St. Louis Style

"The Birds & the Bees" New Exhibit Opening @ PHD Gallery

Before and After- melding a ranch with a contemporary addition

I thought this was an interesting transformation....especially since it is in our neighbor, Kansas City.  We all love before and after pics of home makeovers.  Check out more pics and interior shots at The Contemporist blog.

Telephone Holders

I always thought telephone holders (there must be another name for them, though I have to admit that I am too young to know) were a funny feature in older houses.  Compared to current times when you can talk literally anywhere, in these days you had to go to a particular place in the home.

 

Vintage TV Guides

I went through a poor, neglected house in Tower Grove last week.  The house needs a 100% renovation and is going for $80,000 on a nice street...Cleveland.  Unfortunately the back wall looks like it has pulled away from the house and could really be a costly endeavor to fix.  The third floor was frozen in the 70's/80's complete with a 45 turn table and these TV Guide covers plastered on the walls.

 

 

Pool Season Is Almost Here!

Open Today from 1-3 PM  85 Sorrel Lane.  Doesn't this sound nice...Ladue..3 Acres...a pool...pool house...tennis court...only $699,000.  Needs your personal touches!

Imagining a 2010 St. Louis in 1910

Bad Realtor Photography- CWE

Ok...this is one of the finest homes on a top-notch street.  Can you believe that the agent used these pictures!

(There are so many things wrong with the pic below....it is of course on its side, though a pic of a toilet?)

This shot must have been taken through gauze.

More gauze or taken after a flash from a nuclear explosion.

I can not tell if this is a garage with a couch in it or not.

Is this a ring-toss game?  Oops...no it is a wine rack, though the picture is not straight!

Hoffman LaChance Gallery: Jeremy Rabus Opening- Tonight!

"The Pangaea Project" new work by Jeremy Rabus

Opening reception March 5th from 6pm - 10pm

2713 Sutton Blvd. Saint Louis MO 63117

The Art and Craft of Greene & Greene- Tonight @ The History Museum

Program presenter Bruce Smith is a renowned scholar on the life and work of Charles and Henry Greene, masters of American Arts and Crafts architecture.  He discusses the Green brothers' careers, including their connections to St. Louis.  Smith's publications include Greene & Greene Masterworks.

This program is co-sponsored by the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park, with support from the Regional Arts Commission.

When:	Thursday, March 4 2010 at 7:00 pm
Where:	Lee Auditorium
How Much:	Free
Brochure:	| art and craft of greene and greenel.pdf

Free Garden Classes @ Bowoods Farms- CWE

4605 Olive Street
Saint Louis, Missouri 63108

314 · 454 · 6868

March Calendar

Un-Mole Your Garden with Stewart Clark! Saturday, March 6 2:00 pm, FREE The first expert in our Gardening Gurus Series is St. Louis' own mole man, Stewart Clark, an expert in techniques for deterring moles from coming into yards. The New York Times has written him up. His "I Hate Moles Because..." essay contest is a popular annual event and selling tool for his St. Louis based line of Sweeney's mole-and-gopher repellent products. Stewart will come, with live mole in hand, to talk about techniques for un-moling your own garden! Ask him about other pests too; he has a technique or product for nearly everything!

Best Fruits for Your Home Garden with Alan Branhagen! Wednesday, March 10 6:00 pm, FREE The second expert in our Gardening Gurus Series is the Missouri man whose garden of apples, peaches, cherries, lemons, limes, figs and other fruits prompted garden author Rosalind Creasy to dub it "the largest edible landscape in the country". Making his first appearance in St. Louis, Alan Branhagen, horticulture director at the new 12-acre Heartland Harvest Garden - part of Kansas City's botanical gem, Powell Gardens - will show images of all manner of fruit plants and talk about how to grow them here in Missouri. Companion plantings and the best vegetables and herbs will also be discussed. Available for purchase, this night only, will be special bare-root fruit trees featured in the talk!

Best Flowering Plants for Your Cutting Garden with Mimo Davis! Saturday, March 20 2:00 pm, FREE The third and final expert in our Gardening Gurus Series is St. Louis Farmers' Market's popular cut-flower grower, Karen "Mimo" Davis, now back in St. Louis working as Lincoln University's Horticulture Regional Educator. She'll talk on the best perennials and annuals for growing to bring cut flowers into your house! Find out about her years of producing specialty cut flowers from her Wild Thang Farm near Ashland, MO and her current favorites for great cut-flower displays!

