When Selden and Ellen Martin started seeing new homes being developed in the area, their interest was piqued. “We had watched the ongoing redevelopment of Old Town and Clayton Gardens and were impressed with the quality of homes Michael Lauren developed,” Selden Martin says. “We also knew a couple of the clients, and they had a great experience.”
The Martins began the process of creating their own dream home by reaching out to the local developer. The company, recently named among the top 15 home builders in St. Louis by the St. Louis Business Journal, guided them throughout the 17-month journey. “We transform clients’ lives by focusing our custom home development in the neighborhoods surrounding the core Clayton retail and business center, where clients can build a brand-new vibrant and active lifestyle,” says president Mike Rechan. “We also transform lives by building smart, efficient, sustainable, elegant, custom homes that deliver on our clients’ vision for how they want to live the next phase of their lives.”
Michael Lauren helps clients create a home with the kind of spaces they need for their unique lifestyle. The focus is on highly efficient floor plans, personalized selections management and a relentless focus on design. “Many clients are moving from homes they purchased as existing homes in Ladue, Frontenac and Town & Country on large parcels of land,” Rechan says. “After searching for a new home, they realize that buying another pre-existing one will come with all the same inherent compromises.”
His clients have included three CEOs of publicly traded corporations, investment bank executives, entrepreneurs, a bank president and private equity partners. “We are, of course, biased, but we think we ended up with an ideal location and a home that fits the architectural merit of the area, and offers some custom design elements that hold intrigue and appeal,” Martin says. “The home has incorporated capabilities for future needs, like room for elevator installation, which will give us the ability to adapt to subsequent and changing needs.”
Michael Lauren has a new property at 121 N. Brentwood Blvd. available for custom development. A rendering and site concept has been developed, which creates a visual for potential buyers, but the architectural floor plan will be finalized only after input from the home’s future buyers. Once the property is sold, Michael Lauren will guide the process from concept to construction completion. “Our Brentwood rendering and site concept is a good example of how we apply our design sensibility and our knowledge of Clayton to an initial design concept that starts the conversation with a client,” Rechan says. “We take these renderings and start to evolve them to meet the client’s vision.”
The now-available Clayton Gardens location is near retail outlets and only blocks from Shaw Park, Straub’s grocery and Clayton High School. “The beauty of this lot is that it is large enough to accommodate a first-floor master and an at-level garage, which many Clayton lots are just too narrow to handle,” Rechan says.
Pictured: One of the sample floor plans for 121 N. Brentwood Blvd.
Michael Lauren Development designs and creates homes based on each client’s unique tastes and needs, making their spaces purposeful and unique. Currently available for development is a large lot at 121 N. Brentwood Blvd in Clayton. Pictured on the cover: A rendering of the new property’s proposed backyard, enclosed with apool and terraces. For more information, call 314.374.3846.
Cover design by Julie Streiler | Cover photo courtesy of Michael Lauren Development
