Inside Northside's June/July 2005 issue

Home on the Hill

by Susan Owens

Just east of Hammond, on a plot of land formerly known as “the old Hoover place,” Frances and John Chauvin built, much with their own hands, a rambling ranch house with bunkhouse-style sleeping and eating accommodations for their large family. They staked their claim on that hill, and the hospitable 7 C’s Ranch, named for the seven Chauvin children, was born.

Something extraordinary happened when the Chauvin family homesteaded that open-pasture land, sprinkled with idyllic home sites and sheltered by groves of spreading Live Oak trees. They began a legacy; their piece of earth became home.

The three Chauvin daughters—Nanette, Jayne and Suzanne—married, moved away from the farm, and started their own families. The four sons, however, after living in various other places, returned, one by one, to live on the hill. Tim, Johnny, Steven and Tommy all brought their wives back to the ranch, disproving the conundrum posed by the World War I song, “How’re You Gonna’ Keep ’Em Down on the Farm (After They’ve Seen Paree?)” Obviously, the one who asked that question had never lived in the Deep South, or tasted Mama Frances Chauvin’s homemade pies.

Tim Chauvin and his wife, Lori, returned first, and they are the true farmers, living in a stylishly converted dairy barn where they grow, cultivate and wholesale beautiful flowers from Petal Farms.
Johnny and Michelle came next. They renovated and updated a simple old farmhouse, creating a home that is a respite for them and their two active daughters. Johnny is a local radio personality, and the couple also owns and directs a professional photography studio that is based in Hammond.

Steven and Robin then built their new home to mirror the straightforward farmhouse style of the other houses and buildings peppered across the landscape. In fact, they built it twice. Their second house was constructed on the same site as the first, which burned shortly after they had completed construction. Their two sons go their separate ways to college and to high school, and Steven and Robin each pursue their careers in the automobile industry and marketing.

Tommy and Vikki Chauvin were the last ones to return. And they did it in style. They staked out their piece of the farm and dreamed big. They were not new to renovation and construction, as Tommy had had his hand in the design and rebirth of the other houses on the farm. They knew exactly what they wanted, or so they thought. To give form and substance to their ideas, they turned to Jeffrey Smith and Pierre Theriot, architects with the Holly and Smith architecture firm. The Chauvins’ timing was perfect.

Pierre says, “We had just begun to develop a plan to incorporate a lot of new ideas into our work. We were studying architects whose work had a rich enduring connection to the climate and to the context of the region where the houses are located.” The talented architectural team was sparked by the “contemporary expression” of those fellow visionary architects. “And to our surprise, Tommy and Vikki were leaning—ever so slightly—in the same direction that we had already headed in our work.”

Tommy remarks, “We came to the first planning meeting with some of the typical ideas about what we wanted in a house—high ceilings, wood floors, porches, light and airy rooms, a swimming pool.” What happened along the way was a remarkable change for Tommy and Vikki.
“They brought to the table a great interest and respect for the creative process. Tommy is a talented artist and Vikki has great taste,” Pierre notes.

Tommy says, “That two-year design, bidding and re-design process with Pierre Theriot and Jeff Smith changed my taste completely and forever.”

It became abundantly clear that Jeffrey and Pierre take very seriously their responsibility as architects to make the world a better place through design. Coming up with great ideas for the Chauvins and others who want to live in their built environment in harmony with the natural setting of their homes is not their only challenge. The most pressing problem facing architects and homeowners today is price. But they worked through that challenge, too.

Their general contractor, John Wilson, and his talented cast of carpenters, subcontractors and artisans scratched their heads, rolled their eyes and gave form and dimension to the plans that had come to them as lines and notes on paper.

“The design of the Chauvin house respects the owners’ request to live within simple familiar forms and spaces in a contemporary setting,” says Jeff. “The solar orientation is a response to understanding the harsh semi-tropical South Louisiana climate. They incorporated minimal exposure on the east and west, and large overhangs on the south.”

The simple gabled and hipped roof forms express the context of the Florida Parishes vernacular homes. The enduring exterior materials, such as corrugated-metal roofing and painted lap siding, are compatible with the other farmhouses on their land and in the region.

Tommy and Vikki enthusiastically embraced the idea of tailoring a new house to fit their taste and lifestyle. The human-scale rooms are rooted in simple daily doings. When Tommy describes the process, he says, “The house began as ‘living pods.’” The more public living, dining and cooking areas are defined by walls with openings visually connecting the spaces to each other and to the sweeping views of both the oaks to the front of the house and the Roy Dufreche-designed pool and spa just beyond the back porches.

They enter the master bedroom suite through custom-made double wood-and-glass doors. The building’s interior structural system is open and honest. Laminated pine beams, stainless steel cable system handrails, a freestanding brick fireplace, oak flooring, natural granite and glass materials are found on the ground floor and visually connect the eye to the loft studio and upstairs workout space. Most importantly, the intimately scaled and purposely placed porches and decks connect Vikki and Tommy in a very personal way to the sun, the moon and the stars.

The Chauvins worked with the architects and designers to develop a neutral color palette for all of their interior construction materials and finishes—granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, glass and ceramic tile.

Keeping with the idea of quality over quantity, they eliminated clutter and carefully edited and placed their collections of antique furniture and art. Next, they sprinkled in a few classic contemporary pieces, juxtaposing them against the serene neutral backdrop. The result is both a study in contrasts and a striking harmony of various forms that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Tommy and Vikki share the love of land, and, in particular, “The Farm.” That respect for land and home is a theme that has resonated throughout all of Southern literature. And it is that same palpable spirit that is alive in the Chauvins’ home.

It has been said that it is to the rural home that travelers return to connect with their roots. Home is where our history begins, and in the case of Tommy Chauvin and his wife Vikki, this award-winning home is where life is happening.