Empty lots in New Orleans are hard to come by, especially in coveted historic neighborhoods like the Lower Garden District. The Farouki family searched for more than a year before setting sights on the narrow 18-foot-wide site that would become their home. With three-foot side yards, their new two-story house is only 12-feet wide at the front and 9-1/2-feet wide in the rear.

As designers, the couple understood that a narrow lot with such close neighbors meant that little sunlight would make it to the ground level. They also placed a high value on the kitchen and living spaces where they spent the most time as a family. By flip-flopping the traditional layout of a house, the couple created sunlit treehouse-like living spaces upstairs with cozy bedroom spaces downstairs.