27 SOUTHERN HOME | SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
F
or homeowners
Susanne Cambre
and Frederick Dwyer,
restoring their
sprawling, 1920s
home on the North-
shore of Lake Pontchartrain was
not only a true labor of love, but
a challenge in preserving history
and overcoming adversity.
Nestled on six acres of waterfront
property and surrounded by
moss-covered oak trees, the
couple first fell in love with the
house’s private, retreat-like
surroundings and simplistic
charm. After a complete
renovation was done by its
previous owners, Cambre and
Dwyer lived in the home for just
four years before it flooded first
during Hurricane Katrina and
again seven years later during
Hurricane Isaac. “After the
second flood, we were in the
process of restoring and trying to
figure out what to do—the house
was still a construction site—
when we got a call late one night
that it was on fire,” says Cambre.
“We had to make some hard
decisions after that. We decided
if we were going to stay in the
house and fix the fire damage,
we also needed to raise it.”
In 2013, the homeowners
began the tedious process of
raising the house 10 feet off the
ground. It took a year due to the
length of the residence, and a
foundation had to be rebuilt
before the house could be set
back down. The couple also
undertook all of the engineering
work and were able to preservePrevious pages: Although the home had to be raised 10 feet due to flooding, homeowners Susanne Cambre
and Frederick Dwyer wanted to preserve the aesthetic of a simple country home during the restoration.
Above: The entry to the living room and outdoor pool area is light and airy to keep the room’s indoor/outdoor
connection seamless and comfortable. Opposite: It was important to the homeowners that the original cypress
paneling in the formal living room was preserved and restored. Graci decided to paint the beams white to
keep the ceiling from feeling too heavy but left the natural color of the wood to trim out the room.