On a tree-lined cul-de-sac in the heart of Kirkwood lies a clutch of modest Midcentury Modern split-level homes designed by famed local architect Harris Armstrong. In 2018, Sal and Claire Primo moved back to St. Louis, Claire’s hometown, from Austin, Texas, and purchased one of the development’s 10 houses. They moved in with daughter Stella, now 6, and a son, Enzo, was born a year later.
The Primos, both industrial designers, are drawn to 1950s architecture and its signature clean lines, open living spaces, and large windows that erase the boundaries between indoors and outdoors. At the time of their search, the 1,500-square-foot house was one of the only Midcentury houses on the market, so they were quick to act on it. With other competitive bids in play, the couple wrote the sellers a letter expressing their fervent desire to preserve the home’s design. It worked.
Despite their desire to own the house, with its high ceilings and exposed heavy timber framing, they were not blind to its small, closed-off galley kitchen and tiny bathrooms that had been previously renovated on a budget. An awkward sunken addition off the kitchen felt cut off from the rest of the home. The couple needed to find a way to make the place function for their growing family.
Miranda Kimberlin
Claire had read about Studio Lark in an article detailing one of the St. Louis firm’s Midcentury renovations. In 2019, she and Sal engaged principals Jessica and Aaron Senne to provide high-level concepts for enlarging their kitchen, redesigning two bathrooms, and integrating the addition to make better use of the space.
“Families in the 21st century generally want larger, more open kitchen areas that are more conducive to cooking and entertaining,” says Jessica, “and more generously scaled bathrooms.”
Once the couple was ready to move forward, in the fall of 2020, they reconvened with the Sennes to begin the serious design work.
Miranda Kimberlin
“They did their research,” Sal says. “They presented three concepts we could choose from and were really collaborative.”
The most critical piece was raising that sunken addition to the level of the rest of the house and removing the walls between it and the kitchen/dining room. This permitted the creation of an open kitchen with a large island and an adjoining dining room. The other significant design decision was to steal small amounts of space from both the hallway leading to the bedrooms and from two closets in the guest bath and primary bedroom, allowing the Sennes to rotate both the primary and guest bathrooms by 90 degrees and make them larger. “We often work in architecturally significant homes,” says Jessica. “Our main priority with such projects is to celebrate what is special architecturally about a residence and then upgrade and update it for contemporary lifestyles.”
The team opted for a palette of natural materials, including continuous-grain walnut, terrazzo, and ceramic tile, contrasting light and dark tones that complement the home’s architecture.
“I had a vision for the materials. I wanted it to reference Midcentury and the design and the patterns they’d typically use but with a modern take on it,” says Claire. Adds Jessica: “It’s a small space. We wanted it to be a tight palette so it wouldn’t appear overworked or busy.”
Studio Lark collaborated with Full Circle Design Works, which functioned as both contractor and cabinet maker. The dark walnut is offset by clean white quartz countertops. On the front and sides of the kitchen island, Studio Lark used Richlite paneling, made from compressed recycled paper, in keeping with the Primos’ desire to use sustainable materials. The product comes in sheets, allowing it to be custom fabricated in a vertical striated pattern.
Full Circle refinished the original hardwood floors, lightening them to provide a contrast with the cabinetry and to match the new white oak flooring in the dining room. The Primos chose large-format terrazzo tile for the bathroom floors, foyer, and living room hearth.
When the time came to select finishes, Sal and Claire’s design background came in handy. The neutral palette they chose allows their collection of colorful art and textiles to shine.
“The best projects come from the best collaborations with clients,” says Jessica. “[The Primos] were invested, they were engaged, and they recognized the value of the Harris Armstrong house that they had.”
