Gallier House
1132 Royal Street
Client: The Women’s Exchange
Role: Historic Preservation, Architecture
Scope: Facade restoration, color matching and construction coordination.
Status: Completed 2026
Budget: $100,000
Collaborators: Koch and Wilson Architects, Sylvia T. Designs, Arch Builders
Rooted in historic research across artisan craftsmanship, decorative arts, and architectural innovation, the careful preservation of New Orleans’ historic Gallier House was guided by a commitment to restore the house through the same inventiveness and craft sensibility that once defined it. Leading this effort is board member and Head of Facilities for The Women’s Exchange, Jennie West—founder, designer, and architect of the New Orleans–based practice Studio West—working alongside local architect Robert Cangelosi, who helped define the project scope.
To return the Gallier House to its original 19th-century character, improvements focused primarily on the front façade, with more restrained interventions throughout the interiors.
For a building celebrated for its ornamentation and material richness, the design team enlisted decorative arts designer and artisan craftswoman Sylvia Thompson-Dias of Sylvia T. Designs, whose decades-long practice brings historic finishes back to life, reflecting their original character and craftsmanship.
Informed by historic paint tests from the 1970s, the restoration unfolded through a series of carefully calibrated interventions. These studies guided color matching and surface analysis, leading to the full repainting of exterior cast-iron elements, restoration and repainting of historic shutters, and faux-granitizing of the lower level.
The front façade was granitized stone by stone, with each Quincy granite element cut and adjusted to align seamlessly with the existing material.
The exterior ornamental capital leaves—originally cast in lead—were carefully removed, studied, and fully refabricated, preserving their detailed forms while restoring structural integrity. To ensure the work felt authentic rather than overdesigned, Sylvia and her self-trained team of three collaborated closely with a colorist, refining faux stone treatments at the windowsills to accurately capture the depth and variation of real Quincy granite.
The process was iterative: establishing color first, then selecting tools and techniques to manipulate texture and surface—applying traditional craft practices through a contemporary lens to honor the house’s original character and ensure artisan knowledge continues to be passed down.
Generous support from former long-time residents Sarah and Richard Freeman, along with Anne Mason, made this work possible. The team also worked closely with Gallier House staff member and preservationist Sara Tankersley, whose expertise helped shape a future vision for the house that balances institutional stewardship, material authenticity, and the celebration of craft traditions through education and active learning.
Final touches involved hand-finishing and stencil techniques to soften edges and create consistent transitions across restored surfaces, particularly in the Quincy stone, allowing subtle variation that distinguishes new from old. Together, these interventions reaffirm the Gallier House not only as a historic artifact, but as a living example of the artistry, innovation, and enduring craftsmanship embedded in New Orleans’ architectural heritage.
