New Orleans has proven against all odds that its culture endures. So when New York-based firm Parts and Labor Design was given the opportunity to refit a historic warehouse near the French Quarter as a property for Portland, Oregon-based Provenance Hotels, the team knew embracing the heritage and the spirit of the Big Easy would be pivotal. Although Provenance provided a general vision for the Old No. 77 Hotel & Chandlery, Parts and Labor had ample freedom in its execution. Regular walks through the city helped influence the overall design aesthetic: gritty but gracious.
“We wanted to create something that was almost based on making an old warehouse habitable,” says Parts and Labor co-owner Jeremy Levitt. “The fact that the hotel is set within the warehouse district prompted us to take photos of the old doors of the metal shops in the area, which had a ton of character and aging.”
The three joined buildings that house the Old No. 77 first debuted in New Orleans as a coffee warehouse and purveyor of trade goods in 1854. The renovation yielded numerous surprises, including different configurations and detailing for each of the hotel’s 167 guestrooms. While custom furnishings are consistent, the varying architecture defines each room with details ranging from exposed or painted brick to sheetrock and modernized glazing.
The bones of the historic interiors serve as a rustic accent to the midcentury modern details gracing the public spaces. Understated, earth-toned fabrics and textiles add warmth, and the city’s French culture impacts the palette as well, evident in the classic library-style millwork and French-inspired blue, green, black, brown, and gray tones. Original hardwood flooring and exposed brick walls are illuminated by custom modern light fixtures, while comfortable bespoke seating is set against a mural recreating the warehouse’s original exterior signage in the lobby.
“We wanted the lobby to be inviting and comfortable, with plenty of nooks for guests to congregate and relax,” says Levitt. “We went for a masculine look with some delicate details while maintaining modern and classic in almost all areas.”
The reception desk is shared with a coffee counter, which flows respectively into the counters for dry goods and to the liquor and raw bars. “With the layout of the hotel, it was important that we create multiple experiences and a blended flow with pockets of energy and interest upon arrival and beyond,” Levitt explains.
Opposite the counter is the hotel chandlery, stocked with items for sale from local artisans and merchants. Through a partnership with the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), reproduced works from students are showcased, infusing the interiors with local flair. The chandlery doubles as a gallery space with an overlay of wooden strips built atop its wallcoverings to expedite the art installation. The lobby also hosts an extension of exhibitions from the nearby Where Y’Art gallery, displaying circulating shows by New Orleans-based artists.
Just off the lobby, onsite restaurant Compére Lapin complements the public spaces, but pops with more vibrant, French-inspired details. Hex tiles on the floor form a geometric mosaic for a both a classic and contemporary splash that lightens the interior alongside the illuminated back bar, which is clad with textured blue tiles, and the continued use of brass accents reference the rest of the hotel for an industrial artist’s loft feel.
