On an ordinary Saturday a few years ago, Tracy and Scott Kolker were out doing errands and came home with a new house.
The Kolkers weren’t looking for a new home, but they did have a real estate agent searching for two-family flats as investments. The agent learned a Ladue custom home owned by former St. Louis Blues player Vladimir Tarasenko would be coming on the market, and she thought it would be perfect for the Kolker family.
“Our agent called while we were driving and asked us to consider this house,” Tracy recalls. “It wasn’t on the market yet and we’d be the first to see it. My husband said I would never move, as I’d spent a lot of time decorating our existing home, but I immediately said never say never. We saw it that same Saturday our agent called.”
The stone and brick exterior evoked an Old-World feeling, like the home had been here forever, Tracy says, yet the interiors lent a fresh, modern take on traditional styling. Set on three acres with abundant mature trees, the home’s setting attracted the Kolkers immediately. “You’re right in the heart of St. Louis so it’s convenient to get anywhere, yet it feels like you’re living in the country,” says Tracy.
That country feeling continued indoors, as both Scott and Tracy were drawn to the nine tall French doors opening to the outdoors from the living and sitting room areas. “The amount of light that comes in here is incredible, even on gloomy winter days,” says Tracy. “And when the trees are green in summer, it feels like you are living in Forest Park.”
A main-floor primary suite, a laundry area on the second floor adjacent to the daughter’s bedroom and a built-in bar close to the living room also appealed to the couple. They recognized builder Bobby Slavin’s thoughtful attention to detail, from the built-in refrigeration and trash receptacle in the butler’s pantry to multiple ice makers in the kitchen and bar areas. “All these little things just made sense in the design,” says Tracy. “We entertain a lot, and all of these qualities added up.” “We weren’t looking to buy a new home for us,” she adds. “But we just fell in love with the property.”
She says the home’s high ceilings, detailed trim work, crown molding and clean-lined, open layout gave it “incredible bones.” Thus, Tracy made only a few cosmetic changes, adding wallpaper here and there and painting the dining room and a rear entry area to enhance an already sophisticated space.
She also utilized most of her existing furniture, calling upon designer Julie Redmond, owner of Lilac Leopard, for help with some finishing touches. Tracy’s classically minded furnishings leaned heavily into black, white, taupe and other neutrals. “We just needed a few pops of color, which is my signature,” says Julie. For example, Julie suggested acrylic footstools topped with pink velvet for the living room’s restrained color palette. The room’s leather sofa, plushy swivel chairs and limestone fireplace “called for something rich,” Julie says of the luxurious velvet fabric.
In the dining room, Tracy painted the walls in Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black to contrast with the room’s extensive trim work and glossy white ceiling. Julie connected the Kolkers with artist Ted Collier, who created a commissioned work in a custom shade of pink now hanging in the space.
Julie also provided assistance with the holiday décor for the Deck the Halls of Glennon Homes Tour. “Tracy wanted all the Christmas trees to be different, and I like to coordinate trees with the existing furnishings in the rooms,” Julie says. For the living room, which features a neutral palette of taupes, brown and black, Tracy wanted to add color. “I just thought that if I was doing a show for 500 people on the home tour, I wanted to give them something that brings happiness and joy,” Tracy says. And color she got, thanks to the tree’s oversized glass balls in pinks, blues and greens, sparkly sprays and picks, metallics and iridescent ornaments. The large topper is crafted from multiple bows. “You can’t do just one bow if you want the topper to be large,” Julie says. “I think I did three bows on this one. If you want to make a tree look full, you can’t be chintzy on the ribbon or the ornaments. It’s go big or go home.”
Tracy says some visitors called this “the Candy Land Tree” after the iconic children’s board game. “The vivid colors reminded them of their childhood because it’s just so fun,” she says.
In the more formal public space, which Tracy calls the sitting room, the colorways are black, white and silver. Coordinating the Christmas tree’s décor with the room, Tracy and Julie styled a tree that’s both sophisticated and spirited. Oversized black and silver ornaments play well with large disco balls, a nod to Tracy’s background as a dance teacher. The oversized bows are actually table runners which provided the softness and size Julie wanted.
Tracy says she approached being a part of the tour with the idea she wanted people to have fun. “Because this house was once owned by Tarasenko and there’s a miniature ice rink in the basement, my thought was to show off a little bit of St. Louis with Blues jerseys and other things,” she says. “I didn’t want it to be a stuffy thing, but have people feel happy and welcome.”
And she believes they succeeded. “I was home during the tour, and I heard nothing but joy and gratitude from people’s comments,” Tracy says. “I’ve always enjoyed going on the tour myself because it really puts you in the holiday spirit to see how other people celebrate and get some inspiration for your own house.”
