For our November/December holiday issue, we asked local designers if canopy beds are a classic or a craze. Here's what the professionals had to say.

“Canopy beds have been around since Scrooge tried to hide from his ghosts! They can be graceful, stately, cozy and elegant. Personally, I feel that they are timeless. They may fall in and out of favor as a trend, but like a good toile fabric or classic damask wallpaper, they will always be around.“ Teddy Karl, The Great Cover-Up.

Not just for urban lofts, industrial design is a style embraced in gorgeous homes everywhere. Celebrating a design age that appreciated manufacturing, mechanical ingenuity and raw interiors, industrial design showcases neutral tones, wood, metals and practical objects. Add a raw, unfinished look to your home with a signature furnishing or accessory.

one: Architect screw stool, available at Dau Neu.

two: Rustic wheel bookends, available at Amini's.

There is nothing more timeless than a piece of sleek, rich leather upholstery. A natural material, leather is not just being used in furniture and accessories. Lighting, flooring and even wallcoverings are now incorporating leather. A wise investment, leather becomes more supple with age, remains hardy against sun and heat and is easy to clean.

one: 8-light chandelier, Suzanne Kasler Dressage Collection, by Visual Comfort, available at Metro Lighting.

If you haven’t heard of Barry Kraft, you might be hanging around the wrong crowd. Sure, one of his earliest memories is burning down a barn. But for the record, it was his barn. And as the owner and designer of Reclaim Renew – a custom-furniture workshop that uses only reclaimed and salvaged wood – it should be mentioned he’s devastated by that memory now.  “I didn’t think it was tragic then,” Kraft says adjusting his baseball cap, “but now I’m like, ‘what was I doing?!’”

Designer Heidi Sowatsky purchased her franchise of Decorating Den 11 years ago. In addition to creating beautiful designs for her clients, she is also the St. Louis-area regional manager for Decorating Den. Over the years, Heidi has won several design and sales awards.

Restaurateur Sam Kogos faithfully recreates the Cajun/Creole comfort food of his Louisiana upbringing at Riverbend Restaurant & Bar, right down to the Gulf Coast-sourced blue crab, shrimp and spice blend.

Separated by nearly 700 miles, New Orleans and St. Louis are nonetheless connected by their common French heritage and linked by life on the Mississippi River. An informal exchange has taken place between the two cities, with citizens and cuisine bridging the geographic divide.