920 Cornish Lane, Key West - Just Listed

Just Listed but not by me 920 Cornish Lane, Key West. There are not enough superlatives to describe this cute-as-can-be cottage hidden at the end of an Old Town lane. I wrote about the house ten years ago. Now it has a heated pool and off street parking. And if it is possible, it's sweeter now! 

I got to preview the house the day after it was listed for a buyer coming to Key West this weekend. I parked on Grinnell Street and walked down Cornish Lane. I could not believe my eyes. I had not been down the lane in a couple of years. The vegetation on either side of the narrow lane had grown so tall and lush. I met the listing Realtor and a fellow agent who had just toured the property for his customer. I sort of did a spin around the front yard taking in the splendor of the setting. Bougainvillea was blooming, the sky was cloudless, the trees lush and leafy. I stepped up the front porch to take it all in. There was so much to see. That does not happen all that often - stopping to look around the outside before going inside - this was going to be something special.

I remember this house from when years ago when I first started to sell houses in Key West. The location at the end of the lane and a fairly good sized lot intrigued me. The original house had been updated but not all that well. It needed a lot of work. In my then limited experience I could tell this house had a lot of potential. See the black and white photo of the house from1965 and compare it to the porch photo above. It is the same house, the same location, but totally different. This week marks the 35th anniversary of my first trip to Key West. I can't believe how much the island has changed - most of it for the good. Renovations to homes like this and the addition of lush gardens have enhanced this little island I now call home.

I opened the front door into what is now a center hall. An addition was added to the right side of the house. The hall bisects the house with two bedrooms and bath on the left and the living and dining area on the right. The kitchen is at rear. I had to stop again to take in the subtle magnitude of the space. The Dade County Pine walls were "perfect" - not a nail hole or termite trail or fill. Crisp white trim, baseboards, and crown molding punctuate the simple wood walls. The ceiling is painted white. Walls on the right were painted. The agent told me the renovator did a bottom to top renovation of every feature in the house starting with the piers. The house was basically rebuilt on site. The renovator brought salvaged doors and other items from New Orleans to add to the house including the stained glass fitted front door. 

The first of three bedrooms is located just off the front entry. The ceiling is vaulted. A wood ladder leads to a loft that runs fifteen feet or so. That area is air conditioned and it works well. I tested it. There is a full bath located on the other side of the hall. Cypress pocket doors slip into the wall recesses as needed. Cypress shutters are used in both bathroom storage areas.

The master bedroom and bath follow. The bedroom is quite large and unlike the front bedroom has painted walls which soften the area. Both bathrooms have marble baths with inlaid basket weave floors.

The living and dining area span thirty feet or so. Two sets of French doors open out to the rear deck, pool, and garden. Windows on the right bath the living room with soft light from the west garden. The right, rear, and left sides of the house are totally private and unseen by neighboring homes. It's almost like a cottage in the woods except it's not in the woods.

The listing Realtor and I walked into the dining area when she pointed out the curve-shaped Bahama wood ceilings the renovator added to the house. The same ceiling flows into the kitchen which adds height and drama to the space. A big old fashioned farmer's sink sets off the kitchen. Three windows fill the kitchen with daytime light including a small stained glass window at the side. Not visible is a good sized pantry for additional storage. 

The pool and decking were added to the property by the current owner. The pool has built-in seating around the edge. Ipe decking lines the pool and wraps around the small cottage which has an outdoor shower just off the side door. I referenced the property as having three bedrooms. This would be the third or as used now, an artist studio. There is room for a full sized bed. But if you add a bed, you'll probably have a brother-in-law move in.  I checked both sides of the house. Everything is immaculate. I saw no deferred maintenance. 

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 920 Cornish Lane, Key West offered for sale at $1,369,000. Then 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. You will really like this house. 

724 Windsor Lane, Key West - Open House

 If you are wanda-ring about on Saturday or Sunday between 12:00 to 2:00 PM stop by the Open House at 724 Windsor Lane. Bring your Vision for a Key Westview of this Old Town cottage. There is off street parking behind the house.

Key West Barberism

 

Key West shoeshine stand in barbershop. Photo from the Library of Congress taken in January 1938 by Arthur Rothstein.

I told this tale before and won't belabor it today. A customer of mine who has a real estate license in another state routinely sought the real estate advice of her Key West hairdresser. This was not just casual conversation as I recall. She is a smart lady and a trusting person. He ended up giving her some bad tips, and I don't mean split-ends or bad dye jobs. 

