715 Frances Street, Key West - Quintessential Eyebrow House

If you are a longtime and loyal reader of this real estate blog, you may remember that I have written several blogs about 715 Frances Street several times over the years. It is one of the most visible of all the eyebrow houses in Key West. It was built circa 1896 and has been renovated to some degree by each of the recent owners. The current owners have done a masterful job in editing and refining prior renovations and adding their touch to make this home a genuine gem. This is not real estate mumbo jumbo.  Let's take a look at what this home looked like before:

The listing Realtor describes 715 Frances Street this way:

"Located on one of the most desirable streets in Old Town Key West, this classic Eyebrow house is the epitome of historic luxury renovation. From the traditional charm of Dade County Pine to the modern gourmet kitchen, this home combines the very best of both worlds. Featuring professional grade appliances, hand-crafted Amish-built cabinetry, and quartz counter tops, the kitchen is built for the discerning master chef. Adjacent is a spacious dining area with vaulted wood ceilings and a custom built-in bar. The floor plan flows to a tranquil backyard, with covered seating and entertainment area, pool, spa, outdoor shower, and mature landscaping. 3 en-suite bedrooms guarantee comfort and privacy for all. With off-street parking and proximity to the Historic Seaport, this home truly has it all."

The house now has 1890 sq ft of interior living space including a good sized first floor bedroom with en-suite bath, living room, custom kitchen, and dining area. Upstairs there are two bedrooms each with en-suite bath. The current owner removed a fairly recent and quite expensive kitchen only to replace it with one that was larger, better equipped, and which opened out to the stunning new backyard with pool and outdoor living area. The main floor bedroom and bath were re-crafted into good usable space.

Upon arrival first time guests will know this is an old home by looking at the Dade County Pine walls and admiring the old staircase. They will also see a spectacular kitchen located to the right rear where French doors open out to the pool and back yard. The new dining has windows on three sides. The first floor bedroom and bath are located just to the right of the entry door  This owner re-did each of the existing bathrooms and added a new guest bath which is located off the veranda at the rear of the home.

Built-in closets and a new bathroom made the above second floor north bedroom so totally livable now as compared to prior versions of the same space. Natural light in the bath is just incredible. The views off to the east are of tree tops, not nosy neighbors with telescopes.

The bend in the front roof eave is evident in the photo two above. The south bedroom has closets on either side of the window. A new shower is recessed inside the wall above where there is a window. The bathroom works.

A prior owner added the pool and spa. This owner redid the veranda and added a guest bath on the far side. The landscaping is maturing nicely. Not having some big old house to the rear means this house has privacy. Look at photos in the link at the end. You will see an outdoor shower tucked away as well.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a private showing of this beautiful home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

715 Frances Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 715 Frances Street, in Old Town Key West. This classic three bay eyebrow house was built circa 1895. I found an old black & white photo of the house taken in 1965 (see photo below) and compare the same house as photographed nearly fifty years later. Quite a makeover, wouldn't you agree?

 The outside is still simple even if the colors are a bit more lively.  The inside has been upgraded to be sure, but not so much so that the house has lost its character.  When I stepped inside the front door I was greeted by the rich tones of the Dade County Pine accent wall located at the far side of the living room. Three of the original windows with ancient glass bathed the inside with semi-filtered light.  Although I knew the house has just been completely remodeled, the house still has a great old house "feel".

A guest bedroom with en-suite bath is located just to the right of the front door. The room has lots of filtered light as well.  The stairway to the second floor appears quite long when compared to stairways in other eyebrow houses I have seen. Imagine how grand that stairway would look at Christmas wrapped with pine boughs and garland. Buyers who doing long term planning may appreciate having a large first floor bedroom when climbing stairs in later years can become a challenge

There are two bedrooms on the second floor both of which have en-suite baths. The north bedroom has a great view of the pool below while the south bedroom has a wonderful bathroom with multiple windows that look out to the palm tree views of neighboring properties.  The listing agent had to remind me I was standing inside an eyebrow house with dormers that permitted the rear space for these expanded bathrooms.

