PHOTO COURTESY OF HOTEL PETER & PAUL
When the Hotel Peter & Paul opened last fall, it breathed new life into the Marigny district’s 19th-century Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. Start your Big Easy stay in this opulent yet cozy lounge, which is housed in the old rectory.
1 : Original cypress case moldings blend with new flourishes, such as trompe l’oeil wainscoting and hand-painted chinoiserie stenciling. Now, the room is a great spot to enjoy a Sazerac from The Elysian Bar while reading a good book—say, A Confederacy of Dunces, which features a scene set in this very church.
2: The seasonal centerpieces from the nearby Pistil & Stamen Flower Farm and Studio are inspired by Dutch still lifes and by the architect and Oscar-nominated set designer Renzo Mongiardino.
3: Local partner Nathalie Jordi and designers from ASH NYC took ideas from 18th- and 19th-century Sweden, basing custom gingham fabrics on patterns they found in archival photos. “We riffed on that and created a signature palette of colors,” says ASH NYC chief creative officer Will Cooper.
4: The eclectic furnishings were sourced from vintage and antiques shops in France. The settee, with its original upholstery and frame, is one of Cooper’s favorite pieces. “We bought it from a very sweet older lady with an obscure shop,” he recalls. “She did not want to let it go, but we had to have it.”
5: The rectory’s original wood flooring lends a sense of history: This building housed the clergy when Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church was still in use. Now, instead of priests, servers walk these creaky halls, delivering such dishes as smoked Gulf fish on toast and duck egg omelets with Cajun caviar.
