Directions in Design, Inc.
Architect: John Peckham, AIA

The bar, designed by Directions In Design, Inc., is the epitome of a gentleman’s bar. The custom-designed cherry wood bar features five carved scenes depicting Old World wine-making. Accent lighting below the granite highlights the woodcarvings. To finish off the edge of the granite, intricate corbels and wood beading complement the carvings.

f a local farmer grows it, Tony Marchetto will work to make something delicious from it. If, that is, the food is organic or all natural, hormone free and antibiotic free. Marchetto is the chef at Prasino, a restaurant that’s eco-conscious from its name (the Greek word for green) to its menu to its décor.

Curtiss W. Byrne Architect

With the need for a more functional kitchen, a 200-square-foot breakfast room addition was born. Curtiss W. Byrne Architect designed the space to look and feel like a conservatory. A vaulted tongue-and-groove ceiling as well as two sets of patio doors leading to the bluestone patio allow natural light to fill the room. Precise detailing was required to conceal structural members and maximize the amount of glass and the height of the vaulted ceiling.

Directions in Design, Inc.
Architect: John Peckham, AIA

Directions In Design, Inc. turned this ordinary fireplace in to an extraordinary piece of art. The contemporary stair-stepped white marble fireplace was designed with a large recessed area featuring hand-blown colorful plates. Lit two ways, one with halogen art lights from the slanted coffered ceiling and the other around the perimeter of a raised panel holding the plates in the recessed area, the pieces of art shine as the focal point of the space. 

The Hill. Rich in history, it is as iconic as the Arch, Forest Park and Busch Stadium. Savory aromas waft from the popular restaurants and bakeries on nearly every corner. Pole banners, canopies, even fire hydrants are emblazoned with the red, white and green of the Italian flag, proclaiming the tight-knit neighborhood’s heritage. For David Grassi Construction Co., however, “green” has an equally meaningful interpretation; it’s the responsible way to build.

Outstanding design deserves recognition, and five sensational St. Louis design projects have been singled out for our third annual Architectural Finesse Awards. Evaluated by a distinguished panel of Kansas City architects, Scott Bickford, Ron Stallbaumer and Wolfgang Trost, the winning entries include a unique variety of newly built and remodeled living spaces, honored for their architectural ingenuity and integrity and overall aesthetic appeal.