On a cold day like today, there’s no better place to be than in a hearth room, where the drinks are warm and a fire is crackling in the background. We gathered 10 of our favorite fireplace designs from past home stories to inspire your next home project. This week, we also share a story about three local artists and the stories behind their work. We go inside a renovated gingerbread-style house, and I chat with stylist Laura K. Sawyier, who gets us up to speed on chic ski fashion. Until next time.
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INTERIOR DESIGN
Get inspired by 10 cozy fireplace designs
Hearth rooms are the heart of the home, bestowing both ambiance and warmth.
Three St. Louis artists share the stories behind their work
Betty Toler Turner was sightseeing in San Francisco one cool spring day in the 1980s when she saw an older woman on the sidewalk who was wearing a fur coat and playing a keyboard. “She was just interesting to me,” Turner recalls. “I asked if I could take her picture.” The woman said yes, so Turner snapped the photo, took it home, and used it to create an oil painting. More than three decades later, her daughter Keita Turner, an interior designer in New York, posted a photo of the painting on Instagram. “My mom has always found the beauty in her subjects and their surroundings,” she wrote. “This piece reminds me to also appreciate the beauty and goodness in all people, no matter where they are stationed in life.” The post generated dozens of likes and comments. It was one of several works by the accomplished artist that have found new life on Instagram.
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In South City, a renovated gingerbread-style house retains its historic charm
Curbside Appeal: Original brick exterior, gracious front porch, and custom-designed, glass-panel door
Location: Less than a 10-minute drive to Forest Park and easy access to two major highways
Layout: This 2,500-square-foot home is a quaint gingerbread-style house in the heart of St. Louis. Built in 1932, it recently underwent a significant remodel before going on the market. An accent shiplap wall leads from the entry into the living room, which features a stone-surround gas fireplace with more navy shiplap above the mantle. The kitchen design is classic: gas stove, subway tile, and hardwood floors that match the floors throughout the first story, which includes two bedrooms and a bathroom. The primary bedroom is on the second floor. It’s complete with two closets, a bathroom with a sliding barn door, and a spacious sitting area. The finished lower level offers more living space with a bedroom, bathroom, laundry room, and large closet.
Amenities: Landscaped backyard with patio space for gathering and entertaining, as well as a pebble-stone path leading to a fire pit
Seller: Christy and Mike Jacks, Flipping Saint Louis, 314-406-0416
Design STL's On the Market posts are editorial. Featured properties are selected by editors.
WHAT I LOVE: SKI STYLE
St. Louis-based fashion stylist Laura K. Sawyier (pictured above in Jackson Hole, Wyoming) knows a thing or two about fabulous clothes and footwear. As the founder and CEO of LKS Consulting, she advises women of all ages about their wardrobes, with the aim of helping them look and feel their best. But Sawyier's expertise isn't limited to the fashion runway. She's also a style expert in what to wear on the slopes. With ski season in full swing, we asked the former competitive, high school skier to share her tips for looking stylish and staying warm on-piste.
What should a first-time skier pack for a ski trip? Layers, layers, layers. The most important layer is your outer layer, so you want to have a warm jacket and warm pants, preferably ones that are insulated. These [items] are usually made out of Gore-Tex fabric, so they’re breathable and lightweight but they’re also water-resistant and windproof. Your pants can either be a pull-on pant, or you can do a bib. It’s a preference.
What’s with all of the zippers on jackets? Zippers are your friends. You want a front zipper on your jacket. You also want to make sure you have pockets. I prefer not to ski with a backpack—some people do, [but] I just throw as much as I can into my pockets. The other thing with zippers is that you want to have breathable zippers that open up your clothing.
Describe some of the different looks you see on the slopes. This was my sport growing up, so I definitely lean into the sporty aesthetic. What that means is that you're going to be in a pant or a bib, and then you’re going to have a jacket. There’s the super-glam, fabulous-chic style, which I think is beautiful. It's a full onesie with pants, a long-sleeve jacket, and a furry hood. They’re typically belted or cinched around the waist. The last style is the retro approach. You can go the Slim Aarons–style, which is the quintessential 1960s ski chalet vibe, or you can go a little bit more '80s and '90s. I saw someone just the other day in a printed onesie that looked like [it had] Saved by the Bell graphics all over it.
What is après ski? It translates to “after skiing.” The best way that I can articulate it is it’s the ultimate celebration. You’re in a cozy setting with the people you just ripped down the mountain with. Now you're coming indoors and you just want to keep that good, natural high going. I change out of my ski boots and switch into a thick, tread-like snow boot. I'll wear a fleece-lined legging, and I'll have my knee-high performance ski socks on.
If you had to choose your favorite ski accessory, what would it be? I love socks, and there are so many performance ski socks out there. I like Fusalp for liners, but you can do Smartwool. I tend to wear black and white as my ski gear. My helmet is silver, but my ski socks are neon orange, blue, or bubblegum pink. They’re just my little funky under layer that nobody really knows about until we après ski, of course. They're out, and they're a good conversation starter.
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