There’s a lot of history behind this 95-year-old home, formerly owned by a member of the Schlafly family. The current owners, Russell and Ann Perry, say they bought it because they wanted to preserve it as an important architectural feature of the neighborhood. After extensive renovations, the house is ready for its next chapter, Russell says. “We fell in love with this home and its past,” he notes. “We even have original pictures from when it was built; they are framed and hanging on the wall.”
What is the neighborhood like?
There are only 11 homes on the street, so it’s quiet and private. But it’s also very connected to things like schools and the country club, which are within walking distance.
Did you try to preserve the home’s original style?
Yes. We love that it features cedar shake siding, which you don’t see a lot of in this area. There are new windows, drywall, HVAC system, electrical and plumbing, and pretty much everything else about the interior is new, but we have kept the same exterior look. We wanted to stay with the character of the homes on this secluded lane.
Did you discover anything interesting during renovation?
There is an apartment over the garage with a kitchen and bath and a great screened porch area. The pavement had been covered with concrete over the years, so we chipped that away to reveal the original flagstone. We learned the stone was there by looking at the original
building plans.
What are some other key changes you made?
We vaulted all of the ceilings on the second floor to incorporate new dormer windows and make the spaces open and airy. There’s a new swimming pool with pool house, and we also redesigned the driveway and added a three-car garage in a carriage-house style. We converted one of the bedrooms to a loft, which would be great as a kid’s room. And we decided a formal dining room was no longer needed, so we incorporated that space into the kitchen to open things up and added a marble island and fireplace. These days, parties always center around the kitchen anyway!
What are some of your favorite features?
There’s a separate little building at the back of the property, which we also remodeled. It’s about 800 square feet and has a small patio. It would be perfect as an art studio, office or workout room. We also love the kitchenette and fireplace just off the pool area; it’s a great space for entertaining. And the lot this home sits on is beautiful.
What else do you want the next owner to know?
With our renovations, we tried to create the look and feel of a beautiful but practical vacation home. We love that you can use every inch of this house; everything was done with that idea in mind.
listing price | $2,950,000
listing agents | J. Warner & Sam Hall
agency | The Warner Hall Group of Dielmann Sotheby’s International Realty
