Sweeter Than Honey
March 30, 2021
Nicholls professor apologizes after offering students bonus points for taking COVID vaccine
March 30, 2021
Pouring their slab just days before the world shut down due to Covid-19, Paul and Lora Ledet’s home is as unique as their building experience. As the second generation owner of Chris Ledet Homes, Paul has been building homes in the area for a decade, but this build was anything but typical. “My subs needed to keep working. They were afraid, just like everyone else. So I said, ‘we’re going to buckle down here.’” In conjunction with 50 consecutive days without rain, they were able to complete the build in just five months. “It’s unheard of, but we all worked hard and late hours, sometimes they were still here at 7 p.m. We really got to know each other and become friends. I think during that time, we all needed it,” Paul recalls.
As a school teacher, Lora wasn’t working at the time due to school closures. She remembers, “We’d pack an ice chest for dinner every night and we’d come here and sit on our unfinished back porch and the kids would play in the gravel and dirt. And the girls got to watch their dad build their house. I have fond memories of it.”
With the help of Anna and Will Soniat at Soniat Architecture, the Ledets were able to achieve their goal of a Modern Acadian home. Simple furnishings and sporadic pops of color throughout keep the space light and airy. Centered around a turf courtyard, the 1,850 square foot living home features 1,500 square feet of porches as well as a separate 350 square foot office allowing Paul to work from home.
“My dad worked from a home office and I remember him being there. He was there to eat breakfast with us, and when we got home from school. That stayed with me, and I wanted the same thing for my kids,” Paul explains. “Having meetings at night with clients is also easy, it’s just a walk away.”
Connected by a breezeway, the office is a separate space, but all under one roof and opening to the central courtyard. “ The concept was to have a shielded courtyard that’s its own oasis with a brewery vibe,” Paul says with a smile.
Another unique feature is a custom bed in their daughters’ room. A custom bunk bed with entrances from opposite sides is built into the house in the center of the room. “My heart is in Anna and Julia’s room. It’s something they can grow with. With the bed being in the center of the room, it’s like they are sharing a room, but not really. It creates a versatile space that can be closed in to create two separate rooms in the future.”
Clean, custom white oak cabinetry by KrisBuilt out of Baton Rouge is the center of attention in the main part of the home. Topped with two centimeter white quartz throughout the kitchen and bathrooms, the architecture of the home remains the focal point. In the kitchen, a connected island and dining table with a grain matched waterfall edge anchor the room. Concrete flooring with a simple clear coat, by David Masters from Shreveport, keeps the flooring simple but polished.
“Everyday is a hustle and bustle,” smiles Paul. “It’s nice to come home to something so clean. It helps to clear my mind.” POV
