Striking a balance between contemporary tidiness and timeless details, this handsome 100-year-old residence sought to add rhythm and sophistication to the first-floor layout. For this father-and-sons trio, having a home that put entertaining at the focal point and incorporated their love of music was essential when reimagining this historical home. Richly-toned and locally-made American walnut cabinetry, a mix of handsome natural stone countertops, and mixed metal finishes punctuate and tailor the space.

This kitchen reimagining strikes the perfect balance of elegance, function, and architectural refinement. Enlarged windows flood the room with natural light, while a widened doorway extends a gracious connection to the dining room, where botanical wallpaper frames the view like a living mural, drawing nature indoors.The cooking hearth, defined by a sculptural plaster hood, is flanked by veined marble shelving and brass sconces that lend the space a gallery-like quality. Honed marble surfaces provide a sense of quiet luxury, grounding the design in natural beauty.

Perched on the 10th floor of a high-rise in Clayton, just walking distance from some of St. Louis’s finest dining spots, this recently renovated apartment lives at the intersections of high design and culinary culture. Optimizing the layout and implementing refined design were at the forefront of this kitchen renovation where the design team sought to open up the previously dark and utilitarian galley kitchen into a space for state-of-the-art cooking and exceptional entertaining.

Meet our esteemed panel of Kitchens of the Year judges:

Jennifer Rapp, JCR Design Group

Jenny has been involved in the Saint Louis interior design community for over 20 years. In 2011, she founded JCR Design Group, which specializes in high-end custom interiors, renovations, kitchen and bath design and new construction collaboration. Jenny has served on the Board of Directors for The Woman's Exchange of St. Louis since 1998 and the Board of Directors for the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Ebsworth Park since 2017.

Dick Busch

Orchids are a beloved indoor plant that can make quite the statement when in full bloom, though it can seem difficult to get them flowering again after the first round of flowers. Taking proper care of a tropical flower may seem intimidating, but all orchids require are a little extra attention and learned intuition!

There are two primary factors to keeping an orchid healthy: sunlight levels and watering. Orchids need lots of direct sunlight as much as they can take without drying up, which should never be a problem if they are getting adequate water. Alternatively,

Every year, the Garden transforms the Emerson Conservatory into a breathtaking display of tropical orchids from around the globe. The Orchid Show features hundreds of flowering orchids from a collection of over 5,000 individual plants and 700 unique species, nearly one in ten of which are threatened or endangered. Guests who visit the show more than once can see new species on display as the Garden adds orchids as they bloom. Throughout the rest of the year, the collection is kept in the Garden's greenhouses to be cared for by horticulture staff.