Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Asked to describe the selection at Frill Home (8837 Ladue, 314-696-2222), co-owners Kristin Ebert and Marci Marsh toss out adjectives like fun, refreshing, and outlandish. “It’s all about having unique offerings,” Marsh says. “We are so disappointed when we find out that somebody else has one of our lines,” Ebert adds.
The women both live in St. Louis Hills and met through their husbands, who cycle together. One night over dinner, Marsh told Ebert about her idea of starting a “fun little boutique…and I said you should be my partner,” Marsh recalls. The two established Frill last summer.
The prime motivation behind opening the shop was that Marsh, an interior designer, could rarely find the perfect finishing touches for a room. “When I would go to complete a project, everything looked like you could see it in Pottery Barn or Arhaus,” she says.
Today, Frill sells an eclectic collection of items, including work by local artists, furniture, pillows, candles, kid-size reproductions of Eero Saarinen chairs… There are handmade African headpieces to hang on the wall ($548), mirrored sconces ($250 each), and floor lamps by Stray Dog Designs ($725). Ebert and Marsh offer items at prices that are competitive with online rates, which generally run less than other retailers. For example, Ebert says, a Palecek Ella chair priced at $931 typically sells for $1,138 in furniture stores. The store also does custom upholstery and pillows. And if you are in a quandary about whether an item will work in your home, Marsh may volunteer to swing by to give her opinion.
The prevailing design at Frill is clean, sleek, and modern. “I think people are simplifying their surroundings,” Marsh says. “My generation and the generations behind us have a more Swedish or European approach, where they are doing fewer pieces. They are more practical, artistic, and eclectic—the mix is not matching anymore… People are looking for a more family-friendly house.” —christy marshall
