House of Lou

What’s it like to run a booth at a local antique mall? In this episode of House of Lou, Veronica goes straight to the pros to find out. She’s joined by Jen Farley of Persnickety by Jen Farley and Sarah Staley of Velvet Peach Vintage—both vendors at The Hill Antique Market, but with distinctly different styles: Jen’s eclectic mix of antique and contemporary, and Sarah’s focus on...

In 1980, 8-year-old Heidi Drexler Stehr began spending her summer vacations on Cape Cod—igniting a love for the New England coast that has followed her ever since. A traditional Cape Cod shingled home, built by her maternal grandparents, is the nucleus of her memories. And that house, as well as the life Heidi and her family experienced there, is the beating heart of a newly published, nearly 300-page coffee table b...

In this episode of House of Lou, host Veronica Theodoro chats with Laura Dooley, owner of LoKey Designs, and Nicole Walter, greenhouse buyer for Garden Heights Nursery. The topic of their conversation is decorating the home with plants and it all kicks-off with each woman sharing the story behind their current favorite houseplant and planter. Like all design elements, plants have the power to infuse a space with beau...

At last month’s Architect & Designer Awards event, interior designer Meagan Cooperman took home the award for best Transitional Interior Design, a new category introduced this year to the magazine’s long-running design competition. That same night, Meagan was delighted to learn that her work had also made the April cover of St. Louis Magazine, marking a first for the local designer. In this episode of Hous...

In this episode of House of Lou, take a walk outside with garden expert Derek McKay—manager of Frisella Nursery and host of the gardening blog Derek Dino Garden Guy. Veronica and Derek delve into the world of fragrance in the garden, an aspect of garden design that is often, surprisingly, overlooked. Learn how and when to use fragrant flowers, plants, and trees to deploy maximum pleasure for the senses. Watch the episode on Y...

In this episode of House of Lou, host Veronica Theodoro is joined by the multifaceted St. Louis designer Retta Tussey. Their conversation takes us on a years’-long journey through Retta’s career as an interior designer, to the launching of her fashion brand Retta Jane, and the opening—this fall—of a showroom and reading room in Clayton. We can’t wait to see what that project looks like!&...

In this episode of the podcast, Meghan Heeter discusses her transition from full-time interior designer to design principal at Ättlingar, the company she founded with former client Siri Eklund. Dedicated to designing and crafting historically inspired medicine cabinets, mirrors, and other accessories for the bathroom, each piece is handmade in the USA using traditional Swedish woodworking techniques. But, as we discover during...

Susan Barrett, of Barrett Barrera Projects in St. Louis, is Veronica’s podcast guest this month. Many of you may know of Susan through her work in the art world, where she develops exhibitions for tour, produces artists’ collaborations, and provides management and consultation of private art collections. In today’s episode, Susan shares the exciting details of a new, years-long project that helped transf...

It’s time to decorate the Christmas tree! This month, Veronica welcomes Rae Sutton of Three French Hens and Suzanne Miller of Papier Lys to the pod. Together, the group gets into the weeds about the joys—and challenges—of creating a beautiful and memorable tree in time for the holidays. Who is camp faux? And who still decorates a real tree? What are the upsides and downsides of each? From tree ...

For 15 years, Danielle Kalish worked as a shoe designer at Caleres, an experience that she says sharpened her eye for style and taught her the intricacies of craft and materiality. A creative with a sharp mind for business, Danielle has always harbored a passion for the home, too, and a few years ago made the decision to leave her job in fashion and turn full time to interior design. In this episode of House of Lou, Veron...

In this episode of House of Lou, Veronica welcomes Kate Pollmann and Jessica Conway, owners of Sugarcoat Home, to talk about shopping estates sales, finding treasures where (and when!) you least expect them, and how we can all create beautiful, unique spaces when we follow our heart’s desire. Kate and Jessica also share Sugarcoat’s origin story, insights about working together, and their hopes and dreams ...

Melinda Klinghammer is the owner of designer showroom Design & Detail, a company she helped found 20 years ago in St. Louis. On the eve of the showroom’s special 20th anniversary, Melinda joins host Veronica Theodoro to talk about her work life in the field of design. Melinda, whose background is in finance and accounting, has helped steer the company’s growth, including the opening of a second showroom locatio...

Before the tornado on May 16, 2025, Ali Rand was a self-described wife and stay-at-home mom of 5, living in the Central West End. Today, she’s the guiding force behind a grassroots volunteer movement born of devastation but motivated by a love for her adopted hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. Mere days after the storm, Ali sprung into action, inspiring volunteers from across St. Louis to join her in helping the victims of an F...

In this episode of House of Lou, Veronica digs into the topic of gardening for beginners. Joining her this month are Lee Cagle and Megan Clinton, two women with varied and extensive experience in the garden. Cagle is a manager of the Central West End Farm, and Clinton, a master gardener, is the owner of Garden Edit. Together, they talk us through the basics of home gardening, share their personal processes, and the inspiring s...

In this episode of House of Lou, Veronica explores the topic of home renovations, a subject that has become even more relevant as St. Louisans grapple with repairs to their homes in the aftermath of the tornado on May 16. Guests Kristin Moomey, an architect with HKW Architects, and Maria Hogrefe, principal and co-founder of C&M Interiors, take us inside their personal renovation stories, offering their exper...

In this special episode of House of Lou, host Veronica Theodoro chats with interior designer Caryn Boultinghouse about her exciting win at the 2025 Architect & Designer Awards. Boultinghouse talks about being a first-time winner in the Best of Outdoor Living category, why outdoor spaces should mirror interior rooms, and how to make the most of a backyard, patio, or terrace. What are Veronica’...

In this second episode of a two-part series (Part 1: How to Work with an Interior Designer), Veronica goes deep with interior designers Karen Korn and April Jensen about their careers, working with clients, and designing rooms from start to finish. Get the inside story from the point of view of the pros, as Karen and April pull back the curtain on the client-designer relationship. This is an open, fun conve...

In this episode, host Veronica Theodoro interviews two local homeowners about what it’s really like to work with an interior designer. Forget about all the myths you’ve heard and join Pia Koster and Sydney Loughran Wolf as they welcome us inside their homes, revealing both the ups and downs of navigating a design project. Plus, find out which areas of the house our guests have their eyes set on next. This is a...

Interior designer Brett Clark of Design Collective STL and his client, Jennifer Duncan, share the details of a recent kitchen remodel set in a historic house designed by Gale Henderson. Through their shared experience, we get an inside look at what it's like to transform an outdated 90s-era kitchen into a functional, elegant space for both cooking and gathering.

Why is knowing the client so important to design ...