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Versatile Design The simple beauty of modern lines

by Amanda Jean Harris

The simple beauty of modern lines

John Arceneaux’s home on Emma Drive is not your average Lafayette property. It’s clear at first blush with the mammoth rolling garage door made of glass that opens to a living space with 23-foot ceilings that create an indoor/outdoor feeling when opened (and even when closed thanks to all that glass) and carries through with a layout that means a functional full home or even two different homes. And it’s certainly in the details of an eco-friendly design.

“It’s flexible,” says Realtor Setareh Mirian-Delcambre of Mirian Real Estate, who has listed the 3,425 square foot property off Mall Street near Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.

Houston-based architect Cameron Armstrong was tasked with designing the home that looks much like an industrial metal warehouse without the cold vibe inside.

“It has a surprisingly personal feeling,” Delcambre says. Despite more industrial elements like exposed steel and concrete floors, there are also unexpected dashes far less modern — a claw foot tub in the master bathroom and warm oak floors throughout the second story of the home — that lend a coziness to the space.

The kitchen is nearly all commercial grade with pantry space and organization that’s more like a restaurant kitchen than the average home. There is a large picture window in the kitchen that looks out to the breezeway. Upstairs a healthy-sized balcony overlooks the indoor/outdoor space, which makes it a great fit for a family home of bustling kids while at once functional for entertaining.

“It’s really a blank canvas,” Delcambre says, noting how great an art lover’s collection would look in the space. “People want to be able to personalize their space and make it their own. This is the kind of home where you could really do that. And it’s really built to last.”

The home is east facing to ensure better energy efficiency, and all windows have low-emissivity glass. The wood floors were made with local oak trees that were knocked down during Katrina. There is little in the way of upkeep, and it’s certainly the only house of its kind on the block.