Design STL | March/April 2020 - Architect & Designer Awards

2020 ARCHITECT & DESIGNER AWARDS

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ROW HOUSE RENEWAL “I’M NEVER SATISFIED WITH JUST WRITING A CHECK,” SAYS THE OWNER OF THIS L ASALLE PARK HOME. “I’VE GOT TO PUT MY TOUCH SOMEWHERE.” p.38

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MAR/APR

C ON T EN TS DISCOVER 17 A SECOND ACT

A Q&A with milliner and Fashion Lab resident Dianne Isbell 20 SOMETHING BLUE

Pantone’s Color of the Year is a classic hue with many shades.

22 SPELL-BOUND

38 THIS OLD HOUSE

After a years-long renovation, a LaSalle Park couple finds comfort and happiness at home.

Four local bookstores offer more than the printed word.

DESIGN 25 BEAD-AZZLED

A mother-daughter team runs a business selling earrings, necklaces, and other pretty things.

28 MADE FOR LIVING

Sustainable fashion design is at the heart of Courtney Tharpe’s namesake brand.

30 BLOOM WHERE PLANTED PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN

Artist Lauren Knight finds inspiration in family, flowers, and home.

PROPERTY I N DEX

33 HANNAH AND HER GUEST HOUSE

78 THE PROMISE OF SPRING

A “bed-and-beverage” welcomes visitors with their choice of drink.

Design STL staffers share their hopes for their homes.

34 SALON NEWS

Practical meets playful at the redesigned Christina White Salon.

36 ABOVE IT ALL

The 100 Building features corner living rooms, outdoor terraces, and expansive views.

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DES I GN CRUSH

FEATURES

80 ANGEL WAHBY

Neiman Marcus’ lead visual stylist applies her fine arts background to her work.

ON THE COVER

Photography by Alise O’Brien

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SEW RIGHT

The nuts and bolts of owning a drapery workroom.

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THE 2020 ARCHITECT & DESIGNER AWARDS

A portfolio of winning designs stlmag.com

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T O 4

The Outdoor Sale 4/2–4/16 Centro Modern Furnishings 4727 McPherson Avenue St. Louis, MO 63108 314 454-0111 centro-inc.com

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FOR

DESIGN STL

1600 S. BRENTWOOD, SUITE 550 ST. LOUIS, MO 63144 314-918-3000 | FAX 314-918-3099 STLMAG.COM

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Veronica Theodoro DEPUT Y EDITOR Amanda Woytus CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jarrett Medlin SENIOR EDITOR Nicholas Phillips DINING EDITOR George Mahe ASSOCIATE EDITOR Samantha Stevenson COPY EDITOR Kerry Bailey CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Amy Burger, Cara Downs, Kim Hill, Megan Mertz, Charlene Oldham, Jen Roberts INTERN Kelly Siempelkamp

ART & PRODUCTION

DESIGN DIRECTOR Tom White ART DIRECTOR Emily Cramsey SALES & MARKETING DESIGNER Monica Lazalier PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Kylie Green STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Kevin A. Roberts CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

Alise O’Brien, Jonathan Pollack, Maddie Stringfellow, Carmen Troesser

ADVERTISING

SALES DIRECTOR Kim Moore DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL SALES Chad Beck ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Jill Gubin, Brian Haupt, Liz Schaefer, Susan Tormala OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Cheryl Rockwell SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Elaine Krull DIGITAL ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Blake Hunt

EVENTS

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS Jawana Reid

CIRCULATION

CIRCUL ATION MANAGER Dede Dierkes CIRCUL ATION COORDINATOR Teresa Foss

BUSINESS

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Carrie Mayer

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FOR QUESTIONS CALL: Kollette Greene 214-891-2947

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started here.

The Sub-Zero, Wolf, and Cove Showroom will help you create a kitchen that’s uniquely yours. On-site chefs, product experts, and inspiring designs will help you envision the possibilities for your home – and all of the delicious moments to come.

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VOLUME 2, ISSUE 2

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Six issues of Design STL and two issues of St. Louis Family are included with a paid subscription to St. Louis Magazine ($19.95 for 20 issues).

Call 314-918-3000 to place an order or to inform us of a change of address, or visit stlmag.com/subscribe. For corporate and group subscription rates, contact Teresa Foss at 314-918-3030.

ONLINE CALENDAR

Call 314-918-3000 or email Amanda Woytus at awoytus@stlmag.com. (Please include “Online Calendar” in subject line.) Or submit events at stlmag.com/events/submit.html.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Send letters to the editor to vtheodoro@stlmag.com.

EVENTS

For information about special events, call Jawana Reid at 314-918-3026.

ADVERTISING

To place an ad, contact Elaine Krull at 314-918-3002 or ekrull@stlmag.com.

DISTRIBUTION

Call Dede Dierkes at 314-918-3006.

Subscription Rates: $19.95 for one year. Call for foreign subscription rates. Frequency: Monthly. Single Copies in Office: $5.46. Back Issues: $7.50 by mail (prepaid). Copyright 2020 by St. Louis Magazine, LLC. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts may be submitted but must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. ©2020 by St. Louis Magazine. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550 St. Louis, MO 63144 314-918-3000 | Fax 314-918-3099 stlmag.com

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Introducing Our Partnership with Kravet

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LETTER

FROM THE EDITOR

AS I WAS sitting down to write this letter, I caught

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against that of their peers’, and in inviting nationally acclaimed judges to review their designs, we play a vital part in shifting the limelight to up-and-coming designers and cementing a leadership role for our recurring winners. This year, we received more than 300 entries, and you can see the winning projects beginning on page 46.

Elsewhere in the magazine you’ll find more local talent. On page 28, associate editor Samantha Stevenson writes about Courtney Tharpe’s journey to launching the Tharpe brand; and on page 30, deputy editor Amanda Woytus acquaints us with painter Lauren Knight, who reveals a love of lush tropical life.

The magazine’s newest editor, Nicholas Phillips, introduces us to a couple who renovated an old city house and lived to tell the tale. Take a look at his story on page 38.

And you play a key role as well. In subscribing or picking up Design STL from a newsstand, in hiring local designers, architects and contractors—and in recommending them to your friends—you help boost recognition and appreciation of them.

Now that’s what I call community building!

vtheodoro@stlmag.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

the tail end of a radio interview with veteran Chicago Tribune investigative reporter Gary Marx. The segment was interesting to me for many reasons, but most of all I was struck by a comment Marx made about the singular role of media organizations within the community: “[The newspaper] provides not just a comprehensive coverage of the news,” he said, “but…we have an architecture critic. We have a jazz music critic. We have a theater critic. We have people covering all of our sports teams. We’re not just part of the community. We’re helping create this community.”

I’ve never thought about journalism in quite those terms, but Marx makes an important point. It occurs to me that this publication— thanks to the staff’s enthusiasm for uncovering new talent, our drive to feature local makers and artists, and our commitment to listening to our established designers—helps advance careers, strengthen businesses, and foster a positive image of the local creative class. We all benefit from sharing our work with others, and articles that provide context about purpose, while telling a good story, go a long way toward explaining who we are as a city.

The notion of media as an engine of community life is especially evident in our annual event: The Architect & Designer Awards. In offering local talent a platform to measure their work

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PRODUCTS AND PLACES

CONNECT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

hatsbydianne.com saintlouisfashionfund.org

A Second Act

As is the case with many a creative undertaking, Dianne Isbell’s journey to millinery took a circuitous path. It began in childhood with a love of fashion, dress-up, and the stage. It stretched through the long hiatus of a 37-year-career in government. Finally, it blossomed in retirement, after Isbell met “the love of my life,” she says, and married him, starting a second act. A side business teaching etiquette classes to young girls in the St. Louis area was a start. “I went out and bought dresses from the ’60s. I got gloves and jewelry and purses. The girls could pick out anything they wanted,” says Isbell, “and then I made them Victorian tulle hats.” Her sister saw the hats and asked Isbell to design one for her to wear to meetings of the Red Hat Society. The hats piqued others’ interest; local shops began selling them, and even Lady Gaga’s people called. “I’m a firm believer that things are put before you,” says Isbell, “and if you just follow it for a little bit, it might be something really interesting and worthwhile.” —VERONICA THEODORO stlmag.com

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FASHION DESIGN

The Queen of Hats Everyone notices a woman in a hat, says milliner Dianne Isbell. whatever until you start collecting something, right? And that’s how I got into vintage hats. I have books on the history of hats, and it helps to look at them for ideas. My oldest hat is a crochet bonnet from 1510.

