SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019
EASY LIVING DESIGNER APRIL JENSEN CREATES A NO-FUSS SANCT UARY AT HOME. p.62
Closet Confidential Fashion insider Tania Beasley-Jolly opens up about her favorite things. p.36
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10 Most Beautiful Homes Our picks of the prettiest houses, from Mission Revival to modern p.42
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SEP/OCT
C ON T EN TS DISCOVER 15 ANIMATED OBJECTS
Mercedes Armstrong loves the rhythm of pattern.
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18 FRONT DOOR FACTS
Make a great first impression without saying a word. 20 ST. CHARLES STYLE
There’s something for everyone in historic St. Charles.
JACKIE O IN BIKER BOOTS
DESIGN
Inside fashionista Tania Beasley-Jolly’s home…and closet.
23 STYLISH SET
Gardeners adore the look of this French plant stand. 24 SITTING PRETTY
Style a sofa three ways. 26 SCHOOL’S IN SESSION
Shan Keith on teaching and design 28 CHILD PROOF
Claire Thomas-Morgan keeps the fun in kids’ clothing.
PROPERTY 31 TEA TIME
A bohemian escape in the city PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGAN LORENZ
32 SHINE A LIGHT
The new Adam Foster Fine Jewelry showroom 34 THE ROOF REPORT
Local experts discuss the pros and cons of various roofing materials.
ON THE COVER
Photography by Alise O’Brien
D E S I GN CR US H
70 CARDBOARD ARTIST
Justin King turns an everyday object into a work of art. INDEX
72 BEAUTY IN THE DETAILS
An interview with the readersubmitted Most Beautiful Home contest winner
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FEATURES
42
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THE 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES
A HAPPY PLACE
Color enhances the details and architecture of this year’s portfolio of pretty houses.
Designer April Jensen melds everything she loves in her Glendale home.
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EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Veronica Theodoro DEPUT Y EDITOR Amanda Woytus CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Jarrett Medlin STAFF WRITER Jeannette Cooperman DINING EDITOR George Mahe ASSOCIATE EDITOR Samantha Stevenson COPY EDITOR Kerry Bailey CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Amy Burger, Cara Downs, Pat Eby,
Charlene Oldham, Alexandra Vollman INTERNS Rachel Maus, Ian Scott
ART & PRODUCTION
DESIGN DIRECTOR Tom White ART DIRECTOR Emily Cramsey SALES & MARKETING DESIGNER Monica Lazalier PRODUCTION MANAGER Dave Brickey STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Kevin A. Roberts CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS
Alise O’Brien, Megan Lorenz, Miranda Munguia, Carmen Troesser INTERN Nicole Haggard
ADVERTISING
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EVENTS
DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS Jawana Reid
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CIRCUL ATION MANAGER Dede Dierkes CIRCUL ATION COORDINATOR Teresa Foss
BUSINESS
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Carrie Mayer
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VOLUME 1, 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
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Send letters to the editor to vtheodoro@stlmag.com.
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ADVERTISING
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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 2019 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. ©2019 by St. Louis Magazine. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550 St. Louis, MO 63144 314-918-3000 | Fax 314-918-3099 stlmag.com
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T H I R T Y
Y E A R S
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LETTER
FROM THE EDITOR
I’M OFTEN ASKED how we find the houses fea-
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working on the Beautiful Homes feature, but at the time I didn’t know it was hers. A few days later, when I showed up to interview April about the home’s interiors, I was delighted to discover that the house I had admired earlier in the week just happened to belong to her. (Serendipity plays a part in what we do, too.) In fashion news, you won’t want to miss our visit with Tania Beasley-Jolly and deep dive into her gorgeous closet (p. 36). I love that travel and personal passions inform her aesthetic, and, as sustainability and sound environmental choices become increasingly important, I appreciate her practice of buying quality over quantity. Elsewhere in the issue, we meet teacher/dressmaker Shan Keith (p. 26), children’s clothing designer Claire Thomas-Morgan (p. 28), and jewelry maker Adam Foster, who takes us around his beautiful showroom (p. 32), brought to life by Arcturis and Castle Design.
vtheodoro@stlmag.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER
tured in Design St. Louis. The short answer: any way you can imagine. Sometimes I’ll hear directly from designers and architects, who invite me to walk through a recently completed project with them. Friends, colleagues, and neighbors are invaluable sources, too. I can’t tell you how many times a casual conversation around town ends up as a spread six months later. And there’s no denying the power and reach of Instagram in discovering new talent and exquisite work. But most often, the best way of getting information is simple, traditional shoe-leather reporting: No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I’m always searching, taking notes, or making a mental file for something that’s caught my eye. I call on all of these devices when creating the Most Beautiful Homes package (p. 42). This year, we changed things up just a bit and selected properties where color is used to emphasize pretty details and architecture. Designer April Jensen’s Glendale house, beautiful inside and out, is this issue’s home interiors feature (p. 62). We’re thrilled to take you on a tour of such a happy house, one where on Friday nights, friends gather for “porch cocktails,” an evening of summer fun and relaxation. I first noticed April’s house while
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PRODUCTS AND PLACES
CONNECT
ILLUSTRATION BY MERCEDES ARMSTRONG
@mercedes_armstrong
Animated Objects The other day, Mercedes Armstrong pulled out an art project she did at Columbia College Chicago. The piece— acrylic and gouache on plywood, painted in fluorescent blue, pink, and turquoise—is tribal but psychedelic. “This was my start,” she announces. Fascinated by the designs she was learning about and energized by the rainbow palette of the ’60s, she began playing with repeats, creating surface patterns that could be applied to different products, like wallpaper or gift wrap. Her dream job is designing prints, like this one, for kids’ clothes: The palette animates traditional pink and blue, and the jagged lines and odd shapes add a little swing. —JEANNETTE COOPERMAN stlmag.com
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FIRST PERSON
It Repeats and Repeats and Repeats Mercedes Armstrong loves the rhythm of pattern—and her designs are never boring. DO YOU ALWAYS PAINT FIRST?
Not at all. There are times I want an artist’s hand, but other times, I’ll just scan the drawing into the computer, open it up in Photoshop or Illustrator, and compose my pattern there, tracing my own line work and focusing on layout and structure to create a repeat. You can manipulate your image, change it into something completely different. I try not to take it too seriously. YOU’RE DOING SURFACE PATTERNS, SO YOU DON’T WANT TO SINK INTO A QUAGMIRE? Yeah, I don’t want
to overthink it. You don’t have to make the flowers literal representations. Make it fun, change it up. Whenever I hear someone say, “Oh, I can’t draw,” I always encourage them. I think people want to draw with photorealism, and honestly, I don’t even think that’s that interesting sometimes. I’d rather see something done with imagination. HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR PALETTES? I don’t look at the
color wheel! I just follow my gut. A lot of my stuff is really bright and fun and whimsical. The Color Collective blog will pull colors from photos and create palettes below; that’s really helpful, because you can see the combination in three dimensions. For Lash, though, I was just playing around with markers. DO YOU EVER GET STUCK? Sure. But
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WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS? I’ll search
keywords online, look at Anthropologie’s beauty product packaging, page through books of old textile designs. [She flips through one to show me a toile of feathers.] Sometimes, I’ll think, “Man, how did they ever do that back then? Entirely by hand?” HOW DO YOU WORK? Everything starts with
the drawing. I get right into it. Pigma pens and Tombow markers. I like the boldness, and with the different nibs, I can control the line flow. I work with different media— watercolor, gouache, acrylic—depending on what the design is going to be used for.
