HOME style
summer
MAGAZINE
PUBLISHER Jim Shrader (618)463-2580 jshrader@thetelegraph.com
EDITOR IN CHIEF Dan Brannan (618)463-2560 dbrannan@thetelegraph.com
EDITOR Kathie Bassett (618)463-2562 kbassett@thetelegraph.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Georgia Mills (618)463-2554 gmills@thetelegraph.com
GRAPHIC SUPERVISOR Joe Wilson (618)463-2599 jwilson@thetelegraph.com
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Johnny Aguirre (618)463-2543 jaguirre@thetelegraph.com
Editor’s note
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Outdoor Living
Bird is the word
5
By Steve Whitworth
Summer beauty
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By Doug Conley
Bungalow chic
8
Restored with tender loving care
Backyard flair
10
A knack for creativity
Pasture Perfect
12
COVER STORY: Family stables horses near house
joie de vivre
SALES COORDINATOR
Artist embraces life through work
Sue Ellen Boschert (618)463-2532 sboschert@thetelegraph.com
Smooth sailing
15 16
Pilot navigates the Mississippi
CONTRIBUTORS Vicki Bennington Steve Whitworth Margie M. Barnes (Photography) Laura Griffith Danette M. Watt Doug Conley
Ask a Professional Patrick “Doc Halliday, Atlantis Pools
A picnic with a view
TELEGRAPH
www.thetelegraph.com
Summer 2010
20
Gardeners place antiques amid foliage
Entertaining by design Family home invites fun and relaxation
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19
Chicken salad on croissants from the Ice House Cookery and Catering
Sentimental style
THE
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ON THE COVER On the cover, in part because of the proximity of the stables, Jason and Lorrie Isringhausen have made this Madison County property their family home. Tosk, a 17-year-old Arabian, is exercising in the ring.
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editor’s note
kathie BASSETT
Outdoor Living In summer, the song sings itself. ~William Carlos Williams
here are so many enjoyable ways to spend time outdoors in the summer whether you love gardening, entertaining, sailing, swimming, riding or just being outside, summer is a time to bask in the warmth of the sun, listen to birds twittering and watch butterflies alight on flowers. Life's cadence has slowed - it's truly a good time to stop and take a deep breath of fresh air! Columnist Steve Whitworth reminisces on how he first became interested in bird-watching and reflects on the pleasures found in his own backyard habitat. With longer days, summer heralds the annual battle with garden pests, and Doug Conley, director of the Gardens at SIUE, offers sage advice on how to address this problem. For effect, Doug suggests creating a hot and cool color palette in the garden. Renovating a 1920s bungalow has occupied Eileen Petito of Alton for the last 14 years. Her companion on the project has been her beloved boxer Murphy. Eileen has placed an extensive collection of glassware, inspired by her grandmother's love for King's Crown pieces, on top of her kitchen cabinets, mixing ornate elements with her love of clean lines. Ray and Marianne Mercer of Godfrey have created an inviting patio to entertain guests or simply sit by themselves and listen to the gentle rush of cascading water. With an eye for blending vibrant color, Marianne's palette of orange, pink, green and yellow unifies her garden with her decorating scheme to create a sumptuous, comfortable space. Lorrie Isringhausen developed a passion for training and riding horses with her sister Jamie Doak. As their interest grew, Lorrie's daughter Maddie, 7, learned to ride along with Jamie's sons, Kellin, 10, and Brayden, 6, Roettgers. When the family recently moved, they made it a priority to have the stables close to the house and for the horses to have ample pasture. Artist Beth Speer, the mother of twin two-
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Summer 2010
year boys, Jordan and Jessie, has added whimsical murals to many of the public spaces at the Alton Marina. Known for her bright, cheery designs, Beth has recently published a children's book, "LuLa," and works with artists with disabilities, to mention just a few of her many talents. While people may presume that Dave Miller, the manager of the St. Louis Regional Airport, spends his free time flying, he actually prefers sailing on the river with his wife, Cora, in their boat, "Wind Rush." Dave's 26-foot Laguna 26 "pocket yacht" is his floating man cave that he often takes out when he needs time to himself. For those who prefer a cool dip in a backyard pool, Patrick "Doc" Halliday, owner of Atlantis Pools, offers advice on maintaining a pool so that it's ready for use on hot summer days. While many people feel that romance means a fancy restaurant, try instead a quiet picnic overlooking the Mississippi - it's one of the simplest yet most sublime pleasures! Take time to savor a glass of wine, dine al fresco on The Ice's House chicken salad and enjoy the splendid view for a memorable evening. Alton residents Amanda and Jason Delfel have combined their love of gardening with their sentimental attachment to family trea-
