Name: Nathan & Hannah (Foxy, our long-haired Chihuahua)
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Size: 1362 square feet
Years lived in: 5
Eero Saarinen's Gateway Arch is the tip of the mid-century iceburg in the Saint Louis area. Case in point: Tucked in among more expected suburban homes, is the gem of Ridgewood, a time capsule of a subdivision, peppered with modern ranch homes built as affordable and efficient homes in the the 50s. Despite their smallish footprints, these homes were built to maximize sense of space through vaulted ceilings, tall windows, and open floor plans. At the time, they represented a new way of thinking, the likes of which were featured in Better Homes and Gardens.
Today, the insides of Ridgewood homes are a mixed bag, with contemporary renovations and "upgrades" ranging in style and quality. Enter Nathan and Hannah, part of a small community of people buying these homes and slowly restoring them to their original modest glory. Instead of adding on, for the past five years the couple has largely taken away, namely coats of of paint covering warm woodwork on sliding doors and ceiling beams throughout the house. They've also shown an admirable devotion to finding furniture appropriate in period and/or scale. (If anyone is interested, the leftover spoils of their estate sale and craigslist hunts are listed on Etsy).
Fittingly, their space is as neat as a pin (all year round we're told) without extraneous furniture or needless ornamentation. Perhaps because it's their mission to lead by example - to showcase their home (in part through the website Modern Ridgewood), and educate others on the benefits and beauty of their chosen neighborhood and its architectural concept. It is hardly a modest endeavor.
Apartment Therapy Survey:
My/Our style: Mostly mid century and Danish modern, with a mix of some newer complimentary pieces.
Inspiration: Inspiration for us can come from just about anywhere, magazines, vintage design books, art, photography, fabric, furniture, etc.
Favorite Element: Open floor plan. Even though our house isn’t very large, it has a great flow while still providing some separation of the more private areas from the public spaces. All of the main living areas have easy access to the covered patio. This makes outdoor entertaining and enjoying the back yard a great way to expand our living space.
Biggest Challenge: One challenge has been furnishing our space. We moved into the house from a small one bedroom apartment. It has taken us some time to find some of the furniture and other items to fill the space. We have also swapped out a lot of pieces as we find something new or different.
What Friends Say: Anyone who hasn’t been here before usually comments on how much larger the house seems on the inside. We have some friends who share styles similar to ours, but even those who don’t usually find our space to be very comfortable.
Biggest Embarrassment: Floors. Neither one of us are big fans of the carpet, and it’s something we hope to change that soon. Second on the list would be the kitchen. Although it is perfectly functional, and was new when we moved in, the materials and finishes are not our choice.
Proudest DIY: Restoring the closet doors, pocket doors, and beams. All of the woodwork in the house had been painted over prior to us moving in. Refinishing some of the wood elements added warmth and texture that was lacking, and helped restore some of the period detailing original to the house.
Biggest Indulgence: Probably the sofa in the second living room, but it was worth it since we use it so much.
Best advice: If you are looking to buy or rent, don’t get something at the top of your budget. We haven’t, and it has allowed us to make improvements and find furnishings to make our place our own.
Dream source: We are always on the hunt at antique shops, thrift stores, Craigslist and estate sales. Sometimes, half the fun is searching and finding items that need a little TLC. It would be great to find that one little shop somewhere that has never done an internet search for “Eames”.
Resources:
Couches: The smaller sofa in the living foom is the "Bantam" from Design Within Reach, which we purchased as a floor sample. The two-piece sectional sofa in the TV room we custom ordered from Thomasville.
Dining Table: The dining table is also from Thomasville, and was from the same collection as the sectional sofa. The dining chairs and sideboard are from Crate & Barrel.
Hutch: The dining hutch was a craigslist find.
Radios: All of the radios are from antique shops/thrift stores/flea markets, with the exception of one or two which I got on ebay.
Eames Lounge: My dream chair was a recently craigslist find!
Dressers: The dresser in our bedroom was a local ebay purchase, and the chest of drawers in the guest room is from TFA.
