1023 Johnson Street, Key West ~ an Indredible Transformation

Just Listed: 1023 Johnson Street, Key West, Florida ~ An Incredible Transformation

I first wrote about this circa 1938 Casa Marina Area home in December 2008 when it was offered for sale by its former long time owner. At that time the house had 2400 square feet of "potential" that sat upon a 7500 square foot lot (75' X100') on the most fashionable street in the Casa Marina Area. I even had a buyer who made a stab at buying the place back then. The owner was stubborn and demanded his price for his pride and joy. The former owner's inability to compromise let the house sit unsold until after his death. My buyer, on the other hand, bought a nearby landmark home and did a crackerjack job of restoring it. The Johnson Street home did not sell until 2014. Renovations began in 2015 and are now completed. The renovated home has undergone an incredible transformation and fits right into this three block stretch from White Street to the gates of the Casa Marina Hotel.

The black and white photos date back to the 1960s and the color picture was taken in 2014. Compare those to the twilight photo at the top of today's blog. The potential I wrote about nearly a decade ago has been achieved.

The listing Realtor describes this property this way:

"Much sought after Casa Marina area. Re-designed and renovated in its entirety. Surrounded with a privacy fence and rolling gate. Consisting of 5 bedrooms 5.5 baths. You enter into an incredibly well thought out living/ entertaining area with sliding pocket doors leading to the outside pool and deck. Over sized kitchen with pantry, viking stove, wine refrigerator, beverage center, french door fridge, 2 sinks, dishwasher, microwave draw and large prep island. Downstairs en suite master opening to the pool, den/family room, and separate office. Upstairs 3 en-suite bedrooms and laundry room, custom closets throughout. Tropical landscaping and lighting."

I have an album full of before photos, progress pictures, and current listing photos buyers and readers of my blog may which to view - CLICK HERE. The house has been expanded to 3,307 square feet of quality living space on two floors plus the newly created guest cottage located off the new pool. The former densely overgrown back yard was cleared and now has a sunny pool and deck worthy of respect. The freshly transformed guest cottage may become the most sought after sleeping accommodation in this house.

The two photos above show the rear two story addition and former garage that was transformed into the poolside guest cottage. (Photo immediately above.) The second floor deck will be appear later as an appendage off the master bedroom on the second floor. 

The original house had a bunch of single purpose rooms, some of which were tiny and basically useless and others like the master bedroom which was too too big. The new owners ripped apart the house to the studs, replaced the all the old windows with modern and efficient impact glass windows and doors (save the front door which was painstakingly restored). The electric service and plumbing were replaced and upgraded. Chases were added during the re-framing to create the new coffered ceilings and to conceal the new air conditioning.

Coffered ceilings, crown moldings, high baseboards, and rich wood floors define and separate the former living areas once housed in separate rooms into a new spatial environment sans the old walls that separated living spaces by function. Today the living spaces are all open and free for multiple purposes.

The archaic den located to the left side of the front entry has been transformed into a stunning first floor den (with option to be a bedroom). This room employs the same coffered ceiling, down-lighting,and rich wood floors to distinguish this home from what one might expect to see in our one time fishing village of not so long ago.

The undisciplined chaos of the original second floor was destroyed when the old walls were torn down and the second floor re-framed and expanded just a big. New appropriately sized rooms were created. A deck was added of the master bedroom which provides a perfect perch to look down to the pool below or to watch sunset far from the madding crowds at Mallory Square. It's the same sunset but without the circus atmosphere.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet for 1023 Johnson Street and then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, for a private showing of this freshly renovated Casa Marina home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. I am also a twenty-two year resident of the Casa Marina Area. I can share with you the joys of living in this neighborhood that is within easy walking distance to the beaches and near enough to everything Key West has to offer full time and part time owners. I'll get you to sit down inside this house and out by the pool. It won't take too long for you to imagine how great life could be if you lived here. 

