In this episode of House of Lou, Veronica explores the topic of home renovations, a subject that has become even more relevant as St. Louisans grapple with repairs to their homes in the aftermath of the tornado on May 16. Guests Kristin Moomey, an architect with HKW Architects, and Maria Hogrefe, principal and co-founder of C&M Interiors, take us inside their personal renovation stories, offering their experiences as guidance on how to start a project, plan a budget, and manage the stress and overwhelm inherent to all renovations.

Their stories, in tandem with their professional expertise, give listeners the confidence they need to tackle repairs, both big and small. What important lessons can we learn from them? In hindsight, what might Moomey and Hogrefe have done differently, and how can we all benefit from the vision behind a historic house restoration in Benton Park (Moomey) and a fixer-upper family home project in South County (Hogrefe). Tune in to hear their inspiring stories. Listen and follow House of Lou on YouTube, Spotify,  Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode is sponsored by Opera Theatre of St. Louis and supported by The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis. Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ annual festival season is back, with four new productions and hundreds of artists hand-picked from all over the country. Get tickets today.

New to podcasts? Follow these instructions to start listening to our shows, and hear what you’ve been missing!

Got an idea for a future House of Lou episode? We love hearing from our audience. Send your thoughts or feedback to Veronica at vtheodoro@stlmag.com or to podcasts@stlmag.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Looking for more inspiration? Subscribe to our Design+Home newsletter to receive our latest home, design, and style content in your inbox every Wednesday. And follow Veronica (@vtlookbook) and St. Louis Magazine on Instagram (@stlouismag).

Interested in being a podcast sponsor? Contact Lauren Leppert at lleppert@stlmag.com.

Mentioned in this episode:
Forsyth 
Field House Museum 
Patterns of Luxury: Islamic Textiles 11th – 17th Centuries 
Smelling the Bouquet: Plants & Scents in the Garden
Pickled Pink Pickleball Tournament 
Thirdstoryies.com / Instagram: @thirdstoryies
Pebble Garden 
HKW Architects
C&M Interiors / Instagram: @candminteriors

You may also enjoy these articles from SLM:
Tornado 2025 Home Resources Guide: Where to get things fixed
More episodes of House of Lou

