Drape your spaces with the fresh, shimmering shades of spring.
According to Vicki Dreste of Design & Detail, “St. Louis area designers are drawn to fabrics with a metallic shimmer, ranging from silver and gold to copper and bronze, that are making a ‘pop’ this spring.”
On location at Design & Detail’s new showroom in Maplewood, our staff obsessed over an array of luscious fabrics. We found fabulous florals, metallics, damask, stripes and toile – in colors ranging from sparkling silvery grays to perfect plums – to create a plush springtime palette. Let our product selections entice you to dress your home with inviting upholstery and creative coverings, renewing your personal spaces.
In our urban feature, interior designer Andy Villasana adds a touch of “glamorous” to a fabulous palette of soothing, textured neutrals, overflowing with striking details – where his tone-on-tone selections add a rich composition to the stunning rooms. And splashes of color add vibrancy to a serene, organic color scheme in a dramatic Illinois home transformation, with a creative partnership between homeowner Karen Keller and interior designer Pamela Calvert, ASID.
On the outdoor scene, take a leap into a lush suburban garden with a whimsical and light-hearted sentiment that has been a labor of love for homeowners and garden enthusiasts, Karen and Greg Frimel.
And let the newest technologies in this issue align your home with function, ease and beautiful design. St. Louis technology experts are ready to create custom-designed units for your home and lifestyle.
We are happy to bring you so many “shining examples” of the best projects, products and ideas from our talented industry professionals in this issue to help you get a jump-start on spring!
Vicki Pickle, Editor-in-Chief
vpickle@stlouishomesmag.com
March 31st, 2008
Vicki
"Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.” This colorful advice, from the late comedian Danny Kaye, one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s and ‘50s, has come to mind on so many occasions. I especially think of it when I see the work of talented artists, from the most acclaimed in their genre to the youngest, most-aspiring artist, expressing him- or herself with little fear and endearing innocence. I find it thought-provoking, yet freeing – the idea of filling your blank canvas with all the zest you can gather and making a statement – because even if it is just for the moment – it is your own.
In this issue, we invite you to indulge in our magnificent feature stories. Let the collective passion for art that fills these homes, and the pages of our magazine, exhilarate you. Favorite artists and works of art are represented with distinctive and intuitive flair. In each home, the appreciation of artistic beauty shines brilliantly and makes a dynamic statement. Feel free to catch the enthusiasm and gather inspiration from the artful surroundings and the homeowners’ art-centered lifestyles.
And congratulations to our 2008 St. Louis Homes & Lifestyles Homes of the Year award winners. This year’s award-winning homes exemplify the best in building, interior, and architectural design in the St. Louis area. We hope you visit these stellar properties and consider building, designing or redesigning your own home, and we are happy to bring you the professionals and resources to do just that. Our Blueprint is your guide to your dream home.
I hope it is a happy, fulfilling process. Whether you are building and starting with a blank canvas or bringing new life to your existing home, bring as much paint as you can and make it your own.
Vicki Pickle, Editor-in-Chief
vpickle@stlouishomesmag.com
March 31st, 2008
Vicki
My father was my biggest fan. He loved it that I worked for St. Louis Homes & Lifestyles magazine – a publication that focused on the home. I rushed over with each new issue and he always announced, soon after, that he read it “cover to cover.” My father wholeheartedly believed that you build a life in your home. Saying often, “Invest in your home, it is where your heart should be” – he practiced what he preached.
When my father and mother remodeled their home, with a lower-level rec. room, spectacular sunroom and free-form designed pool, my father would often say, “If we build it, they will come.” And we did. My parents’ home was the gathering place for birthday parties, holiday celebrations and on any given fall or winter Sunday, a place to watch the football game on dad’s big-screen TV – the best being the Super Bowl game and a party to match. (My mother loved to “toss” a party!)
In this issue, we are bringing entertainment ideas to the table, and in this case, a dazzling table for a Super Bowl party at home. With home entertainment options from The Screening Room and mouthwatering cuisine prepared by Chef Ken Hayden from the Veranda Café, you are guaranteed to turn heads with a party that is sure to score points with your friends!
With entertaining in mind, designer Bob Steckenrider of Cosmopolitan Designers, Inc. shares expert design tips for dinner parties overflowing with hospitality. In the home of Rosemary and Michael Wick, all the details are considered for entertaining with style. And in the suburban home of Jodi and Rick Gordon and family, making a house a home has been a labor of love.
We also offer you departments that bring color, organization and pizzazz to your winter days. Let us inspire you with ideas for an eco-friendly heart-of-the-home in our Green Guide, a surprising secret pantry and kitchen gadgets galore.
And to top it off, we are thrilled to bring you our SLHL winning Kitchens of the Year – each unique and all with creative solutions and use of space. Our judges were impressed with the exceptional finished design of these great rooms – design that considers the whole space. Thank you for starting your new year with St. Louis Homes & Lifestyles and letting us help you build a wonderful life in your home. I’m so thankful for the lessons I’ve learned – with family and home at the heart of it all.
January 14th, 2008
Vicki
We’re wrapping up a great year at St. Louis Homes & Lifestyles. It has been an extraordinary time, filled with meaningful events and wonderful rewards and opportunities to give back to the community. The holidays are a special, giving time in the city. At SLHL, it is our privilege to present the Accent on Red Fashion Show to benefit the American Heart Association and sponsor “Celebrate the City” to benefit the Des Lee Collaborative Vision. Recently, our staff got caught up in the spirit of giving and wrapped gifts that will be donated to a local charity this season.
We invite you to relax and take a moment from your own holiday preparations to enjoy the breathtaking, festive ambiance created by Mary Stieven and her team at MKS Designs in our sensational suburban home. Its rooms are sure to inspire and delight your senses with their extraordinary arrangement, style and sophistication.
Let our exquisite tabletop obsessions, stylish Christmas trees and tapas party particulars transform your home into a picture-perfect setting. From decorating your rooms for the season to celebrating with family and friends, we hope your festivities are enhanced by the wealth of original ideas that are our gifts to you. It has been an exciting issue to produce. You will find a “twist on the traditional,” streamlined contemporary décor and cosmopolitan design – all fashioning a vogue holiday.
And as your guests arrive, take in scrumptious ideas for treating your company to all the comforts of home in our well-designed Guest Room of the Year, as well as the welcoming guest house of Tom and Sandy Allen featured in this issue. Celebrations are always best when shared with others. Indulge your family and friends with special spaces and create a home filled with memorable times.
Embrace the season with all its beauty and magnificence, and enjoy the inspirational holiday decorating and entertaining tips in this idea-packed issue. We are happy to be included in your season of celebration and are looking forward to bringing you the newest, most exciting ideas in home design in 2008.
P.S. - Hats off to our entire SLHL staff…Our magazine recently received the most prestigious Presidential Award, a national award presented by NCI, our parent company. The award honors excellence, growth and outstanding service to our community. In addition to the sharing the holidays with the St. Louis community, we have a lot to celebrate at St. Louis Homes & Lifestyles.
November 26th, 2007
Vicki
