Tabla de contenidos para November/December 2021 en DesignSTL

MY BEST DRESSED CO-WORKER NG: “Aly is very involved in the St. Louis creative community. She was gifted the outfit that she wore [by the designer]. It’s representative of how tied she is to our community.” AC: “I love to shop locally. I always get so many compliments. People deserve to know how talented the creatives in St. Louis are.” NG: “My daily style is minimal and classic, Levi’s and T-shirt. This dress took me to a place that isn’t everyday.” MY BEST DRESSED CLIENT/DESIGNER JM: “My style is fun and feminine and frilly. It has to be easy. I don’t want to put too much thought into it. I’m not always prim and proper. I like to be sexy at times, girly, in jeans.” MM: “My roots are hippie,…

Two years ago, creative director Annie Genovese met multimedia artist Maggie Robertson at the Best of Missouri Market. Robertson, who works in such media as photography, printmaking, sculpture, and cyanotype, was selling her hand-painted blue-and-white ceramics. Genovese, in her role for Forsyth Saint Louis, a curator of repurposed vintage and antique furniture, was searching for inspiration. She was immediately captivated by Robertson’s delicate, antique-like wares. “They are the kind of things you keep on your table or mantel forever, then pass down to your kids or give as gifts,” says Genovese, who soon partnered with Robertson to sell the collection online. One year into their partnership, Genovese decided that she wanted to launch a second collaboration, and she couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather work with than Robertson. “I’ve always…

CONNECT jamiecorley.com @jamiecorley Artist Jamie Corley’s digital illustration “Once I Hosted a Dinner Party and Only Served Cheese” captures a longing that so many of us have had over the past year and a half. Part of her Gathering collection, the inviting tablescape, in shades of pink, purple, and blue, is a reminder of an everyday act we often took for granted before the world shut down. “Creating this collection reminds me of the joy of a simple meal shared with family and friends or the ritual that can make even a solo meal feel like self-care,” she says. “I started cooking and baking a lot during the pandemic, and I’ve really enjoyed photographing various meals and tablescapes for inspiration for future works.” —AMY BURGER Q&A CORLEY NEVER IMAGINED she would…

GRAND CENTER’S NEWEST residential development, On Olive, features a one-of-a-kind amenity: a food forest. In this edible garden, pathways weave among rows of asparagus, lavender, sea kale, lovage, and nearly two dozen other species of plants. The food-producing landscape, or foodscape, is nestled among the development’s single-family houses and condominiums, giving residents easy access to fresh chives for their dinner plate or a persimmon for a midday snack. “It’s a unique garden in that it’s more of a foraging experience,” says Matt Lebon, owner of Custom Foodscaping, the local company that designed and installed the project. “Residents can walk around and pick things as well as enjoy the flowers.” Custom Foodscaping collaborated with Mexico City-based architecture firm Tatiana Bilbao Estudio, one of several working on the project. Over the course…

“DO YOU WANT a foot?” asks Bob Rocca. He means a laundry basket-sized human foot made of concrete. There’s one resting in the lot behind AKT Studio, the workshop in Near North Riverfront that Rocca runs with his son Tony. They’re both showing me around. I decline the swag but ask whence it came. The Roccas explain, with a hint of mischief, that they had the mold from a previous project, and frequently find themselves with leftover concrete. Might as well pour it into something. The Roccas don’t advertise but say that over the last two years they’ve been busier than ever—and you may have looked at, stepped past, or lounged on the fruits of their labor. They specialize in public art, public works, and hybrids thereof. Some of their…

A Lasting Legacy From 18th-century French salons to living rooms around the world, Louis XV chairs enjoy a certain je ne sais quoi. Wooden frames, rounded backrests, and graceful details characterize a style of chair made popular during the reign of French monarch Louis XV (1715-1774). Unlike the opulent large-scale pieces favored by France’s previous king, chairs from the mid-18th century were smaller in scale, more feminine in their design, and intended for use in the intimate salons of the day. Built primarily of wood, including mahogany and cherry, Louis XV chairs were often carved and sometimes painted—but always with a light hand. The wrist-length arms and wider, deeper seat accommodated the era’s full-skirted fashions. Today, these chairs’ aesthetic and practical qualities make them a popular choice among homeowners who…

Secondhand furniture shops have proliferated as consumers gain awareness of the benefits of buying pre-loved home décor: lower prices, better quality in many instances, and a gentler environment impact. Local experts Suzanne Woodard, of The Refind Room; Brian Hoffmann, of The Brass Alligator; and furniture restorer Lucía Landa teach us how to spot gems. 1. SEEK UNIQUE FEATURES. After years of scrutinizing antiques for his shop, Hoffmann can see when a product was mass-produced and easy to come by. An unusual find is a good sign that a product or piece of furniture could be worth purchasing, he says: “The first thing I ask is, Am I regularly seeing this?” 2. JUDGE THE MATERIALS. When scouting for pieces to add to her collection of restored antiques, Landa looks for signs…

WHILE MOST ST. LOUISANS may not recognize the name Gale E. Henderson, they’ve most likely seen—and admired—his work. If you’ve stepped inside St. Ambrose Catholic Church on The Hill, or appreciated the early 20th-century homes surrounding the Missouri Botanical Garden, you’ve beheld the artistry and craftsmanship of this talented and prolific architect. Now, one of his grandchildren, Catherine Kerr, is hoping to cement Henderson’s legacy and imprint on St. Louis with a new book dedicated to his impressive body of work. Gale E. Henderson, Prominent St. Louis Architect is a must-read for St. Louis history buffs and fans of historic design and architecture. Henderson’s 55-year career spanned from 1908 to 1963, with many of the homes he designed now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During his early…

19TH-CENTURY SIDE TABLE, SPAIN The bobbin-turned legs on this table were inspired by the spools of thread, or bobbins, that were used to make clothes in the 1800s. Nowadays we can put wood in a machine and set it to perfectly cut these types of legs, but it was difficult to achieve symmetrical turnings on those legs back when this piece was built. The woodworkers likely had to put a piece of wood in between two centers, tie a cord around it, and then tie that other end to a tree limb, working their foot up and down, while continuously turning the wood—almost like an old sewing machine. This was extremely hard to do and even more difficult to make all the legs the same. The top of this table…

When it comes to iconic furniture design, few names carry more prestige than Eames. The husband-and-wife team of Charles and Ray Eames used cutting-edge technology to create timeless pieces that are still in demand and in production today. They’re considered two of the most important designers of the 20th century. Although the Eameses did their most notable work from their California office, Charles Eames’ career began in St. Louis, where he was born in 1907. He attended the city’s Yeatman High School, where he excelled academically and was named captain of the football team. Eames’ father, a Union Army veteran of the Civil War, worked as a railway security officer at Union Station until he was injured by a train robber. He died when Eames was about 12. “Charles started…

When Sue Wheeler decided to go into business, her marketing plan involved pushing flyers into neighbors’ mailboxes and driving miles to pick up a single chair to work on. Thirty-two years later, Wood Refinishing by Sue Wheeler is an in-demand business whose small team is dedicated to refinishing wood furniture, doors, and interiors. Wheeler’s interest in the craft began at home. “I was like a lot of people. I found furniture and I wanted to make it look great again,” she says. Much of her knowledge has come from refinishing the woodwork in her own 19th-century house. The interiors, she says, “had been butchered. [The home] was a boardinghouse for a while, and then when we bought it, it was a nursing home. And that’s how I got practice,” she…