It’s a joy to drive through the Italian wine region in Italy’s Northeast, known as the Piedmont. Especially in early summer, when the landscape looks like an Impressionist painting – the poppy fields dotting the hillsides are an explosion of delicate, bright-red flowers, interspersed with the many vineyards that are just starting to show what will become a green-leaf canopy sheltering the amazing, mostly deep purple grapes.  

Walking the line between an adaptable outdoor accent and a durable resurfacing option, pavers stand the test of time while adding custom finishes to exterior spaces. Individually cut, these permeable portions of concrete are perfectly placed into eye-catching patterns to refresh monotonous spaces while crafting a one-of-a-kind aesthetic.

Heat up your outdoor experience by incorporating a fire feature in your landscape. Fireplaces, fire pits and fire tables light up the ambience and extend the usability of your outdoor space from day to night and summer to fall.

ONE: Palazzo fireplace, by Heat & Glo, available at Forshaw.

TWO: Vintage 2424 fire pit, by The Outdoor Great Room Company, available at C. Bennett.

THREE: Hammered copper top fire pit, by O.W. Lee, available at Amini’s.

When the Judges purchased their home in 2009, the turn-of-the-last-century Victorian didn’t need much work. That’s because Kelly’s grandparents – the previous homeowners, who’d purchased the place in the sixties – had already put in enough sweat equity to revive the once-tired stick style.

Entering Jerry Birkhead’s home is an experience. The eye is attracted this way and that, attempting to zero in on one elaborate component or piece. When the realization hits that this is all but impossible, it’s necessary to relinquish control and revel in the extravagance. When asked to describe his style, Jerry ponders, “I’d say eclectic.” And eclectic, he is. Jerry's signatures are bright colors, antiques, crown molding and pillows.

Thomas Dunn Learning Center, St. Louis, MO
Photography by Robert Pettus