Woodstock home showcases New Orleans style, antiques

In New Orleans, Mardi Gras is a two-week party; at Craig Hallenstein’s house, it is a year-round celebration.

Every room in Hallenstein’s 19th-century Woodstock home pays homage to the bold style of the Big Easy, from detailed stained glass windows to ornate chandeliers and dramatic paintings. Each piece has a story to tell; most are antiques brought back to their former beauty and function within the historic home.

A focus on art and architecture is evident in the multiple building types in the city of New Orleans, including long and narrow shotgun-style houses, expansive town homes and Creole cottages. According to the city of New Orleans Historic District Landmarks Commission website, New Orleans is home to more than 20 National Register historic districts, and nearly half of all buildings were constructed before World War II.

The blending of influences from several cultures and time periods is evident in the period’s architecture and artwork. Many of the pieces throughout Hallenstein’s home are in their original forms and colors, which demonstrate Creole, French and Spanish influences.

Hallenstein, a psychologist by training and published author, started a lifelong love for antiques and the city of New Orleans in his early 20s, when he was a student at the California School of Professional Psychology.

“At that time, I had put together a bucket list: Go to Disney World, and go to New Orleans,” Hallenstein said. “I took an Amtrak to New Orleans on Easter Sunday, and I remember when the cab driver pulled into the French Quarter, chills ran down my spine. I felt like I was home, and yet I had never been there before.”

Hallenstein bought his first home in 1989 in Bull Valley. What began as an 800-square-foot log cabin became a spacious, 6,800-square-foot home for his growing antique collection and five children. Over the years, Hallenstein would go on to buy properties in Chicago and New Orleans and his current residence in Woodstock, all of which share the same decor. Almost every one of these years has been marked with a trip to New Orleans for Mardi Gras festivities.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. The best way to describe Mardi Gras is a huge crowd of smiling people,” Hallenstein said. “People are just so glad to be at the world’s biggest party.”

In time for next year’s celebration, Hallenstein plans to have the next phase of his home project completed: the expansion of the master bedroom to feature a two-door transom with intricate glass design work. He said his home is always filled with friends and family, who often comment that no matter how many times they visit, they still seem to spot a unique piece they haven’t seen before.

Although all of the pieces curated in Hallenstein’s home tell a special story, one find in particular stands out to him. Two sconces, now hanging above the mantle, were the first antique purchases Hallenstein ever made.

“I was about 20 years old and was in Boston at the time. I stopped in an antique store out of curiosity; I had never bought an antique before,” Hallenstein said. “I fell in love with the design of those sconces, and I scraped together the money I had to buy them. They have since moved with me to every place I’ve lived across the country.”