Courtesy Katie Jones
Katie Jones, University City
Numerous trips throughout the years to Charleston, South Carolina, inspired homeowner Katie Jones to substitute the original, electric light above her front door for a gas lantern. “I fell in love with the Old World charm of gas lanterns,” she says.
Courtesy Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights
“We live in a 1928 Tudor and the front light was so horrible," she says. "It was also tiny and didn’t give off a lot of light.” Jones’ husband was reluctant to make the change. He thought the switch from electricity to gas would alter the appearance of the home. But a visit to the Bevolo store in New Orleans made him reconsider the project. Making the switch, in turned out, was relatively easy. Back at home, they hired Academy Air to run a gas line above the front door. “They didn’t have to take apart the house,” says Jones. “They connected a very small line to the existing gas line in our front yard, dug a trench, and then ran it up the exterior of the brick. It’s so small you’d never notice it.” Once the gas was connected, Jones’ husband installed Bevolo's “London Street” lantern. “The change is remarkable,” she says. “It is a small thing, but made a big difference.”
Courtesy Sophie Liebermann
Sophie Liebermann, Clayton
Sophie Liebermann was tired of looking at piles of sports equipment, tennis shoes, and book bags littered across her living room floor. With little to no closet space near the home's front entrance, Liebermann decided to take matters into her own hands: Working with her husband, the couple designed a cabinet system around the front window in the living room, featuring two full-length cabinets for coats and three drawers beneath a window seat for shoes and bags. Friends helped the couple frame the unit, and the Liebermanns sourced the doors and drawer fronts from B&B Door, in Jackson, Missouri. Singer Sewing Room of Ballwin made the blue-velvet cushion for the window bench. “This built-in brought peace to my home,” says Liebermann. “Not only is it visually appealing, but we gained a seating area and storage. Everything has a place.”
Courtesy Leah Curran
Leah Curran, Chesterfield
The Currans decided to redo their backyard patio during the heart of the pandemic, hiring Big Bend Landscaping and KMI Construction to remove one door and two standard-sized windows and replace them with a large, sliding-glass door. “The door gives us more access to the backyard and allows so much light in,” says Curran. “It feels like you're outside even when you’re in the kitchen.” The homeowners purchased the door from Lowe’s, but hired the pros to install it. “Once the door arrived—after a long COVID-related shipping delay—the project took only a day. We didn’t need a beam for structural support, so that made it much easier,” says Curran. The new, 9- by 10-foot wall of glass has changed the way the family lives. “It extended our living space. [Before the renovation] I wasn’t able to open the door because there wasn’t a screen on it. Now—with the sliding door—it’s open all the time,” says Curran. “I love the access to the yard and the fresh air.”
Courtesy Margaret McCarthy
Margaret McCarthy, Town and Country
When Margaret McCarthy moved into her new ranch home, the cherrywood cabinets in the kitchen were too dark for her liking. She hired DAVID Decorative Painting to give the cabinets a facelift. DAVID removed the doors and drawers and sprayed them with Analytical Gray by Sherwin-Williams; the kick plates and cabinet frames were painted by hand. According to McCarthy, the cabinets were in good condition, so they didn’t need to be sanded first. “The process was seamless,” she says. “The only thing I would warn people about is that cabinets need to cure for about three weeks after they’re reassembled," she says. "We weren’t living in the house at the time, so it wasn’t an issue for us, but that’s a long time to go without your kitchen.”
