When Charles and Christine Guthrie purchased their two-story home in the Southampton neighborhood eight years ago, they already knew they liked the quiet neighborhood and its very residential character. The dog lovers also liked the walkability factor and the close proximity to shops, grocery stores and restaurants.
They had looked at several homes before they settled on the Tudor revival home with its mottled brick façade and leaded glass windows, which are characteristic of many of the 1930s homes in the neighborhood.
“I think what sold us on this home was it was very updated, especially the remodeled second floor. For houses in this neighborhood it has a huge second floor,” Christine says.
“I liked the open basement, which is now my office, my study and the place where I work on side projects,” Charles says.
The features that sold them served this creative, active couple well during the pandemic. The master bedroom occupies one room on the second floor. The other room upstairs became their home gym with equipment and space for workouts. Charles honed his building and decorating skills to create a light and lively home office in the basement when his full-time job went virtual during the pandemic.
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Charles and Christine, also known collectively as We Eat Stuff, are well-known for their foodie adventures in St. Louis and the Metro East region. Their popular Instagram page opens with a winsome caricature of them toasting each other, which Charles drew. Their intro: ‘2 hipster foodies eating in STL! We’re not food critics; we’re food evangelists. Eat & drink small and local.’
Christine grew up with this elaborately carved Victorian sideboard that matches the dining table. The sideboard holds an assortment of vintage and new barware and bar tools. It also holds collectibles, photos and a charming art print of a skunk king.
Their home reflects their lives, activities, memories and aspirations in rooms overflowing with photos, memorabilia and art. “We walk by things in the house every day and sometimes we don’t ‘see’ them,” Christine says, “but each of these things hold personal meaning for us.”
Like the dining room set given to them by Christine’s parents. “My mother told me she received it from her great-aunt and uncle. The set was custom-made for them in New York in the early 1900s,” she says. “With the leaves pulled out, the table is 10- or 12-feet long. I grew up with it in my parents’ house.”
The deeply carved sideboard holds collections of vintage and contemporary barware as well as bar tools and bottles of wine and liquor. The dining room works well for parties and gatherings, and the open plan to the front room allows for extra seating as well.
“Our front room is my favorite room in the …….