Design STL | September/October 2020

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020

Charmed!

HOW DAILY DISCO’S ABBEY EILERMANN BUILT HER HOUSE AND BUSINESS ON THE SAME ST. LOUIS CIT Y BLOCK p.38

CUE THE CURB APPEAL

Make your house the talk of the town. p.34

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10 BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN STL

Where gardens and patios rule p.46

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SEP/OCT

C ON T EN TS DISCOVER 17 GLAMOUR REVISITED

Eric Wilken and Sucheta Bhide design bamboo furniture for today’s home décor enthusiast.

20 THINKING OF YOU

Gifts that show friends they’ve been missed

22 THE INTERNATIONAL CROWD

Four local grocery store owners stock the world on their shelves.

DESIGN 25 PRETTY IN PINK

The Collections by Joya studio is sure to turn heads.

28 A COMMON THREAD

Two women who share more than just a love of design 30 BREAKING THE MOLD

Before she could create her line of jewelry, designer Taylor Saleem had to forge a new path.

33 POOLSIDE PARADISE

Architect Matt Wolfe fashions an outdoor family retreat on three acres in Ladue.

DISCO QUEEN

36 EXTERIOR MOTIVES

Boost your home’s curbside appeal with guidance from local creatives.

38 HOME IN 3-D

Tech tools are simplifying the sale and renovation of homes.

DES I G N CRUSH

Our editors and art directors are soaking up the slower pace and finding happiness along the way.

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Whether she’s decorating her home or building a small business, Abbey Eilermann does it with joy.

64 MODERN HISTORY

Meet the winner of this year’s Most Beautiful Home contest.

I NDEX

62 REFLECTIONS OF SUMMER

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN

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PROPERTY

ON THE COVER

Photography by Alise O’Brien

FEATURE

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THE 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES IN ST. LOUIS

From the city to the suburbs, our annual portfolio of properties is sure to inspire you. stlmag.com

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DESIGN STL

P.O. BOX 191606 ST. LOUIS, MO 63119 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, Megan Mertz, Charlene Oldham, Jen Roberts INTERNS Lauren Dell, Mary ZuHone

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, Elise Tadros, Carmen Troesser

ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Jill Gubin, Brian Haupt, Kim Moore, Liz Schaefer

SALES & MARKETING COORDINATOR Elaine Krull

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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VOLUME 2, ISSUE 5

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

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 P.O. BOX 191606 St. Louis, MO 63119 314-918-3000 | Fax 314-918-3099 stlmag.com

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LETTER

FROM THE EDITOR

LIKE MANY OF YOU, I’ve been spending a lot of

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woman who’s chosen to live and work there is Abbey Eilermann of Daily Disco. We’ve been in talks with Eilermann about featuring her home for nearly a year, trying to align the magazine’s shooting schedule with her decorating timeline.

But good things take time, and we’re happy to share her house with the pretty pink front door with you. Turn to page 40 to go inside and be sure to follow her on Instagram @daily_disco.

You’re going to love all the joy and color!

In this issue, we’ve reserved page 62 for our editors and art directors, who weigh in with their observations on one topic. I always look forward to editing this feature because it offers a novel perspective on my colleagues.

Tom White, for one, has been organizing creative obstacle courses at home for his sons this summer. How perfect is that for the magazine’s design director? Dining editor George Mahe and his wife decided to camp out on their deck one night, surrounded by hibiscus and yellow-andpurple petunia. Something tells me there was good food, too. We’re all searching for meaningful ways to make the best of a challenging time. My colleagues remind me of our collective creativity, strength, and can-do spirit.

vtheodoro@stlmag.com

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

time at home this summer. We pressed Pause on travel and took a credit on the kids’ sleepaway camps in favor of local tennis and hockey clinics. If we’re socializing, it’s through long walks in the park with friends and dinner in the backyard with family. There was a time not too long ago, in the doldrums of a dreary St. Louis winter, when I complained to my husband about how little time we had together at home. “We’ve spent so much time renovating this house,” I said, “but we’re never home to enjoy it.”

We all know what happened next. Suddenly the house became the center of our universe: the kid’s school, my office, our family’s place of entertainment. In early June, I began to venture out again to scout properties for the magazine’s Most Beautiful Homes feature. Assembling this year’s portfolio, wonderfully photographed by Alise O’Brien, proved an easier feat than I had anticipated. Unlike past years, most homeowners were actually at home or tending to their gardens when I rang, eager to share stories about their house. You can read these stories, and enjoy those beautiful pictures, beginning on page 48.

As you will see from that feature, we’re fortunate to live in a city that values exceptional architecture, and The Hill, known for its historic brick bungalows, has experienced a resurgence of development and growth in recent years. One

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PRODUCTS AND PLACES

CONNECT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS / ST YLE BY L AUREN DELL

theresplendentcrow.com @theresplendentcrow

Glamour Revisited The demand for bamboo furniture is “insane” right now, say Eric Wilken and Sucheta Bhide of The Resplendent Crow. “I didn’t know it was a thing,” says Wilken, who joined his wife’s furniture business in 2018. This beachy style makes up a quarter of their business, they report. The word “bamboo” here doesn’t describe the materials; in fact, no bamboo went into the making of this reproduction piece. Rather, Wilken assembled the custom chest using hardwood, plywood, and some composite materials. The composite material is what allows for the curved fronts. Such curves wouldn’t have been possible during the ’50s and ’60s, he says, when the original style became popular, particularly in the southeastern United States. —NICHOLAS PHILLIPS stlmag.com

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BY HAND

Talented Twosome If you can dream it, this husband-and-wife team will tweak it, build it, and lacquer it.

Eric Wilken and Sucheta Bhide

IN A VERY literal

sense, Eric Wilken and Sucheta Bhide—owners of The Resplendent Crow—specialize in putting a fresh face onto old things. The vast majority of their business, which they transact through Etsy, involves tricking-out vintage furniture with cool amenities, custom paint jobs, and a strong lacquer. Here’s how they do it—and why people like it.

HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN FURNITURE-MAKING, ERIC? EW: My family had a cabinet shop

WHAT’S AVIATION CABINETRY? EW: A client would buy a $70 million

private jet and want custom interiors with the finest materials—cutting-edge electronics built into the furniture, everything backlit, remote control for everything. So a designer would design it, and I’d build it. Then I met my wife and joined her business. Now I bring a lot of that stuff into the furniture.

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will bring in a vintage piece that they like but it’s not very tall, so I’ll yank the feet off and make new feet and reattach them. Or the client will want new drawers with modern slides, or they have cabinets and want to add drawers. We’ve turned vintage dressers into bar cabinets. We’ve added built-in electronics to vintage furniture so that people can have their iPhones and tablets plugged and keep a nice, clean aesthetic. Anything you can possibly think of to do to furniture, we can do it.

