Veronica Theodoro

 HOME + DESIGN NEW CLOTHING BOUTIQUE Lander Haus Mercantile  This lifestyle boutique in downtown Kirkwood offers apparel with a Western-inspired aesthetic, from natural-fiber cotton and linen pieces to eyelet dresses, blouses, button-downs, premium denim, and artisan-made cowboy T-shirts. There’s also a rotating selection of carefully selected vintage items.  NEW NATIONAL CHAIN Herman Miller Herman Miller’s […]

My favorite place to spend time in the summer is my garden, which I realize sounds a little crazy considering the heat. But there’s something peaceful about stepping outside in the evening, pouring a glass of wine, and enjoying a little al fresco dinner surrounded by everything that’s growing around us. The garden feels beautiful, […]

If you think of the design of a room as a layering process—first comes the layout, then the furniture, followed by the textiles—then don’t worry too much about when you make your selections for the windows. In other words, windows don’t need to be set in stone from the start.  It is important, though, to […]

Open floor plans are typically associated with new construction and modern architecture—but they’re winning over historic home enthusiasts, too. “Most people love historic architecture and all the detail and craftsmanship that comes with it, but unlike 100 years ago, they now want to entertain and live in these spaces,” says Randy Renner, owner of Period […]

Earlier this month, I spent a glorious week in Paris with my husband. Despite the cloud coverage and almost daily rain, we eagerly set off on foot excited to experience whatever the city had in store for us.  Of course we did some pre-travel planning, including buying advanced museum exhibit tickets and figuring out how […]

A few weeks ago, I received a late-night text from a neighbor. She’s traveling to Italy later this month to visit family she hasn’t seen in 20 years, and was struggling to figure out what gift to take them. “I can’t think of anything that is nicer or tastes better than anything they could find […]

A few weeks ago, I interviewed Laura Dooley, owner of LoKey Designs, and Nicole Walter, greenhouse buyer for Garden Heights Nursery, for the latest episode of my podcast House of Lou. Naturally, we talked about plants — but specifically about how to decorate with them. I left that conversation feeling inspired by their knowledge and […]

Gate technology has come a long way. Not long ago, a dead battery or faulty sensor meant walking down your driveway in the dark to manually let guests in. Today, those scenarios are largely obsolete — but with so many new options on the market, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. Jerry Gianopulos is […]

One year ago, when Rhonda Shoemaker began scouting gardens in preparation for this month’s Open Days, she was on a mission to find a diversity of styles that hadn’t previously participated in the annual tour. “A prairie has never been shown on a St. Louis open day before. A large water-feature garden has not been […]

Serving on the board of your local homeowners association (HOA) is equal parts privilege and predicament. For some, there’s a real benefit to having a seat at the table when decisions are being discussed. For others, the prospect of trading weeknights for spreadsheets—all alongside neighbors you’ll inevitably bump into at the mailbox the morning after […]