The Southern Home

As the sun quietly set, bathing the back patio in its vibrant pink and blues, Kimberly Baugh and Nicholas Verdin welcomed us into The Southern Home. 

The gorgeous new construction began in March 2021, allowing the family to move in August 2021. The four bedroom, two bath DLSD home is the Delacroix II A with Belmont brick color, with white stucco settled on a pond lot. The home features wood-look ceramic tile flooring in the color Legendary Beige, quartz counters in the color Titanium, and a quartz fireplace in the same color as the counters. Built-in bookcases on each side of the fireplace match the bathroom, laundry and Durham-style kitchen cabinets in the color Admiral. Brass hardware is featured throughout the home. 

“A lot of people tend to think there is not a lot of customization when it comes to building,” shared Kimberly. “However, we made the most of what we were able to choose from.”

Some of the things that were customized during the building process included choosing the lot and the floor plan, along with the brick color, exterior stucco color, garage door and outside door colors.

For the interior, they were able to select flooring type and color, cabinet style and color, countertop materials, hardware, wall and trim color and additions of recessed lighting. 

Kimberly takes pride in her home’s style and decor, as she was the decorator. Her style was achieved by mixing old and new items with larger luxury items as statement pieces, along with thrifted vintage and handmade items that add character to the home. 

“I like to think of my home as a modern day French cottage. I like to call my design style Modern Organic. I like my rooms and spaces to be a mixture of raw and refined. I like layering organic elements and colors against modern simplistic lines. This involves a lot of neutral colors and natural materials to create simplistic statements. I like to curate areas of my home that make me happy, creating a stand alone moment in each space.”

“Decor items in the house have to be interchangeable. When I am looking for a particular piece, I have to think, will this also look good in another room if I get tired of it being in here? I also like to upcycle or shop second-hand for items when I can. This gives me the opportunity to bring new life to an item, and also something that most people won’t have. 90 percent of the items on my shelves are thrifted. I like collecting pieces that look like they have a story to tell.”

While Kimberly and Nicholas don’t necessarily have a favorite room in their home, several spaces draw the family together during their everyday routines. 

“Whether it’s lounging on the cloud-like couch by the fireplace or sharing a meal with family at the table or sitting on the back patio watching the sunsets over the pond, each space provides peaceful and serene elements. We love all the windows and natural light, and our view of the pond. The windows also help the rooms to seem bigger than they are,” explained Kimberly. 

The fireplace and built-in bookcases give a cozy feel to the house and make the living room seem warm and inviting. The high ceilings make for a grand appearance when you walk in the front door.

“I like a lot of my items to be at a larger scale,” said Kimberly. “It adds focal points and draws attention to particular areas in a room. Some of my favorite pieces are my larger textured art piece that I made in the dining room, the seven foot Primrose Floor Mirror in the living room and the oversized cloud sofa.”

Kimberly and Nicholas recognized the help of several local businesses during the process of becoming first-time home owners. Melea Eschete, realtor, Chris Prejean with DSLD Homes, and Dufrenes Building Materials. Fresh florals often come from The Floral Hive, owner Lauren Landry, as well as plants and trees from Southern Roots Nursery in Thibodaux. 

“We are first time homebuyers and we plan on being here awhile!” said Kimberly. “Each choice we made from beginning to end throughout the building and decorating process had to serve a purpose. We want our houseguests to feel the way we feel about our home as well.”