Forget everything you thought you knew about retirement center aesthetic and that dull, one-room ubiquity the phrase conjures up. Taking cues from the avant-garde tradition of experimental design, local interior designer Holly Blumeyer of Holly Blumeyer Interior Design Group pushed the boundaries when she converted two adjacent rooms at the Mari de Villa Retirement Center into an unexpected suite brimming with custom design and a whole lot of class.

Local designer Pamela Calvert has a knack for getting inside her client’s minds. “Once I understand what my client wants, I fine tune their look by giving it an ‘outside the box’ approach.”  But when it comes to her own home, there is only one agenda she needs to follow—her own.

In a city that is known for its traditional styling, it isn’t everyday that architects and builders are given the opportunity to design a modern residence. So when Blue Brick Construction was given the task of building a modern home focused on total simplicity, they jumped at the opportunity. Collaborating with Jeff Day, of Jeff Day Architects, the team created a non-traditional residence for homeowner Sue Cejka, whose love for gardening was incorporated through a U-shaped design where each room has a spectacular view of her garden courtyard.

Contemporary Art Museum, St. Louis, Missouri
Photography Courtesy of Contemporary Art Museum of St. Louis, Robert Rettos and Helen Binet

Contemporary Calm

Relaxing Retreat