Buying What You Love

​​When customers come into the store, they often have somewhat of a plan but depending on merchandise, that may change. Finding big things, like mirrors and tables, are easy. Lots of times they find something they love and weren’t even looking in that vein. I always recommend buying what you love, even if you don’t have a place for it at the moment, you can often work it into your scheme.

Unique Uses

Like other aspects of interior design, custom furniture and cabinetry occur on a spectrum. There are terrific bespoke examples made by thoughtful craftsmen, and then, there are not-so-good ones. Rook Fine Furniture, founded by three craftsmen—Ken Stahl, Cory Herweck and Shawn Hoven—falls under the former category. They boast a passion for elevating furniture design and construction that zeros in on the nitty gritty details while producing work that runs the gamut of all kinds of fine furniture to custom kitchen cabinetry and other built-ins.

The family of six living in this Fenton home is busy with work, school, sports, family gatherings and the hundreds of aspects of daily life in raising four daughters under the age of 14.

As the parents approached the idea of building a new home, they planned long term. They wanted a home their girls would return to as adults with their own families. And both the husband and wife have large extended families that continue to grow, and the couple wanted to host family get-togethers with ease.

A time capsule of its era right down to the fully wallpapered 1970s interiors, this stately English Tudor residence nestled in the heart of St. Louis’s posh Town & Country community has stood as a cornerstone of the neighborhood for five decades. But in 2023, the previous owner decided to sell the historic landmark, which was quickly scooped up by a young couple with an active family. But instead of a gut renovation, they envisioned a top-to-bottom refresh to honor the home’s history while embracing modern elegance.

The words “sleek,” “clean” and “architectural” aren’t often used to describe landscapes and gardens. But in the case of this Frontenac home, they fit.

When they built their current home less than two years ago, the homeowners, now empty nesters, were looking for “easy livability.” The words “clean modern aesthetic” described what they wanted for the interior of the home, where the predominant color palette is “a mix of warm neutrals.”