BUT WHY WOULD A CLIENT PREFER A REFURBISHED VINTAGE PIECE OVER SOMETHING BRAND-NEW? SB: People have been

burned by buying junk furniture. Or they’ve become attached to an older piece of furniture. There’s so much traditional furniture that, if you walk by it, you almost don’t notice it. But then you see that same piece in bright yellow or green, and you’re like, “Where did that come from?!” It’s that same

piece of furniture that has stood the test of time, but it’s really fresh. People love it.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON THE COLORS? SB: About 80 percent of our business is

custom-matched to paint or wallpaper or other furniture.

FOR THE SMALL SLICE OF YOUR BUSINESS THAT IS CUSTOM-MADE, HOW DOES THAT PROCESS WORK? EW: A lot of what we

build, we start with 3-D modeling. We try to find niches in the industry, then we’ll start the fabrication process on certain things and they grow organically, whether it’s a desk or credenzas. It just depends on what our customers are asking for.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR CUSTOMERS INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH YOU? SB: The outcome is best if the client is work-

ing with a designer, or has done their homework—maybe with Pinterest boards or by sketching a fairly clear idea of a very clear idea of what they want so we can deliver it. –N.P.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

in Corvallis, Oregon. Everyone else was playing with G.I. Joes; I got a router and chisels and started helping the family make office furniture. I think that by the time I was 18, I was making libraries. I didn’t plan on continuing with it. I planned to join the military, but I’d torn my ACL and couldn’t duck-walk, so they told me I couldn’t make it through basic training. Which is funny, because now I do ultramarathons and obstacle-course racing. In any case, I then got into aviation cabinetry.

DESCRIBE YOUR PROCESS WHEN A CLIENT BRINGS TO YOU AN OLD PIECE OF FURNITURE TO REVAMP. EW: A lot of times, a client

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SEEN AROUND TOWN

Thinking of You Leaving a small gift of goodies at a friend’s house shows them how much they’ve been missed. —LAUREN DELL 3

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

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1. Color Me Floral: Stunning Monochromatic Arrangements for Every Season by Kiana Underwood, $30. Brass pot, $22.50. Large vase, $24. Small vase, $13. Civil Alchemy, civilalchemy.com. 2. Wine cooler designed by Jen Guistgaard, $349. Treasure Aisle Antique Mall, maplewoodantiquemall.com. Wood lace napkin ring, $5. Navy fringe napkins, $10.

The Spotted Pig, thespottedpigstl.com. 3. African market basket, $44. Zee Bee Market, zeebeemarket.com. Harbour Turkish towel, $45. Organic beeswax candles, $12. Herb & Lou’s Infused Cubes, $14. Bonboni Mercantile Co., bonbonistl.com. 4. Teakwood cutting board, $44. Teaspoon set, $14.99. Colorful dishware, $11.95. Zee Bee Market.

5. Marble stacking pinch pots, $30. The Spotted Pig. Brass serving set, $45. Textured waffle towel, $24. Civil Alchemy.

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STOREFRONT

The International Crowd Four local grocery store owners stock the world on their shelves. —JEN ROBERTS

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AFGHAN MARKET

BAGHDAD HALAL MARKET

CARNICERÍA LATINO AMERICANA

UNITED PROVISIONS

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The store opened in 2011, but it wasn’t until 2015 that current owner Nasrulla Haz bought it. Baghdad Market sells a variety of foods, from beans, chickpeas, and rice to other goods local to Iraq. An extensive selection of Afghani and Iraqi bread, a flat bread that is used to prepare wraps, is brought in daily. Early risers will find the breads still warm from the oven. For those wanting to prepare a Middle Eastern dish, the store sells plenty of dates, spices, and teas not found at other local markets.

GO FOR THE fresh halal meat, which is slaughtered in a manner outlined in the Quran as the shahada, the Muslim profession of faith, is spoken.

3730 S. Grand, 314-762-9933

The sign on the side of Carnicería Latino Americana reads México Vive Aquí— “Mexico Lives Here.” This popular store has been around since 1991. Owner Minerva López started the business small, selling only tortillas and specialty meats, but over the years expanded it to a fullscale grocery catering to those in-the-know. Colorful piñatas hang above aisles of canned beans, spices, chilis, and boxes of mangos, stacks of tortillas, and nopal cacti, also known as prickly pear cactus.

GO FOR THE butcher shop, which offers chorizo and preseasoned meats. “We want our customers to be able to take the meat home and put it right on the grill,” López says. 2800 Cherokee, 314-773-1707

Shayn Prapaisilp and his family are no strangers to international grocery stores. They’re also the owners of Global Foods Market.

When they opened on Delmar, in 2014, they wanted to cater to a younger market, given the store’s proximity to Washington University. United Provisions sells many of the same staples found at Global Foods, but in smaller portions and in instant varieties. The store also sells kombuchas, cold-brew coffees, prepared food, and other products with a focus on wellness.

Because of its size, the owners can accommodate customer requests with a quick turnaround.

“We like being that neighborhood market but with a global reach,” Prapaisilp says.

GO FOR THE bubble tea ice cream bar. 6241 Delmar, 314-833-5699

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELISE TADROS

Mohammad Salam Safi opened Afghan Market, located on South Grand next to the Baghdad Halal Market, in 2004, when he moved to St. Louis from Kunar, Afghanistan.

The store is reminiscent of open-air markets where a variety of goods are sold alongside fresh produce and grocery items. Shoppers will find a range of cultural offerings, such as hookah and headscarves, colorful tablecloths and Islamic prayer rugs.

The market attracts a mostly international customer base looking for familiar items from their home countries.

GO FOR THE dried fruit, such as sunderkhani (green raisins) or the frosted almonds, which, Safi says, “all Afghani people love.”

3732 S. Grand, 314-664-5555

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LIVING WITH DESIGN

CONNECT

PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

2811 Locust collectionsbyjoya.com 314-325-9737

Pretty in Pink

The Collections by Joya studio is sure to turn heads.

