Artist / Designer Works to Revitalize a Quirky, Historic Bywater Property

New Orleans Felt Like Home

Though she grew up in Cincinnati, most of Alexandra Meyn’s family lives in New Orleans and has for eight generations. Over the years, she came to visit regularly, whether it was for the holidays, Jazz Fest, or any other reason she could dream up. An artist and designer, Alexandra has lived all over, from New York City to Hawaii — but she says, “New Orleans felt more like home than anywhere else.”

What Alexandra Was Looking For

After her father passed away, she and her partner decided it was time to move to New Orleans with Alexandra’s mother. As someone who specializes in both residential and commercial interior architectural projects, Alexandra was looking for an historic Bywater or Marigny property with a multi-generational aspect that could be age-adaptive, with off street parking, and roughly 2500-3000 square feet.  It also needed to be unfinished and un-renovated, so that she could revitalize it herself and as Alexandra puts it, “capture that equity.”  

That’s where I came in. I started showing Alexandra and her partner properties over Jazz Fest in 2019, and the whole process took about eight months. We discovered 2820 St. Claude Ave. in October, but it was already under contract; I encouraged them to make a back-up offer because they so often come to fruition. And then when the first offer fell through, we moved into first position! While technically zoned commercial, the property was ideal. Permitted as “mixed-use”, the 5000 square foot space had the ability to include living space, Alexandra’s studio, retail/showroom space, and more.

The following are “Before” photos:

The Exciting Plan for the Property

While the realities of the permitting process have been difficult at times, Alexandra says, “I’m excited to hopefully forge a path forward in that respect. I’m an optimist and a solutions-oriented person, and it will be worth it if it makes it simpler for others to more easily create and occupy mixed-use, live/work spaces.” Alexandra is excited to celebrate the architectural details of the building. She explains her plan for the space as including “a small, curated home goods retail space, my design & art studio, a personal & professional showroom with custom finishes so that clients can see our offerings, private living space for three adults, and room to expand into the ample backyard. The goal is to grow the business so that it absorbs the whole footprint.”

Stay tuned for more details and “After” photos, as Alexandra transforms the space.

What Alexandra Says About Working with Me

Alexandra is a true visionary, and I understood exactly what she was trying to accomplish. I love that she had this to say about working with me:

“Tracey was most importantly super patient – because only a couple of properties would have suited the primary factors we were looking for. I showed her before & after photos of projects that I’d done in Hawaii, and she got it. She was there through thick and thin, weekends, holidays – she never let us down. I appreciated that she was fearless, and there wasn’t anything she couldn’t tackle.

Tracey was willing to go down this road with us. She could see what I could see, and we were able to get this property for the right price at the right time. She was down for the adventure, and I am sincerely grateful for that. I’m an avid learner but sometimes felt out of my depth, not knowing the protocol of how things work in the city, and Tracey was just always so willing to help and nothing was beneath her. She’s smart, savvy, and talented, and I love her passion and her mission. We’re both similarly business-oriented, and when we get together, we’ll talk business for hours, which I love! And it’s super fun to see a female pioneer in an industry that’s pretty male dominated.”

Photography credit: Jacqueline Marque