Situated on a prime stretch of land in beautiful Key West, 1617 White Street is a luxurious tropical retreat that rests on an unusually large and private lot encompassing 32,213 sq ft (which includes guest cottage offered separately). The property is located across the street from a park and one block from Higg's Beach and the great Atlantic Ocean.
Lush tropical foliage conceals this Key West residence from the rest of
the world and offers a cool place to rest outside the main entrance. The front veranda features an
elaborate front door, decorative crown pediments, and double sets of
windows on either side of the front entry.
The listing Realtor at Preferred Properties describes this property thus:
"This
splendid tropical estate rests on 25013 square feet of land and extends
from White Street right through to Sirugo Avenue. The completely
renovated elevated residence has ocean views from the cupola and rooftop
deck and a dramatic vista across the pool and lawn to the spectacular
waterfall. In addition to the luxurious poolside master suite and two
guest bedrooms with en suite baths, there is a charming study in the
tower and a very efficient office overlooking the pool. This home was
featured in the Oct. '01 issue of Architectural Digest. There is a
whole-house generator and a hurricane protection system. For additional
money, an adjoining property of two units having a total of 3 bedrooms,3
baths and a pool may also be purchased."
The entry and staircase with original fretwork balustrade.
The
present owner purchased the main house in 1997 and engaged local
architect Tom Pope and interior designer Thomas Achilles (who had
designed other projects for the owner). The trio collaborated to
transform the original house into something truly unique. The most
prominent feature visible from the street is the widow's walk.
Historically, widow's walks were places where sailors' wives would climb
to look out to the sea to search for the returning ships. Wireless
radio made those roof top perches needless. Since the original house was
only built in 1983, the widows' walk was more a folly than a
necessity when built. The owner and his design team expanded the widows' walk
to include a rooftop sundeck. What a perfect place to this must be to view the glorious Key West sunrises and sunsets.
The palms at the front of the
residence now obscure much of the front facade and widows' walk from
public view. But the widows' walk is still the most prominent feature
when viewed from the rear.
This property was featured in the October 2001 issue of Architectural Digest where the owner was quoted as saying "Key West has Cuban
sensuality and a Caribbean irreverence. At the same time, the island has
a distinctly American individualism and a clear-stated preference for
charm and history that can only be European. We tried to make sure our
home blended all of these elements."
The
home has 3259 sq ft of living space under air that includes formal
entry, elegant living area with views to the front and rear, three
bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths, and the roof top widows' walk with its 360 degree
views of the Island of Key West. The interiors are rich in
design and color. The designer used used a color pallet of tans,
caramels, creams, and magenta that were set off by crisp white trim. The entire property is fenced and
lighted. There is bricked off street parking for several vehicles.
Although
the main entry is Key West casual, you know upon entry this is not s
typical Key West property. The front door opens into the entry which
then expands to the right where the living room is located. That space
is quite large and has multiple sitting areas. The fireplace, one of
three in this home, is the focal point of this area.
The
rear wall of the living room and adjacent formal dining room is
actually multiple sets of French doors that open out onto the covered
veranda that wraps around the rear of the home. Note the bay window
effect of the French doors in the dining alcove.
Bay window off the dining alcove
The
master suite (below) has multiple sets of French doors that open out to
the rear loggia as well. The suite as presently configured includes a
large office area which might easily become a media room, the bedroom
chamber with fireplace, luxurious master bath, and an adjacent mini-kitchen for morning coffee or late night munchies.
View from office
View from the master bedroom
There
are two bedrooms on the second floor each of which has an en-suite
bath. And finally there is the widows' walk and sundeck which offer
amazing views of the south end of the island, the nearby ocean, and the
beautiful park-like garden to the rear. Guests here will truly never
want to go home.
After
completing the renovation and expansion of the main house, the owner
purchased abutting properties to the rear. The existing houses were razed to
expand the rear of the property where a park-like botanical garden was
created complete with massive waterfall plus an nearby bandstand for
large gatherings.
When you enter the home your
eyes are immediately drawn through the house, past the pool, and pulled toward the sputtering waterfall at the rear of the garden literally located a block away. You
don't see sights like that in Key West nor most places. The effect is
quite dramatic.
The
waterfall demands attention. It commands first time visitors to walk
through the garden to the foot of pond where the water collects. While
wandering toward the fountain I passed a myriad varieties of fruit and
citrus trees, flowering trees, and palm trees of all kinds.
Ten foot tall waterfall at the rear of the palm grove
Of
course there is a huge swimming pool with its own waterfall, a Jacuzzi,
an outdoor shower, an outdoor kitchen, and a pool laundry (for pool towels, of
course). A sunny deck surrounds the pool. The expansive loggia provides
ample entertaining areas for many guests. Hillary Clinton was a guest
of honor at a campaign event held here in 2008 where about five hundred supporters were present.
Please take a moment and view the YouTube Video for additional information.
1617 White Street is a listing of Preferred Properties Key West, but not my listing. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property which is offered at $3,750,000. The adjacent guest cottage may be purchased separately. Please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule a private showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.
