Perch Celebrates 13 Years: Perch Picks - Designing Michael Jordan's Birthday Party in NOLA

Also at top of the list of 13 is the time I got to help design and plan Michael Jordan’s birthday party in New Orleans during the NBA All Stars weekend in 2017.  I’m not a big name dropper but I mean it’s Michael Jordan sooo... By chance I sat next to a genius event planner Patti McCarthy on a plane to market in New York forever ago.  We connected right away and are kindred spirits to the core.  I’ve been helping to source a wild array of things for her for events all over the world ever since.  

So when she called me to see if I could help for the NBA AllStars weekend, I obviously could not pass it up!  Patti envisioned a classical New Orleans design vibe but turned on its head a bit 

(a fanciful scheme very near to my heart!)  

These are a few design boards we created for our first meeting.

Thanks to her experienced team, we took a leaking warehouse on South Claiborne and turned it into a gorgeous, ethereal space with 30 seating vignettes, with backdrops of custom wallpaper in a sort of baroque meets psychedelia design that only our creative friends from across the pond, Timorous Beasties could come up with.

Here's a time-lapse of the process... 

We rented items from all over New Orleans including 20 antique crystal chandeliers that floated over the dance floor where Travis Scott played.  

In the center of the space we created a velvet roped “living room” just for Michael and his family replete with his favorite whiskey and cigar.

Before and After...

Perch Turns 13...

Perch Celebrates 13 Years

Well we had planned on a BIG FABULOUS Lucky 13 Soiree set for this very evening (May 13^th) at Perch celebrating our 13 years in business with live music in the courtyard, cocktails, and a little bit of voodoo magic.  

We are hoping to reschedule for some time in the Fall.  

So in lieu of an in-person celebration I thought I’d post a series of 13 of my all-time Perch highlights throughout the years, from my favorite design projects, to events we’ve worked on, publications we’ve been in, custom pieces we’ve made, along with some of my very favorite finds.  Thank you all for your continued support!  We can’t wait to get back to partying with you under our discoball. Stay tuned for a fun Perch retrospective.

Upholstery Archaeology

A year ago we opened our sister company New Orleans Dry Goods - a to the trade atelier/studio specializing in custom upholstery, furniture manufacturing and window treatments.  The talented team includes our head upholstery and carpentry expert Sergio Morales who is a master of his craft and has worked for years building custom cabinets and furniture.  

Since a major facet of our design business at Perch is to source antique and vintage pieces both for our showroom on Magazine Street, as well as for our design projects we (along with area designers & architects) keep the team at NODG busy revamping one of a kind furniture.   

I fell in love with this beautifully hand-carved Louis XVI settee I found at Round Top in Texas.    

 I knew it had some age to it, but I did not realize just how much until Sergio started carefully removing its top layer of fabric which revealed a bit about its long history and the tastes of its previous owners.

A layer of French silk brocade was uncovered beneath.  The style and color of the fabric was popular in Europe during the 18th & 19th centuries but was especially popular here in America during the Civil War.

Civil War Gentleman in silk paisley brocade in a Daguerreotype Photograph

The age of the settee was also made evident by the the casement of the interior filling which was a recycled grain sack.  It is filled with a combination of pine needles, & wiry animal hair, perhaps from a donkey or horse mane.

It was clearly gilded at some point early on which was discovered at it's interior.

As Sergio always says, "The old way is the best way," so he left the original interior as it was, but reinforced it underneath and added padding to smooth out the surface beneath it's top layer.  

While we kept the history & provenance beneath, we chose to breathe new life into this Grande Dame with a completely modern abstract fabric by our friends at The Blush Label.  

This beautiful settee will enjoy many reincarnations for years to come.  

SaveSave

New Lighting at Perch

Let There Be New Lighting! 

Come visit us at Perch to check out our new lighting! 

Ranging from table lamps to chandeliers, contemporary to traditional, we have a wide range of new lighting to choose from that would fit into any home decor. 

These sleek, modern pendant lights will add a contemporary feel to any space. Most of our lighting options come in different finishes, including polished nickel, crystal, and hand-rubbed antique brass. 

This crystal talon table lamp will add a dash of whimsy to any room! 

For a more dramatic touch, add this large black porcelain lamp with linen shade. 

We have lamps for any room, any style! 

Add a touch of traditional class with this crystal chandelier with polished nickel detailing. A classic form with a modern twist! 

And get your sconces to coordinate! 