I try to just draw it out, just keep going, even if I hate it. Usually later I’ll come back and think, “Oh, I was onto something there.” Music helps, too—it changes the energy. Sunni Colón, Toro y Moi—I even like Earth Wind & Fire. You can lose yourself. That’s the best time, when you’re so deep into your work and enjoying what you’re making and present in it, and time passes, and you don’t even notice. I try to chase that feeling. Lately I’ve been starting and stopping a lot. I need to take my own advice and just draw through it! —J.C.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS
Mercedes Armstrong had a past life, it was either in the Art Nouveau 1910s or the rainbow pop 1960s; she sees the same flowy, imaginative forms in both. “It’s fantasy, a little bit,” she explains, “not so serious.” Her studio’s dotted with marbled paper, floral typography, soft watercolor studies of dragonfruit, a fabric print of happy watercolor-clear lemons, a Greetabl box done in her Lash print, black, peach, and royal blue on white. Her favorite colors are now salmon and vermilion, richer and subtler than the Midcentury rainbow. But her sense of play is even stronger.
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SEEN AROUND TOWN
Front Door Facts Make a good first impression without saying a word. —IAN SCOTT 2
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1. “Hello You Lovely People,” $45. twigs & MOSS, twigsandmoss.com. 2. “Hi Honey Welcome Home,” $25. Emporium St. Louis, emporiumstlouis.com. 3. Fish, $25. The Spotted Pig, thespottedpigstl.com. 4. “Bonjour–Au Revoir,” $48. Anthropologie, anthropologie.com. 5. Pineapple, $32. The Sweet Boutique, sweetboutiquegifts.com. 6. “Welcome,” $22.99. OK Hatchery, facebook.com/okhatchery.
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STOREFRONT
St. Charles Style From handmade goods to personalized gifts, there’s something for everyone in historic St. Charles. —SAMANTHA STEVENSON
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PROVENANCE SOAPWORKS
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“It’s easy to sell what you love,” says Julie Brack, who travels in search of what she calls highcountry Americana. Brack fills her shop with goods reminiscent of New England. Made with American craftsmanship, items tend to be in the genre’s tones of mustard, navy, and barn-red. In addition to Windsor chairs and benches, the shop’s hallmark is Lt. Moses Willard Colonial lighting, designed by Brack’s parents. 803 S. Main 636-949-0721 cobblestonesaintcharles. weebly.com
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KATY TRAIL COLLECTIONS “I want things that are made well enough to find in a big box store but that you’re not going to find there,” says Shaina Groaning. “I think I’m the only shop on the street that does on-the-spot personalization.” A monogrammed cutting board or a photo puzzle featuring a picture of a child or a pet can be ready to go before the client leaves the store. 424 S. Main 636-896-4055 katytrailkeepsakes.com
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LET’S HAVE LUNCH RECHARGE AT THESE TWO STOPS.
When a party steps into Joys, owners Ali and Austin Warren say, its members typically disperse, each finding a niche within the two shops: Joys by Austin Warren Design and Joys Collective Market. The first offers clothing, jewelry, and accessories. The backyard building houses Joys Collective Market, where more than 50 vendors show their wares. “It always looks different,” Ali says. 600 S. Main 636-724-2124 joyscollectivemarket.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS
Ninety percent of the products in Carolyn Holden’s elegant shop are made on site. After selling soaps to friends and then at farmers’ markets, she opened the brick-and-mortar in 2010. Holden is inspired by the scents and colors she encountered on her backpacking adventures across Europe. She mixes mica-covered bath bombs, bath butters, and bar soaps infused with essential oils, clays, and salts. She also sells a collection of products made from ingredients found in vintage cocktails and liqueurs. (The Peach Bellini, for example, contains peach kernel and grape-seed oils.) What’s your dream mixture? Visit the shop’s scent bar, where you can whip up your own fragrance, to find out. 311 S. Main 636-577-1972 provenancesoaps.com
COBBLESTONE COTTAGE
SALT + SMOKE Visit around lunchtime and you’re sure to find the barbecue eatery’s 200-person multitiered patio filled with diners. “We focus on making the best, most consistent barbecue that we can,” says owner Tom Schmidt. Try the bestselling brisket smoked over post oak. 501 S. Main, St. Charles, 314-727-0200, saltandsmokestl.com. PICASSO’S COFFEE HOUSE At one of the coffee shop’s two locations, try the Traditional Capp. Owner Chris Schulte says it’s a store favorite. If you’re not in a hurry, ask for it in a ceramic mug, so baristas can pour patterns atop the foam. 101 N. Main, St. Charles. 636-925-2911, picassoscoffeehouse.com. —S.S.
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LIVING WITH DESIGN
CONNECT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS
10091 Manchester 314-909-0123 warsonwoodsantiques.com
A Stylish Set
Gardeners adore the look and durability of this French plant stand. As a garden designer and antiques dealer, Rand Rosenthal of Rand Rosenthal Design Group was drawn to the durability and distinctive design of this multitiered plant stand, and the rest of a set of iron furniture, bearing the nameplate of Usine Saint-Sauveur Arras, a famed foundry in Arras, France. Rosenthal thinks that the set is a 20th-century revival based on an original design. The foundry, which operated from around 1840 through 1920, was known for garden furniture featuring semicircular rods rather than flat pieces of iron, contributing to the unique appearance that appeals to gardeners the world over. “I think you have the same durability,” says Rosenthal. “You have exactly the same look. And the price is probably half the price of an original—if you can even find an original.” $985.—CHARLENE OLDHAM stlmag.com
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STYLE FILE
Sitting Pretty The designers at Olive + Opal Interiors show us three ways to style a sofa. THROW PILLOWS CAN
transform a sofa from simple to sophisticated, boring to bohemian, when the right combination of size, shape, color, and texture is applied. We turned to the designers at Olive + Opal Interiors to learn their secrets to selecting, and then styling, accent pieces for a sofa. Anna Neal and Melinda Christman, the firm’s founders, arrive with designer Stephanie Brunt at our photo studio to show us how to create three distinct looks using one sofa as our backdrop. —PAT EBY
STEP 1
DIMENSIONS
“The scale of a couch will determine the size of your pillows,” says Neal. A large sofa can support a Euro pillow, 24 to 28 inches square, combined with smaller lumbar pillows or small square pillows. Large sofas or sectionals call for more than one grouping; a love seat may benefit from an 18-inch square pillow and smaller accents.
STEP 2
FABRIC
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COLORS
Brunt recommends shades that support the room’s palette or accents to bring in color. The elegance of these Greek key–pattern pillows is enhanced when they’re grouped with a more complex pillow design, like the floral urn motif piece shown here. Our designers envision the pairing in a room painted white, buttery yellow, or a blue tone.
