44 JAN./FEB. 2012 STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM

Directly off the entryway, the elegant living room features a mixture of priceless collectibles. Jon's tastes range from Egyptian Revival and Neo-Classical Revival to the French Empire. The gold and onyx lamps on the sofa table feature Egyptian sphinx, and the bronze and marble Egyptian clock on the fireplace mantel is an antique from the early 1900s.

44 JAN./FEB. 2012 STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM

URBAN_0112.indd 44 12/9/11 11:06:44 AM

STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM JAN./FEB. 2012 45

Urban

Cha>ColleCtive

STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM JAN./FEB. 2012 45

URBAN_0112.indd 45 12/9/11 11:07:17 AM

46 JAN./FEB. 2012 STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM

Þt first glance, the striking showroom at Jon Paul Designs and Collectibles in Richmond Heights can seem overwhelming. Hundreds of ornate, enchanting crystal chandeliers mingle overhead in close quarters with grand gold leaf light fixtures. Store shelves are lined with antique sterling silver, hand-painted ivory and porcelain. In its 19 years

at the intersection of Clayton Road and Big Bend Boulevard, the shop has become a St. Louis institution; the go-to place for antique lighting and luxury collectibles. The two men at its helm are Jon Hunt and Paul Mroczkowski. Jon is there every day, buying merchandise from customers, restoring items and helping each antique find a new home. “I’ve been that way since I was a kid,” says Jon, “always tinkering with stuff and restoring things.” The question they hear most often — after “The owner’s name isn’t Jon Paul? There’s a Jon and a Paul?” — is, “Does your home look like the store?”

Yes, Jon and Paul are the co-owners, and, no, the ceilings in their home aren’t swathed with chandeliers. “Everyone that comes into the shop wants to see what my house looks like,” says Jon. “And they all think my house looks like the shop. I couldn’t have that; it would drive me crazy!” The only similarities between his shop and home are the exquisite

antiques and collectibles, featured tastefully throughout the home, and the striking chandeliers, sconces, table lamps and light fixtures.

When Jon and Paul bought their 1900s-era Richmond Heights home nine years ago, it was, first, a decision made of convenience. It was an ideal home in a charming neighborhood they already loved. Although convenience was a big motivating factor, Jon also saw the home’s potential. “When we bought the house, it was just plain," says Jon. "It had character, but it wasn’t finished. It didn’t have the details.” Before moving into the home, the pair drew up plans to add more space to the small house. Originally, the home ended in the dining room, where a window overlooked the property’s large backyard. They tore down that back wall, built a giant great room off the dining room, and finished the basement area of the two-story home. With room to spare, they added a two-car garage, as well.

Other construction included placing columns in the entryway and dining room and enhancing the fireplace in the living room. “When we moved into the house the fireplace was just brick with a little piece of wood on the mantel,” says Jon. “The previous owners didn’t have anything on either side of the fireplace, so we had the bookcases built, and they were matched perfectly with the fireplace mantel that we also had custom-made. I bought all the carved pieces, and I added those myself.”

A very special peek into the luxurious residence of St. Louis legend Jon Hunt, owner of Jon Paul Designs and CollectiblesBY LIZ MILLER PHOTOgRAPHY BY AshLEy GIEsEkInG

URBAN_0112.indd 46 12/9/11 11:08:31 AM

STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM JAN./FEB. 2012 47

Opposite page, left: The grand columns, regal gold mirror and reupholstered writing desk chair, featuring a Napoleon bumblebee fabric, in the entryway set the mood for the rest of Jon's home. Opposite page, right: Two stately Biedermeier chairs bookend the living room fireplace, sitting proudly amongst Jon's cherished crystal and collectibles. The gold-leaf mirror above the fireplace is made with hand-carved wood from Italy. Above: Originally, Jon and Paul's home ended at the back wall of the dining room, but new construction added the spacious great room and columns. Some of Jon's favorite possessions are placed in the dining room, including the solid sterling candelabras and solid silver oval dishes on the buffet, the sparkling wall sconces that were original to the Chase Park Plaza, and the glamorous 1920s Czechoslovakian-made chandelier.

