St. Louis At Home Architect & Designer Awards 2015

Like the Yankees’ domination of the American League in the early 1950s, certain designers and architects always seem to run away with the gold in the St. Louis At Home Architect & Designer Awards, now in its eighth year. Most of those luminaries are back and still walking away winners. However, this year, more than any other prior, the playoffs included new names and new contenders from as far away as Boston. Nearly 200 entries were carefully reviewed and critiqued by our august panel of judges: designer Mario Buatta, architect Audrey Matlock, Domino creative director and editorial director Robert Leleux, and designer Marshall Watson. Every year the quality of the projects gets better—and the judging gets tougher. Congratulations to everyone who placed in the top three, and sincere thanks to all who entered. We hope you will give it another shot next year.

Commercial Space: General

Winner: Eric Hoffman, patterhn ives, llc.

7751 Carondelet, Ste. 500, 314-833-0301, patterhn-ives.com.

American Card Services needed a flexible, more open space to accommodate an expanding workforce as well as provide a more conducive atmosphere for clients. Utilizing existing fenestration, the project was completed on a budget of $73 per square foot. Visitors are now greeted by two 45-foot continuous worktables. Each table contains five workstations bracketed by a double-sided meeting table and a small bar-height table for informal seating.

SECOND PLACE: Arcturis

720 Olive, Ste. 200, 314-206-7100, arcturis.com.

THIRD PLACE: Nehring Design

8707 Big Bend, 314-925-0860, nehringdesign.com.

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Commercial Space: Restaurant

Winner: Joe Edwards with Kiku Obata & Company

6161 Delmar, 314-361-3110, kikuobata.com.

To start, there is the Peacock Loop Diner’s neon sign outside. Eleven feet wide, it weighs 1,800 pounds and has a sequencer that cues the peacock’s colorful feathers to fan out and back 200 times per hour. Inside, the 5,000-square-foot space is divided up into four U-shaped diner counters brightly lit with built-in LEDs and an eight-person circular rotating booth dubbed the Peacock Carousel of Love. Constructed for energy efficiency, the project is being submitted for the highest level of LEED certification.

SECOND PLACE: SPACE Architecture + Design

4168 Manchester, 314-534-4168, spacestl.com.

THIRD PLACE (TIE): SPACE Architecture + Design

4168 Manchester, 314-534-4168, spacestl.com.

THIRD PLACE (TIE): Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com.

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Commercial Space: Retail

Winner: Studio|Durham Architects

1856 Menard, 314-664-4575, studiodurham.com.

The new art gallery space, located on the main level of a high-rise building, had to be laid out to accommodate the concrete frame of the building and systems that run through the space from the apartments above to the parking garage below. Design details include a continuous 5/8-inch reveal where the wall meets the floor slab. Also, all the gallery walls are built with a layer of 5/8-inch plywood.

SECOND PLACE: Tao + Lee Associates

411 N. 10th, Ste. 402, 314-446-0885, taolee.com.

THIRD PLACE: Jacob Laws Interior Design

314-814-2431, jacoblaws.com.

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New Construction

Winner: William Rawn Associates with Tao + Lee Associates

10 Post Office Square, Ste. 1010, Boston, Massachusetts, 617-423-3470, rawnarch.com; 411 N. 10th, Ste. 402, 314-446-0885, taolee.com.

Washington University upperclassmen now have the chance to live in this brand-new series of glass towers housing loft-style apartments. Located in the heart of the Delmar Loop, a pedestrian mews running between the four buildings connects Delmar to the Parkview Gardens neighborhood. Built with hopes of getting a LEED Platinum certification, the terrace is a green roof that helps control storm-water runoff and offers a center of community for the residents; the project uses solar thermal and photovoltaic panels, and the windows have perforated metal sunshades.

SECOND PLACE: Hastings+Chivetta Architects

622 Emerson, Ste. 200, 314-863-5717, hastingschivetta.com.

THIRD PLACE: Fendler + Associates with Fifi Lugo Interior Design

5201 Pattison, 314-664-7725, fendlerworld.com; 314-276-6062, fifilugo.com

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Addition Project

Winner: Agape Construction Company

435 E. Clinton, 314-909-9050, agapeconstruction.com.

This Webster Groves home was built in 1925, and the owners wanted a more comfortable family room and master suite. The answer was a two-story addition. First, the home’s existing addition was removed, but the original sunroom was left intact. A new family room with spacious master suite above was added. The key was making it historically correct by matching roof pitches, window styles, details, and period-appropriate replacement materials. The builder researched newer technology and found flush radiators, which are more energy efficient and streamlined.