The new kitchen has a vaulted ceiling and three sets of windows that provide lots of daytime sunlight into the space.  Travertine marble floors give the space a cool and sophisticated feel. The travertine floors continue to an alcove behind the kitchen where the laundry and a separate guest bathroom are located. The travertine then continue over to what the listing agent calls the "indoor/outdoor" room that overlooks the pool. This room has a stunning vaulted wood ceiling that adds both height and dimension to the space.  The area is presently protected by screens to enjoy our wonderful winter and spring weather. When summer arrives, the screens can be replaced with custom made window inserts.  The area is air conditioned when necessary.

 

 This indoor/outdoor room is quite clever in my opinion.  Our fall and winter seasons are quite mild and most homeowners use their outdoor living areas most of the year. But there are those few occasional days or nights when the weather is a bit too cool.  This conversion option is a feature that others might adopt.

The indoor/outdoor room provides views of the backyard area and the newly installed pool. An IPE deck area provides stepped down access to the pool and spa.  This pool is long and sunny - quite a change from so many Old Town pools that are cramped into small spaces and shielded from sunlight by mighty houses or tropical foliage.  Sun-worshipers will delight in this sunny space.  The owner has also added an outdoor shower for pre-swim and post-tanning.

You can view a slideshow of more photos I took of this thoughtfully updated Old Town eyebrow home if you CLICK HERE.   I know a lot of potential buyers think they might want to rent a place like this as a vacation rental when they are not using the property themselves.  I think this place could be a very successful vacation rental. It has three very nice bedrooms with en-suite baths, two large living areas, a very comfortable new kitchen, and a stunning pool and sunning area. The property has off street parking. And it is located within an easy walking distance to Duval Street or the Historic Key West Seaport. Most of Key West's gyms and yoga studios are located within a five block walk to the south or east.  People that come here for extended vacation stays love being able to walk to locations like these and usually prefer a bit of distance from being right in the heart of the Duval crawl.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and to view professionally photographs of this property. which is offered at $1,495,000.  If you would like to see this home, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 or send me an email at kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise. 

715 Frances Street - Classic Three Bay Eyebrow House - Old Town - Key West

715 Frances Street - Old Town - Key West

Just listed, but not by me, 715 Frances Street, in Old Town Key West. This classic three bay eyebrow house was built circa 1895. I found an old black & white photo of the house taken in 1965. Compare the old look to the new color photo. Not much difference, and that's why old homes in Key West are truly treasured.

715 Frances Street as it appeared in 1965

715 Frances Street as it looks in 2012

The house at 715 Frances Street sits close to the street which means there is room in the ample backyard to build a new pool and to create a lovely garden. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"Adorable historic home on prestigious Frances Street in Old Town Key West. Beautifully restored 2 bedroom Eyebrow house with high ceilings, Dade County Pine walls, wood floors, and nicely preserved original features; leaded glass windows and historic staircase banister. Large bedrooms accommodate a king size bed. Nearly 6000 square foot lot is an open canvas for the next owner. Room for pool or additions. Wonderful outdoor lanai area flows directly to living spaces to create a special indoor/outdoor living experience. Downstairs dining room could easily be converted to third bedroom or downstairs master suite. Off-street parking, great front porch and tropical breezes. A Wonderful Historic Treasure in The Heart of Old Town Key West."

Kitchen sits at the rear and has vaulted ceiling

The ultimate Florida room - you've just gotta love this space

Plenty of room for a pool

The house has 1536 sq ft of living space on two floors. The house sits on a 63' x 93' (5859) sq ft lot. There is plenty of room in the rear to add a pool and garden area. I think there is room to add onto the house to add a third bedroom as well.

The house sits across the street from the Key West cemetery. There is no parking allowed on the opposite side of Frances Street. Most of the neighboring properties are single family homes. The net result is the neighborhood is one of the quietest in town.

715 Frances Street is offered at $849,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and see listing photos of this wonderful eyebrow home. Better yet, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to schedule an appointment to see this property. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.