Whack! Bzzzzzzz! Whish! Whirr! Are the sounds emanating behind the doors at V3 Studios due to Batman having it out with Penguin once again? No, in this case it’s Victor Hill, hard at work building a custom wooden lamp table, using a hammer, table saw, hand plane and various other pieces of equipment to make wooden furniture.

 McConnell fell in love on a Russian icebreaker transiting the Arctic. It’s not your usual how-we-met story, but then, Stone Soup Cottage is no ordinary restaurant.

The cottage is a pre-Civil War home in Cottleville, about 30 miles west of St. Louis. The McConnells’ offer one seating, Wednesday through Saturday, serving a six-course tasting menu that changes every three weeks. Reservations usually must be snagged six months in advance, longer for Saturday nights.

Sarah Theiss, manager at Locks & Pulls Design Elements, shares the how-to of hardware

SLHL: How do you determine the correct size a knob or pull should be?

Take your kitchen from dull to dashing with a new hood. Decorative and artsy or sleek and stainless steel, a hood will make a statement in your kitchen.

one: Gold 30” convertible wall mount with glass canopy top, by Whirlpool, available through Authorized Builder Sales.

two: ZTH Contemporary series, by Vent-A-Hood, available through AUTCOhome.

three: Outdoor ventilation hood, by Viking, available through AUTCOhome.

Instantly update your kitchen's look with new cabinetry hardware. The options are unlimited and meant to reflect your personality and style. 

one: Crystal round in bronze, by Alno, Inc., available through Marc Christian Fine Cabinetry.

two: Modern metro Z pull in Tuscan bronze from the Sanctuary II collection, by Top Knobs, available through Beck/Allen Cabinetry.

three: Acanthus long pull, by Carpe Diem, from Marc Christian Fine Cabinetry.