In this episode of&nbsp;House of Lou, Veronica explores the topic of home renovations, a subject that has become even more relevant as St. Louisans grapple with repairs to their homes in the aftermath of the tornado on May 16. Guests Kristin Moomey, an architect with&nbsp;<a href="https://hkwarchitects.com/">HKW Architects</a>, and Maria Hogrefe, principal and co-founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://candminteriors.com/">C&amp;M Interiors,</a>&nbsp;take us inside their personal renovation stories, offering their experiences as guidance on how to start a project, plan a budget, and manage the stress and overwhelm inherent to all renovations.
Their stories, in tandem with their professional expertise, give listeners the confidence they need to tackle repairs, both big and small. What important lessons can we learn from them? In hindsight, what might Moomey and Hogrefe have done differently, and how can we all benefit from the vision behind a historic house restoration in Benton Park (Moomey) and a fixer-upper family home project in South County (Hogrefe). Tune in to hear their inspiring stories. Listen and follow&nbsp;House of Lou&nbsp;on&nbsp;<a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGkbLFLTZPyJz12erwKdMl6d&amp;si=WYpW1hKYd1tbyB-K">YouTube</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/3ovIC1dt19FiByFhMjlgIc?si=be8613d8b3e849c4">Spotify</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwYnyrcREHGkbLFLTZPyJz12erwKdMl6d&amp;si=WYpW1hKYd1tbyB-K">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/house-of-lou/id1715504359">Apple Podcasts</a>, or wherever you get your podcasts.
This episode is sponsored by&nbsp;<a href="https://opera-stl.org/">Opera Theatre of St. Louis&nbsp;</a>and supported by&nbsp;<a href="http://racstl.org/">The Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis</a>.&nbsp;Opera Theatre of Saint Louis&rsquo; annual festival season is back, with four new productions and hundreds of artists hand-picked from all over the country.&nbsp;<a href="https://opera-stl.org/">Get tickets today.</a>
New to podcasts?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/how-to-listen/">Follow these instructions</a>&nbsp;to start listening to our shows, and hear what you&rsquo;ve been missing!
Got an idea for a future&nbsp;House of Lou&nbsp;episode?&nbsp;We love hearing from our audience. Send your thoughts or feedback&nbsp;to Veronica&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:vtheodoro@stlmag.com">vtheodoro@stlmag.com</a>&nbsp;or to&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcasts@stlmag.com">podcasts@stlmag.com</a>. We can&rsquo;t wait to hear from you!
Looking for more&nbsp;inspiration?&nbsp;Subscribe to&nbsp;our&nbsp;<a href="https://info.stlmag.com/newsletters">Design+Home newsletter</a>&nbsp;to receive our latest&nbsp;home, design, and style content in your inbox every Wednesday. And follow Veronica (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/vtlookbook">@vtlookbook</a>) and&nbsp;St. Louis Magazine&nbsp;on Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/stlouismag/">@stlouismag</a>).
Interested in being a podcast sponsor?&nbsp;Contact Lauren Leppert at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:lleppert@stlmag.com">lleppert@stlmag.com</a>.
Mentioned in this episode:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.stlmag.com/design/at-forsyth-vintage-and-contemporary-furniture-share-space-in-the-showroom/">Forsyth&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.stlmag.com/design/after-a-historic-restoration-the-field-house-museum-is-scheduled-to-reopen/">Field House Museum&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.slam.org/exhibitions/patterns-of-luxury-islamic-textiles-11th-17th-centuries/">Patterns of Luxury: Islamic Textiles 11th &ndash; 17th Centuries&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/smelling-the-bouquet-plants-scents-in-the-garden-3575">Smelling the Bouquet: Plants &amp; Scents in the Garden</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pickled-pink-pickleball-tournament-2025-tickets-1332670596629?aff=oddtdtcreator">Pickled Pink Pickleball Tournament&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thirdstoryies.com/">Thirdstoryies.com</a>&nbsp;/ Instagram:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/thirdstoryies">@thirdstoryies</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.stlmag.com/design/architect-kristin-moomey-finds-complete-joy-in-a-pebble-mosaic/">Pebble Garden&nbsp;</a></li>
<li><a href="https://hkwarchitects.com/">HKW Architects</a></li>
<li><a href="https://candminteriors.com/">C&amp;M Interiors</a>&nbsp;/ Instagram:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/candminteriors">@candminteriors</a></li>
</ul>
You may also enjoy these articles from&nbsp;SLM:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.stlmag.com/design/tornado-2025-home-resources-guide-where-to-get-things-fixed/">Tornado 2025 Home Resources Guide: Where to get things fixed</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.stlmag.com/podcasts/house-of-lou/">More episodes of&nbsp;House of Lou</a></li>
</ul>

Take a step inside the city’s creative community with St. Louis’ first design podcast, House of Lou. Join Veronica Theodoro, St. Louis Magazine's Design editor-in-chief, for a front row seat to the worlds of local interior design, architecture, gardens, and fashion. Whether your home is a brick bungalow or a contemporary high rise, you’ll come away informed and inspired, with new ideas for living a beautiful life. There’s so much to see in St. Louis, if you know where to look.

Take a step inside the city’s creative community with St. Louis’ first design podcast, House of Lou. Join Veronica Theodoro, St. Louis Magazine's Design editor-in-chief, for a front row seat to the worlds of local interior design, architecture, gardens, and fashion. Whether your home is a brick bungalow or a contemporary high rise, you’ll come away informed and inspired, with new ideas for living a beautiful life. There’s so much to see in St. Louis, if you know where to look.

House of Lou

Take a step inside the city’s creative community with St. Louis’ first design podcast, House of Lou. Join Veronica Theodoro, St. Louis Magazine's Design editor-in-chief, for a front row seat to the worlds of local interior design, architecture, gardens, and fashion. Whether your home is a brick bungalow or a contemporary high rise, you’ll come away informed and inspired, with new ideas for living a beautiful life. There’s so much to see in St. Louis, if you know where to look.

Advertisement