Shale Kennedy has certainly made her mark in her first internship. At the invitation of Betsy Blancett Nacrelli, founder of Collections by Joya, 18-year-old Kennedy painted a large-scale mural on the main wall of the jewelry brand’s new studio and showroom, on Locust. The work is inspired by a series of line-drawn women’s faces that caught Blancett Nacrelli’s attention on Pinterest. “Joya is a by-women, for-women brand,” she says, “so the imagery was a perfect match.” Kennedy has practiced art since she was in the eighth grade, but before starting this project, she was a bit nervous. Still, she dipped a roller brush into a gallon of pale-pink paint and started to brush feathery strokes onto the studio’s faded peach wall. Next, she layered on Matisse-style faces in white. The style is a departure for Kennedy, whose previous work has tended toward realism, but the result, a mural that’s simple and abstract, is “just incredible and an amazing backdrop for the space,” says Blancett Nacrelli. —SAMANTHA STEVENSON stlmag.com

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WORK SPACE

Welcome to the Neighborhood Betsy Blancett Nacrelli begins a new chapter with Collections by Joya.

Betsy Blancett Nacrelli (left) and Shale Kennedy

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

owner of Collections by Joya, entered 2020 on a high note. The brand’s sales were up, and she decided it was time to expand her small Dogtown studio into a larger showroom.

A four-month-long search across the city, involving visits to more than 30 properties, culminated in a spot on Locust, where Blancett Nacrelli fell in love. Then the stayat-home orders forced the brand’s wholesale customers (80 percent of the business) to close their doors. Suddenly, a big move didn’t seem like such a good idea.

BETSY BLANCETT NACRELLI,

“I went back and forth,” Blancett Nacrelli recalls. “I eventually decided that the key for us was really going to be moving forward and looking to the future.”

The new Joya headquarters needed to be beautiful but also fulfill multiple needs. The downtown building, with a contemporary gray iron–and–brick facade, is not a retail brick-and-mortar; the property houses office space, including a kitchen, and a conference area, warehouse, and showroom that in time will host events and pop-ups. Blancett Nacrelli says the building has good bones and underwent a renovation two years ago. She’s particularly drawn to its exposed beams, large windows, and natural light.

In contrast to that matte gray exterior, Blancett Nacrelli wanted her clients to feel a light, airy, feminine energy on entering.

The team took down walls and swapped the original blue paint for blush, then installed that unforgettable mural and artworks by painter Jessica Hitchcock and abstract artist Hayley Mitchell. Blancett Nacrelli, a furniture designer for 15 years, purchased the emerald velvet sofa in the lounge from a friend’s furniture business, Blue Ocean Traders, in Louisville, Kentucky. She also scoured vintage shops in search of an eclectic assortment of décor, plucking a Midcentury glass-and-brass console and two flokati-topped brass ottomans from Cool Stuff Period. Looking for a complement to the pink shades, jewel greens, and generous sunlight, Blancett Nacrelli tapped LoKey Designs’ Laura Dooley, who delivered three truckloads of plants.

In October, Joya will add lifestyle accessories and home goods to its offerings.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Blancett Nacrelli to expand the brand’s online presence. She launched Joya TV on Instagram and hosted the company’s first virtual sale.

The new space has already caught the eye of fans, and many have inquired about holding bridal showers and photo shoots in the lounge. Meeting clients face to face is what Blancett Nacrelli misses most, and she’s daydreaming about hosting the studio’s first launch party whenever it’s safe to do so.

“There’s nothing like being able to celebrate and engage with people in person.” –S.S. stlmag.com

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

A Common Thread Two women—one a baby boomer, the other a millennial—share more than just a love of design.

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“We enjoy decorating, so we’re constantly changing things,” says Allyson.

“You can’t not be creative when you walk in here,” adds Susan.

Each workday begins with the team reviewing orders that have come in overnight, such as for their popular toddler tees or charming cupcake toppers. Then, the women start printing, cutting, and pressing their designs onto white cotton towels, bibs, pillowcases, and onesies. “It’s very handson,” says Susan. “We touch everything.”

Between designing and shipping orders, the partners are always coming up with new ideas for the business and incorporating them into the online shop. “We do what we’re inspired to do,” says Susan. “If one day I feel like painting flowers, we’ll paint flowers, and then all of a sudden we have a new line.”

Recently the two came up with a collection featuring witty sayings about social distancing and another playing off the popularity of the Netflix series Tiger King.

Both sold well on Etsy. “When I woke up that morning, the last thing I thought I was going to be doing that day was painting Joe Exotic [the main character on Tiger King], but I did,” says Susan. “We adapt and try to find fun in every situation.” —JEN ROBERTS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

BEFORE KNOLLWOOD LANE became the outlet for Susan Medart’s late-night inspirations seven years ago, she was a home décor hobbyist. “I was one of those people who would wake up in the middle of the night with an idea and not go back to sleep until I did something with it,” she recalls.

Three years ago, Medart’s daughter-inlaw, Allyson Medart, who also has a background in art and is similarly inspired by all things home-related, joined her motherin-law in business. Their arrangement isn’t unique, but it’s not every day that a mother and daughter-in-law share so much in common that they build their professional lives around those interests. “I was moving from Texas, getting married, and starting a new job with my mother-in-law,” says Allyson.

“There’s always a nervous feeling when you start [something new], but I knew we were going to get along well.”

By all accounts, the partnership has flourished. “Moving to St. Louis was a big transition for Allyson,” says Griffin Medart, Allyson’s husband and Susan’s son. “Working at Knollwood Lane allowed Allyson and my mom to grow their relationship and gave Allyson the chance to use her creative skills.”

Together they’re known as the “towel ladies” for their popular collection of tea towels featuring farm animals and Alexa commands, popular with both millennials and baby boomers. The women also design original art that’s applied to throw pillows, table runners, and oven mitts. Their Christmas ornaments, in the shapes of llamas, mice, and dogs, are customized in the shop. Think Labradoodles accessorized with holiday bells, mice in top hats and wedding dresses.

All this fun and creativity takes place inside a barn-turned-studio in Susan’s backyard. Built of cedar, with original 100-yearold wood lining the interior, it was once home to horses and chickens. Susan had it renovated in 2017 by Carlos Escudero of C.E.C. & Design, in time to host Allyson and Griffin’s wedding reception that September.

It’s laid out as one large open space with a small kitchen and workspaces intended to help streamline the workday. A wooden dining table is used for brainstorming sessions, and space is reserved for design, production, and shipping duties. Strings of lightbulbs illuminate worktables, seating nooks, and a collection of dog beds for their beloved pets.

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JEWELRY DESIGN

Breaking the Mold Before she could create her line of jewelry, designer Taylor Saleem had to forge a new path.

