On the Cover: A dining room designed by Marshall Watson & Reid Dean Ganes; Chouteau Building Group
Photo by Luke White
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A comprehensive guide to non-profit organizations and charitable giving in St. Louis.
Special Section
The Design Issue/ 2nd annual SOPHI Awards.
Highlights from the November/December 2025 Issue
A Pasta Assassin
Brandon Benack shows up to your house looking like he's about to commit a crime. He’s got a gun case slung over his shoulder and a massive cutting board tucked under his arm.
Fear not.
That case holds his collection of antique pasta-making tools. That cutting board becomes the stage for the resurrection of centuries-old Italian pasta traditions that most people have never seen
Text: Christy Marshall
Photo: John Lore
The Midas Touch
Decorative artist Jim Slattery goes to some old drawer in a corner of his studio and pulls out a small 3-inch-square packet. Inside, between slips of apricot-colored tissue —and catching on a bar of early autumn sunlight —are leaves of 23 carat gold (95 percent pure).
“Look,” he says. “One-hundred-thousandth of an inch thick.” He picks at a leaf —thin as the finest membrane —which disintegrates on his fingers. “I love this so much. There’s just something about it.” It is the goldestthing you ever saw. Although Slatteryhas had his own restoration, furniture design and fabricationbusiness —called Gilders Tip –—for almost 40 years, he was not much more than a boy when his great uncle —a master gilder and sign writer —taught him the art of gold leafing. It can be a 20 or so step process, Slattery says, which mostly consists of prep work for inlaying that impossibly gossamer, impossibly beautiful precious metal into frames, signage, tabletops and liturgical furnishings.
Text: Alexa Beattie
Portrait: Kate Munsch
From the Publisher
As we bring this year to a close, I can’t help but feel an enormous sense of gratitude as we prepare to celebrate the 2nd Annual SOPHI Awards. What began last year as an idea to showcase the best of St. Louis architecture, design and building has grown into an inspiring tradition —one that brings together the creative spirit and craftsmanship that make our region extraordinary.
This year, dozens of architects, interior designers, landscape designers, furniture designers and builders have entrusted us with their best work, submitting projects that reflect both innovation and artistry. These submissions were carefully reviewed by 11 distinguished judges from around the country,each lending their expertise to ensure the awards represent the highest level of excellence. To all who shared their work, we thank you for allowing us to shine a spotlight on your talent
Text: Craig Kaminer
The winner of the SOPHI’s first Icon Award;this local photographer is considered a national treasure.Alise O'Brien didn't set out to become St. Louis's most sought-after architectural photographer.
Like many compelling career stories, hers began with a series of serendipitous "of courses" –those pivotal moments when opportunity knocked and she confidently answered, even when she wasn't entirely sure what lay behind t
Text: Christy Marshall
The Iconic Alise O’Brien
Marshall Watson: Celebrating and Defining Elegance
When Marshall Watson walks into a room, he does more than take in the colors, textures and architecture. He imagines how the spacecan tell a story. Over the course of his career, Watson’s name has become synonymous with interiors that balance timeless beauty with soulful detail. His projects —whether an Upper East Side apartment, a Mediterranean villa, a Nantucket retreat or a Ladue estate —are never just designed. They are orchestrated. Each space is imbued with grace, proportion and a quiet confidence that feels both classic and contemporary.
Text: Craig Kaminer
Photo: Courtesy of Marshall Watson
Building Our Dream in Ladue
In November 2024, we broke ground on our new home in Ladue. For years, my husband and I have been fearless renovators—adding second stories, reconfiguring driveways, even doubling square footage with a three-story addition. But nothing could quite prepare us for the adventure of building from the ground up.
One of the first—and most agonizing—decisions was timing the sale of our previous home. Do you sell before construction begins? Just before completion? Or after moving into your new space? Each path has its perks and pitfalls: early sellers avoid the stress of juggling two mortgages but face the challenge of temporary living; late sellers transition seamlessly but risk carrying two homes longer than planned.
We chose to sell before breaking ground.
Text: Julie Lane
Event Calendar, Presented by Spirit Jets
Happenings of note in November & December
Share your celebrations with us, or let us know what events you want to see featured on our pages by emailing editorSTL@slmag.net.
Sophisticated Celebrations
Presented by
Popped from the Page
Feast for Change
Glennon Gallop
Unveiling the Jack C. Taylor Music Center
Africa Vision of Hope Gala
The Beyond Gala
From the Editor-In-Chief
Over the past three decades, I’ve been lucky enough to have a job that actually requires me to tour beautiful homes. You might assume after seeing and writing about literally hundreds of houses, I would know what works, what doesn’t and exactly how it’s done.
I don’t.
I hire it done.
The simple fact is there are people trained to do whatever needs to be done. So, when my sweet husband and I decided that we were going to stick it out in our very old —and structurally flawed —house, we called in an interior designer to make our abode glisten again.
Text: Christy Marshall
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