THE ROLE OF HATS HAS CHANGED A GREAT DEAL OVER THE YEARS.

It has certainly evolved, and, of course, the wars have played a part in the size of hats and in the fabrics that were used, because there have been shortages of fabrics at different times. When Rosie the Riveter started working in the factory, she couldn’t wear something that was really big, because it could be dangerous; that’s when the snood came into being. It tied up the back of her hair like a big hairnet.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ERA FOR HAT DESIGN? Oh, the 1920s! The

hats were so glamorous, and it was a fun period in our country. There were lots of parties, lots of dancing.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE CLASSIC BERET? To me, it’s kind of

boring. There just isn’t the opportunity to do a lot with it. One thing I don’t like is women who wear baseball caps with their ponytails sticking out the back. That’s not glamorous. You’d be surprised by how many men love a woman in a hat, and some women don’t get that. A woman who wears a hat…she draws more attention to herself naturally.

WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT EVENTS IN ST. LOUIS FOR WOMEN AND HATS? Oh, the

WHAT PUBLIC PERSON WEARS HATS ESPECIALLY WELL? The Duchess of Cambridge.

She’s elegant, and I think she’s inspired people. One of her latest [looks] is like the one

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NOT ONLY DO YOU DESIGN HATS, YOU COLLECT THEM AS WELL. When I met my hus-

band, the only thing I collected were empty boxes for Christmas presents. But he has a military museum in the lower level of his house, and you can only go to so many flea markets and antique shops and gun shows or

TELL US ABOUT THE TIME YOU DESIGNED HATS FOR LADY GAGA.

The marketing company for Lady Gaga called and asked if I’d like to make hats for her rollout of her Fame perfume. I said, “I would be happy to, but first you have to know what my parameters are: I do not deal with raw meat or lettuce.” She was in that phase. And so if they want something that I disagree with, maybe the philosophy of it, it’s, well, “I’m sorry, maybe you need to look for someone else.” But they said, “Oh no, oh no, we don’t want that.” So I created three designs for her. –V.T.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

[Kentucky] Derby, of course, and the night before is the [Kentucky] Oaks; then the next day is the Tournament of Roses—and, of course, women don’t want to wear the same hat! The Forest Park Forever Hat Luncheon in June is a tremendous event, with more than 1,000 women wearing hats. My customers have been winners there for 10 years.

that I gave to [model] Karlie Kloss. It’s called the halo headband. The Duchess set the fashion for that. She’s worn fascinators—she’s worn all kinds of things—but now she’s been wearing headbands with the thicker band. I design them with a bit more elaboration, but she’s making them a fashion statement.

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Industry Professionals working together to make your home better.

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SEEN AROUND TOWN

Something Blue Pantone’s Color of the Year 2020 is a classic. Its many shades are ideal for home decorating. —SAMANTHA STEVENSON

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1. Marc Sadler for Foscarini Twiggy floor lamp in Indigo, price available upon request. Centro, centro-inc. com. 2. Renaissance Revival armchair with zebra hide cushion, $2,400. Forsyth, forsythart.com.

3. Vintage blue painted cabinet, $65. South Jefferson Mid Century Modern, instagram.com/sojeffmcm.

4. Classic blue printed rug, price available upon request. LK2 Kaim Kisner Studio, lk2kaimkisner.com.

5. Oh Hey Aim coasters, $29. Seta, setastl.com. 6. Wing back chairs from Four Hands furniture company, $825 for the pair. Cool Stuff Period, coolstuffperiod.com. 7. Built Portrait in Blue, price available upon request. Carrie Gillen, carriegillen.com.

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STOREFRONT

Spell-Bound Four local bookstores offer so much more than the printed word. —CARA DOWNS

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THE WEBSTER GROVES BOOKSHOP

When Cheryl Bartnett reopened The Webster Groves Bookshop in the summer of 2018, it was almost an exact replica of the original shop, which stood just blocks away for more than 50 years. Bartnett saved and restored all the wood and some fixtures from the original location and put them in storage until the perfect corner storefront opened up on North Gore.

“My family has lived in Webster Groves for almost 25 years, and before I worked at the store, I was a customer,” she says. “I could see how meaningful the Bookshop was to the community and that was what drove me to reopen it.”

27 N. Gore 314-968-1185 thewebstergrovesbookshop.com

THE BOOK HOUSE

Located in Maplewood, The Book House has been in business since 1986, offering rare, collectible, and out-of-print titles, which make up about 30 percent of the shop’s inventory and are housed in wood-and-glass preservation cases. “We like the browsers and the treasurehunters,” says owner Michelle Barron. “We carry really old hard-to-find stuff gathered from estate sales and auctions.

This is a great place to find that special and unique something.”

7352 Manchester 314-968-4491 bookhousestl.com

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“We’re the best used book store in the city,” says manager Vernon Bain. Located in the heart of South Grand, Dunaway Books carries used and new books. The store features a cozy reading room in the back complete with a loft draped in twinkle lights, comfy chairs, and winding aisles to inspire both reading and buying.

3111 S. Grand 314-771-7150 dunawaybooks.com

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RECOMMENDED

WE ASKED THE OWNERS AND EMPLOYEES OF SOME OF ST. LOUIS’ FAVORITE BOOKSTORES TO NAME GREAT DESIGN AND HOMEDECORATING READS ON THE SHELVES OF THEIR OWN SHOPS.

DUNAWAY BOOKS Architecture Today, Charles Jencks with William Chaitkin

THE WEBSTER GROVES BOOKSHOP A Place to Call Home, James T. Farmer III

THE BOOK HOUSE 1000 Chairs, Charlotte and Peter Fiell

THE NOVEL NEIGHBOR I Do Not Cook, I Do Not Clean, I Do Not Fly Commercial, Ashley Longshore

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

It’s been nearly six years since Holland Saltsman opened The Novel Neighbor in Webster Groves with the aim of making it more than just a bookstore.

“I intentionally left ‘bookstore’ out of the name,” he says, “as I always hoped to be more than that.” In keeping with that mission, the shop also curates and supports the work of independent artists, providing a venue for locals to buy art in addition to books. A pair of meeting spaces are reserved for private events, parties, book clubs, and classes.

7905 Big Bend 314-738-9384 thenovelneighbor.com

DUNAWAY BOOKS

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LIVING WITH DESIGN

CONNECT

@knotthinkers

Beadazzled

A 1920s silent film spoke to the maker of this necklace.

When Shelly Sher’s search for a new job dragged on, she decided to fill her time by learning macramé.

Shelly then discovered beads and, she admits, went “a little crazy.”

Leaving textiles behind, she now designs beaded jewelry, hair accessories, and decorative vessels for the home and sells them through a business run by her daughter, Anna Sher. Their website describes the work as “contemporary,” but the pair will tell you their style is definitely not trendy. For this piece on the left, for example, Shelly drew inspiration from a work of geometric wall art that she spotted in a scene in a 1920s silent film.

The result is a one-of-a-kind Art Deco necklace comprising Japanese seed beads, Swarovski crystals, and beads sourced from the Czech Republic, exemplifying the duo’s old-school design sensibility.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

–KIM HILL

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MADE BY HAND

Build It With Beads Anna Sher and her mother run a business selling earrings, necklaces, and other pretty little things.

Anna Sher

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Dejected when she couldn’t find a job, Shelly taught herself to bead by watching online tutorials and practicing the craft as often as she could. Soon enough, cubic right-angle weaves and herringbone stitches started to come naturally. “My technique got better and more creative,” she recalls.

She began giving earrings and necklaces to friends and family as gifts. Anna, then a graphic design student at Columbia College Chicago, saw the potential for a small busi-

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

Describing a bag of fire-polished beads sourced from the Czech Republic, Shelly Sher strokes her fingers across them as if they’re old friends. In a way, they are.

During a recent conversation about Knot Thinkers, the jewelry business started by Shelly and Anna Sher, Anna defers all design questions to her mother, who creates one-of-a-kind beaded earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and other accessories for women and for the home.

ness as her mom kept honing her craft and amassing an inventory of beautiful, unique works. “I had a little board with 12 pieces on it at a hair salon in Chicago,” says Anna.

“Every month I would go in and refill it or switch out the products.”

The Knot Thinkers name is a nod to Shelly’s original foray into macramé, but it’s also an homage to something far more personal.