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What she thought was misplaced passion contributed to her angst. The first in her family to attend a four-year university, Saleem felt pressure to make her parents proud—and major in something that would net her a stable, well-paying job. She chose political science, thinking that law school might be a good path, and interned for then–Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

Still, she felt the tug to pursue something creative. She got a job at Bead It, in the St. Louis Mills mall, assuring the manager that, yes, she could do the four or five different beading techniques the gig required—“and then I had to go to the library and figure it out.” She learned, mostly from the hobbyists who shopped there. When she started exhibiting her own work at craft shows, her husband, Joshua Saleem, bought her dis-

—AMANDA WOYTUS

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

delicate dogwood blossoms in silver. She saws away at thin sheets of metal, conjuring the forms of birds and botanicals. She strings beads and sets turquoise. Each piece she makes reveals an aspect of her story.

Saleem, who is from Alton, is the owner of Taylor Saleem Jewelry. She grew up in a bi-racial family with a Black father and a white mother. “I [used to] code-switch—I could fit in with this group or that group,” she says of her childhood. “I didn’t recognize that there was anything unique about me and my racial background until college.”

But as a student at Saint Louis University in the early aughts, where she didn’t see many people who looked like her, Saleem experienced an identity crisis: “I felt like I didn’t belong anywhere in the world.”

TAYLOR SALEEM CASTS

plays and paid for her first class at a metal studio. “I was intrigued by using fire,” she says, “to manipulate metal but also to make it look feminine.”

By then, Saleem was working a day job as a community organizer. She wasn’t assertive enough for the role, she admits. She was offered the choice to take severance pay or go on probation. “I thought, I can either stay here and be miserable or I can go down a different path,” she says. “I took severance and I walked away. That was a Friday. On Monday, I baked muffins with my daughter, and I set up my studio.”

Now that story is reflected in her work.

“That’s why I love flowers,” she says. “They can stand alone, but when they’re together, that’s where the magic is. They’re delicate.

They’re sensitive, like I am.”

A typical day for Saleem begins with son Bill, 7, waking her with a hug. (Her daughter, Naomi, is now 10.) Once the kids are settled and she’s had two cups of coffee, she goes to work either in her mint-colored studio, on the home’s main floor, or in her basement, which houses her kiln and centrifugal caster. To make those dogwood blooms, Saleem pours plaster over flowers set in a mold and fires them in her kiln; the organic matter burns up, leaving a cavity in the plaster. She then inserts the plaster mold into the centrifugal caster and melts silver in the machine’s crucible. The release of a pin frees the liquid silver, which is then pulled, as the machine spins, into the mold.

Saleem’s designs are studded with sapphire and turquoise. She finds those colors soothing. She also uses diamonds, in reference to a favorite quote, from the Robert Penn Warren novel All the King’s Men: “There’s a part where he says, ‘A diamond ain’t a thing in the world but dirt that got awful hot. And God-a-Mighty picked up a handful of dirt and blew on it and made you and me and George Washington.’”

Just as Saleem finds inspiration in that quote, her customers see their stories in her jewelry. “I say ‘but also,’” she says. “I’m 54 percent European but also 46 percent African ancestry. I don’t have to be one thing or the other. Other people are able to say, ‘I’m a mom, but I’m also a writer.’ Or, ‘I’m having trouble conceiving, but I don’t have to be focused on that—I’m also a good sister and a loving daughter.’ I’m continuing to write my story and help others see theirs.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WOLFE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

REAL ESTATE, CONTRACTORS, ARCHITECTS

Poolside Paradise

St. Louis–based architect Matt Wolfe fashions an outdoor family retreat replete with a new pool, brick fireplace, and plenty of green space.

A backyard oasis was part of a master plan that included a complete home renovation, the addition of a family room, and a new three-car garage with a guest suite above. See how Matt Wolfe, of Wolfe Architecture & Design, crafted a design that matches the new structures with the 1926 shingle-style home. —JEN ROBERTS stlmag.com

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OUTDOOR LIVING

Lounging Around There’s a purpose behind each of the outdoor areas set on 3 acres in Ladue.

The new family room addition sits on the same axis as the pool and fireplace, giving the homeowners one long vista that ends at the pool house, which boasts a trellis draped with trailing vines. An arched colonnade connects the pool house to the garage both visually and structurally.

The colonnade on the west side of the pool ties the house to the outdoor spaces as well as to the garage.

“During inclement weather the family can walk between the three without getting wet,” says Wolfe.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

When the family room was built, Wolfe removed and reused the shingles from the exterior walls and mixed them in with new shingles: “Everywhere we could, we tried to save materials.”

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF WOLFE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

The pool is built on a slight plateau to minimize the difference in elevation, about 5 feet, between the family room and the pool deck.

The open east side of the pool looks down on a hill toward an expansive swath of green.

Four chaise longues add seating options.

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The floors throughout the house are new, including the slate floor beneath the colonnade. However, the couple replaced every window on the house with boneyard windows from manufacturers. The lanterns, light fixtures, planters, and furniture are also scavenged. “They did a good job,” says Wolfe.

“They’d drive all around the country. They saved a lot of money using recycled materials.”

The clients sourced most of the building materials themselves.

Renovating homes is their hobby, so they know where to look. “If there was a nice facility being remodeled or demolished, they would get parts from it,” explains the architect.

Not knowing what the clients might bring home did, at times, pose a challenge. “A lot of things changed as we went along,” says Wolfe, noting that his crew had to reframe some rooms to make the boneyard windows work.

Ironically, the speed at which the project progressed was a challenge.

“There was an army of men on this project, so things were going fast,” says Wolfe, but the “easygoing nature” of the clients far outweighed the challenges.

“Jobs are great when the clients participate, and you can work with them like a team,” he says. —J.R. stlmag.com

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TRANSFORMATIONS

Exterior Motives Boost your home’s curbside appeal with guidance from three St. Louis creatives. —CARA DOWNS MODERN

NEW CONSTRUCTION

JIMMY JAMIESON, JAMIESON DESIGN

NICK ADAMS, MADEMAN DESIGN

KELLY JOHNSON, KELLY JOHNSON DESIGN

French Quarter original bracket from Bevolo, starting at $625

6OW large chrome-tip globe bulb from Rejuvenation, $8

Darlana medium bracket lantern from Circa Lighting, $1,469

Delmont planter from Frontgate, $799

Custom-made corten steel long box planter

Classic planter from Formations (to the trade)

E8 Victorian-style mailbox from Ecco, $360

Henry wall-mount mailbox from Deus Modern, $379

Surface-mounted Salsbury Victorian mailbox from mailboxes.com, $150

Sissinghurst Seat from Barlow Tyrie, starting at $3,359

Hot Mesh lounge chair from Deus Modern, $299

Verano lounge chair and ottoman from Formations (to the trade)

High-gloss paint

The Ultimate Swinging French Door from Marvin Signature

Custom-made front door from Scobis

Landscaping featuring boxwood hedges

Custom-made steel posts for a cable-rail system

Custom wrought-iron fence

FENCING

FRONT DOOR

OUTDOOR SEATING

MAILBOXES

PLANTERS

LIGHTING

HISTORIC

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REAL ESTATE

Home in 3-D Tech tools are simplifying the sale and renovation of homes.