Summer Fun Sale
sures, such as, wrought iron gate and an assortment of plants from Jason's grandparent's farm. The Delfels have elevated the use of found or repurposed objects into a sophisticated aesthetic. Tim and Linda Campbell enjoy the river from their bluff top home. With an open, spacious floor plan, the interior and exterior "rooms" flow into one another, giving their children plenty of space to entertain their friends either in a downstairs game room or outside in the pool - while they were growing up. With lots of food and always fun on hand, this is truly a family home that everyone enjoys. With a "What is your Home Style?" video and blog on The Telegraph's website, there are more opportunities to learn about area design, entertaining or cooking trends so please feel free to contact me. I'm happy to let you know that one of the featured homes came from a phone call. The River Bend has many beautiful homes and gardens so I hope you will share your home with us in a future issue. To view additional photos from this issue, visit the "What is your Home Style?" channel at www.thetelegraph.com/video.
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Bird is the word By Steve WHITWORTH
The smallest things seem to make the biggest difference
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his summer marks the 20th anniversary of my introduction to the joys of bird-watching.
It wasn't until June 1990 that my eyes were opened to the wondrous world of birds - and it started in Africa, of all places. I joined three family members on a photo safari in Kenya with the St. Louis Zoo Friends. Our trip leader was Bruce Bohmke, then curator of birds at the St. Louis Zoo. I was focused mostly on taking photos of the big mammals - lion, cheetah, elephant, hippopotamus and rhinoceros. But Bruce also pointed out the many birds of Kenya, and I remember being intrigued by martial eagles, hooded vultures, crown cranes, lilac-breasted rollers, secretary birds, and of course, ostriches. When we returned from Africa, I started taking my binoculars along with me on hikes, as I had gotten used to doing on safari. It was on one of those hikes in rural Glen Carbon in the summer of 1990 that a small bird landed in front of me. Putting my binoculars on it, I was amazed to see that it was a deep, brilliant blue. I had no idea what it was, so I borrowed a friend's field guide to the birds of North America and learned I had seen an indigo bunting. I was fascinated, because here was a beautiful bird practically in my own yard that I had never even known existed. I started to notice indigo buntings perched on the telephone wires, swooping down into the cornfields and singing that cheerful, bubbly song that still sounds to me like "sweet-sweetsweet, chew-chew-chew." After that, each walk seemed to bring a new and exciting discovery: goldfinches, common yellowthroats, Baltimore orioles, downy woodpeckers. In 1992, Glen Carbon opened up its first hiking and biking "rail-to-trail" just on the other side of Interstate 270 from my family's farm. I started walking the trail and seeing even more new birds.
Photo submitted by FRANK HOLMES
Since then, I have pursued my interest and my hobby to practically every region of the United States. Birding has led me to some of the most beautiful places in our country and given me an ever-deepening appreciation for nature and the need to preserve as much of our environment and wildlife habitat as possible. For the last 12 years, I've lived just 100 yards or so from the Glen Carbon hiking trail, and I still walk it frequently. I still get surprises
- just in the last couple of months, I've seen a Canada warbler along the trail (my first there in 18 years of walks), had a wild turkey stroll through my yard and spotted a pileated woodpecker flying over my house. And I still look forward to the return of the indigo buntings each spring - still thrill to their blue beauty, their bold chipping challenges to my presence and their melodic singing. Funny, isn't it, how something so small can make such a big difference in someone's life?
