7 min readLong before it became the backdrop for family dinners, afternoon swims, and spirited tennis matches, this century-old Colonial in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, had already lived a rather extraordinary life. In the late 1920s, the house was dismantled and relocated from Prairieville to its current address, where its distinctive red clay roof tiles—salvaged from Louisiana State University—have presided over a landscape of majestic live oaks ever since. Decades later, a young girl growing up down the street would admire the house, never imagining that one day she’d raise a family of her own beneath that very roof.
When she and her husband finally purchased the property, they knew that turning a beloved neighborhood landmark into a forever home for themselves and their three daughters would require a little imagination—and a lot of careful planning. Enter interior designer Anne Underwood, who was tasked with bringing the historic residence into the present while preserving the quirks that made it so beloved. Over several years, the project grew from a renovation of the original four-bedroom home into a sprawling family compound, complete with a carriage house, pool house, and landscaped grounds designed to make an ordinary weekend feel like a vacation.
“While they loved the historic feel and comfortable size of the main home for their family, they needed extra space to relax and entertain, and privacy to host guests,” explains Underwood. “We planned for what they need now but also anticipated the future.”
Inside, Underwood embraced the home’s traditional bones without letting them stiffen the home (and the family’s) sunny disposition. Lemon-yellow checkerboard floors mingle with antique furnishings (an element Underwood says is a must for creating “a lived-in, collected-over-time feel that I find crucial to making a true home”), hand-painted finishes, and exuberant textiles. A whimsical chandelier welcomes guests into the living room, while a tucked-away banquette has become an unofficial headquarters for homework, puzzles, and art projects.
Outside, the property’s newest additions—including a pool house and carriage house—offer an equally playful proposition. Conceived as the estate’s crown jewel, the pool house features pale wood walls, a colorful handwoven light fixture, and a monumental wood-burning pizza oven. The homeowners’ relatives jokingly dubbed the expanding property their own private resort, a description Underwood happily embraces.
“So much was poured into this project to make it unique, joyful, and really functional for the clients,” says Underwood. “The warmth and care of each detailed layer creates a sense of ease, which is what facilitates the joyfulness that plays out inside and outside these walls.”
FAST FACTS
Designer: Anne Underwood
Architect: LRK Architects
Contractor: Bernhardt Normand Construction
Styling: Lucy Bamman
Landscape Architect: CARBO
Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The Space: A four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom main house, with a carriage house and pool house.
POOL HOUSE KITCHEN
A pizza oven channels a party-ready atmosphere.
With a simpler architectural structure, the pool house was a place where Underwood leaned into the family’s playful energy. “We selected the wall stain to look like the inside of a shell and wanted the furnishings to feel layered, colorful, vibrant—like a vacation but also very durable for wet swimsuits and sweaty tennis players!” she adds.
POOL HOUSE LIVING ROOM
Woven pendants hang from colorful cord for overhead interest.
The first selection for the pool house was also its most exuberant: a 12-light PET Lamp fixture, with each colorful pendant and cord individually customized and positioned beneath the soaring vaulted ceiling. “Its colorful, playful nature was exactly what we wanted and is very effective for balancing light throughout the space with high vaulted ceilings,” says Underwood. Below, a generous sectional upholstered in indoor-outdoor fabric creates an inviting place to retreat after a swim.
POOL HOUSE BATH
Zellige tile echoes the color of pool water.
With vibrant Moroccan mosaic flooring, blue zellige shower tile, and a vintage wooden mirror, the pool house bathroom could easily belong to a boutique hotel on some far-flung island. Wood siding and thoughtfully chosen antique details lend the space a relaxed, resort-inspired character that feels right at home beside the pool.
LIVING ROOM
Yellow acts as a throughline throughout the home.
Tradition gets a playful twist in the home’s primary gathering space, where a hand-knotted rug and classic upholstered furnishings mingle with an exuberant chandelier by Stray Dog Designs.
“This house lacks a foyer, so we wanted the living room to be welcoming with plenty of seating and layers of color and accessories,” says Underwood. “While this is the more ‘formal’ living space, we selected a bright, whimsical light fixture to let guests know that these homeowners don’t take themselves (or their interiors) too seriously.”
DINING ROOM
Pattern-meets-pattern in this playful entertaining space.
A passageway between the living room and the home’s more casual quarters, the dining room needed to make an impression without feeling overly precious. Schumacher’s Weeping Pine wallpaper wraps the space in pattern, while pale blue trim, upholstered chairs, and vintage sconces sourced from Round Top lend the formal setting an unexpected sense of ease.
MAIN KITCHEN
Hand-hewn beams add a sense of history.
