This is a California house located in Clayton, owned by a St. Louis woman with an affinity for all things Cali. While both home and human are firmly rooted in the Midwest, one reaches back in time while the other fondly looks to the West.

Fun, yet sophisticated. Classy but edgy. Interior designer Tina Wolff uses those adjectives to describe both this Clayton home and its owner. “She’s well traveled, and she has an art collection that reflects who she is,” Tina says of the homeowner. “She also likes a dab of bling, so all of those things together make the home and her style eclectic and interesting.”

A painting of an octopus twists its way up a wall and across a soffit in the kitchen of a Central West End home, reflecting the homeowners’ unique design style.

    The homeowners asked local artist Phil Jarvis to create the sea creature. “I thought it would be interesting to put some kind of mural there,” the homeowner says. “The reason we chose an octopus was because I wanted it to have movement, and also wanted it to be kind of unexpected.”

Classic

I believe built-in wardrobes are here to stay! I love designing a space that not only meets my clients' specific storage needs, it adds style. I can define the aesthetic in a room with the door style, finish and hardware. The built-in wardrobes also guarantee that there is no wasted space. Karen Korn, Karen Korn Interiors

    At best, every home renovation is a challenge. Even the process of selecting the right designer for the project can be daunting, especially when your wish list of must-haves is wholly ignored. Such was the scenario for this St. Louis couple when they wanted to upgrade their kitchen a few years ago. They had purchased a Garden Valley subdivision dwelling in 2011 and moved in with their three teen and pre-teen children. Like most homes in their neighborhood, it was a sprawling suburban two-story house with builder-grade finishes.

Flow and functionality were top of the list for a young family embarking on a kitchen renovation. Anne Marie Boedges, president and designer at Anne Marie Design Studio, joined forces with the couple shortly after they took ownership of the home. The goal was to make the kitchen reflective of their personalities while keeping the design functional, warm and tasteful. “The only thing they didn’t want was a white-and-gray kitchen,” Boedges says.