PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER
Two months ago, my two children, my husband, and I moved out of our still-new-to-us city home and into the furnished basement of my in-laws’ Midcentury ranch in Creve Coeur. We knew that this day would eventually come; it was only a matter of when. An extensive kitchen, bathroom, and electrical system overhaul of our 100-year-old home precipitated our move west for the summer.
To most, a move is an unnerving undertaking. Certainly two moves in less than one year will tax even the most adventurous among us. But as a homeowner, I’m more than willing to tolerate the inconveniences of a remodel to achieve the home design I’ve been waiting for. And the journalist in me sees our temporary relocation as just one more story to live. In my book, there’s nothing more exciting than embarking on a new experience. Living far from my usual haunts, away from a well-trodden routine, gives me the opportunity to walk in someone else’s shoes, if only for a short while.
In that spirit of opening oneself to new people and places, we’re introducing a new feature, starting with this issue: We call it “A Day in the Life.” We visit with Genny Cortinovis, the Saint Louis Art Museum’s assistant curator of decorative arts and design. I first met Cortinovis many months ago, while attending the press tour for “St. Louis Modern.” I was thoroughly impressed by her passion for the subject matter and the depth of her knowledge, so I called SLAM to ask whether a photographer and I could spend some time documenting her workday. On a warm spring day in May, we watched Cortinovis in action. Turn to her story for an inside look into all that goes on behind the scenes of an art installation.
In this issue, stories of passionate St. Louisans abound. Take, for example, Diedre Gray, whose dream house is featured in “Charm & Style.” Years ago Gray so loved a house that she penned a letter to its owners to inquire about buying it from them…and it became hers. Gray’s love for her home is reflected in its very personal design.
Likewise, in “Beauty Becomes You,” we meet a young couple who made the leap from a two-bedroom condo into a 7,000-square-foot historic home, bringing only a sofa and a dining room table to furnish it. Despite having little experience with interiors—particularly the high level of design that their new home would call for—the young couple put their love for the house before any apprehensions they might have felt. I think you’ll agree that the end result, achieved under the guidance of designer Joni Spear, is breathtaking.
Ask any working journalist to describe his or her favorite aspect of the job, and the responses you hear will be as varied as the beats they cover. Covering the world of interior design, especially in a city whose homeowners truly take their homes to heart, makes it pretty cool to come to work each day. It’s definitely one of the perks of the job.
