Tom and Laura Boldt have enjoyed every square inch of their spacious home on Warson Road. The house, which can be described as a landmark estate in Ladue, provided a lot of “happy, happy times for so many people,” says Laura Boldt. “It’s definitely a house where you can walk in, kick up your feet and relax.”
Boldt, who originally grew up in Clayton and Ladue, remembers driving by the house as a child and admiring its romantic charm. Her husband grew up just around the corner. “About five years after we got married, it went on the market,” she recalls. “We both always were attracted to the architecture, and when we walked through, we could tell it used to have a lot of character. We completely restored it to its original intent of a country French estate.” Since Boldt is an interior designer, she drew up plans for the renovations, and they hired an architectural firm to carry out her ideas and drawings. The project took three years from conception to completion.
The 3 acres of land was just as much a priority as the interior. “Our landscape architect respected the home’s French architecture,” Boldt says. “We planted a tremendous variety of trees and flowers, and the grounds are very private. We wanted to walk out of every door and feel like we were in a secret garden.” Each room has a set of French doors that lead either to an outdoor terrace or garden area.
The couple has hosted numerous school functions, political fundraisers and family parties. “We had a party for 300 guests that was completely outdoors, but the home is great for indoor entertaining as well,” Boldt says. “The circulation of the house is very easy. It’s friendly and welcoming. Our house was a revolving door. All our sons’ friends knew the code on the back and could come and go as they pleased.”
The home’s headquarters, appropriately, was the family room, which Boldt jokes had everything needed to live there for a few days. “There’s a huge couch for lounging and watching TV, a wet bar, dining table and five sets of French doors that lead to a covered patio and garden.” They brought in limestone from France for the large fireplace.
Boldt and her husband are squash enthusiasts (he was once a world-ranked non-professional player), so they added an indoor squash court 18 feet below the foundation during renovations. “We hosted a multitude of world-ranked players when they were in town for tournaments,” she says. There is also a temperature-controlled wine cellar on the same level. Other favorite areas are the outdoor covered veranda off the family room, where they often watched football games around the fireplace, and the kitchen, which has a large island of South American marble that can seat up to 10 guests for intimate dinner parties. “It’s just been the most magnificent house to raise a family,” Boldt says. “It has a good soul. But we have a house in Beaver Creek, Colorado, where we spend a lot of time, and our youngest soon will be off to college. It’s time to let someone else enjoy my hard work!”
listing price | $5,400,000
listing agent | joan schnoebelen and megan rowe of laura mccarthy real estate