STEP 4
SYMMETRY
In addition to pattern and color, Neal looks for uniformity in her arrangements. Placement of pillows matters: Sit a big pillow in a corner on nights when the sofa’s owner is looking for a soft place to land. A lumbar pillow, true to its name, gives good back support.
STEP 5
TEXTURE
The designers again emphasize texture as an important consideration. Pair smooth leather with a nubby pattern or a solid. See how the rich rust color of the fabric pictured here creates a satisfying contrast with the smooth texture of the fauxleather pillow? (Tassels and ball fringe are interesting ways to achieve this, too.)
STEP 6
SOURCES
“We recommend down pillow inserts, sized 2-inches larger than the cover, for the best look,” Neal says. Where do the designers find these exquisite pillow covers? They study Pinterest boards, visit Etsy shops, local fabric stores, and surf their favorite home sites—and you can, too.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS
When considering textiles, it’s important to take into account the style and color scheme of the room and sofa. “We like to look for a print and for a texture, a solid color, or simple pattern to pair together,” says Brunt. She points to the faux–leopard print pillow and a pair of nubby black-and-white mudcloth pieces as an example: “We stay away from a mix of all complex patterns, which can get chaotic.”
STEP 3
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MADE BY HAND
School’s in Session Since his turn on Project Runway: Under the Gunn, Shan Keith has returned home and now dedicates his time to helping aspiring designers.
SHAN KEITH GREETS me with a broad smile
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ready for a fitting…and the client’s feedback. It’s all part of being a designer, and Keith is no stranger to the pressures of the fashion world. During his season on Project Runway, in 2014, he was challenged to design a five-look collection in three days, then present it in front of a live audience to judges, among them supermodel Heidi Klum and actor Neil Patrick Harris. But since returning to St. Louis five years ago and starting a job teaching in North Technical High School’s fashion design program, he’s found himself tasked with a project that, to some, has higher stakes: prom night. “I block out January through May for prom season, because I know those [months] are going to be really steady and time-consuming,” he says. He started out designing two or three dresses a prom season, but now, thanks to the hallway grapevine and the power of Instagram, the number is closer to 50.
Some of those clients are students where he teaches. And as a result of his course offerings in such fields as merchandising and retail, design and sewing, Keith’s learning that being a teacher entails more than he expected. Often he finds himself serving as counselor, father figure, and friend. He calls each of his students “boss” and encourages them all to think like one: “You can be great! You have the potential to be a boss.” The lessons he’s teaching are those he’s learned in his own career, which has included providing garments for such celebrities as the actress and singer Zendaya, designing wedding dresses, and creating those Hollywood-worthy prom designs. It’s in his studio space where he balances it all—the business and his family. “I feel most comfortable here,” says Keith. “My kids can come in and ask me questions. I can be myself. You know how every man says he has a man cave? This is mine.” —SAMANTHA STEVENSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS
at the door of his white two-story Colonial home in Frontenac. He introduces his dog, Marble, and leads me downstairs toward the finished basement where, across from his children’s playroom, the fashion designer goes to work at SK Studios. “People don’t expect to see what they’re about to see,” he says, “but in here, it starts to feel real.” Here is a basement with the feel of a downtown loft, where Keith has plastered brick wallpaper on the cement foundation, where mirrors are propped against a wall in a casually elegant manner, and photographs of black fashion designers—including Ann Lowe, best remembered for designing the dress worn by Jacqueline Kennedy on her wedding day—serve as inspiration to him. Two dressing rooms anchor the studio, and mannequins—dressed in Keith’s formal dresses—stand in stylish poses. The brightpink suit is a sample for clients to view and try on. Other garments, such as the floor-length gown with mesh fabric, a bevy of embellishments, and feathers sewn into the hem, are
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A DAY IN THE LIFE
Child Proof Claire Thomas-Morgan’s Vivi Design Studio keeps the fun in kids’ clothing. CLAIRE THOMAS-MORGAN asks her two gig-
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Vivian, Vivi is an ode to the clothes a younger Thomas-Morgan would have wanted. The style is classic but with a twist. “Something fun, artistic, and quirky,” she says. “We’re not T-shirt and leggings.” Locally, Thomas-Morgan sells her line at Union Studio and Lass & Laddie, but she’s looking for more opportunities to show her work. And, of course, she’s always looking to keep her own kids well-dressed. “I pick my battles,” she says. —SAMANTHA STEVENSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER
gling children and a neighborhood friend to play quietly before turning to walk down the hallway to the master bedroom. There, just off the back of the room, is her studio. With a soft click she closes the French doors. Silence. It’s a different world in here.“I lock the doors if I have to,” she says, laughing. Inspired by the garments she was making for daughter Lyra, now 7, Thomas-Morgan started a line of children’s clothes, Vivi Design Studio, in 2014. Six years later, she’s outgrowing the studio space. The couple built the addition in 2016, when operating from the basement no longer seemed like a good idea, Thomas-Morgan recalls: “I would drop pins or something—the kids play down there—and I’d think, ‘No!’” The day we meet the designer has spent most of her time attending to her children, Lyra and Ellis, 3. She needs about an hour to catch up on email, check orders, and tend to bookkeeping, she says. Life is more hectic in the spring and fall, when on top of running her clothing company, Thomas-Morgan also teaches a fashion design class at her alma mater, Washington University. But summer days like today are meant for sneaking away from the studio to do fun things around town with the kids. Tonight, once they’ve gone to bed, she’ll make up the time. She gestures to the rack next to her. It holds her fall collection, inspired by her reverence for Renaissance arts, religion, and literature. If you need a visual cue, think 2018 Met Gala, which had the theme “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Church.” “It was around that time that I was designing it,” says Thomas-Morgan. She grabs a halo-like headband, similar to the headpiece actress Blake Lively wore to the event. “It’s made out of zip ties and is spray-painted. I thought, ‘I can do that!’” Then she began learning more about Joan of Arc and powerful fictional characters such as Ofelia from Pan’s Labyrinth. Her goal was to create clothing based on good stories and “young brave girls who aren’t your traditional princess,” she says. So ThomasMorgan—who does all of the patternmaking and only recently hired a seamstress to help her do the sewing—added ruffles where medieval dress would’ve had armor and ordered patterns with repeating plus signs reminiscent of tiny crosses. She sketched dresses, suits, and jumpsuits in metallic, black, and maroon colors—fit for grand adventures. Named after her stylish grandmother
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WILSONLIGHTING.COM
S. BRENTWOOD BLVD.
ITEM #643002
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MICHELANGELO YOUR CEILINGS.
Make every room a masterpiece with big, beautiful LED chandeliers from Wilson.
