Something as simple as a soft, squishy square can change the look and feel of a room by throwing it on a couch or chair. Pillows come in a variety of shapes, colors and patterns, and with a smaller price tag than many home furnishings they are easy to swap out for the season. 

one: Mongolian lamb pillow, available at Imogene’s.

two: Pink pug pillow, available at Expressions Furniture.

She is all about making furniture glamorized.

“I color for a living,” says Lisa Ober, with a twinkle and a smile. Given her vast portfolio of portraits and still life compositions, it’s a charming understatement. “There’s a joy we all felt as children when we colored, and I can’t believe I get to feel it every day,” Ober effuses.

The Inns at St. Albans is that rare little getaway city-dwellers can discover practically in their own backyards, the type that offers respite in a setting that might as well be half a world away. It’s a scenic spot for a bunk and a bite, so to speak, though it’s the eats that are keeping Chef D. Scott Phillips on the map.

The unique French toast offerings that are the hallmark of breakfasts at the historic Inns at St. Albans pose a very interesting challenge to wine-lovers. Most of the time, the simple egg-dipped bread fried in butter is the bastion of breakfast or brunch, meals where the drink of choice is more often a cocktail like a bloody mary or mimosa, or maybe a café au lait.

When East coast native Dorian Tomace had the opportunity to transfer to St. Louis for a job opportunity, she thought why not! A change in pace from the hustle and bustle of city living to the more relaxed lifestyle of the Midwest was appealing. After a home-finding visit where she had zeroed in on Chesterfield, Clayton and the Central West End, Dorian fell in love with the urban vibe of the Cortex area on the eastern edge of the CWE.