Growing up, Anna endured years of eye therapy to correct her visual dyslexia, a reading difficulty. “We would say to her, ‘Don’t think about it; just look,’ so she wouldn’t overthink looking at letters and words,” Shelly explains. “The phrase we used was ‘We’re not thinking.’”

“Maybe that’s why I use such bold typography in my work,” adds Anna, who moved back to St. Louis in 2016. “I can visualize letters as shapes and let their forms influence my design choices.” Her design clients include Kellogg’s and KOVAL Distillery, and closer to home, Anna created the logo and branding for MADE, the Delmar Boulevard maker space for artisans. She uses equipment at MADE to design and produce the packaging for the jewelry and sells her company’s creations at MADE’s Third Fridays events.

Repeat customer Christine Pham likes the uniqueness of each piece, from the intricate designs to the delicate shapes to the selection of materials. “Shelly and Anna have quite an eye for color combinations,” says Pham. “I get so many comments from friends and strangers alike when I wear the earrings, because most people can’t tell they’re actually made of beads.”

With thousands of colors and dozens of bead shapes on the market, Shelly says it’s both overwhelming and challenging to create new designs. When she discovers a new bead shape, she will wonder, What am I going to do with this? “It’s like architecture,” she says. “I just have to figure out what I’m going to build.” –K.H. stlmag.com

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

Made for Living Moving out of New York City helped designer Courtney Tharpe find herself and her fashion brand.

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refugee and immigrant women in St. Louis.

It’s her second run, after the initial run of 60 sold out in less than two months. This spring, she’s planning to put a few more designs, including wrap skirts, into production. And an upcoming project may be her most personal yet: Tharpe is designing her wedding dress, in the style of a contemporary Victorian ball-

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

COURTNEY THARPE RETURNED to St. Louis from New York in 2011 to begin treatment for alcoholism and an eating disorder. “I felt that my addictions had taken my fashion career from me,” she says. By 25, she’d graduated from the Parsons School of Design, interned at J. Mendel, and worked for Lucky Brand. But it took moving back to her hometown, and years of rebuilding, before she felt comfortable wading back into the fashion world.

Eight years later, Tharpe has returned to the business she loves with the launch of Tharpe, a clothing line of elevated basics and eclectic separates made from deadstock fabrics and cut in feminine, body-shaping silhouettes. Her signature accessories include petal collars and turtleneck dickies.

Each day, the designer begins her mornings around 7 a.m., brewing coffee in her charming kitchen and centering herself before starting work. Twice a week, she meditates for 10 minutes, a tool she’s used throughout her eight years of sobriety, she says: “If I start the day with a meditation and a little cleaning, I get so much more done than if I just jump into it.”

Tharpe likes to work on her laptop at a square white table in her University City home’s former sunroom, which she’s renovated into a whitewashed studio. Projects from two side businesses—freelance graphic design and a tablescape company she co-founded with her sister—are in varying phases of completion around her. A seamstress’ torso mannequin is pinned with cuts used in the design of Tharpe’s The [Not-So-Basic] Basic Tank.

The designer learned to sew from her mother, and was soon making pillows for grade school friends and a glamorous ’30s-inspired nightgown that she didn’t dare wear outside her bedroom.

“She really marched to the beat of her own drum,” says older sister Libby Tharpe. “She was always creating, designing, and ripping up clothes. Anytime I see her wearing something, I take note. Without fail, in a year, maybe two, it’s all over the magazines. She’s been doing that since she was in high school.”

Sustainability and ethical sourcing are at the heart of the Tharpe brand, but, Tharpe says, “It’s impossible to be 100 percent sustainable. You have to pick what platforms are most important to you. For me, that’s deadstock fabric, creating a circular economy, raising awareness, and fair labor practices.”

She recently completed a batch of 85 tank tops with small-batch manufacturer The Collective Thread, which trains and employs

gown, for her spring nuptials.

“I think it’s important to have fun with fashion,” the designer says, reflecting on her career. “People tend to use fashion as a way to hide, but I want my clothes to be an outlet for some frivolity.” —SAMANTHA STEVENSON ➜ VISIT: seetharpe.com / @see.tharpe

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ART AND DESIGN

Bloom Where Planted Local artist Lauren Knight finds inspiration in family, flowers, and home.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

LAUREN KNIGHT WAS on the hunt for a King protea. Before leaving on a family vacation to the Hawaiian island of Kauai, she pulled aside her husband, Andrew, a business professor at Washington University, and told him she wanted to do some photography while on the island. That’s where the protea came in.

Knight, who paints portraits of plants and flowers, her family, and other objects, was on a mission to find the giant flowering plant, a white bulb with pink petals that cup its side.

In Kauai, the couple and their three boys— Milo, 12; Oliver, 10; and Emil, 8—pulled over to take photos of cacti, checked farmers’ markets and flower shops for the flower, but the protea remained elusive…until Knight went grocery shopping. There, in the Safeway, were buckets upon buckets of the flower. “I ran in and just stopped,” Knight says. “It’s like a bucket of roses here.” The protea will make an appearance in a new Kauai series Knight is planning.

For Knight, the “stop the car” jolt of inspiration is a familiar one. Her father, who died when she was 12, was a photographer, and when Knight was a child, he frequently pulled the car over if he caught sight of light hitting the landscape in a particularly interesting way. But though her dad was a creative, art didn’t come to Knight until later—and it was by accident.

A fall during ballet class left her with a broken ankle. Without a creative outlet, and restless at home, she picked up a paintbrush and “made some terrible-looking paintings,” she says. That was in December 2017. By December 2019, she’d shown a collection of works at Meshuggah Café on Delmar and sold nine of them.

From her University City home, kitten by her side, Knight paints what she loves, designs compositions, and photographs subjects on her iPhone. She then uses a grid to draw the photograph on canvas before painting. It’s technical work—she wants to get the proportions right— and she likes that she can zoom in to see all the different shades and shadows in a photograph.

Her children make appearances in her paintings, and motherhood is also a theme.

“There’s a chair that’s in a lot of my work,” she says. “That thread is supposed to represent the mother. We’re always kind of in the background, supporting whoever is there.”

Tropical life is a big source of inspiration, but other times it’s color that grabs her attention.

While grocery shopping one day, she recalls, “I saw a red snapper that looked like it had been plucked directly from the ocean—and then I found this dragonfruit that complemented the fish.” The still life, rounded out with oranges

and peonies, now hangs in the dining room.

“Painting has changed the way I see the world,” Knight says.

This year, Knight turns 40. It’s a significant age, and to celebrate, she’s hoping to create an e-commerce site. She also longs to build a backyard greenhouse. That way, the tropical plants and flowers she’s so drawn to will be a bit closer to home. —AMANDA WOYTUS ➜ FOLLOW: @lauren.knight9

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REAL ESTATE, CONTRACTORS, ARCHITECTS

CONNECT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

@schillerhouse theschillerhouse.com

Hannah and Her Guest House A bed-and-beverage welcomes visitors with their choice of drink.

The Schiller House, a “bed & beverage” in downtown Hermann, was purchased last summer by Hannah Hessler-James; her sisters, Lindsey and Madison Hessler; and Hannah’s husband, Miles James. The family, who splits their time between St. Louis and Hermann, renovated the historic property to better accommodate large groups of visitors to the area. Built in 1882

by German settlers, the charming brick building now features three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large common area. A separate 600-square-foot garden cottage in the backyard is also available for stays. “Hermann is a picturesque town with rich German settlement history,” says Hessler-James. “Our goal was to embody that spirit. We wanted to do something different, so our bed-and-beverage was born—where a happy hour option of your choice awaits when you arrive.” —JEN ROBERTS

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COMMERCIAL DESIGN

Salon News The Christina White Salon reopens with a practical and playful new design.

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much more to actually act it and be it.”

The salon shows a playful side, too, with patterned wallpaper and colorful vignettes.

“We bring ring lights into the bathroom, which is covered in pink flamingo wallpaper, to provide the ideal lighting for photos [for social media],” says Christina.

A stocked bar complete with vintage highball glasses and a miniature gold palm tree is used for more than just parties. “We feel like everywhere is a party in here,” says Martin.

Who needs Miami Beach? —CARA DOWNS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MADDIE STRINGFELLOW

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BANANA leaf plants, and Rihanna on the sound system yield a sunny Miami Beach vibe at Brentwood’s Christina White Salon.

But beneath the carefree glamour lie design decisions guided by the business needs of a busy salon envisioned by its owners and designer as a place to build community among its clientele.

