STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 63
On an unusually quiet block of Laclede Station Road in Richmond
Heights sits an unexpected, old-world Mediterranean home. Built in
1937, it celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2012, making it one of
the streets earliest residences. For the lady of the house,
interior designer Mary Tramelli of interior design company Call
Mary, the home has been a labor of love from the very
beginning.
When Mary and husband Dan moved into the home 27 years ago, it
was only slightly more than 1,000 square feet, and neither could
have predicted how the house would change to fit their family
although Mary always saw its potential.
I fell in love with it from day one, just because of the
architecture. I loved the [dining rooms] high ceiling, the stucco,
the hardwood floors, the terrazzo floor and the flow, says Mary. I
loved the fact that it was unique and unique in this neighborhood.
The vaulted ceiling and the front window are what sold me. Well,
everything sold me on this house.
Through the years the house became home to the couples three
sons, and as the family grew, so did the house. The first
renovation added a two-story addition, creating two bedrooms and a
bath for the boys, and the second transformed the garage into a
family room. In the end, the family doubled its space, making it a
2,800-square-foot home. Mary also converted their backyard patio
into a full-fledged outdoor
living room, which sits comfortably between the breakfast and
family rooms.
While still spatially small, the house feels anything but. The
flow from room to room has a natural rhythm, with each space
breezing easily into the next. The home feels spacious and
inviting, open yet connected. This is truly a testament to Marys
superb design skills and talent for making the most of every space.
Its so much easier to entertain when rooms move in a circle, says
Mary. When we have a lot of people in here it doesnt usually feel
tight. There are a lot of rooms to go into, but you still arent
separated, especially when we open the French doors [to the outdoor
living room].
From its antique clay-tiled roof that curves and slopes down the
house to the stucco outer surface, the homes exterior truly exudes
old-world Mediterranean charm, which Mary has seamlessly integrated
into the homes interior design. Walking through the house stirs
feelings of visiting an Italian bungalow, with its rich, earthy
color palette, photos of the couples favorite Italian locales
Positano and Verena among them dotting the walls, arched alcoves
with inset column murals and a Romanesque mural framing the doorway
that leads from the dining room to the breakfast room, and so much
more.
It's easy to see how a family of five and now, with three grown
sons, a household of two could live comfortably in this cozy
home.
Opposite page: Handsome pup Pugzano relaxes and warms up near
the fire on a cool autumn afternoon in Mary's peaceful outdoor
living room, which is bookended by her breakfast and family rooms.
Top left: Mary's welcoming breakfast room is the perfect place to
mingle and connects with the outdoor living room by simply opening
the French doors. Top right: Ample seating and a roaring fire make
this cozy family room ideal for entertaining.
BY Liz MiLLer PHoTogRaPHY BY Anne MATheis
Years of hosting happy, humongous Thanksgiving dinners in her
cozy home have made interior designer
Mary Tramelli a small-space entertaining expert
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64 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 STLOUISHOMESMAG.COM
But it's harder to imagine how Mary entertains more than 30
guests on Thanksgiving Day, her favorite holiday.
The homes romantic, rustic color palette clearly lends itself to
autumn festivities, and if at first glance the pint-sized kitchen
seems cause for concern, its actually not at all. You dont need a
big kitchen, you just need a big pot, says Mary.
Instead of spending Turkey Day stuck in the kitchen, Mary makes
sure the cooking is taken care of ahead of time and asks guests to
bring dishes in disposable containers, which she plates on her own
decorative platters right before dinner. That, or people will pick
up one of my dishes, says Mary. If they need a pan thats decorative
for the table, theyll come and get it beforehand. Every year, Mary
prepares several essential Thanksgiving dishes, many made with
recipes handed down by her mother and grandmother. Aside from the
turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce, she cooks her mothers signature
Italian pork sausage, Parmesan and spinach dressing and sweet
potatoes with praline topping.
Though Mary knows these family recipes by heart, if she or one
of her six siblings should ever forget a step, measurement or
spice, theyre in luck. Several years ago, for Christmas, their
mother gifted her children with a family cookbook she created
herself. Filled with family recipes old and new including her
grandfathers recipe for homemade Italian pork sausage, an integral
ingredient in the Thanksgiving dressing and peppered with priceless
pictures spanning generations, the cookbook is not only a cherished
treasure but also an Italian chefs dream.
My mom and dad entertained, and we had every holiday at their
house and they had a small house, says Mary. You couldnt wait to
get to the house, though, because you knew it was going to be fun,
and the food was going to be great. You feel like a family. You
dont need a lot of space; you need charming space. You need family
space.
Just as recipes collected from generations of her family come
together on her Thanksgiving table, pieces of her Italian heritage
and history have helped shape her home. For Mary, a huge part of
reorganizing her house happened when she switched the dining room
with the living room, an inspired idea she had after hosting her
mothers Italian-themed 70th birthday party. Originally the switch
was temporary, made only to accommodate guests, but Mary loved how
the large room, with its 12-foot vaulted ceiling, could comfortably
and stylishly seat so many guests.
Shortly after the party, Mary and Dan took a trip to Verena,
Italy, in the Lake Como area, where they spent time at Dans uncles
farm in Firenzuola. While relatives rolled fresh pasta in the
kitchen, Mary stood in awe of the homes beautiful, long farm table
and knew it was exactly the type she wanted for her dining room.
When she returned to St. Louis, she found the perfect table to
capture that Italian family style spirit in her own home. There is
nothing I dont like about Italy, says Mary. I love the lifestyle.
They enjoy each other. They dont rush. The way Italians eat is
amazing. Its all so fresh, and they savor it.
Right before guests arrive on Thanksgiving Day, with music and
tantalizing aromas drifting through the house, Mary lights candles
and prepares an antipasto platter. She says her home is always open
to new guests and encourages friends and family to invite anyone in
need of a warm, welcoming holiday meal. Before indulging in the
days special dinner, each person stands at the table and says what
theyre thankful for. The only thing is that it tends to get a
little long and the food gets cold because there are so many of
us!," says Mary, with a playful smile. See www.stlouishomesmag.com
for resources.
M a r y t r a M e l l i :
H O W t O e N t e r t a i N i N a S M a l l S P a C e
Flip the living room and dining room. Before, ours was too
narrow. You could only fit so many people, and switching the rooms
opened up the space.
Be organized. If you get your routine down to a science, it
helps relieve
stress later.
Opt for buffet-style serving. You will have more room at the
table for seating, and if you prepare mostly cold pick-up food,
there's less to
reheat. If guests are bringing food items, have them store their
dish in a disposable container, and when they
arrive, plate it on your own dish.
try to get as much seating as you can. I always try to design in
a circle and seat at least eight
guests at a table.
always create an ambience. Turn on every light in the house to
make your home
more inviting, and if you have light dimmers, use them for mood.
Have music playing throughout the house to
create an inviting flow that lets guests comfortably move from
room to room.
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