The Stone Giraffe stands tall with its one-of-a-kind design
As we sat in the grandeur of the Stone Giraffe’s main gathering space, with the room’s exultant, angular architecture and the radiant warmth emanating from an impressive fireplace, I was surprised to find myself feeling at home. Stone Giraffe hosts Eddie LaBoube and Sharon Havis told me about the nights when a drink with guests turned into hours of lively conversation and revelry, but I hadn’t expected to find myself in one of those situations--settled into one of the Giraffe’s comfy couches, enjoying Sharon’s signature angel food cake with a glaze made from Adam Puchta Winery’s Berry Black and feeling every bit as relaxed as I would have felt in my home.
Sure, there’s no place like home. But there’s no place like the Stone Giraffe, either.
The building itself is a singular achievement of architecture and a unity of the area’s past with the promise of the future. Eddie purchased the original property on Highway H near Boy Scout Road, a small bungalow with a flat stone veneer, and when architect Bece Fossy first saw it, she called it a “giraffe house.” The name stuck, but nearly everything else about the house changed by the time it was completed in September 2007.
The original bungalow now stands as the front portion of the house—in fact, the stone veneer of the bungalow’s back side now stands as one wall of the kitchen and gathering space. The addition features a modern kitchen fit for Eddie and Sharon’s gourmet cooking, angled ceilings that rise to 20 feet and a wall of windows that flood the space with natural light and grant a view of the city of Hermann below.
The Stone Giraffe’s patios overlook a view of Hermann that highlights the Gasconade County Courthouse and the Kit Bond Bridge, which was under construction at about the same time as the guest house. The view also reveals the rolling hills north of the Missouri River, and Sharon said the Giraffe’s position at the top of the hill makes it an ideal spot to watch storms tumble in from the west.
Although the design of the architecture is thoroughly modern, the materials used in the construction point toward the history of this place. Stones and wooden beams from an 1850s barn that once stood on the property were incorporated in the construction and landscaping, and nearly every aspect of the construction bears a local craftsman’s touch.
LaBoube made a point to use local businesses whenever possible in the construction of the guest house, and the 32-foot stone fireplace bridging two levels of the house attests to the masterful work of Bickmeyer Masonry.
The guest house’s construction also emphasizes the use of natural materials—hardwoods, granite and flat stones. That rustic feel comes to life with the Giraffe’s interior decoration, which relies on a guiding principle of simplicity. From the sturdy Shaker furniture to the comforting tones of the Shaker’s color palette—soft blue, shy yellows and deep rust—the environment inside the Stone Giraffe removes distractions to create a place for thorough relaxation. The modern-style lighting throughout the house points toward the ceiling, which both highlights the interior architecture and provides harmonious mood lighting.
The Stone Giraffe’s interior—because of its simplicity and angular spaces—stands apart from more historically-oriented lodging. There is something definitively masculine about the guest house, making it seem like a perfect place not only for a ladies’ weekend, but a bachelors’ gathering, too.
The Shaker color palette virtually serves as a directory for the five guest rooms of the Stone Giraffe, as each bedroom’s paint has a distinct color. Eddie and Sharon have a unique policy toward room selection—guests can pick out their own rooms when they check in, which is especially helpful when large groups book the guest house. Each bedroom has its own private bathroom and its own perks—one has two beds, another has a tub with jets, one has a large shower, another is especially isolated at the end of what the owners call the “Alice in Wonderland” hall. Just as the Stone Giraffe takes pride in its uniqueness, each of its guest rooms offers a new secret.
Sometimes, Sharon said, guests have such a good time in the house’s common area that they don’t spend much time in their rooms. One couple on a honeymoon set up a cot in the lower level’s common area to watch movies all night and enjoy each others’ company, and it’s not uncommon to have a guest stretch out on one of the house’s couches for the night.
I chose one of the lower-level rooms for my night’s stay, and before settling in for the night I ventured outside to look at the stars. There are many places in Hermann to enjoy a good view of the stars, but on a clear night, the view from the Stone Giraffe is a rare glimpse at the celestial wonders.
The peace and quiet afforded by my room, combined with a long soak in the adjoining bathtub, was enough to clear my head for a pleasant night of sleep. It wasn’t until morning, when the sun greeted me through the room’s two large windows—that I realized that in just a few hours this place had begun to feel like home.
Sharon, who also works at Hermann Middle School, had prepared breakfast for me—cinnamon rolls, hash browns and an egg casserole that was so good I had to get seconds. Over morning coffee, Eddie told me the sausage in the casserole was a local product from Swiss Meats Company. The Stone Giraffe is dedicated to using local vendors and showcasing local product for its guest, a policy that allows the guest house owners to both support their native community and give their guests an inclusive view of what Hermann has to offer.
The work of local craftsmen abounds in the house. Local artist Hans Droog provided custom cabinetmaking and a giraffe sculpture hanging on the massive stone fireplace. Kunstlerhaus Gallery’s pottery artist Artur Hohl contributed clay works throughout the guest house, a complement of local wines fill the main floor’s wine rack and each room is complete with a giraffe-shaped chocolate from Ricky’s Chocolate Box. Although the Stone Giraffe’s unique architecture makes it unlike other traditional Hermann lodging, these hometown touches make it clear that the guest house is still steeped in the local culture.
Eddie and Sharon enjoy acting as guides to Hermann—both returned to the area after careers in other parts of the country—but are also happy to be hands-off hosts that guests rarely see. Sharon said she can usually tell within minutes of meeting guests whether they’ll want to maximize their alone time or if, as often happens, they’ll request the owners to share a cocktail and enthralling conversation.
Either way, guests soon find that even in a place so different from anywhere they’ve seen before, it is difficult to fight that inexplicable feeling of home.
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