SECOND PLACE (tie): Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com

SECOND PLACE (tie): Agape Construction Company

435 E. Clinton, 314-909-9050, agapeconstruction.com.

THIRD PLACE: Johnson Design with Johnson Development Co.

11330 Olive, Ste. 317, 314-995-9001, johnsondevelopmentco.com.

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Historic Residential Renovation/Restoration Project

Winner: Jamieson Interior Design

4100 Laclede, Ste. 112, 314-371-1777, jamiesondesign.com.

This 1917 Beaux-Arts residence, majestic in its proportions and rich in architectural detail, needed a formidable restoration. Starting with the ceilings, the plasterwork was restored, and recessed lighting was surgically inserted where possible. The original Versailles-pattern parquet floors and wall panels were restored and refinished—and in the case of the dining room, lacquered in high gloss. Moldings were restored and, in some cases, gilded. The electrical systems, heating and cooling, plumbing, roofs, and the like, as well as every light fixture, were replaced—and it was all done in a mere 16 months.

SECOND PLACE: Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com.

THIRD PLACE: Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com.

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Remodel

Winner: Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com.  

A young architectural designer and his family own this midcentury home. Avid collectors of midcentury-modern furniture and furnishings, they purchased an atomic ranch home built in the late 1960s. Nothing had been done to the home in 40 years, but the new owners saw it as a fresh palette. The walls separating the kitchen from the dining, living, and entry areas were removed. In the process, it became apparent that the beam supporting the roof of the high vaulted ceilings had to be replaced as well.

SECOND PLACE: Arlene Lilie Interior Design

314-367-4000, arlenelilie.com.

THIRD PLACE: John Philip Ansehl Design

939 W. North, Chicago, Illinois, 312-646-2134.

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Bath (More Than 150 Square Feet)

Winner: Fendler + Associates with Fifi Lugo Interior Design

5201 Pattison, 314-664-7725, fendlerworld.com; 314-276-6062, fifilugo.com.

Located in a house sited on a private 200-acre farm with a man-made lake, this second-floor master bathroom has commanding views of the surrounding property and water. A simple monochromatic white-on-white design lets the landscape provide the color. The bathroom features a large walk-in shower with a floor-to-ceiling glass separation wall. A free-standing tub with floor-mounted fixtures is located in front of large windows and across from the shower. The vanity, with its exposed plumbing and legs, further accentuates the lightness of the design.

SECOND PLACE: Castle Design with Tao + Lee Associates

7707 Clayton, 314-727-6622, emilycastle.com; 411 N. 10th, Ste. 402, 314-446-0885, taolee.com.

THIRD PLACE: Carole Hiatt Design Associates

4400 N. Belt, Belleville, Illinois, 618-233-1789, carolehiattdesign.com.

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Bath (Less Than 150 Square Feet)

Winner: Mosby Building Arts

645 Leffingwell, 314-909-1800, mosbybuildingarts.com.  

After a number of remodels, the master bathroom did not jibe with the charm of this classic 1928 home. The homeowners wanted to make the space larger, with a walk-in shower instead of the tub. The room was taken down to its studs. The builder added 6 square feet from an adjacent closet. The custom-designed cabinetry has a furniturelike vanity flanked by a pair of floor-to-ceiling towers. The flooring is a black-and-white basket weave marble tile with a black border. The countertop is Carrara marble, and the shower walls and bench are covered by 3-by-6-inch marble tiles.

SECOND PLACE: Beautiful Rooms

636-519-4090, beautifulroomsdesign.com.

THIRD PLACE (TIE): Killeen Studio Architects

3015 Salena, 314-771-0883, killeenstudio.com.

THIRD PLACE (TIE): RSI Kitchen & Bath

9700 Manchester, 314-961-2000, rsikb.com.

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Children’s Room

Winner: Joni Spear Interior Design

314-614-9080, jonispear.com.  

