By Elena Quinones, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
ST. LOUIS — For many couples, a difference in design aesthetics could make for a jumbled mess of a home, not to mention a marriage. But for Scott and Jackie Leisler, their differences only enhance their home — and their relationship.
Scott prefers midcentury modern pieces for their Central West End home while Jackie has an eye for antiques. The two styles blend in a look that seems effortless, stylish and utterly unique.
“We have a good way of combining things, but it takes us a lot of time,” Jackie says.
The Leislers have been curating decor pieces and updating their traditional style Central West End home since they moved in about six years ago.
“You can’t just go to Target and buy this stuff. It takes years of going in and out of antique stores or estate sales. When you want this look, it just takes a little bit more effort,” Jackie says.
The effort shows. The Leislers’ walls are covered in unique pieces. A set of their favorites is by St. Louis artist Gaucha Berlin. They own two of her pieces, which are made from old newsprint. One is of Snow White and the other is a world map.
Most of the pieces in their home come from Jackie’s antiquing. Some of her favorite spots in St. Louis are Rick Rege Antiques, Quintessential Antiques, the Warson Woods Antique Mall, Cool Stuff Period and the Refine Room.
“I try to shop local as much as possible and make relationships with people in the stores,” Jackie says.
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They also display many of Scott’s original paintings throughout the home. Scott is a part-time artist. One of Scott’s originals, a typographic painting that depicts the names of different streets in the area, takes center stage in the dining room.
A few feet away stands an original wood and glass built-in. They have updated the piece to add lighting and shelves. Jackie hopes to add wallpaper or some splash of color to the back of the piece in the future.
The built-in is just one of many of the 1901 home’s original pieces. The house also boasts six original fireplaces. Five maintain their original tilework; one was replaced with a marble backing.
An original floor-to-ceiling mirror with gold trim stands in the foyer, serving as a grand greeting to guests.
Off the foyer is a beautiful parlor, where the Leislers show off their knack for collecting.
“We really love this room, because it’s taken us time to collect and accumulate pieces over time,” Jackie says.
The parlor showcases Jackie’s coral collection and various oddities.
Jackie also collects bird prints, John Darien plates, Rifle Paper Co. prints, Vargas pin-up girls prints and more.
The couple maintains a good balance between keeping the original parts of the home and updating as necessary. Many of their updates, in fact, are in an attempt to get to the original essence of the home.
Some updates, though, are modernizing.
The home has a sun porch, which they turned into a four-season room, adding cooling, heating and wooden floors to make it an extension of the home to be used year-round.
It’s clear that the two love their home. They can’t pick a favorite spot.
“The whole house is our favorite,” Jackie says.
