Sisters Anne Genovese and Maggie Kidd had long admired the zebra and cowhide rugs they frequently spotted in magazine spreads.

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So in 2015, when it seemed like every time they opened an issue of Elle Decor, they saw another Brazilian cowhide, a light bulb went off. The pair—who grew up tagging along with their mother on antique shopping trips—decided to launch a design brand with the artist John O’Hara. “We wanted to be the zebra and cowhide rug go-to for interior designers,” Maggie says.

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Today Forsyth is more than a humble purveyor of eclectic hand-picked rugs. The St. Louis, Missouri store, based in the upscale Creve Coeur neighborhood, is a luxury lifestyle destination that sells everything from checkerboard-patterned rugs and mushroom-shaped ottomans to vintage Womb chairs in California shearling. Even now, Maggie still gets a kick out of watching customers’ faces light up when they enter the store for the first time. “There’s nothing else like it in St. Louis,” she says.

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Forsyth’s fashion-informed point of view sets it apart, as does the sisters’ penchant for reimagining antique furniture. Forever tracking the runways for inspiration, they have an undeniable eye for cladding fusty antiques in daring fabrics that feel of the moment. We asked Maggie to share what makes Forsyth stand out, from its out-there upholstery pieces to its enticing selection of colorful Moroccan-style rugs.

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Our design philosophy

We love giving new life to cool-looking vintage pieces with great bones and design. We upcycle them with luxury fabrics for modern, everyday living.

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What inspires us

Fashion really inspires Forsyth. We’re always looking at runways’ newest collections and seeing how the colors and styles lend themselves to our world.

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If Forsyth was a film, it would be…

Sabrina with Audrey Hepburn—a little bit grungy Parisian cool girl, a little bit posh New York elite, a lot of down-to-earth chauffeur’s daughter who grew up above the garage.

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What sets us apart

We’re a destination for museum-worthy pieces, reimagined and reupholstered in the finest fabrics, custom pieces like our Mushroom ottomans, and plush Moroccan-style graphic rugs.

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What we love about our upholstery business

We work with the best of the best. They’re qualified, hard-working teams who know upholstery, construction, and quality fill. They’re artists. And their craftsmanship is on a superior level.

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Two upholstery projects we love

We redid a Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair and ottoman in a beautiful nubuck leather by Loro Piana. And we recently restored a pair of Alvar Aalto Tank Chairs, one of our favorite Scandinavian designs. We worked with the brilliant team at Swans Island Company, in Maine, to craft handwoven wool blankets for the upholstery.

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The colors we’re loving right now

We’re focusing on upholstering with neutrals. Josef Frank’s colorful patterns and designs are fun and joyful, for instance, but we really love a rich navy mohair or camel cashmere.

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Our biggest “pinch-me” moment

Whenever an AD100 designer buys a piece, it’s extra special. To be admired by the world’s top design talent means so much to us. And knowing there are Forsyth pieces in some of the coolest homes on earth is pretty wonderful. One standout moment was when Beata Heuman and her husband, John, put two of our Mushroom ottomans in their new office and showroom in London.

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What we’re most excited to bring to The Expert

We’re excited to bring our restored vintage pieces as well as our Mushroom ottomans. We hope to bring more of our ottomans, too.

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What’s next

We’re gathering new brands and artists for Forsyth to represent. That’s top secret for now, but we’re excited for the launch. These brands fit our aesthetic and expectations for quality and coolness.

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