Home Again — Sophisticated St. Louis

Written by Jessen O’Brien / Photos by Alise O’Brien

Inheriting your parents’ house as an adult comes with its own set of unique challenges – especially for those who decide to turn their childhood home into one for the next generation. Chief among them: How do you honor your own memories (as well as those of your parents) of living there with the need to create a home of your own, one that’s right for your family?

This is the situation that one St. Louis homeowner found herself in after her parents passed away. “I debated what I wanted to do with the house,” says the homeowner. “Since I was so close with my parents, I decided to keep it and make it my own, but I still wanted it to have a lot of the feel of the house I grew up in. It turned out so much better than I could have expected.”

She knew she would need the help of a designer for the project but was struggling to connect with one until a friend recommended April Jensen of ADJ Interiors. “The second I met with April, she got me,” says the homeowner. “We immediately had a great rapport and we became really great friends. It was almost sad when the project ended because I couldn’t spend time with April and her team anymore. She 100% understood what I wanted.”

The renovation required a team that not only was able to tackle the look and functionality of the home, but also understood the challenges the homeowner faced in changing the space.

“Even though she wanted the transformation, it was emotional for her,” says April. “The first thing I did was meet with her at her childhood home so that I could understand how much it meant to her. As she walked me through it, she shared a lot of her memories of the space, which helped me understand where she was coming from.”

April worked along with architect Paul Fendler of Fendler + Associates and Troy Duncan, the owner of PK Construction, to turn a very traditional house built in 1979 into one that would work for a modern family with a much more glam and easy aesthetic. That involved adding on a hearth room, sun porch, and master suite – complete with a home office – as well as renovating most of the existing home, including the kitchen, dining room, and finished basement.

“Change is hard, so in the beginning, we took it slow, and focused on functionality,” says April. “We documented each part of the home and the transformation so that she’ll have the story to share with her kids. She can say, ‘This is the day we demoed the kitchen.’”

The kitchen stayed largely in its original location but was expanded and modernized. “We have these beautiful chandeliers over the island, which add so much,” says the homeowner. The other big statement piece is the island: a tiered, double waterfall. “The amount of math, physics, and teamwork between the builder, the electrician, and the plumber to create something that looks so simple was incredible,” says April.

The challenge was making such a large island appear seamless. The three-inch difference in the levels created just enough space to fit in the electrics while achieving the look the homeowner wanted. As an added benefit, they were able to use counter stools instead of bar stools so that anyone sitting at the island remains at eye level with the cook.

On one end of the kitchen is a sleek black bar with a backsplash of white marble tiles grouted in gold. Glass shelves and pendant lights add sparkle while keeping the space open. The homeowner’s parents loved antiques, including a cherished black-and-gold clock displayed on the bar. “It’s so interesting to see some of these pieces look so perfect in a space that now, 30 years later, looks completely different,” says April.

To honor her parents, the homeowner commissioned a gold painting of two birds from St. Louis painter Zach Smithey, which hangs by the bar. “Whenever I see birds, I think of my parents,” explains the homeowner. “Zach has such a unique eye; I thought about commissioning one or two pieces from him and ended up with five or six that really add so much to the home.”

The homeowner loved the idea of commissioning pieces to mix in with some of the oil paintings her parents had collected over the years, and April has always been a big fan of tapping local artists to make a space feel personal while giving back to the community. In addition to Smithey, they worked with several other local artists to create pieces that were just right for the space. Carrie Gillen’s work hangs in the master bedroom; pieces by Ted Collier are in the dining and hearth rooms; and Sheppard Morose’s artwork is in the entryway and dining room.

The dining room is also home to another impressive custom piece: a round, 84-inch dining table which local furniture maker David Stine fashioned from a single slab of white oak then treated with the Japanese method of shou sugi ban. The wood is carefully charred, which preserves it and turns it a rich, dark color that showcases the grain. “It’s a masterpiece,” says April, who notes that the table is practical in addition to being beautiful. “There’s plenty of space to fit 10 gorgeous chairs around it.”

Much of the first floor is rendered in blacks and charcoals that are paired with gold, white, and a silvery-blue for contrast. In the hearth room, the balance flips. The walls and many of the fabrics are in light blue or gray tones, while the vaulted ceiling is painted white. From it hangs two remarkable brass chandeliers, another antique from the homeowner’s father’s collection. “He collected it from a bank building in downtown St. Louis,” says April. “They are the kind of pieces you can’t find just anywhere. I love that there are these remnants of her family home and history that look so cool in the space.”

The light and contemporary color scheme continues in the master suite. “I had never had a big closet, so in every meeting, I would ask, ‘Could we go a bit bigger?’ Now my kids laugh because it’s bigger than their bedrooms,” says the homeowner. “The whole master suite is so relaxing and beautiful; I have big picture windows that look out on the pool, and it’s just perfect for me.”

The suite also includes a home office with a wall of dark, black cabinetry, a comfortable magenta armchair, and stylish Platner side table. It’s an eclectic collection that just works, creating a mood that is cozy, modern, and glamorous all at once. A landscape by painter Luc Cossier dit Walles that was picked up in New Orleans hangs in front and center in a new black frame, juxtaposed with a piece by Zach Smithey of Ruth Bader Ginsburg on a skateboard.

It’s this mixture of the old and new that makes the home’s transition so successful. “We found the pieces of her parents that really meant something to her and put them in strategic places so that when she walks through her home, there are little reminders that bring her comfort,” says April. “As a designer, it's our responsibility to make a space for the things that truly matter to our client – the things that nurture them and are important to them.”