CF. Vatterott Construction is bringing a brand NEW plan to our Boulevard Heights neighborhood in South St. Louis. The Laclede will be a 3 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom row home. This is a two story home with 1,866 sq. ft. of living space. The Laclede model offers an ATTACHED one-car garage and an optional outdoor deck area off of the master bedroom that will be the perfect spot to enjoy your morning coffee or to have an afternoon hangout. 

When you walk in from your beautiful front porch you will walk right into the living room. Keep going and you will meet the kitchen which has lots of cabinet storage, a closet pantry and an eat-in kitchen island. Right off the kitchen is the dining and family room so you can stay connected with your friends and family as you move through your home. In the rear of the family room is the door to that ATTACHED one-car garage (attached garages are hard to find on city homes). 

Head on upstairs where you will find your master suite and the other bedrooms. The master suite was a great sized master bathroom and a walk-in closet. In the rear of the master bedroom you will find a door leading out to your (optional) 11’ x 14’ outdoor deck area. City homes often have extremely small yards or even no yard at all, so we wanted to give people the option take advantage of the great outdoors with an outdoor living space built right into the home.

The Laclede model is everything you are looking for in a city home. Not to mention that the Boulevard Heights neighborhood is located in a prime location. Just a few blocks away is Carondelet Park with walking trails and sports fields. It is located about 10 minutes from the Gateway Arch so you are very close to Downtown St. Louis without having to be directly in the hustle and bustle of the city. 

You will love the energy efficient and green features that will be included in these homes such as a power vent gas fired hot water heater, 95% efficient furnace and built to be solar ready. So not only are you saving the planet but you are also saving money! We have limited lots that this plan will fit on and it starts at only $245,500. That's great for new construction in the city! 

For more information about our brand new Laclede plan, please contact Jerry Whalen at our Boulevard Heights Sales Office at (314) 251-6700 or email jerryw@cfvatterott.com. Stop into our Sales Office located at 3832 Blow St., St. Louis, MO 63116. Open Sunday & Monday from 11 am until 5 pm and Tuesday - Saturday from 10 am until 5 pm. 

Visit us online at www.VatterottHomes.com!

CF Vatterott would like to honor civil rights icon, Rep. John Lewis as he lost his battle with cancer this past weekend.  John Lewis was a leading advocate for civil rights and was instrumental in securing voting rights for all. In 1965, he led the famous march from Selma to Montgomery to demand equal voting rights for Black Americans. During this march Mr. Lewis was brutally beaten by Alabama state troopers and images of the violence that protesters faced on that day, known now as Bloody Sunday, helped win support from the public for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Throughout his pursuit of civil rights, Lewis was arrested more than 40 times but never gave up and continued to fight for equal rights during his many years serving in Congress. 

Our founder, Charles F. Vatterott, and current Chairman Greg Vatterott Sr had a special connection with Rep. Lewis stemming from the Selma Marches.  Civil Rights were very important to Charles F. Vatterott Jr and his company, as during the 1950’s and early 1960’s the company was already showing its support for equality by building homes for people of color without deed restrictions, building the area’s only interracial golf club among its other efforts. At the time, this was very unpopular and many others in the St. Louis community did not support it.

However, that did not stop Charles F. Vatterott Jr.. He continued to participate in many civil rights acts, including the March on Washington, where Dr. Martin Luther King issued his famous I Have a Dream Speech.  In response to Rep. Lewis’ call, via Dr. King and Archbishop Ritter, Charles F. Vatterott Jr. and his son, Greg Vatterott Sr., participated in the 1965 march from Selma to Montgomery.  Charles Vatterott chartered two D-3 airplanes, one from St. Louis and one from Kansas City, to fly faith-based leaders to join Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, Frederick D. Reese & many other civil rights activists in Selma, Alabama for the demonstrations. With the Clergy marching in front, it was hoped that the State Troopers would refrain from the violence of the previous effort.  Vatterott also brought with him a briefcase that held $25,000 as bail money if any of the Missouri clergy demonstrators were to get arrested. 

