711 Elizabeth Street, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed, but not by me, 711 Elizabeth Street, Key West, Florida. Pause. Take a long look. Imagine how quaint the inside of this historic Old Town Cottage must be. The house is so simple in its lines. Basic beige.  Green tropical foliage. Bursting sky.

I searched the Historic Sanborn Fire Maps to try to learn when this home was built. The lot at 711 Elizabeth Street was not built upon in the 1889, 1892, and 1899 maps.  The current building first appeared on the 1912 map which is where the Monroe County Property Appraiser set its construction date. But it could have also been built in the intervening years. The black and white photo dates to 1965 and the color photo just above was taken in 2009 when the current owner purchased the home and began renovation. 

The property received a ceramic star in 2011 from the Historic Florida Keys Foundation for historic preservation. (Kevin Melloncamp, Toolbox Construction.)

I had been to the property before and vaguely recall having written about it in 2009 when it was last listed for sale. I searched the blog but could not find the entry. I do recall walking around the inside and around the odd shaped lot. I knew the value of the location atop Solaris Hill, the highest point in Key West, amid so many previously restored homes. I saw this home as a buying opportunity. And it is again. But this time all of the work has been done.

At the beginning of this blog I invited readers to imagine how "quaint" the interior must be. This house is far from "quaint".  The interior of this 1304 square foot house is a work of art divided into four living areas. The minimalist kitchen includes  under counter refrigeration, dishwasher, storage, etc. The washer and dryer are even located there. Recessed lighting is hidden above the cabinets - an innovation I have never seen before. Windows on either side flood the interior during the daytime. There are no offending neighbor views - its is quite private. Limestone floors in the living room are repeated in the guest and master en-suite bath as well as the front porch and a section by the heated poo. It is the consistency and quality of design and execution that sets this house apart from so many others.

Wall sconces and floor lighting illuminate the space during the evening. The interiors are minimalist. The spiral staircase dominates the whole house. It is as much a design statement as it is a functioning element. I was awed by this thing the first time I saw it. The media room is located at the front of the house and can be accessed off the foyer or through the living room. The area is differentiated from the living room with stepped-up wood floor. The foyer includes custom closet storage. The wood floor is repeated in the second level loft bedroom and the master bedroom at the rear.

The original addition at the back of the house was expanded to create a part of the master bathroom. Since the bathroom sink looks so small, one might think the interior is confined. Far be it.  The living area is wider than just about any cigar maker style cottage I can recall. In fact when I stood by the kitchen, I marveled at how broad and tall the living area appears. The bedroom is cozy but not tiny. A single window on the north wall separates two large custom fitted closets with abundant storage.

I walked around the pool and tried to see if a nosy neighbor could look in. Nope. You can get an all-over tan amid beautiful palms and tropical foliage. It is totally private.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of this incredible Key West property offered at $1,300,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a viewing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. The house is very special. 

1214 Olivia Street, Key West - Award Winning Home

Brenda Donnelly, the listing Realtor of 1214 Olivia Street in Key West, invited me over to see this impressive listing. She walked me through each room of the house and adjacent guest cottage. She pointed out features of the original house which was expanded in 2002 by the current owner.. The renovation and expansion garnered a Ceramic Star from the Historic Keys Foundation. 

It's mid-February and there was not one cloud in the skies over Key West yesterday afternoon as I began to write today's real estate blog. The temperature was a pleasant 80 degrees. I took the above color photo an hour or so earlier when I arrived at the house. I had been there before, perhaps more then twenty years earlier, around the time the current owner purchased the home. It did not look then anything like it looks now.

The black and white house photo was taken in 1965 and shows the house to be an atypical two story Conch house. A basic two story Conch house would have been painted white and would have clean straight lines with no gingerbread as opposed to the Olivia house which has Victorian gingerbread around the gable, scalloped shell-shaped shingles, and more gingerbread trim on the wrap-around first story porch. Compare the historic photo to the color photo at the top of the blog. You'll notice the house was expanded at the point where the original house ended. The renovated home is colorful and includes embellishments like the round window with "moon rise views" at the front and back of the home just under the gable where a circular air vent once removed hot air from the attic and which now is habitable space.

1204 Olivia Street was built around 1905 in a mostly rural part of Key West. The above photo of Division Street and was taken in 1900 and shows a widow's walk visible in the foreground. Today that building is the offices of Truman and Co. at what is now identified as 1205 Truman Avenue. The trees at the rear of the widow's walk is partly the large vacant lot where a portion of 1204 Olivia Street sits today. (The massive undeveloped land and water at the top of the photos was later filled and developed. Today that span of ground includes mid-town and new town. North Roosevelt Blvd now occupies much of the space where once there was water)

The black and white house photo was taken in 1965 and shows the house to be an atypical two story Conch house. A basic two story Conch house would have been painted white and would have clean straight lines with no gingerbread as opposed to this Olivia house which has Victorian gingerbread around the gable, scalloped shell-shaped shingles, and additional gingerbread trim on the wrap-around first story porch. Compare the historic photo to the color photo at the top of the blog. You'll notice the house was expanded at the point where the original house ended. The renovated home is colorful and includes embellishments like the round window with "moon rise views" at the front and back of the home just under the gable where a circular air vent once removed hot air from the attic and which now is habitable space. Local architect Tom Pope supervised the renovation and expansion of this property. The WATER-FRONT PASS photo (two below) was that of the first owner, a clerk for the steamship line.

