Ep. 96: architect Lee Ledbetter

Lee Ledbetter is both an architect and interior designer with a love for combining traditional details with chic Modernism. He joins the show to talk about his book The Art of Place, and the projects in which he helps the client get their dream vision that is both unique and comfortable for their life. Lee also discusses how his homes stay rooted in the deep history of New Orleans, yet create a win-win for function and livability. He also shares his love of smaller homes, why we should embrace the color chartreuse, and the top three things to hit up next time you are in New Orleans. What You’ll Hear on This Episode: Triumphs about homemade essential oil cleaners, black fences, and Ballard clearance shopping spree. Trials regarding carport mishaps, dead grass, and formal yet kid proof dining rooms. Lee’s inspiration behind his book The Art of Place, and how this book showcases his ability to incorporate the historic with the modern and chic. Lee’s background in both interior design and architecture, and why he himself loves working with both other decorators and landscape architectures. How the furniture sketches in Lee’s initial plans serve to get an idea of how the room will best work and function. That there is no wrong or right when it comes to what goes in the room, and it’s most important that the room serves its purpose for how the individuals live and entertain. Lee’s renovations and adaptations of historic New Orleans homes, and how he blends contemporary design mixed with the reverence to the original structure. The English Cottage kitchen of his brother and sister in law that Karen is very jealous of! Why the room feels more like a sitting room than a kitchen. Some interesting facts about his modern home making it to the first on a New Orleans Historic Home list, and what exactly it is about New Orleans that Lee loves so much. How he organizes his library. It’s okay to downgrade if you don’t have a need for more rooms. Lee only has one room in his own dream home! His take on open spaces, and why there is a luxury to height, volume, and open lighting. Advice for someone building a home from the ground up. Mentioned In This Episode All Purpose Cleaner Ashley Whittaker Leather Dining Chairs Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans  Galerie Nathaniel Buster Curtis Robert A.M. Stern Architects The Frick Collection   Decorating Dilemmas: You don’t have to do a floor lamp, instead, Lee would try to find a tall round table like an English Reproduction Antique. If your budget allows for pattern drapery, a printed one would add some height to the room, but it is not a necessity right away. Adding a pair of vertical prints on each side would reinforce the window. The view outside the window is so green and pretty, that using color to unite the spaces would look beautiful. Chartreuse is one that plays great with your existing neutral palette. Please do send us some “after” photos, we can never get enough!