Bayou Home | A Sense Of Place And Purpose

ARTICLE BY MARÉ BRENNAN
ARCHITECT LEE LEDBETTER
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT BRIAN SAWYER

When philanthropists and community pillars Dawn and Harlan Sager decided to build on property that had been in the family for four generations, the couple hired Lee Ledbetter to begin the design of their family’s dream home.

Monroe has fielded its share of storied architects and well-documented architectural projects. William King Stubbs left an indelible mark throughout north Louisiana and the South with his swoon-worthy take on classical architecture and perfect proportions. Frank Lloyd Wright-protégé Walter Burley Griffin’s enigmatic home for the Cooley family garners international attention to present day. Today, Lee Ledbetter, who grew up on Pargoud Boulevard surrounded by modernist mid-century homes, Stubbs’ neoclassical dwellings, and low-slung ranch residences, carries the mantle and leads a new generation of Louisiana architects and interior designers. Ledbetter’s eponymous firm, Lee Ledbetter and Associates, opened in 1996 in New Orleans and is a purpose-driven design firm with a portfolio of diverse project types, including architecture, interiors, and planning for residences, commercial spaces, and institutions. Ledbetter is adept at combining historic classicism with modernist touches that make his projects feel fresh and familiar at once.

When philanthropists and community pillars Dawn and Harlan Sager decided to build on property that had been in the family for four generations, the couple hired Lee Ledbetter to begin the design of their family’s dream home in 1996. The land itself might be the most coveted promontory in the north Louisiana bayou system, affording uninterrupted, majestic bayou scenes that stretch over two miles. With 625 feet of water frontage, the point offers sweeping vistas of the confluence of Hog Bayou and Bayou DeSiard. From one vantage point on the property, the view across the bayou unveils the lush greens and fairways of Bayou DeSiard Country Club. 

Of course, Ledbetter understood the assignment. Straight away, the key to the architect’s site plan was to holistically embrace the nature surrounding the site and took care to consider what the family and their guests would see from the building.  Brian Sawyer, the landscape architect, designed serpentine boardwalks that hug the water’s edge. The architect drew inspiration for the Sager’s home from raised plantation cottages and incorporated a wide center hall and an extensive outdoor gallery. However, the plan is not a mere ode to historicism. Instead of classic symmetry, Ledbetter composed the home on an asymmetrical axis to take advantage of the panoramic landscape. In a 2018 article in BayouLife, Ledbetter said, “I have forever associated beauty with nature, and I feel incredibly grateful to have grown up in a place so connected to the outdoors.” In the home he designed for the Sager family, never has this been more evident.

Entering the property by way of a winding drive through mature oak trees, the motor court leads to the grand entry. Generous steps lead to a stylized, white-columned portico, which punctuates the strong, broad gable at the front of the butter-hued brick facade. The homeowner’s request for a pale yellow exterior led the architect to replicate the softly sunny shade of the historic Beauregard-Keyes House in New Orleans. Because brick tends to absorb the sun’s heat, the light color also works to deflect rays and provide more comfort within the home.

Ledbetter embued the welcoming entry hall with exceptional details like elaborate millwork, custom inlaid marble tile flooring, and a double height ceiling punctuated by a classic bell jar lantern. The entry sets the tone for the adjoining center hall, with its voluminous barrel-vaulted ceiling and pale grey painted and waxed wood paneling.

The center hall, illuminated by three neo-classical light fixtures designed by Ledbetter, features a soaring 22-foot-high plaster ceiling, an elegantly carved fireplace surround of ebony marble with grey-toned veining and quarter-sawn American black walnut wide plank flooring. 

The monumental scale of the center hall/living room is balanced by the quiet luxury of the more intimate spaces that connect. The study exudes warmth and charisma, featuring herringbone-patterned leather tile flooring and rich mahogany paneling and built in bookshelves. 

Opposite of the study, the formal dining room is a consideration of spiritual proportions. Walls are adorned with an ethereal silver leaf. A built-in silver and servingware closet and a conveniently hidden butler’s pantry with a full kitchen provide maximum efficiency for entertaining. 

The home’s kitchen is a culinary masterpiece. Outfitted with professional grade gas range and ovens, refrigeration and multiple food prep areas, entertaining for large gatherings is uncomplicated. Ample storage abounds throughout the kitchen’s custom cabinetry. Bluestone flooring in a running bond pattern complements the dark grey granite countertops. 

Beyond the kitchen’s eat-in island, the family room and breakfast nook provides access to the veranda and views of the pool and bayou beyond. The coffered ceiling provides calm structure to the open concept room which is anchored on one end with a cozy fireplace and is flooded with natural light through a series of French doors. 

The primary suite, a study in peaceful blue hues, is accessed from the family room via a sitting room or from the covered back porch. In front of a large window overlooking the bayou, a gracious reading nook is nestled between built-in French wardrobes with fabric paneled doors. The en suite features His and Hers bathrooms, a mirrored dressing area, walk-in closets and ample storage. Her side is a calming retreat with walls covered in a Grecian urn motif wallcovering and honey-toned travertine surrounding a soaking tub, while his bath employs warm woods and chocolate toned marble in a luxurious steam shower. The home’s laundry is conveniently located near the primary suite. 

The opposite side of the center hall contains a recreation/game room, perfect for game nights and providing space for casual gatherings. Three bedrooms, each with en suite baths, are situated off this room. The home’s second floor, accessed via stairs in the game room, offers two bonus rooms. 

The exterior gardens, porches and patios, outdoor kitchen, and pool area create a myriad of outdoor rooms and entertainment zones for family and friends to enjoy. The open-ended back porch is lined with Adirondack chairs. Overhead fans provide gentle breezes, and the deep overhang ceiling is painted a faint robin’s egg blue to mirror the sky and provides shade on long summer days. The generous pool and hot tub run the length of the back porch and beckon guests to linger. 

The boathouse echoes the design of the main house and is painted in the same pale yellow with white columns and gabled slate roof. Motorized boat lifts make care and ease of access to watercraft enjoyable for living on the bayou with fishing, waterskiing, and pleasure cruises at sunset an everyday experience. The perimeter of this two acre property is secured with custom fencing. 

As Ledbetter told New Orleans Magazine, “I think architecture tells a story of the world, about the people who live in a building, about the people who inhabit or use a building. It basically responds to what they love and what they want.”