The Villas at Spanish Court

06/14/2026

My number one decor tip I have learned over the last seven years is to style your space with coordinating items, but do not be matchy matchy 💡

Case in point, my Annie villa is full of joyful interest and intrigue! I mixed a variety of patterns as well as textures. In addition, I brought in both new and thrift items. Can you tell which is which? And this space came together, amazingly well. You can’t help but walk in and smile! The decor in this villa is an unexpected eclectic mix and it’s just so fun and inviting!

Be sure to save this reel for future reference and share with a friend or to your stories if you love it. 🙌🏼🙌🏼 Then, you can book your stay in our Annie villa on mindenstays.com. Use COTTAGE10 for 10% off!

06/13/2026

This is one of my favorite corners in the Piper Villa ❤️ I love how much an indoor swing can add character to a space. The Piper is decorated for all of you farmhouse style lovers and those that love simpler decor.

Comment LINK and I’ll send you the source to shop similar items in this space. I’ll also send you the link to book your stay at The Piper Villa with a special discount code you can use at checkout ❤️

06/07/2026

My team and I have searched high and low for pictures and stories of “the old Spanish apartments” in Minden, Louisiana, and I wanted to reshare these pictures with y’all.
For reasons unknown to us, they went out of use at some point in the 1980s, and sat vacant for over 40 years.

The minute I laid eyes on them, I knew they needed to be saved. But I had no idea the depth of this renovation nor the ways that it would change me forever.

Late two summers ago, we got a note that a former resident was coming to stay in the units she lived in as a child. Because these old apartments were built in 1931, it’s extremely difficult to find firsthand experiences from actual residents.

But Ms. Jerry Aronoff came all the way from Michigan to spend a few days in the old apartments that played a role in her growing up years.

She brought us a few pictures and we were elated to see interior photos for the first time of the way these apartments were in ye days of ole.

I took her pictures and put them in the exact location inside the apartments for perspective. I got chills.

At the end, be sure to read the newspaper article announcing the first apartments in Minden, Louisiana.

So many people said these should just be torn down. But then history would’ve been lost forever. And Jerry would not have been able to return to a place so formative to her growing up years.

This is why I’ve made it my life’s mission to take blighted and abandoned properties and breathe new life into them. It’s exhausting, EXPENSIVE work, but nobody ever said leaving a legacy would be easy.

If you find yourself in our area, our perhaps you just want to experience this historic property for yourself, we would be honored to host you. Book your stay at mindenstays.com. Use code COTTAGE10 at checkout for 10% off.

06/07/2026

Looking to embrace the beach but in smalltown Minden, LA??

Meet Cindy! These are some before and after photos of the villa, can you believe this is what she once looked like? 😱

This Villa is named after my amazing wallpaper lady who spent countless hours hanging every piece of wallpaper across all eight villas. Because of her hard work and dedication I felt like one of our villas needed to be named after her.❤️

In this particular villa, you can see that at some point in history, someone just walked away and left all their belongings. 😭 I never dreamed the after of this renovation would turn out this cute, and I love it so so much.

Book a stay in Cindy or any of our other villas on mindenstays.com. Use code COTTAGE10 for 10% off. We would love to host you in the friendliest city in the south. ❤️

Photo credits: Hector Manuel Sanchez

06/06/2026

Our villas had sooooo much asbestos and lead paint and the Louisiana Department Of Environmental Quality helped us get everything remediated. 🙏🏻

🔨 A historic landmark, given new life.

LDEQ Brownfields Program staff recently visited Villas at Spanish Court in downtown Minden — a formerly vacant property that has been transformed into a thriving destination through the power of redevelopment. Built in 1931 and vacant for nearly 40 years, the site was restored with assistance from the Louisiana Brownfields Program, including the Cleanup Revolving Loan Fund. Today, it stands as a beautiful example of how environmental cleanup can preserve history, support local economies, and strengthen communities.

Projects like Villas at Spanish Court, which was recognized at the Louisiana Brownfield Awards earlier this year, demonstrate what is possible when underutilized properties are given a second chance. Through outreach and technical assistance happening every day across Louisiana, the Brownfields Program helps communities transform blighted properties into productive community assets.

📍 Learn more about the Program, including upcoming events, at deq.louisiana.gov/page/brownfields.