Basement renovation in Ladue, MO
Ladue basements are already finished. Most were built out in the 1980s or 1990s with the era’s idea of a luxury basement: wet bar, mirrored exercise room, wood-paneled study, brass fixtures, beige carpet. The basement works. It just hasn’t aged well, and the household uses 30% of the space because the rest doesn’t fit how anyone actually lives anymore. A Ladue basement renovation is usually a re-renovation.
Why Ladue, MO homeowners trust Aleto with basement renovations
Most Ladue basements were originally built out 25 to 40 years ago, during the 1980s and 1990s, at what was then top-of-market spec. The mirrored exercise room has wall-to-wall carpet. The wet bar will have beveled glass cabinet doors and brass pulls. The wood-paneled study with built-in television cabinets sized for tube TVs. The projection room with sconces along the side walls, before flat panels existed. The walk-in cedar closet is for off-season storage. The guest suite with the floral wallpaper and the small carpeted bathroom. The bones are good. The waterproofing and structural work were already done. The mechanical room was already separated. The footprint is large, often 2,000 to 3,500 square feet. What hasn’t aged well is the program and the finishes.
A current Ladue basement renovation typically tears out the 1980s or 1990s build-out almost entirely and rebuilds the basement around how the household actually uses it now. The dedicated home theater becomes a real theater room with current 4K projection or large-format displays, isolated walls, immersive audio, and tiered seating. The wet bar becomes a full second kitchen capable of supporting actual entertaining. The mirrored exercise room becomes a fitness studio with proper subfloor, equipment infrastructure, and often a sauna or steam room. The cedar closet becomes a sommelier-grade wine room with climate control and proper racking. The carpeted guest bath gets gutted and rebuilt with stone, custom millwork, and current plumbing. New programs get added: golf simulators, recovery rooms, dedicated entertaining kitchens, and walk-out guest suites where the original windows can become doors.
Aleto Construction Group has been working on Ladue basements for decades, including full re-renovations of 1980s and 1990s finished basements, walk-out conversions where original windows become doors, and coordinated whole-home renovation programs that include basement work. Working in St. Louis since 1955 means we’ve been involved with these properties through multiple renovation cycles and understand what’s typically hiding behind the wood paneling.
What a basement renovation in Ladue, MO can include
Every project is scoped to the basement’s existing condition and the household’s current program. Here are the elements we address most often in Ladue basement renovations:
Full demolition of existing 1980s and 1990s finishes
Complete tear-out of the original built-out basement, including paneling, drop ceilings, carpet, original wet bars, mirrored walls, and outdated mechanical and AV systems, returning the basement to its original concrete shell before the new program is built
Dedicated home theaters
Real theater rooms with isolated walls, acoustic panel treatment, blackout finishes, current 4K projection or large-format displays, immersive multi-channel audio, and tiered seating designed for actual viewing
Sommelier-grade wine rooms
Climate-controlled wine rooms with proper temperature and humidity zoning, custom racking systems sized to the household’s actual collection, glass-paneled fronts that protect light, and integration with adjacent entertaining space
Full second kitchens for entertaining
Full second kitchens with custom cabinetry, real appliance packages including range or cooktop, full-size refrigeration, dishwasher, ice maker, and stone counters at the scale required for the household’s actual entertaining
Golf simulator installations
Dedicated simulator bays with the ceiling height, depth, and impact screen infrastructure required for full driver swings, integrated putting practice areas, and dedicated AV and lighting
Fitness studios with proper infrastructure
Fitness rooms with appropriate subfloor (rubber over plywood, sometimes structurally reinforced), mirror walls, dedicated electrical for treadmills and cable machines, and ventilation sized for active use, often paired with sauna, steam, or recovery space
Walk-out guest suites with private access
Walk-out or daylight basement guest suites with bedroom, full bath, sitting area, sometimes a kitchenette, and direct exterior access through walk-out conditions or through existing windows converted into doors where the grade supports it
Walk-out conversions and grade work
Where the basement is at or near grade on one side of the house, converting existing windows into doors and grading the exterior to support direct outdoor access, typically including a covered terrace or patio at the new lower level
What a basement renovation looks like in Ladue, MO
Ladue basement projects are usually renovations of already-finished spaces. Here are the scenarios we see most often.
Tearing out the 1990s wet bar and building a current one
The most common Ladue basement project starts the same way: full demolition of the original built-out basement back to the concrete shell. The mirrored exercise room comes out. The wet bar with beveled glass and brass comes out. The wood paneling, the wall-to-wall carpet, the drop ceiling, the cedar closet, the floral guest bath, all of it. What’s left is a clean concrete envelope plus the original waterproofing, mechanical room, and structural elements. The new build-out happens on that clean foundation, with current materials, current AV infrastructure, current mechanical and electrical, and a program designed for how the household actually lives in 2026 rather than for what was current in 1992.
