St. Louis Design Hall of Fame: William D. Cover

William D. Cover, AIA.

William D. Cover, Architect LLC

William D. Cover, also known as Bill, has designed new custom homes, additions and remodeling projects in the St. Louis area since 1976. He was awarded Excellence in Masonry by the Masonry Institute of St. Louis in 2006, and he continues to wow the architectural community with his precise and imaginative designs.

Edited by Moe Godat

Portrait photography by Colin Miller/Strauss Peyton

Project photography courtesy of William D. Cover

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Expert Q&A

What is your design style/philosophy?

William: A home should be inviting, comfortable, beautiful and logical. Rather than seeing the entire house from the front door, the curious explorer should be rewarded, but never confused. Timeless design is either genius or it has historical roots, or both.

What is the first step you take when designing a project of any size?

William: The first (and last) step in designing a home is to understand the facts, similar to having all of the pieces before you put a puzzle together. Most of the time, you will not know what pieces are missing until you begin solving the puzzle.

What questions do you ask your clients to help guide your design?

William: Besides the basic facts, which include identifying the setting, views, rooms, budget and timeline, I ask “feeling” questions about flow, style, privacy and priorities.

What advice would you give to someone just starting a design career?

William: My advice to anyone starting a design career is “do what you love.” My wife always says that I get paid to do my hobby, which is true.

Tell us a place in St. Louis that inspires you in your career.

William: Union Station is my favorite building in St. Louis. I’m inspired by Romanesque Revival, with all of its arches, groin ceilings and incredible stonework.