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.

Every home tells a story, and for these homeowners, each chapter has been defined by thoughtful design and transformation. They were no stranger to home design, having undergone several new builds and remodels through the years. 

“With each of our remodels, we’ve leaned towards a more contemporary look, but because our property is in a pastoral area, we brought in some rustic features,” she said.

    Influenced by the refined country design of their family’s homes, a Eureka couple was looking to elevate their space to reflect an elegant European farmhouse aesthetic. “Our original intent was to focus on the kitchen area, but that spilled over into other spaces on the main level because we wanted to make sure there was strong cohesion throughout,” says the homeowners. With a clear vision for what they wanted, their next step was to find the right designer to achieve their vision.

Atelier Davis

The designer on this project was inspired to use a red stove in this project due to her love of using bold color in her designs. Knowing that red is an auspicious color in Chinese culture, she aimed to honor that heritage. Red was again used in a few other areas in the home—such as the backs of dining chairs and pillows to tie it all together. 

Photography by Emily Followill.

Wise Design