Rooms were also repainted, but the living room ceiling has perhaps the most interesting story. Always thinking creatively, Jon chose to have the ceiling paint color stop just short of the crown molding, then purchased car pin striping from Auto Zone and had a painter apply it to the ceiling. This subtle but inspired detail captures Jon’s artistic approach to design. The choice to add columns to the entryway also demonstrates his eye for interior design, as it cleverly breaks up the long room while adding effortless sophistication. His design tastes range from Egyptian Revival and Neo-Classical Revival to the French Empire, and he loves anything that is Napoleon-inspired.

The glamorous chandelier cascading from the living room ceiling also helps set the entryway apart from the living room, perfectly partitioning each space. Like everything in Jon’s home, it too has a story: It’s a Russian chandelier from the 1800s that a customer sold to the shop, which Jon restored and lovingly brought back to life. While the ceiling, chandelier and fireplace are all eye-catching features in the room, the breakfront filled with priceless pieces, including hand-painted ivory, sterling silver, Herend, Lalique and Limoges collectibles is also not to be missed. The sheer number of rare items and the intricate beauty of each piece lends an entrancing quality to the breakfront; one could remain captivated by its remarkable contents for hours. Every item in the home has a story, down to the clock perched on the living

room mantel. “One of my favorite pieces in the house is the clock on the mantel,” says Jon. “It’s Egyptian from the early 1900s. It’s bronze and marble. I have a lot of Egyptian statues in the house; I love anything Egyptian.”

Moving from the living room to the dining room, it’s impossible not to compare the rich red walls with the bright red walls in his shop. This room also has a show-stopping crystal chandelier, a Czechoslovakian-made antique from the 1920s. The two extraordinary, glistening sconces on the back wall are even dearer to Jon’s heart. “Those were original from the [Chase] Park Plaza,” he says. “I bought those before I even had my shop. I’ve had those for more than 30 years.” Much like the lighting, the room’s décor and furnishings speak to Jon’s love of collecting. He purchased the Henredon dining room table and chairs used and bought the gorgeous inlaid china hutch from “a junk store.” Some of his most prized possessions, such as the solid sterling candelabras and 1830s sterling silver oval dishes from Sheffield, England, sit on the dining room buffet.

At the entrance to the sizeable, safari-themed great room sit two chairs saved from the now defunct Henry VIII Hotel. The room is peppered with animal prints and flourishing plant life, including fica and palm trees. A proud porcelain cheetah purchased in La Jolla, California, welcomes guests into the room. The hand-carved wood

URBAN_0112.indd 47 12/9/11 11:09:12 AM

48 JAN./FEB. 2012 STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM

URBAN_0112.indd 48 12/9/11 11:10:32 AM

STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM JAN./FEB. 2012 49

Opposite page: Jon loves elephants, and the hand-carved wooden elephant bench between the two dark wicker chairs is one of many pachyderms placed throughout the home. The china cabinet features priceless curios and lustrous Lalique pieces. Above: The great room is defined by safari style, blending traditional mahogany furniture with wild, chic animal prints, safari animals and wicker. Below: Adding the great room to their home not only gave Jon and Paul more space, but also a room with an extremely high ceiling. The pair chose not to hang window treatments in the room, but rather let the many windows illuminate the jungle-inspired space with natural light.

elephant bench placed between two dark brown wicker chairs is one of his favorite finds, as is the Boehm Porcelain rhinoceros atop the TV cabinet. The room’s stately secretary is yet another treasure trove of beautiful curios and objets d'art. For all its lavish furnishings and finery, the room feels open, welcoming and full of life. Its casual ambience is partially thanks to the one piece of décor conspicuously missing in the home. “We don’t have curtains or drapes in those rooms,” says Jon. “They just weigh the house down. We have blinds on some of the windows, but the great room doesn’t have anything on the windows.”

A lifetime of consummate collecting has made Jon’s home a study in the art of acquiring and appreciating the unique past and possible potential in everything. “I hardly buy any furniture new,” says Jon. “Anybody can go into a store and buy new furniture. I like it mixed. I have old and new. I love old things; I love refurbishing them and restoring them.” His fondness for making what’s old new again has created a warm, elegant home, full of unique charm and fascinating history. “I want it to feel comfortable when you walk into the house; I don’t want it to feel like a museum,” he concludes. “I think the size of the home helps, you don’t feel like you’re in the Taj Mahal. It’s just comfortable, relaxed and warm.” See www.stlouishomesmag.com for resources.

URBAN_0112.indd 49 12/9/11 11:11:25 AM