Garden Grove

Southern Living, Aug 1998 by Joyner, Louis

a sense of scale

To match the scale of the 12-foot-high ceilings on the first floor, the architect used 10foot-tall cased openings. The doors are 8 feet high instead of the standard 6 feet, 8 inches. The wainscot in the dining room is 40 inches high instead of the standard 36 inches, to be more in proportion with the 12-foot ceiling height.

Proper scale was important for the furnishings too. The designer selected pieces, both new and antique, that were substantial enough to hold their own in the large rooms. "You simplify. You don't use a lot of little pieces of furniture," says Helaine. "Your surfaces are important. Tables need to be big enough to hold large accessories. You don't clutter it up with a lot of little things."

Art was also selected with an eye to scale. "The artwork has to be big," says Helaine. In some cases the designer stacked two smaller prints for added height.

master bedroom and bath

A window seat and a pair of upholstered chairs provide comfortable spots for reading in the master bedroom. Tall casement windows open to the golf course. The spacious master bedroom (see bottom photo) is located on the first floor at the rear of the house. Art throughout the house is large to complement the high ceilings.

A tall mirror wraps the L-shaped dressing area of the master bath. The center portion of the window is mirrored on the inside and covered with a fixed shutter on the outside (see photo at left). The whirlpool tub is set on the diagonal and edged with marble tile.

game room

Conveniently located between the boy's and girl's bedrooms, the game room (see top left photo on page 146) is the social hub of the ground floor. A wicker seating group wraps a 40-inch square coffee table that features drawers for storage. The brick floor leads to the lower entry and the garages; stairs ascend to the first floor. The kids' bar includes an under-the-counter refrigerator.

girl's and boy's bedrooms

Three botanical prints bridge across twin beds in the ground floor girl's bedroom (see bottom right photo on page 146). The crisp, white-on-white matelasse coverlets add to the tropical feel of the shutter-style headboards. The muted plaid of the pillows and draperies echoes the lime green of the walls.

Deep, rich colors give a decidedly masculine feel to the boy's bedroom (see top right photo). The blue-and-white ginger jar lamps repeat the geometric pattern of the sheets. (To page 147)

For directions to the Idea Houses and dates and hours they are open, please turn to page 152.

BUILDER

George Ingle, Inglewood Homes, Harvey, Louisiana

DEVELOPER

English Turn, New Orleans, Louisiana

ARCHITECT

John Bohlke, Inc., Architect, AIA, New Orleans, Louisiana

INTERIOR DESIGNER

Helaine Moyse, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

LANDSCAPE DESIGN

Southern Living Custom Landscape Plans,

Birmingham, Alabama

A.M.K. Landscape Services, Inc., Gretna, Louisiana

LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION

Live Oak Landscaping,

Belle Chasse, Louisiana

to order plans

Working drawings for Garden Grove (Plan SL-9808-250) are available from Southern Living Plans. A smaller version is also available. Please specify Alternate (Plan SL9808-253). For ordering information, turn to page 152.