Office cabinet: Also from TFA.
Patio table and chairs: We got this set at Sears (if you can believe it!).
Butterfly Chairs: I got the frames on craigslist, and the new seat covers are from LeLu, an outdoor/patio shop in Des Peres.
(Thanks, Nathan & Hannah!)
Images: Ann Manubay, Dabney Frake
Ah I love the bedroom vanity and the vintage TV! So much wonderful stuff here. The paint colors are perfect, too. They really warm the place up. I didn't even notice the carpeting so don't be embarrassed by it! New, more interesting dining room chairs would make the space even more amazing!
view missarahjessica's profile
Nice! Love your living room but that dining room furniture needs some help...too genetic for my taste.
I would also add something tall next to the sofa to break up a space abit...and perhaps get warmer looking frame over the sofa?
view MonicaK's profile
This place has a great vibe. It feels vintage enough, but with a fresh, modern edge. I really, really, really like it. Nice job.
view creative license's profile
MonicaK, I know you meant "generic," but "genetic" is funnier.
view creative license's profile
Beautiful house. I love the front yard and that sectional sofa is lovely. I have a similar dining set -- my chair are almost identical. Love the entire house!
view fastkat's profile
Funny, I'm from around here originally and am also a big fan of TFA, and yet I've never heard of Ridgewood. Definitely a well-kept secret.
view hindulovegod's profile
Wow. This is amazing.
I am often under-whelmed by straight mid-century homes. It often seems boring to ape an era so completely and I usually think it takes more skill to cultivate pieces from many different eras and blend them. However, this is a huge exception. The home itself is absolutely stunning and as for decorating, you can tell that each piece was chosen with care and serves a purpose. It's impeccable.
view gibbler's profile
Oh, I love it. My dream house, pretty much.
view mizK's profile
Fantastic! Hats off to you guys for restoring a mid-century classic. Mid-west Coast Modernism at it's best!
view evad's profile
Great job, Nathan and Hannah. I sold custom drapes for the Crestwood Sears some 3 decades ago and remembering being in one of the Ridgewood homes. I thought the home was fascinating then and your home certainly rekindles that fascination.
I too live in a post and beam home, have found super buys at TFA, subscribe to Atomic Ranch and have a patio set from Sears. Mostly my home's furnishings were found by Alex and Becky who have booths at Treasure Isles in Maplewood. I have not been so lucky with Craigslist nor was I so lucky researching the builder and architect for our nearby subdivision.
view rosejj's profile
What a great place -
Kudos on keeping/not painting the beautiful Luan Mahogany sliding doors!!!
view bepsf's profile
This is clearly a loved home, and the owners have clearly sought out a LOT of top-quality mid-century pieces. But this feels like the set of a movie to me. It doesn't feel like anyone lives here, and other than the microwave, dishwasher and laptop, I fail to see many modern influences. It's seems a bit like a very pretty time capsule.
view Kris0218's profile
I love Ridgewood! My in-laws live just blocks away, and I've often taken a run through just to soak up all that mid-century goodness. My mother-in-law does not understand my adoration and refers to the houses as "the slabs."
view matchbookhymnal's profile
nice collection... almost looks like old photographs
the turquoise lamps are snazzy... have you toyed with adding more color?
view sunan's profile
"the slabs" I love it! St. Louis is way to worried about basements.
view NWW's profile
I feeling serious lamp/lighting fixture envy here. Also coveting the paired Baumritter Danish arm chairs. Very nice, indeed.
view k2yhe's profile
You have some amazing furniture. The orange door won me over.
view LovelyFrugalHermit's profile
Love all the old style radios!!! The lamp featured in foto #7, the one that looks like a Japanese parasol, is so cute I want to scream!!!!
What a cute house! Orange door! Bet that got the neighbors fluffed up!!!
view ecuadoriana1's profile
Nice job! MCM usually leaves me a bit cold, but I feel a lot of warmth here. And I second (third, fourth?) the cool turquoise lamp vote.
