What do New Orleans and pancakes have in common?

So what, you might be wondering, what do New Orleans and pancakes have in common?? Well, today is the start of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and it’s also Pancake Tuesday. So obviously, they make a perfect pair for a blog post :-)

I first saw pictures of this romantic New Orleans home over at Alkemie. I just love the soft blues and purples that designer Hal Williamson used. When they started working together, the homeowner showed him her collection of tassels that she had collected in Paris. They were in colours that she loved — purple, pink, citrus green, and a soft swimming pool blue. So Mr. Williamson incorporated all these colours into the home, and the final result is a soft, beautiful, romantic home…

The chandelier, urns flanking the fireplace, mirror on the mantel, and sconce in the living room were found in New Orleans antiques stores. It was important to the homeowner to buy as much as possible in New Orleans to help the economy get back on its feet after Hurricane Katrina.

The dining room features a painting of gospel singer Mahalia Jackson. The homeowner  bought it from a local artist at a booth at the Jazz Fest.

The bedroom is a beautiful soft watery blue. The embroidered silk duvet cover includes all of the homeowner’s favourite colours. The day it arrived, the homeowner’s husband and two dogs took a two-hour nap on it :-)

More beautiful purple and blue in the hallway and sitting room…  

This is the homeowner’s “Ella altar” — otherwise known as the parlour :-)

The banana leaf wallpaper was already in the kitchen. Mr. Williamson didn’t think twice about keeping it — he says that it’s not only a continuation of the courtyard, but it’s fun and the flowers have the purple that the homeowner loves.

The homeowner planted her late grandmother’s gardenias in the courtyard. She brought them from Alabama, stem by stem, with the roots in little jars of water.

And now here’s interior designer Ned Marshall’s colourful New Orleans apartment. Yes, this is an apartment — a 3,800 sq ft apartment!! Take a look at the bright pink sofa and chocolate brown walls that welcome you at the entry…

The chocolate brown continues into the dining room, which doubles as a sitting area. An idea you could incorporate into your own home if you have a nicely decorated but little-used dining room.

And another dual-purpose room — the guest bedroom doubles as a library. Check out the cool headboard.

The master bedroom is… you guessed it, chocolate brown :-) Love the tall baseboards ad simple crown molding.

I absolutely love the floor-to-ceiling windows in the sitting room, which is painted a vibrant orange. Mr Marhsall originally used an orange similar to the Hermes-orange on the chairs, but it was too bright. So he added some umber and some yellow ochre and came up with this colour. Good to know I’m not the only one who doesn’t always get a wall colour right on the first try ;-)

In contrast to the orange sitting room is the second-storey entrance hall. The walls are silver radiator paint with stripes in a grey-tinted glaze. Elegant and pretty :-)

So which do you prefer — the soft colours in the home designed by Hal Williamson, or the strong colours in Ned Marshall’s home??

And now… pancakes!! Not that you need an excuse to eat pancakes for supper, but Pancake Tuesday should give you that extra little boost to whip up a batch of pancakes… and maybe some scrambled eggs… and why not throw in some bacon for good measure :-) YUM!!

This is one of my favourite pancake recipes, from the 1976 edition of Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.

Favourite Pancakes

1-1/4 cups sifted flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 beaten egg

1 cup milk

2 tbsp salad oil

1 tsp vanilla

Sift together dry ingredients. Combine egg, milk, and salad oil; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Bake on got griddle. Makes about eight 4-inch pancakes.

I like to add blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries. Or sometimes I make them with multi-grain flour, which gives them a really nice crunch. However you make them, enjoy your pancakes!! :-)

And Happy Mardi Gras… laissez les bon temps roulez!!

 

Unless otherwise noted, all images from House Beautiful.