During the 2002 renovation every effort was made to preserve the original wood content. The house had been maintained over the years. Interior renovations included moving wall as well as adding the new rear addition. The original main level floors were removed and replaced with 12" wide Canadian wide planks to give the floors an old world look. The entry foyer changed significantly. The stairway was reversed so improve feng-shui - to prevent luck from rolling out the front door. A half bath was added under the stairway. It's adorable.

When you enter the house you can walk forward through the hallway toward the rear where the great room, dining area, and kitchen are located or pass through the pocket door passage way into the library.

Moving from the front to the rear I appreciated the care and attention to detail that was added to this home. What had been a normal Key West conch house was both expanded and architecturally embellished with details such as the heavy egg and dart crown moldings and fluted pillars. The chandelier was original to the house and was moved from the original front parlor to the dining room. The living room and kitchen are new additions to the house. It was the view out to the pool and rear that grabbed my attention. I get to see a lot of really beautiful kitchens, and this is one of those to be sure. But that view is one-of-a-kind.  I remarked to Brenda that this house has such a gracious feel. It was designed to be perfect. And it is. But it is not pretentious. It is very livable. Maybe a better way to describe it would be to say it is like arriving at a very posh hotel with relaxing people-friendly furniture. It is a nice, uncluttered space. There is plenty of additional space to amuse oneself in this retreat. Speaking of amusement, the old cistern was converted into a 1000 bottle wine cellar.

The tropical foliage at the rear of the pool sustained a bit of damage during Irma. Initial plantings have begun. Within a matter of a few months the area will be filled back in and restore total privacy to the area. The small building in the background is the outdoor kitchen. The coping around the pool is salvaged coral sidewalks from Old Town. If you look porch photo and look more closely at the pool, you will notice a secret grotto covered with foliage. There is a spa at the opposite end.

The three room guest cottage (above) sits at the far end of the driveway and adjacent to the house. The cottage includes a living room (or office), a bedroom, and a bathroom plus a very sophisticated outdoor shower. This cottage is as nice as the homes of many locals.

 

 The master suite occupies the entire new addition to the second floor which includes those impressive wide plank floors in the bedroom, a morning kitchen, a huge walk-in closet (maybe the largest in Key West), a posh en-suite bath, and a private deck overlooking the pool below. I didn't take any photos of the master bath and MLS listing does not have any that shows the incredible tub located in the sweet little nest extension shown above. There are two more guest bedrooms plus bath on the second floor. View of the pool from private deck is shown below.

During the renovation a stairway was added to the former attic area which was totally updated. Now there is a nice bedroom on the south end with two Pullman style beds tucked in under the eaves. The front end of the house has an office. Both ends have identical round glass window inserts in the former attic vents. This is such a clever use of space and the result is sheer whimsy. What kid wouldn't love to sleep up in the bird's nest with Eagle-eye views of this enchanting home and grounds.

I wonder what Mr. Simon Kemp would think of his old house now. It's pretty impressive, but not stuff or pretentious.  I think Tom Pope created good living spaces and maximized the southern views which add natural light into this home. No wonder this home earned the Ceramic Star.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1214 Olivia Street, Key West, offered at $3,575,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to show this beautiful home. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

One of the things I do when showing houses is to ask the potential buyer to sit in the living area and imagine what it would be like to live here. I think this is critical for any buyer to do at any house. I also like to get the buyer to look out the front door and take in the view of the neighbors. This is the view you will see each day as your leave your home. The top photo just above was taken inside the entry hall looking to the front door. Some people would pay a pretty penny to buy a water color painting with a view like that. When the door is opened the pretty view expands to encompass several different and delightful cottage style homes.  There's a little fountain in the front yard with water trickling down. 

As soon as the front door is open and you enter this house you know your not in Kansas anymore. The home is gracious from front to back. Not a detail was overlooked,

823 White Street, Key West

Just Listed by Preferred Properties Key West 823 White Street, Key West.  This house is the oldest house on White Street and likely the oldest house in the Meadows Area as it dates back to circa 1850. It is known as The Cold's Milk Farm.

