St. Louis Hills House Tour 2023

14 • St. Louis Hills House Tour • 2023 6485 Westway Blake and Molly Roell said they feel lucky to be the second owners of 6485 Westway. When they found this corner lot house, they dreamt up a design reconfiguring the 1952 midcentury home to work for their on-the-go family with an entire second story and opened gathering areas. Blake said the house was built to ‘not come apart easily’, so demo tasks he expected to take one day would take three. He recognized craftsmanship and beauty where others might not, and incorporated some of the house’s components into the remodel. For example, floor joists became a new mantle over the fireplace. The distinctive laundry vent stayed in the new kitchen wall, and a small white porcelain sink sparkles in the new powder room. Construction and remodeling is something Blake knows well. In 2002 he and his brother moved back to St. Louis from the Chicago area. Blake shared that their first home renovation in Tower Grove South was challenging. However, that project sparked a passion in Blake and the brothers started Blue Brick Renovation and Construction, LLC, restoring St. Louis city homes with the goal of transforming city neighborhoods. They completed multiple award-winning projects focusing on historic