At Home with Joy Stinger
At Home with Joy Stinger in her Clayton home. Graphic designer Stinger, 80, has an eclectic home that is part museum, farm and aviary. Joy moved into the brick, three-story, 1904-era home in Clayton 32 years ago. “It came with a double lot, and I am an avid gardener,” she says. “What I enjoy most is getting up each morning and feeding my animals and watching things grow,” Joy says. “At one time I wanted to live to be 150, but I will settle for 125.”
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger goes through her address book in the dining room at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger goes through the back gate to the area where she keeps her chickens at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger looks up at some of her birds in her birdhouse at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger has colorful art glass hanging in front of her dining room windows at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger goes through her address book in the dining room at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Some of Joy Stinger's colorful clothing hanging on a chair in the dining room at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
More of Joy Stinger's colorful collectibles on display at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger had a brick bird house built in her yard to house her many birds at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Some of Joy Stinger's collectibles are on display under the stained glass windows in the dining room at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger has a collection of Russian nesting dolls at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
The aviary to the left holds about 50 birds and was modeled after the arched porch which serves as the front door to the residence. When she operated an ad agency from her home, Joy used a pulley system from the third floor studio window to deliver and accept packages.
Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Colorful displays are in front of all of the windows in Joy Stinger's home at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
A collection of wooden figures are on display in Joy Stinger's dining room at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Yard ornaments are on Joy Stinger's front porch at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
A hanging gourd hummingbird feeder is in the front yard at Joy Stinger's home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger looks at some of her collectibles in her dining room at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Pigeons hang out on Joy Stinger's roof after feeding at one of the bird feeders at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Some of the graphic arts colors that Joy Stinger has in her third floor office at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Some of the old Russian posters Joy Stinger has hanging in her former graphic artists' business at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
One of Joy Stinger's Portuguese water dogs gets a drink in her water garden in the backyard at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Stinger turned the swimming pool into a pond for her fish. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
An arched doorway featuring a decorative plaster rope design leads from the dining room to the solarium with a terrazzo floor. The dining room walls and archway are used to display Joy's collection of puppets and marionettes and other decorative items she has collected in her travels or which she finds artistically interesting.
Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger has a rams' skull in the window of the second floor landing at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger's candle-making area is filled with wax candles and figures in the basement of her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger keeps some of her favorite quilts hanging on the bannister on the second floor at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Honey bees arrive at one of Joy Stinger's bee hives in her backyard at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Stinger collects and sells the honey. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger straightens a picture on the stairway at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger checks for eggs in the chicken coop in her garage at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger checks on some of the plants she has in her garage at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger demonstrates how her wooden toys move along a string hanging in her living room at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Tagus, one of Joy's two Portuguese water dogs, watches as she crosses a stone walk she had built over the swimming pool she converted into a koi pond.
Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Hand towels have their place in Joy Stinger's kitchen at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger talks about how she hand painted this cabinet in her dining room at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger pets one of her Portuguese water dogs in the backyard at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger shows off an old loom in the old part of her basement at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. She has a partially done project on the loom, but she said she hasn't touched it for two years. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Some of Joy Stinger's puppet collection hangs on a cabinet in her dining room at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Some of the many collectibles that Joy Stinger uses to decorate her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger examines one of the eggs she collected from the chickens she raises in her garage at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
One of Joy Stinger's chickens comes into its coop at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Jars of honey are on Joy Stinger's dining room table at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
The stairway from the second floor looks down into the southern facing living room and a window wall of French doors. Sections of a large mobile that dangles from the living room ceiling can be seen in the foreground of the photo.
. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Most of the wall space is covered in the Joy Stinger's kitchen at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Some of the collectibles that Joy Stinger has at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger used to have a graphic design business on the third floor at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger said that her favorite place in her home is her second floor greenhouse where she spends lots of time on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger talked about how she used to have packages raised by a rope to her third floor office through the window at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. It was easier than going all the way downstairs to receive a delivery. She said the system worked until the tree in the front yard got too big. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
An avid quilter, Joy made the quilt on her bed. Many more of her quilts hang on walls throughout the residence.
Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger said that her favorite place in her home is her second floor greenhouse where she spends lots of time on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
A thin aquarium is built into the wall of the stairway leading from the second floor to the living room.
. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
One of Joy Stinger's quilts hangs on the wall of her bedroom at her home on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
At Home with Joy Stinger in Clayton
Joy Stinger meticulously documented each piece of fabric that she used in one of her quilts at her home of on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2015, in Clayton. Some pieces came from favorite articles of clothing of her children. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com
As featured on
'We faced huge boulders, great for landscaping later, but not good for digging a foundation or wells for an underground geothermal heating system.'
The result, within 1,200 square feet of living space, is a central expanse of no-walls-between dining room, kitchen and living room.
Not only did Ginny Kell relish, as she still does, the adventures. She also found mementos, often in the most unlikely places.
