Editor's Note: Being invited into someone's home is a gift

I think that we glean more information about people when we visit them on their own turf than we do from a conversation across a restaurant table, no matter how connected we might feel.

by

A few months ago, an invitation appeared in my email with the subject line: Dinner some Saturday night? I clicked on it right away. Maybe it’s a consequence of my job, but I’ll pass on reservations to the hottest new restaurant in town if the alternative is an evening spent with friends at home—mine or otherwise. The invitation from a certain St. Louis–based designer suggested that we come casually dressed for dinner on an unusually warm fall weekend night. I was more than happy to oblige. 

I think that we glean more information about people when we visit them on their own turf than we do from a conversation across a restaurant table, no matter how connected we might feel. The luxury of being invited in is the chance to learn who your hostess is—and, more intriguingly, who she aspires to be. 

That’s the spirit behind this issue’s “Designers at Home” feature. We reached out to five St. Louis–based architects, designers, and retail shop owners and asked them to invite us over. Susan Bower, Amy Studebaker, Ronnie Vinton, Anna Weiss, and Justin Maine and Michael Wyrock each replied with an enthusiastic yes. Their stories and our photos are a reminder of how special it is to get to know a person through their home, their use of color (or not), the furnishings and  décor that they select. Our house feature takes a similar deep dive into fashion designer Anjali Kamra’s stylish surroundings. When I first visited with her, last spring, I could see right away that her house had a story to tell. Kamra is a fashion designer first, but after listening to her talk about her home—the care, the detail, the thought behind every fabric and furniture choice—I was convinced that she’d enjoy an equally impressive career as an interior designer. 

And that’s not all. This is a New Year, so we’ve packed our pages with many more inspiring St. Louisans. Don’t miss fashion designer Yasi Fayel’s story, artist Greta Coalier’s profile, and our interviews with basket weaver Pat Moore and eyewear designer Neil Bardon of Saint Rita Parlor. Charlene Oldham’s story “Designed by Eames” is a must-read for those who appreciate historic architecture and are committed to its preservation. 

Sign up for the Design newsletter to receive the best home, design, and style content in your inbox every Wednesday.
Or, check out all of our newsletters.