J. E. Schram Architect

This Creole West-Indies Raised Cottage is nestled into the back of the Traditional Neighborhood Development of Walnut Grove in Southwest Louisiana. A community built with the simple goal of timelessness and being rooted in its place … its vernacular traditions. The design of this home draws its inspiration from the colonial period of Louisiana and one of the oldest remaining residences in the state… the iconic 18th century New Orleans dwelling … the Pitot House.

In creating our rendition, we incorporated the language of A. Hays Town and the influence of vernacular progression. While the house’s entry gallery sits beside the neighborhood’s network of tree-lined sidewalks, it’s otherwise pulled back in a romantically private setting, overlooking its parterre garden. In moving around the buildings, one can see how the “additions” create a nestling of masses that appear to have been assembled over time.

In the end, la Maison Bosque is a home built for a modern family, with the expectations of contemporary living, but with all of the benefits of centuries of architectural details formed by Louisiana’s landscape, climate, and history of intense weather events. In its short time, it has already proven the value of its vernacular traditions.

Designed while practicing as the Village Architect of Walnut Grove and Principal of the Walnut Grove Design Group

Landscape Architect: Broadlands Inc.
Builder: Walnut Grove Construction
Photography: Adam Macchia

This West-Indies residence is most noted for its details…the pavilion roof…turned posts over Corinthian columns … the dramatic shutter wall gracing the entry to its porch and adorned by its whimsical, custom gas lantern, offering a warm and welcoming glow to all who visit.

But Bartlemy House is more than that … it’s an anchor to a street corner in a Traditional Neighborhood Development, providing a graceful experience to drivers and pedestrians alike … it’s a bridge, as it connects multiple parts of the community together as the scale of the buildings change around it … it’s a terminus, holding the valiant position of the terminated vista of a street beyond the park, creating not only a backdrop but an icon in the distance upon arrival.

In the language of vernacular progression, one can see how the different assemblages may have come together over time. As a piece of the Louisiana landscape, it is bringing together different aspects of its cultural history, primarily as a West-Indies urban dwelling, but with elements of New Orleans’ Creole heritage and flair. Bartelmy House plays many important roles, but it’s mostly being that of home … home to its colorful and creative, loving family.

Designed while practicing as the Village Architect of Walnut Grove and Principal of the Walnut Grove Design Group.

Builder: Walnut Grove Construction
Photography: Adam Macchia

This grand “house with a story” sits at the back of an established neighborhood along an old coulee. In the tradition of antebellum-era homes in South Louisiana, the house fronts the waterway, while offering a gracious rear elevation to those who arrive by land. The home, reminiscent of those by A. Hays Town, is made up of multiple buildings that appear to have been constructed at different times.

The Owner’s Cottage has the primitive details of an Acadian cabin, while the Main House is executed in the more refined, but still simple, Creole tradition. A Carriage House is seemingly the final building of the compound, standing as an axial terminus as one enters the motor court, functioning as an outdoor foyer to the home.

Maison Coulee Mine’s porches serve as the outward identity of the house, with each one serving its own purpose. The porches maintain a constant, comfortable environment and make the home feel both graceful and inviting.

Landscape Architect: Walsh Landscape Architecture
Photography: Eric Roth

This charming, traditional American Farmhouse was created in conjunction with Our Town Plans and tells a story of how these simple, every-town mainstays often adapt over time to accommodate the ever-changing needs of the new, modern family. 

Its wrap-around front porch and large chimney immediately welcome one into a comfortable place that feels so familiar, while its infilled porch bay gives a nod of what’s to come, hinting at the changes that’ll be experienced within. Once crossing the threshold, the Living Room is opened to the home’s large kitchen, while still anchored by the expected traditional fireplace. There’s a glimpse through a transom-crowned cased opening into the dining room that now lives on the porch … in the garden … the perfect place to spend each meal. Traditional mouldings and details contrast modern amenities such as a down-stairs master suite and mud/laundry. 

The Bridget Farmhouse proves that you can actually have it all … charm, grace, timelessness and a modern lifestyle.

Interior Designer: J. E. Schram Architect
Builder: The Par Group
Photography: Adam Macchia

This Shingle Style residence began with the client’s love of Robert A. M. Stern’s Life Magazine Dream House. The home was originally conceived by the firm as a well-designed, yet attainable Shingle Style residence that was intended to raise the bar of builder’s houses. As stated by RAMSA, the home is a “compact shingled mass relieved by porches, shuttered windows and dormers.” To achieve the goals and expectations of the client, J. E. Schram adjusted the design, albeit, while respectfully honoring the original.

The home rests along a gentle hillside, offering a commanding view of the forward gable upon arrival, while an allée-framed series of lawn stairs gracefully connect the rear of the home to the principal green. Intended to evoke the charm and grace of an old house yet address contemporary living, a large kitchen and integrated dining space are at the heart of the home and open to a sun-drenched den. This extended area serves as the hub of daily life.

Meanwhile, the grandeur of the great room with its 14’ ceilings and open staircase offers a cozy respite by way of the inglenook for a bit of fireside reading. This space flows to the veranda via French doors, making a connection between the indoor and outdoor living areas. The home offers an elegant lifestyle and genteel humility in a single composition.

Interior Designer: Hall & Co.
 Landscape Architect: Walsh Landscape Architecture
Builder: J Paul Builders
 Photography: Erin Horton

This bold new home exemplifies a marriage between the tradition of the English Arts & Crafts movement with the bright and airy environment of the contemporary American Farmhouse. The romantic assemblage of building massings with their simple, yet dramatic roof forms embrace the Entry Court, while the bright white masonry and contrasting windows and woodwork bring it into its current time and place.

While the front presents a more private and humbly scaled façade, the rear is expansive and filled with glazing, almost turning the home inside-out, especially in the evening when it sits as a lantern in the garden. Upon entering the front porch, one is given a glimpse of that outdoor connection with the axis through the home, but the traditional plan offers only a tease of what’s to come … discovering the rest as you pass through the home.

Chalet de Colibri is truly a traditionally-rooted home that is built for modern living. 

Interior Designer: Lauren Hurlbrink Interiors
Landscape Architect: Beechbrook Landscape Architecture
Builder: Delbert Adams Construction
Photography: Adam Macchia