On February 24, 2016 John Lewis recognized the protestors, or “foot soldiers of Selma” who participated in the 1965 Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama at the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony.  Among those who were recognized by Mr. Lewis and awarded a Congressional Gold Medal was our Chairman Greg Vatterott Sr.. Below is a picture of John Lewis (middle left) and Civil Rights Activist Frederick D. Reese (middle right) with Greg Vatterott Sr. (far right) and other members of the Vatterott family.  Also pictured below is the Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Greg Vatterott Sr.

As the grandson of Charles Vatterott, and son of Greg Vatterott Sr – our company President Greg Vatterott Jr noted that “As many key leaders of the Civil Rights movement begin to pass from us, it is important for all of us to remember their dedication, service and hard work towards equality, and to continue their efforts today and tomorrow to make our society just, equal, inclusive and as a result stronger.”

We can all agree that 2020 has not been what we thought it would be. No one planned for a global pandemic to take place and cause many people to have to work from home or lose their jobs and kids would be out of school months earlier than usual. Home designs are starting to change and people are starting to adapt to this new way of life in 2020 and homes designs are starting to reflect that. 

We will start to see more “flex spaces” or versatile spaces in homes. People like options, making flexible spaces around the house will allow for a more functional home. Plans should be created to be flexible with niche spaces. Maybe when you want into the laundry room or mudroom there is also a little desk or work area that a parent can use as a workstation while the kids are in the kitchen doing school work or they are in the family room watching a movie. That space can be their “own” and that space is dedicated to work and getting work done with no interruptions or distractions. 

Another way that home design may be altered in 2020 due to the current status of the world is creating new solutions to package drop offs. Since many people are still trying to avoid the typical brick and mortar stores, online purchasing is still skyrocketing. People are getting groceries, toiletries and other everyday essentials delivered right to their door. We may start seeing more enclosed porch or entry ways that allow for an easier and safer package drop off. In an enclosed porch your packages are much less likely to get wet if the weather is rainy or it storms and your packages are less likely to get stolen because they will be less visible from the street. 

Social distancing has caused many to get creative with the way they are still able to get social interactions. With the weather getting warmer and we are approaching the summertime we are going to start seeing more personal and private outdoor living spaces. Patios, decks and porches are going to become more livable spaces. Focus on the design of the outside of the house just as much as you focus on the design on the inside of the house. The outside living space does not have to be a big luxurious backyard with a pool and a hot tub. Although that would be nice, it does no not have to be a big space. However, design every inch of your yard and make it a space that you want to spend time in and get some fresh air while visiting with neighbors and friends. 

Aside from the home designs affected by the global pandemic, there are many other designs that we are starting to see more of in 2020. Designs are starting to become more thoughtful and more intricate. We are starting to see old trends come back around and become “new again”. Starting with the outside, exteriors should be dressed up to be more desirable from the very first impression. Typically the outside of a home is the first part that someone sees and it should make them want to go inside the home. Exteriors should pull from the environment and it should create a setting for the home. Maybe the front door has some added detail or color. Maybe there are some exterior lights that highlight some of the unique exterior features. 

Now going inside the home, in 2020 we are seeing sophisticated indoor to outdoor connections. The entryways should be an experience. People should get excited when walking into the house, try to avoid cookie cutter experiences. Oversized fireplaces will make a space feel more cozy and big windows will make a home feel more open and “outdoorsy”. Incorporate different textures and tie them in with different colors. Use windows as a texture to draw the eye to different parts of the house. Maybe you have a tall window that allows for tons of natural light and that draws the eye up in the house. Especially if the house is on the smaller end, add windows. Windows make small spaces look bigger. Windows also connect the inside of the home to the outside of the home. So, wherever the outside living space is, add windows to the home that connect that space to the inside of the home. 

Colors and materials are going to become more diverse in 2020. Colorful kitchens are becoming more appealing. For example, blue cabinets, white walls and black window frames with textured backsplash. Another example would be white cabinets, dark floors and w blue tile backsplash that extends up to the ceiling. Kitchens should be joyful and enjoyable spaces. Again, steering away from the typical cookie cutter kitchen styles. Add textures such as wood, concrete and brick to your living space. Textures help to break up open spaces and they transform a home to be more lively and interesting. Natural woods help give a space texture and warmth and is a great way to connect the home to the environment. 