With the adjoining breakfast room to consider, Underwood gave the kitchen a quieter disposition. Existing cabinetry received a custom pale green stain, expertly applied by a local faux-finish artist, while paneled appliances and tonal counter stools create a seamless effect. The yellow-and-white checkerboard flooring continues underfoot, connecting the two spaces.
POWDER ROOM
A vintage Round Top find transforms into a functional yet chic vanity.
A powder room is as good a place as any to indulge a dramatic streak. “We wanted a bold escape for guests in the powder bath, and this incredible grasscloth wallpaper was the jumping-off point,” says Underwood. She complemented the Aux Abris pattern’s lush, atmospheric tone with a wood-grained antique chest repurposed as a marble-topped vanity. Vintage Murano glass sconces and a striped inlay mirror add a final dose of eccentricity.
OFFICE
Layered lighting adds atmosphere before and after working hours.
In the office, Underwood leaned into the appeal of a well-appointed study, furnishing this hardworking space almost entirely with vintage and antique finds. Custom cabinetry painted in Benjamin Moore’s Templeton Gray conceals printers, files, and other less-than-picturesque necessities, while mohair-upholstered armchairs make the space equally suited to work and contemplation.
PRIMARY BEDROOM
Floor-to-ceiling draperies bring softness and color.
As it turns out, the inspiration for the primary suite was waiting just outside the window. “I started with the idea of bringing materials—like the patinated copper on all exterior lanterns and gutters—from the exterior to the interior,” says Underwood. “While the walls are painted a green/blue color reminiscent of the patina of weathered copper, the accents in the room are warm shades of camel and copper.”
A Gustavian antique secretary and dimensional papier-maché art from Gusto complete the room's quietly collected atmosphere.
PRIMARY BATH
A wooden cased opening frames the tub and adds architectural elegance.
The generously proportioned soaking tub in the primary bathroom has already lived several lives, first as a favorite bathing spot for the family’s three young daughters, and now as a welcome retreat for their parents. Underwood carried the bedroom’s blue-green palette into the bath, introducing blush-patterned wallpaper, graphic stone tile, and black accents to balance the room’s softer flourishes.
DAUGHTER’S BEDROOM
A pair of Bobbin-style beds are the perfect spot for slumber parties.
In daughter Emily’s room, Underwood chose to embrace the sloped ceiling, outfitting it with custom bed canopies that create an enveloping, almost storybook atmosphere. Layers of patterned bedding, including bespoke eiderdowns made in the UK, heighten the cozy effect, while chunky upholstered ottomans offer a welcome counterpoint to the room’s more feminine details.
DAUGHTER’S BATHROOM
All-over pattern creates a whimsical retreat.
Making sense of the home’s quirky upstairs architecture required some clever spatial maneuvering. Underwood divided one large bathroom into two separate spaces, each with its own dressing vanity. In daughter Olivia’s bath, Salvesen Graham floral wallpaper covers the sloped walls and ceiling, visually softening the room’s unusual angles. “The pattern play in the tile, wallpaper, and fabrics keeps the energy moving throughout the space,” she adds.
CARRIAGE HOUSE LIVING ROOM
A large antique Suzani takes pride of place on the main wall.
In the carriage house, Underwood continued the layered approach with velvet, chenille, and a generously proportioned sectional, creating a retreat where overnight guests can comfortably settle in for an afternoon—or an entire weekend.
GUEST KITCHEN
A vintage-inspired refrigerator nods to the home’s history.
The carriage house kitchen offers guests all the comforts of home, with a nostalgic twist. Cabinetry painted Benjamin Moore’s Mistletoe features vintage-inspired vent detailing, while a retro SMEG refrigerator reinforces the room’s charming, slightly old-fashioned character.
EXTERIOR
A wide front porch is the ideal spot to soak up cool Southern evenings.
Underwood preserved the home’s original red clay roof tiles while refreshing its facade using Benjamin Moore’s White Dove on the siding and Kennebunkport Green on the shutters. An expanded bluestone sidewalk gives the front door prominence while mature live oaks lend the property a sense of permanence that no renovation could replicate.
About the Designer
Anne Underwood is the founder of Underwood Interiors. Known for her thoughtful approach to creating layered, Anne creates livable spaces that balance timeless tradition with a fresh, playful sensibility. With an appreciation for antiques, vintage furnishings, and artisanal craftsmanship, her interiors feel collected over time rather than decorated all at once. Her work celebrates color, pattern, and architectural character, with an emphasis on thoughtful details and everyday functionality. Whether reimagining a historic residence or designing a new space from the ground up, she believes the most successful interiors reflect the personalities of the people who call them home.