1500 Atlantic Blvd Unit 314, Key West Beach Club Condominiums - Just Listed

Just Listed 1500 Atlantic Boulevard Unit 314 also know as Key West Beach Club Condominiums. While every single unit has a direct ocean view, only a few have front and side views like this one which has views to the east from the living room and rear bedroom. Equally important, the property to the east is a nature preserve where no buildings will ever be built. I'll show you later. The center hall foyer deliviers guest to midpoint to the open living space.Master and guest bedrooms are to the wet, kitchen and medial room to the east. The Atlantic Ocean ir right outside your front window.

Readers familiar with the Beach Club Condominiums may recall all units enter from a north facing walkway with elevator and stairs on each level. This unit is located at the far end of the west building. About half the walkway was captured and became a part of the inter living space and is see at the rear of the kitchen photo and the third bedroom (media room) below.

The captured space adds about 120 Sq Ft of living area to this unit as compared to others. Other units do not have the side window and other units typically walk thru this space to their homes.Makes a Big Difference.

A large guest bedroom and bath are located on the opposite side of the central hallway. This is a spacious room. The windows at the rear look out to the enclosed entry balcony. Nobody other than owners and guests have access to that area. You won't hear tourists dragging luggage or toasting spring break outside your window. Will not happen. 

 The master bedroom has an ocean view and access to the balcony. There is a large en-suite bath and large walk-in closet. But most of all there is that view.The Beach Club Condominiums have two water front pools located on the east and west side of the development. There is space for sunbathing, outdoor dining, a gym, tennis courts, under building storage and parking. 

Whenever I show units at the Beach Club I point out that our annual Fourth of July firework display takes place at the White Street Pier - about six blocks to the west. The fireworks are easy to see as are the shrimpers bobbing in the ocean at night. Day or Night, Holiday and any day, you'll never tire of the changing sky or ocean views from or of Beach Club.

CLICK HERE to vie w the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 1500 Atlantic Blvd Unit 314 offered for sale by Preferred Properties Key West at $2,300,000. The unit may be purchased furnished. 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. Our real estate market is on fire. Do not wait on this one. It will sell quickly. 

Visions of Kitchens

I loved the Blondie movies! Blondie also appeared in funny papers as I called them - comic strips of the escapades of dynamic characters drawn with black ink on white paper. I loved watching the dad, Dagwood Bumstread, wake up too late, rush downstairs, grab his toast, caress his son Baby Dumpling, kiss his wife Blondie as he raced through the house out the front door narrowly avoiding kicking the cute-as-can-be dog Daisy only to knock-over the mailman sending mail to spiral toward heaven. The Bumsteads had more kids, Daisy had puppies, but Dagwood continually caused havoc. His conduct was predictable and avoidable. But it never changed. Dagwood was the perfect imperfect man. The Bumsteads lived on a perfect street in America when we were still involved in the World War II. The show was a positive relief from the war and gave millions of movie goers aspirations of family life when the war was over.

Kitchens are a huge part of how we live, where we live, how we present ourselves to others. Years ago houses were compartmentalized with special purpose rooms. There were separate places for family living, sleeping, dining, cooking, and other essentials. Today wall barriers are often removed so that we move through one large living space. Kitchens have become more than just a functional room to prepare and or eat meals. Sometimes they become edifices to reflect our status (like the towers of San Giacomo), platforms to impress our culinary skills, and perhaps bait to date. Let's look at some Key West kitchens and others I've grabbed on Instagram.

804 Whitehead Street kitchen in 1908 

 Bahama Village Home current day - located about four blocks and one century apart

The home below on Flagler Avenue is indicative of current open living style

 

Another recent renovation on Hilton Haven has the bonus of a water view - surprisingly unique to our island 

I am not going to shock readers by showing the before pictures of this Old Town renovation

Novel houses require novel kitchen solutions as shown in this Casa Roma home

The Old Town house below was turned into an illegal triplex, foreclosed upon, ripped apart and rebuilt with attention to detail in design and construction while being mindful of the environment.

Banyan

The photos below are from Instagram which is a great source of inspiration. Some are absolutely incredible and others are dreadfully repetitive. 

Boots

Herringbone

4x4

Gay Gray

White and Gray

White on white. White on gray. Gray on white. Natural wood with white and or gray. The sameness is everywhere. I see the same white kitchens in big houses and small houses.  I see it in Key West and LA and NYC million dollar listings. Whatever happened to the old fashioned eat in kitchen of Blondie. That is my vision of a kitchen.