New Orleans Magazine Article
A Touch of Provence in Metairie
Gina and Joseph Piacun’s Metairie home is inspired by southern France.
Bonnie Warren
Architect Dodie Smith, AIA, (C. Spencer Smith AIA, LLC) designed the home to pay homage to the simple farmhouses in Provence, a region of southeastern France; Tommy Gennusa (TAG Homes, Inc.), Gina’s brother, served as the contractor.
Cheryl Gerber Photographs
“We love the certain elements about our home that make us feel like we are in Europe,” explains Gina Gennusa Piacun, as she relaxes in the large country kitchen of her home in an older section of Metairie. “We have always admired the farmhouses of Provence, a region of southeastern France, and we attempted to achieve the same look in our new home.”
The large house on a corner lot looks like it was transported from the countryside of France. “We have a French front door, and we even modeled the shutters after the style you find in France, with horizontal planks when they are open and vertical planks when closed, even the blue color we painted the shutters is also common in Provence.”
Step inside the vestibule and you will see a niche holding a statue of the Virgin Mother, then glance up the stairway to view a unique alter-like ledge with a life-size statue of St. Pierre and a smaller one of St. Joseph holding baby Jesus, while nearby are three large candles. The pair of 12-foot tall paintings on the stairway wall came from a church in Paris. Why the religious art and statues? “We are a humble couple who feels that faith and family are the most important parts of our lives,” Gina answers. “The sacred art and statues in our home have significant meaning to us.”