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Just a few generations ago, shop- or café-owners would wake up and go to work—downstairs. They lived above their business. Today, a new generation is revisiting that past.
Last Valentine’s Day, Michele Floyd opened The Map Room, a coffee and wine bar (1901 Withnell, 314-776-3515, www.themaproomstl.com). She bought the property in 2005; for the next 3½ years, she worked on the renovation and furnishings. She had harbored the idea and idea and concept for the bar since she was a teenager—and too young to actually go in and order.
The route to reach her goal was circuitous. Her first major in college was art; she loved it but did not pursue it. A second was botany. Then came chemistry. BINGO. She became a scientist, worked in the corporate world, traveled and lived abroad. But the idea of owning an international coffee and wine bar lingered. She settled in St Louis and finally, it was time. She began researching neighborhoods to find the right location.
Ms. Floyd wanted a building for her home and business in a neighborhood of mixed cultures, ages and incomes. The location at Lemp and Withnell in the Benton Park Neighborhood filled the bill.
UPSTAIRS: HER HOME
With an easy commute home (up the stairs), the second floor apartment is charming and cozy. The living room/dining room color palette consists of yellow, green, burgundy, cream and brown. The comfortable leather and fabric covered sofa makes staying in the perfect choice.
The dining room is enhanced by a row of velvet covered theater seats from as opera house in Ohio.
With its iron canopy bed, the bedroom is feminine.
DOWNSTAIRS: THE MAP ROOM
The Map Room is designed to have the look and feel of a traditional European café. It has comfortable Bohemian elegance.
The furnishings are all reused, re-purposed—and renewed.
With the help of friends, Ms. Floyd scoured flea markets, vintage shops and her personal favorite, dumpsters, to find the furniture for the café.
One of her favorite dumpster finds was a table that was beaten up but had great potential. After some tender loving care and careful painting, it is now the checkerboard table that is used by many for "game night."
