207 Julia Street - Key West - Is It Art or Is It Awesome?

Local artist Ronny Bailey came by our office last week to show me his latest creation - a miniature version of 207 Julia Street located in the Bahama Village area of Key West.  Everybody had to stop work and to take a peek at the cottage that got shrunk to table top size.

I wrote about Ronny before. CLICK HERE. Ronny grew up in Key West where he was a carpenter for 30 years. Recreation of Old Town Key West homes in miniature sizes is now his passion. He beams with pride as he talks about his work. This is a man in love with his life and his work. And his work is a testament to his love of the place that he has called home. He loves the Key West of yore. He recreates houses the way they looked before the gentrification and HARCifornication that has taken over so much of Old Town.

I suggested to Ronny that we drive over to the actual house to take some photos to compare his creation to the real house. He was up for it. So we drove over. He knocked on the owner's door and asked for permission to take some photos. Permission was granted.

Compare and contrast the black and white photo taken in 1965 with the modern day photos taken last week. Then compare the art with the real house. 

Ronny creates always adds the words "peace'. "love", and "joy" to each of his works of art.  Look carefully at the photos. You will see them. And you will probably see that these are words that guides this gentle man as he lives out his lifes' dream.  His is a peaceful life filled with love and joy.  This is not something I am writing. This is a testament to this man.  I wish I could be so content.  I took the last photo above with the piece of art sitting on a trash can in Julia Street.  A neighbor was walking her dog down the this quiet little street.

Ronny told me he will be showing his work this coming weekend at the 49th Annual Old Island Days Art Festival that runs from Friday, February through Saturday evening.   Free Admission. Exhibitors will set up along Whitehead Street from Greene Street to Eaton Street and on Caroline Street through the famous Presidential Gates into the beautiful Truman Annex.

Make a point of looking for Ronny Bailey.  His larger pieces are quite expensive as he works for months on those projects. He does have original artwork and reproductions that are priced for less. 

1020 Grinnell Street - An Affordable and Adorable Conch Cottage - Key West

Just listed by Preferred Properties Key West, that's where I work but this is not my listing, 1020 Grinnell Street in the Old Town North of Truman Area of  Key West.  Bargain hunters and serious buyers better act quickly to snag this terrific cottage home, offered at $499,000, because it will sell quickly. (The last time this house was on the market was 2003 when  it sold in just three days.)  CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet and listing photos.  

The listing Realtor describes this home this way:

"This ADORABLE Conch Cottage with two bedrooms and a bath includes high cathedral ceilings and personifies the vision of owning a cottage in Key West. The home boasts a lovely front porch where you can cozy up with a cup of coffee in the morning and end your day in the fenced in privacy of your quaint backyard, relaxing in the dipping pool to unwind. Other highlights include hardwood floors throughout, corian counters, plenty of kitchen cabinets and two loft spaces. The back yard features low maintenance decking, a dipping pool, and storage shed. Come to 1020 Grinnell Street and find your little piece of paradise in Key West."

I searched the Sanborn Fire Maps and found this house was first shown on the 1899 map.  That means the house was built that year or some time prior to then.  The Monroe County Property Appraiser shows construction date as 1938. We know that date is not correct because Key west was in the midst of the Great Depression. The public records were destroyed in the great fire of 1896 and were reconstructed by workers from the WPA during the Great Depression. The WPA created dates that did not necessarily have any relation to reality.  Irregardless, it is interesting to have a closer approximation as to when any Key West property was actually constructed.  I found a black and white photo of this home taken in 1965. Compare the way it looked nearly half a century ago with the way it looks in 2013.  In my opinion, it looks better now than before. Note also the front door has been relocated from the right to the left side of the house. That is just the beginning of changes made to this old house.

I did some further searching and found the really old photo below that shows the historic Key West Fire House that is located two doors to the south.  If you look carefully you will see 1020 Grinnell Street at the far right of the photo.

circa 1914

If you have been a reader of my blog you may recall that the old firehouse at 1026 Grinnell Street is now a museum.  If you buy 1020 Grinnell Street you won't need to fear being awakened by fire bells and sirens. You should be comforted to know that this location is valued by generations of Conchs - locals who grew up in this neighborhood and whose family members served in the fire department. The last photo above shows folk art created by local artist Ronny Bailey to commemorate the old fire station.

