Tour this and other stunning private homes in the historic Garden District during the PRC’s 50th annual Holiday Home Tour presented by McEnery Residential on Dec. 13 & 14.
Click here for tickets and tour details.
The Gilmour-Parker House at 2520 Prytania St. was one of New Orleans’ first examples of asymmetrical facade arrangement, but its verdant garden was what really sold Erin Biro and Cuong “CJ” Bui, who, since moving in, have grown their family to six.
In March 2020, their third child was born. It was the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the couple was living in a condo downtown with no outdoor space. “I almost lost my mind,” Biro said. But when she stumbled on the property at just under half an acre, she knew it was a rare find.
Designed by Isaac Thayer in 1853 for the Gilmour cotton merchant family, it was sold in the 1870s to the Parker family, whose son served as governor of Louisiana and often hosted his friend Theodore Roosevelt.
“The family [who moved in] afterwards, the wife’s niece was Helen Keller,” Biro said, adding that Keller had been to the house. “To be a part of that history and to be able to shepherd the house onto the next generation is exciting.”
Now, they’re creating memories of their own, transforming the garden into a hub of activity with lemon and satsuma trees, alongside butterfly bushes planted for their children.
Photo by Liz Jurey/PRC
Photo by Liz Jurey/PRC
Photo by Liz Jurey/PRC
Photo by Liz Jurey/PRC
Photo by Liz Jurey/PRC
Photo by Liz Jurey/PRC
Photo by Liz Jurey/PRC
Photo by Liz Jurey/PRC
“There’s little hidden paths throughout the gardens that the kids have found,” she said. “When we first showed the kids the house, Christian was about 5 at the time and the first words out of his mouth were, ‘Woah, where’d this park come from?’”
Biro credits Gregg Porter, the property’s longtime landscaper and horticulturalist, for the expertly manicured gardens. He worked with the property’s previous owner, Mary Louise Christovich, a writer and preservationist, and her husband William. Porter planted the garden post-Katrina and has maintained the yard since.
As lush and layered as the garden is, the interior of the home offers its own kind of sanctuary. Biro said it needed intensive renovation, but she and Bui saw it as an opportunity to make the house their own. Throughout the home, they’ve added to the property’s original character, preserving historic medallions and moldings, while adding their own “transitional contemporary” style.
At the end of their entryway beneath the original floating curved staircase hangs a wiry, beaded dress sculpted by Key-Sook Geum. It’s just one of the home’s many opulent pieces.
Their living room showcases a range of period pieces, from Biro’s mother’s piano — an 1850s Weber grand with ornately carved rosewood — to their retro Camaleonda sectional sofa.
Over the years, they’ve incorporated pieces from their travels, including an extensive wine collection displayed in a floor-to-ceiling glass case.
“We wanted to be able to protect the wine in a temperature-controlled manner and meld that with our more contemporary transitional design aesthetic,” Biro said.
The couple continues to curate the space with art and memories, adorning their dining room with custom-framed menus from their favorite restaurants. It’s one of their many personal touches.
But Biro said her favorite part of the renovation has been choosing new light fixtures. They’ve chosen a range of installations, featuring brutalist brass, Murano glass and even LED ropes.
“That’s the one part that I wanted to speak more to our design aesthetic and personality,” she said.
