City View: History Meets Modern Tastes in St. Louis
This Missouri city celebrates a heritage that goes way back, but its architecture and interiors are moving decidedly forward
Becky Harris
November 10, 2013
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected."
I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia.
Houzz Contributor. Hi there! I live in a 1940s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe... More
St. Louis designers want you to know that while their city has a long, rich history, they are not stuck somewhere back in time. "St. Louis is a centuries-old, preindustrial city with impressive layers of architectural history," says Toby Weiss of Mosby Building Arts, "but with age comes confidence and security about who you are, which enables St. Louisans to be adventurous in their design expression."
For those who have a flyover-state attitude toward St. Louis, the city's architecture and attitudes will surprise you. Residents treat their history as a living, breathing thing, celebrating it while layering their own marks upon it. Here's a look at the many layers of design in St. Louis.
For those who have a flyover-state attitude toward St. Louis, the city's architecture and attitudes will surprise you. Residents treat their history as a living, breathing thing, celebrating it while layering their own marks upon it. Here's a look at the many layers of design in St. Louis.
French explorers settled in the area in the 1600s, and it was acquired by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. As it was a major north–south trading post along the Mississippi River and the gateway to the West, many traders and fearless frontier families stopped and settled at this geographical nexus, bringing a mix of cultures and ideas together in the middle of the country.
Eero Saarinen's iconic Gateway Arch is a fitting symbol for the city, a stunning modern feat of engineering soaring over a city that embraces its long history and traditions while looking to the future. It also marks the city's unique position in the U.S., where North meets South and East meets West.
Eero Saarinen's iconic Gateway Arch is a fitting symbol for the city, a stunning modern feat of engineering soaring over a city that embraces its long history and traditions while looking to the future. It also marks the city's unique position in the U.S., where North meets South and East meets West.
"St. Louis was founded as a French trading post, and that heritage is very evident throughout the city's architecture, particularly in the fleurs-de-lis found in wood, stained glass, iron, brick and stone in countless homes," says Adam Bulla of Grand Home Solutions. "However, as the gateway to the West, St. Louis became home for large Irish, German and Italian communities, all of whom have added their own distinct flair to the underlying French motifs."
"We have a lot history in St. Louis, and with history comes historic architecture and homes with age and character," says interior designer Jennifer Rausch of Karr Bick Kitchen and Bath. "Working with older structures requires a certain amount of creativity and mastery of blending old and new in a way that doesn't betray the foundation and character of the spaces."
Rausch points out that a lot of 100-plus-year-old homes in St. Louis have original kitchens built during an era when servants were the only people who used them; they were small, cramped and divided up into tiny spaces by walls. Her work transforms such spaces into functional family kitchens while respecting the architecture. "Beautiful in detail, bright and happy — now that's my St. Louis!" she says.
Interior designer Joni Spear's work celebrates the historic architecture while updating the interiors for her clients' lifestyles. For example, many of the older homes she works on have beautiful original leaded glass windows like these.
St. Louis is a city full of sophisticated people and top-notch cultural institutions, Spear says. "St. Louis is a prosperous hub for the plant and medical science industries — 19 of the country's Fortune 100 companies are headquartered here, there are 25 universities, and there are high schools that rank in the top 10 nationwide," she says. "Cultural institutions abound, and my clients are highly educated and well traveled."
She created the art deco bathroom shown here in a Victorian home's new addition. It's a great example of layering and mixing different historic eras, as so much of the city's architecture does.
See more of this glamorous master bath
She created the art deco bathroom shown here in a Victorian home's new addition. It's a great example of layering and mixing different historic eras, as so much of the city's architecture does.
See more of this glamorous master bath
In this home the historic elements like trimwork and stained glass windows mingle with contemporary furnishings. "Crafting thoroughly modern environments inside historic shells is a standard practice for urbane homeowners in the Central West End," Weiss says.
"Our customers are clamoring for the opportunity to own and live in a beautiful piece of history, while still being able to enjoy modern conveniences," says Bulla, whose company specializes in restoring neglected late-19th- and early-20th-century homes to their former stately glory, while adding updated touches for modern life.
Adapting historic homes to suit clients' modern needs while preserving charming details adds to the allure of life in the city. "There is an influx of people moving from the suburbs to gorgeous historic homes closer to the core of the city," Bulla says. "This migration is bringing new life to hundreds of beautiful homes throughout the city." This movement has revived communities that had for decades been on a slow decline.
This addition to a 100-plus-year-old home in the hip Central West End fits right in while adding 21st-century comfort and technology.
"Eating outside and St. Louis summers go together like Cardinals baseball and the Arch," says landscape designer Richard Poynter. Thoughtful landscaping entails providing relief from summer's hot temperatures and the sun. Poynter finds that pergolas combined with outdoor fans have become a popular way to mitigate the sometimes brutal summer temperatures and keep the bugs away.
"The St. Louis climate accommodates eight to nine good months of outdoor living, making it a city that loves to party by the pool," Weiss says.
Today many St. Louisans embrace relaxed Belgian style and patinated style. "A trend that is on the rise in St. Louis is the use of natural fibers and textures with a soft color palette of neutrals, whites and blues," says interior designer Amy Studebaker.
This color and texture palette is an elegant choice for those who prefer transitional style. "Many of my clients are wanting to use jute rugs on the floor, grass cloth on the walls and linens on the furniture. I love this look, as it is restful to the eye," Studebaker says.
"A move toward contemporary and modern design is a trend that is definitely on the rise in St. Louis," says Shirley Strom, interior designer and owner of S&K Interiors. Her firm has specialized in contemporary and modern design since 1998, and she now finds it is no longer the lonely endeavor it once was. "In the past several years, we have been shocked to see the rapid movement toward contemporary design," she says.
Strom notes that both young adults and their parents are embracing modern and contemporary design. "Empty nesters are getting rid of all their swags, tassels and overstuffed furniture and looking for clean, streamlined and colorful decor," she says.
Those empty nesters' adult children designing their first homes are also looking to abandon the tradition they grew up with. "They want a youthful, fun modern look in their homes," Strom says.
Are there any misconceptions about design in your hometown? Do tell, and correct them, in the Comments section.
Are there any misconceptions about design in your hometown? Do tell, and correct them, in the Comments section.
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Sorry! I didn't mean to derail your original premise but oh, my gosh - you obviously hit a nerve with this city. I couldn't be more thrilled. It deserves all the accolades we can throw at it. Thanks for starting this!