How Mardi Gras decor has changed with hardships | Entertainment/Life

No stranger to disasters and hardship, New Orleans transforms itself and its traditions based on what befalls it. Take the changes wrought by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, and those from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. They’ve had big affects on Carnival, and they’re still affecting the way we adorn our spaces for that singular celebration. 

Before Katrina, with exceptions such as Krewe du Vieux (established in 1987) and the Pussyfooters (established in 2001), Mardi Gras was mainly in the hands of those with the status and the means to join a major krewe.

After Katrina, those who had been content to watch a parade — and newcomers flocking to the city — wanted in on the action. They changed the fabric of Carnival by forming numerous walking, dancing and rolling (by bike, motorized chair or chaise) krewes whose members just wanted to have fun and make a statement.

And, in a show of pride, New Orleanians reembraced the likeness of the fleur-de-lis. By Mardi Gras 2006, that pride led many of us to deck out our homes, often going over the top both inside and out, where previous decorations typically were limited to flags or bunting.

More than a decade later, the coronavirus shutdown brought a revolution in decorating, turning whole houses into landlocked floats. And the craze spread internationally.

So just as Mardi Gras has become democratized, how we decorate has been personalized.

A new definition of floats

The cancellation of Carnival 2021 because of the pandemic inspired Megan Boudreaux to start the Krewe of House Floats to keep the spirit alive. What began as a suggestion on Facebook to decorate houses like floats quickly ballooned into 2,600 heavily adorned house “members” across New Orleans and as far away as Europe, Asia and Australia.

Boudreaux was presented with a key to the city for fostering commerce between residents and struggling local merchants and artisans.

Uncustomarily idle, Kern Studios artisans quickly jumped onboard to erect lavish displays based on homeowners’ tastes and interests. Other artisans were inspired to start new operations. Meanwhile, smaller businesses such as Stronghold Studios grew to offer house-float design, installation and removal. Elsewhere, artists started offering workshops to teach DYI-ers how to make float flowers.

INDIA MEETS MARDI GRAS: When Mo and Eileen Mohan learned their daughter’s artisan friend Nadia Tarbah was struggling with pandemic unemployment, they enlisted her to execute a Bollywood theme on the exterior of their Uptown home to be reflective of Mysore Dossrah (Carnival) in Mo Mohan’s native India.

“Like Mardi Gras, India is a sensory overload,” said Eileen Mohan.

Four years in, Eileen Mohan and Tarbah — who now owns ND Studio — confer every summer to determine how to expand on the house float for which the Mohans are now widely known. The exhibit currently includes a Bollywood marquee, dancers, marigolds and life-sized, wooden likenesses of an elephant, a tiger and monkeys.

DECORATIONS FIRST, FURNITURE LATER:  This year, for the second season, Tiffany Langlinais called on Ian and Coco Darrow, co-owners of Stronghold Studios, to transform her newly bought Mid-City home into a themed float. She and her husband, Mike Graves, bought their house in December 2023 and first had it decorated by Stronghold in January 2024 so that it would be Mardi Gras-ready before they moved in.

“Our neighbors were like, ‘Who are the new people moving in who would decorate before they even moved their furniture in?’” Langlinais said. “Last year’s theme was similar with stargazer lilies and ‘flamingeauxes,’ but with Coco’s fresh take with the Super Bowl in New Orleans, a massive pink football and football-themed flowers were added this year.”

Langlinais and Graves have committed to keeping the flamingoes but building upon the design each year, with new features reflecting current events.

“I love walking up to my house and seeing the larger-than-life art popping off. The other day, a dog duo and their couple posed in front of the house for a quick picture, and they stayed for a while to chat,” Langlinais said.

The Carnival-time transformation of the home happens quickly.

“The Stronghold team is lightning-fast and had it installed in less than an hour,” she said. “All they need to secure each piece is zip ties. The work is completed beforehand and then attached to structures on site with a map they have drawn out.

“When the art installation comes off at the end of the season, it just pops off and is gone like it never existed. It’s a little sad to see when the season is over, and it has made me start thinking of having different art installations for other parts of the year.”

Some DIY decor

For those looking to keep decorating expenses lower, the creative juices still can flow freely.

DIY-er Heather Slay Mosley embraces decorating for Mardi Gras — and every holiday — with enthusiasm.

“I must decorate for every holiday,” she said, “because my husband, Anthony, is a 7-year-old trapped in a grown man’s body. He inspires me to celebrate life to its fullest. We’ve both had life-altering events that have awakened the importance of creating joy every day.”

Thrift stores and Pinterest are her favorite sources of inspiration. She warehouses her ideas on her online Pinterest board. Also, “I love to shop at RicRACK on MLK (Martin Luther King Boulevard). It’s a wonderful place to pick up supplies. It’s a textile recycling nonprofit that keeps things out of the landfill and provides me with fodder for being creative.

“I’m always about what’s next. I went to Italy just before my second open-heart surgery in August 2023. I loved Venice. The Venetian masks I saw everywhere were wonderful, so this year, it’s a Venice-inspired wreath season for me.”

For Mosley, thrifting has more appeal than traditional shopping. “I collect old wreaths and decorations, remove the old and worn-out things, and separate them by color and season into bins. I love finding a great deal after each season and shopping for next year.

“I’ve already started my plans for one of next year’s Christmas trees, and I’m about to get started on a Jazz Fest wreath this week. I’ve never been bored, and doubt I ever will because there’s still St Patrick’s Day to deal with, then Easter. … It never stops.”

Stronghold Studios holds Mardi Gras flower sales from noon to 6 p.m. every Saturday in February at 4429 Bienville St.