Satisfying Eclectic Tastes

This home near Tilles Park embraces distinctive colors and materials to fill the homeowner’s varied palate.

By Michelle Mastro

Photography by Karen Palmer Interior Design by Hammer & Schmidt Design Contractor: HomeWorks

As homeowners start to crave more custom features in their homes, bare white spaces like those in kitchens and living rooms are on their way out. For Peg Hammerschmidt, designer and owner of Hammer & Schmidt Design Inc, opposing and vibrant textures are half the fun of design. With an artistic approach to interior design, Peg was the perfect person to complete a project that would usher in bold textures and unique features to a home near Tilles Park.

“ We liked Peg’s taste and the fact that she doesn’t do the same thing for everyone,” the homeowner reveals. “She is willing to work with my eclectic tastes.” Therefore, the home’s original kitchen and awkwardly designed living room had to be reimagined. “Contractor Chris Mackey,” owner of HomeWorks, “played a key role in getting it all done,” Hammerschmidt says.

The designer had quite the job before her. The living room, according to Peg, was vertically challenged. “The homeowner wanted a living wall in the living room, but the space’s tall walls are a little too high.” To balance out the walls’ height and help viewers’ eyes trail upward, the designer instead installed a gallery wall of mirrors with pops of faux flowers and greenery. “With these additions, your eyes then dance around the room.” To add depth to the room’s empty space, the entertainment center on the opposite wall was built to nearly touch the ceiling and hold the homeowner’s art collection.

For the kitchen, Hammerschmidt went for a dramatic finish with bold wood and texture selections. The countertops boast a natural granite in gray, sprinkled with gold veining and completed in a suede finish. On the cabinetry, strips of alternating light and dark wood pieces meet to offer visual interest. “Zebrawood veneer grain runs horizontally on the working side of the island, the lower base cabinetry and the tabletop portion,” says Laurie Fromm, president of Classic Woodworking, Inc. It was Classic Woodworking’s expert craftsmanship, talent and willingness to take any challenge Peg threw at them that helped bring the project to life.

One of the most eye-catching features in the kitchen includes a unique space for live plants. Peg recessed a small area on the top of the island to match the curve of the table, creating a designated place for the flowers and plants. This show-stopping permanent planter is the perfect complement to the unique space.

I n harmony with the kitchen, walnut and black oak cover the lower bar cabinetry in the dining room and showcase Peg’s eye for texture. What was previously a rarely used traditional dining room has become the perfect bar/lounge to host friends and family. To accommodate the dining room’s barrel chairs, the designer personally designed an extension table that transforms from a 60” diameter to a 120” oval. Along with the new table, Peg replaced their previous dry bar for a redesigned wet bar. This update allowed the homeowner to see each liquor bottle and have all of her necessary bartending materials at her fingertips. The space was completely transformed to host all parties, small or large.

The designer wanted to create an emotional impact with her work. To make this happen, special features from the permanent planter in the kitchen to the wood storage in the living room’s entertainment center sing to the homeowner’s eclectic taste. “She wanted to make her home feel more comfortable, warm and inviting,” says Peg. “I think we achieved that.” See stlouishomesmag.com for resources.