Inside Interiors: Shops that will make your house the envy of the neighborhood

With so much time spent inside the house during the heat of the summer, interiors become most important. No one wants to host a garden party that ends indoors with shabby furniture and a tattered rug. To keep your home looking its best, these stores offer the most up-to-date, chic looks in Louisiana.

Le Magasin

Nestled within the Covington CBD is a little bit of furniture heaven. Bright and crisp with pastels, everything in the store emanates an angelic nature, making one feel instantly more cheerful upon entrance. Owners Norma Murillo and Eric LeBlanc, who also happen to be engaged, have invented their own name for the style: cottage chic. Everything is refreshingly light-colored and welcoming, a nice break from traditional earth tones and the coldness of contemporary styles. Their style is about big windows and lots of sunshine.

Assisted by family members, the furniture is all hand built and designed by Murillo and LeBlanc, giving it a custom flair. Each piece is unique because it is made by human hands, not machines. The key to the furniture, though, is its rustic and aged look. Their pieces have the durability of brand new furniture with the look of beautifully aged timeless antiques. Another unique feature is that all of the furniture is made from old cypress, which lasts for ages in south Louisiana humidity.

While Le Magasin is primarily a furniture store, it is also stocked with everything an impulse shopper could ever want. From fragrant candles to adorable jewelry, the extra trinkets add to the homey atmosphere.

508 N. Columbia St.
Covington, LA
985.246.6608

Lagniappe Home Accents

If you are looking for that one-stop shop for decorating your home, Lagniappe Home Accents is the ultimate. Furniture, decorative plants, artwork, gift items, whatever you need can be found in this store. Owned by Katrina Peters in Mandeville, Lagniappe offers the selection of a chain store with the influences of south Louisiana, complete with the ever popular fleur de lis. They carry major brands like Hooker, Arthur Court, and Belaverra, with trinkets and gift items sprinkled throughout the rest of the store. From candles to purses to adorably painted martini glasses, almost your entire Christmas list could be accomplished in this one store! With their recent enlargement, they have added even more furniture, most of which is traditional and rich in color.

Another important line Lagniappe carries does not involve decorations or furniture—it does something much more important than that. Called Cute Tools, this line of kitchen, work, and gardening tools is hand painted by the artists at Art for a Cause, whose mission is to make a difference in the world through art. However, before any of these artists see these tools, they are sanded and primed by students at various schools around the country, helping them develop a work ethic to carry them throughout life. These tools help raise substantial amounts of money for various charities.v Merchandise, however, is not the only thing one can find at Lagniappe. They also offer design services to assist in decorating a new home or revamping an existing home. Want some gorgeous flowers for your new dining room table? Lagniappe provides floral arrangement services. This is truly one-stop shopping at its finest, without sacrificing style.

4624 Hwy. 22
Mandeville, LA
985.845.8931

Bassett Furniture

Meet the mother of all furniture stores. Bassett Furniture, a nationwide company, offers serious furniture shopping and free design consultation. Bassett Furniture in Baton Rouge and Lafayette has every style to suite your taste. Whether you prefer glamour and sophistication, exemplified through their West End line, or your taste is more casual, as in their Simply Yours collection, Bassett supplies it all. They even offer a line of European-inspired furniture, giving your room an Old World feel. However, if you are still not satisfied, Basset can custom build your furniture to meet your exact style and needs.

Their website is also a browsing must. An interactive room planner lets you design any room on your own computer, giving you the chance to look at the room while you decide what you want. They also let you preview their custom options for dining room sets, with a variety of finishes and multiple leg, chair, and tabletop styles. Website browsing also allows you to see all of the styles they carry before you visit the store, so once you arrive you are prepared and know what to look for. Whether you are attempting to decorate an entire house or just want to redo one room, Bassett has the merchandise and the staff to assist you all along the way. Deciding on home furnishings can be exhausting and confusing, but with all the tools Bassett offers, transforming the picture in your mind to reality will be a bit easier.✦

11655 Rieger Rd.
Baton Rouge, LA
225.755.0600
Corner of Johnston & Ambassador Caffery
Lafayette, LA
337.735.1000
www.bassettla.com