The new traditional takes a modern touch, mixing elements both bold and familiar with an eye toward the future and a nod to the known.
Photos by Robin May
There are many ways to describe design - for the design set, that is. For rest of the world, however, there are two primary categories - traditional and modern. And while it's without debate that the first of those two rules in Lafayette, the truth is that many people want the best of both worlds. They cling to what they know and love all the while craving something fresh and new. This month we found a home designed with both in mind. It's the way traditional goes modern. And it's just the way Todd Zimmerman does things.
When the man who helms Design by Todd was tasked with shaking things up at the home of Frank Arceneaux and Terry Judice, the couple who love antiques was looking for someone to take the home in a younger direction while maintaining many of the pieces they loved. Their other directive - bring in persimmon.
"It's a clean, edited look, yet still traditional," Zimmerman says while standing in the beautifully-appointed living area.
The focal point of the room, at first glance, is the bold persimmon rug. The piece (a bargain from West Elm) is just the way to bring a more youthful feel into a space, along with Ikat print pillows and a chair recovered in the trending print.
"That big exaggerated scale of the rug has a youthful feel," Zimmerman notes.
And while Ikat is all the rage now, it may not be in a few years, which is why they added it only to accents.
An exquisitely tailored sofa in linen anchors the space with clean lines and plays background to the pillows. The hand carved, high end lamps flank each side, giving a luxe vibe to the room. (A swap of the rug and pillows would create an entirely different space, points out Jen Kemzuro, also of Design by Todd).
While the living area is full of warm colors, the kitchen is a cool oasis of style.
"This is inspired by an Uptown New Orleans home," Zimmerman says of the luxuriously simple space. Antique mirrors trim many of the cabinets, where knobs of nickel are sleek. The brick walls were painted white as well as a hutch that boasts exceptionally unique panels.
The diaphanous white leaves are not imagined to look authentic. They are leaves that have been stripped to their core and then infused into plexiglass before being placed on the cabinets. And a simple Southern bell jar light fixture sits in the middle of the space.
So while the kitchen is quite the clean design, there is a warmth throughout the entire house that is easily achieved when the right parts of modern and traditional are blended - of course by the right designer.