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Summer beauty he Summer Solstice has come and gone, and the voracious appetite of Japanese beetles and the dazzling display of fireflies have arrived. As we enjoy the longest days of the year, we leave behind the cool nights of spring and are well into the hot days of summer. Words are interesting, powerful and confusing. I used "cool" and "hot" to describe temperatures, but they also describe mood. For
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enough damage to justify spraying? What is the least toxic option available? Which plants need to be treated? Can I just "crush them?" Or try my wife's trick and collect them in an empty, but not clean, peanut butter jar? When the jar is full or plants are clean, dispose of the jar. How cool is that? Hot and cool also describes the color wheel used by artists to develop a theme. Our annual display is "hot" this year, as red and yellow celosia (Celosia argentea) and gerbera daisy (Gerbera spp.) are linked with lime
green sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas). Our permanent landscape is "cool," as burgundy foliaged coral bells (Huechera micanthra) and Fothergilla Coppertina (Physocarpus opulifolius) lead guests through the garden as daylilies (Hemerocallis spp.) provide a "hot" contrast in summer. So, as the "dog days" of summer approach, keep a cool head when dealing with pests and spend creative time thinking about fall planting. Consider what you can do to get the neighbors to say, "How cool!"
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Home Style
7
Bungalow chic
restored with tender loving care By VICKI BENNINGTON
E
ileen Petito's 1920s bungalow is the perfect setting for the extensive landscaping and vintage furnishings she has painstakingly brought together. Petito said she was lucky to find the Christian Hill house, in Alton 14 years ago, realizing it needed some "tender loving care." Soon after moving in, she brought home Murphy, a boxer puppy who witnessed the house's transformation.
Photos By KATHIE BASSETT
An avid gardener, Eileen enjoys spending time on the cozy deck that overlooks her vibrant perennial garden. Murphy, Eileen's beloved 14-year-old boxer, enjoys the backyard as much as she does.
At 1,400 square feet, it "feels" larger with an open living area flowing into the dining room and kitchen. Three bedrooms and a finished basement provide space for everything Petito needs, including an exercise room utilized for her training as a competitive runner. Petito is a corporate law and real estate attorney, so her available home project time often is limited. For some of the jobs, she rolled up her sleeves and dove in; others she hired out, such as spray-painting the aluminum siding, now a warm yellow serving as a backdrop for ornamental trees and flowers framing the front porch and hugging the large covered porch at the rear. As for the detached garage, she brush-painted it herself, resulting in a fresh look that blends with the house. One of the first inside jobs she tackled was removal of the old carpeting, revealing oak hardwood flooring with dark accent wood at the heater grates. Petito removed sheet paneling from the dining area, tore down the old wallpaper, then painted all the interior walls. She added 4-inch crown molding to the front rooms and plans to add more in other areas. "I think it adds a nice finished look," Eileen said. Original kitchen linoleum was replaced
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Summer 2010
Clockwise from above, Eileen has incorporated many family pieces into her decor. She uses her grandmother's sewing bench as a desk chair in her home office. Atop her kitchen cabinets, Eileen displays her collection of glassware, inspired by time spent antiquing with her grandmother. Eileen likes the open floorplan of her bungalow, which allows her to position her grandmother's organ against a wall adjoining the living room.
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with 12-inch square gray slate tiling, also installed on the enclosed front porch floor. She painted the kitchen cabinets herself - a smooth white finish - adding chrome cabinet pulls that blend with the tile and the new, shiny, stainless steel appliances. Wood laminate countertops were replaced with durable pressed quartz, and she topped the open-soffit cabinets with a glass collection of vases and dishes, inspired by her grandmother's love for King's Crown glassware. Eileen has wonderful memories of antiquing with her grandmother. The adjacent breakfast bar in what appears to have been a third porch in a former life provides room for breakfast and snacks, leaving the dining room with its large teardrop chandelier for more formal occasions. Most of her furniture came from her parents, with a few thrift store finds strategically placed throughout. "I like that I have been able to recycle and reuse," said Eileen. "I'm very happy with the pieces I have."
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Home Style
9
Backyard flair A knack for creativity and a natural green thumb were catalysts in the creation of Ray and Marianne Mercer's backyard oasis.
Photos by KATHIE BASSETT
A cascading waterfall is the focal point for Ray and Marianne Mercer's patio. Marianne has chosen a colorful palette of orange, pink, green and yellow for her cushions, pillows, placemats and napkins and has extended the same motif to her flower beds.