WE ARE NOW OPEN & EXCITED TO SEE YOU! 

We are now open at both our Villa Sales Office and our City Sales Office. We can assure you that we are taking all of the necessary precautions to keep you and our staff safe. We have cleaning kits located in all of our display and inventory homes to ensure the proper cleaning before & after every single visitor. Find the information for each Sales Office below. We look forward to seeing you and are excited to help you find your forever home! 

Villa Sales Office: 

2916 Strawberry Ridge Ave. 

Arnold MO 63010

(636) 282-9090

City Sales Office: 

3832 Blow St. 

St. Louis MO 63116

(314) 351-6700

Office Hours:

Sun & Mon: 11 am - 5 pm

Tues - Sat: 10 am - 5 pm

Every morning we wake up and there is new information on the news about the Coronavirus outbreak - more positive tests, more deaths, more business closures. You may find it hard to make a plan for your day to day life during this admittedly scary time because of all of the unknowns that come along with this virus.  However, there are many things that you can do around your home to keep you and your family safe and healthy and to prevent the spread of the virus. 

Wash your hands - One of the best ways to lower your risk of getting COVID-19 (& avoid passing it to others) is to wash your hands… A LOT! Wash your hands after you cough, sneeze, touch your face, use the restroom, or are about to leave one place to go to another. Keep hand sanitizer in your purse, your car, back pocket, just wash/sanitize your hand very frequently. 

Clean & Disinfect Your Home - EVEN IF NO ONE IN YOUR HOME IS SICK!!! One thing to keep in mind - cleaning and disinfecting are two different things. Cleaning is about removing contaminants from a surface and disinfecting focuses on killing pathogens. We should do both, cleaning and disinfecting, daily!

Clean & Disinfect Your Home’s High-Touch Surfaces - Scientists who have been researching COVID-19 have found that the novel coronavirus can live on surfaces such as cardboard for at least 24 hours and as long as two or three days on plastic and stainless steel. High-touch surfaces to clean and disinfect daily should include:

• Doorknobs

• Tables and chairs

• Kitchen & bathroom counters

• Desks

• Faucets/faucet knobs

• Toilet (seat and handles)

• Light switches/lamps

• TV remote controls

• Game controllers

• Phones/computer keyboard & mouse

Clean all of the above surfaces or any other areas in your home that you and your family frequently use with warm soapy water or cleaning spray to remove any contaminants, dust and debris. Then apply a disinfectant that is appropriate for that surface, disinfecting wipes or disinfecting spray is typically the easiest for this step. Adding these simple cleaning steps to your everyday routine will help lower the risk for you or your family members of coming in contact with the COVID-19 germs. 

Clean & Disinfect Your Electronics - This is extremely important. Think about it… how many times a day do you touch your cell phone, computer or any other electronic device? Most likely quite a bit, especially if you are quarantined and stuck inside for multiple days.  These devices are magnets for gross, yucky germs. Cell phones are high-touch surfaces that you carry with you just about everywhere you go and they most likely touch many other surfaces throughout the days too. When you are checking out at the gas station or the grocery store do you set your phone on the counter while you pay? Think about how many people before you have done the same thing or kids that are touching their hands all over the counters. All of those germs are now on your cell phone. GROSS! Clean and disinfect your cell phone and other electronic devices with disinfecting wipes or an alcohol solution. Don’t forget to disinfect your computers and tablets too. Make sure to clean the front, back and buttons of your tablets. Make sure that you clean the keyboard, trackpad, exteriors and where your wrists lay or where you hold your laptop or computer. 

Stay Home - There is so much craziness going on in the world right now that is causing so many people stress and anxiety. Avoid going out as much as you can. If you can work from home, work from home. Do not go out into the community where you are picking up more and more germs and bringing them back into your home. Go to the grocery store, load up on your snacks and toilet paper and enjoy a few days at home, even if you do still have to work! 