A couple with a second child on the way bought a 1930s Webster Groves home. They wanted the master suite, nursery, toddler’s room, and bath renovated in four months, before the baby was born, and the devoted bike riders wanted to have a bicycle-themed room for their 15-month-old son. They had already purchased a quilt and floor lamp in bright tangerine and cobalt blue. The designer found the ceiling fixture fashioned from an actual bike rim on Etsy. The cotton pinstripe Roman shades add just enough sophistication to carry the room into late childhood.

SECOND PLACE: Joni Spear Interior Design

314-614-9080, jonispear.com.

THIRD PLACE: Amy Studebaker Design

314-458-5339, amystudebakerdesign.com.

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Dining Room

Winner: Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design with Centro Modern Furnishings

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com; 4727 McPherson, 314-454-0111, centro-inc.com.

The challenge was to incorporate a love for modern design with the traditional architecture of a 1926 home, which hadn’t been updated in 50 years. The designers decided to take a minimally intrusive approach to the furnishings as a counterpoint to the numerous architectural details. The dining room provides a traditional architectural shell for contemporary furniture and art. Upholstered Italian chairs surround the dining table; contemporary Italian sconces replaced the originals. The room is anchored by a large chandelier, circa 1958. The interior walls were painted gray, so the clients’ modern art collection now pops.

SECOND PLACE: Jamieson Interior Design

4100 Laclede, Ste. 112, 314-371-1777, jamiesondesign.com.

THIRD PLACE: K Taylor Design Group

11622 Page Service, Ste. 101, 314-610-7288, ktaylordesigngroup.com.

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Fireplace

Winner: Design Extra Studio

1901 Park, 314-932-5241, designextrastudio.com.

After living with builder-grade finishes for 10 years, the homeowners wanted a new image for their home and to create a focal point with a dramatic fireplace upgrade. The fireplace’s asymmetrical design created the custom feel they desired. The clean lines of the smooth Shaker-style cabinetry by Allen Graham anchored the room and created functional storage spaces. The fireplace surround, mantel, and hearth, all crafted in concrete, added a strong modern element to the space.

SECOND PLACE: Savvy Surrounding Style

9753 Clayton, 314-432-7289, savvyladue.com.

THIRD PLACE: Directions In Design

1849 Craig, 314-205-2010, directionsindesign.com.

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Great Room

Winner: Castle Design with Tao + Lee Associates

7707 Clayton, 314-727-6622, emilycastle.com; 411 N. 10th, Ste. 402, 314-446-0885, taolee.com.

Located in a Central West End high-rise residence, the designers’ challenge was to create a sophisticated, sleek, and modern urban retreat. From the Ingo Maurer chandelier to the textured fireplace, every detail of the great room was planned to be striking yet balanced. Upon entering, the ceiling line in a lacquered finish strategically directs attention to a dramatic double-height wall of windows covered in sheer drapery. The team designed custom casework in rift-cut oak with washed silver glaze to provide ample storage while ensuring that the light-filled space remains peaceful, uncluttered, and the perfect frame for the homeowners’ art collection.

SECOND PLACE: Jamieson Interior Design

4100 Laclede, Ste. 112, 314-371-1777, jamiesondesign.com.

THIRD PLACE: David Deatherage Design

314-495-3719, daviddeatheragedesign.

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Home Office/Library

Winner: Helix Architecture + Design

10004 Litzsinger, 314-496-9150.

Originally a florist shop, the space had crumbling plaster walls and ceilings, warped flooring, exposed piping, and rusted steel beams. But it also boasted excellent natural light (including stained-glass transom windows) and high ceilings. Armed with a $15,000 budget, the architect kept the old florist sink, dated stairs, and existing doors. He removed the existing vinyl tile, exposed a steel beam, replaced or refinished the wood and concrete floors, exposed the brick, and installed period fluorescent lights. To promote a minimal look, he used an industrial palette with stainless steel shelves and fan, galvanized siding, bleached plywood sheathing, and a strong, albeit simple, color scheme.

SECOND PLACE: Beautiful Rooms

636-519-4090, beautifulroomsdesign.com.

THIRD PLACE: JCR Design Group

11622 Page Service, Ste. 109, 314-706-2727, jcrdesigngroupstl.com.

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Lower Level

Winner: Jacob Laws Interior Design

314-814-2431, jacoblaws.com.

