Celebrated for her signature vintage European flair, Annie Brahler is not necessarily known for her design restraint—particularly when it comes to the extravagant holiday decor she creates for her own historic Forest Park home shared with her husband, Charles Smith. Founder and principal of St. Louis’s beloved enterprise Euro Trash, INC., the Dutch-American designer has built her reputation on creating bespoke lifestyle environments, both commercial and residential, since 2002. Stemming from a deep appreciation for the timeworn beauty of European antiques and vintage furnishings, Brahler has cultivated her own personal style along with the philosophy that “everyone can and should live beautifully.”
Her credo certainly rings true within the walls of the couple’s 1926 French chateau–style residence, which Brahler endearingly refers to as “an ongoing renovation.” And with roughly 10,500 square feet to work with, why wouldn’t it be? Initially designed by Missouri’s legendary architectural firm Maritz & Young, the esteemed property offers a veritable blank canvas and decorating playground for anyone with a passion for history and interior design. “Our interiors reflect our love of French antiques and our interest in both modern and classical art,” says the designer, who has lived here for just under two years. “After a year of restorations, we finally enjoyed celebrating our first Christmas in our forever home.”
Forever loyal to her creative approach, the designer’s signature look and entire body of work have become internationally recognized and showcased in global publications. At the core of her Euro Trash aesthetic remains Brahler’s European mindset, which holds that “beauty is here to be enjoyed, shared and celebrated in every aspect of life.” This ethos, coupled with a drive to inspire every client’s own self-expression, is rooted in the very heart of her design methodology, including the one she applied to her and her husband’s abode. “We work on a personal level with our clients to embrace their inner style, expand upon that inner style, then make it fit their life and personality,” notes Brahler. “While we are most recognized for our adept talent in juxtaposing new, vintage and antique pieces to create a timeless environment, our singular focus concentrates on each individual client and their personal aesthetic.”
Integrating this approach into her own Yuletide look, her unique holiday dazzle was surprisingly influenced not only by her deep belief in self-expression but also by her love for anything that comes from the ocean. “While in Paris with friends just weeks before, I saw a window display that reminded me not to fall victim to what was expected in Christmas decor,” adds the designer, “but to produce something truly heartfelt.” With this mindset driving her inspiration, the couple’s collections of seashells and coral emerged, blending seamlessly with their subdued interior palette. For larger upholstered furnishings, they tend to gravitate to neutral fabrics and classic styles from almost every era. “Neutral colors are what marry the threads together,” laughs Brahler. “We didn’t want our Christmas decor to smother our year-round aesthetic, but rather, to support it as an exuberant partner in the whole thing.”
To complement the grand foyer’s classic design, gigantic ivory clam shells filled with white coral and other alabaster sea treasures ascend the marble staircase, diminishing in size with each stair step. Its understated natural beauty is all that’s needed to counterbalance the opulent grandeur of the space, embellished with art, sculpture and gilded accents that intertwine with a wrought-iron stair railing. In the living room, white tones prevail, creating a tranquil winter palette that complements a lavish sea-inspired garland draping an elegant marble fireplace surround. The center ottoman, upholstered in angora sheepskin, was custom-made in St. Louis by Forsyth, along with a pair of mushroom stools flanking it. Gilded embellishments and an exotic taxidermy tiger rug complete the room without overpowering it.
Throughout the couple’s home, charming holiday moments appear in nearly every room. Holiday trees, flocked and encrusted with burnished bronze and brass antique fragments and white twinkle lights, emit a sense of refinement and natural beauty that melds with the home’s creamy interior palette and authentic elevated finishes. In other nooks and niches, whimsical touches surprise the beholder with striking and unexpected splashes of color—eye-popping pinks, rich turquoise blues and extravagant garlands emulating vibrant coral reefs laced with sea creatures and exotic birds. Bright sky-blue trim and molding mixes with gold-embellished antiques, crystal chandeliers and a beribboned white swan.
In the kitchen, holiday decor remains spare yet substantial, complementing the couple’s Delftware and French copper collections, as well as a work surface repurposed from an antique French drapery table. An unexpected find—the home’s bowling alley—had been completely restored, along with an original billiards table, both of which were added to the house in the 1940s. For these spaces, the couple decided to have fun with traditional vintage holiday decor in keeping with the era.
In the dining room, the table takes the spotlight—the couple’s original design. Made entirely of oyster quartzite, "we designed it to make our smaller dinner parties feel as equally intended as our larger dinners,” says Brahler. “We found the large crystal and bronze chandelier in Paris and brought it back specifically for this room.” At one end, a Milo Baugham-inspired banquette sofa upholstered in mohair echoes a pair of Eero Saarinen Tulip armchairs, also upholstered in mohair. Refined and meaningful, the space also boasts an original Milo Baugham mid-century burled wood sideboard.
“Our house was indeed built for entertaining, and the holidays have proven to be Annie’s time to shine,” says Smith. “We love impromptu cocktail parties, long brunches at home with all the fires going, out-of-town guests staying at the house with us and dinner parties that end with bowling tournaments—all of which we enjoy throughout the holiday season in our home.”
