from the homeowners »
Emily and Andrew Frisella had their eye on this home and its beautiful surroundings long before it went on the market in 2014. So when a ‘for sale’ sign appeared, they took the plunge. “We’ve always loved the location and had admired the house for a while,” Emily says. “The day it came up for sale, we made an offer.” The couple has since moved a little farther west to gain more land, but Emily says she and Andrew enjoyed every moment of living in the house.
What do you like most about the area?
Living there was like a dream come true for me and my husband. When I was younger, I used to drive through the neighborhood to look at the houses, and I remember saying, “This must be where movie stars live.” My husband saw the home being built about 15 years ago and always had been interested in it. The fact that our dream of owning it came to fruition meant a lot! It’s where we built our life together.
Have you made any improvements?
We recently renovated the whole house. We installed new kitchen cabinets and countertops and redid the floors, trim work, shutters and more.
The flow of the rooms is especially nice. There is a ton of storage space, and every inch of the layout is put to very good use. It’s a large home, but it still feels comfortable and welcoming. I love the spacious kitchen; I’m a chef and cookbook author, so I enjoyed using it to create the content for my books. It has a large center island, lots of cabinet space and a huge walk-in pantry.
What is the wine room like?
It’s a beautiful, relaxing space. We loved opening it for guests to see, and we held dinners and dessert gatherings there.
Does the home work well for guests?
It’s perfect for parties and out-of-town visitors. It has a guesthouse, and there are extra bedrooms upstairs in the main house. My husband and I often held holiday celebrations and business gatherings in the home. The back patio is a great entertaining space, too.
What is it like outdoors?
The house has a wonderful pool and a fire pit that works well for grilling out. There is a lovely waterfall, too; we always enjoyed relaxing in the pool and listening to the water. The yard backs up to the woods, and the entire space is very soothing, peaceful and private. The landscaping features lots of blooming plants and trees that turn bright in the fall, so there is always plenty of color.
from the agents »
“One of the home’s best features is its beautiful wine room, the kind you would see in a high-end Napa winery.”
– Mark & Neil Gellman
list price | $1,799,000
listing agents | Mark & Neil Gellman, The Gellman Team
agency | Coldwell Banker Premier Group
Photos: Tara McLain, St. Louis Real Estate Photography