a fresh look with a new chandelier over the slipper tub and an abstract painting.
A leaf-pattern chandelier makes a statement in the main bedroom.
Linear gas sconces by Bevolo help update the exterior.
Scot Craig fell in love with the Five Star stove with dual ovens, six burners, griddle and grill. 'If I ever designed a house, I would have a kitchen that would be extravagant, but I loved the stove,' he says.
An eclectic art collection adds energy to the serene blue and gray color scheme.
A contemporary coffee table in the living area has a modified arabesque shape and a linen/shagreen finish.
The Craigs' art collection pops against the serene grey and blue color scheme.
The living room features a large flush-mount fixture with brass leaves and organic quartz crystals to add height. Also featured are pieces from the Craigs' art collection.
The living room features a large flush-mount fixture with brass leaves and organic quartz crystals, and pale blue draperies reach to the ceiling to add height.
Pattern and texture add energy to the room.
Scot and Stephanie Craig have been in their Lakewood South home for only about four months.
Landscaping was done by New Orleans company Ponseti Landscaping.
Geometric patterns in furnishings add textural interest.
In the master bedroom, luxurious window treatments camouflage a small window and make it appear in proportion to the larger one.
An eclectic mix of artwork shares space in the living area.
Linear gas sconces by Bevolo help update the exterior.
Scot Craig fell in love with the Five Star stove with dual ovens, six burners, griddle and grill. 'If I ever designed a house, I would have a kitchen that would be extravagant, but I loved the stove,' he says.
An eclectic art collection adds energy to the serene blue and gray color scheme.
A contemporary coffee table in the living area has a modified arabesque shape and a linen/shagreen finish.
As newlyweds, Stephanie and Scot Craig lived in Mid-City New Orleans above Katie’s, one of the two restaurants they own — Katie’s and Francesca by Katie’s. Eventually, the restaurant needed the upstairs space and the Craigs needed a home separate from the business.
They acted quickly, buying a house in Lakewood North, but in hindsight say they were never completely happy with its layout. Their second chance at finding the right home came in 2020, when a house in nearby Lakewood South hit the market, and this time, the couple decided to hire an interior designer to make the most of the way the house looked and lived.
As newlyweds, Stephanie and Scot Craig lived in Mid-City New Orleans above Katie’s, one of the two restaurants they own — Katie’s and Francesc…
“I wanted a designer to pull it all together,” said Stephanie Craig, noting that while her husband likes to utilize all available wall space, she prefers a more edited approach. “I wanted to do it to reflect our tastes and lifestyle.”
The Craigs hired Kelly Hopkins Brown, of KHB Interiors, to help them lighten and update the house, while also making it cozy and relaxing, a must for their busy lives. He works long hours as executive chef at Katie’s and Francesca; she is the full-time business manager for the UNO Lakefront Arena and helps out with Francesca.
The house had been through a thorough renovation a few years after the post-Hurricane Katrina floodwaters inundated Lakewood South. Although the previous owner, who purchased the house in 2015, did a kitchen refresh and renovated the primary bath, the Craigs found the house to be an inviting blank slate.
The exterior is part of the Craigs' update: It gets a glass-paneled double door, squared columns, new gardens by Ponseti Landscaping, and linear gas sconces by Bevolo.
They fell in love with the large backyard (they plan to add a pool and outdoor kitchen). While Scot Craig wasn’t enamored with the small footprint of the kitchen, its Five Star stove with dual ovens, six burners, griddle and grill checked an important box for the Craigs’ mutual love of cooking.
“If I ever designed a house, I would have a kitchen that would be extravagant, but I loved the stove,” said Craig, who has appeared on several episodes of The Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” among other shows.
The project began with cosmetic updates chosen to take the house from 20th-century ranch with blended architectural influences (round columns and dormer windows for example) to classic brick cottage.
The Craigs have incorporated their dining table, which has sentimental meaning, into their new décor. Upholstered captain’s chairs at either end and a masculine chandelier with crystal teardrops update the look.
