Of all the styles of architecture and decorating around the world very few have taken the best of all the others and made it a little better at correctly that the style often referred to as "French Creole" has managed to do. The truth is that although this type of architecture that New Orleans is famous for is really heavily borrowed from many other cultures and yet uniquely New Orleans at the same time.
Creole architecture for many brings to mind intricate wrought iron work, long shutters (to cover the windows during hurricanes originally), huge windows and doors (these were designed larger than typical homes in other parts of the country to create breezeways for the wind to come through in the sweltering hot summer months), and bright colors that you likely will not find at most one million U.S. dollars neighborhoods. This type of architecture and interior design is also famous for huge balconies-also with wrought iron railing.
The amazing thing about the Creole style of home decorating is that there is no identifiable feature that labels a design style as decidedly Creole. Lagniappe is a term that people have quite often in and around New Orleans. For those who do not know, it means "something extra". From an extra donut to a freebie bookmark and many things in between, that little something extra has a long history in New Orleans from the architecture to the music there always seems to be something extra that you could not get elsewhere.
The interior style of Creole is also very similar. Some consider it gaudy but the locals consider it that little extra and it is. You can find a little Gothic style, a little jazz, and a lot of Mardi Gras in one room and it's totally okay because you get all that and just a little bit of lagniappe too. Decorating in Creole country is an art form that defies logic and yet makes sense for rich culture and heritage that it encompasses.
For those who need a little inspiration who would love to incorporate a little Cajun or Creole spice into their living spaces, perhaps the following suggestions will prove to be helpful.
1) Red peppers. Nothing says spice quite like a red pepper. There are all kinds of items you can find with red peppers in them these days from wallpaper borders hand blown glass peppers, jar toppers, pot holders, kitchen towels, strings of lights for patios-even kitchen canisters decorated with red peppers. There are all kinds of options available to incorporate this theme into your home or a room in your home.
2) Music notes. Most people can not think of Cajun country without thinking about the music that calls this great part of the country home. Music Notes is a great way to symbolize the music that made New Orleans famous.
3) Mardi Gras masks. Many people find that New Orleans symbolizes Mardi gras in their hearts and minds of New Orleans is not the birthplace of Mardi gras. The masks are a way that people from all over the country can get the "spirit of New Orleans' home with them and decorate their homes with that attitude that can only be called Creole in many hearts and minds.
4) Food. Believe it or not the food is as much a part of the Creole home as any other design elements. For this reason a French Creole kitchen is often the way to go when it comes to home decorating in the Creole fashion. The kitchen is the heart of a Cajun home and food is what makes it so heart. Use cans of beans, rice, pastas, and other lagniappe as part of the overall design and you might just be surprised how Creole the room begins to look.
The main thing to remember is that Creole is more of an attitude than a design style. Take the attitude of "No worries" in the design features of your home and you will have the true Creole style to an art.