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Summer 2010
By VICKI BENNINGTON ith a little flair and a lot of resourcefulness, Marianne transformed her patio and yard into a haven of color, ideal for entertaining guests, a quick lunch with her grandson, relaxing at the end of the day with a book and a glass of wine, or welcoming neighbors for a chat. Purchasing the house, in Godfrey six years ago, Marianne and her husband, Ray, set out to put their own mark on it, down to
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the last detail - indoors and out. It had everything they needed, including space when their children and grandchildren come to visit. Her 10-year-old grandson, Drake Gains, even has a room to call his own. The inviting patio is just another aspect that made the house a perfect fit. The colorful motif in the kitchen and breakfast area spills out to the patio, where the place mats, napkins and dinnerware can be transported easily. White wicker furnishing with brightly colored cushions in shades of orange, pink, green and yellow florals and stripes set the scene on the gracefully curving concrete patio, with flat paving stones leading to the side-entry driveway. Landscaped flowerbeds filled with black rocks surround the paved surface. "I wanted to do something different than the traditional mulch," she said. She included an existing shade tree in the outer bed, then surrounded it with numerous types of plants and flowers planned with forethought of blooming times. A small waterfall near the house provides a soft, tinkling sound. Nearby, Marianne carefully shaped a red Japanese maple, and placed potted geraniums, colorful petunias,
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The Best in Senior Living An elementary school teacher for many years, Marianne enjoys creating whimsical sculptures from extra pots and dishes. Marianne, who also collects frogs, has placed her amphibian friends in places to surprise and delight guests. daisies and ferns to fill in the beds. Large rocks collected through the years were used to create tiers and visual interest along the sloping grades. Feeders hanging in and near the shade tree draw hummingbirds and finches, along with a variety of other birds. A pot-bellied iron fire pit extends the patio's fall usage, with cozy flames often used for roasting marshmallows and making s'mores. And a bare spot in the back yard where a swing set once stood didn't scare her at all. It only served as inspiration for the large stone waterfall she had built, now offering the comforting sound of cascading water. Flanked by a multitude of carefully selected annuals, perennials and bushes, it also serves as a focal point at the rear of the property. She had help with some of the larger jobs but is certainly not afraid of completing a lot of the work herself. She even wired the accent lighting, and then added solar lights to the potted plants, creating a magical evening glow. Tucked among the perennials, accenting water features and peeking around bushes, Marianne's collection of frogs of all types adds a whimsical touch. Clay pots found a new life as unusual turtles and garden creatures that Marianne designed. She taught kindergarten, then second grade in East Alton for 30 years. "As a teacher, you have to be creative," Marianne said. "I've always liked making different things." "I've always had a green thumb," she said. "I'm very diligent and watchful. If I see that it's not happy, I move it until it is."
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Home Style
11
PASTURE PERFECT
Photos By KATHIE BASSETT
Lorrie and Maddie Isringhausen enjoy spending summer days with their horses, which are stabled near their home. Tosk's halter has been attached to straps to keep him still while mother and daughter get ready to groom him.
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Summer 2010
Family stables horses near house Story and Photos by KATHIE BASSETT
A
lthough Lorrie Isringhausen didn't grow up around horses, she has developed a passion for all aspects of equestrian life. Stick, a 14-year-old Arabian, wears just a few of the many ribbons he has won from the Missouri Horse Show Association.
Lorrie visits with Maddie's horse Bo, a 15-year-old paint horse.
When looking for a site to build their familyhome, Lorrie and her husband, Jason, former relief pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics and Tampa Bay Rays, decided upon a place in rural Madison County that already had stables for the family's four horses. The property also has two pastures, which allows for a monthly rotation to keep the grass healthy for the animals. "I wanted to be able to see the horses from our house," she explained. "There are people whose families have had horses for generations. We don't know enough to fill a tin cup, but we love having our horses nearby." Lorrie and her youngest sister, Jamie Doak, took up riding at the same time, and the sisters enjoy sharing their common interest. Lorrie's horse, Stick, is a 14-year-old Arabian that she acquired from William Woods Equestrian team, along with another 17-yearold Arabian, Tosk. "We needed entry-level horses - good keepers," she said. "And they needed a home."
Jamie Doak, Lorrie's sister, enjoys every aspect of horsemanship, including cleaning saddles.
When Lorrie first got Stick, his ribs were showing. A testimony to their relationship, last year Stick collected the most points in the English Pleasure Class from the Missouri Horse Show Association.