Building the proper home theater
Current Ladue basement renovations almost always include a dedicated home theater room rather than a general-purpose media room. The room has isolated walls (resilient channel, double drywall, sometimes a room-within-a-room construction) so audio doesn’t bleed into adjacent spaces. Acoustic panels are integrated as design elements rather than as obvious utility installations. Blackout treatment is permanent. The display is either a 4K projection on a properly sized screen or a large-format direct-view display. The audio is multi-channel immersive (Dolby Atmos or similar) with subwoofers placed where the room calls for them. The seating is tiered, real theater seating, sized for the household plus a few guests rather than for a magazine spread.
Building the wine room that holds the collection
Many Ladue households have wine collections that have outgrown the basement’s original cedar closet conversion. The current wine room is a dedicated, climate-controlled space with real racking systems sized for the actual collection, separate temperature zones for reds and whites, proper humidity control, glass paneled fronts that protect against light damage, and direct connection to an adjacent entertaining space (usually the second kitchen or a tasting area) so the wine is part of how the household entertains rather than stored separately from where it’s consumed. We work with wine consultants and racking specialists on these projects when the collection size justifies it.
Converting a window into a door for walk-out access
A specifically Ladue basement opportunity: many of the 1970s and 1980s homes were built on lots where the basement is at or near grade on one side of the house. The original construction often included high windows in the basement walls, but no exterior doors. A walk-out conversion turns one or two of those window openings into French doors or sliding glass doors, with exterior grading to create a usable patio or terrace at the lower level. The basement becomes connected to the property in a way it wasn’t originally, the basement guest suite can have its own front door, and the lower level entertaining program connects directly to outdoor space. The structural work is typically modest. The grading and exterior detailing is more involved.
What our clients are saying…
“Aleto made our dream home come true and they made the four months renovation period smooth, pleasant, and seamless. Mike was a dream contractor – he kept in communication with us every single day. We received daily updates and he responded immediately to any and all messages we sent him. They hired the best workers, they worked with the best companies, and we could not be happier with our finished project. We recommend Aleto 100%.”
Mary – Houzz Review
Featured bathroom renovation project
OPEN EMPTY ROOM TO FUNCTIONAL SPACE
Home Builders Association Remodeling Project of the Year – Bathroom Winner
The third floor of this home in Webster Groves was transformed into three functional rooms for a growing family, including a bedroom for the boys and a home office for dad. The highlight is the modern bathroom, earning it a Home Builders Association Award.
View this project →
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth renovating our existing finished basement, or should we leave it?
It depends on how the household actually uses the basement today. The honest test is square footage in active use: most Ladue households we work with use 20 to 40 percent of their existing finished basement on a typical week, with the rest functioning as expensive storage or as space the household actively avoids. A re-renovation that brings the program in line with how the household actually lives typically takes utilization to 70 percent or more. The financial return at resale is real but variable; the daily-life return is reliably substantial.
Should we coordinate the basement work with upstairs renovation?
When other renovation work is planned for the home, yes. Coordinating basement work with whole-home renovation typically reduces the per-project cost (single permit cycle, single mobilization, shared trades) and produces better design results because the finishes can relate from upstairs to downstairs. Where the upstairs is already renovated, and the basement is the only outstanding scope, the basement project stands alone and matches the existing upstairs language as closely as possible.
More home renovation services in Ladue, MO
Looking at a different scope? Explore our other services available in Ladue, MO:
Kitchen renovation
We rethink how your kitchen flows, functions, and feels from layout to custom storage and premium appliances.
Learn more →
Whole-home renovation
Full reimagining of your home from top to bottom, designed and built as one cohesive project.
Learn more →
Bathroom renovation
Convert dated bathrooms into spa-like retreats with custom tile, modern fixtures, and intelligent layouts.
Learn more →
Ready to transform your Ladue, MO basement?
A basement renovation starts with a conversation about how the basement is being used today and what it could become. Tell us what you’re thinking, and we’ll take it from there.
A UNIQUE PARTNER FOR YOUR UNIQUE VISION
For new construction, renovation, simple repurposing, or grand reimagining, Aleto brings decades of experience and creativity to every project, large or small. You have something special in mind, and we have a knack for helping you bring your vision to life with all the quality, personality, and professionalism it deserves.
We’re a family-owned company with creativity in our DNA. Curious? Get to know us a little better.
Quick Links
Connect With Us
(314) 352-0507
