I find describing the experience of this house difficult, but I can tell you that I did not want to leave it. (My apologies to those of you with a better grasp of the architectural vernacular than I.) The living room was by far the most wonderful space. Walls of windows, exposed brick, beamed ceilings and fireplace with a galley kitchen just off to one side. The space felt like it was designed for entertaining and that the kitchen was located there because you have to keep the ice trays and olives somewhere.
The lot is heavily wooded so the interior was quite dark when we were there at just about noon. But since the photos show light pouring into the living room and the pool getting sun, my assumption is that the house was placed on the lot to allow light in (and keep it out) at optimal times of day.
Still, while the space was almost alarmingly comfortable, it was dark and I could understand why many potential buyers would not be able to see or feel the magnificence of the space. And maybe that's why I didn't want to leave. I had questions about how the space would change throughout the day. Why was it so dark? (Maybe it goes back to the ice trays and olives. Maybe the original owner didn't rise until the afternoon sun hit the pool anyway.)
The clients I took through the house were considering returning to St. Louis from California and were equally enthusiastic about the house. As we were leaving, one of them turned to me and said, "You know what's going to happen if we don't buy this one, don't you? They're just going to tear it down." Those clients decided to stay in California, but let's hope they were wrong.
