LADUE, Mo. — A 19,000 square foot Ladue mansion is on the market for a little more than $5 million. The mansion has an indoor pool, which is a rare find in the area. As Dana Dean reports, it's the collections inside the house that make it truly one of a kind.
This spectacular Ladue home on Log Cabin Court offers 6 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, and something eye-catching from wall to wall, floor to ceiling and around every turn.
"Really, it's a compound, you never have to leave, " said homeowner Jackie Saleeby. Her husband, Ray, owns a wealth management firm and Jackie is a nurse.
They compare it to living at a country club with all of the amenities it has to offer.
“A gym, a lot of entertaining areas,” she said. “We have two boys in college and a son in high school. So we have enjoyed great memories but we are going to pass the baton to another family to enjoy all of the amenities that we have in the house."
Now it's time to downsize so they put the home on the market for $5.2 million dollars. Their collections are on full display; some as home décor, others incorporated into home design. Perhaps the most interesting can be found on the lower level; a custom floor made out of geodes.
She said, "That was my husband's creation, and that was several years in the works. He would go to the Tucson gem show every year, buy barrels of geodes that would come from Brazil, and they would come in giant oil drums. Saved up and saved up and was finally able to find someone who could articulate his vision."
With a flick of a switch, the floor lights up, showing off the colorful crystals. Each room in the house shows off their eclectic style like this game room features finds from a trip to Egypt. And a room off the master bedroom is nicknamed the Bellagio for the glass sculptures on the ceiling reminding them of the Vegas casino.
She said, "It's been a labor of love. We moved in in 2002. We have slowly been redoing it and adding on over the years."
Some of their collections have moving parts. Next to the main kitchen is a custom table with not one but two Rolls Royce jet engines underneath. Talk about a conversation starter when you're eating dinner. That's not the only thing with a motor. The master bedroom closet was all her husband's idea.
“He's just got a real creative side," she said.
Jackie can look at her entire wardrobe in seconds, like you would at a drycleaner.
She said, "My husband built that closet for me. I have a lot of clothes. He had the idea of having one of those revolving hanging devices that you see in commercial laundry mats."
There are three kitchens on the property. The main kitchen is sleek, with white cabinets and black countertops. The lower level has an ocean theme, complete with a seashell collection inside of the bar top. And the kitchen inside of the 3-story carriage house has copper accents and a family photo on the backsplash tile. Now the homeowners want another family to have as much fun living here as they did.
She said, "It's grand, but it's also home."