Conor O’Sullivan lives with his wife, Dorian, a second year medical resident; their 4 year old son, Cian; and a teacup poodle named Molly in a 3000 square foot house on Delaronde Street between Bermuda and Lavergne. The house was built about 1897, right after the Great Fire consumed hundreds of structures, including a large one that was located a huge lot where the O’Sullivan house is now.
“We checked out Sanborn maps that showed a large lot with a big house on it before the fire, then two smaller lots and two smaller houses after the fire,” Conor explained. “That’s how we know when the house was built.“
That said, the façade of the house is a surprise. Rather than expressing an 1897 style, the stucco façade and wide, arched-top door on the right side are decidedly 20th century, representative of houses built in the 1920s or 1930s.
Although the exterior was updated, the house retains its 19th century characteristics, including 12 foot high ceilings, gleaming heart pine floors, chimneys with especially fine mantels, several stained glass windows, turned spindles on the stair leading to the second floor, a burled cypress newell post at the base of the stairs, and more.
A native of Dublin Ireland, Conor would spend summers here in Algiers Point when he was 13 or 14 years old, staying with his uncle, a contractor who lived on Atlantic Street.
“I came to love the Point that way and to love the work that my uncle did too,” said Conor.
Eight years ago, Conor left the restaurant business, which is how he first came to the United States to work, to become a contractor. His company, COS Construction and Renovations, worked on his own home.
“There was considerably more work to do here than I planned on,” Conor said. “Now the house has four bedrooms, including one on the first floor, and 3 1/2 baths.”
The downstairs bedroom, outfitted with a Murphy bed, is reserved almost exclusively for grandmothers who come to visit: Conor’s mom who visits from Ireland four times a year , and Dorian’s mother from Grand Coteau, Louisiana.
Rooms on the first floor include the music room , where Dorian plays the baby grand piano when her schedule allows, accompanied by Cian on a tiny drum set.
There’s also a living room where the family gathers to watch movies, the guest bedroom with its Murphy bed, the dining room, and a spectacular kitchen at the rear of the house.
The dining room has two tall glass- fronted cabinets, one that was made for Conor by Wilkerson Row and one that holds his Irish Whiskey collection. There’s also a stunning live edge dining table made from a single piece of sinker cypress from the Atchafalaya swamp.
“The kitchen was very small to start with, so we incorporated a room that used to be a bedroom into it,” he said.
The centerpiece of the kitchen is a Thor cooking top fitted with a stainless steel griddle.
“We use it almost every day for wraps, quesadillas, and even pancakes,” Conor said.
The serene space benefits from north facing windows that fill the kitchen with sunlight and afford a view of the spacious back yard.
“At some point there was a garage in the backyard and a driveway all the way back to it. So we had to remove all that concrete, and truck in 80 tons of river sand before we planted zoysia grass,” Conor explained.
The zoysia meadow is rimmed by richly planted beds that include variegated ginger, gaura, a pale pink Turks cap, and other thriving plants. One trellis has a Peggy Martin rose climbing it, another has a bleeding heart vine. Conor said he’s seen hummingbirds at the bougainvillea in pots on the fence. Lined up across the back of the yard is a group of Little Gem magnolias that are destined to become a hedge.
“Cian attends Early Partners on Annunciation Street in a hybrid indoor/outdoor program and he loves growing plants from seed,” Conor said. “We have okra and tomatoes growing right now.” An olive tree, a lemon tree and a lime tree also produce edibles.