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CLAYTON 909 S Brentwood Blvd 314.222.6300 MWF 9 to 6 TuTh 9 to 8 Sat 10 to 5
L I G H T I N G
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REAL ESTATE, CONTRACTORS, ARCHITECTS
VISIT
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS
3983 Gratiot 314-727-9991 kaldiscoffee.com
Tea Time
The tea room inside the Kaldi’s Coffee roastery is a lush, bohemian escape for city dwellers. Visitors to the space are inspired to leave their shoes at the door and order a warm beverage to drink while sinking into a patterned pouf. Sarah Scarborough, owner of Firepot Nomadic Teas, dreamed up the idea as a cozy gathering place with a look and feel that fits her company’s brand of “sophisticated bohemian.” Inside, layered rugs, cane accents, Moroccanmade cushions, and an intricately designed wood coffee table anchor the space. The shelving unit, made of reclaimed wood by Kaldi’s employee, Josh Nault, is the keeper of an array of accessories, photographs from Scarborough’s world travels, and several of her favorite books. Consider yourself invited to the tea party. —SAMANTHA STEVENSON stlmag.com
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COMMERCIAL DESIGN
Shine a Light The Adam Foster Fine Jewelry showroom and event space offers an immersive experience.
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Hubbardton Forge steel-and-crystal flower chandelier, to the casework, created by Ross Wardenburg, that showcases Foster’s handcrafted collections. Similar to European jewelry houses, the showroom has a “home-like” feel, Steward says. A fully stocked bar, a seating area that invites guests to stay awhile, and a 10-seat table speak to the fact that this, more than anything else, is an inviting place to be. The event space, which can hold 30 to 40 people, offers another way for guests
to interact with the room and the jewelry. Foster says that it’s fit for cocktail parties or more formal dinners and designed to offer a unique, cohesive experience. “We want to make sure that the jewelry, the space, the mood, the idea behind the jewelry, what you’re drinking and eating— that everything sort of goes together,” he says. “It’s all one common theme.” —ALEXANDRA VOLLMAN VISIT: 601 S. Lindbergh, fosterjewelry.com
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN
IF THE TONE of the new Adam Foster Fine Jewelry Showroom is dark and moody, it’s only part of Foster’s effort to accentuate his collections rather than outshine them. The architect for the space, Chrissy Hill Rogers of St. Louis architecture firm Arcturis, calls the look “modern Gothic luxury”—“a combination of dark and light that creates a dramatic backdrop for Adam’s one-of-a-kind designs.” The first like it in St. Louis, this combination studio, showroom, and event space gives Foster and business partner Mary Steward the opportunity to not just entice people to buy but also educate them about the jewelry-making process. “We make everything we sell, so it’s important that if a customer should say, ‘I don’t understand this. How do you do this?’ we can walk them over and they can see where we’re actually making the work, and we can explain how it is made,” Foster says. Individuality is also important to Foster, and the new showroom provides a space where he can meet with clients privately (he operates by appointment only) to design pieces that match each individual’s personality. It’s all part of giving clients the experiences they deserve—in short, not your typical jewelry store encounter. The showroom is what Steward describes as a relational rather than a transactional space. “We want you to enjoy [yourself], from the minute you walk in to the minute you leave,” says Foster. “This isn’t a store where you come and stand in front of a counter, I try to sell you something, and you walk out. There’s nothing wrong with those stores, but we really think that the jewelry we’re selling needs an experience built around it.” Before that experience could be created, however, the space had to be. Working with Hill Rogers and interior designer Emily Castle of Castle Design, Foster and Steward transformed a nearly 4,000-square-foot blank slate—devoid of windows, lights, and plumbing—to capture the thought, creativity, and craftsmanship behind Foster’s work. Completed in April, the showroom pays homage to Foster’s personal style and Italian roots. “Adam is inspired by both Old World tradition and supremely modern styles,” says Hill Rogers, “so the hope was for the space to evoke a feeling that combines these.” Like Foster’s jewelry, Castle says, nearly everything about the showroom is customized, from the lighting, including a
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BUILDING MATERIALS
The Roof Report Local experts discuss the pros and cons of various roofing materials. —RACHEL MAUS 1. SLATE
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Seen in many of St. Louis’ older neighborhoods, including St. Louis Hills, slate gives homes classic beauty and charm. A natural stone, slate is most often found in shades of gray but is also available in purple, green, and red tones, as well as a combination of hues. Dan Hagerty, founder of Old World Roofing Company, says slate is ideal for St. Louis homes because of its strength and longevity. As with tile, the durability of the material is in part because of its weight—100 square feet of slate weighs an average of 750 to 800 pounds— and, as we’ve seen, those sturdy older homes bear the weight well. Slate roofs have a lifespan of at least 75 years, he adds, with only minimal upkeep required for the first 50. 2. COPPER
Copper is beautiful but also expensive— Patrick McNichols, founder of Innovative Construction & Roofing, says it costs about 10 times as much as asphalt shingles. But it also gives a home a look that ordinary shingles just can’t match. The soft metal is at risk for denting in hailstorms but holds up well against rain, sleet, and snow and can last more than 80 years. “There’s no maintenance involved with copper,” says Shawn Wittenberg of Duration Construction. “Once it’s done, it’s done.” Perhaps its most alluring quality is its change of color over time. A copper roof begins to oxidize during its first year, taking on an aged, elegant look; after 10 to 15 years, it will have developed the classic green patina. For those who love the appearance of copper but aren’t in the market for a full copper roof, copper accents are a nice compromise: Copper gutters, flashing, and chimney caps look great on just about any style of roof. 3. TILE
Mike Walter of Vince Graye Slate & Tile Roofing points to the Central West End, Clayton, and University City as local neighborhoods with a rich array of architecture featuring clay tile roofs. The earthy S-shaped Spanish-style tiles lend roofs a touch of color. In St. Louis, the material is easy to spot in natural terra-cotta or rich green, but many more color options exist, including shades of red, blue, black, brown, and white. Walter says that older homes “were engineered to support
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a heavier load than modern homes,” allowing them to take a heavier roof material. (Note: 100 square feet of clay tile weighs 1,000 pounds, on average.) During the heat of the summer, clay tile helps cool a home’s interior, resulting in lower electric bills. In the spring and winter, it resists the effects of snow, ice, and rain. Tile requires little to no upkeep and won’t need to be replaced for 80 to 100 years. When maintenance is required, the original tile may be reused, Walter says, noting that it’s more often the flashing and underlay that need repair.
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4. CEDAR
Cedar shakes and shingles, used to impart a rustic vibe, are most common in West County, Frontenac, and Ladue, says Brian Teipel of Aspen Touch General Contracting and Consulting. Vince Mannino, president of R.G. Ross, notes that shakes are the more popular, less costly option. Shakes, thicker at the bottom, are hand-split, he says. Shingles, on the other hand, are machine-split, yielding consistency in size and appearance. Homeowners are also drawn to these materials because of their energy-saving capabilities. Teipel says that owners who switch from cedar to asphalt shingles generally see an increase of 4 to 8 percent on their energy bills. Properly cared for, a cedar roof can last as long as 40 years. The key to longevity? Application of sealant to protect against mold and mildew in the first five years of the life of the roof and a good power-washing 10 years after installation. 5. SHINGLES
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Asphalt shingles are the most commonly used roofing material here because of their affordability; their light weight also permits quick installation. An asphalt shingle roof lasts anywhere from 15 to 30 years. McNichols of Innovative says that the grade of the shingles, the pitch of the roof, the degree of ventilation beneath the shingles, and the surrounding tree cover determine the material’s longevity. Asphalt shingles are available in a diverse selection of colors, including solid and blended hues. Homeowners who desire the look of a historic roof without the steep cost may opt for a shingle with the appearance of slate, tile, or wood. stlmag.com
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Everything in Tania Beasley-Jolly’s living room was built around her two yellow chairs—a find from The Future Antiques—and informed by her time abroad. “I became very enchanted with these old black-and-white mansions in Singapore, so when I moved back, everything sort of merged,” she says. “I’m inspired by everywhere I’ve lived. That room really is an amalgam of that.”
