Pattern Players

“Tunica Waterfall” fabric brings movement to the living room windows with a pattern inspired by the cells that transport water in a tree trunk.

Francis and Cathi Pavy grew their family and their creative ventures together in a 1935 Tudor cottage on the borders of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s campus. Now as empty nesters, they’ve transformed the space into a showroom for their next big act.

The headliner? Bespoke textiles and wallpaper featuring Francis Pavy’s mastery of color and pattern honed over decades as a visual artist. Known for weaving South Louisiana’s vibrant culture and landscapes into distinctive iconography, he executes this same authenticity throughout the Pavy Studio product suite.

(Left) Curved back accent chairs become a conversation piece with the help of Pavy’s high contrast “Marshgrass” fabric, derived from his iconic block print. (Right) The home’s distinctive Tudor facade inspired an official nickname, “the Gingerbread House.”

Cathi Pavy, who serves as Pavy Studio’s chief creative strategist, says the vision for the product line is rooted in the house itself, originally designed by Lafayette architect Frederick Nehrbass. After spending years surrounded by the fusion of its classic Arts and Crafts style and the vivid imagery of Francis’ art, something just clicked.

“Living with his art for so many years, we were ready to see it on walls,” says Cathi Pavy. “We thought we’d love to see it on fabrics because we wanted to put it in our home.”

It was only fitting that one of their first priorities after launching the product line was to integrate it their own interiors. The couple brought in designer Nicole Le-Blanc, of NLB Design, to help with the renovation.

A gallery of Pavy’s paintings in the dining room adds flair to the natural wood paneled walls.

“Working with a designer helped us affirm what we were thinking and helped guide us to make more confident decisions,” says Cathi Pavy.

The Pavys’ art collection and textiles both played a prominent role in how LeBlanc helped to reimagine the space. However, she also strived to incorporate the story of the Pavys’ history within the house.

“The moment you walk up to the house, with the uneven bricks and the arched doorways and the ironwork, it’s already telling a story because someone designed it with intention,” she says.

(Right) A photograph by Debbie Fleming Caffery serves as the focal point of a mixed media collage featuring more Pavy originals, plus a pair of the artist’s baby shoes.

She worked closely with the Pavys to curate vignettes of artwork, furniture and heirlooms and choose paint colors that would pop against the bold patterns of cane grass, Tunica waterfalls and moon eyes.

LeBlanc says the trick to successful layering is finding a common thread. In this case, it was the narrative of the Pavy family, which shines through as brightly as the art itself.

“When you walk into a home that’s been designed with objects and art that mean something to the family, you automatically feel it,” says LeBlanc. “Your body reacts to it.”

(Right) Over-bed canopy and accent pillows, created from Pavy’s fabric, “Canegrass at Dawn,” pop against the guest room’s salmon-drenched walls.

That reaction sits at the core of Francis Pavy’s artistic mission — to provide a platform where people have the opportunity to dive deeper into his creative work and make it their own.

“It spills out over the margins of a picture frame,” he says. “It becomes a reality.

CREDITS

Textiles
Pavy Studio | Shop.Pavy.com

Designer
Nicole LeBlanc, NLB Design | NLBDesigns.com