Downtown loft reflects owner’s passion for art and design

By Amy Burger
Special to the Post-Dispatch

The spacious downtown loft of stylist/salon owner Steve Lacy is a perfect reflection of his personal style and the things he loves. He moved in less than a year ago and has spent a great deal of time since making the space feel like home. Located in the Bankers Lofts building, its open layout and significant square footage, particularly for a one-bedroom, instantly drew him in.

Lacy had been living in another, smaller loft downtown and considering a move to Houston before finding the apartment. When he decided to stay in St. Louis, he started looking for a new permanent home online, but his search ended the moment he walked into the loft.

“I wasn’t even out the door and had the application filled out,” he laughs. “When I saw it, I knew it had my name written all over it. I never had enough space to display my art.”

The large living space allowed Lacy to create several seating areas for relaxing and entertaining, and even have a real dining “room” in addition to the kitchen island. This, he says, is a departure from many of the newer-built one-bedroom lofts, which tend to be much smaller.

“You might barely get a couch and a chair and a couple barstools in there,” he says of other spaces he saw. “I have plenty of room to have my furniture displayed, plenty of room to move around. I like to entertain, too, so everyone can sit and chill.”

Enormous windows fill the far wall of the living room, overlooking Washington Avenue and flooding the space with natural light. High wood beamed ceilings with exposed ductwork and polished concrete floors are hallmarks of loft living.

Lacy has filled the space with a mix of contemporary furniture and accessories purchased at various favorite retailers including Restoration Hardware, Arhaus, Wayfair, Etsy and Amazon.

“I like a modern look with an eclectic feel,” he says. “The couch is sort of traditional, but then I like to pair something odd with it — whatever reflects me. I just keep moving it around until I like how it looks.”

At Home with Steve Lacy — A vibrant piece of art infused on metal in a splatter-painted frame that Lacy acquired at a gallery in Houston hang in the entry foyer.

Zachary Clingenpeel

Self-described as “obsessed with coffee table books,” Lacy has a huge collection that is displayed on nearly every surface, mostly focused on topics of art and design.

A long wall stretching all the way from the end of the living room down the hallway to the bedroom area makes the perfect gallery for Lacy’s favorite framed prints, canvases and posters that he’s collected over the years — mostly by Black artists or reflecting Black culture. A favorite is an ornately framed black and white photograph by American photographer Gordon Parks depicting three women protesting segregation.

Lining either side of the hallway is Lacy’s collection of framed movie posters from some of his favorite films, as well framed Playbills from productions he attended of “Dreamgirls” and “The Color Purple.”

The bedroom suite is tucked away at the back of the loft, separated from the main living space, making it serene and quiet. With a walk-in closet and large bathroom, it provides a relaxing retreat. A tall, glass display case houses another of Lacy’s obsessions — cologne — with numerous collectible bottles of his favorite fragrances carefully arranged on its shelves.

In addition to its convenient location, the building offers a small fitness room and two shared rooftop deck areas with grills and seating for outdoor entertaining city-style. Now that he’s fully settled, Lacy couldn’t be happier with the move, and has enjoyed meeting some of his neighbors.

“I like the space and I was able to put together my own style and have enough room,” he says. “I’ve lived a lot of places downtown, and this finally feels comfortable.”