The front of the house now has a simpler, cleaner look with a glass-paneled double door, squared columns, new landscaping and linear gas sconces by Bevolo. Inside, the wooden banister was replaced with a custom iron stair rail, and wainscoting was added for architectural detail.
The plan for the kitchen called for lightening and modernizing the existing cabinets with Benjamin Moore’s Edgecomb Gray, adding new hardware and renewing the aqua backsplash with matte light gray porcelain tiles, an update that also is repeated in the wet bar along with marble tile floors.
Because the house has 8-foot ceilings, Brown utilized design techniques that draw the eye upward and visually expand the space.
In the powder room, branch-like sconces play off of the geometric pattern of the navy wallpaper to create the feeling of a larger space.
The existing living room draperies were removed (and reused elsewhere) in favor of full, pale-blue handmade window treatments hung just under the ceiling line. In the primary bedroom, luxurious window treatments were used to camouflage a small window and make it appear larger and more in proportion to the other window in the room.
Similar principles were applied to furniture and art. The china cabinet in the dining room (a mandate from Stephanie Craig, who wanted to display china, silver and glassware) was chosen for its height. Likewise, the impact of a graphic wallpaper and an apothecary sink made from calacatta quartzite enlarges the tiny powder room.
“Large-scale art makes the ceilings feel higher as well,” said Brown.
The couple incorporated a few sentimental pieces, including their dining table, into the new decor. But for the most part, they started over with furnishings.
A contemporary coffee table in the living area has a modified arabesque shape and a linen/shagreen finish.
Touches of warm gold were added into the Craigs' chosen palette of serene grays and blues, and the interior was invigorated with bold, statement lighting. The living room features a large flush-mount fixture with brass leaves and organic quartz crystals; in the primary bath, a chandelier of brass rings and chunky crystal tear drops hangs over the slipper tub; and in the powder room, gold-toned branchlike sconces play off of the geometric pattern of the navy wallpaper.
The Craigs’ colorful art collection includes pieces by Todd White, Jamie Hayes and artists from local art markets. Hanging near the stairwell is one of Scot Craig’s favorite pieces, an oil painting of the City Park Peristyle by Brother Carl Bouchereau, who taught Craig at Brother Martin High School. (As president of the local chapter of the Restaurant Association, Craig is passionate about giving back and works with a variety of organizations, including The Culinary Crusaders at Brother Martin, to teach life skills to young people).
A leaf-pattern chandelier makes a statement in the main bedroom.
Brown also helped source additional art. She found both the large abstract in the primary bath (painted by her neighbor, Emily Brown) and the whimsical egg sculptures mounted in a corner of the living room.
With more things to do upstairs and outside, the Craigs describe the house as a work in progress. But four months after moving in, the homeowners say it’s peaceful and comfortably lived-in.
“Kelly had great ideas, but she didn’t dismiss our ideas,” said Stephanie Craig. “At the same time, she got me out of my comfort zone.”
“I didn’t want them settling," said Brown. "I wanted them to love things.”
Interior designer Kelly Hopkins Brown offers these suggestions:
The master bath gets a fresh look with a new chandelier over the slipper tub and an abstract painting.
DRAPES: Hang drapery just below the ceiling to draw the eye upward and make ceilings look taller.
TALL FURNITURE: Don’t be afraid to use tall case goods.
DETAILS: Add architectural features to draw your eye to them.
LIGHT UP: Add additional lighting like sconces or extra lamps.
THE RIGHT FIXTURES: Use a flush or semi-flush, large-scale light fixtures.
LOOK UP AND DOWN: Use vertical stripes.
MIRRORS: Use a tall mirror or mirrors.
PALE TONES: Stick with lighter furniture.
LOOK UP: Accentuate the ceiling with an accent color, wallpaper or ceiling tiles.
OR, BLEND IN: For clients who like “subtle,” paint walls, ceilings and moldings the same color.
BUILT-INS: If renovating, use full-length glass doors and/or add built-in architectural features.
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