DesignSTL May/June 2021

I’VE OFFICIALLY SWAPPED interiors for outdoor spaces as my preferred places to spend extra decorating dollars. This shift in mindset can be traced to last spring, when, collectively, we reassessed the role of porches and patios in our everyday lives, resolving to make these areas as inviting as any room inside the home. My purchase of a teak sofa upholstered in a black nubby cushion fabric for a side patio sealed the deal, and I devoted the rest of the summer to shopping for a complementary mix of tables, chairs, and potted plants. With warmer temps upon us again, I’m compelled to ask: What’s next? Well, the view from that new perch of mine could use a dose of creative thinking. I’m taking inspiration from The Well-Gardened Mind, by Sue…

In an auto shop turned art studio in Midtown, artist Katherine Bernhardt uses spray paint and acrylic to create masterpieces bound for such destinations as New York, London, Brussels, and Tokyo. Leaning against every available wall are canvases-some 12 feet tall-emblazoned with larger-than-life cartoon characters, school supplies, foods, and other everyday objects that, Bernhardt says, are humorous or “don’t go together.” She purchased the 6,000-square-foot space upon her return to St. Louis in August 2019 and worked with Ann Wimsatt, principal architect and co-founder of Cite Works Architects, to completely revamp the building, from the water lines now running under the floor to the roof overhead. “I wanted to provide a place where she could just experiment,” Wimsatt says of the renovation. After living in New York for more than…

CHAUVIN COFFEE Coffee has been the Charleville family business since 1930, but the name Chauvin (a family name) was adopted in 1984, by “Java Joe” Charleville, grandfather of the current co-owners, Dave and Mike Charleville. A passion for coffee is the company’s driving force, first in its early days as Rose Coffee on South Jefferson and now in its current location, in Kirkwood. Connoisseurs are drawn to Chauvin’s artisan coffees, including the flowery Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and the rich La Minita, from Costa Rica. “After our dad, Dave, went to Europe in 1973, he was determined to match the taste of the rich, balanced espressos there,” says Dave. Espresso Oro is a light Northern Italian-style roast; the darker Espresso Traditional is reminiscent of the intense flavors from Southern Italy. “When people…

FEW THINGS BRING out the flavor of a recipe like fresh herbs. Homeowners can grow them in pots or as part of a vegetable garden, use them immediately or store them for cooking later. Here, local experts share the best ways to harvest and store fresh herbs. HARVESTING Once your plants are thriving, it’s important to harvest them correctly so they continue to provide throughout the season. Drew Dinges, assistant store manager and horticulturist with Bowood Farms, suggests harvesting often for bushier and healthier plants, taking about one-third of the plant’s topical growth each time: “Harvest herbs in the morning after the moisture from dew dries but before the heat of the day sets in. This ensures that the herb’s oil content is highest and flavor is at its peak.” Molly…

AVID GARDENER BETSY CUNEO was searching for creative ways to bring nature into her home, turning to all the usual sources such as Pinterest, shelter magazines, and garden websites, with little luck. Inspiration finally struck one evening while she was out to dinner at Peno, in Clayton, where she spotted a 4-by-6-foot wall fashioned entirely of leafy green plants. The structure, sometimes referred to as a “varden”—or vertical garden—is the creation of Webster Groves resident Mark Woolbright, who designs and builds them at his company, Verdant Technologies. A varden is mounted to a wall and outfitted with aluminum casings, plastic trays, drip lines, and mesh “socks” in which to grow plants. A serial inventor and self-described tinkerer, Woolbright received his first patent 30 years ago for the invention of a…

VALERIE KIENZLE’S interest in fashion started with shoes. Members of her husband’s family, including his grandfather and great-great-great-grandfather, worked for the International Shoe Company, founded in St. Louis in 1921 and headquartered inside today’s City Museum building. Kienzle, a Nashville native turned local historian, has written five books about St. Louis and Missouri history. Wanting to learn more about the history of fashion in St. Louis, she started searching through photo archives at the Missouri History Museum and Landmarks Association of St. Louis-and realized that she didn’t want to stop. “I was like a kid going down rabbit holes. It was all so fascinating,” she recalls. But it wasn’t until after she visited the shoe and clothing archives at the Missouri History Museum that she decided to write a book.…