ROYAL STREET RESIDENCES, NEW ORLEANS
Known as “Dr. Mossy’s Cottage” through the writings of George Washington Cable, this early 1800’s duplex cottage had descended into a state of extreme decay when the current owners took possession in early 2011. The building was abandoned and uninhabitable. The renovation of the building reversed unsympathetic 1950’s alterations to window and door openings, repaired structural decay and transformed the building into a comfortable single residence. The floor plan was expanded by 226 square feet using historic markers present on the adjacent property line wall and historic records. The walls were re-plastered, wood floors were installed, the chimney lost in previous remodelings was reconstructed. A slate roof was installed over the cottage and the abat-vent was finished with a historically accurate standing seam metal roof. The work was planned and executed in close coordination with the staff of the Vieux Carré Commission which approved and encouraged each step in the process. The exterior lighting system was one of the first to be approved under the new “Vieux Carré Lighting Standards Guidelines”. The resulting building projects the feel of an early Vieux Carré cottage while including amenities that make it a fully functional residence.
In 2013, the detached two-story dependency was reconstructed as a two-unit residential building with the addition of approximately 1,244 square feet of living space to create an “L” shaped two-story residence. The design used clues from surrounding properties to create a Creole Style dependency that integrates terraces, covered galleries and light filled interior space into spectacular living spaces. The intent of this design was to create spaces that have all of the feel of a mid-19th century French Quarter residence using materials and details that would be entirely familiar to a resident of that time while introducing all of the amenities available in the 21st century. The stucco finished masonry construction and careful detailing of paired wood doors, windows and galleries fully captures the feel of the French Quarter while allowing for open plan contemporary living.