"Stick has made me proud," she said. "We felt like we brought him back to life, and he's a great show horse." continued on page 14
Home Style
13
PASTURE PERFECT FROM PAGE 13 Each stable has an alpha horse, Lorrie explained, and theirs is Stick. "He's the smallest horse we have," she
“Although all our horses show, we want them to be turned out every day if possible, to have time grazing and just being horses� JAMIE DOAK LORRIE ISRINGHAUSEN’S SISTER laughed. "He lets you love him, but he also likes to be left alone." Lorrie's father-in-law, Charles, who enjoys
working with wood, made a display case for all of Stick's blue ribbons that hangs in the stable's tack room.
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Summer 2010
Submitted photo
P.J., a 7-year -old saddlebred, is being worked in driving. While Jamie and Maddie, Lorrie's 7-yearold daughter, have shown horses, Lorrie has yet to do so. She considers the horses the family pets, with showing them being more of a hobby. Their other two horses are P.J., a 7-yearold saddlebred who assumes a more upright posture than the two Arabians, and Bo, a 15year-old paint horse, who belongs to Maddie. Bo has a mottled coat and one blue eye and one brown one. "When we got Bo, we were actually looking for a pony, but we soon learned they are not the best personality match for children. They can be ornery," Lorrie said. "Even though Bo is our biggest horse, he used to be a therapy horse, so he has the best temperament for children." Jamie's son, Kellin Roettgers, 10, also shows Bo. A true family affair, Jamie's other son, Brayden, 6, helps out in the stables. Jamie said the secret to taking good care of horses is consistency and learning to read their moods and feelings. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Although all our horses show, we want them to be turns out every day if possible, to have time grazing and just being horses, Jamie, said.â&#x20AC;? Like her mother and aunt, Maddie enjoys being around horses. Grooming Bo is one of her favorite pastimes. "I love riding Bo; I like to trot on him," Maddie said. "He's a good horse."
Joie de vivre
Artist embraces life through work
By DANETTE M. WATT eth Speer, 23, sits in the Bethalto apartment she shares with her toddler twin boys, Jordan and Jessie. Her black hair is held back with a colorful scarf and her jewelry is big and bold. A talented artist, she is talking a mile a minute about the many projects she's working on. She recently selfpublished her first children's book, "LuLa." She is a muralist, a contributing writer for Spark Magazine and a regular on St. Louis Riverfront Radio's "Hillbilly Logic" show. Beth also has a new job working with artists with disabilities at RHD Missouri. A native of Hampshire, Ill., Beth discovered art when she was in high school. "It changed my life, and I found a healing from it. It was tough for me to figure out where I fit in the world," she said. "It was an art teacher who pushed me." Beth received a bachelor of arts degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2008. She started out in the art therapy program and then switched to art education. "My heart is in the classroom," she said. "So many people say they aren't creative, but show me someone who says that, and I can show them they are. For myself to be creative, I have to surround myself with creative people." Beth has a whimsical side that is evident in many of her recent projects. "LuLa" is filled with colorful illustrations of the spunky lead character with her big eyes, crooked teeth and red hair. "I think people paint a picture of perfect childhoods and perfect kids," Beth said. "But, LuLa is real - LuLa is me as a girl." A second book starring the sassy girl is due out in the fall, a "costume book, in which LuLa gets to wear a lot of fun outfits." Dolls and a clothing line also are in the works. In 2007, Karen Brncic-Baker, general manager of Alton Marina, commissioned Beth to paint a mural in the two public bathrooms at the marina. Those murals have led to others around the facility, and three years later, "I'm pretty close to done," she said. "I do everything freehand." Karen told Beth what she had in mind, and then gave the artist free rein on accomplishing the decoration of the public bathrooms, laundry room and bathhouse. One wall in the men's room sports a shaggy-haired bird wear-
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Artist Beth Speer painted quirky, fun characters on the walls of Alton Marina's bathrooms, laundry and bathhouse. ing shades and swim trunks, playing his guitar as the sun shines behind him. In the women's room, a bikini-clad bird stands on the sand and totes a beach bag as waves rise behind her. "I have a fondness for quirky characters," Beth said. "You can't be too serious. People are (at the Marina) to have a good time."
