To the Manor Born
By Susan Caba
There is nothing small-scale about this 11,000-square-foot new stone mansion on three and a half acres in Ladue.
From the 10-foot, custom alder double front doors that weigh 480 pounds to the quarter-sawn white oak staircase to the cathedral living room ceiling with hammer beam trusses and three bronze chandeliers, it evokes the grand lifestyle of British aristocracy. Inspired by a 220-year-old English country house, builder Ned Barrier set out to replicate its design and style, right down to the feeling of age. “I hate something that looks new,” he said, referring in particular to the seven-step process for staining the woodwork.
The house is unquestionably big, but its style heft owes more to its detailing than to the mere size of the rooms. The 11-by-5-foot living room fireplace is hand-carved limestone, with carved garlands and hunting motifs. The bronze chandeliers and sconces were crafted in Montana, with pine cone details that look like the real thing. The master bathroom is tiled all in stone and has what Barrier calls a “carwash” shower, big enough for two (at least). The ceiling lines throughout follow the roofline, which reflects old English building styles. There are two oversized two-car attached garages and a detached four-car garage. Each of the four bedrooms, in addition to the master suite, has its own bathroom. Most of the rooms open through French doors to cobblestone terraces.
While the house is located just off Warson Road, the property is elevated above it and set on a lot with mature trees. The Clayton skyline is visible from some windows; through others, the view of a neighboring property—itself a sprawling stone mansion glimpsed through the trees—adds to the illusion that this estate is tucked somewhere in the English countryside.
Address: 1 Upper Warson, Ladue
Asking price: $7.7 million
Agents: James L. Manion, 314-954-5954; Barbara Wulfing, 314-983-2205; Jane Blumoff, 314-983-2285; all of Janet McAfee, Inc.
