Purchasing an old off-market home in mid-renovation after a leak caused significant water damage is not for the faint of heart. But for a St. Louis couple who had both grown up just a couple of streets away, it was a sentimental return to a neighborhood they loved. Located on the west side of Forest Park, the picturesque setting offers convenient dog walks, nearby golf, family picnics on Art Hill and frequent trips to The Boathouse and the Zoo, which the couple and their young daughter take full advantage of.
"When we acquired the property, the previous owners had demoed much of the main level," notes owner Stephanie Brunt, a self-made interior designer who detailed the home's renovation and new aesthetic along with her husband, Tim. "So, we took over and started making this 1930s Tudor our own." Since then, Stephanie has been practicing her natural talent as an assistant interior designer for Wolff Interiors.
The couple's newly purchased home spans 3,200 square feet with a finished basement. It had undergone a major addition in the early 2000s, including the lower level, the main-level family room and the second-floor primary bathroom and closet. With both location and space going for it, the floor plan wasn't ideal for the new owners' modern family lifestyle, so they altered it and made it theirs. They also called in a team of professionals to help guide the remodel, including architect Elizabeth Panke, founder and principal of Elizabeth L. Panke Architect, and builder Tom Roberts, owner of Artisan Constructors. "I met Stephanie after she had purchased the house, and she had a clear idea of what she wanted to do," says Panke. "I found her creative, focused and easy to work with. She took on a house with heavy plaster textured walls that we couldn't easily remove or hide—so she went with it!"
The couple had several goals in completing this renovation. The first was to marry the old part of the house with the new. Several modern elements in the three-story addition clashed with the traditional, almost 100-year-old original features like thick textured plaster walls, detailed trim and casework and arched doorways. The primary bathroom, also part of the previous addition, included outdated modern-minimalist features like dark cherry floating vanity cabinets and travertine tile embellishing a built-in Jacuzzi tub. So, they ripped everything out and started fresh with a traditional marble-look checkerboard floor, brass hardware and light fixtures and an elegant freestanding soaking tub.
"During the reno, I told my husband I could live with the primary bathroom the way it was but quickly reversed course on that statement and initiated a total overhaul," laughs Brunt. "I am so glad I did—living with is so different from enjoying! It's beautiful, comfortable and calming—the perfect place to get ready for the day in the morning and unwind before bed at night."
The second goal was to improve the flow and layout of the lower and main levels. Adamant about having a main-level garage and mudroom, the couple creatively finished the basement, expanding the walkway from the garage and adding storage cubbies outside of the lower-level laundry room, thereby achieving the functionality of a mudroom. "I love how we were able to utilize the empty space under the staircase by adding custom cabinetry to optimize storage. It was also exciting to see the floorplan upgrade transform from your typical 100 year old style home to a modern open layout," says Roberts.
Accessing the lower-level playroom also presented a challenge—the original stairs were positioned towards the front of the older part of the home. Reaching the addition on the lower level, which the owners knew would be their daughter's dedicated play space, required walking through a hall, a room and another hall.
"We realized that re-orienting the original staircase to a more central location would be impossible (or impossibly expensive)," jokes Brunt, "so we added stairs along the back wall of the addition, connecting the family room on the main level to the basement playroom. We're so happy with this decision and the convenience of having a second way to get to our refinished space below."
An awkward and narrow passage from the kitchen to the main-level family room prompted removing the wall separating these spaces. With the help of their architect to deal with several elevation changes, the couple added L-shaped stairs from the kitchen to the family room, creating an open, connected great room where the family spends most of their time. A large outside deck captures blissful views of the yard's mature trees, including tulip, dogwood, ash and elm.
"The family room was added two owners ago and took on a distinct library feel," notes Panke. "Stephanie wanted that room to be more open to the kitchen, so we removed some masonry walls to make that happen. She also brought the space to life with updated family-friendly finishes and furnishings." Adds Stephanie, "I am obsessed with how opening up our family room to the kitchen turned out. It is bright and grand but comfortable—and the coziest place to watch a movie at night or read a book with the morning sun streaming in through the eastern-facing windows."
The renovation finale? Creating a laundry room in the original cedar closet right outside the primary bedroom. Sad to lose this unique feature at first, the couple admits the convenience of a washer and dryer 10 feet from the bedroom is well worth it. "The original features of this home are so lovely—the leaded glass windows, arches, plasterwork and trim," says Brunt. "It also has a second-floor turret that makes the house look like a castle, and we're in the process of building a window seat for it. The formal living room highlights a wood-burning fireplace with a large stone hearth. Our home feels old, full of memories from the generations of families who have enjoyed it—I absolutely love that about this house."
Influenced by the home's original character, Brunt took style cues from the 1930s architectural elements while incorporating her signature layered-transitional aesthetic. The couple's family members, with roots in Mexico and Europe, are also extensive world travelers, and they've collected unique items from all over the globe by way of grandparents, parents and siblings, as well as from their own journeys. "I am drawn to design that looks lived in and loved, with pieces that tell a story or have an interesting origin," Brunt notes. "New-looking home decor kind of gives me the ick. I love HomeGoods for certain things, but if I could spend my days scouring antique stores for all my home furnishings, I would." Adds Panke, "We changed the style of the windows and doors out to the rear deck and added new finishes and fixtures. Stephanie touched every room and really brought this old home back to life."
