"Bur Oak Bonnots Mill" by Bryan Haynes — artbybryanhaynes.com.

“Nevermind" / Nirvana acrylic paint on vinyl record by Cadence Hodes — cadencehodesart.com.

"Ghost Ranch Steed" by Jo Jasper Dean — jojasperdean.com.

“Green Parrots” by Jeff Kapfer — jeffkapfer.com.

"Stirring" oil on canvas by Jen Hahn — jenhahnstudio.com.

Candace Wideman, Youtopia Designs.
Blue has always been a color I naturally gravitate toward in my designs. It has a calming, timeless quality that makes a space feel grounded and inviting. From rich navy to soft sky tones, blue layers beautifully with other materials and colors, creating interiors that feel both comfortable and sophisticated.  

Artist Jo Jasper Dean has long admired the physicality of oil paintings. “I love the heady aroma [oil paint] emits, its buttery texture, the feel of it gliding on to the canvas and the rich intensity of saturated colors available,” she says. Through her slow layering of brush strokes and choice of vibrant pigments, Dean has created oil paintings that feel like images come to life. 

After stints living in Tokyo, Hong Kong and New York City, Julie and Tom Nelson moved to St. Louis, Julie’s hometown. They lived in an apartment here for nearly a decade, enjoying the sense of freedom that comes from maintenance-free living. 

But they wanted a little more space, so when the opportunity came to purchase a home in a villa community in Creve Coeur, they jumped at the chance. “My lifetime best friend’s parents decided to make a big downsizing move, and we ended up purchasing their house, and it just felt really good to have things happen that way,” Julie says. 

St. Louis residents Peggy and Tom Phillips naturally gravitated to a pristine Frontenac property when searching for their forever home. With Tom being a retired furniture industry professional, Peggy's natural eye for style and both having a passion for gardening, they were drawn to a home built in 1960 by the renowned local custom home builders at Higginbotham. The traditional structure had maintained its quaint architectural character, undergoing only a single renovation in 2006 by the previous owners that included adding a second story and a complete overhaul of the main floor.

I like surprises!” declares Celeste Baxter as she strolls through her and her husband, Brent's, Frontenac garden. 

  She is surrounded by the rich sunset hues of hundreds of daylilies, mounds of purple and gold created by plantings of different coneflower varieties and scarlet-centered, blush-colored hibiscus blossoms the size of giant saucers. All those vibrant, jewel colors are offset by the sparkling emerald green of approximately 350 lush-leafed hostas.