1322 Thompson Street - Key West - The Essence of Cool

Cool.... in Key West!

1322 Thompson Street is the antithesis of the quaint cigar maker's cottages, the big conch houses, or the eyebrow houses that dominate Old Town Key West. Most of those houses are old and have been updated to accommodate today's lifestyle. Some renovations are highly successful while others are often challenged by small buildings, small lots, small budgets, or small imagination.

1322 Thompson Street, located just east of the Casa Marina Area, on the other hand, is a 1958 ranch renovated a few years back by Debra Yates and Raymond Jungles who created a one-of-a-kind Key West residence that is the essence of cool. The Urban Dictionary defines cool as 'The best way to say something is neat-o, awesome, or swell. The phrase "cool" is very relaxed, never goes out of style, and people will never laugh at you for using it, very convenient for people like me who don't care about what's "in.' At least half the people in Key West are cool by that definition. And so is this tropical residence.

 

  The first time I went to this house I was taken aback. The house sits on a large corner lot on a Key West suburban block (not Old Townish by any stretch of the imagination). The lot dominates its corner location which is enclosed by a large privacy fence. Tall palms and specimen trees ring the inside of the fence and grass that looks like a velvety moss delicately frames the lot at the corner of Thompson and South Streets. As much as I know I live on an "island" I sometimes forget it. This property exudes an island flair as soon as it comes into view.

When you open the gate you walk into an oasis of lush vegetation in all directions. Specimen trees of all types and wondrous foliage separate this property from the hum-drum of so many Home Depot instant gardens.

I don't know whether it is the sound of the waterfall or the vibrant colors of the mosaic tiled wall that draws your attention to the pool. But you cannot avoid looking and hearing and just be captivated with this area. It is like "wow" in every direction you look. This is not what you expect to see-in suburbia.

The house itself is bold in design yet very understated. Travertine marble floors in the main living, dining and kitchen areas keep the tone very low key. A glass wall in the living room looks out to the pool and waterfall. The kitchen sits at the back of the living space and is defined by fire engine red wall with non-traditional horizontal windows over the kitchen sink. An intimate dining room without doors (or pretense) completes this part of the house.

The master bedroom and bath are on the south side of the house. The bedroom is totally understated, but it too has a glass wall that opens out to its own private sitting area. There is a separate Debra Yates mosaic in the master bath. A second bedroom and bath are also located in the main house. And then there is the guest cottage located out under the palm trees. Guests can access this cottage from either the front entry or a side gate on South Street.

Indoor and Outdoor Showers - Way Cool !

The listing Realtor describes the new listing at 1322 Thompson Street this way:

"This spacious home is surrounded by privacy fencing. Just step inside the front gate to a private tropical world. A lovely pool with a waterfall and beautiful mosaics tilework designed by the talented artist Debra Yates. A covered lanai perfect for entertaining guests. The interior of the home offers a wall of glass doors which open to the pool area to incorporate the outside living area, a fantastic kitchen complete with a gas stove, stainless appliances and a concrete custom counter top. The master bedroom has a small covered private deck to relax in comfort and enjoy the lush landscaping. All of this along with a one bedroom one bath separate cottage to place guests or use as an office or studio."

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Guest Cottage

Let me add this: it is better than that! It is one of those places that just knocks you over when you enter the property. 1322 Thompson Street is offered at $749,000 or $482 per sq ft.  CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet on this property.

This place is really cool. The chic contemporary interiors may not work for those with a yen for an Old Town Conch House. But if you are open to new ideas and want a really beautiful place to call your Key West home, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305.766.2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Let me show you this truly remarkable property.

Bank Owned - Designer Home - 1103 Ashby Street - Key West

City is doing landscaping

 Just listed, but not by me, a Bank Owned property that was originally designed by the noted design team of Debra Yates and Raymond Jungles. (They were not the owners of this property when it was foreclosed.) The house is located at 1103 Ashby Street in the mid town area of Key West.

I have written about other houses the Yates-Jungles team designed. The homes I have written about previously (and this one) were previously owned houses which Debra Yates updated by using space, height, color, and contemporary structural and architectural elements to re-purpose the house. This particular house is like of many in this area. It is an 1116 sq ft three bedroom home that was built in 1955. It is located on a corner lot adjacent to our local middle school.  You can drive up and down the nearby streets and see dozens of similarly constructed and built homes that have been updated in the more than 50 years this subdivision was built. But you won't see any house like this. This is a one of kind.

Door leads to outdoor shower

Laundry and closet area

Deck off the master bedroom

 I have also written about Raymond Jungles who was the premier landscape architect in Key West until he left our area. He did the gardens and pools at the Marquesa Hotel and in some of the most expensive homes in Key West.  A home owner who gets a Raymond Jungles garden is getting a design worthy of note.

Privacy fence encircles the entire property

Pool and fountain

 
 You can view more photos I took of this house and grounds if you CLICK HERE.