“We didn’t want clients to be closed off from each other,” says Annie Brahler-Smith, a longtime client who helped spearhead the design. “For that reason, I chose not to have a waiting room. Instead, there are ottomans placed in the center of the space to encourage conversation.”

The salon’s color bar—relegated in many salons to a backroom, hidden from view—was brought into the public sphere, “almost like an open kitchen at a restaurant, and the stylists are out mixing color, talking to clients. The salon is social and the space reflects that,” says Brahler-Smith.

“Some clients are here for four to five hours at a time,” adds the salon’s namesake, co-owner Christina White. Christina is certified in the application of hair extensions, which accounts for half the salon’s revenue.

“We want them to feel comfortable, since this is where they’re going to spend their day.”

A crisp and clean décor floods the 3,200-square-foot salon. Sherwin-William’s Snowbound covers the walls and a gold-flaked epoxy adorns the floors. Those floors were a splurge, says Brahler-Smith, but they’ve become something of a signature. “They keep the look minimalist but let you know you’re somewhere that’s open to new ideas.”

The Christina White Salon first opened in 2016, and business soon flourished. When the building was put on the market in 2018, Christina and her husband, co-owner and CEO Martin White, decided to buy it and expand the salon into the offices next door.

The couple turned to Brahler-Smith, who had helped them pro bono when they were getting started, and the team used what they’d learned during that first design to inform this one. More storage, better organization, and salon-friendly surfaces were essential. Brahler-Smith installed custom cabinets around the color bar to hold dyes and towels, and the bar’s quartz countertops, and the subway tile backsplash in the shampoo area, are stain resistant.

“I’m big on function,” says Brahler-Smith.

“You can say that you are, but it takes so

➜ VISIT: 1238 Strassner Dr. / christinawhitesalon.com

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URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Above It All Tenants of the One Hundred building are scheduled to move in by late summer.

AS RENDERINGS BECAME reality at One

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY TOM HARRIS, COURTESY OF STUDIO GANG

Hundred, the 36-story high-rise on the edge of Forest Park, the building’s developers found themselves in awe of the views.

“You can send drones up and they give you images of what the view looks like from the 13th floor and the 19th floor,” says Peter Cassel, director of community development for Mac Properties, the project’s developer, “but to stand on the 22nd floor and see the Arch in the background with the [Cathedral] Basilica right up under you is incredible.”

Studio Gang, the Chicago-based architecture and urban planning firm responsible for the design, was founded by Jeanne Gang, a MacArthur Fellow whose work is driven by a desire to build relationships with nature and within communities. In the One Hundred building, that idea is manifested in tiers, which yield outdoor terraces for a quarter of the units, and the placement of the building, which provides views of the Arch and the park. The building’s footprint, resembling a scalloped leaf, gives every unit a corner living room with expansive views of the city.

Potential renters can get a sense of those views through virtual tours or in-building visits. The first occupants are scheduled to move in by late summer.

Cassel says the building’s 316 apartments are attracting interest from students and employees of the Washington University Medical Campus and other nearby employment and education centers.

“But we’re also seeing a number of people who are interested in relocating to the city from the suburbs and see this as an opportunity to have an urban lifestyle,” he says.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the level of demand in the market.”

Named One Hundred for its street address, 100 N. Kingshighway, the apartment tower at the corner of Kingshighway and West Pine Boulevard will be the tallest building in the neighborhood; at 380 feet, it tops The Chase Park Plaza by 70 feet. One Hundred is a definite departure from the hotel’s Art Deco design and architecture of other landmarks in the Central West End, says Alderman Joe Roddy, who represents the area.

“I think there was a lot of apprehension when it was proposed, and there were some criticisms,” he says. “For people who enjoy more traditional architecture, this is something different.” Other objections were driven by the tax breaks city officials approved for the project, “but since they

started hanging the glass, it’s been nothing but enthusiastically received by most people in the neighborhood,” Roddy says.

The building, says the alderman, is one of the most visible symbols of the city’s economic and residential resurgence, fueled by such developments as City Foundry, Ballpark Village, and the apartments at Citizen Park.

“All those things being in such close proximity are feeding off each other. The whole central corridor—not just my ward, but from downtown to Clayton—is really doing well,” says Roddy.

—CHARLENE OLDHAM ➜ VISIT: 100 N. Kingshighway / liveat100.com

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Don’t take a risk with your flooring.

FIC contractors employ skilled craftsmen from the INSTALL Floorlayers Training School, educated to provide the highest quality flooring installations.

Choose an FIC contractor for your next project.

314.968.3522 www.ficstl.org

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DÉCOR & DECORATION

This Old House Tested by a years-long renovation, a couple finds comfort and happiness in an elegant Second Empire row house.

WHEN DAUMIER MAGESWKI thinks back on the renovation of his LaSalle Park townhouse, he says he would never do it again. ¶ Not that he regrets it. He simply can’t fathom how he and his husband, Dallas Cupp, endured it: being ghosted by contractors, sleeping on an air mattress in the dining room, cooking on a hot plate in the bathroom, and worst of all, toiling for more than a year to restore the staircase. ¶ That staircase and its original walnut banister, both of which required refinishing, spiral all the way up to the third floor. Once the previous owner’s carpet had been removed, the couple plucked out every staple and sanded all 42 steps—on their own, which resulted in a perma-haze of dust that clung to the walls. All of this preceded the hydrating, staining, and varnishing of the wood. One sweltering summer day on the stairs, says Mageswki, a technology consultant at Accenture, he nearly wept. ¶ “I was wearing a mask, so I looked like an alien,” he says. “I was like, ‘What did we do? Why is this happening? I don’t want to be here.’” ¶ Mageswki, a native of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, moved to St. Louis in 2008 on a student visa and began dating Cupp, who works as an in-house attorney at packaged-food giant Post Holdings. In 2013, after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the recognition of same-sex marriages, Mageswki and Cupp wed in Des Moines. They returned to St. Louis and began searching for an old house to buy—something they could shape from the outset.

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Daumier Mageswki

They found it just south of downtown, on a leafy street in LaSalle Park—that triangular slice of what used to be the city’s Frenchtown, before German immigrants moved in. The home they toured was a narrow, shabby Second Empire townhouse with a mansard roof and stone front.

According to neighborhood lore, the house dates to the 1860s and was once home to a German-born surveyor and officer in the Union Army.

“I walked in and I didn’t see what it was,” said Mageswki, “I saw what it would look like. I just had a vision.” He feared that Cupp, practical by nature, would balk.

“I had no interest in taking on a project,” Cupp admits. But he appreciated the high ceilings and tall windows, the fireplace, the pocket doors, and that spiraling banister.

By year’s end, the couple had closed on the house, and in February 2014 they moved in.

The first contractor they hired did half the job, then vanished. Others came to give estimates but then lost interest.

“Contractors want to feel like they’re helping you figure out a problem,” says Mageswki, “but I always had a strong idea

of what I wanted.” Using software he mastered while studying chemical engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Mageswki designed the kitchen—with its industrial stove, range hood, cabinetry, and sliding ladder—“down to the millimeter.” For the flooring, he ordered custom-made encaustic tiles direct from Thailand. (He picked them up at a warehouse and carted them home in his overloaded Mazda3.)

Mageswki cut out the middleman on the staircase by designing and ordering the carpet direct from a Chinese firm. Such overseas manufacturers normally supply other businesses, not individual homeowners, Mageswki observed. So while wholesalers do charge lower prices, the consumer must show a certain level of expertise—and the willingness to put in some legwork.

The décor that the couple has assembled is multifarious. There’s a sofa by Jonathan Adler here, a lamp by Philippe Starck there, plus vintage items purchased online and antique finds, including a chandelier discovered in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Some items, such as a coat rack

made with antique hooks or the buffet table painted robin’s-egg blue, Mageswki created himself.

“I’m never satisfied with just writing a check,” he says. “I’ve got to put my touch somewhere.”

Five years of nonstop projects caused some fights, disagreement, and strain, the couple concedes. But every third week, when Mageswki returns from two weeks of working on the road, he finds Cupp, their two dogs, and this old house they’ve made new again. And he loves it.

“We’ve talked about selling the house and living in an ultra-modern minimalist place,” says Mageswki, “but I’m probably going to die here—and I’m happy with that.” —NICHOLAS PHILLIPS stlmag.com

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SEW RIGHT

The nuts and bolts of owning a drapery workroom.

If perfectly pooled drapes, designer throw pillows, upholstered headboards, and soft Roman shades have a place in your home, it’s more than likely that a local workroom had a hand in fabricating them for you.

