HISTORIC BED AND BREAKFAST CELEBRATES SEASON WITH CARNIVAL-STYLE DECOR

Designed by Brittany White

Fairfield Avenue is the Shreveport equivalent to St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, where fine old houses adorn themselves for the Mardi Gras season. It seems natural that

Fairfield Place Bed and Breakfast would do similarly, although one will have to walk a couple of blocks for the Highland Mardi Gras Parade.

That doesn’t make it any less festive and fun, particularly when you start with a lovely old mansion from the 1870s, originally built for Thomas Thompson Land, a Louisiana Supreme Court judge, and his wife, Mary Eliza Dillingham, and their 15 children. After many years with former owners, the Lipscomb family, the home now belongs to local entrepreneur and restaurateur John Cariere, who is breathing new life into the old place.

As it sits on a rise, people driving along Fairfield can see the new antique brick and reclaimed iron fence but not the lovely courtyard that sits behind it. Through iron scepters from the fence from the now-defunct St. Vincent’s Convent, sit tables and chairs surrounded by sculpture, exotic tropical plants, a fountain and, in the winter, heaters to make it a year-round treasure. The exterior of the home, painted a lovely deep blue, is enhanced for Carnival with bunting in the standard purple, green and gold of the season hanging from the porch and balcony, while boughs of greenery with beads, masks and other trappings of celebrations add sparkle and color. A huge Mardi Gras wreath decorates an equally large window. Even down the glass crowns in the wind chimes, Fairfield Place has truly been decked for the pre-Lenten season. The porch continues the décor, but amidst white wicker furniture there year-round, and wonderful, welcoming touches for the business’ guests – magazines, a beverage cooler and views to the other lovely old homes surrounding it.

Once inside, the home continues its thematic décor, but it’s atop the finery of antiques, a massive and impressive collection of oil paintings and the architectural beauty of the home itself. Under the gold-leafed ceiling of the entryway, a crystal urn-shaped chandelier lights the way for the melange of comfy antiques, fine carpets and layer upon layer temptations of tasty snack offerings for those entering. Beads and masks and the colors are throughout but never over-powering the beauty of the home beneath it.

The breakfast area brightens the morning for guests with its turquoise walls, collaged with art from ancient and modern sources, in a myriad of styles. A king and queen diptych flanks the front windows with color and beauty all year long. The tables are set with classic gold-rimmed China, while napkins are rolled into glittery crownshaped rings with beautiful glass Mardi Gras beads wrapped around them. An exquisite white molding fireplace is made fireproof with handmade blue tiles surrounding its firebox, and atop it hangs a life-sized sketch of Cariere when he was the king of Highland from a parade past. Created by Larry Shore, it is almost ethereal. It is flanked by altar vases from a church, sprinkling a little Catholicism back into the season. The paintings in the room feature relatives of Cariere and ancestors of Louisiana whose names have been lost across the years. The most interesting feature of the room is its Art Nouveau ceiling accent, which was added in the 1940s. Conjoining squares of turquoise are illuminated with gold leaf stars and edged in precise accents of red and gold. At first startling, it mellows into yet another layer of time and artistry.

Beyond the breakfast room is another area where guests may treat themselves to coffee. The ceiling in it is related to, but not identical to, the previous one. This time, the turquoise and stars extend to the entire ceiling, while a handpainted border of circles and swirls top the walls. Another lovely fireplace trimmed in slightly different design of blue tiles supports by columnar wooden posts a beautiful beveled mirror. Adjoining is a powder room with a sculptural Carrera marble sink that is almost religious in its scope.

Beyond these rooms lies the working part of the home, where the cooking and staging occurs for the bed and breakfast, but also the many special events that take place there, from weddings to dinners. Cariere has plenty of experience in the service industry, having opened, operated and owned countless food establishments over the years, including the nearby Cotton Boll diner. Since he now lives on site, it’s only a short walk to the cafe from the bed and breakfast. He has been an avid collector of art since he was a teen, and this new project, as Cariere has only owned it a year, has given him a reason and space to display a rotating gallery of what he’s picked up throughout the years.

In addition to these very public areas of the house, it sports en suite rooms for eight guests. Each room has wonderful touches to make it unique. Both the La Rouge Room and the Governor’s Room are a mix of antique and vintage specimens coupled with modern televisions, computer access and Wi-Fi and are more accessible for people who cannot physically manage the stairs to the second floor. Upstairs, the Bradbury Room’s bed is topped with a large papier mache crown acting as a canopy for the netting that drapes down. The Burgundy Room, often used for honeymoons, is filled with light from the open plantation shutters and has a two-person spa tub. The Thornhill Room is decorated with touches of red and gold and seems royal throughout the year, not just for Mardi Gras. Its large bathroom is accented by a floor-to-ceiling arched mirror depicting scenes of Asian life. In fact, there are many Chinese and Japanese antiques dotting the second floor rooms. The LaVillian Room is a masculine mix of carved wood furnishings. Two remaining rooms, Rebecca and Bryan, offer the utmost in privacy – private entrances from outside. An upstairs balcony is draped in more bunting but also has adjustable blue and white canvas curtains, so its seating and porch swing can be protected from the late afternoon sun.

Mardi Gras is not the only holiday the stately old home embraces throughout the year. Fairfield Place looks forward to the 4th of July with equal jubilation as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Mardi Gras. But Mardi Gras is a fun and fundamental Louisiana celebration that all visitors should experience. Under Cariere’s ownership, his guests will be treated to a slice of culture that captures the camaraderie and celebration of the festival season culminating in the sumptuous fun of the Fat Tuesday that precedes Lent. And even when the decorations come down, guests will still have the luxury and charm of Fairfield Place Bed and Breakfast. •