Are St. Louisians Not Friendly to New Residents?

Over the weekend I had a lovely breakfast with a native St. Louis couple who just got back from living in Seattle.  They said they experienced what is called the "Seattle Freeze".  It is documented that local Seattlers are not overly friendly to newcomers. In fact if you move into town and ask another couple over to dinner, it is considered odd and too overly friendly...stalkerish!

Well tonight I met a nice man who moved to St. Louis with his family from San Diego.  He has been here three years and still says it is hard meeting friends and "breaking-into" this town.  I have heard this comment often.

Why is St. Louis like this?  I think it mostly stems from being a town that is not very transient.  Kids go to school locally...instead of boarding schools like the East Coast.  People stay here.   We are a small- big town.  People move around in their general areas....Central West County, West County, Kirkwood/Webster, South County...St. Charles......this make us a city of smaller communities.  If you end up living here long enough, you end up knowing a lot of people. I think people in St. Louis just decide that they have enough friends.

So the next time you meet someone who has moved to St. Louis from out of town, make a special effort to include them at your next party or have them over for dinner.  And don't slip and ask them where they went to high school....or college....or where they work (you know in Europe it is considered tacky to ask someone what they do)...ask them about their favorite place to visit...or something else that will tell you what is really inside the person.

And now for my advice to newcomers...first of all....use me as your realtor....I will be your first friend!

OK...now more advice....start having babies...moms love moms...you can always talk about drool or what high school the kids will go to....live in a social neighborhood...like the CWE, Soulard or a popular family neighborhood...take a cooking class at something like the Kitchen Conservatory...volunteer at a charity like Food Outreach....find a book club...hang out at coffee shops on Sunday morning....join your neighborhood group....create a garden in your front yard and work in it all weekend....join a volleyball league...sign up for classes at the Art Museum/Botanical Garden/Contemporary Museum....find a wine tasting group....join a biking or running group...eat at the bar at a restaurant and talk to the people next to you...join a gym and do the group classes...I could keep going.....you know what I mean....get out!

Bad Realtor Photography- Ladue

This home was recently listed in Ladue.  You really wonder what people were thinking when they took the photographs.  It would take about 5 minutes to straighten up these rooms to make them presentable.  Thank you reader Will for bringing this to my attention!

I love the toilet paper roll on the dinner tray table next to the chair. The poor owner probably has a cold.

 

The folding chair makes this room sing!  He also needs to do laundry....check out the hamper. Oh wait....I just noticed that the bed is on the floor and the headboard and footboard are leaning up against the wall.   He must have lost the screws to put it together when he moved in.

 

Polynesian World- where India Palace is Now

Thank you to readerJoe who was able to solve the question....what restaurant was in the wonderful Tiki space currently occupied by India Palace @ 70 and Lindbergh?

"I like your blog…I’m a fan of mid-century architecture, as well.  I’m an even bigger fan of tiki and I even have my basement decorated as a tiki lounge. I saw you ask the question in one of your posts about the original occupant of India Palace and the source of all the tiki."

Well the answer is Polynesian World! See the menus below....and more at this SITE and here is my original POST. 

 

8768 West Kingsbury- Open Sunday, February 28th 1-3 PM

Come to the Open House for this fine home.....which is close to everything...170, Ladue, Clayton, the airport, Schnuck's Ladue Crossing and much more!  Only $249,000 ....which makes this 3 bedroom, 2 bath house a steal.  You even get the fancy Ladue zip code...though it is in U City.

 

3 Sappington Spur- Harris Armstrong Architect

The fabulous Harris Armstrong house located at 3 Sappington Spur is coming on the market this Spring for $800,000.  It was featured in the St. Louis At Home magazine in the March/April issue.  For some reason the kitchen cabinets look a lot greener in the magazine pic than they are in person. (Check out my two pics below for a better idea of the color.) The are the original metal cabinets that have been refinished....see how hot metal cabinets can look!  See more HERE and HERE

 

 

St. Louis At Home- Cover Showplace

Thursday night I went to the St. Louis At Home party to recognize seven hot designers. A special treat of the evening was seeing the smashing condo that Jimmy Jamieson designed on the 25th floor of the Plaza in Clayton. The stylish space was featured in the March/April issue of the magazine.  I am wild about Fortuny fabric and Jimmy used it generously throughout the rooms.