Beth looks over "LuLa," the children's book she wrote and illustrated. The book is on sale at the Alton Marina, with a sequel scheduled for publication in the fall. Behind her and to the right are examples of her whimsical art.
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Smooth sailing
Dave Miller raises the sail on his 26-foot Laguna 26, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wind Rush.â&#x20AC;? 16
Summer 2010
MAN CAVE Pilot navigates the Mississippi By LAURA GRIFFITH ave Miller tries to talk above the wind as he tugs on the jib sheet and adjusts the sails aboard his sailboat, "Wind Rush." "You can change the name of a boat, but it's a whole big ritual that involves pouring expensive rum into the water," Dave said, the boat's third owner. "I don't want to anger King Neptune." He has taken the 26-foot Laguna 26 "pocket yacht" out by himself before, but normally sails with his wife, Cora, also an enthusiast, and their dog.
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Louis Regional Airport in Bethalto, read a lot about sailing, but his background in aviation helped him learn the "ropes." "There are many similarities. You need to understand winds, the weather, drift and navigation, radio and right-of-way," he said. "Here, the rule of thumb is the length of the boat is how high the winds should be." He started off with a 12-footer, which was easy for one person to set up and to trailer, but eventually graduated to a bigger boat with a little prodding from his wife. "A friend of mine took his family in a 36-foot boat from Juneau, Alaska, to New Zealand," he said. "They had a blog, and family mem-
Photos by KATHIE BASSETT
Above, Dave sets out to sail with a picnic basket, which included a strawberry pie from Duke Bakery in Alton. Left, The boat has a small kitchen and dining area, a restroom and sleeping quarters large enough to accommodate Dave and his wife, Cora. Below, Dave gets ready to cast off from the dock.
Friends introduced the 67-year-old East Alton resident to sailing in 1970, during his stint in the U.S. Air Force. "I was hooked," he said. Dave, a commercially certified and experienced pilot who currently manages the St.
bers updated daily. There's a certain romantic lifestyle about it." Dave says he's more of a recreational sailor; he can't imagine taking off for two years just to sail around. "Wind Rush" is more suited for day and weekend sailing, he said. There is a restroom facility on board, a freezer, sleeping quarters and a small dining area, but no shower. "This will probably be my last runway," Dave said, who moved to the area eight years ago. The wind is a little low and the water level is 3 to 4 feet below normal, but Dave checks the weather conditions and decides today's excursion is a go, then starts out of the Alton Marina. Dave uses an onboard radio to communicate with personnel at the nearby Melvin Price Locks and Dam 26, as well as the pilots of other boats. He also monitors the channel for
safety while he's out. Just beyond the Clark Bridge, Dave demonstrates the challenges of sailing on a river. Wind conditions aren't strong enough against the current, and the boat ends up sailing backward, literally. Luckily, there's an onboard motor to help, though it's used so seldom that 6.5 gallons of gas can last up to two years, Dave said. A boat like "Wind Rush," if taken care of properly, can last 50 to 60 years, Dave said, although he may upgrade to a larger boat someday. Although it's nice out today, Dave says he especially loves sailing on Christmas and New Year's Day, as long as he can break through the ice, when he can be alone with his thoughts. "Sometimes, you can't solve problems when you're thinking about them," Dave said. After every outing, Dave guides the boat back into its slip and asks his passengers to sign a logbook, which is filled with signatures and happy memories from onboard "Wind Rush," and he looks forward to many more excursions on the river.
Home Style
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Patrick â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Docâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Halliday Atlantis Pools Q. What do I need to do to keep my pool clear? A. The best thing you can do is perform weekly, preventative maintenance on your pool. You must add chemicals weekly to keep the pool clear. You need to stay on top of the pool's maintenance, especially when it's hot. By doing so, you will need to add fewer chemicals to the water, and this will save you time and money in the long run, too. Q. What do I do when the water has turned cloudy? A. We always suggest that people come in to talk about their individual situation. We need to determine what their situation is with a few quick questions on what they've done, what they haven't done and to run water tests. If we know their pool well, we generally advise them to go back to the products that have worked for them in the past. We don't want to advise customers to buy chemicals they don't need - the computer will tell us the condition of the water: what's high, low and needed. Q. What are the alternatives to putting chlorine tablets in your pool?