1023 Johnson Street - Key West - Classic Casa Marina Property

Just listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1023 Johnson Street in the tony Casa Marina Area of Key West.  The listing Realtor describes 1023 Johnson Street as:

"Circa 1938, this architecturally appealing home is located on a coveted street and rare find in the Casa Marina. The impressive columns of the front porch are accentuated by the green expanse of the front lawn. There is a covered carport, detached garage with storage, and lovely shaded gardens. The downstairs consists of a formal living room, formal dining room, kitchen with adjoining breakfast room, a lovely screened porch, and a private study with half bath. Original architectural appointments include unusual crown molding, hardwood floors, original windows and doors. Upstairs is an expansive master suite with private bath and two large guest bedrooms with a shared bath."

The home is 2400 sq ft divided equally between first and second floors. The main level also includes the impressive two story high front porch, a portico off the west side followed by a garage at the rear, and a screened porch area off the living room.  The lot is 7500 sq ft (75' X 100').  This home and the one next door to the east are somewhat of an anomaly for the Casa Marina neighborhood where many of the homes sit behind six foot tall privacy fences. Instead, this home sits behind a wide grass lawn.  There is no fence between the front and rear areas of the lot, but there is a cinder block wall at the very rear.

When you step inside 1023 Johnson Street you are transported to a different, more grand time.  The interiors reflect an art deco style of architecture.  The house appears to have been updated in the 1970s when I suspect the walls alongside the living room fireplace were mirrored and the lime green wallpaper was added to the anteroom off the kitchen.  Touches of chrome were added here and there. Fads such as these come and go, but the timeless beauty of a great house like this never becomes passé.  While the architecture may not appeal to those who faun over historic cigar maker cottages or chic contemporary abodes, it may appeal to a buyer who wants a project property that can either be restored to its former glory or alternatively renovated into a 21st Century reinterpretation of classic design integrated with Key West casual living.  First, let's look at some photos that show what the house looks like today.

The front entry is located in the middle of the house. The spacious living room with original wood floors, unique baseboards and crown molding, fireplace open into a formal dining room. Formal dining rooms are probably a thing of the past.  I still get phone calls and emails from would-be buyers who require formal dining rooms. It seems to me a huge expenditure of money to have a room that is used once or twice a year. But, hey, it's not my money.  Just off the dining room you can see the 1970s kitchen and the laundry room behind it. The formal stairway bisects the house between formal living area and the more cosy den/office to the left where there is a half bath. There is plenty of space to expand the existing bath into a full bath and perhaps create a main level master suite should climbing the stairs ever become a challenge.

The master bedroom with en-suite bath is huge.  The two rooms must be over 500 sq ft.  The plastered walls and massive size are just begging to converted into something smaller and more intimate in my opinion.  A new owner might add French doors at the rear.  Perhaps the current TV area could be transformed by adding book shelves for placement of a flat panel TV, books, and objet de art.

Two guest bedrooms occupy the west half of the upstairs and share one bath.  I have many rooms such as these transformed into neat nesting areas.

Twin doors on either side of the fireplace open out to a screened side porch that, again, provides a quite formal outdoor sitting area. A screened door then opens out to the backyard which currently is dominated by a huge tree and a wood deck. The original garage and an anteroom complete the backyard area.

I can envision removing the giant tree and clearing the space for the creation of a new rear yard, deck, and pool. I would convert the garage into a pool house with wet bar.  I would create a first and second floor rear porches with French doors opening from the current dining room, master bedroom and north guest bedroom. The back yard is quite large and could accommodate both the porches and new pool and I would retain the portico but eliminate the remaining car path to the garage. A new fence and landscaping would be added. The formality of the house as it exists today would be transformed by integrating the inside with the outside.

The rigidness of the interiors could be softened.  The architectural elements need not be eliminated. They ought to become accents to the newly invigorated house where the interior and exterior spaces become shared.  Key West's wonderful weather is one of the reasons we live here.  Opening the spaces for shared uses will make this house a much better home in the future. CLICK HERE to view a lot of photos I took of this property. Formulate your own plan as to what you might do with this home.

1023 Johnson Street is located two blocks from the Casa Marina Resort and Higg's Beach. Homes on the three block stretch from White to Reynolds Street are "pricey" to "very pricey".  Money you spend on this location will be repaid in years to come. But for today the location and its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and Higg's Beach are reasons enough to consider buying this home. 

The new Preferred Properties listing at 1023 Johnson Street is offered at $1,495,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-744-2642 to schedule a private showing of this home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise.