At first sight, the classic architecture of this Tudor-style home in University City captured the homeowners’ attention. From the arched front door to the sunroom’s original stained-glass doors, their first instinct was to preserve the charm of this house yet also add modern elements to reflect their own personal style. So when they were set to renovate, they called on Kathleen Matthews, an interior designer of 30 years at the award-winning Marcia Moore Design firm in St. Louis.

As interior designer and friend Lori Olsen McElvain describes it, Rob and Nicole Rosenwinkel’s kitchen remodel started with a Joybird sofa.

Typical. Right?

Longtime residents of Chesterfield, this couple loved their fashionable neighborhood and the many friends they’d made, but were ready for a newer, more contemporary home. They’d often admired a nearby 1.5-story set on 2.25 acres, and when it became available, they made their move.

Built in the mid-'70s, the residence had a unique main-floor layout, but the upstairs bedrooms were tiny, the kitchen rather small and the décor typical of its era. The new owners could see the home’s potential and combined their talents to create the warm, “rustic urban” styling they’d envisioned.

Nick Reding is the author of the best-selling book “Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town” and a full-time family man. All that and the owner of a piece of rejuvenated Missouri history. With the help of Gary and Donna Meyer of GK Meyer Construction, Reding was able to take what was a dilapidated shack and turn it into an energy-efficient weekend home that would make the journeymen of the era proud.