the estate

Another house in our hood went up for sale. We’re now in the habit of going to any open house that comes up in our development for purely nosy reasons.

Once we got out and moving we discovered that we had about two hours to kill before the house opened so we decided to “cruise” the area scouting for other open houses and garage sales.

We live within walking distance to Grant’s Farm, a wildlife preserve / clydesdale stables and ancestral (castle) of the Busch family. (the beer Busch – not oil BUSH). The area immediately surrounding G.F. is gorgeous, rolling hills, creeks, big trees. The homes get a little pricey right around there and vary from modest little 60′s split levels to newer, bigger, micro-McMansions.

While billy goating up and down the hills of the area we hit a street glutted with automobiles and folks carrying chairs and what have you…. WOOOHOO! ESTATE SALE!

We parked and headed toward the overgrown drive entry where people were emerging. Once we cleared the corner and I saw the house I peed myself.

Imagine our house – but way bigger, dug into the side of a hill backing up to woods – the lower tier which follows the roof line of the structure housing an indoor pool.

I just stood there in the drive and said “I . uhhh.. a-gah… a-gah… urrr- uh-gah uuuu… pffft! urrr.. ugh-gah” – Kevin broke the seizure: “why don’t you go get your camera out of the car”.

The home was in near original condition – which means it needed a lot of love…. The perfect blank canvas for someone to come in and thoughtfully update.

I got a handful of photos off before the daughter of the home owners, (who look to be in her 50′s) came up to me and asked me rather firmly to STOP taking photos. (click inset photos to see all of them).

I don’t really know what harm I was doing – although I was in my Sunday scuzzies. (camo pants, Front 242 t-shirt, tennies and ball cap).. I suppose for all she knew, we were casing the joint.

Feeling a little awkward and embarrassed, I went into super-sweet mode and chatted her up for a little while to validate my photo-taking.

Come to find out the home, though it strikes uncanny similarities to the ones in our development, was not built by the same people… Nor designed by the same architect. (I’m starting to gather there must had been a lot of copy-catting in the 50′s in this area)… Now all I have to do is research / prove that our development was the first appearance of “California Modern” in St. Louis.

Oh oh… I’m babbling about residential architecture again.

* slaps paws from keyboard and repeats daily anti-blog affirmation *