The large lots and established trees of Ladue were deciding factors for Mark and Juanita Snyder when they chose a neighborhood in the St. Louis area. They moved here in 2010 and rented for a year before finding the traditional Georgian colonial on Ladue Acres.
“Ladue is very centrally located,” Juanita Snyder says. “You can get to the airport quickly, and it’s easy to get downtown, too. My husband and I both grew up in the country, and we love that the area has a taste of that in a city setting.” The couple, who purchased the home in 2011, appreciated that it had been maintained in its traditional manner, including the original millwork from when it was built in the 1930s. “We are only the third owners,” Snyder says. “It needed lots of modernizing, but we were glad no one had completely gutted it and updated the style. It felt like the house had been here forever and really belonged on the lot.”
In order to maintain the home’s integrity, the Snyders worked with interior designer Emily Castle and Landmark Builders to do major renovations. We wanted it to have the same flavor as when it was first built but with updated conveniences, to feel gracious but charming,” Snyder says. They completely redid all six bathrooms, updated the bedrooms, and replaced the floors, windows and doors. “The kitchen was going to be our last project this fall,” she explains. “We had all the plans drawn up and then decided we were going to move. Hopefully the next owners will use them!”
Snyder’s favorite space in the house is the living room, which has double doors out to the pool and large backyard. “I would sit and play the piano or work at my desk in there and watch the kids out back,” she says. The couple’s two sons, now in college, and daughter, who will be a high school freshman in the fall, spent lots of time outdoors on the 2-acre lot. “It’s a great yard for kids,” Snyder says. She also points out the multiple entertaining areas inside the home. “My daughter would bring her friends to the upstairs media room, and the boys would hang with their buddies in the basement one.”
Snyder says they intended to stay in the house forever, but are moving to Columbia, Missouri, for at least four years so their daughter can focus on her equestrian activities. “We might be back because we love this area!”
listing price | $1,495,000
listing agent | stephanie connell of gladys manion real estate
Interior Photos: Steven B. Smith
Exterior Photos: Bill Barrett