From measuring windows to sewing and stitching, much of the work of ateliers remains unseen until installation day, when the workroom delivers a designer’s vision to the client. Here, three behind-thescenes profiles reveal what interior designers have known all along: a talented and trusted workroom is one of the most coveted and closely guarded partnerships in the business. –MEGAN MERTZ

BERRY STUDIO theberrystudio.com

After Nicky Berry’s oldest daughter was born, she bought a sewing machine, intending to start a new hobby. But soon, friends from her previous career in interior design started asking her to sew small things for them. Over time, the projects got bigger, and she realized that she could make a business of it.

Now, nearly 18 years later, she and four parttime employees produce more than 1,000 custom pillows and 400 Roman shades each year at Berry Studio in Creve Coeur. The team can tackle all the sewing needed for the design—or redesign—of an entire house.

“Someone will build a new house, and I’ll be doing a window treatment on 40 windows, plus maybe all the bedding and all the pillows,” says Berry. “Rather than working on two different projects in a week, we’ll be working [on one house] for three months.”

Berry’s youngest daughter, Lauren Berry, works part-time at the studio, where she specializes in making pillows. “Anytime I see you interact with a designer, they’re always asking you, ‘What do you think it should be: this hem, or this hem?’” Lauren says to her mother.

“You have the experience not only of having a workroom for such a long time but also of being a designer.”

All the sewing takes place in the main room.

The workroom also holds a workshop filled with power tools, a storage room piled high with pillow inserts, and a room of fabric remnants coordinated by designer. Larger scraps from regular clients’ remnants can be used in other projects.

“Instead of ordering new fabric that’s going to have to be manufactured and obviously use all kinds of resources, [my designers] can come

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in and say, ‘I want some pillows for a different client,’ or ‘I want some pillows for myself,’” Berry says.

She’s also recently found a way to recycle unusable fabric scraps rather than sending them to the landfill. “We drop off the scraps to Goodwill,” says Berry. “Textiles that are not suitable for sale at their stores are sold to textile recyclers, where the fabric is then recycled into whatever it’s best suited for, like stuffing in pillows, pet beds, comforters.”

Last year was the workroom’s best year ever, says Berry, but finding skilled employees continues to be one of her greatest challenges. “People just don’t sew anymore,” she laments, and even those that do might not view it as a viable job.

“In this area, there’s a lot of new homes being constructed, and for a lot of these homes, you can’t go to Bed, Bath & Beyond and buy drapery panels to fit those windows,” she says. “As long as there are people building new houses or renovating or whatever, there’s going to be a need for this kind of thing.”

Lauren Berry

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

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Nicky Berry

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CASTLEWOOD DESIGNS castlewooddesigns.com

When Castlewood Designs opened in Webster Groves nearly five years ago, owner Patty McGownd’s biggest fear was that she would have too much business. She’d been sewing in her basement since 1995—when she left her mechanical engineering career to stay home with her children—and already worked for several local interior designers.

McGownd specializes in custom window treatments, including drapes and blinds, but she also makes pillows, banquette cushions, and a variety of other furnishings in her sunny shop.

As walk-in business picked up, it wasn’t long before she needed additional help. She currently employs a part-time seamstress and an office manager, allowing her to focus on the more intricate drapery work.

“With my background, I can look at pictures and tell [clients] if it’s going to work or not.…

In magazines, they can tape things up to make it look good in a photo, but it may not always work that way,” she explains.

This perspective is one of the reasons designer Robert Idol brings projects to her. Recently, she created a custom angled banquette for him, and “she was able to engineer the pattern so that the angled corners matched perfectly,” he says. “As an interior designer, I could not do my job without partner workrooms like Castlewood Designs. Designers rely on the expertise of professionals like Patty to ensure that a project comes together successfully.”

McGownd stresses that she wants her clients to fully understand a project before committing to it. Her shop holds a room filled with swatch books and examples of draperies to show clients how the various styles of pleats look. (There’s also a room where she “trains” finished window treatments to hang properly before installation.) “Everything has its pros and cons,” McGownd says. “If somebody wants really full drapes to be nice and big and lush, you’re going to lose some of your window, so I always try to point out the negatives … because I don’t want any surprises.”

Maybe that’s why her clients—be they professional designers or homeowners who walk in off the street—come back again and again.

“It’s kind of nice to get to know [clients] over a period of time,” she says. “Sometimes we’re on the second or the third rendition of the same room after 20 years.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

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Patty McGownd

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B R E W E R Q U I LT & DESIGN brewerdrapery.com Like many local workrooms, Brewer Quilt & Design started with one woman working in a basement—but it didn’t stay that way for long.

In 1958, Dorothy (“Dot”) Brewer began making dresses and doing alterations. As opportunities arose, she expanded her services to include quilting and, later, draperies. It wasn’t long before she hired one employee and then another and another. Eventually, the business outgrew the family basement. Dot and husband Gilbert (“Gib”) built an addition to their house. The business outgrew that as well, so they decided to rent space in Ballwin.

In 1988, the Brewers built their current 8,000-square-foot facility in Valley Park, where nine employees now make drapes, headboards, bedding, cornices, and a variety of other upholstered items. The workroom is a full-service resource for designers, offering design assistance, expert fabrication, and installation.

“Pretty much anything [designers] draw up, we’ll try,” says Bryan Ponder, who now co-owns the business with his wife, Cindy Ponder, who is the Brewers’ daughter.

Cindy grew up around the business. “[She] was in her bassinet by my loom when she was first born,” says Dot, who still comes to the workroom each week.

Over the decades, the family has seen many changes in materials, hardware, and methods of communication with clients. The contracts used to go “back and forth for almost a month before the job would come through,” says Cindy.

“Now, bids are completed usually within 24 to 48 hours, so that has sped up our whole turnaround time for projects.”

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Eda Marko

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

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Bryan and Cindy Ponder with their son Nicholas

Olga Antipova

Cindy Ponder and her mother Dot Brewer

Another big change to the industry has been automation. Cindy says that more of their blind-and-drapery projects now involve some form of power, which require more upfront planning and preparation.

“What do we need to have in the back of the wall to support the rod? Where do you need the power outlets so that we can do power draperies?” Bryan asks. “We work with the designers, the builders, and the electricians on all of that.”

Although the Ponders joke that the workroom can be a bit chaotic when all the employees are working and the machines are humming, they love the familial atmosphere and the decades of experience that are together under one roof. One of Dot’s original looms hangs from the workroom ceiling as a reminder of how far the business has come since those early days.

“Our employees are just so talented at what they do,” Cindy says, “and that’s what has made our company a success.” stlmag.com

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THE DESIGN STL ARCHITECT & DESIGNER AWA R D S - 2020 -

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S FOYER

AMY STUDEBAKER AND MICHELLE THORE, AMY STUDEBAKER DESIGN · G. TERBROCK LUXURY HOMES 314-440-0853, amystudebakerdesign.com · 636-778-2005, gterbrock.com The homeowners had two desires for this space: Add an upstairs bedroom and create a connection to the master suite through the foyer. The team removed an iron staircase and a massive chandelier, added plastered walls and a plank ceiling. Note how the front door surround and stone flooring provide a nice contrast in color to this airy, inviting entry.

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S CHILDREN’S ROOM

LESLIE SUMNER, LESLIE ROSE DESIGN leslierosedesign.com The design of this children’s room was inspired by a piece of art that hangs above a little girl’s bed. The designer combined bold patterns with bright hues such as green and pink; touches of black throughout ground the space. A chest of drawers, passed down by a family member and lacquered in an on-trend shade of coral, lends a modern air.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGAN LORENZ

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DINING ROOM

KEN STÜCKENSCHNEIDER, STÜCKENSCHNEIDER DECORATION & DESIGN 314-726-2000, stückenschneider.com Ken Stückenschneider has emphasized this barn-inspired space’s beam structure with an antique Italian chandelier. The Edwin Lutyens– inspired table, handcrafted from white oak, complements the white oak paneling. Six Warren Platner chairs, upholstered in a well-worn brown leather, add a touch of modernity. “The design juxtaposes textures, rusticity, and modernity, and the round table makes for a nice balance against the linear elements,” says judge Corey Damen Jenkins. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S FIREPL ACE · USE OF INTERIOR LIGHTING

KELLY JOHNSON, KELLY JOHNSON DESIGN · JIM HOWARD, ALSPAUGH KITCHEN & BATH 314-733-5877, kellyjohnsondesign.com 314-993-6644, glenalspaughkitchens.com

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This 20-foot fireplace posed several design challenges. Located at the end of a long room, it called for enough architectural interest to make it a focal point but not so much that it overpowered the barrel-vaulted ceiling and two walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. The wall above the cast-stone mantel is built of rectangular panels of stained rift-sawn white oak. A motorized lift raises the center panel to reveal the television.

