Lisa Houdei was recently leaving a friend’s shop, Honeycomb, when she found herself enamored by the sidewalk. After studying the concrete’s squiggly lines, she rushed home to sketch them. The 31-year-old’s passion to create art transcends media. Under the name LéPonds, Houdei is one of St. Louis’ most soulful songstresses. (You can catch her playing The Grandel on March 27.) During the pandemic, she’s enjoyed her Clifton Heights home’s stillness and invitation to create.
1. We Are Much the Same painting: “I usually don’t even think about what I’m going to do,” she says. “I just start putting the brush to the paint, and then something happens.” Houdei’s inspiration has always been imagination, which might explain the abstraction of the made-up women she paints: “I just love drawing fun people.”
Get a weekly dose of home and style inspiration
Subscribe to the St. Louis Design+Home newsletter to explore the latest stories from the local interior design, fashion, and retail scene.
2. Her style: After often wearing black when she was younger, Houdei now embraces bright looks. “The more crazy the pattern, the better,” she says. “I’ve been overdressed every day; it just adds color to the day.”
3. The house: It’s an art project in itself: Houdei’s spent the last eight years renovating, pairing bold furniture with loud décor, and moving workspaces into the home’s abundant natural light.
4. Sculpture: Houdei surrounds herself with the figurines as she paints. She sculpted her first face in third grade and gave it to her mother. “I just love the expression they’re making,” she says. “Most of their eyes are closed, and they’re just meant to be kind of happy little creatures that sit on your desk.”
5. Red chair: “The poor thing has been scooting around my house,” Houdei says of the Treasure Aisles find. “There’s no perfect spot for it, but I never want to get rid of it.”
6. Green Hands painting: “I’ve heard a couple of times, like, ‘It’s kind of freaky,’ but I think it’s funny,” she says. “It’s meant to be sweet and funny.”
