CREATIVE COURTYARD

Artful design brings plants and color to Lafayette Square home.

By Lucyann Boston

Photography by Kim Dillon

“Plants add to the quality of life,” says Marlon Taubenheim. “They provide that intangible joy that material things can’t give you.” So, when spouses Marlon and Dave Taubenheim purchased their Lafayette Square townhome just three years ago, they knew they would have a garden. But they also realized it would take some artful design work to get the most green space in their small courtyard, which already included a pool and a hot tub.

T he couple was not without talent and determination. Dave is a data scientist with Nvidia and Marlon, human resources director with the National Archives. When Covid provided the ability to work from remote locations, they made the decision to move to St. Louis to be closer to Dave’s family. Coming from the Washington, DC, area, they were charmed by the homes in Lafayette Square, which reminded them of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia. They were lucky enough to find a residence that, although it had the façade of an historic row house, was totally contemporary on the interior.

The garden project fell to Marlon, who had grown up in Honduras with a mother who loved plants. He had carried that affection for gardening and added to his plant knowledge after moving to the United States.

Although the Lafayette Square garden is the smallest of the gardens at their previous residences, it required the most artful design work. After talking with five different contractors and receiving plans that Marlon slhl

Snapshot

describes as “the good, the bad and the ugly,” he decided to take over and create his own vision for the space.

Much of the garden grows in raised-bed stone planters with wide edges. They make it much easier for Marlon, a disabled veteran with a bad back, to tend to the plants. He can even sit on the side of the planters. A series of trellises and brightly colored, tall, double-glazed containers holding shrubs and dwarf trees, including a ginko and red-, yellow- and orange-leaved ‘Flame Thrower’ redbud, provide height to the space. He became a quick study on native plants that do well in the St. Louis climate and those that adapt to the clay soil of Lafayette Square “through a lot of research and trips to the Missouri Botanical Garden. Every plant in this garden is something I picked,” he says.

The plantings around the hot tub he describes as more free-flowing cottage garden in style while the pool space, filled with natives, resembles a prairie garden. The privacy-fenced, secret garden with a gate to the street is shaded in the afternoon. “I take my computer outside and work from the garden,” Marlon says. Anchor plants include coneflowers, Japanese maples, hydrangeas and, Marlon’s favorite, dahlias.

While the design of the garden was complicated, it is “shockingly” easy to maintain, Marlon says, emphasizing he uses no weed killers or pesticides.

“ We front loaded all the work, even installing a drip irrigation system that can be controlled from an app on our phones,” adds Dave, who also helps out with the heavy lifting of things such as ceramic containers. “Marlon makes things pretty, I make things go,” he quips, describing their gardening partnership. See stlouishomesmag.com for resources.

Creating beautiful rooms with cohesive styles is the key to making your home comfortable, fashionable and inviting.

The Great Cover-up

Teddy Karl, Allied ASID

9708 Clayton Road, Ladue, MO 63124 314-995-5701 • greatcoverupdesign.com

Your home is a haven and a place for personal expression. We are inspired by this notion and ready to help you create a space that is truly yours. We are a client-focused team, partnering with you to create special spaces for you to enjoy for years to come. Our passion lies in providing thoughtful solutions and remarkable results. We love working in a variety of decorating styles and strive to make each client experience both time-honored and unique. Whether it is a whole house project or putting the finishing touches on a single room, we are here to help make your home everything you expect it to be and more. Call or Visit us today! Beautiful Spaces Designed Just For You.

The Design Source Ltd.

636-391-7640 • thedesignsourceltd.com

Celebrating our 30th Year! At The Design Source LTD., our talented designers not only create award winning interiors, we create personal spaces that support well-being and uplift the spirits of the people who live there. We value creative expression, service to others, listening and honest and trusting communication. You can count on us for creating environments that honor those who live in them.

We thrive on homeowners' input. The more input we get, the happier we will all be at the conclusion of the project. Combining savvy design and functionality are our primary concern. After a thorough interview with the homeowner and learning how they intend to use each room, our team gets to work making the homeowners' dream become a reality.

Gigi Lombrano Interiors

314-707-7291 • stlinteriordesigner@yahoo.com

Gigi Lombrano, ASID is an award-winning, high-end residential designer. She listens to clients so they realize their dreams, whether a custom build, a renovation, or a refresh. Known by some as the color whisperer, Gigi is deft as finding each client’s unique style. Gigi’s projects have been featured in many local magazines and Designer Show House. Gigi is a recipient of the St. Louis Homes + Lifestyles Design Hall of Fame.