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in their businesses, but the COVID-19 pandemic made them indispensable at a time when traditional open houses and contractor consultations were almost impossible, says David Hughes, owner of Front Door Media, a digital media marketing business.

Hughes, who is a former Realtor, began offering Matterport tours to clients in 2014, when the majority of real estate professionals were still relying on photos taken with their cellphones to showcase listings. Since then, his side business has grown into a full-time job, with Front Door Media offering the Matterport tours, plus videography and drone capture of photos and video.

“It’s been a huge explosion in the last six months with the coronavirus pandemic causing people to worry more about social distancing,” he says.

In March, Roberts and Falch decided to cancel their plans for an open house and move ahead with virtual tours, giving users 360-degree views of rooms and the ability to take measurements. Most interested buyers still want to see homes in person, but according to real estate agents and home sellers, virtual tours help limit

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FRONT DOOR MEDIA

wife Leslie Falch were on the road to Washington state, where they planned to relocate, when their real estate agent called to tell them about Missouri’s impending stay-at-home order.

Stagers back in St. Louis had just finished prepping the couple’s home in Tower Grove South for a photo shoot to publicize the sale of the home, which was scheduled to go on the market the first day of the stay-at-home order.

To fast-track the process and permit showings before the shutdown, their agent, Christopher Thiemet, founder of Circa Properties, offered to snap the photos himself on a Saturday and take the listing live, complete with a virtual tour, by Sunday.

“This was fantastic, because that same day, since it was before the lockdown, some people were able to come in and view the house,” Roberts says.

House-hunters who viewed the listing online also had the option of touring the property virtually through Matterport. That platform enables users to create a digital twin of any physical space, using a camera to take photos of rooms and having those converted to 3-D. In recent years, real estate agents, contractors, and design professionals have been adopting the use of 3-D tools SHELLIE ROBERTS AND

socially distanced showings to the most motivated buyers.

“I think they make it easier to imagine what one’s life would look like in that home,” says Roberts. “Especially during the lockdown, I can’t emphasize enough how important it was to have a virtual tour.” The availability of 3-D technology helps eliminate buyers who might not love the layout of a home, the size of the lot, or the flow of rooms. But it also means there’s no hiding clutter in a corner, says Samantha Kaiser, who, with husband Matt Kaiser, sold their South County home with Circa Properties this past spring.

“We really did take about a fourth of the stuff out of the house,” she says. “You want people to see the layout—not your stuff.”

Some systems are so accurate that remodelers are using them to plan renovations and collaborate with contractors without the need for repeat visits to a property. Dana King and her team at Dana King Design Build Remodeling used the technology to design a renovation earlier this year.

“Without the designer ever stepping into our home, she created designs with accuracy and expertise, thanks to the use of Matterport, which provided a three-dimensional walk-through of our house,” says St. Peters homeowner Angie Stauder.

In addition to the Matterport tours, King’s firm uses Chief Architect, 3-D design software that allowed designer Meg Blaies to collaborate in real time with Stauder and her husband, Jerry Stauder, during frequent Zoom calls. Between calls, Blaies posted ideas and options, updating the 3-D renderings each time the couple refined the plan.

“Our designer would make changes throughout our conversations, tweaking colors and styles while also manipulating the floor plans and layouts,” Stauder says.

“It was so helpful to see the options in the renderings. We could envision them and make decisions accordingly.”

“We like how, at almost a click of a button, we can change paint colors and view the options side by side,” King says.

“Clients will tell us that they don’t know what they want until they see a visual.”

The Stauders were delighted by how fast this all played out. They contacted King’s firm in mid-March, just as the pandemic was starting to take hold. By mid-May, the design was finished and construction was starting. —CHARLENE OLDHAM stlmag.com

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Whether she’s decorating her home or building a small business, Abbey Eilermann does it with joy.

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Q U E E N WRITTEN BY

VERONICA THEODORO PHOTOGRAPHY BY

ALISE O’BRIEN

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A

bbey Eilermann built her house around joy. Her bedroom closet is organized by color (“It brings me so much joy,” she says.), and the living room fireplace is surrounded by pinwheel-inspired tile with the apt pattern name Oh Joy! by designer Joy Cho. She begins all of her projects by amassing photos onto Pinterest boards that spark the emotion in her. “Then, I see what the common pieces are and what connects them,” she says.

The color pink is one such common denominator. Her front door is pink and so is her kitchen décor. “I spent what feels like days and days of my life searching for a pink sink,” she says. (She found one at The Home Depot for $250.)

From blush to fuchsia, shades of pink are sprinkled like sugar around the house and in the backyard, where Eilermann has set up an inflatable pink pool and striped beach umbrella.

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She recently replaced a pink sofa with a blue one from online retailer Joybird: “I knew I was never going to get a baby pink sofa again. I tried to be more mature about my couch decision, but I still wanted it to be fun.”

The entirety of Eilermann’s house on The Hill is fun.

It’s light and bright with lots of windows. She chose white as a base and “added a bunch of color.” There’s a touch of Paris, too—also a source of joy for Eilermann—in the first-floor powder room, papered in Clare V. for Anthropologie Merci Flag.

The two-story house is a short walk from Daily Disco, the studio and retail shop Eilermann, 27, founded and operates in a corner storefront. The native St. Louisan studied at Savannah College of Art and Design, and Daily Disco is a play on her senior collection there, titled “Mexico Meets Disco.” When she first moved to The Hill, in 2016, Eilermann was working retail jobs at Kate Spade and Anthro-

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pologie while she figured out what she wanted to do next. She rented a live/work space above Vitale’s Bakery, which she decorated with that baby pink sofa and, in her spare time, designed denim jackets with hand-stitched embroidery. “I was using Instagram to share what I was up to,” she says. “I gained followers and then started to sell things, and the business grew.” Inspired by a love of France and fashion, Eilermann had moved to Paris after college and spent five months training at the renowned embroidery house Lesage.

Years later, that experience would give her the skills she needed to launch a business that calls on Old World sewing techniques to create clothes that impart a modern, youthful spirit. “I was really excited that people wanted the jackets!” she says of her signature denim jackets with custom details. “As orders kept coming in, I realized I needed to make an LLC and [pay] taxes and things like that.”

