Like many New Orleanians who grew up on the Eastbank, Lauren Goldstein did not consider crossing the river. Eventually, finances compelled her to do so.
“I don’t think I had ever visited the West Bank until I was an adult,” said the Riverbend-area native. “I ended up on Algiers Point as a renter and I loved it! It was so affordable, and it had so many draws. After Craig (Mulcahy) and I married, we ended up in Old Gretna, but we kept trying to get back to the Point.”
That opportunity came with the low interest rates available during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when they bought their four-bay Greek Revival cottage, which was built circa 1860.
Once a double, prior owners converted the house into a single-family home in the 1980s. The Mulcahys have done nothing to alter the floor plan since they moved in with their two children, but plan an eventual renovation of the kitchen.
“I feel like the floorplan was well thought out,” said Craig Mulcahy. “The house has different moods in different spaces. The front of the house is more formal, so it is the adult space. The back of the house is more family oriented. This home accommodates us perfectly. “
Having a guest house behind their home that spans the width of the property allows the Mulcahys to work from home while also providing accommodations for the many guests who visit from Craig’s native Stafford, England.
“There is a sense of openness here,” said Craig, who is a professional photographer, and musician. “I think it’s because of the proximity of the river.” He met his future wife through mutual friends while touring with his band.
“Crossing the bridge makes life here feel removed and open,” Lauren said. “We like the separation. Now we wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
The family furnished the home with an eclectic mix of mid-century modern pieces, thrift store finds, scores from Facebook Marketplace, antiques, and the occasional splurge.
The home retains most of its original architectural gifts, including 12-foot ceilings, cypress pocket doors between double parlors, heart pine floors, some mantles, Greek key details in the door surrounds, and operable transoms. Thoughtful accents added during a prior renovation include an abundance of built-in bookcases that accommodate collections of books, plants, artwork, and family photographs. As is the case with the homes of most musicians, instruments join artwork on the walls.
The family room at the rear of the home opens onto a spacious covered porch, which is arranged as an outdoor living room. The guest house is across the yard.
“I love being in the front of the house in the morning because the light is so beautiful,” Craig said. In caring for the home, he honed his woodworking skills. “I take care and spend attention being sympathetic to details, like keeping window latches period appropriate.
“Many people have stopped by to tell us stories about the house,” he said. “This house has been a part of many people’s lives. A lady in her 90s stopped by telling us she lived here as a child. The house has had a life of its own.”
Take a tour of this home and six other private residences (and one bonus) at PRC’s Spring Home Tour, presented by Entablature Design + Build, April 5 and 6 in Algiers Point!