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INSIDE TANIA BEASLEYJOLLY’S HOME... AND CLOSET. WRITTEN BY ALEXANDRA VOLLMAN PHOTOGRAPHY BY MEGAN LORENZ stlmag.com
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1. A self-described historicist and royalist, Beasley-Jolly has an affinity for headbands. “That has historical significance for me; it’s not just pretty,” she says. “It’s like a mini crown or tiara.” 2. Coats are an obsession that Beasley-Jolly traces back to her days in Belgium. “If you had a beautiful topper, a gorgeous boot, and a fabulous handbag, it really didn’t matter what you had on underneath,” she explains. This coat, by Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, is one of her favorites. “I saw that a winter ago in Bergdorf’s and said, ‘This is the most magical thing I’ve ever seen,’” she says.
As in a museum, nearly everything in Tania Beasley-Jolly’s Tower Grove house is thoughtfully curated. More than beautiful, her collection is deliberate. Beasley-Jolly, who describes her style as “Jackie O in biker boots,” boasts an eclectic assortment of clothing, furnishings, and accessories that has an air both classic and contemporary, both elegant and flamboyant, offering a glimpse into her life, travels, and passions. “I’m a little bit of a magpie in that I do like to collect things, but everything is intentional,” Beasley-Jolly says. “[These items] make me happy. They make me smile. They make me remember certain points in my life. That’s why I like to surround myself with these things; it’s not just because they’re pretty.” Her style and intentionality have helped establish Beasley-Jolly as a fashion authority on the local, national, and international levels. She’s worked as marketing director for Saks Fifth Avenue here, co-founded the Saint Louis Fashion Fund to help aspiring designers, and provided creative strategy consulting for brands in the fashion, retail, and design industries. Most recently, she launched MERCH, an experiential retail concept, with partner Susan Sherman; in this role, she says, she curates items from global fashion and beauty brands to “surprise and delight the St. Louis consumer.” In a sense, she’s found herself back where she began.
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3. “You can tell a lot about a person by looking at the books in their house,” she says. It’s no wonder, then, that her coffee table is stacked high with art history and fashion books. “They become part of the décor.” 4. “I have a thing for feathers,” Beasley-Jolly says of these Brian Atwood heels. “I should wear them more,” she admits, “but they are so pretty!”
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5. Though classically trained in opera, Beasley-Jolly finds inspiration in all genres and styles—and in mixing and matching them. “I love the juxtaposition of this bag under a print of rapper and hip-hop icon Biggie Smalls,” she says. “Hiphop influences fashion, especially today, and I’d like to think he’d probably have carried this fabulous bag, too.”
7. Of all the items in her wardrobe, dresses—the architecture, the bows, the character—rank high. “I have an absolute addiction [to] and problem with dresses,” Beasley-Jolly says. “I cannot get enough.”
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6. “I love big costume jewelry,” says BeasleyJolly. These shell necklaces were purchased from a street vendor in Bali, where she was visiting a friend. “[My friend] had them all over, and I fell in love with them,” she says.
“I started my career thinking I wanted to be a curator,” says Beasley-Jolly, who was born and raised in St. Louis. After earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art history, she went on to work at both the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. “For me, fashion and clothes are almost like art,” she notes. “There is a really fine line. It’s socio-, it’s political, it’s artistic.” It wasn’t until she moved with her husband to Antwerp, Belgium, however, that her interest in fashion and her own sense of style truly began to take shape. “That was a turning point for me, because Antwerp is a huge fashion city,” Beasley-Jolly says. “I’ve always had a flair for who I was and how I wanted the world to perceive me, but I think it crystalized there.” Inspired by Belgian women’s “sense of self,” she fell in love with the muted palette and architectural but streamlined style they prefer, noting how different it is from the American aesthetic. “Americans tend to go on quantity. Europeans tend to drive on quality,” she says. “I learned then that you just have to buy the best that you can buy, and you don’t need a ton of it.” From Belgium back to the U.S., to Singapore and back to St. Louis and her Tower Grove home, Beasley-Jolly has continued to be inspired by her experiences and the brands she consults. Through it all, she has cultivated her own sense of fashion: flashy but sophisticated. “I truly realize I was a man in a past life. I’m very artistic and architectural,” she says. “For me, it’s always about the neck or the sleeve. There’s gotta be a bow, a ruffle, or a big poufy sleeve. It’s very 1700s—what men wore, not women. There is a certain androgyny. I like to be very feminine up top but then wear, like, a clunky boot on my feet.”
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THE 10 MOST BEAUTIFUL HOMES Color enhances the details and architecture of each of our picks for this year’s portfolio of houses. WRITTEN BY
AMY BURGER, RACHEL MAUS, AND VERONICA THEODORO PHOTOGRAPHY BY
ALISE O’BRIEN
NEIGHBORHO OD: Frontenac ARCHITECT: Mitchell Wall Architecture and Design LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Unknown SIGNIFICANT STATS: 6,500 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 6 full baths and 2 half baths WHY WE CHOSE IT: “When you reach a certain age, you know what you like and what you don’t like,” says homeowner Melissa Haupt. This Dutch Colonial home, inspired by an affinity for the sea and reminiscent of the architecture of the Northeast, falls into the category of what Haupt loves. “I love the relaxed look and feel, the nostalgia it evokes of days gone by…but I wanted to put a contemporary twist on the design,” she says. First, she needed the approval of the neighborhood trustees, which took close to two years to obtain. “The original design called for a fully shingled house,” says designer Rachael Dolan, “but to serve the indentures of the neighborhood, we chose whitewashed brick and cedar shingle siding.” Each detail of the house has been meticulously placed: the corbels, the scalloped shingles above the gambrels, the copper roof accents above each porch. The front door is painted Fine Paints of Europe’s Navy Blue in an extra-glossy finish. Flanked by gas lanterns, it serves as an inviting focal point.
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NEIGHBORHOOD: Webster Groves ARCHITECT: Wilford P. Joy (a “Joy Built” home) LANDSCAPE DESIGNER: Owner SIGNIFICANT STATS: Built in 1927; 4,800 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms WHY WE CHOSE IT: This Webster Groves Tudor is straight out of a fairy tale with its gray-on-gray stucco and
half-timbered face punctuated by the original arched wood door. Painted hot pink, the door features a small leaded glass window that mirrors the one just to its left, which is accented with stonework. On the lawn, pink-and-white chairs from Grandin Road complete the whimsical look. “I just love color,” says owner Tyra Gallagher. When she and husband Matt bought the house, it was painted taupe with a black door. Deeming this color scheme too boring, she painted the door green when they moved in, then bright yellow. When they had the house painted gray, she searched for the perfect color to complement it: “I went through every color, and nothing made me as happy as the pink.” Fortunately, Matt is also a fan of the color.