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A. People are beginning to install power ionizers or chlorine generators (salt pools). These systems require less maintenance and are considered "greener" because they use fewer harsh chemicals. A power ionizer is pH neutral and you need to add only a small amount of chlorine on a weekly basis. A chlorine generator creates what is called a salt pool; the system turns ordinary salt into chlorine right in your pool, which is continuously recycled to reduce pool maintenance requirements.
Photo By KATHIE BASSETT
Chicken salad on croissants, from The Ice House Cookery and Catering Company in Alton, is served on handmade dinnerware from Mississippi Mud Pottery in Alton. Silver pieces are from Shelton-Davis Antiques in St. Louis; gerber daisies are from White's Greenhouses in Godfrey.
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A picnic with a view By KATHIE BASSETT
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hether your goal is to dine, lounge or simply escape, a picnic overlooking the Mississippi River is the perfect way to do all three at once. A bright, blue-and-yellow checked tablecloth with overstuffed cushions allows for comfort while savoring a glass of wine and a light, alfresco meal. Betty Nairn of The Ice House Cookery and Catering Company in Alton created her famous chicken salad on a croissant, believing a lighter meal is more enjoyable when dining outside. A green salad accompanied the sandwich, with a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a few dark, rich truffles for dessert. The white, pink and yellow gerber daisies, from White's Greenhouses in Godfrey, pick up the pink-and-blue floral pattern on the plates and goblets, accented by an azure pitcher and multi-toned plate holding the sweets. The muted sage green bowls complement the more vibrant palette. "Our dinnerware is perfect for a picnic," said Felicia Breen, co-owner of Mississippi Mud Pottery in Alton. "Each piece is handmade, and our patterns can be mixed together to create a fun setting." A touch of elegance is added to the picnic's informality by antique silver napkin rings - a whimsical bird and turtle - and mother-ofpearl-handled flatware.
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Home Style
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Sentimental style Photos By MARGIE M. BARNES
Left, the Delfels placed this limestone water fountain in the garden to extend their Victorian motif and enjoy the soothing gurgle of the water that drowns out traffic noise. Below, in the shady portion of their garden, Jason created two picturesque ponds that Amanda has surrounded with a large variety of hostas.
Gardeners place antiques amid foliage
Creating a series of tiered spaces, the family uses this courtyard patio on a daily basis. The cushions are vintage Laura Ashley. The 1920s apron table is a favorite place for Amanda and Elsah to have breakfast together. The shutters are original to the 1898 American foursquare house and provide architectural interest in the gardenscape.
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By DANETTE M. WATT tep into Amanda and Jason Delfel's garden, and you walk into a space that honors the past, as well as looks to the future. The Delfels moved to their home on Sixth Street in Alton in 2000 with their children, Noah, now 14, and Elsah, now 9. Since then, the couple has been transforming what was once a "clean slate" of grass into the showpiece that put them on the Pride Home and Garden Tour in 2009. A focal point of the garden is a wrought iron gate that leads visitors from the top of a small rise to the lower level of the property along a short stone path. The gate came from Rosa's Coffee Shop in downtown St. Louis, which was owned by Jason's grandparents, Ray and Mae Weible. When they closed the shop, they brought the gate to their farm. Having an eye for architectural details, Jason incorporated the gate into a pergola he built that divides the upper garden from the lower one. The structure supports a mature Japanese wisteria that Amanda considers one of the most beautiful plants in the garden. The couple planned and designed the space together, with Jason handcrafting many of its most distinctive features: pergolas, archways, custom fencing and benches along with many other unique embellishments that engender the garden with both character and period authenticity, befitting the antiques scattered throughout the garden. "Everything (in the garden) has sentimental value," Amanda said. "The tea rose, lilac and rocks came from Jason's grandparents' farm around Salem, Missouri." Tucked in a corner is a 1920s apron table where Amanda and Elsah sometimes have coffee and juice when the weather is nice. The table is from the Doyle Cottage, a bed and breakfast Amanda's mom once owned. In 1992, Amanda worked with the Missouri Botanical Garden Henry Shaw Academy biology team working on prairie, swamp and reef restoration. She says she is "self-taught." "We're members of the Missouri Botanical Garden, and that's where we get a lot of our inspiration," Jason said. When the couple moved in, they were surprised to find that their property extends behind them to Fifth Street, which includes two additional lots that span the block. "People have said there's so much green, and we need more color, but we have so many different shades of green here," Amanda said, pointing out hostas, a blue spruce and Zebra grass. "We have trees for color - Rose of Sharon's and willows." The Delfels' garden also has pockets of perennials and a hibiscus with "dinner platesized pink flowers," Amanda said. "The garden is always a work in progress," Jason said. Although they pay homage to the past, the Delfels also look to the future. They use sus-