In a home built for art enthusiasts, it was important that the lighting complement the collection. A series of black-and-brass oval pendants adorns the length of the foyer. In the dining room, a gold mesh fixture captivates the eye but doesn’t detract from the painting. In the master sitting room, a bespoke floating art glass installation adds an element of surprise. A Sputnik-style fixture punctuates an Asian-inspired library, and the fixture in the gathering room complements the Jackie Saccoccio painting.

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G R E AT R O O M

AMY STUDEBAKER AND MICHELLE THORE, AMY STUDEBAKER DESIGN PK CONSTRUCTION · FENDLER + ASSOCIATES 314-440-0853, amystudebakerdesign.com · 314-692-8383, pkconstructionstl.com · 314-664-7725, fendlerworld.com A mix of color, pattern, and texture in the design would yield a vibrant, family-friendly great room, but the original asymmetrical vaulted ceiling would need to go first. The ceiling was made level and replaced with wide planks and box beams, all finished in high-gloss paint. The addition of a fireplace gave the room a focal point, and a new banquette increased the seating options. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S REMODEL

CHOUTEAU BUILDING GROUP 314-781-1991, cbg-stl.com The clients wanted an area that could function as a family room and as a bar space for entertaining. The original brick wall was lime-washed, and a stone hearth was installed in the fireplace. The secretary was cut in half and mounted on the wall; now a desktop can be pulled down to provide a surface for homework and crafts. The homeowner took it upon herself to restore the table and make it mobile with casters, allowing it to serve both as breakfast table and as bar or serving table for guests. Herringbone floors in whitewashed white oak give the space extra sophistication.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN

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U S E O F FA B R I C O R WA L L C O V E R I N G

AMY STUDEBAKER AND JAMIE REEVES, AMY STUDEBAKER DESIGN · PK CONSTRUCTION · FENDLER + ASSOCIATES 314-440-0853, amystudebakerdesign.com · 314-692-8383, pkconstructionstl.com · 314-664-7725, fendlerworld.com The clients wanted the guest bedroom suite to be frilly and fancy to balance their growing boys’ not-so-frilly bedrooms. The two-tone leather-upholstered nightstands, reminiscent of Dorothy Draper’s design, were the first items to be sourced. Wallpaper bearing a pink pineapple design provides a whimsical backdrop to the white lattice bed. The bedding continues the palette of greens, blues, and pinks. stlmag.com

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OCULUS INC. 314-367-6100, oculusinc.com The architect transformed a 4,000-square-foot former restaurant space in downtown St. Louis into a bold second location of the Hi-Pointe Drive-In. According to the submission entry, the new location “leverages ’50s drive-in nostalgia to create a brand experience.” Colors prevalent in comic books, as well as references to science fiction narratives, provided inspiration for the interiors. A floor-to-ceiling corner tower of red-painted metal and a 20-foot sci-fi mural helps bring the vision to life.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE DIETRICH

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H I S T O R I C R E S I D E N T I A L R E N O VAT I O N

DOTTIE EATON, DESIGN STYLE 314-324-2203, designstyle-ds.com The clients are passionate about Midcentury Modern design, so the renovation of their new-to-them 1950s ranch home needed to be true to the original style. In refinishing the floors, designing a new kitchen, and adding more lighting, the team was able to maintain the original style. The furnishings are a combination of heirloom vintage and modern pieces, and leather has been removed from the house to accommodate the clients, who are vegans. No detail was overlooked: Even the vintage stereo now incorporates Bluetooth technology. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S LOWER LEVEL

AMY STUDEBAKER AND JAMIE REEVES, STUDEBAKER DESIGN · PK CONSTRUCTION · FENDLER + ASSOCIATES 314-440-0853, amystudebakerdesign.com 314-692-8383, pkconstructionstl.com 314-664-7725, fendlerworld.com The renovation of this lower-level space yielded a sophisticated and cohesive sitting room, bar, theater, and bathroom with easy flow. Wood paneling is rendered in a rich, deep stain to impart the desired moody ambiance. Wallpaper, mirrors, and painted wood panel insets are used to differentiate the spaces.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN

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TRADITIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN

BRETT CLARK, SAVVY DESIGN GROUP 314-432-7289, savvyladue.com The design of this historic living room with magnificent millwork had fallen short of the room’s potential. The designer began with a color story of mint green, gold, and red chosen from one of the most special design details in the home: a print depicting the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair that had been discovered rolled up in an attic closet during construction. Clark located the digital version of the lithograph in the Library of Congress and had the image printed on museum-quality paper. The result is a dramatic art installation reintroduced in a grander form. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S MASTER SUITE

LAURIE LEBOEUF, CASTLE DESIGN · CHRIS PAUL, ALSPAUGH KITCHEN AND BATH 314-727-6622, emilycastle.com 314-993-6644, glenalspaughkitchens.com

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A spa-like master suite provides an oasis for the client, who cherishes this space more than any other in her home. Dramatic prints and luxury finishes yield a moody effect, and subtle touches of gold and crystal lend glamour. The new floor plan merged his-and-her closets into one large space; French doors and millwork provide a seamless transition from closet to bathroom.

Finding the perfect tub for the client’s needs and comfort proved the biggest challenge.

Kohler’s Memoirs Air Bath was selected for its heated surfaces and massage options.

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W I N D O W T R E AT M E N T D E S I G N

JESSIE D. MILLER, JESSIE D. MILLER INTERIOR DESIGN 314-494-1398, jessiedmiller.com A young girl’s love of nature and science inspired the décor of this bedroom, and a set of butterfly ornaments, sourced by the designer, became the basis for the design. When Miller found fabric bearing that same butterfly design, she knew that it was meant to be and incorporated it as a backdrop to the headboard. The adjacent anteroom’s drapery fabric depicts a colorful mix of dancing feathers. The distinct but complementary rooms reflect the child’s creative and artistic nature. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S TRADITIONAL KITCHEN (LESS THAN 300 SQUARE FEET)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHELLY GOODMAN

JUSTIN MAINE AND MICHAEL WYROCK, NISTENHAUS DESIGN 314-553-9245, nistenhaus.com In this kitchen renovation, historic guidelines limited expansion of the footprint, so a separate room was used as a butler’s pantry and two doorways were merged into one to improve flow into the adjacent hallway. A palette of charcoals and creams lets the original millwork and flooring shine; mixed metals—seen in the light fixtures and cabinetry hardware—contribute to a layered look. “Loads of panache! Love the lighting choices and their placement, as well as the designers’ choice to go with a warm stained finish for the window casings,” says Jenkins.

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF GEGG DESIGN & CABINETRY

T R A D I T I O N A L K I T C H E N (G R E AT E R T H A N 3 0 0 S Q U A R E F E E T )

KEITH GEGG, GEGG DESIGN & CABINETRY 636-394-4455, geggdesign.com This fresh, bright kitchen design features many unique details. The island’s bold glossy color contrasts crisply with the white-painted perimeter. Frameless cabinetry incorporates several details carried into the window trim at the sink wall. The sloped ceiling was planned to incorporate flat stretches along the length of the room, allowing the use of perimeter cabinets that terminate into a flat ceiling and therefore avoiding gaps above the cabinets. Wainscot panels above the cabinets control proportions in the 10-foot walls. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S MODERN KITCHEN (LESS THAN 300 SQUARE FEET)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGAN LORENZ

JACOB LAWS, JACOB LAWS INTERIOR DESIGN jacoblaws.com In this condo kitchen renovation, every finish was upgraded from builder-grade to custom-made. A dated island that jutted into the living room was replaced with a shortened version set further into the space. White open shelves set against honed black granite replaced a wall of cabinets. Completing the edgy look are the custom hood plastered to resemble polished concrete and the island wrapped in oxidized brass with bronze corners. “Both swanky and sexy,” says Jenkins.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARA BRENNAN

M O D E R N K I T C H E N (G R E AT E R T H A N 3 00 S Q U A R E F E E T )

ROBERT IDOL, ROBERT IDOL DESIGN 404-307-0246, robertidoldesign.com The client wanted a cook’s kitchen with an area for friends to relax, out of the way of prep zones. Custom full-height white cabinetry, floor-toceiling concave tile, and natural countertops imbue the space with light and shimmer. Banks of cabinets divide each work zone: refrigeration/ food storage, prep/cooking, coffee, and serving. A breakfast seating area with a custom steel window wall (not pictured) gives way to a terrace. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S T R A D I T I O N A L B AT H ( L E S S T H A N 15 0 S Q U A R E F E E T )

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN

APRIL JENSEN, ADJ INTERIORS 314-230-9099, adjinteriors.com This Art Deco–inspired bath evokes grandeur in a home’s renovated lower level. The room is finished in black and gold elements, in keeping with the palette used throughout the floor, and wrapped in floor-to-ceiling marble tile with a period-appropriate basket-weave pattern underfoot. A custom vanity with a marble top is accented by an antique mirror and statement brass sconces.