We have all your lighting needs at Perch so come visit us today! And if you're not local, we ship - check out website, perchneworleans.myshopify.com, or give us a call (504) 899-2122 

Paperwhites Holiday Trunk Show

A Holiday Choir of Blooms Trunk Show 

Paperwhites are coming to Perch and just in time for the holidays! 

Trunk Show featuring paperwhite arrangements from Carol Phillips at Perch 

Friday, November 13 - Saturday, November 14, 2015

Narcissus papyraceus, or paperwhites as we know them, are a perennial bulbous plant that begins to grow as soon as it is planted. Grown indoors, they begin to flower within 3 to 4 weeks reaching full bloom at 6 weeks. Either for a novice or the green-thumbed, these elegant flowers are notoriously easy to grow. 

These beautiful and fragrant flowers can be grown in all types of interesting vessles from antique silverplate pieces to terra cotta bowls and contemporary containers. These graceful arrangements are great for holiday centerpieces or as simple, cheery accents in your home. They are perfect gifts for friends and family, teachers and colleagues or anyone who wants to brighten their space or spirits during the winter months. 

Caring for your paperwhites

Depending on the number of bulbs in the arrangement, placing a few ice cubes atop the soil each week is all it takes for watering. If the blooms begin to bend with the weight and height of the flower, tie a ribbon around a grouping of them for stability, or use a stake or plant support and tie it to the stalk of the bloom for support.

Perch, in conjunction with our paperwhites maven Carol Phillips, will be hosting a trunk show, "A Holiday Choir of Blooms" Friday and Saturday this November 13th and 14th. We will be featuring an array of one-of-a-kind vessels and designs to fit any decor or space. We have gathered beautiful and interesting containers all year especially for this show. Even Carol, herself will be here on Friday to help decide which arrangement is best for you. 

There are many options to choose from, and yes, we will ship! 

So be sure to stop by Perch on Friday, November 13 or Saturday, November 14 

to stock up on your holiday presents, for others and yourself!

Wallpaper is back and more fabulous than ever!

Wallpaper is back and more fabulous than ever!

The new addition to Perch <3

A few months back, we found ourselves drooling over this colorful, fantastical, whimsical wallpaper and thought to ourselves, we MUST have it for Perch!

_________

We called our go-to wallpaper guru Dennis Gauthier who has been in the game for 48 years, and decided to document how he works his magic.

_________

Putting up wallpaper seems easy enough, right?  Wrong! It is so important to have a wallpaper installed by a professional.  Here’s how its done…

The first thing Dennis told us is that when he looks at wallpaper he sees numbers, not patterns.  “You need a really good background in math because it is all geometry”, he said. This had us scratching our heads, because that is the LAST thing we see when we were looking at this beaut!

Figuring out the type of "match" this wallpaper required.

...There are three types of wallpaper "match" patterns…

1. Random Match : where none of the pattern is consistent (e.g. a mural scene)
2. Straight Match : where the pattern is matched identically (e.g. vertical stripes)
3. Drop Match : where the first roll is hung from the top of the roll/pattern, and the next roll is hung midway through the roll/pattern … this is the type of wallpaper we were working with.

While our paper could have been hung as a straight match, the pattern would appear repetitive, and would certainly take away from the etherial charm the “scene” naturally has.

The diagonal effect that is produced by hanging the paper in a Drop Match fools the eye to make the pattern appear larger and more complex. 

He pasted two rolls at a time to allow the paper to get tacky, attaching the top the roll under the picture hanging molding and straightening it after it has fallen “naturally” to the base of the wall. He made it clear that hanging wallpaper in New Orleans is never uniform, as the houses shift so frequently and so much, that lines on walls are rarely even.

Once the roll was up he used a number of tools to brush out and secure the paper to the wall..

• A special roller that adheres the edges of the paper to the wall, and to the next roll
• A large flat brush that pushes out any air pockets and paste buildup that may remain
• A specialized razor blade to cut the roll at the top and bottom to ensure the edges line up perfectly.

Et voilà!

We have a whole library of wall covering books here at perch just waiting for you to come and peruse!

Whether you're looking for a traditional toile, a funky geometric, a modern metallic or a coastal grasscloth, we've got you covered!

Some of our current faves...

Feel free to stop by or call us to schedule an appointment to peruse our wallpaper library.

Perch
2844 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
504-899-2122 T

Summer Sale at perch.

Now through the end of August Many 

In Store Items 

25-75% OFF !!

Call us to check availability.

504.899.2122