Back to the Future

For native St. Louisans Joe and Jeanne Marie, their uniquely modern home on the edge of the city couldn't be more perfect. The couple describes their space as “happy, bold and energetic.”

From the moment Jeanne Marie, an accomplished artist, came across Disneyland's 1950s Monsanto House of the Future on the Internet, she was enamored. A little research led her to Chilean-American architect Rocio Romero, whose design principles – simplicity, quality, environmental friendliness and space – intrigued her. After visiting the architect's home in Perryville, Missouri, the couple knew they wanted to replicate and slightly modify the 1,453-square-foot LVL prefab home – with its focus on straightforward design – that would connect them to the surrounding landscape and minimize their carbon footprint.

Together with its streamlined materials, many earth-friendly elements – such as a highly insulated roof, sun-shielding shades and energy-efficient plumbing – contribute to this new home's modern paradigm. Plenty of natural light streams in through a ribbon of tempered glass windows that wraps the entire house like a gift, allowing solar heat in during winter months and preventing drafts.

A blank canvas for creative design, the home's interior pop-art-filled décor was a no-brainer for Jeanne Marie. “I knew exactly what I wanted – a blend of '50s, '60s, '70s and wildly contemporary,” she says.

The structural, clean lines of the modern LVL home, with its mid-century aesthetic, set the stage for the couple's strong palette of bold reds, tangerines and apple green. “I like strong colors that make a statement,” says Jeanne Marie. “Whenever I find a piece I love, I know it will go anywhere in the house!” She notes this is especially true of her treasured greyhound pieces. As a member of Retired Greyhounds As Pets (REGAP) for nearly 20 years and a close friend of Stray Rescue, each one holds a special place in her heart (but none more than the couple's own pups, Marnie and Morgan).

Drawn to vintage furnishings and accessories with a story of their own, the couple's fondness for the past is evident in mementos, such as Oriental lady figurines given to Jeanne Marie by her mother and a cherished, whimsical bust of Clark Gable.

To make the most of their home's “urban” appeal, interior designer Gigi Lombrano-Steadman, ASID, of Frank Patton Interiors provided the finishing touches for the home's main rooms in keeping with the sleek, uncomplicated design. “People think living in a minimalist house means you cannot have anything,” she says. “This is a misconception; this home's simplistic design is the perfect backdrop for both artwork and keepsakes, which will, in turn, stand out in the clean, open space.”

Pulling colors from the homeowners' fanciful foyer chandelier, Gigi added complementary layers into the space with a vibrant, patterned rug and graphic, geometric accessories that punctuate the breakfast room with bold pops of color for a finished look. “Curved lines in these accents provide a nice juxtaposition with the more angular furnishings,” says Gigi. “The striking combination of orange, red and lime evokes the homeowners' desired retro vibe perfectly.”

The resounding result could not be a better fit for the homeowners. “I wanted Joe and Jeanne Marie to think, ‘We live in a glass house, but it's cozy,'” says Gigi. “It's filled with their personalities and their memories but is still edited, still simple.”

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PREFAB HOMES: A FABULOUS TREND

Today, for the first time, prefab houses are available with custom floor plans, styles and rich details. Their combination of custom appeal and distinctly modern, attractive design – together with great energy efficiency, fast construction time and better structural stability – makes prefab homes a wonderful investment for homeowners.

These cost-efficient, concisely planned homes usually require less maintenance than site-built homes and feature energy efficient design, incorporating green solutions that offer cleaner air and consume less energy, such as solar power and radiant heating, for example.

Prefab homes allow you to customize and combine units to meet your specific taste and needs. Their portability and sturdier construction makes them good choices for geographical areas that are not easily accessible. You can choose from several exterior siding options, as well as reconfigure interior and exterior walls. 

Rocio Romeo is a leading prefab architect – whose business is located in Perryville, Missouri, southeast of St. Louis – with homes across the nation, including the LVL modern home in the LV series, featured in Back to the Future in the June/July issue of SLHL.   Romero offers these building kits that are assembled on-site into modern, chic dwellings.

On becoming an LV series homeowner there will be many options to choose from. You will chose from the following: the foundation, exterior siding, interior layout, exterior structure and windows, and exterior stairs and decks. First, do your research and contact your local building department to verify that your desired design specifications meet its requirements. Once you identify your building site and general contractor, as well as obtain all building permits (and then upon completion of the foundation and floor framing), it will be time to begin manufacturing the home from the provided kit.

The principles of these types of design are:

• Simplicity: Rigorously employing the principles of minimalism.
• Quality: Homes meet the most stringent engineering requirements, allowing for best structural performance.
• Green: Visually bring the outdoors in and use environmentally friendly materials and prefabricated systems to minimize used resources.
• Space: Elegant, straightforward design that maximizes your visual connection to the landscape while minimizing the overall footprint of the home.

Romero's LV Home Series consists of modern kit homes that are affordable, easily built, and highly customizable. They have been thoughtfully designed to enhance a modern lifestyle that is connected to nature.  Rocio Romero, LLC, provides you with factory built kit components for the exterior shell, which is built on site by a general contractor.

The LV Home is an 1150 sq. ft home that is 25'-1" x 49'-1" and has a living room, dining room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and closets.
   
The LVL Home is a 1453 sq. ft home that is 25'-1" x 59'-6" and has a living room, dining room, kitchen, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and closets. 
The LVM is a 625 sq. ft. sq. ft studio that is 25'-1" x 25'-1".  It can be used as a studio/office space or small guesthouse with one bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen, and living/dining area.
   
The LVG is a 625 sq. ft. garage that is 25'-1" x 25'-1".
   
The LV150 is our LV series home that can withstand 150 mph winds and complies with the most stringent hurricane code. 

The LV150 is a 1150 sq. ft home that is 25'-1" x 49'-1" and has a living room, dining room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and closets.  It can also be reconfigured to have one master suite and master bathroom.
   
The LVL150 is the largest unit from our LV Series that resists 150 mph windloads.   The LVL150 is a 1453 sq. ft home that is 25'-1" x 59'-6" and has a living room, dining room, kitchen, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and closets.

In PREFABULOUS: The House of Your Dreams, Delivered Fresh from the Factory, Sheri Koones explores the beauty, variety, design and environmentally positive benefits of prefab construction. It is the first book to bring together the eight prefab building systems – Modular (the type of Prefab home featured in SLHL's June/July issue), Panelized, SIPS, Log, Timberframe, Concrete, Steel and Hybrids – comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each one and showcasing stunning photos of homes built using these techniques. It is an excellent resource as you begin to plan a prefab home build!

Click here for more information on prefab homes.