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T R A D I T I O N A L B AT H (G R E AT E R T H A N 1 5 0 S Q U A R E F E E T )

JESSIE D. MILLER, JESSIE D. MILLER INTERIOR DESIGN 314-494-1398, jessiedmiller.com For this bath, situated on the lower level of a large custom home, the black soaking tub was selected first and every other design element was chosen to complement it. The walls are covered in Calacatta Gold marble, the vanity cabinet is custom-built, and the shower door is designed to mimic the industrial feel of the windows that overlook the surrounding grounds. Burgundy drapes with Greek key trim provide privacy when needed. A vintage runner, sourced locally, completes the look. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S M O D E R N B AT H ( L E S S T H A N 15 0 S Q U A R E F E E T )

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGAN LORENZ

JACOB LAWS, JACOB LAWS INTERIOR DESIGN jacoblaws.com Laws has created a calm yet dramatic retreat in limited square footage with a modern look influenced by Le Corbusier and the International Style. Rejecting ornamentation, the designer used repetitive forms and flat surfaces, as evidenced by the floating red–lacquered credenza holding a rectangular cast-concrete trough sink and the surrounding polished charcoal-gray ceramic tile. A 600-pound cast-concrete bowl tub, which sits atop a platform, matches the sink, and the oversized mirror and curved faucets are a nod to the International Style.

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M O D E R N B AT H (G R E AT E R T H A N 15 0 S Q U A R E F E E T )

DANA ROMEIS, CASTLE DESIGN · CHOUTEAU BUILDING GROUP 314-781-1991, cbg-stl.com The goal of this renovation was to give a 1980s bathroom a contemporary design and modern conveniences. The original choppy layout was eliminated—three rooms were combined into one—to yield a long, narrow space holding a walk-in shower and water closet. (A floor-toceiling door of etched and clear glass helps prevent a “bowling alley” effect.) The selection of fixtures, materials, and finishes, including a soothing cream paint color, has produced a tranquil environment. Subtle hints of gold enhance the design. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S MODERN INTERIOR DESIGN · USE OF COLOR

MITCHELL WALL ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN · PK CONSTRUCTION 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com 314-853-7212, pkconstructionstl.com

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“Fresh and vibrant! What an unapologetic approach to color, pattern, and architectural lines!” exclaims Jenkins. An addition on to this modern ranch home nearly doubled the size of the house, where a double-height living room is bounded by a partition reaching up into the above work and play area. Oversized George Nelson pendants highlight the vaulted second floor space while making an impact in the living room below. The new master bedroom features floor-to-ceiling windows and a colorful wooden geometric statement headboard framed in walnut. In the owner’s bathroom, the designer used a gradient glass-mosaic wall that dissipates from ceiling to floor. On the lower level, a bright bar and lounge are set off by a custom graphic mural backdrop.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHAN ALLEN

CUSTOM FURNITURE DESIGN

MARC KURLANDER marckurlander.com Kurlander’s Mirage Collection was designed to provide worry-free outdoor furniture incorporating weather-resistant aluminum, quick-dry cushions, robust cast concrete, and made-to-order finish and fabric combinations. The collection puts a contemporary spin on the traditional rattan furniture framework and its slender rounded profiles, soft curves, and meticulous woven fibers. Metal banding helps hold the furniture’s form for years to come. The Cascade Tables are inspired by the fluid, smooth motion of wind and water. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S ADDITION

MATT WOLFE, WOLFE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN 314-960-0099, wolfead.net

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WOLFE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

An addition that included a three-car garage with an apartment, family room, wine cellar, and courtyard turned a modest two-story stone home into a residence that’s far more comparable to the other houses on the street.

Wanting to remain true to the original design, the architect scoured the internet for salvaged building components. Through Craigslist, he acquired a cut-stone entry floor, steel windows, millwork, timber trusses, wood paneling, and a grand stair.

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S P E C I A LT Y R O O M

JESSIE D. MILLER, JESSIE D. MILLER INTERIOR DESIGN 314-494-1398, jessiedmiller.com The designer worked with cabinetry designer Christopher Peacock to redesign this home’s lower level in order to fulfill the client’s dream of owning a large cellar with an arched window. Each brick in the double-barrel vaulted ceiling was individually selected, and the mortar was mixed on site. A table and hide-covered chairs provide the perfect spot for wine tastings. An antique brass chandelier is the crown jewel of this dramatic space. stlmag.com

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MATT WOLFE, WOLFE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN 314-960-0099, wolfead.net

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WOLFE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

The new pool and pool house, designed to match the style and detailing of the original house, were built on an axis with the living room, kitchen, and family room. Connecting the house, guest suite, and visitors’ arrival area is a slightly elevated colonnade that surrounds half the pool and terminates at the pool house.

Opposite the colonnade is a vista overlooking a large side yard and wooded area. The pool house sitting area is flanked by a changing room and kitchenette.

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PA I N T T E C H N I Q U E

KEN STÜCKENSCHNEIDER, STÜCKENSCHNEIDER DECORATION & DESIGN 314-726-2000, stückenschneider.com A stunning mural by St. Louis artist Peter Engelsmann takes a formal dining room from beautiful to spectacular. Planning the mural involved research and discussion by the team; Stückenschneider suggested the work of 18th-century Italian painter Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, famous for his pastel palettes in European frescoes, as inspiration. The artwork depicts herons, poised for flight and in conversation with surrounding John James Audubon prints hanging on the wall. Large pots echo the planters in the home’s front entry. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S M I L LW O R K

TODD RAUSCH, KARR BICK KITCHEN & BATH 314-736-3764, karrbick.com

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Repurposing was a theme in this project: The bar occupies what once was the house’s screened-in front porch, and wood for the beamed ceiling was harvested from a white oak that was dying after having graced the home’s front yard for almost two centuries. The client’s love of history is reflected in leaded glass cabinet doors, Gothic arches in the glass and woodwork, a ceiling bearing a panel of backlit stained glass, and hand-built brass countertops.

Care was lavished on every detail: Finding just the right barstools took months.

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POWDER ROOM

WENDY KUHN, KARR BICK KITCHEN & BATH 314-736-3764, karrbick.com Dated floral wallpaper and a pedestal sink were removed from this small powder room to make way for modern elements. Glossy black subway tile, wall-mounted brushed-brass faucets, and a round mirror draw focus to the sink wall. Elongated pendant lights complete the dramatic look. stlmag.com

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2 0 2 0 A R C H I T E C T & D E S I G N E R AWA R D S FINALISTS

ADDITION Period Restoration Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design, PK Construction CHILDREN’S RO OM C&M Interiors Angela Francis COMMERCIAL RESTAURANT SPACE Oculus Inc. Brett Clark for Savvy Design Group CUSTOM FURNITURE DESIGN Goebel & Co. Furniture Marcia Moore Design, David Stine Woodworking DINING RO OM Stückenschneider Decoration & Design Dill-Thebeau Design Company

MILLWORK Jessie D. Miller Interior Design Amy Studebaker and Jamie Reeves for Amy Studebaker Design, PK Construction, Fendler + Associates

SPECIALTY RO OM Period Restoration Amy Studebaker and Jamie Reeves for Amy Studebaker Design, PK Construction, Fendler + Associates

MODERN BATH (GREATER THAN 150 SQUARE FEET ) Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design, PK Construction Amy Studebaker and Jamie Reeves for Amy Studebaker Design, PK Construction, Fendler + Associates

TRADITIONAL BATH (GREATER THAN 150 SQUARE FEET ) Chouteau Building Group, Temple & Hentz, Fendler + Associates Janelle Helms for Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath

MODERN BATH (LES S THAN 150 SQUARE FEET ) JG Design Studio Architects Wendy Kuhn for Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath MODERN INTERIOR DESIGN Susan Bower for Bower Leet Design Dottie Eaton, Design Style

FIREPLACE Emily Koch for JCR Design Group Amy Studebaker and Jamie Reeves for Amy Studebaker Design, PK Construction, Fendler + Associates

MODERN KITCHEN (GREATER THAN 300 SQUARE FEET ) Tao + Lee Associates, McMillan Construction Group Emily Castle for Castle Design, Bob Burmeister, Marc Christian Fine Cabinetry

FOYER Robert Idol Cori Dyer for Cure Design Group GREAT RO OM Amy Studebaker and Jamie Reeves for Amy Studebaker Design, PK Construction, Fendler + Associates Chouteau Building Group, Property Enhancements, Fendler + Associates HISTORIC RESIDENTIAL RENOVATION Chouteau Building Group, Temple & Hentz, Fendler + Associates Brett Clark for Savvy Design Group LOWER LEVEL ADJ Interiors Nancy Barrett and Kathy Cissell for Beautiful Rooms, Rudar Construction MASTER SUITE Amy Studebaker and Michelle Thore for Amy Studebaker Design, G. Terbrock Luxury Homes Jessie D. Miller Interior Design

MODERN KITCHEN (LES S THAN 300 SQUARE FEET ) Chouteau Building Group Dana King and Renna Barnes for Dana King— Design Build Remodeling

TRADITIONAL BATH (LES S THAN 150 SQUARE FEET ) Rebekah Moore Murphy for Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath C&M Interiors, Hamtil Construction TRADITIONAL INTERIOR DESIGN Amy Studebaker and Jamie Reeves for Amy Studebaker Design, PK Construction, Fendler + Associates Stückenschneider Decoration & Design TRADITIONAL KITCHEN (GREATER THAN 300 SQUARE FEET ) Leslie Sumner, Leslie Rose Design Janelle Helms for Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath TRADITIONAL KITCHEN (LES S THAN 300 SQUARE FEET ) Period Restoration Angela Francis

OUTD O OR LIVING SPACE Chouteau Building Group, Property Enhancements, Fendler + Associates Diane Mantovani for Savvy Design Group

USE OF COLOR Meghan Heeter for Castle Design Amy Studebaker and Jamie Reeves for Amy Studebaker Design, PK Construction, Fendler + Associates

PAINT TECHNIQUE Rebekah Moore Murphy for Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath Jessie D. Miller Interior Design

USE OF FABRIC OR WALLCOVERING Laurie LeBoeuf for Castle Design Wendy Kuhn for Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath

POWDER RO OM Amy Studebaker and Michelle Thore for Amy Studebaker Design, PK Construction, Fendler + Associates Marcia Moore Design

USE OF INTERIOR LIGHTING Jessie D. Miller Interior Design Todd Rausch for Karr Bick Kitchen & Bath

REMODEL Kris Keller and Jessica Laurinaitis for The Design Source, Inc. Wolfe Architecture & Design

WIND OW TREATMENT DESIGN Stückenschneider Decoration & Design Meghan Heeter for Castle Design

2020 ADA JUD G ES GARY BREWER Robert A.M. Stern Architects New York, NY

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ELLEN KAVANAUGH Ellen Kavanaugh Interiors Palm Beach, FL

COREY DAMEN JENKINS Corey Damen Jenkins & Associates Birmingham, MI; New York, NY

BRIGETTE ROMANEK Romanek Design Studio Los Angeles, CA

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597 Hanley Industrial Court, St. Louis, MO 63144 314.644.4535 | mcmillancabinetmakers.com

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INDEX

THE PROMISE OF SPRING Design STL staffers share their hopes for their homes.

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My significant other recently built his first home, so I’m sure I’ll spend much of the next year helping him with design decisions and projects. He loves all-things gray, minimalist, and modern; I love color, splendor, and vintage. Come to think of it, we’ll see how often he asks me for my opinion. –SAMANTHA STEVENSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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I’d like to start growing fresh herbs on my balcony this spring, even if the outdoor space is limited in my South City apartment. I plan to get working on installing the chain-link fence and hope that the herbs don’t get scorched by the sun. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll settle for planting cilantro and basil on my kitchen windowsill. –MONICA LAZALIER, DESIGNER, SALES AND MARKETING

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After we moved into our 110-year-old home in Webster Groves, we tore out a set of ugly built-in shelves on either side of the fireplace, patched the walls, and found molding to match. Now I’m going to be tiling over the brick with a neutral mosaic inspired by Liz Joy’s blog. I want to add a wooden beam as a mantle, a round brass mirror above it, then fill in the fireplace with birch logs instead of getting a glass insert or a screen, which feels modern to me. –AMANDA WOYTUS, DEPUTY EDITOR

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4

I’m in the midst of redoing the cabinets in my kitchen. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do since I bought my house more than a year ago. I recently enrolled in a class at RF Home Co. called “Cabinet Rescue,” and it gave me the confidence to finally go for it. It’s a timeconsuming project, but I’m excited for the end result and to be able to say that I did it myself. –EMILY CRAMSEY, ART DIRECTOR

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After completing a lengthy renovation last year, I swore off any more home projects for five years. Then I started to notice that the small square tiles on the entry floor were coming loose, and that we still haven’t furnished the side porch. Archie, our puppy, has been busy nibbling away at the woodwork on our staircase; much of our art work is leaning up against the walls around the house, awaiting a permanent place to hang. It looks like I’ll be tackling more home projects this spring after all. –VERONICA THEODORO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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I’m building an entertainment center as a sophisticated focal point in our living room. A TV will sit in the middle, but we plan to display our most prized photos, books, and keepsakes on the shelves. The cabinet storage will let us declutter the room of toddler toys and stay organized. I’m building the piece from scratch, and there’s a mountain of small decisions to make. But as it continues to take shape and I check off milestones, the anticipation of the finished piece drives me forward. –KEVIN A. ROBERTS, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER stlmag.com

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DESIGN CRUSH

ANGEL WAHBY The lead visual stylist for Neiman Marcus applies her fine arts background to the world of fashion.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? I have a fine arts degree in painting. I continue to draw and paint to this day. I love Abstract Expressionism and free-flowing paint and line. Even with floral, everything I learned, I’m using [at work]. When I graduated, I thought, I don’t want to teach, so what am I going to do? Andy Warhol, [Robert] Rauschenberg, and all these great artists designed windows, so I decided to give that a whirl. I started out with Famous-Barr for about a year, and I thought, I love this—I want to go big with it.

WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO NEIMAN’S? I’ve been

with the store for 35 years. I started as a visual trimmer and worked my way into the lead position. I loved Neiman’s because Stanley Marcus was owner of the company at the time, and he bought art. The store has a fabulous collection, so I thought, Here’s someone who believes in being an artist and in visual.

HOW DO YOU CREATE THE VISUAL ELEMENTS FOR THE STORE’S FASHION EVENTS? It’s all

about the clothing and the designer for the inspiration. I like to see floral more as it is in nature. I look for a natural feel, but at the same time I’m controlling and speaking to the fashion, the color, the shape.

HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR BIG EVENTS?

“Everything you see, we touch,” says Angel Wahby, lead visual stylist for Neiman Marcus at Plaza Frontenac. On an average day, she and her design staff might walk the store, see what’s coming in new off the trucks, style mannequins or store windows, and display new merchandise on the sales floor. Wahby and her team also create the visual elements for fashion events, from trunk shows to luncheons and runway shows, including floral designs inspired by the clothes themselves.

“It’s fast-paced and ever changing,” she says.

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WHAT ASPECT OF YOUR JOB DO YOU LOVE MOST? My favorite is windows and fashion

styling. I love windows because I have total control. It’s a space, just confined, and it’s the first thing the customer sees when they walk in. I enjoy seeing people kind of stop for a minute. Everybody’s hustling and bustling to get in here and get this or that, and your mind is going in 50 different directions and your phone is buzzing, but I can make people stop. –AMY BURGER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MADDIE STRINGFELLOW

I start by looking at the clothing, and some designers have specifics: Some may say, “Only use hydrangeas,” so sometimes you have to work within their limitations but still wow the customer. I don’t ever draw out anything when it comes to floral design—it’s purely by feel. For example, if it’s straight-edged clothing in monotones, I wouldn’t be doing really mixed floral—it would be one color and one kind of flower.

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