Unforgettable. Contemporary. Artistic.
If I had to describe this home design in three words – those would be the ones.
It’s been some time since I initially worked with my client to design this home, but since he recently put this space on the market, I felt it was a good time to reminisce.
I met my client in college, and we became friends. When he started to build his home in St. Louis in the mid-1980s, he asked me to meet with him.
I assumed he wanted me to review his plans, but instead he told me how many bedrooms and baths he wanted. I took the challenge and started drawing.
This is the first and only home for which I have drawn out the complete floor plans, from the roof layout to the rooms. Although I am not a trained architect, I worked closely with his builder to achieve my client’s wishes.
I knew he loved contemporary homes and black and white. He also collects art. Together, we brought his taste and style into the design with bold colors, modern art and furniture.
As the home was being built, I got to work on the interior design.
The rooms all have black carpet, which helps the bright colors pop.
Originally, we designed the home with white walls. But in recent years the client grew bored of white and added bold colors to the walls.
My client is never one to shy away from using unique materials, so he was open to my plans to use the tubular metal railings both inside and outside the home. We also used stucco and glass block in several areas.
One of the aspects I love most about this home is that it is so open. None of the rooms are exceptionally large, but the space is so open, it feels larger than it is.
I also love the sunken living room, the spiral staircase off of the breakfast room, and the look of the stairway going to the guest rooms.
When he first built this home, my client set up the entire side of the garage as a dog grooming space. It is quite large to accommodate his standard poodles. There is also a fenced-in area to put the dogs, to allow them to dry.
The dining area has an impressive view of the property’s massive acreage. The deck that wraps the home is finished in a gray stain and runs in various directions to give it a contemporary look.
The bar in the living area has glass block that lights up at night.
This home is so visually stimulating, it’s almost a piece of art all by itself.
The artwork over the fireplace is one of Brother Mel’s, a prolific St. Louis artist and Marianist brother known for his brightly-colored metal sculptures and art.
The cocktail table is another piece by Brother Mel. It, like the rest of the home’s furnishings, was hand-picked specifically for the home. I ordered the bedroom set years ago and used various upholstery lines to select the rest of the home’s furniture.
The beautiful thing about all that black and white is that it never goes out of style. And when the client grows tired of one accent color, it’s relatively easy to switch it out.
Since we installed the original design, his furniture has evolved as has the art in the space. The brightly-colored leather furniture has been replaced periodically with bold colors. As his art collection has grown over the years, pieces have been changed out in his home.
I recently replaced the carpeting in the living room with products from Prosource. I also tiled the bedroom and master bathroom, which has a heated floor system.
This home is on the market now because my client and his wife are building a new one that will have a similar look and feel. They are both art collectors, so I cannot wait to see the finished project!