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N E I G H B O R H O O D : Central West End A R C H I T E CT: B. & C. Hartman Company L A N D S CA P E D E S I G N E R : Bill Jordan; maintenance by Bladimir Rodriguez SIGNIFICANT STATS: 5,200 square feet; 6 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 1 half bath WHY WE LOVE IT: Adele and Hank Kaplan have lived in this Arts & Crafts home
with pretty rose-motif stained glass windows for 30 years. Originally from New York City, the couple has always felt right at home in the neighborhood. “It was the closest thing to New York,” says Adele, “and we were wowed by the houses.” Over the years, the couple has worked tirelessly on the property, redoing the tile roof, tuckpointing the brick, and changing the shutters and trim from black to blue. “A young intern working with our architect suggested the idea,” says Adele. “She said blue would pick up the undertones in the brick.” But perhaps nothing compares to the work required in 1999, when a bolt of lightning hit the house, entering on one end of the third floor and leaving from the other, burning up the carpeting, taking out the electricity, and leaving large holes on both ends of the house in its wake. Fortunately, nobody was injured. And once the structure had been rewired, the east chimney rebuilt, and the exterior masonry and interior walls replaced, the house felt like home again.
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NEIGHBORHOOD: Ladue ARCHITECT AND LANDSCAPE DESIGNER: David Williams, Cite Works Architects SIGNIFICANT STATS: 5,000 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 2 half baths WHY WE LOVE IT: Inspired by the modern style of architect Richard Meier, Tricia and Tom Kolbrener tore down an existing
home on a quiet street in Ladue and started anew in 1991, hiring Williams to bring their ideas for a dream home to fruition. “I told David I wanted a Richard Meier house,” says Tricia of her early planning days. Williams sought to design a home as if “creating a piece of sculpture,” he says, using PPG’s Delicate White paint on brick to draw attention to the form and allow sunlight to play off the walls. The home strays from the traditional front-of-house setup: There are no windows on the first floor, but the steel-and-glass front door serves as a portal for sunlight in addition to visitors. Three Japanese maple trees add a pop of color as they blend landscape and architecture; the garden wall offers a sense of privacy without blocking off the home. The Kolbreners originally sought a light-filled home, which explains why Tricia’s favorite feature of the house is “all the high windows. At night, you can see the moon.”
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NEIGHBORHO OD: Compton Hill ARCHITECT: Ernst C. Janssen L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER: Owner SIGNIFICANT STATS: Built in 1908; 12,000 square feet; 6 bedrooms, 4 full baths and 2 half baths WHY WE CHOSE IT: On the National Register of Historic Places, the Magic Chef Mansion is a stunning example of turn-of-
the-century St. Louis architecture. Originally built for Quick Meal Stove Company (later Magic Chef) founder Charles Stockstrom, the mansion is now under the loving care of second owner Shelley Donaho, a former local real estate agent who has painstakingly restored it to its previous elegance, even tracking down many of the home’s original furnishings and fixtures. Donaho offers guided tours of the historic home and rents out portions of it for private events. “It’s fun to share it with people,” she says. The mansion’s exterior is a striking mix of materials and colors, its blond brick base accented with ornamental terra-cotta and its original red slate roof outlined with verdigris copper gutters and spires. The Stockstrom family crest is prominently featured above the third-floor center window. When some of the terra-cotta balcony railings fell into disrepair, Donaho employed artisans from City Museum to rebuild them.
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NEIGHBORHO OD: University City RENOVATION ARCHITECT: Philip Durham L ANDSCAPE DESIGNER: Chesterfield Valley Nursery and the homeowners SIGNIFICANT STATS: 3,471 square feet; 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths and 1 half bath WHY WE LOVE IT: Ed and Cynthia Ferguson noticed the house for the first time
on their jogging route and admired it from afar for nearly three years. When they saw a ‘For Sale’ sign go up in the front yard, they knew they had to see it up close. “When we walked in,” says Ed, “we were in awe. It sealed the deal for us”— but the timing wasn’t right. Luckily, two years later, in 2013, the property went back on the market right as the couple married, and they bought it. Within five years, they began an exterior renovation that included painting the façade slate blue to highlight the home’s contemporary architecture. Using a 3-D model of the house with the SU Podium plugin for SketchUp, the owners tested various paint colors at different times of the day. Ultimately, they decided to pair Sherwin-Williams’ Cyberspace and Web Gray because they liked how the combo imparted a dark, sleek look in all lighting conditions. The couple removed the horizontal portion of an L-shaped chimney and added poplar accents, bought a new door for the tuck-under garage, and installed solar panels on the asphalt roof. Inspired by their travels to Arizona and Utah, Ed designed the steel-and-glass railing leading to the front door. The Fergusons have always had a passion for art and design. “Beauty lies in simplicity,” says Ed. “A well-designed modern home exemplifies this.”
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NEIGHBORHOOD: Holly Hills ARCHITECT: Unknown LANDSCAPE DESIGNER: Homeowner SIGNIFICANT STATS: Built in 1928; 1,500 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 1 full bath and 1 half bath WHY WE CHOSE IT: The Mission Revival architecture of this small but striking home sets it apart from the other houses on a quiet block
off Carondelet Park. The façade combines various shades of brick with stone and terra-cotta sculptural details, and everything’s topped with a green Spanish tile roof. There’s even a touch of Art Deco in the line of glass blocks inserted into the brick of the front porch, which is owner Teresa Garden’s favorite spot. “I’ve met so many people just sitting reading on the front porch,” she says. “The neighborhood is so relaxed and friendly.” Before 2003, Garden says, she never even knew Holly Hills existed, but when she saw the house, she immediately fell in love. Pointing to the rounded front door, rooftop chimney pots, and eyebrow attic windows topped with copper, Garden says “the attention to detail” won her over. The house has a unique history as well, having been built for the original owners of the Cheshire Inn.
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AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERIOR DESIGNERS missouri east
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NEIGHBORHOOD: Clayton ARCHITECT: Maritz & Young LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Homeowner SIGNIFICANT STATS: 4,900 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 1 half bath WHY WE CHOSE IT: St. Louisans familiar with the architecture of the northwest coast of France will recognize in this home the steep rooflines, stucco façade, and casement windows of the French Norman style. Built in 1927, the house sits along a horseshoe-shaped street with a large common ground that beckons the neighborhood’s children to come outside and play. Artist Anne Martin grew up in the house and has lived there for close to 70 years, which, she says, gives her “a real sense of houses staying and people coming and going.” Come springtime Martin, an avid gardener, is on the lookout for geraniums in just the right shade of red to plant in the eight terra-cotta pots that line the front of the house, a perfect complement to the home’s multihued clay tile roof and the pink granite trim lining the driveway. The bronze sculpture at the entry shows a playful puppy rolling on its back; it was designed and cast by Martin in honor of Fifi, her first homebred champion poodle.
