Welcome In: Stephen Fowlkes
Interview by Paul Oswell
People fall into hospitality in many different ways. For Stephen Fowlkes, owner of the Pierre Coulon guesthouse in a leafy corner of the Marigny, the seed was a love of New Orleans and its historic architecture.
Stephen grew up in Mobile, Alabama, eventually moving to New Orleans in 1991, landing in the Faubourg Marigny. He had trained as a librarian, and worked in that sphere for 22 years before his love of restoring historic buildings lead him to undertake a Master of Preservation Studies degree from Tulane's School of Architecture. He subsequently worked for the Louisiana division of Historic Preservation and the Vieux Carre Commission, and currently also does historic preservation consulting work.
Stephen and his partner, Rich, bought the house at 712-714 Spain Street in 1999. “We were not actually looking for a house to buy as we had just renovated a house two blocks away on Chartres St., but then this house presented itself to us. It was not a shotgun house, but was an excellent example of a New Orleans Creole cottage and it had this separate space in the back that we could license as a guesthouse.”
The neighborhood was already on the upswing, but the house needed a lot of work; “We had to take on a complete renovation,” says Stephen. “It was a horrible dump, but fortunately, it still had all of its original features, including all of its beautiful mantles and doors and windows. It's actually one of the oldest houses in the neighborhood, having been built in 1831 by Pierre Coulon, who was an immigrant from Marseilles who had been in Louisiana since the late 18th century. There aren’t many properties that are quite this old in this part of the Marigny.”
The refurbishment complete, thoughts turned to hosting guests and they got the city's Bed & Breakfast license in 2002. “It wasn’t such a difficult shift, but we had to do some planning, of course. Luckily, we both had jobs that were flexible enough that allowed us to check people in.”
Rich unfortunately passed away in 2015, but Stephen has continued to check in guests in ever since. “I think I strike a good balance as a host,” he says, “What I mean is that I’m available, but not intrusive. Some guests don’t want people talking to them all the time, for example, so I just kind of gauge people, and try to determine how much engagement they want.”
There’s a self-contained building out back with its own discrete entrance, overlooking Stephen’s beautifully lush garden. While his love of art and antiques is evident in the interior decor, his gardening skills have created a tropical, green haven from the bustle of downtown New Orleans. “People love the garden,” he says, “The fact that it's quiet and away from the street. It perfectly complements the historic charm.”
Welcoming guests allows Stephen to share his passions. “Right now I have some people staying here from New York," he says. “One's an artist, and one's an architect. They are both super happy to be here and to discover and explore around here, because they're very interested in historic architecture. I’m excited that I get to share the experience of living in this neighborhood that I’ve lived in since 1991. I’ve been in this house for 25 years now, which blows my mind, but I love the Marigny. I've watched it change and turn into something really fabulous.”
Finally, where does he like to send people? “My recommendations depend on the guest, of course,” Stephen says, “But go-to nearby places might include Frenchmen Street, Who Dat Cafe and Horns Eatery, and my all-time favorite restaurant, Paladar 511. Again, it’s a matter of tapping into the kind of guest and what they might enjoy.” He laughs, “Around here, you can afford to be picky about where you eat for sure.”
Click here for the Pierre Coulon website. Also, Stephen loves to highlight local architecture on his Instagram page, so give him a follow.
Interview by Paul Oswell
People fall into hospitality in many different ways. For Stephen Fowlkes, owner of the Pierre Coulon guesthouse in a leafy corner of the Marigny, the seed was a love of New Orleans and its historic architecture.
Stephen grew up in Mobile, Alabama, eventually moving to New Orleans in 1991, landing in the Faubourg Marigny. He had trained as a librarian, and worked in that sphere for 22 years before his love of restoring historic buildings lead him to undertake a Master of Preservation Studies degree from Tulane's School of Architecture. He subsequently worked for the Louisiana division of Historic Preservation and the Vieux Carre Commission, and currently also does historic preservation consulting work.
Stephen and his partner, Rich, bought the house at 712-714 Spain Street in 1999. “We were not actually looking for a house to buy as we had just renovated a house two blocks away on Chartres St., but then this house presented itself to us. It was not a shotgun house, but was an excellent example of a New Orleans Creole cottage and it had this separate space in the back that we could license as a guesthouse.”
The neighborhood was already on the upswing, but the house needed a lot of work; “We had to take on a complete renovation,” says Stephen. “It was a horrible dump, but fortunately, it still had all of its original features, including all of its beautiful mantles and doors and windows. It's actually one of the oldest houses in the neighborhood, having been built in 1831 by Pierre Coulon, who was an immigrant from Marseilles who had been in Louisiana since the late 18th century. There aren’t many properties that are quite this old in this part of the Marigny.”
The refurbishment complete, thoughts turned to hosting guests and they got the city's Bed & Breakfast license in 2002. “It wasn’t such a difficult shift, but we had to do some planning, of course. Luckily, we both had jobs that were flexible enough that allowed us to check people in.”
Rich unfortunately passed away in 2015, but Stephen has continued to check in guests in ever since. “I think I strike a good balance as a host,” he says, “What I mean is that I’m available, but not intrusive. Some guests don’t want people talking to them all the time, for example, so I just kind of gauge people, and try to determine how much engagement they want.”
There’s a self-contained building out back with its own discrete entrance, overlooking Stephen’s beautifully lush garden. While his love of art and antiques is evident in the interior decor, his gardening skills have created a tropical, green haven from the bustle of downtown New Orleans. “People love the garden,” he says, “The fact that it's quiet and away from the street. It perfectly complements the historic charm.”
Welcoming guests allows Stephen to share his passions. “Right now I have some people staying here from New York," he says. “One's an artist, and one's an architect. They are both super happy to be here and to discover and explore around here, because they're very interested in historic architecture. I’m excited that I get to share the experience of living in this neighborhood that I’ve lived in since 1991. I’ve been in this house for 25 years now, which blows my mind, but I love the Marigny. I've watched it change and turn into something really fabulous.”
Finally, where does he like to send people? “My recommendations depend on the guest, of course,” Stephen says, “But go-to nearby places might include Frenchmen Street, Who Dat Cafe and Horns Eatery, and my all-time favorite restaurant, Paladar 511. Again, it’s a matter of tapping into the kind of guest and what they might enjoy.” He laughs, “Around here, you can afford to be picky about where you eat for sure.”
Click here for the Pierre Coulon website. Also, Stephen loves to highlight local architecture on his Instagram page, so give him a follow.