Built in 1905, Brad Walton and Mary McCarthy’s five-bay center hall cottage is trimmed in the Eastlake style with turned columns, balusters in the shape of table and chair legs, and a porch embellished with brackets, piecework and spindle bands. The facing on the oak-shrouded home’s unusual Dutch roofline is trimmed in fish-scale shingles.
At the time it was built, more sedate architectural styles, such as Arts and Crafts and Neoclassical Revival, were taking hold, but some builders still gravitated to the fanciful designs of the Eastlake style.
At some point in the house’s history, it was divided into a double with two families sharing the center hall entrance. Walton, a piping designer, and McCarthy, regional director of operations for a tugboat company, now are restoring the 3,000-square-foot home to its original architectural intent. One side of the house will serve as the couple’s private space, the other as a generous guest space for their many out-of-town visitors. The living room and open kitchen on the guest side also will serve as a gaming space where Walton can enjoy the many board games he collects.
McCarthy, a native of Vienna, Va., was fortunate to secure a large portion of her family’s furniture spanning generations. Her great-grandmother’s vintage sofa, dating to the 1930s, is married with more contemporary finds in bright colors from Anthropologie, Joybird and Wayfair.
Walton, a native of Kansas City, Mo., and his future wife met on Mardi Gras in 2013. Their shared passion for New Orleans’ singular holiday are evident in their extensive costume closet and the abundance of personalized throws their parading friends have bestowed upon them. Those treasured pieces have been repurposed as art throughout the home.
Photo by Liz Jurey
Photo by Liz Jurey
Photo by Liz Jurey
Photo by Liz Jurey
Photo by Liz Jurey
Photo by Liz Jurey
Photo by Liz Jurey
Photo by Liz Jurey