Don't forget to check up on your loved ones during this time and remind them to clean and disinfect the areas around them!  

Two tiny homes are being built in north St. Louis that will be completed early next year and  house people without a home. The final Tiny Houses Project will include three tiny houses placed on a lot in the Jeff-Vener-Lou neighborhood of north St. Louis, located behind Sts. Teresa and Bridget Church. CF. Vatterott Construction feels honored to be part of these efforts to help make a change in the community along with North Grand Neighborhood Services, Rockwood School District, Social Justice 4 All, the Catholic community, St. Clare of Assisi School and St. Alban Roe. 

Each 14 by 26 foot tiny house includes a kitchen, open living and sleeping area, and a bathroom with a toilet, skink and shower. The efforts of these tiny homes is to provide housing for people transitioning from homlessness. The project organizers have said that the joint effort addresses the needs of homeless people in the St. Louis area. The project started with Social Justice 4 All, a group of Catholics and other Christians who are invested in raising awareness of social issues and improving the lives of other St. Louis citizens. 

Social Justice 4 All, connected with students in the Geometry in Construction classes at Rockwood Summit and Eureka High schools to build the first two tiny houses. Each house is 14 by 26 feet and one is painted blue, the other is painted green. A third tiny house is scheduled to be built in 2020 on the same site. St. Clare of Assisi and St. Alban Roe have been involved in the efforts to raise funds for the third house, with hopes to bring other local St. Louis Catholic schools and Parish Schools of Religion on board with the project. 

According to North Grand Neighborhood Services, a committee is currently in the process of being formed in efforts to identify the first tiny home residents. The anticipated occupancy is set for Feb. 1, 2020. Donna Torrillo, executive director of North Grand Neighborhood Services, said that North grand is committed to being present in the neighborhood to help make it a better place for everybody. “The people in the neighborhood are fantastic,” she said. “Our renters and neighbors, we absolutely love them. The people in the neighborhood want what everyone wants — a decent place to live, a place safe for their kids to go out and play. In the country we live in, there should not be homeless people. We are one of the richest countries, and yet we have people living on the street or living in properties that are inadequate. Everybody deserves decent housing.”

To learn more about the Tiny Houses Project or to donate, contact Dianne Marshak with Social Justice 4 All at (314) 302-0595 or email dianne.marshak@gmail.com. A GoFundMe page has been set up at www.gofundme.com/f/tinyhouses-stl.

Please pardon our mess!  We have just recently moved our sales office from Richardson Glen to Strawberry Ridge. Our new sales office & display home address is:

2916 Strawberry Ridge Dr.
Arnold MO 63010

Our phone number is still the same: 636-282-909

Stop by and see this fully upgraded, luxury villa home located in the beautiful Strawberry Ridge neighborhood. We will announce a grand opening at a later date. If you have any questions or for more information please call or email patsyd@cfvatterott.com. We can't wait to see you at our new display!

It is no surprise that after the development of smart cars and other advances in technology that people would start to integrate smart features into their homes. Thanks to the IoT (the Internet of Things) society is seeing more and more homeowners replacing their typical home devices and appliances with simple push of a button or voice controlled versions. The smart home product marketing is growing as a startling pace. Zion Market Research projects that the global smart home technology market will reach $53.45 billion by the year 2022. You have most likely heard of the Amazon Echo or the Google Home smart speakers, which act as an assistant to your and your family but what other new smart technologies can you add into your home?

Smart Kitchens- Refrigerators can now do much more than just keep your food cold… New smart refrigerators now allow you to set meal schedules for members of your family. You can upload recipes to your fridge and it will read a recipe to you while you cook. Maybe you just used the last of the milk, you can tell the fridge to add milk to your grocery list and upload your grocery list to your phone so that you have it at the store. Smart refrigerators are now being made with transparent glass so that you can see what is on the inside without having to even open the doors. New technologies even allow for your fridge to alert you when you have food in it that is expiring. 

Smart Living Rooms- Some people believe that in the upcoming years it will become more and more common to see virtual reality inside many peoples homes. People will start ditching the TV’s and actually be able to jump into their favorite TV shows...literally. But for now, many people are just starting to install projectors that with the click of a button or says one word will suspend from the ceiling. 