Around that same time, Eilermann decided to look for new office space but happened upon a storefront in an ideal location, she says. She also reconnected with a high school friend at dinner whose brother was selling a plot of land down the street. He was hoping to find a buyer who would build on it. “It was perfect timing,” she admits. “It was not on purpose, but it was so serendipitous.” Within weeks Eilermann had a lease on the storefront and then broke ground on the house a month later.

Eilermann and her brother—Jake Eilermann, president of McBride Homes— collaborated on the new house, razing the property and customizing a company blueprint to fit Eilermann’s style. “We could have built more of a traditional house, front yard…backyard. But one thing that was really important was to keep that front facade matching the two neighbors, as well as the whole street design of The Hill,” says Jake.

On the inside, he says, “Abbey had great

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ideas, but we had to be able to build that home to hold its value.” Eilermann wanted to cover one side of the kitchen island with cement encaustic tile by Morocco-based Popham Design, an image of which she saved on her Pinterest board and shared with Jake.

“That’s something I probably kept telling her ‘No, no, no,’ but she kept pushing and it just turned out incredible to see that pop of pink when you walk into the house,” Jake says.

Eilermann’s love of architecture, particularly the historic homes found throughout the city of Savannah, Georgia, inspired her to add a balcony off the second-floor bedroom and paint the redbrick porch white to match the rest of the house. “She was just adamant,” says Jake. “She closed on the house, painted it, and gave it that Daily Disco touch with the pink front door and transformed the look.” Other modifications included a sunroom where the original plans had called for a mudroom (“It’s just me. I don’t need a mudroom. I don’t need cubbies for three children I don’t have,” she says.) and swapping out the dining room for a breakfast nook and a larger kitchen. Upstairs, she gave up a bedroom to make room for a large walk-in closet. “She is a fashionista at heart,” says Jake. “She has more dresses and jackets and all that fun Daily Disco stuff, so we took out the middle bedroom and made it a giant closet for her.”

Today, Daily Disco employs two full-time employees—design director Claire Boxdorfer and head of production Kaylynn St. Peters— who, in Eilermann’s words, are “as excited and psyched as I am about bringing more joy with design into people’s lives.” And unlike the early days, when she was embroidering jackets by hand above Vitale’s, she and her team have learned to operate a chain-stitch machine, a rare Singer 114w103, which gives them the freedom to create designs that look like they’ve been drawn with thread.

“I saw someone on Instagram using the machine and was fascinated,” says Eilermann. “I had never seen anything like it, even though I have a pretty extensive embroidery background. I took a chance and spent my savings at the time on one.”

Taking chances, says Boxdorfer, is part of what makes working with Eilermann so exciting. “She doesn’t mind taking a risk or trying something new,” Boxdorfer says. “She isn’t afraid of failing. She’s, like, We’ll try it this way or I’m sure we can fix it. She’s always building her own stuff from IKEA, and she’s, like, I’ll just have to hack it.”

That enthusiasm for life, and overcoming its obstacles, has served Eilermann well at work—where her jackets and patches are in demand by everyone from tweens to soon-to-be brides and the cast of Netflix’s Cheer—and in the house with the pink front door, for which she’s become so well known on The Hill. stlmag.com

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The 10 Most Beautiful Homes IN

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ST.LOUIS 2020

WRITTEN BY AMY BURGER AND MEGAN MERTZ

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN

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How do you define a beautiful home? Is it in the architecture or the setting? In the mix of building materials or the assemblage of stylistic influences? It wasn’t until our search for beautiful homes ended this past summer that writer Amy Burger and I recognized how our instincts drew us to properties with incredible landscaping and gardens, to places where homeowners place a premium on outdoor spaces and details: window boxes in bloom, statement-making walkways, a passion for the front porch, which, this year above all others, proved its hero status as the place to connect with neighbors and nature alike. ­–VERONICA THEODORO

NEIGHBORHOOD:

University City ARCHITECT:

Howard Godwin L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER :

Owner; hardscaping

by Delgado Brothers

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

About 2,700 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms

Sitting regally on a lush corner in the beautiful University Hills neighborhood, this home, in the style of Italian Renaissance Revival, catches the eye with its impeccable landscaping, overflowing window boxes, and unique architectural details. Its painted façade highlights the intricate brickwork, and the rounded inlaid stained glass door and small rounded stained glass window above are examples of craftsmanship that can only be found in an older home. “I just fell in love with it,” says owner Cindy Cramer. “I love old architecture, but we’d never lived in an old home.

This was our first move without kids, and we wanted to do something different.” When she and husband Jeff bought the house, 11 years ago, the side porch was open. Screening it in was one of their first projects, and they spend a great deal of time there. The Cramers also painted the carved sunbursts above the windows a lighter shade than the brick to make them pop. The garage is tucked under in the back of the house, and a lovely shade garden winds around behind the driveway, surrounded by mature trees. “It has all of the old charm,” Cindy says.

WHY WE CHOSE IT:

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10MBH/2020 NEIGHBORHOOD:

Glendale

ARCHITECT:

Unknown

L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER :

Owner

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

1,900 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

This raised Spanish-style bungalow, built in 1929, is the very definition of curb appeal, proving that bigger isn’t necessarily better. The owner, a self-proclaimed farm kid and collector of primitive antiques, says the home’s interior modern farmhouse look won him over.

The stucco-and-brick exterior was in good shape when he bought the house, in 2017, but the landscape was overgrown and messy, and he saw it as an opportunity: “I’ve always been a gardener in any home I’ve owned, and I’ve always done almost all of the work myself.” Here, he started from scratch, bulldozing the yard and giving the house the grand entrance it deserved. The brickwork frame on the newly poured concrete walk perfectly mirrors the surrounding entry. The cut-and-milled limestone retaining wall has an organic look. Bookending red Japanese maples bring the colors of the house into the garden. “Gardening, for me, is like an artist’s canvas,” he says. “I just stand back with a glass of wine and plan what I want it to look like. It hits me, and I just do it.”

WHY WE CHOSE IT:

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NEIGHBORHOOD:

Skinker-DeBaliviere Place ARCHITECT:

Alfred How

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER:

Homeowner

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

2,148 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms

This house, built in 1908, is one of the oldest homes in the neighborhood. Current owners Jaina and Paul Stus first laid eyes on it during an open house in 2001 and knew immediately that it was the house for them: The location, charm, and neighborhood were too good to pass up. The couple then embarked on a seven-year renovation, much of which they did themselves, with help from their parents. “We both came from families that were do-it-yourself-ers,” Jaina says. “We learned from them.” Throughout the renovation, they took great care to maintain the historical aspects of the home. When making changes to the exterior, they referred to a photograph from the 1930s that they received at closing. Over the years, they’ve had the house repainted twice, most recently last year when Paul rebuilt the front porch and added the wrought-iron railings. Initially the woodwork was white, but they came up with a color scheme that would better accentuate the house’s period charm. “It added tremendous appeal,” says Jaina. “There’s a lot of detail, and you couldn’t see any of that when it was painted white.”

