Ballwin split-level combines midcentury aesthetic with artist’s works | Home & Garden

The living room features a mix of family mementos, vintage and modern furniture along with illustrations, paintings and art by Janet. The midcentury bookcase prized by Janet’s parents acts as a divider between the main living space and the hallway to the bedroom. One of Murphy the pug’s comfy beds stays in the living room.

An illustration of a magneto, created by Janet, hangs in the living room. A magneto was used in engines. It is a small electric generator containing a permanent magnet that provide high-voltage pulses, sparks, in the ignition systems of internal combustion engines.

One of the new baths the Muhms put in place this year. It features the clean design of a vessel sink with a sculptural faucet.

Hillary Levin, Post-Dispatch

The view of the patio the Muhms designed together works well with the existing gazebo and terraces that make up the back yard.

Hillary Levin, Post-Dispatch

The cabinet Janet dubs “the monster” sits in the studio where she creates illustrations and art for her A Year in the City calendars and cards. It was originally white when it stored 150 place settings of china at University United Methodist but Janet painted it lime green.

Hillary Levin, Post-Dispatch

Doodle the rooster statue greets guests at the front door to the Muhms’ home. He is visible from the foyer. The round mirror on the wall was one of the first purchases Kevin and Janet made together. Janet painted the sunflower mural on the wall around it.

Hillary Levin, Post-Dispatch

Kevin Muhm painted the stripes on the bedroom his grandchildren claim when they visit overnight. The rocker, handed down from Kevin’s family, has been well-used through the years. The coverlet looks old fashioned but is a modern textile, from Ikea.

Hillary Levin, Post-Dispatch

The Muhms’ dining room with its pass to the kitchen is a favorite gathering place for family and friends. Her sophomore painting instructor, William Fett, gifted Janet the large abstract painting that hangs on the wall when she was a senior at Washington University.

Hillary Levin, Post-Dispatch

By Pat Eby
Special to the Post-Dispatch

When Janet and Kevin Muhm purchased their Ballwin home in 2016 they hadn’t previously considered living in a split-level home. “We always hated splits, but we loved this house,” Janet Muhm says. “When you come in, you just see the upstairs and it invites you in.”

The home, built in 1978, utilizes a split-foyer design. The entry door opens into a small foyer that leads to the two levels of living space. The plan maximizes the open feel of the upstairs, effectively separating it from the lower level for more privacy.

The Muhms moved into their split-level home a few years ago and have taken advantage of the natural light their home has to display family art. Video by Hillary Levin

Hillary Levin

The rightness of this particular home resonated with both of them.

“We’ve talked about why we bought this particular house a lot. We liked that there was a lot of light on both floors. We didn’t realize we would get two completely different living areas with this particular design.

“When we bought the house three of our four parents were still living. We wanted to let them know our home was their home and we would welcome them. We’ve got two grown kids who are always welcome back. Before he got his own apartment our son, Colin, lived on the lower level,” Janet Muhm says.

The Muhms both attended Washington University. “I’d just completed my freshman year, and Janet was just starting. We met before classes started at an informal event prior to orientation,” Kevin says.