Smart Bedrooms & Bathrooms - In the upcoming years we will start to see spa like features in bedrooms and bathrooms inside smart homes. Having trouble sleeping at night? Just say the words and you will start to hear realistic rainforest or ocean wave noises. Have you had a long day at work and need a relaxing bath? Program your bathtub to run you a bath at 8:00 PM tonight. Adjust your settings to have your bathtub release relaxing brain waves and aromatherapy oils right from your smartphone.  Smart toilets, motion activated lights and shower and bathtub controls are just the beginning for smart bedroom and bathrooms. 

Security & Monitoring- Home security cameras are not necessarily new, but the functionalities of them have gotten much more advanced over the past several years. You can now see real time footage of what is going on right at your doorstep and get an alert on your smartphone when there is any movement in your front yard or around your home. When it comes to monitoring, pet monitors have taken an upward trend so that people can watch, communicate and even feed their pets treats when they are not around. Even baby monitors now have the capability to track the breathing of infants and can send notifications to parents if a baby's breaking becomes irregular. 

New inventions and the advancement of artificial intelligence technologies will hold a greater promise for the industry as a whole in the upcoming years. This is just the beginning of smart homes as people will continue to find ways to make every aspect of their homes more intelligent.

Domestic violence is more than broken ribs and black eyes, said Christine B., a formerly homeless YWCA client and a mother of three.

“It’s about emotional abuse — putting her down, calling her names, making her feel like she is crazy,” said Christine, whose last name has been withheld for her protection.

“It’s about isolation — controlling who she sees, talks to, where she goes. It’s about taking away financial security — preventing her from getting a job or keeping a job. It’s about using the children against her — threats of taking them away from her. Domestic violence takes away a woman’s pride and replaces it with fear and hopelessness.”

After a 14-year marriage, Christine left her abuser and became homeless. She was unable to bring her children with her.

“I slept on truck docks and in cemeteries and ate at churches,” she said.

She eventually landed at the YWCA, where she learned the “life skills that empowered me with knowledge, courage and self-worth to become an independent woman and a productive member of society.”

Christine told her story during a press conference on Monday, October 28 announcing a $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the City of St. Louis to rapidly re-house women and children who are homeless due to domestic and sexual violence and stalking.

YWCA Metro St. Louis will implement the grant, working with the Healing Action Network for case management, ArchCity Defenders for legal assistance, and Vatterott Properties for property location.

“If I had known then that there was a place for me and my children to be safe and people to help me, it would have saved me and my children so many years of pain,” Christine said. “This program is going to save lives and more importantly empower our children to not have to live in that cycle.”

The announcement came before an audience that included survivors and others working to end homelessness in the St. Louis region. Survivors of domestic and sexual violence face unique challenges in finding housing due to the power and control dynamics in abusive relationships, said Eulonda Nevels, chief administrative officer for YWCA. The women may have poor rental histories due to repeated 911 calls or evictions and may not have been allowed to build their own credit rating. The new program is designed to meet those challenges and to quickly get women and children into permanent, safe housing. City residency is not a requirement of the program.

“It takes a village to attack a problem this broad and complex,” Nevels said. “So we are pleased to have the support of St. Martha’s Hall, ALIVE, Kathy J. Weinman, The Women’s Safe House, Safe Connections, and the National Council of Jewish Women to help us maximize the benefits of this grant.”

Calling the program “pioneering,” Mayor Lyda Krewson said that the project “will not only provide access to safe housing to give survivors a pathway to freedom, but also support in housing advocacy, community engagement and financial assistance.”

More than one in three women in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime, according to the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

YWCA CEO Adrian Bracy said, “This grant recognizes that domestic and sexual violence are leading causes for homelessness among women and children and gives YWCA and our partners the resources to change the trajectory of these families for the positive.”

Anyone in need of homeless services in the City of St. Louis should call the Continuum of Care at 314 802-5444.

Article presented by: Rebecca Rivas Of The St. Louis American