The Last House
This Victorian gem was once the last house on its street at the turn of the twentieth century. Today, it sits in the urban core of Lafayette, Louisiana. The house was rehabilitated and restored from a previous triplex division back to a single-family home.
Acadiana Profile Magazine June 2022
The previous owners divided the home into multiple units, likely during the Great Depression. Without any original drawings to fall back on, the SO Studio team had to put the pieces back together.
The original stair, including the newel post, was salvaged and relocated to its original position in the entry hall. Because the conversion to the triplex had cut the ends of the treads, a sidewall was added to cover the cut edge. The original lath used for the plaster was left exposed on the ceiling in this part of the home as a witness to the original plaster finish—a finish rarely seen in rural areas, indicating that the family could afford to hire plaster workers when building this home.
“We’ve both lived in so many places, this is it, we’re never moving again.”
Mark Robson, House Owner
Rooms beyond the entry area did not, however, haveplaster, and as a result, the ceiling was left with exposed tongue and grooveshiplap. This shiplap was wallpapered, a finish more common in rural areasduring the Victorian era.
The clients chose a cool gray exterior paint color and white trim to accentuate the home’s gingerbread detailing. Though it originally had a 270-degree wrap-around porch, they reduced the porch’s footprint to 180 degrees to add more living space.
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