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Chesterfield 633 Spirit of St. Louis Blvd. 636.519.1611 Maryland Heights 11585 Lackland Road 314.677.6713 beckallencabinetry.com
I M A G I N E
L I F E
I N
A
ALISE O’BRIEN PHOTOGRAPHY
Meet the Designer, E M I LY CA S T L E , A S I D
314-727-6622
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emilycastle.com
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N E I G H B O R H O O D : Kirkwood A R C H I T E CT: Original architect unknown; remodel designed by Don Anderson of Anderson Building Company L A N D S CA P E DESIGNER: Rick Rodriguez, Landscaping Care SIGNIFICANT STATS: 7,600 square feet; 5 bedrooms, 5 full baths and 1 half bath WHY WE CHOSE IT : The red-
and-green trim and the detail work on this charmingly remodeled Kirkwood Victorian immediately catch the eye. The oldest part of the home was built in 1850 and served for a time as a Civil War hospital managed by its doctor owner. The front of the house was originally the south side: A previous owner had the house lifted and rotated about 15 years ago, then added a wraparound porch and corner turret balcony (and a second entrance where the original one was located). Decorative shingles and brackets give the home an heirloom dollhouse quality. Current owners Maggie and Matt Poling, who lived just around the block, purchased the home in 2017 after admiring it and reaching out to the owner repeatedly to inquire about its availability. The new old house is the perfect place to raise their four kids. It was already painted in its current color scheme when they bought it, and they have no desire to change it. “The kids call it the Christmas tree house,� Maggie says.
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Artistic. Visionary. Unexpected. Memorable. Award-winning, luxury, residential interior design. ph 314.395.1 1 14 marciamooredesign.com
marcia moore design Intelligent design. Signature style.
Photo by Suzy Gorman
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NEIGHBORHOOD: The Hill ARCHITECT: Unknown; remodeler was South City Construction LANDSCAPE DESIGNER: Owner SIGNIFICANT STATS: 1,700 square feet; 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths and 1 half bath WHY WE CHOSE IT: This yellow shotgun-style house with red-and-green trim is like a ray of sunshine in the middle
of its block in the heart of The Hill. Built in 1891 as a four-room house, it was a 1960s time capsule when current owners Jim Barnthouse and wife Stephanie Scott bought it in 2016. The exterior was clad in white siding that made it blend in more than stand out. Barnthouse removed layers of siding till he reached the original 125-year-old wood beneath. He spent a summer sanding it and filling each tiny hole on the side of the house, then had new siding custom milled to match the front. He even matched the original paint color, which was visible in chips. Decorative iron fencing installed across the second-story windows was salvaged from a home on Cherokee Street. The black iron fence framing the yard is original. The next project is a new two-story front porch. “It feels like we’re on vacation here,” says Barnthouse. “When we open the windows in the morning, the smell of fresh-baked bread from Marconi Bakery comes in. It feels a little like living in Europe.”
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A HAPPY PLACE WRITTEN BY
VERONICA THEODORO PHOTOGRAPHY BY
ALISE O’BRIEN
April Jensen melds everything she
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loves in a farmhouse that’s all about ease.
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I
nterior designer April Jensen lives in a 150-year-old home in Glendale, a white Federal farmhouse with elegant Italianate details set at the end of a long driveway. Its rambling beauty is made for the movies: four terraces, a wide front porch with a haint-blue ceiling, and the original red barn— now a pool house—in the backyard. Five years ago—on the day she and her husband, Jason; their children, Lily, Julien, and Tallulah; and a gaggle of dogs moved in—the pipes burst in their youngest daughter’s bathroom, sending a torrent of water from the second floor through the built-in bookcases in Jason’s office below and on into the basement. “‘Well, that sucks,’” Jensen says, recalling the couple’s initial reaction. But the family was too excited about living in the house to let one bout of bad luck ruin their day. Instead, they turned the experience into an opportunity to renovate: updating the lighting, adding a new thermostat and audiovisual system, and painting the whole house white, helping highlight its fine details and original woodwork. “I’m calm under pressure,” Jensen says. “When it’s over I’ll typically fall apart,” she adds, laughing, “but then it passes. Life is short.” If Jensen sounds fearless, it’s because worry doesn’t factor too much into her life. The design of her home is an outward manifestation of her inner confidence. “I don’t think I overthink things, and somehow it just all works out,” she says. Whereas the previous homeowners had decorated the house in a traditional manner— dark paint, heavy drapery, an intentional division of rooms—Jensen used a lighter touch, allowing her instincts to guide her. “You want your house to have, or look as if it could have, a history about it—and then you add fun fabrics, or a great light. Something needs to be a little unexpected.” The first purchase for the living room was a bit expected, however. The minimalist gray sofa was similar to the tufted sofa in her mother’s house that Jenson had loved as a child. “But it sat in our living room, and you weren’t allowed on it unless you asked first,” she says, “so when I bought this sofa, I decided that I would use it every day.” It’s important to Jensen that her family and friends feel at ease. “There is not one thing about this house where I’m, like, ‘Oh, you can’t do that’ or ‘Don’t do that. Don’t sit that there,’” she says. Even the family’s three poodle mixes—Bon Bon, Bebe, and Winnie—feel comfortable roaming the house atop the original quarter-sawn, white-oak floors. Jensen also bought a marble-top Saarinen table for the living room, a set of side tables that she had refinished, and green-and-white cotton
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draperies from Highland Court that complement the view to the outside. Then, the designer says, she “happened to trip across these two chairs from Anthropologie.” She was drawn to the fabric, a vintage-inspired mix of yellow, jade green, and blue flowers. “To me, these colors are just so happy,” she says. “The chairs were really the impetus for the design of the house.” In the dining room, the use of vibrant color plays out in shades of green, warm wood tones, and a pop of fuchsia, courtesy of a painting by St. Louis artist Peter Manion. Jensen bought the room’s antique angel wings at the famed Round Top Antiques Fair in Texas, rejecting her initial doubts. “I really debated those,” she says, admiring them from a gray leather chair in the living room. “They could have gone wrong really easily.” But there was something about the way they were so simply displayed that Jensen just loved and couldn’t pass up. In her own house, she didn’t think too long about where or how to hang them either. Today, they’re juxtaposed with a Midcentury Modern display unit styled with some of the designer’s favorite things, like the milky-white and minty-green milk glass from her treasured collection. “I love that something as simple as a butter dish, or a vase, is so incredibly beautiful,” she says. In general, Jensen is known for favoring a streamlined look—too many things, she says, and a room becomes “hard to read,” and at the moment she thinks her house feels a bit cluttered. She’s been given a few pieces of furniture by her mother-in-law, who is downsizing; a sconce in need of repair rests on the dining room floor; and delivery boxes from Chairish and fabric samples for upcoming home projects are scattered across tabletops. But this is just life. In her work with clients, Jensen encourages them to think less about making their homes look perfect, and more about creating authentic spaces that reflect their true selves. “Buy what you love, and you will find a place for it,” she says. For her, decorating is about drawing in broad strokes first, then fine-tuning each room with accessories and color. “The colors don’t all have to match, but we do have to have a similar tone [throughout the rooms],” she says. The designer also isn’t one to think, “‘Oh, now I need to go shopping for this wall.’ That would be paralyzing to me.” In many ways, the house is a celebration of the designer’s passions: music, pop art, thrift-store finds, family. Jensen and her husband own eight record players, and the couple loves listening to all types of music on vinyl, she says. “We probably go to 100 concerts a year.” Her home office is an eclectic mix of fine antiques, great finds, and, yes, yellow silk drapes. Ever
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a practical person, Jensen chose to hang that billowy fabric in a room that doesn’t get a lot of traffic. “I also don’t have small children who would pull at them,” she says, explaining her decision-making. “Though I probably wouldn’t worry much about that either.” Decorating the house isn’t the whole of Jensen’s life, no matter what the loveliness of the interiors might tell us. In fact, Jensen says, she often runs out of time to do all the things she’d like to around the house. She prioritizes family, and in the past five years her business has been on an upward trajectory. Her Brentwood studio is a beehive of activity. Jensen recently hired a new marketing firm, as well as a life/business coach: “He came in, and we had to consciously decide, ‘What are our values? What’s our mission? And where do we want to be?’ I don’t know that I’ve ever asked myself these questions.” Paying more attention to what she really wants has given Jensen a sense of balance, at work and at home. “It’s not about things,” Jensen states, “but [instead] about what happens to you when you’re living in an amazing space.”
