Baileys’ Range, one of my latest design project collaborations, opened recently on the corner of 10th and Olive in downtown St. Louis. During the same week, only a 10 minute walk away, the Cardinals played historically memorable games to win The World Series. Baileys’ Range continues to be a casual dining destination and offers a fun and unique menu including grass-fed local burgers, homemade ice cream shakes (spiked if your old enough), soda pop, local craft beer exclusively, and boozy lemonades.

The design decor includes old windows hung, separating the kitchen from the rest of the two level restaurant. A beautiful fifty foot long bar and a mirroring fifty foot long communal dining table was built by Tyson Rinderknecht, perhaps the longest bar in St. Louis and the first communal dining table for the city. The lighting consists of freezer locker fixtures throughout and large, vintage milk jugs repurposed into pendents. Commissioned photographs by Ricardo Martinez adorn the walls depicting rural and range landscape.

The result is a warm and inviting place to meet up for a beer and try out some of life’s simply paired pleasures, burgers and shakes.

This week’s Time magazine covers The World’s Most Influential People and Chef Grant Achatz is one of them. When my agency asked if I would like to prop style and work with Grant Achatz and photographer Martin Schoeller, I was thrilled to be a part of the mix.

The 28 + chefs working in the Alinea kitchen moved fluidly like silent stage hands, all knowing their individual role, task and how to dance around one another seamlessly. Watching them all with their quiet focus and orchestration was fascinating.

Let’s make it clear here,  I am not a foodie.  But I appreciate good food and anyone who dares to be a modern, if not a postmodern, forward thinker. This chef is testing how we think of food, cocktails and experience dining. Grant Achatz’s new restaurant, Next, takes you to Paris 1906 with the current menu and then, down the road, to another time and place in the world for their Next menu. That is if you can get your hands on tickets.

For the headshot with Grant we used liquid nitrogen to harden up the full headed, Mediterranean shrimps in order to fix them onto his chef’s jacket and style the tentacles. For the chalkboard shot I copied on the board some scientific diagrams that Grant and Martin preferred and we then propped Grant with a live pheasant and then later a dead pheasant, as if he were opening up it’s wings like a book. The pheasant here exemplifying nature is indeed by design, which brings me to mention Achatz’ other new spot, The Aviary.

Regardless of when I will have an opportunity to experience Paris 1906 or the avant-guard not-so-cocktails, these projects and Grant Achatz certainly have my and the world’s attention.

Dive here to read the full article written by Grant’s mentor, Thomas Keller of the French Laundry, in Time Magazine.

Or check out the glob trotting and imaginative Martin Schoeller, talk about shooting three of the top 100 behind the scenes here.

Enter the foyer of one of my dear client’s Georgian Revival home, located on the South Side of Chicago in our president’s home town neighborhood. It becomes illuminated by Italian chandeliers by ITALAmps, which make an impression and set the welcoming tone. The home is stately to say the least and commonly nicknamed. “The White House,” only as you enter this house it is anything but white.

The home was originally designed by architect Benjamin Marshall in 1899, who also designed and built The Drake Hotel, The Blackstone Hotel and Theatre and the South Shore Country Club. Benjamin Marshall was known as being a big people person, witty, well dressed, flamboyant and adored celebrating. Maybe it is perhaps the reason why the home attracts like-spirited individuals.

It has been a pleasure to work on the interior of this home for the last two years with the clients, who are in a word–delightful. We have added joyful touches to breathe life into the home and the resuming results are colorful. Lighting has become an integral tool in shaping the space and flattering the client’s art collection. In my opinion, art is what makes a home feel alive and welcoming, because it means something to you personally and you are then sharing it with your guests.

So if you have an artifact, photograph or painting that you are hiding away, take it out and display it. Live with it over good conversation and a glass of something bubbly. I think the home owners and Benjamin Marshall just might agree.

Entering the dinning, an antique turn of the century, Austrian crystal chandelier found at  New Metal Crafts. The emerald and sunflower oil painting plays off the peony wallpaper by Gaetano

A yellow flower study and crystal lamps found by the client at auction.    

The painting of the horse jumping out of the dark, hung over the fireplace, was a commissioned piece by Linc Thelen

The Riverfront Times reviewed Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar, one of my recent interior design projects.  Ian Froeb wrote about his experience: “You enter into the bar, a space that is awesome in the original sense of the word: Light fixtures like oversize birds’ nests are suspended from the ceiling.” To read the full Riverfront Times article on Bridge click here. Or check out more images of Bridge in my portfolio section.

Bridge is named after the bridge of a violin, which is essential to the tone of the instrument.  This tool became inspiration for the design and sound resonating moods, including a gallery of commissioned studies by photographer Ricardo Martinez. Here are some of his stunning polaroid prints:

photo by Ricardo Martinez

photo by Ricardo Martinez

Check out the full gallery of violin photos by Ricco here….

Bridge is located in downtown St. Louis and is a great spot to chill casually in the city and sample the impressive selection of beer and wine. The food is also quite yummy. Some of my favorites are the gorgonzola and bacon bread pudding and the board called Heartland, which is goat cheese and tomato jam. Remaining one of the most delicious things I have ever put in my mouth. Just another reason to miss and visit St. Louis.