Albert and Paige Watkins’ most recent move from the CWE to Ladue was quite a transition, but in this case, change was a good thing. “We went from 8,000-plus square feet in a turn-of-the-century home on Portland Place to this contemporary home right around 3,600 square feet,” Paige Watkins says. “We have five kids and decided to leave city living, and this house is just total comfort.”
The renovated, five-bedroom home has a prominent name behind it: Bernoudy. “He loved bringing the outside in and mimicking certain elements indoors and out,” Watkins explains. “For example, the outdoor trim of our house is also featured in one of the rooms.” The couple bought the house three years ago from friends who decided to forgo their planned renovation. Watkins and her husband, who have moved several times into ‘project’ homes, wanted to keep as much of the well-known architect’s original footprint intact.
“We tried to respect the common spaces and keep them how they were supposed to be,” Watkins says. “It’s almost impossible to change certain things and have a home stay a true Bernoudy.” They renovated the kitchen, which now features custom cabinets and top-of-the-line appliances, as well as all the bathrooms, installing heated floors and replacing tile and fixtures. “We tried to make timeless choices,” Watkins says. The couple also finished the basement, which Watkins originally envisioned as the main family room. “Instead, since there is so much natural light upstairs, we turned the formal living room into our family room, and that’s where we all hang out,” she explains.
The beauty of the outdoors floods the home. Watkins describes it as California living. “You can open up the whole house and feel like there is no difference between the outside and inside,” she says. “We added a sound system everywhere, so it’s great for entertaining.” She laughs that she and her husband often find themselves on the patio with a glass of wine when the kids take over the TV. “Because the yard is so big, we have lots of privacy. It’s like a park; we redid every square inch of the 1.26 acres.”
Even though their home in Ladue is the “polar opposite” of where they used to live, the family enjoys its livability and will stay in the area. “This was a totally different way of living, a more manageable one,” Watkins explains. “Now we’re moving on to a new project!
listing price | $1,299,000
listing agent | holly bry and ann wroth of gladys manion real estate