The clients wanted the unfinished basement to include additional entertaining space, a media area, office and desk areas for homework, a small but accessible kitchen, and a bedroom and full bath. The ceilings were 9 feet, so a tray ceiling to anchor the media area was designed with hidden soffit lighting. The kitchen utilizes simple subway tile and easy-maintenance commercial-grade solid surfaces. The bath has hexagonal tile on the floor and floor-to-ceiling subway tile, an effective way to make the space a bit more “bespoke” than “basement.”

SECOND PLACE: Savvy Surrounding Style

9753 Clayton, 314-432-7289, savvyladue.com.

THIRD PLACE: Johnson Design with Johnson Development Co.

11330 Olive, Ste. 317, 314-995-9001, johnsondevelopmentco.com.

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Kitchen (More Than 300 Square Feet)

Winner: K Taylor Design Group

11622 Page Service, 314-610-7288, ktaylordesigngroup.com.

This midcentury-modern house was ready for a bulldozer when the clients called. They needed the house renovated in less than six months, before 150 guests arrived for the couple’s own rehearsal dinner. The designers changed the direction of the kitchen by removing the wall to the dining room and closing off an unnecessary doorway. The sunroom became the dining room, and part of the original kitchen turned into a mudroom. The rift oak custom cabinets are a warm espresso; the island is punctuated with a waterfall-edge wood countertop with microwave drawer, and reclaimed wood shelves are mixed with white brick tile and smoke-colored grout to create a versatile serving area.

SECOND PLACE: RSI Kitchen & Bath

9700 Manchester, 314-961-2000, rsikb.com.

THIRD PLACE: Studio|Durham Architects with Arlene Lilie Interior Design

1856 Menard, 314-664-4575, studiodurham.com; 314-367-4000, arlenelilie.com

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Kitchen (Less Than 300 Square Feet)

Winner: Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com.

After discovering that the ceiling beam did not actually support the roof, the architect and homeowner had it repurposed into the dining room’s table and benches. Both foodies, the homeowners wanted a gourmet kitchen but knew they couldn’t afford one. So they began to collect. They found a 5-foot-wide Sputnik chandelier in a Hollywood prop house. Not visible in the photographs are the Clairtone stereo, Bertoia wire chairs, and Eames and Baby Eames rockers. They bought their appliances from a returned items warehouse. Even the hood was located as a builder castoff.

SECOND PLACE (TIE): Chouteau Building Group with Castle Design

1610 S. Big Bend, 314-781-1991, cbg-stl.com; 7707 Clayton, 314-727-6622, emilycastle.com

SECOND PLACE (TIE): Castle Design with Tao + Lee Associates

7707 Clayton, 314-727-6622, emilycastle.com; 411 N. 10th, Ste. 402, 314-446-0885, taolee.com.

THIRD PLACE: Arlene Lilie Interior Design

314-367-4000, arlenelilie.com.

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Master Suite

Winner: Jamieson Interior Design

4100 Laclede, 314-371-1777, jamiesondesign.com.

This master bathroom in a 1917 Beaux-Arts home was designed using a bisymmetric principle. The Gatsby-inspired Waterworks bathtub on a platform of Nero Marquina marble is aligned on the center axis of the room directly across from the water closet. Flanking the bathtub are two etched-glass doors, a shower behind one and the entrance to the dressing room and bar behind the other. The white Venatino and Nero Marquina marble floor is laid on a diagonal check pattern in a style reminiscent of the 1920s. The walls and applied bolection moldings were lacquered in midnight black.

SECOND PLACE: Beautiful Rooms

636-519-4090, beautifulroomsdesign.com.

THIRD PLACE: Stückenschneider Decoration & Design

9785 Clayton, 314-726-2000, stuckenschneider.com.

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Millwork

Winner: Jamieson Interior Design

4100 Laclede, Ste. 112, 314-371-1777, jamiesondesign.com.

He is a retired physician, and she is a jazz musician and composer. The design firm needed to convert their 6,000-square-foot gray box into a home with a library, sound recording studio, concert grand piano, and entertaining spaces. Through the residence’s double doors, the space opens onto a rectilinear hall with a recessed niche and flanked by classical Doric order pilasters. Compressed arches at either side terminate into groin-vaulted ceilings, creating two adjacent halls leading to two opposing wings. The living room, composed of compressed arches supported by Doric columns, opens to the side hall and the dining room, again with a groin-vaulted ceiling. Deep-paneled jambs with compressed arches allow for a generous transition between the rooms.