 

See below....I love the aged effect on the closet door mirrors.

St. Louis At Home Magazine Party

Last night I attended the St. Louis At Home magazine party to celebrate the March/April issue that features seven hot interior designers. One of the celebrated designers is Jacob Laws. The party was held on the 25th floor of the fabulous Plaza in Clayton....currently listed by Steve Lange and Stephanie Oliver of Dielmann Sothebys. Come back tomorrow for some pics of the condo featured in the magazine!

Antique Office

I was going through an old scrap book of my great grandmother's last night and came across some sheets on office furniture she had her eye on. This must be from the early 1900's.

 

Mid-century Make-over

Buying and redoing a Mid-century house takes a lot more thought than just running down to Home Depot to pick out cabinets.  As you can see from this SLIDE SHOW, the results of careful thought can be exceptional. Take special notice of the St. Charles kitchen.  Refinished metal cabinets are very in....think twice before ripping them out.  The Harris Armstrong house coming on the market SOON, has a wonderful kitchen that has been updated, though retains the stylish metal cabinets.  If you want an un-touched St. Charles kitchen, there is a Isadore Shank house on the market NOW.
Article originally found at this delightful BLOG.

Band

My sons participated in symphonic and concert band performances yesterday with some other schools.  I wish I learned to play an instrument.  I guess I owe it to my ex-wife getting them involved with band....I am thankful  Wow!  What a way to start off the week, complimenting your ex-wife!  I wonder if she reads this blog?

Spring Is Coming!

Days are longer and it is bright at 5 PM!  Even the daffodils are beginning to emerge.  Could Spring be coming?

507 Mapleview, U City - Open Sunday, February 21st 1-3 PM

Come see this unique house located in U City and an arms-length from Clayton.  Great condo-alternative lofty space....rare in this area.  Priced at $499,000.

Bad Realtor Photography

Here is a realtor shot for a house they are trying to sell.  I think it was taken during the brush fires going on during the summer...or the fog coming in from the bay....oh...we are not in California are we?

Forcing Branches

If you need a little Springtime....right this very moment....well at least in a couple weeks...try forcing some spring-blooming branches.  Go into the yard and clip some forsythia, pussy willow or red-twigged dogwood branches and put them in water.  The results may be just what you need to get you through the last weeks of winter.

Witch Hazel

It is about this time of the year that I really need a break from winter. I know in just one month, the grass will start to green, daffodils will be coming up and maybe a 60 degree day will grace us.  I saw Easter stuff out at Schnuck's.....I am always happy to see this.  Oh well, every year around this time I wish I planted Witch Hazel in the garden.  It is the first thing to bloom in the Spring with the crocuses and snow whites.

"Historic Clayton Home Bursts with Art & Color"

The Post Dispatch profiled the lovely and gracious Old Town Clayton home of Karen Kalish.  I think that this home was one of the original state-themed houses that were used in the World's Fair. On Litzsinger Rd near my mother's house is the Rhode Island house. I know many of the remaining cottage homes in Old Town were built out of lumber that was salvaged from the World's Fair.  Check out the article HERE.  and the complete slide show HERE.

Cocktail Spoons

Yesterday my mother handed me her collection of cocktail spoons....in fact two boxes. These were a regular wedding gift or groomsman gift back in the 50s.  I think they were used with Old Fashioned cocktails so you could scoop the cherry out of the bottom of the glass.  With Mad Men being the rage....I can not wait to find an opportunity to use them!

 

3317 Magnolia- Open Today, February 14th 1-3 PM

Bring your special Valentine to 3317 Magnolia today, February 14th from 1-3 PM.   You need to see this fabulous kitchen in person!  Find out more HERE

Clemens House- Renovation Plan

Check out the blog, Ecology of Absence, for information on the renovation/rebuilding plans for Clemens House.  Check out the current state of the house below....the only reason the front porch is still standing is that the pillars are made of cast iron.

 

Driveable Grass

The world does not need anymore asphalt.  I think that this is a great solution to eliminate water run-off and it looks nice.  I wonder if you could use some low sedums as a filler also?  Find out more HERE.

Webster Contemporary- For Sale

As I mentioned yesterday, it is hard to find contemporary homes in St. Louis.  Here is another contemporary that is on the market in Webster Groves.  Located at 225 Reavis Place and on the market for $650,000.  Listed by Susan Feinberg, Daniel Feinberg Real Estate, 314-721-5600

"Unique opportunity to own a stunning contemporary home w/ mid-century modern influence, designed by Kevin Gillian, protege of Dan Rockhill, Studio 804, U. Of Kansas School of Architecture."