Paul Cold moved this 1850's farm house to this location just after the civil war.  It is the oldest surviving house on White Street. Originally the Cold family occupied the front of this five bay house. The workers quarters and kitchen were located in a separate detached building to the rear. Both buildings were combined into one larger building in the 1890's. The 1884 Birds Eye View map of Key West clearly shows 883 White Street as the only residential structure in the area. There was a large waterfront building on what is now Eisenhower Drive. The balance of the area was occupied by the military. The farm included the dairy herd and an orchard of sapodilla trees from which the sap was extracted to make chicle, a gum based product that became the main ingredient in chewing gum (hence Chicklets Gum). During this same time period there were five or six other small dairy farms in Key West. There was not cold storage for milk back then like we have today. I  found a post card which shows how milk was delivered by the Key West dairies. Don't laugh: it worked.

The listing broker describes modern day 823 White Street this way:

"An historic treasure built circa 1860 and restored to it's original glory, the owner retained the charm and added all the modern conveniences one expects. This spacious 4 bedroom, 4 & 1/2 bath home won the coveted Florida Keys Preservation Society Ceramic Star Award for Restoration. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is evident throughout the home. A long list of improvements is available. Perfect for entertaining, the living room, dining room, den, and kitchen all open into each other and onto decks on both sides of the home. On one side is a pool and covered porch. On the other side, doors open to a covered dining porch which overlooks a garden. The top of the line kitchen fits perfectly with the home and will serve the needs of any gourmet. With four bedrooms and four and a half baths there is plenty of room for extended family and friends. Off street parking, a wine cellar, extra ROGO units and a great old town location complete the package. A full and very interesting history of the property is available as well as the details of the restoration. This historically significant home is truly an old town treasure."

The second photo from the top shows a ceramic star located adjacent to the front door. This ceramic star was given to the owners of this home by the Historic Florida Keys Foundation for excellence in preservation of this home.

When you view this home from the front you see a substantial home with five bays (openings in a wall for windows or doors) with first and second floor covered porches. The symmetry and economy of design is noteworthy before you enter the front door. The proportions are graceful and utilitarian. The house looks to me like a big salt box rested on its side with openings for doors and windows neatly interspersed. When you enter the house the design turns just a bit. What I imagine may have been the original parlor is located to the left of the front door just under a broad arch. In that room you will see the first of three fireplaces in this home.

The family room is located to the right of the front door. This room, like the parlor, has four windows which bathe the space is muted light. Trees and tropical foliage provide the privacy from the outside world. The above photo doesn't quite work as well as I had planned to demonstrate the attention to detail in the restoration and /or replacement of windows. Windows that could be saved were. And where replacement windows were needed, the factory fresh glass pains were replaced with historic glass which shows the passage of time as the glass molecules rearrange themselves as gravity drags them down like wrinkles on an aging face. The windows are remarkable! You will note the re-appearance of a broad arch in this space. The arch provides passage into the dining room which is located in the space added by the owner in the 1890s who bridged the two buildings into one. The kitchen and a guest bath are seen to the rear.

The kitchen is a hoot! It reaches back in time with the farmer's sink, retro (coal) duel fuel range, dishwasher, and refrigerator.  Clerestory windows were added over the work areas in the kitchen. French doors open out to the covered south deck. The covered deck is a quiet and unpretentious space to dine al fresco among the tropical foliage.

The entry hallway bisects the house. As we move toward the rear we see an open area with a broad door which exits out to the pool area. The there is wood hatch in the floor which leads down to the basement storage area. Yes, basement - one of a few located in Key West. The door at the rear opens into a bedroom and bath which were once part of the original rear workers' quarters. 

The pool and side deck help maintain the historic concept of this old home. Note the rock coping around the lagoon style pool. It almost looks like the pool was a natural occurring feature of this lot and that rocks were placed around the perimeter to provide a bit of balance to the site. It looks as if water springs from the water feature to form this pool in paradise. There is a second floor deck which we will see later.

There are two bedrooms located on the second floor front of the house. The north bedroom is typical of each room in many aspects in that all the walls, ceiling, and floor feature Dade County Pine that has been stripped, sanded, and preserved with  a low luster seal. This room also has a painted ceiling inset probably added by an itinerant artist. There are several grand old houses in Key West with similar artistic ceiling insets.

 This 2748 square foot home has four bedrooms and four and one-half baths. The master bath, above, was designed to include a built-in steam room. The plumbing is all in place and the fixtures were purchased but never installed. This looks like fun space to me.

There is a very private covered rear second floor porch which overlooks the pool below. The front porch provides a ring-side-seat for great people watching as the world passes by each day. There is a gym across the street half a block to the south and there are two small convenience stores to the north. You  can walk to Duval Street in about ten minutes or to nearby Bayview Park in about four minutes. When you leave the front door and head out on your adventure for the day you'll be looking at one of many utterly charming homes that make Key West a place unlike any other. And when you return home at night, you'll know you live in a place that is unique in all the world.

823 White Street is offered at $1,600,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your home in Paradise.