While 1020 Grinnell Street looks like a typical cigar maker cottages on the outside, it is not typical on the inside. The relocated front door opens into an expansive living area that runs almost the length of the house. The living room has a vaulted ceiling. Crisp white interior walls and ceiling are juxtaposed against the rich dark real wood floor that give this space real character. Separate ladders lead to little lofts located at either end of the living space. The rear loft (shown below) is the guest sleeping area.  The sense of height and volume in this space is quite dramatic without being pretentious.

A galley kitchen provides lots of storage space with the contemporary cabinets that rise to the ceiling.  It is amazing how much storage and work space this kitchen has to offer.  The door at the rear leads to the rear deck and pool. There is a subtle blend of old and contemporary architectural features throughout this house.

This house has two bedrooms but three sleeping areas.  Remember I mentioned the front entry door was relocated to the left. The original entry hall that ran from the front door to the rear of the house has been re-purposed. The front portion is now a small bedroom with space suitable for a single bed. Or maybe the space could be used as an office. Or maybe both. The loft space at the rear will accommodate a full or queen size mattress. The rear wall is a series of glass panels that permit daytime light to partially illuminate the loft space. The loft will work for a younger crowd and friends and relatives who don't plan to stay too long.

The master bedroom is located at the rear on the main level.  The bedroom is quite spacious.  It has immediate access to the adjacent bath which has a second door for entry off the living room. A set of French doors open out to the rear deck and pool. The walls are Dade County Pine that have been painted a soft pastel green. The crown molding, baseboard, and trim are all painted white. The rich dark floors add punch to make this room so satisfying to the eye.

Old sheds at the rear of the property were given new life. One  shed that now houses the pool equipment looks like a tiny cottage. Another serves as the laundry room.  The deck is quite spacious and should provide good sunning opportunities throughout the year. The pool isn't big, but this house is not made for someone with a huge ego.

CLICK HERE to view all of the photos I took of this really interesting home.  The house is located just a couple of doors north of the old Key West fire department that is now a museum.  Most of the Old Town area gyms and yoga studios are within a brief walk from this location. Fausto's Food Palace is located three blocks to the east. Bayview Park is one block further to the east. Duval Street is about a five minute walk to the west.  I think this charming cottage would make a great second home or even a primary residence for an owner seeking a small home with space for an occasional guest.

If you would like to see 1020 Grinnell Street before someone snaps it up, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642.  I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. 

The Ernest Hemingway House - in Miniature

Ronny Bailey is a six generation Conch that spent 30 years of his life as a carpenter who repaired and restored many of the old houses in Key West. A few years ago he started tinkering around with some salvaged Dade County Pine and created his first new old house replica. His wife came home from work and exclaimed "I didn't know you could do that!" Ronny replied "Neither did I." And so began his new career as artist-carpenter who uses salvaged lumber to create miniature near replicas of real houses and buildings in Key West. Ronny stresses that he only uses old salvaged wood to construct the houses. He doesn't paint the pieces. Instead he relies on the ravages of our sun and the weather to create the natural patina that make each piece look so genuine. 

Ronny's most recent piece is a miniature version of the Ernest Hemingway House which is located at 907 Whitehead Street in Key West, Florida.  I found a photo of the real house so that you can compare the real with Ronny Bailey's folk art.  Ronny's version comes complete with a hand carved figure of the old man himself standing on the front porch with fishing pole in hand. Cats abound everywhere - on the roof, on the porches, in the garden, and even lounging in the flower box. If you look inside the first floor center door you will see a cat laying on the stairway. Inside each door or window you will find some vignette that sets each space off with a bit of Ronny's passion for whimsy and detail.  Inside one window Ronny painted a mirror hanging on the wall. The mirror reflects the blue sky and palm tree one would reflected from across Whitehead Street. On the wall behind another door there is a painting of Ernest and a trophy fish he caught. 

