A family home in Des Peres is transformed for new generations
aura Wilhelm had an idyllic childhood, growing up with her parents and five sisters in a 1963-built, two-story home in a quiet Des Peres subdivision, walking to St. Clement of Rome Catholic School and later attending Visitation Academy where her grandmother was a librarian.
"It was fun. Upstairs was like a sorority house," she remembers.
Wilhelm's parents lived in the house for 44 years before moving to a single-story ranch in Kirkwood in 2019 to begin their next chapter. With so many memories tied up in the home, it was hard to fathom not keeping it in the family. While well-maintained, the house needed updates and the question of who might be willing to invest in it came to light.
"My sisters were good where they were. No one else was ready to take on a project, and I love a good project," says Wilhelm, who dabbles in interior design.
Already living in a nearby neighborhood, Wilhelm and her husband, Ken, decided to take the leap to purchase and renovate the house for themselves and their three teenage sons, as well as the extended family. Her parents even wrote into the sales contract that the couple must continue the tradition of hosting the family's big annual Easter Egg Hunt.
Working with architect Scott Volding, they drew up plans, but as the pandemic began in early 2020, they were forced to put the renovation on the back burner for a year as stay-at-home orders and labor shortages took hold.
Once they were able to begin in 2021, they started in the finished basement and worked their way up. The process was not without challenges and doubts, but Wilhelm tried to trust her gut. "As they were tearing apart my mother's home, I thought 'what have I done?' There was that emotion going through it," she says.
The Wilhelms opened up the traditionally divided rooms on the main floor and extended it into what was the garage, adding a cozy family room space off the kitchen with a sectional and TV.
"We wanted to get rid of as many walls as we could," Laura says.
The new open floor plan includes a more formal living room, a sitting area by the original fireplace, a dining area with a round table for eight, and a huge chef's kitchen with two islands ideally suited for family gatherings and casual hangouts with the boys and their friends.
On the second floor, each of the existing bedrooms and bathrooms were fully remodeled, and a spacious primary suite with a vaulted ceiling was added over the new family room. A new garage will be built this fall to replace the original that was removed to create those spaces.
Laura Wilhelm designed the entire interior of the home, working with contractor Matt Rothgangel to execute her vision and complete all of the finishes. The house and its furnishings are nearly all white with accents of beige, aqua and black in a beachy, shabby-chic style.
She hand painted or distressed many of the antique furnishings, including pieces found at estate sales and local shops as well as family heirlooms. In the corner of the living room, her mother's piano remains the only unpainted natural wood piece in the house, left untouched to preserve the memories it contained.
"This place was always filled with music, always filled with friends, Wilhelm says. "They had friends who would play the piano, gather and sing together."
The home's outdoor spaces offer as much opportunity for memory making as the inside. On nearly an acre, the private backyard includes a covered deck for outdoor dining overlooking the original swimming pool. Under the deck is a built-in bar area leading into the finished lower level. Made for entertaining, the backyard has been the site of numerous family gatherings, graduation parties, and even Laura and Ken's wedding over the decades.
The final piece of the renovation was the addition of an expansive front porch, built by Matt Clarke. Well-appointed with a traditional porch swing, rockers, hanging chairs, ceiling fans and string lights, it's the perfect spot to relax, sip a cocktail and greet neighbors. Wilhelm kept a sign that her mom always had hung next to the front door that reads, "Friends like flowers give pleasure just by being."
Now that the Wilhelms have settled into their renovated home, they are overjoyed to share it with Laura's extended family including her sisters, their kids and grandchildren.
"It was a big project and an emotional one and I'm just so happy that our parents are healthy and can come back and enjoy it," says Laura. "To be in my childhood home is one of the coolest things. I didn't realize how awesome it would be to still see some of the neighbors from when I grew up here."
Make your house a home For the holidays: Get inspiring home and gift ideas – sign up now!
