Provincial Perfection

For St. Albans homeowners with a passion for “creating a home and seeing it come to life,” a residence reminiscent of the quaint villages of Italy was the ultimate vision. The result is magnifico.

A scenic, winding drive through a wooded landscape ends at a quiet clearing, revealing a perfect countryside setting for the place that owners Gene and Marcia refer to as “village-inspired.” The exceptional residence – complete with a main house, a carriage house and a pub – is home to the St. Louis couple. They were fortunate to collaborate with a team of companies and extraordinary individuals who contributed to the architecturally rich residence that exudes the appeal of a European country manor. “They are each incredibly talented and dedicated professionals who take pride in every detail,” say the couple.

The couple’s vision was for each of the three buildings to incorporate a variety of European-styled light fixtures and shutters. Inviting park benches and a charming group of chairs are placed around the “village” setting. The homeowners created a small park with a rippling creek, and used fountains, hanging baskets, flower boxes and rustic signs to punctuate the landscape. “Our grandkids love to play in our creek and enjoy catching frogs, tadpoles, turtles and an occasional lizard,” says Gene with a smile.

The couple drew on a wide repertoire of ideas, design experiences and travels to create the warm, eclectic look they desired – marrying an aesthetic that encompasses Italian and French Provençal design. “We began our personal building projects 25 years ago by renovating a farm house in Chesterfield. After that experience, we decided to go with new construction and have designed, built, and have since decorated 10 personal residences, and six have been at St. Albans,” say the couple. “We name all of our homes that we build after our children and grandchildren.  This home is the il villaggio piccolo di Tessa Marie, meaning the little village of Tessa Marie. Tessa is three years old and our youngest grandchild.”

“I am always asked where I get my ideas for decorating, and there isn't any one source. I may find an idea in a travel brochure, on a wine bottle, or in a magazine,” says Marcia. “Then there is always the unexpected. Ben, a 19-year-old college student, came with friends of ours to see the house while it was under construction. We already had a window in the front of the tower in the www.  Looking up at the tower, Ben made the comment that a big clock would have looked good in the tower. We couldn't believe we didn't think of that. We quickly began looking at different clock towers on the Internet, found what we liked, and ordered the Roman numerals and mechanism. We named the clock ‘Big Ben' after the college student who gave us the idea.”

Marcia and her sister began taking special once-a-year trips together to Europe when Gene went on hunting trips with his buddies. These trips inspired her to shape a look for their new St. Albans home that combined touches of Italy and France into both the furnishings and the design aesthetic.

“Gene and I work as a team. If I have an idea and share it with Gene, by the end of the day he has it figured out and finished. We've been known to get up at 2 a.m. and sit at the kitchen counter and design our next home,” says Marcia.

A stroll through the home is a mini-journey through time. “Our dining table is a 100-year-old pine French library table. We have a wallpaper cart with pots in the yard, the ‘table' in our bedroom was used in a furniture factory to move items through the building process, and old iron window guards are towel racks in the master bath,” says Marcia.

With a spacious carriage house and two guest bedrooms with private baths in the main house, Marcia likes the fact that overnight friends and family have their own places with lots of privacy.  And what began as a pool house turned into a pub that Gene and Marcia decorated with a rustic, European flair that includes pub décor from Marcia's parents' business.

The space joins the outdoor living area that features a spectacular Mediterranean-style pool, several waterfalls, cooling side misters, and a custom tanning shelf and hot tub. “When visitors comment that they feel as if they are standing in a village in Europe, we know that we have achieved our goal – to create a home with a touch of Tuscany,” say the couple.