After All These Years By Lee Cutrone, Photographed by Greg Miles A mid-century modern house just turned 50, and thanks to skillful renovations, it’s still as chic today as it was in its youth. The year was 1958. The post-World War II baby boom was turning out a generation that would eventually be more than 78 million strong. Nikita Khrushchev became premier of the Soviet Union. Explorer 1, the first successful American satellite, was launched into orbit. The peace sign was designed. Elvis Presley was inducted into the U.S. Army. And the word “aerospace” was coined.  1958 was also the year that Dr. and Mrs. Ben Freedman built the classic mid-century courtyard house featured in these pages. The current owner, Philip Langley, owner of Ray Langley Interiors, would not be born for another three years. But so keen is his appreciation and understanding of mid-century modernism –– and his desire to save those historically significant architectural gems –– that he restored the house with total preservation of its original design. “My sisters say I live in a time warp,” says Langley, whose model-like good looks and fashionable contemporary clothing belie the notion. “I tend to hold on; I remember things in my past vividly –– the music, the style. My experiences in life are what have shaped my taste –– my love for classic cars and period architecture. I’ve seen a lot of houses bastardized. And I’ve always said I’d never do things that way. We approached the house from restoring it back to its glory with some minor updates but with the same idea that fits in with the character of the house.” (More) Media Frenzy Photographed by Jeffery Johnston These fully loaded rooms are ideal for cozy nights of movie-watching and perfect for cheering your favorite team to victory. Corner Pocket By Nicole Wroten When Bruce and Ellie Wainer decided they wanted to build a house in Old Metairie, they knew they wanted much more than a great home: They wanted a smart home. The Wainers teamed up with Leo Golubitsky, owner of SMILE Inc., to create a full-house technological system to control everything throughout the house with only touch screens. “It’s one of the best projects we’ve done,” Golubitsky says. In addition to the cutting-edge technology, SMILE also gave the Wainers two high-tech, fully functional media rooms in the form of a family living room and a billiards room. (More) The Ultimate New Orleans Resource Directory By Sarah Ravits and Leigh Ann Stuart New Year's resolutions are about self-improvement, and your home is merely an extension of yourself. Whether you’re resolved to (finally) install new countertops, hang up some bright new curtains or finish the paint job in the guest bedroom, make sure to support these fabulous local businesses. Note: Although our goal is to make this resource directory as comprehensive as possible, we are by no means able to list every vendor. If you know of a retailer or service provider who you think should be added to this list or if you have a correction, please mail it to New Orleans Homes & Lifestyles, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005; fax it to 828-1385, Attn: Sarah Ravits; or e-mail it to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . (More) Color Me Cheerful By Victoria Crosby, Photographed by Paeix.com In many parts of the country, January is a bleak affair, a time when all that is green and colorful has well and truly disappeared and won’t be returning until May at the earliest. Luckily, we all live in Louisiana, where the flower gods are kind enough to send us the camellia to sustain us until spring. Taking our cue from nature, this month we bring you a shot of pure saturated color. Whether you choose cut flowers such as the ones shown here from Urban Earth Design Studios or something more permanent such as the coffee table from Ray Langley Interiors, go ahead and revitalize your home with dazzling, effulgent color! (More) The Nitty-Gritty By Margaret Zainey Roux, Photographed by Eugenia Uhl The perfect balance of coarse and creamy, grits aren’t just for breakfast anymore. When actor Joe Pesci played Vinny Gambini in the 1992 hit film My Cousin Vinny, he put grits on the map –– at least for those residing above the Mason-Dixon line. At a roadside diner in rural Alabama, Gambini, a rough and tough New York attorney on his first visit down South, tells the line cook in his heady Brooklyn accent, “I never seen a grit before.” His loss. For centuries, Southerners have enjoyed their own special version of porridge or polenta. Traditionally, the hot and hearty corn-based dish was favored for breakfast, but in recent years, grits have made their way onto the dinner menu as an accompaniment for some amazingly gourmet meals. For a sophisticated twist on the Southern favorite, try this unique recipe. (More) Winter Green By Lili LeGardeur, Photographed by Cheryl Gerber Annual rye grass, along with the right mix of herbicides and fertilizers, can keep your lawn looking its best all winter long. Sometime last winter, our neighbor Chris wandered over and squinted critically at our lawn. “Yep,” said Chris, who runs a gardening and landscaping service. “You ought to plant some annual grass. Looks pretty, and it would do good for the lawn.” Our lawn looks like what it is: a patch of centipede turf that last deserved the word “lush” sometime in the 20th century. We missed the window for acting on Chris’ suggestion last year, waiting until it had grown too warm to plant cool-season grass. But January means a blank page and a fresh opportunity. I’m going to sow annual rye into my lawn before Twelfth Night and enjoy its giddy Easter-grass greenery before watching it die back in the spring. Why plant a crop that’s destined to fail as soon as the weather warms up? That’s exactly the point, says gardener Anne Baker. Most weekends, Baker, who operates an urban farm in Gentilly, crisscrosses the city conducting workshops and giving talks on organic gardening. When I asked her about taking care of lawns during the winter months, she laid out a three-part program of annual rye grass; corn gluten meal, a pre-emergent organic herbicide; and cottonseed meal fertilizer, a sustained-release organic fertilizer. (More)