Wood, Steel, and Soap

Cape Girardeau residents Bret and Stacy Peters: rebar estimator and finance representative by day, furniture craftspeople and soap makers by night. All the time artists, husband and wife, and parents to their 15-year-old son.

The duo are the founders of a natural body care line, Brickhouse Soap, and a furniture brand, DosVita Designs.

�It was in our marriage vows, that we would grow together and create together,� Stacey says.

So that�s what they�re doing.

Stacey began making glycerin-based soap 14 years ago, when her grandpa who had cancer couldn�t find non-irritating soap in stores. Brickhouse Soap now includes human and dog shampoos, beard care and fragrance-free lines. The couple sells the environmentally-friendly soaps at trade shows, and at Hempie�s and Catapult Creative House in Cape.

DosVita Designs was born three years ago, when the furniture the Peters bought from stores wasn�t holding up during their many moves.

�We just got tired of buying junk,� Bret says of his decision to begin creating his own furniture.

Other people were tired of that, too. They started asking for Bret�s furniture: voila, DosVita Designs.

The furniture, which the Peters describe as �industrial modern, with Danish accents,� is created by the couple from the ground up, sourcing locally grown wood and metal from a Sikeston family-owned business. Bret does all of the woodwork, metalwork and upholstery, utilizing the sewing skills he learned from his mother as a child.

Bret is currently working on a line of furniture he has named �Girardot,� a throwback to the old spelling of Cape Girardot, and an homage to the �home of their dreams� they are currently renovating, a 100-year-old house in downtown Cape.

�I love the feel of downtown Cape, the sound of the trains, seeing all the way up the river,� Bret says. �I like to think that we�re pioneers in what we�re doing.