W H Y W E L OV E I T :

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10MBH/2020 NEIGHBORHOOD:

Ladue

ARCHITECT:

William Bernoudy L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER :

Owner; rock garden maintained by landscape architect Austin Tao SIGNIFICANT STATS:

1,500 square feet; 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms

This stunning 1950 Midcentury Modern ranch by William Bernoudy, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright, was the renowned architect’s own residence. Built on a wooded lot, it’s situated with the front facing away from the road. The structure is made of red brick, has a low, sloping roofline and blends in with its natural surroundings rather than intruding upon them—a hallmark of Midcentury design. The owner, Ted Wight, is only the home’s third occupant, the second being his parents, who purchased it directly from Bernoudy’s estate. “At the time my parents bought it, I wasn’t exactly a Midcentury enthusiast yet, but it really helped me appreciate good architecture in general,” he says.

“Everything is designed so well, and everything has a purpose.” The main house is modest, but the property also includes a 500-square-foot detached guesthouse, separated by a brick patio and rock garden. Off to the side of the front windows, a small, rectangular “cocktail pool” offers a spot for a quick dip. Wight, who maintains the surrounding gardens himself, says he enjoys watching them change with the seasons and at various hours of the day.

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10MBH/2020 NEIGHBORHOOD:

Hillcrest

ARCHITECT:

Maritz & Young L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER :

Homeowner

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

2,658 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms

This 1917 California Mission Revival house sits on a corner lot a short walk from the shops and restaurants near DeMun Park. Among its striking features are original stone window boxes, which are echoed inside the house in the stone mantelpiece. One of the current homeowners fell in love with the house nearly 30 years ago, when she was a student at Washington University. In 2003, when she and her husband were looking for a home for their growing family, they purchased it from a rehabber mid-renovation. The house had been taken down to the studs, so they were able to choose the tile, light fixtures, and other design elements. A master gardener, she’s chosen and planted every plant in the yard and window boxes. About 10 years ago, she started planting sunflowers in the side yard—a choice that proved popular with the neighbors. “I love where [the house] is situated, because when I’m out gardening, the neighbors all stop on their walks,” she says. “When we moved in, the garden was just dirt and a couple trees... I’ve poured my heart and soul into the yard.”

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NEIGHBORHOOD:

Midtown (St. Charles) ARCHITECT:

August Michel L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER :

Previous owners

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

2,334 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms

Kelly and Donald Faulkner were about to sign a contract on a house a block away when they happened to notice a “Coming soon” sign on this 1906 Victorian. They immediately called their agent and moved in a month later. Among Kelly’s favorite aspects of the fully remodeled house are the original wood floors, the wainscoting and crown molding, and the large butler’s pantry. The house also features wonderful outdoor spaces, including a New Orleans–style courtyard off the living room, a covered patio in the backyard, and a second-story walkout balcony over the front door, added when a former owner, an architect, bumped out the front of the house to create a larger living room.

The Faulkners also love the location. They’d been searching for a historic home—this one is on the National Register of Historic Places—in the area for 10 months. “We love the city living, but it’s still small-town,” says Kelly. “Within five minutes, you’re at Main Street or the Katy Trail.

Everything is in walking distance.”

WHY WE LOVE IT:

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10MBH/2020 NEIGHBORHOOD:

Jefferson-Argonne Historic District ARCHITECT

Unknown

L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER :

Homeowner

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

2,361 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms

This charming 1925 Colonial Revival house sits on a corner lot in the heart of downtown Kirkwood. Owners Susie and Rick Randall both work in real estate, and in 2006 they were looking to downsize to a smaller home in a walkable neighborhood.

Their search led them to this house; they fell in love with the stone fireplace, plaster archways, and original doors with crystal knobs. Before moving in, they added a master bedroom and bathroom and updated the kitchen cabinets and countertops. They soon learned that many neighbors referred to the house as the “iris lady house” because the previous owner sold iris bulbs in the yard. The house was also known for its purple front door, which Susie later painted salmon. On pleasant days, Susie says, her favorite spot is the front porch. “We have a nice back porch with a table to eat at, but we’re always on the front porch. There’s so much energy, with people with strollers, people biking. It just makes you want to get out.” She also loves being close to restaurants, and her grandchildren love the home’s proximity to snow cone and ice cream shops.

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NEIGHBORHOOD:

Webster Park

ARCHITECT/BUILDER :

Frank Baumstark

L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER :

Homeowner

SIGNIFICANT STATS:

3,350 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms

Nancy and William Pedley have lived in this 1928 Dutch Colonial Revival since 1992. Nancy first noticed the house—with its arched doorways, red tile cross-gambrel roof, and spacious yard—when dropping one of her daughters off at a friend’s house. Although it wasn’t for sale, she soon learned that the owners were getting ready to downsize, and the two families eventually ended up swapping houses. Over the years, the Pedleys have added central air, remodeled the kitchen, redesigned the front terrace, and repaired the hail-damaged roof, but much of their attention has been focused on the yard, a passion they share: William is a landscape architect and Nancy is vice president of landscaping firm Kelce & Pedley Design. The front yard now features a formal rose garden to the east and a more free-flowing garden filled with hydrangeas, azaleas, ferns, and hostas, on the west. “I love many different plants, and some have their place in a less formal garden. I wanted to be able to have the best of both worlds,” says Nancy, who loves seeing “something green” from every window in the house.

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10MBH/2020 NEIGHBORHOOD:

Holly Hills

ARCHITECT:

Unknown

L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER :

The owner, a horticulturist SIGNIFICANT STATS:

1,800 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 baths

Overlooking Carondelet Park, this Spanish-influenced house, completed in 1930, regularly turns the heads of passersby. Of its numerous exterior features, the owner jokes, “They added a little bit of everything.” A feast for the eyes, the house blends dark-red brick with light stone and terra cotta ornamentation, topped with a dramatically sloping red tile roof and bell tower. The metal-framed paned windows, painted a soft teal, were installed as part of a larger renovation carried out by previous owners about 10 years ago. White mortar on the arched brick above the windows adds visual interest. “I found it very charming and weird, and I like that,” says the owner. Her husband, a horticulturist, planted and maintains the yard, including the boxwood hedge, David Austin roses, and a small culinary garden, as well as various pollinator plants and summer annuals. Eventually, the couple hopes to turn the unused bell tower into a sitting and reading area.

