CASUAL ELEGANCE Written By Jessen O’Brien / Photography By Corey Hogrefe
When Cindy and Mark Heffernan set out to build their new home, they decided to put their faith in C&M Interiors, a new firm founded by two locally trained young designers: Channing Krichevsky and Maria Hogrefe. Although now, Krichevsky and Hogrefe have tackled several new builds, the Heffernan house was their first custom-home project as a firm. “It was an amazing opportunity,” says Hogrefe. “The Heffernans were one of our very first clients. Trusting us as 23- and 24-year-old fresh professionals — Cindy really gave us a leg up in our careers.” Heffernan had seen an article about the duo; “I remember thinking, ‘Well, they look like fun!’” recalls Heffernan. “So I interviewed them and I really liked the fact that they were younger. They were confident, they were excellent listeners, and they reminded me of my daughter.” Heffernan’s eldest was at a similar point in her career. “Her daughter had just entered the workforce — we’re very close in age — and had been struggling with male-dominated fields and people not trusting that young women could do things,” says Krichevsky. “She was like, ‘Give them a shot, mom — you’ll be surprised.’ And here we are, five years later!” Today, the Heffernan’s Frontenac home is a polished twostory with plenty of traditional charm, brought to life by the 12 slmag.net
award-winning architects at Fendler + Associates and the expert builders at NJL Custom Homes. Just as the Heffernans’ had dreamed of, there’s a first-floor master suite and an ideal layout for entertaining. The back of the house has several sets of French doors that can be opened up, drawing family and friends through the house to the pool and outdoor kitchen and living area. In the front, a large porch and second-story balcony give the homeowners more excuses to go outside. Finding the right lot was critical for a home that’s so integrated with the outdoors. The Heffernans were lucky enough to spot the perfect piece of land relatively quickly, but there was a hitch: in order to build their home, they’d first need to remove the 1936 house that stood on the site. “I had a sense of guilt about tearing down the original home,” says Heffernan. Once again, an article held the answer. “I looked down at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and there was a story about a nonprofit called Refab.” Instead of demolishing the house, Refab dismantled it so that its features could be reclaimed and reused. A number of them ended up in the Heffernans’ new home, including a cupidshaped light fixture and a fireplace mantle that — with help from a furniture maker found by Krichevsky and Hogrefe — wound up in the master bedroom.