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"People have said there's so much green, and we need more color, but we have so many different shades of green here. We have trees for color - Rose of Sharonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and willows." AMANDA DELFEL tainable growing methods, and their yard is registered as a wildlife habitat with the National Wildlife Federation. "Our back yard was a nursery for finches at one time," Amanda said. "And I have never
seen so many rabbits and raccoons." The Delfels hope that others will purchase homes in the neighborhood and help stabilize and revitalize the area by seeing its potential, too. Home Style
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Entertaining by design
Family home invites fun and relaxation By KATHIE BASSETT s their children grew older, Tim and Linda Campbell made the decision to build a home that would be welcoming to their friends, as well as reflecting their eclectic tastes. "The kids loved hanging out here," Linda said. "When they come over now when the kids are in town, they all talk about how much fun they had here." The Campbells had three children: Matt, who lives in Arizona; Chrissie, who lives in Chicago; and Brian, who died in 2007. The home evolved over the years, adding a pool and finishing the lower level, but from the beginning, the couple designed the home to be a harmonious melding of priorities. "For Tim, it was all about angles and variegated roof lines," Linda laughed. "As for me, I wanted a beautiful staircase." Each got their wish. The multi-level home has a deck on each story, and the elegant staircase connects the second floor to the foyer. The living room is divided from the dining room by a half-wall, giving the impression of a large living space that is further accentuated by the wall of windows looking out onto the Mississippi River. At the center of the home is its kitchen, with a family room, office, a screened porch and a deck radiating from it. "The decks are The eponymous NYC. very important to us," Linda said. "We're outside people." With a style that Linda defines as transitional, the house itself is fairly modern, and the decor incorporates antique furniture, as well as traditional and contemporary pieces. "We like a sense of whimsy," she said. "One of our favorite things is the large frog by the pool that we named NYC." The eponymous frog is named after the city in which the family acquired him while on vacation. "NYC made us all laugh," Linda explained. "We would pass the store he was in each day and barter. Finally, on our last day there, we reached an agreement, and NYC arrived two weeks later." With NYC, Linda began a frog collection; examples are tucked throughout the garden
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Photos By MARGIE M. BARNES
With expansive views of the river, Tim and Linda Campbell's tranquil living room has a recessed nook for the family's piano. Linda's eclectic taste can be seen in the sophisticated combination of styles, accented by her choice of a vivid, yet romantic painting.
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Summer 2010
Photos By MARGIE M. BARNES
Above from left, Linda stands by the family's bluff top pool. Below the pool area, the Campbells enjoy spending time on "Tim's Point," a patio replete with their seats from the old Busch Stadium. At the hub of the home is the kitchen and breakfast room, set with lunch that could be enjoyed poolside, on the screened porch or on a patio. The "watermelon" cake is a summer confection created by Duke Bakery in Alton.
We Can Help You and house in places that are meant to surprise and delight. Linda, who likes to change her dĂŠcor constantly, dislikes what she terms "matchymatchy." She prefers the interiors to defy definition, bringing in a lot of different textures and patterns that she unifies via her overall color palette of warm greens and oranges. A teacher most of her professional career, Linda minored in art while in college. As a result, having art in her home is very important to her, but the foremost consideration for her has always been having a comfortable place for her family to live and entertain friends. With all three levels, as well as the interior and exterior flowing into one another, the home gives the impression of one large space rather than distinct areas. Lounge chairs surround the pool for guests to relax while taking a break from playing basketball in the pool or shooting pool inside on the lower level. Jutting out over the Mississippi is a place she fondly refers to as "Tim's Point." On it are four enduring symbols of quality time together - their seats from the old Busch Stadium, to which the family had season tickets for many years. "We're all about having fun together," Linda smiled.
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