WHY WE CHOSE IT:

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10MBH/2020 NEIGHBORHOOD:

Ladue

ARCHITECT/BUILDER :

Unknown

L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER :

Hardscaping by renowned local landscape designer Harriet Rodes Bakewell SIGNIFICANT STATS:

2,500 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms

Named for a pair of trees that once graced the front yard, Twin Oaks Cottage oozes charm, from the pentimento effect of its painted brick to the copper gutters and original paned windows. Its gardens come with a pedigree that few can claim: The landscape was designed by former owner Harriet Rodes Bakewell, who grew up on the grounds of the Missouri Botanical Garden, where her father served as its second director. “We’ve spent the last 20 years trying to bring the house back to Harriet Bakewell’s original plans,” says owner Susan Emerson. She and husband Larry bought the home in 1998. The original cottage, built in 1932, was less than 1,000 square feet. An extensive yet respectful addition to the back has more than doubled the size. The Emersons added the detached garage, and the rounded portico and supporting columns over the original front door. Their latest project: turning two small rectangular swimming pools in the backyard, installed by Bakewell, into reflecting water lily pools. Working in the gardens, chronicled by the Smithsonian Institution, has provided the couple with solace during this challenging year.

WHY WE CHOSE IT:

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INDEX

REFLECTIONS OF SUMMER Our editors and art directors are soaking up the slower pace and finding joy along the way.

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“Like antique collectors who hit estate sales, we’re on the hunt for rare or unusual specimens at garden shops. Then, we log as much time as possible on our deck as it blooms, enjoying leisurely lunches, working afternoons alfresco, partaking in extended wine fests during the week—one that morphed into ‘Let’s grab a blanket and camp out,’ which we’d never done preCOVID.” –GEORGE MAHE, DINING EDITOR

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“This summer I bought the Balmain loveseat from RH for my side porch. Those of you who know me will be as surprised as I was by this early-summer indulgence. I mostly buy vintage, so the new piece is a bit out of character. Yet I’ve spent many happy hours curled up on that sofa, digesting news articles and novels. I’m currently reading The Yellow House

by Sarah M. Bloom. I love the author’s writing style and the insights I’ve gained from following one woman’s story.” –VERONICA THEODORO, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

“Last holiday season, I gifted myself a MasterClass subscription. MasterClass is an app that curates videos of experts giving lessons on how they do what they do. So far, my favorite has been screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who wrote for The West Wing. I’ve picked up tips that I can incorporate into my magazine writing.

Sorkin is known for his snappy dialogue, which I can try to emulate in my own way.” –AMANDA WOYTUS, DEPUTY EDITOR

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“Since I can’t get to the gym, I decided to purchase a bike to stay active and get outside. It’s a fun new hobby and one that I anticipate continuing to enjoy long after we get back to a more normal routine.

So far, I’ve been sticking close to my neighborhood, but I’m getting ready to explore the beautiful trails around the area.” –EMILY CRAMSEY, ART DIRECTOR

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“Aside from work, work, and more work, I’ve enjoyed all the extra time I’ve had to spend with my family. You can typically find me chasing my two boys all over the house or playing baseball or soccer in the backyard. We recently set up an obstacle course using foam floor tiles, complete with a play tunnel, a small ladder, a kiddie pool, and sprinkler. And at the end of a long day, nothing has been more calming than holding and making silly faces at our newborn.” –TOM WHITE, DESIGN DIRECTOR

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“This summer, I got a chance to drive through some obscure corners of Soulard, Benton Park, Lafayette Square, and Compton Heights, peering out the window with awe at the craftsmanship of the old homes—all made of sturdy St. Louis brick, mind you. Each house has a story. The folks living inside are adding a new chapter.

It’s fun to look for clues and try to guess what’s going on.” –NICHOLAS PHILLIPS, SENIOR EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN

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“Kylo, my family’s golden retriever, has brought me happiness and a reason to get outside. We’ve walked parts of the Katy Trail, hiked through Klondike Park, and (he’s) taken a dip at Broemmelsiek Park, an off-leash dog area with a pond. But our favorite hangout is the patio at Fiddlehead Fern Café, where we like to stop on our weekend stroll.” –SAMANTHA STEVENSON, ASSOCIATE EDITOR

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MOST BEAUTIFUL HOME CON TE ST W I N N ER

MODERN HISTORY Nearly two decades ago, Anne and Brad Bishop searched for a family home. They found one that charms everyone.

Anne and Brad Bishop moved from Washington, D.C., to St. Louis with their preschool-age son in 2004, seeking a walkable neighborhood. An Arts and Crafts home with arched windows on a tree-lined street in Clayton caught Anne’s eye, and for the past 16 years the couple have dedicated themselves to updating it. Each night, when Anne pulls up the driveway, she feels happy. “It sounds corny,” she laughs. “I just feel that sense of home.”

TELL US ABOUT THE HOUSE. WHAT MAKES IT BEAUTIFUL?

The living room is at the front of the house, so it’s not a front porch, but it acts as one, because we can watch the world go by. A

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE PROPERTY?

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WHAT CHANGES HAVE YOU MADE TO THE EXTERIOR? We recently did a landscape project. We had almost everything taken out and replaced. Now we have plants that will bloom continually throughout the seasons. I love the window boxes; we’ve had those rebuilt. A landscape designer added a brick edging around all of the beds. It looks so lovely. We thought, We should have done this years ago. So if there was ever a time to submit the home, this would be the time to do it. [Laughs].

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN

It has the appeal and charm of an older home with all of the benefits of a new build in the middle of Clayton. When we first saw the house, we knew that was almost impossible to find. It was built in the 1920s. I appreciate the history and character of it, even though it’s modernized. It had been very well renovated and expanded; some things had been restored, but the history was kept intact. The crown molding, for example, had been matched in the renovation. Neighbors often stop to comment on how much they like our house.

few years ago, we had gas logs put in that fireplace so that in the winter we can enjoy our morning coffees. It’s made it just a little cozier.

HOW DID THE PANDEMIC’S STAY-AT-HOME ORDERS AFFECT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR HOME? We learned

that we can adapt. This is the longest we have lived in any house in our entire lives. It’s the perfect home to raise a family, but now that our son is off to college, we realized it’s also a wonderful house for empty-nesters. We have this round antique table in our family room that my son would do his homework at when he was in elementary school. It also served as a place for him to do his college homework when he had to stay home for the remainder of his spring semester. —SAMANTHA STEVENSON stlmag.com

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