715 Royal Street, New Orleans, LA 70116

If Paris and New Orleans ever agreed to share custody of a living space, it would look like this: a tiny, elegant pied-à-terre on Royal Street in an 1831 townhouse—small in size, profound in allure, a diamond that decided it didn’t need extra carats to shine brightly.The main floor is about 100 square feet including the bath—exposed brick, antique French settees, cypress flooring, and ceilings that soar to roughly fourteen feet with beams that feel original. A crystal chandelier catches the light. A towering gilt mirror throws it back. Beveled glass and old-world woodwork make the entry feel like a scene change.The main-floor window offers French Quarter rooftops and the downtown skyline. The spiral stair—black iron with fleur-de-lis cutouts, brass rail curling like a bracelet—leads to the 80-square-foot loft where the bed tucks beneath the roofline and a small window shares an equally captivating view.And there is no kitchen, because the French Quarter is your kitchen: oysters when...