Tommy and Tara Holstein built a mountain—complete with a waterslide and a waterfall—in the back yard of their Wentzville home. “We wanted to make our back yard as fun as possible,” Tara says. “It keeps us young too.” The family loves to entertain, and wants plenty of awesome spaces to accommodate guests, including their kids, grandkids and everyone’s friends.

    When they bought the home in 2019, the only backyard feature was a small deck on the side of the house toward the driveway. The house’s lower level had no walk-outs, and the yard was bare.   

A Fenton couple wanted to give their four active kids a place to gather and play with friends, while also providing a lavish yet comfortable area to host their own adult friends and family. “They wanted more places for people to go and hang out. That prompted them to renovate the lower level,” says Anne Marie Boedges, designer and president of Anne Marie Design Studio, LLC. The homeowners hired her firm to design and manage the remodel project. “They wanted it to look more luxurious, but still be durable for the kids’ activities”

When homeowners Geri Dreiling and Enrique Serrano Valle decided to remodel their historic home’s kitchen, they entrusted Ladd Suydam Contracting to bring their ideas to life. Dreaming of an open kitchen where Enrique’s “mis en place” cooking style could shine, the homeowners drew inspiration from their personal lifestyle, family history and even movies. “I watched a movie that included a home in Paris,” says Geri. Impressed by the kitchen’s historic character and open space in the movie, they knew they wanted the perfect mix of modern, organic and traditional design.

Requesting their primary bathroom be beautifully updated into a functional space with lots of natural light, these homeowners turned to interior designer Ellie Redders to make their dream a reality. “We were aiming to achieve a feeling of peacefulness with a clean, airy backdrop to allow the elements in the space to become the focal point,” Redders explains.

Once owned by the French fur trader Jules DeMun and established in the 1920s, the neighborhood of DeMun is known for its historic buildings and classic charm. These factors attracted Mark and Stephanie to the neighborhood, but the fixer-upper they found sealed the deal. Working closely with designer Mimi Pultman of Mimi Pultman Interiors, they updated a home to fit their needs and style.