Unlike the majority of Ronny's pieces which are fashioned of Dade County Pine, the Hemingway House is stucco.  The first floor French doors and second floor windows have paladin windows that given this home a look unlike others in Key West. The ground floor has saltillo tiles whereas the second floor deck has wood planks. The wrought iron pillars surround the house to support the second floor deck.  If you look close you will see the two story porch attaches to the metal roof system so familiar in Key West.  You must look very carefully CLICK HERE to see minute details like paint drippings and clamps that attach the metal roof to the porch system. 

And just so that you appreciate the magnitude of this undertaking, everything you see was carved or created by Ronny Bailey.  Nothing you see came out of a "kit".  You cannot go to any store to buy the iron railing, or historically correct wood shutters, or any minute artifact that makes up the totality of this piece of art. 

The Ernest Hemingway House and other pieces of Ronny Bailey's art are now on display at the Fleming Street Gallery at 830 Fleming Street, Key West. Ronny's larger pieces are quite expensive. He has created small version that may be purchased at lower prices.  See two examples below. 

 CLICK HERE to view more pics of the Ronny's Hemingway House. Click on any photo to enlarge. 

I am continually amazed at the attention to detail and the love Ronny imparts to each piece of work he creates. The original pieces are quite expensive. The smaller high quality art photos are reasonably priced and will appeal to Hemingway and Bailey fans alike. Get them before they are gone.

532 Fleming Street - Old Town - Key West

532 Fleming Street - Key West - April 2013

532 Fleming Street - Key West - 1912

The house pictured above looks pretty much the same in 2013 as it did back in 1912 when the colored post card was made. Back then the property was not a "house" but was instead the Louise Maloney Hospital.

Thank God that when other towns across America were allowing old houses and historic buildings to be torn down to erect new structures, Key West preserved properties like this. I found a photo of 532 Fleming Street taken from the parking lot next door which is where the world famous Faustos' Food Emporium is located today.

The red brick building at 500 Simonton Street (photographed in 1965) was the old corner drug store. That makes sense with the hospital located next door. 504 Simonton Street (below) became part of the hospital as well.

I did a quick internet search and learned a brief history of the three properties which were once owned by the Maloney family which later became the Spottswood family. CLICK HERE to view a brief history of the Spottswood Family which mentions the Louise Maloney Hospital. CLICK HERE to read a brief discussion of the three building complex. A member of the Spottswood family still resides at 500 Simonton Street today.

The current owner of 532 Fleming Street commissioned local artist Ronny Bailey to create a depiction of the former Louise Maloney Hospital. I was offered the opportunity to photograph the piece yesterday morning. A crowd had assembled to gaze at the new piece. Everyone was in awe of Ronny's creation. Please take a couple of minutes to view a few of the photos.

Ronny Bailey is a fourth generation conch that spent 30 years of his life restoring many of the old houses in Key West. A few years ago he started fooling around with some salvaged Dade County Pine and created his first new old house replica. His wife came home and exclaimed "I didn't know you could do that!" Ronny replied "Neither did I." And so began his new career as artist-carpenter where he creates miniature near replicas of real houses in Key West using salvaged lumber. Ronny stresses that he only uses old salvaged wood to construct the houses. He doesn't paint the pieces. Instead he relies on the ravages of our sun and the weather to create the natural patina that make each piece look so genuine. Ronny's inner artist comes out when he adds a bit of whimsy to his work such as a rooster or a cat napping.

Since the 532 Fleming Street was commissioned by the owner, Ronny agreed to paint that piece to show the original glory of the house. The dog, cat, and whimsy were not permitted, but Ronny did manage to keep in the three little words that are the hallmark of his blessed life.

CLICK HERE to view more photos of 532 Fleming Street as well as 500 and 504 Simonton Street as they appear today. I added a couple of photos of art created by another of my favorite artists, Rick Worth, who did a rendering of 500 Simonton Street.

There are a lot of artists in Key West. There is only one Ronny Bailey!