51ºÚÁÏ

Carrie Houk created a home for herself over the years that speaks both of her love of family and her passion for theater, art, music and community. “I’ve lived in this home for 28 years now,� Houk says. In 1997, she and her middle-school-aged daughter, Dakota, moved into the two-story frame house that Carrie filled with meaningful personal collections of furniture, paintings, sculptures and memories of good people and good times.

“The house was built in 1917, and I am only its third owner,� Houk says. “When I bought it I called this my Tennessee Williams house because it feels Southern to me,� she says.

The name seems prescient today, given that Houk founded the 10 years ago. This annual theater festival and its concomitant educational events celebrate the art and influence of her favorite playwright. Williams moved to 51ºÚÁÏ at the age of 7 in 1918 and lived here until 1938. His coming of age in 51ºÚÁÏ informed much of his work, which Houk tirelessly promotes through the nationally acclaimed festival.

“I have spent my life in theater and film, and I think my home today reflects this,� she says. Her inspired transformation of the house set the stage for a lifetime lived in theater, art, and music.

“I love the woman who sold it to me. She was moving out of town into an assisted living center, and it hadn’t even hit the market when my Realtor called. She’d been showing me houses for a while, and she knew I would love this one. I looked beyond the outdated décor to see what it could be,� Houk says.

Houk described a years-long compilation of varying decors, which she called a seven-layer salad of flooring and wallpaper. “There was flower-power wallpaper in the kitchen and floral paper in the dining room,� Houk says. With characteristic humor, she described taking the rooms down to their good bones. “It was a surprise a minute, not unlike unwrapping a piece of candy, but in the end it was very sweet. We literally chiseled off seven layers of flooring to uncover oak hardwood floors, an oak staircase, and a pine farm floor in the kitchen,� she says.

She improved the flow of the house by revamping the kitchen. “The kitchen was divided in two by a big banquette. A very old gorgeous white gas range that was on its last legs sat in the middle of the room, as did a radiator,� she says. Houk got rid of the banquette, moved the radiator from the middle of the room, and regretfully deep-sixed the antique range stove for a modern stove.

“That opened the kitchen up. Now it’s almost like a football field, and I love, love, love it. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen when I’m not working,� she says.

Houk is well-known for her cooking prowess. The Post-Dispatch featured Houk in a story about the authentic Mexican cooking classes she taught in 2016 and some of the recipes she featured. During the pandemic she took Zoom classes in Sicilian cooking every Thursday for a year.

But the meals that matter most to Houk are the dinners she’s cooks every night. “I believe in family dinner even if it’s just a two-person family. Dakota and I ate at the table every night,� Houk says. On Sundays, she still cooks a big family dinner, often inviting friends over to share a meal. “My mother cooked family meals and Sunday dinners. When she went to work full time, my sisters and I learned to cook to keep up the tradition,� Houk says. She continues both traditions to this day.

Although the house is technically a four-bedroom house, Houk once again tore out walls to combine two rooms into one, which became her bedroom suite and continued to open up the house.

The result – a light, spacious and airy primary bedroom anchored by a vintage bed with garland swags on the headboard and footboard. Houk chose white bed linens and curtains to maintain the feeling of the space.

“This home has welcomed local, national and international theater and film artists during my time here. My home is an extension of me. I consider it part of my family; a true haven,� she says.

Although the May 16 tornado that ripped through Clayton is a major stressor in her life, it hasn’t dimmed her love of the house. The storm ruined the basement of her home, which had been redone a long time ago in a style she described as reminiscent of what an Elvis Presley basement bar might look like. It also damaged the roof, which has been replaced, and damaged the back of the house. They interior living spaces weren’t destroyed, but the work to repair the home is ongoing.

Houk juggles it all as the Tennessee Williams 51ºÚÁÏ Festival moves forward, with preview events starting in mid-July. For starters, check out a special preview of its 10th anniversary, “Streetcar & Beyond’ at the 51ºÚÁÏ County Library at 7 p.m. July 14. Festival Scholar Tom Mitchell will discuss his new book, “Early Stories by Tennessee Williams,â€� which features newly discovered short stories that take place in 51ºÚÁÏ and Missouri.

The full schedule of events and performances, which runs through early fall at various locations, may be found at the .