1103 Ashby Street is offered at $356,400 or $319 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view listing photos.  If you are interested in seeing this property, I suggest you act quickly. I was there twice on Friday and the place was jammed with Realtors and buyers looking for a steal. Please contact 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.  Don't wait too long. You will be sorry.

1322 Thompson Street - Casa Marina Area - Key West

Cool.... in Key West!

The new listing at 1322 Thompson Street is the antithesis of the quaint cigar maker's cottages, the big conch houses, or the eyebrow houses that dominate Old Town Key West. Most of those houses are old and have been updated to accommodate today's lifestyle. Some renovations are highly successful while others are often challenged by small buildings, small lots, small budgets, or small imagination.

1322 Thompson Street in east portion of the Casa Marina Area, on the other hand, is a 1958 ranch that was renovated by Debra Yates and Raymond Jungles who created a one-of-a-kind Key West residence that is the essence of 'cool'. The Urban Dictionary defines cool as 'The best way to say something is neat-o, awesome, or swell. The phrase "cool" is very relaxed, never goes out of style, and people will never laugh at you for using it, very convenient for people like me who don't care about what's "in.' At least half the people in Key West are cool by that definition. And so is this residence.


The first time I went to this house I was taken aback. The house sits on a large corner lot on a Key West suburban block (not Old Townish by any stretch of the imagination). The lot dominates its corner location which is enclosed by a large privacy fence. Tall palms and specimen trees ring the inside of the fence and grass that looks like a velvety moss delicately frames the lot at the corner of Thompson and South Streets. As much as I know I live on an "island" I sometimes forget it. This property exudes an island flair as soon as it comes into view.

When you open the gate you walk into an oasis of lush vegetation in all directions. Specimen trees of all types and wondrous foliage separate this property from the hum-drum of so many Home Depot instant gardens.

I don't know whether it is the sound of the waterfall or the vibrant colors of the mosaic tiled wall that draws your attention to the pool. But you cannot avoid looking and hearing and just be captivated with this area. It is like "wow" in every direction you look. This is not what you expect to see-in suburbia.

The house itself is bold in design yet very understated. Travertine marble floors in the main living, dining and kitchen areas keep the tone very low key. A glass wall in the living room looks out to the pool and waterfall. The kitchen sits at the back of the living space and is defined by fire engine red wall with non-traditional horizontal windows over the kitchen sink. An intimate dining room without doors (or pretense) completes this part of the house.


The master bedroom and bath are on the south side of the house. The bedroom is totally understated, but it too has a glass wall that opens out to its own private sitting area. There is a separate Debra Yates mosaic in the master bath. A second bedroom and bath are also located in the main house. And then there is the guest cottage located out under the palm trees. Guests can access this cottage from either the front entry or a side gate on South Street.

Indoor & Outdoor Showers - Way Cool !

The listing Realtor describes the new listing at 1311 Thompson Street this way:
"Wonderful home surrounded by privacy fencing. Just step inside the gate to appreciate Key West living at its best. This CBS home features three bedrooms with three baths. The main house offers two bedrooms and two baths. The master bedrooms is spacious and comfortable with doors leading to a private covered deck. The relaxed environment is perfect for getting away from chaos or entertaining friends and family. Enjoy cooking in the kitchen with plenty of storage space and stainless steel appliances. Each room is designed to appreciate the lush garden area. The outdoor covered lanai is situated by the heated pool with a mosaic mural waterfall wall. A pool house with a full bath is another wonderful feature of this charming oasis."

Let me add this: it is better than that! It is one of those places that just knocks you over when you enter the property. 1322 Thompson Street is offered at $789,000 or $508 per sq ft. CLICK HERE to view the Key West Association of Realtors mls datasheet on this property.

This place is really cool. The super chic modern interiors may not work for those with a yen for an Old Town Conch House. But if you are open to new ideas and want a really beautiful place to call your Key West home, please call me,Gary Thomas, 305.766.2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West. Let me show you this truly remarkable property.

1203-1205 Von Phister - Casa Marina - Key West

Simple words can't do justice to the absolutely charming home at 1203-1205 Von Phister Street in the Casa Marina area of Key West. The listing Realtor describes the property this way:

"This wonderful 1940s house is owned by well known artist Debra Yates, who has transformed it into an irresistible and artful 3BR/2.5BA residence plus an 880 SF guest house. The main house has an open living room (with fireplace), dining and kitchen area and multiple sliding glass doors that bring the extraordinary gardens in. On an oversized double lot in the Casa Marina area, the gardens are designed with rare tropical specimens and lots of out door areas for living/dining and a beautiful 35' X 11' heated pool. The guest house has its own private entrance and high open beamed ceilings, great open spaces designed for easy living on two floors with views of the gardens and patio. Two off street parking spaces. Truly special."