SECOND PLACE: Stückenschneider Decoration & Design

9785 Clayton, 314-726-2000, stuckenschneider.com.

THIRD PLACE: Classic Woodworking

9524 S. Broadway, 314-544-0121, classicwoodworkinginc.com.

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Specialty Room

Winner: Fendler + Associates with Fifi Lugo Interior Design,  

5201 Pattison, 314-664-7725, fendlerworld.com; 314-276-6062, fifilugo.com.

Located in a 14-foot-in-diameter tower off of the main entry, the stairs are a sculptural object visible from different vantage points throughout the house. A difficult engineering challenge, the stairs are cantilevered—supported off of the outside wall with no center support. Fearing a conventional handrail would detract from the beauty and simplicity of the design, the designer opted for a small wooden handrail with slender iron balusters. The payoff for climbing the stairs to the top is a small 60-square-foot sitting room with a 360-degree view of the 200-acre property.

SECOND PLACE: K Taylor Design Group

11622 Page Service, Ste. 101, 314-610-7288, ktaylordesigngroup.com.

THIRD PLACE: Beautiful Rooms

636-519-4090, beautifulroomsdesign.com.

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Powder Room

Winner: Jamieson Interior Design

4100 Laclede, Ste. 112, 314-371-1777, jamiesondesign.com.

Located on the main floor of this neoclassical-style residence, the bathroom acts as the formal powder room in addition to serving as the guest bathroom. The vanity was designed and crafted to emulate a neoclassical washstand. The bow-front sink area employs two opposing arcs, a nod to its neoclassical inspiration. Furthering the inspiration of the “Grand Tour” and borrowing from the owners’ vast antiquities collection, several pieces of ancient Roman Attic pottery act to inspire the mood. Bolection wall paneling was added in the Louis XVI style, all of which is lacquered in black and inset with antique mirror plate.

SECOND PLACE: Stückenschneider Decoration & Design

9785 Clayton, 314-726-2000, stuckenschneider.com.

THIRD PLACE: John Philip Ansehl Design

939 W. North, Chicago, Illinois, 312-646-2134.

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Outdoor Living Space

Winner: Agape Construction Company

435 E. Clinton, 314-909-9050, agapeconstruction.com.

The owners of this Kirkwood bungalow wanted a new front porch that would extend their living space. Visitors now enter the house from two steps at the top of the driveway and then walk the length of the covered porch to the front door. The homeowners installed a small stereo system and use their porch to enjoy frequent gatherings with friends as well as their morning coffee each day. The columns along with the gable-style roof over the front door add a new dimension to the house and make it more visually interesting.

SECOND PLACE: John Philip Ansehl Design

939 W. North, Chicago, Illinois, 312-646-2134.

THIRD PLACE: Johnson Design with Johnson Development Co.

11330 Olive, Ste. 317, 314-995-9001, johnsondevelopmentco.com.

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Residential Swimming Pool/Spa or Water Feature

Winner: Liquid Asset Pools

221 Way, 314-822-7946, liquidassetspools.com.

The homeowners’ back yard is more than an acre, but its steep slope prevented them from actually using it. The customers’ objective was to “flatten” out their back yard to make it more usable. The pool plan was added to complement the natural surroundings of the wooded back yard. The entire pool plan is tiered to provide many different outdoor spaces and entertainment areas, including an outdoor kitchen and pergola, bocce ball court, sunken spa with surrounding sitting wall, and “tanning shelf,” as well as the pool itself, with its dark blue Pebble Tec finish.

SECOND PLACE: Liquid Assets Pools

221 Way, 314-822-7946, liquidassetspools.com.

THIRD PLACE: Frisella Nursery

550 Highway F, Defiance, 636-798-2555, frisellanursery.com.

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Modern Interior Design

Winner: Castle Design with Tao + Lee Associates

7707 Clayton, 314-727-6622, emilycastle.com; 411 N. 10th, Ste. 402, 314-446-0885, taolee.com.

This high-rise residence features the perfect blend of drama and harmony, with soaring ceilings and calming clean lines. The new space redefined the meaning of home for the owners, who were downsizing from a 6,000-square-foot suburban residence to a 3,500-square-foot city space. The design team facilitated the transition with an expansive, flowing plan utilizing views and focal points to create a spacious home that is both sleek and modern. The state-of-the-art kitchen is open but separated from the main living space by a simple floating staircase. On the opposite side of the living room, silver cerused oak cabinetry obscures the entry into the master bedroom suite. A dramatic catwalk of rift-cut oak travels down the master bedroom hallway. Care was taken to maximize the space with distinctive details, unique finishes, and contrasting custom casework.