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DESIGN CRUSH
CARDBOARD ARTIST An everyday object turns into a work of art in the hands of Justin King. plywood before covering it with cardboard. Then I use box cutters—I go through a lot of blades—and a hot-glue gun. It’s not the type that you see at a craft store, but one that’s a little more industrial. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PROS AND CONS OF USING CARDBOARD AS A MEDIUM? Cardboard
is cheap and accessible. Plus, it’s very forgiving. If I make a mistake, I can take it apart and start again, which can’t be said about carving stone, for example. On the other hand, heat and water are my nemeses. My sculptures can’t live outside. Obviously, moisture is very bad. And if a sculpture is put right in front of a hot window or a store front, heat from the sun could melt the glue. I have to be careful about where my sculptures are placed. WHERE DO YOU GET ALL THIS CARDBOARD?
The crazy thing is that in almost two years of making these sculptures, I haven’t purchased a single piece of cardboard. People are always contacting me when they have spare boxes lying around and I’m lucky enough to have a family friend in the furniture business. I get a lot of leftover cardboard. WHO ARE SOME OF THE ARTISTS WHO INSPIRE YOU? Two artists were pretty influ-
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CAN WE BUY YOUR SCULPTURES FOR OUR HOMES, OR DO YOU ONLY DO COMMERCIAL WORK? Businesses love my sculptures,
WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF MAKING A GIGANTIC CARDBOARD OCTOPUS? I usually
start with a sketch and then get right to constructing [the piece]. In the beginning, my cardboard sculptures were made only out of cardboard, but as the forms have gotten bigger and heavier, I’ll make a frame with
because oftentimes they have branded boxes that I can use to create their piece. I recently did a commission for Mile Wide Beer Co., in Louisville. I created a character off of one of their beer cans, and now it’s on display in their offices. But for residential customers, my animal busts are more popular, because they’re smaller and can hang on a wall. –CARA DOWNS SEE MORE: www.justinkingdesigns.com @justinkingdesigns
PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIRANDA MUNGUIA
If you happened to be walking along South Grand near Ritz Park last March, it’s likely that you saw a 6-foot duck, constructed entirely of cardboard, perched on the sidewalk for a few days before succumbing to the elements. The sculpture, titled Carl, was the work of Justin King, a local artist who specializes in large-scale cardboard structures. “The duck was kind of a turning point for me and my work,” he says. “It got a lot of attention, and while it didn’t last long, because of the snow, it helped spread the word about what I do.” Since then, King has been commissioned to create more of his unique sculptures, as well as an underwater-themed miniature golf hole—complete with a life-size scuba diver and 20-foot-long octopus—for this summer’s “Golf the Galleries” at The Sheldon.
ential to my career. One was St. Louis artist Abraham Mohler. He is a stone and bronze sculptor who does amazing work. I took a class from him, years ago, where I learned how to do traditional stone sculpting. I loved it, but it is a tough material to work with. It’s cost-prohibitive, and the process is loud and messy. Then, a friend introduced me to the work of Montreal-based artist Laurence Vallières. The things she does with cardboard are unreal and inspired me to think bigger.
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READERS’ CHOICE
BEAUTY IN THE DETAILS The winners of this year’s Most Beautiful Home contest are CWE residents Nichole and Steve Alabach.
TELL US ABOUT THE HOUSE THAT YOU SUBMITTED. WHAT ABOUT IT MAKES IT BEAUTIFUL? Steve Alabach: The curb
appeal alone is amazing. The nine and a half French doors, the natural light, the porch that carries through to the front door. The architecture is just great! It’s a unique design by architects Mariner & LaBeaume. WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE HOUSE?
WHAT ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS AROUND THE HOUSE ARE YOU MOST DRAWN TO? Steve: The details…the stone
and brickwork; the quoins on the exterior carry on inside the house. The millwork on the fireplaces and around the dining room is something you don’t see anymore. There are seven fireplaces in the main house and one in the carriage house. Nichole: We were told that the fireplace in the great
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HAVE YOU MADE ANY CHANGES TO THE EXTERIOR?
PHOTOGRAPHY BY WWW.STLREALTOUR.COM
Steve: Originally the house was part of a 78-acre land tract. At the turn of the 19th century, the land [that the house sits on] was sold to the Gratz family. Mr. Gratz was born in Lexington, Kentucky, and was a manufacturer of rope. The house was built in 1908. Nichole Alabach: In the 1960s, when the house was for sale, there was a fire and it caused significant damage. We were told that the Rainey family purchased the home afterward and had it repaired.
room was gigantic, with an opening so large that people could walk into it. Previous owners had the opening made smaller, installed a granite surround, and designed a mantel that replicates one in the dining room. We’re also drawn to homes with a side-door entrance. When you walk into the door of this house, you walk into one large room that is almost the length of the house. The fact that there are no stopping points makes it flow well for parties. Steve: We’ve replaced a lot of windows. You have to go through the city’s historic board, because everything has to meet their specifications. Nichole: We’ve also restored the bay window to the original copper and added copper gutters around the main house. When we purchased the house, there were bars on all of the front porch windows, which we’ve since removed. IN YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHEN DOES THE HOUSE LOOK ITS BEST? Steve: My favorite time is in the winter when it snows.
Everything is a blanket of white—the Christmas lights are up— but you can still see the redbrick. I also enjoy it in the spring when everything is starting to bloom. The magnolia [tree] has these beautiful pink flowers…and the cherry blossoms... —IAN SCOTT stlmag.com
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