Sometimes a home needs a facelift to freshen up, but with so many facade-fixing options, it’s hard to know where to start.

Every winter, homeowners Gary and Joyce Shaw leave the harsh Midwest temperatures behind by escaping to the warmer climes of temperate Tucson, AZ. Thus, a downsizing of their St. Louis living arrangement seemed logical.

The couple sought a smaller space that would maintain the quality of life they were used to and accommodate the furnishings from their previous, larger home. They wanted to be close to their places of work, shopping and downtown St. Charles, while also having easy access to downtown St. Louis.

Like every stereotypical 1950s-era home, this 2,200-square-foot Des Peres ranch was immured with compartmentalized rooms and smothered by eight-foot ceilings, wall-to-wall carpet and linoleum. So, two brave homeowners renovated the entire floor plan, taking the space from stale to stylish. The crowning achievement: conversion of the segregated kitchen, living and dining rooms into a casual cooking and eating area that’s constantly begging for company.

Not to confuse the average wine lover any more than we already are, in the world of wine viticulture, a number of grapes have different names depending on which country they are from. Spain’s Tempranillo grape is called Tinta Roriz in Portugal, while France’s Carignan grape is known as Mazuelo in Spain’s Rioja region. 

Driving into Roanoke in the fall is like taking a step into a storybook fast-forwarded into modern times. Rolling mountains splashed with dogwood blossoms rise up to meet the charm of an old railroad town jazzed up with an artsy, modern twist.

For our September issue, we asked local home and design professionals to share their opinion on the formal living room. Is it a thing of the past? Or do homeowners still desire a formal gathering place for guests? Here is what our professionals had to say...