SECOND PLACE: Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com.

THIRD PLACE: Arlene Lilie Interior Design

314-367-4000, arlenelilie.com.

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Traditional Interior Design

Winner: Jamieson Interior Design

4100 Laclede, Ste. 112, 314-371-1777, jamiesondesign.com.

The inspiration for the architecture of this 6,000-square-foot gray box in a Georgian-inspired apartment building was an updated prewar-era apartment with a nod to Rosario Candela. Acting as both architect and interior designer, the firm added sculptural millwork into the space. A palette of predominantly white and blue-gray gives contrast and definition to the art collection and furniture. Continental styles are contained in a crisp monochromatic envelope. Contrasting texture defines the fabrics—from plush to flat-weave, from leather to linen. David Hicks–style patterned carpets punctuate the ebonized herringbone-pattern parquet floors. The gleaming white kitchen evokes the loftiness of the clouds and is an exercise in pristine cabinetry. In this comfortable and refined remix of tradition, rooms are formally defined, in the principle of enfilade, but the spaces remain open, affording a buoyant transfer of light.

SECOND PLACE: John Philip Ansehl Design

939 W. North, Chicago, Illinois, 312-646-2134.

THIRD PLACE: Stückenschneider Decoration & Design

9785 Clayton, 314-726-2000, stuckenschneider.com.

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House of the Year

Winner: Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com.

This atomic ranch home was built in the late 1960s—and hadn’t been touched in four decades. The new homeowners, a young architectural designer and his family, are avid collectors of midcentury-modern furniture and furnishings. So when they found this house on the market, they saw it as the perfect vessel for their design. They immediately opened up the space by removing the walls separating the kitchen from the dining, living, and entry areas. Then they found that the beam they assumed went the length of the kitchen stopped far short. It had to be replaced, and the couple lost a month before even starting construction. The countertop is a single seamless piece of Caesarstone. Not visible in the photographs is the Clairtone and their Bertoia wire chairs and Eames and Baby Eames rockers. There are fewer than 50 Clairtones in circulation: two are in the Playboy Mansion, and Frank Sinatra had four. By being creative, collecting, and repurposing, the homeowners were able to remodel the living areas, kitchen, dining room, and guest bathroom while not going beyond their means. Even their dog was collected from a South Central Los Angeles pound.

SECOND PLACE: John Philip Ansehl Design

939 W. North, Chicago, Illinois, 312-646-2134.

THIRD PLACE (TIE): Schaub+Srote Architects

1045 N. Harrison, 314-822-7006, schaubsrote.com.

THIRD PLACE (TIE): Mitchell Wall Architecture & Design

2 The Pines, 314-576-5888, mitchellwall.com.

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House of the Year Outside of St. Louis

Winner: Stückenschneider Decoration & Design

9785 Clayton, 314-726-2000, stuckenschneider.com.  

A comfortable, traditionally decorated house in Texas, the home was designed specifically for avid equestrians and their guests. The house features an outdoor entertaining area; lap pool with fountains; and a waterfall infinity edge, spa, and outdoor fireplace—all within steps of a great room and family kitchen. The house also incorporates a stable for six horses, girls and boys bunk rooms for up to 24 guests, a master suite, and a gigantic entertaining loft space for casual, relaxed family entertaining on a grand scale. The project features custom millwork inspired by early-20th-century train car travel, as well as traditional stable architecture, allowing for a peaceful retreat in the countryside. A collection of modern furniture and contemporary artwork was blended with family antiques and porcelain for a family- and pet-friendly interior, where the homeowners and their guests can kick back and relax.

SECOND PLACE: Helix Architecture + Design

10004 Litzsinger, 314-496-9150.

THIRD PLACE: Milieu LLC

314-239-7811, milieullc.org.