The only room I feel is too literal for my taste is the living room. It seems more set-like than the rest of the house, but I still think it looks clean and well proportioned.
And I really LOVE the outside, front of the house. And the furry friend. :-)
view surfjack's profile
This is amazing, I felt transported to the 50s. Reminds of the movie setup for "Revolutionary Road" it has the same feeling. The only thing I would do is update the flooring. Get some terrazo or hardwood. I would only keep the carpet in the TV Room.
view pachiv's profile
This is amazing. Every inch of it.
view nik111's profile
I have to pretty much agree with Kris0218.
There are loads of things here that I swoon over, individually, but en masse there's just something missing... there are no surprises; nothing unexpected or engaging. It is indeed much like a well dressed film set. Where is the personality? I love when a home tells me something about its inhabitants and their lives, rather than simply demonstrating that "these folks love mid century and danish modern furniture and have a lot of nice pieces."
view hippopo's profile
Love it! And you have the sister dresser to mine! Such awesome lines: http://www.justalittlebit.net/2010/05/18/new-dresser-modern-mobler/
Love the walls colors, so soothing and simple.
Laura
http://www.justalittlebit.net
view Laura @ Just a Little Bit's profile
I absolutely love this house. I actually think the carpet looks great. I don't think the house feels cold or generic (or genetic, for that matter); I think it feels very neat and tidy and sweet. The house doesn't feel overwhelmed by stuff. I think it's amazing.
view MisaL's profile
I like how roomy your home is spotless, and feels calm and roomy. Is it a 3/2? What's TFA? Thanks for the tour.
view Miami's Elaine's profile
Thanks! - It's a 3 bed 1 bath. TFA is "The Future Antiques", a shop specializing in mid century furniture, etc. here in St. Louis.
view NWW's profile
Love the rug in the living room...does anyone know where it's from?
view jscolas1's profile
Thank you for the information. My 3/2 1,324 sq. ft. 1954 home is similar in architecture. It has an L-shaped living-dining room, and doesn't have the second living room that yours does. I was trying to visualize your floor plan to figure out how to make mine feel more spacious, like yours does. I'll borrow some of your ideas from your very pleasant home. Thanks again for sharing.
view Miami's Elaine's profile
Love your house! It only makes waiting harder while my hubbie and I wade through closing on a similar gem in your neighborhood. For now we will remain inspired by your hard work as we dream about paint colors and what the heck to do with all of the possibilities ahead in Ridgewood!
view lilletrouge's profile
nice place. I'm also from stl and wanted to direct you to a new antique store in my neighborhood: cool stuff, real cheap. It's at Virginia & Bates right next to Iron Barley. Not as well stocked as TFA, but GREAT deals on MCM...
view 47rustynails's profile
beautiful things in a beautiful home. but I am overwhelmed by mid-century fatigue. it is all starting to feel like a retro fifties diner, a thin retro metaphor to contextualize yourself in.
view matthewg's profile
Love a mid-century modern Scandinavian home. This is perfect!
view thatsnotmyage's profile
loved the house arvhitecture so late 50 ties and the house inside very nice furniture very well done. Especially loved the lamps, the blue lasmps and the black and white one they are most interesting the only thing i did not like was the wall to wall carpeting and another carpet on top of that . I prefer floors, carpets just gather dust and stains .
view manequin's profile
Completely drool worthy!
view spinsLPs's profile
Utterly gorgeous! Congratulations on achieving perfection.
view coarsetalk's profile
I almost put an offer on a house in this neighborhood but, alas, it was taken off the market the day we went for a second viewing. It even had a gravel roof! We ended up buying a brick home in south city St. Louis, which we love and has a full basement (which are rare in Ridgewood). I recently saw an identical but wider hutch at Treasure Aisles For $100 and ever since have been kicking myself for not buying it! You guys have done an amazing job.
view aislefour's profile
Are those chairs in your living room by Grete Jalk? I had one just like it!! Soooo wish I had two though!
view caitnorman's profile
The living room chairs are by Baumritter, it is nice to have a pair!
view NWW's profile