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Photography by Alise O’Brien
Homeowner Dawn Sturmon
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Photography by Alise O’Brien
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Photography by Alise O’Brien
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Photography by Alise O’Brien
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Photography by Alise O’Brien
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Photography by Alise O’Brien
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Photography by Alise O’Brien
Get rid of anything that doesn’t bring joy. Dawn Sturmon took that lifestyle mantra to heart when she moved her family from their historic University City house to a 1936 home in Ladue.
Since reading the bestselling book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, Sturmon has considered herself an “ace de-clutterer.” Although the family gained space in their new place, they only packed what was truly special to come along with them. Just a year after Sturmon and her family moved in, the bright, inviting design is a meditation on simplicity. Sturmon calls the style “down-to-earth glamour.”
The space channels the chicness of a Central West End loft, but its bones are classic St. Louis, sprawling over more than 5,000 square feet. The McDonnells of airplane-building renown were early residents; recent owners renovated the home in 2007, and the Sturmons purchased it in December 2014. Dawn and her husband, Mark, wanted more space to raise their sons, Ben, 9, and Jonny, 8, who can be found kicking a soccer ball through the halls at any moment.
“I didn’t want my home to feel pretentious,” Dawn says. “It’s comfortable and chill—sophisticated but with a little bit of a rock star edge, which fits me and my family.”
By eliminating the unnecessary, Dawn made room for fun. She worked with designer Marci Marsh of Frill Home, whose style is also decidedly unfussy. The first item on the design duo’s agenda? Whitewashing the walls—all of them, and adding back wallcoverings sparingly. The pair chose Sherwin-Williams’ Zurich White to create a canvas for Dawn’s collection of local art, eclectic furniture, and textiles from family travels.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALISE O’BRIEN
“Painting all of those walls the same color was the backdrop for everything. It was like cleaning house,” Marsh says. “We made the walls our palette, and then we slowly added in what felt appropriate for each space.”
Off the foyer sits the study, where the family spends the most time. The boys complete homework in two navy velvet chairs, and Sturmon sits nearby on a sunny yellow settee. She covered the floor in a vintage pink rug—in a house full of guys, she has splashed her favorite hue wherever she can. A 5-by-5-foot painting by St. Louis artist Alicia LaChance unites the room’s vibrant elements.
The combination of minimalist chic and upbeat fun continues in many custom-upholstered pieces of furniture that nudge classic shapes into modern times. The living room is decorated with accessories from Frill Home and a Robert Abbey chandelier. In the dining room, an Oly Studio table is supported by legs like those of a horse, and golden F. Schumacher wallpaper, one of the many touches of wallpaper Sturmon features throughout her home, glistens like flutes of champagne.
In fact, when Mark asked Dawn what she wanted for her birthday, she responded, “Wallpaper for my closet.” She found a print she loved from Instagram—a throwback banana leaf pattern from Katie Kime that channels classic Los Angeles glamour—and ordered both the wallpaper and a dress in the design. The bold-but-simple theme continues into the master bedroom, where Lorca fabric covers the headboard and a mantle displays favorite art. The nightstand, by Mr. & Mrs. Howard, is built of metal and mahogany, with a honed-limestone top. In the bathroom, a Clarke & Clarke wall covering lends big personality to a small space.
The Sturmons aren’t afraid to acknowledge the past in their new home—they’re just more excited about making room for the present. “The moment I walk in the front door,” Sturmon says, “I know this is where I’m supposed to be.”