Sunset Hills Contemporary

Tucked in the woods of Sunset Hills is one of St. Louis' rare contemporary homes.  Located at 12624 Robyn Rd, this lovely home is going on the market for $860,000.

 

 

 

 

3317 Magnolia, Tower Grove East

3317 Magnolia is now available. This is basically a new home in old brick walls. Everything you want in the charm of city living without the old house issues.  Come to the Open House Sunday, February 14th and bring your Valentine honey!  1-3 PM  $499,000.  Contact Ted Wight @ 314-607-5555 or tedwight@aol.com for more information.

507 Mapleview, University City

This international-styled house is unique and rare. It is located right on the edge of Clayton in walking distance to Northwest Coffee, Straub’s Farmers Market, the Art Fair and the Clayton Community Center.  Plenty of windows/skylights and a Living Room with 17’ ceilings.  Contemporary kitchen with a spacious breakfast room. Master bedroom with a large luxurious bathroom. Optional first floor bedroom that the current owner uses as a large Dining Room. The low-maintenance, luxurious landscaping is of special interest.  It is comprised of many mature, specimen evergreens and unique plantings. The house features a teak deck and a designer concrete patio. This one-of-a kind, landmark home is an ideal compliment to any stylish owner’s lifestyle.  $499,000  Contact Ted Wight, Dielmann Sotheby's Realty @ 314-607-5555 or tedwight@aol.com for more info.

85 Sorrel Lane, Ladue- Open Sunday, Feb. 7th 2-4 PM

Before you head to your Superbowl Party make sure you come to the Open House, Sunday, February 7th from 2-4 PM at 85 Sorrel Lane in Ladue. This is probably the best bargain in the area.  5 bedrooms, 3 acres, pool, pool house, outside bar, tennis court....all for only $699,000. Why is it so reasonably priced?  Well it needs your personal touches to make it special.

Rockcliffe Mansion- Hannibal, Missouri, Still for Sale

The enchanting, 13,500 sq ft Rockcliffe Mansion in Hannibal, Missouri is still available for purchase. The price is only $750,000 and includes the possessions- many from the original owners. The mansion is operating as a successful touring museum, B & B and reception venue. Contact Ted Wight @ 314-607-5555 or tedwight@aol.com for more information.

10 Westwood Country Club Grounds- Isadore Shank

A blog fan send me his photo log of the great house at 10 Westwood Country Club Grounds designed by Isadore Shank.  This important house is currently on the market for $645,000

Listed by Marcia Harris, Dielmann Sotheby's, 314-725-0009

3 Sappington Spur, Architect: Harris Armstrong, Interior

This special 1930's international-styled house was designed by the famous Harris Armstrong.  He lived in this house and developed an enclave of modernist homes in his cul-de-sac. Make sure that you look at yesterday's post for pics of the outside.  Also check the Harris Armstrong link on the left column of this blog to see more of his great designs.  This house is going on the market this Spring and will be an important "catch" for the discriminating buyer. A rare opportunity to live in a piece of architectural history.

 

Harris Armstrong's House.....Coming Soon

This Spring you will have a rare opportunity to buy one of St. Louis' gems....the house Harris Armstrong built for himself in Oakland off Sappington.  The owners of this house have been great stewards and have preserved and updated this house with care.  It has gorgeous gardens, a view of Westborough's golf course and a pool. Perfect.....enchanting...important....yours! Price upon request.  Contact me at 314-607-5555 or tedwight@aol.com for more info.

More pics and info HERE

Come back tomorrow for some interior shots.

And now some pics from a prettier time of the year....

 

The Shanley Building, Clayton- Harris Armstrong

The Shanley Building (1935)

Location: 7800 Maryland Avenue
Clayton, MO 63105

"Harris Armstrong designed this office building which was commissioned by the orthodontist Dr. Leo M. Shanley. The Shanley building was the first expression of the International style in this part of the country. Its design won Armstrong a silver medal at the Paris Exposition of 1937."

Check the blog tomorrow for a preview of the house Harris Armstrong lived in himself.  It is coming on the market this Spring and is a real gem!

Find out more about this building and Harris Armstrong: HERE, HERE & HERE