I have ridden my bike past this property many times. It is set back from the street and appears almost hidden behind a large privacy fence. But it is the majestic tree canopy that nestles this home and provides privacy that almost makes the house itself disappear. When you walk in the front door you immediately recognize the distinctive flair of a Debra Yates home. While there is lots of geometry going on in this house, none of it is plain. Instead, the eyes search in multiple directions to see what area to look at and be impressed by. I kid you not, you can't wait to get from room to room to see what is next.


The main house and guest house have a combined area of 3185 square feet and sit on a large 9408 sq ft lot. I was surprised to learn that the property was actually built in the 1940s because it is so "modern" in its design. But the original wood floors that have been painted clued me in that which appeared new was old and that which is new appears bold. Yates did what I tell perspective buyers to do: she removed existing interior walls and reinvented the spaces for her use. She ripped out old style windows and added new floor to ceiling windows or sliders that bring much of the outside inside. She expanded living spaces by creating adjacent outdoor spaces that invite you outside.


I repeatedly tell perspective buyers that outside space is so important when buying a place in Key West because that is where we spend so much of our time. This place has multiple outdoor places to read, sun, drink or dine, or just to contemplate the meaning of living life.

Master bedroom suite with large adjacent sun deck

Outdoor dining area just off guest cottage

Poolside terrace in the foreground with additional outdoor dining area off the main living and dining areas at the rear

The guest cottage is itself a site to behold. The two story cottage has an office, bedroom and bath on the ground level and a full kitchen, second bath and living room-cum bedroom area (privacy curtain) on the second level where there is another deck. The guest cottage is fancier than many homes in Old Town. (Your guests may move in and never move out.)

CLICK HERE to checkout the Key West mls data sheet and to view more listing photos of this wonderful property. 1203-1205 Von Phister Street is offered at $1,795,000. If you are looking for a one-of-a-kind property like this, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642 to arrange a showing. I am a buyer's agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West.

Cool.... in Key West !

Cool.... in Key West !

The new listing at 1322 Thompson Street is the antithesis of the quaint cigar maker's cottages, big conch houses, or eyebrow houses that dominate Old Town Key West. Most of those houses are old and have been updated to accommodate today's lifestyle. Some renovations are highly successful while others are often challenged by small buildings, small lots, small budgets, or small imagination.

1322 Thompson Street is a 1958 ranch that was renovated by Debra Yates and Raymond Jungles who created a one-of-a-kind Key West residence that is the essence of 'cool'. The Urban Dictionary defines cool as 'The best way to say something is neat-o, awesome, or swell. The phrase "cool" is very relaxed, never goes out of style, and people will never laugh at you for using it, very convenient for people like me who don't care about what's "in.' At least half the people in Key West are cool by that definition. And so is this residence.


The first time I went to this house I was taken aback. The house sits on a large corner lot on a Key West suburban block (not Old Townish by any stretch of the imagination). It's located at the beginning of the mid-town burbs. The lot dominates its corner location which is enclosed by a large privacy fence. Tall palms and specimen trees ring the inside of the fence and grass that looks like a velvety moss that delicately frames the lot at the corner of Thompson and South Streets.

When you open the gate you walk into an oasis of lush vegetation in all directions. Specimen trees of all types and wondrous foliage separate this property from the hum-drum of so many Home Depot instant gardens.

I don't know whether it is the sound or the vibrant colors of the mosaic tiled waterfall that draws your attention to the pool. But you cannot avoid looking and hearing and just falling immediately in love with this garden. It is like "wow" in every direction you look. This is not what you expect to see-in suburbia.

The house itself is both bold in design yet very understated. Travertine marble floors in the main living, dining and kitchen areas keep the tone very low key. A glass wall in the living room looks out to the pool and fountain. The kitchen sits at the back of the living space and is defined by fire engine red wall with non-traditional horizontal windows over the kitchen sink. An intimate dining room without doors (or pretense) completes this part of the house.



The master bedroom and bath are on the south side of the house. The bedroom is totally understated, but it too has a glass wall that opens out to its own private sitting area. There is a separate Debra Yates mosaic in the master bath. A second bedroom and bath are also located in the main house. And then there is the guest cottage located out under the palm trees. Guests can access this cottage from either the front entry or a side gate on South Street.

Indoor & Outdoor Showers - Way Cool !

The listing Realtor describes 1311 Thompson Street this way:

"Key West is about outdoor space and this home has it all. There is a Privacy fence surrounding this oasis, framed by outstanding landscaping designed by Raymond Jungles and Debra Yates with a spectacular pool with a mosaic waterfall. Off the pool is a large lanai for entertaining. The main home on one level, consists of 2 bedrooms and 2 baths, with an ultra-modern kitchen, comfortable living area and an abundance of glass pocket doors leading to the pool. There is a separate guest suite with a bedroom and bath."

Guest cottage and sun deck

1322 Thompson Street is offered at just $749,000--and that, Dear Readers, is an incredible bargain. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls database and to view more listing photos.

If you want to be cool in Key West, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc. in Key West, Florida. Our office is the exclusive Lower Florida Keys affiliate of Christie's Great Estates.