I got to take photos of
517 Grinnell Street a
couple of days ago. As I neared the completion of my task, I told the
listing agent "I love my job" and added that I get to see so many
beautiful homes. This home has got to be among the very best in all
Key West. The property is owned and listed by Rudy Molinet and Harry Hoehn of Marquis Properties who describes the property thus:
"Luxurious and Elegant renovation of a classic 5 bedroom estate in highly coveted
Old Town Key West. Highest quality finishes and exquisite interiors earned a
Ceramic Star Award for Historic Renovation. Dade County Pine walls and
heart-pine floors. Spectacular kitchen with African Anigre Wood cabinets and
Brazilian Azul Macauba granite. Ten foot high ceilings. Huge master suite with
walk-in closet/dressing room, vaulted ceilings, private balcony, and walk-in
master shower. Three master suites including a first floor master bedroom.
Nearly 6000 square foot lush tropical lot. 40 foot heated pool with waterfall.
Off-street parking for 2 vehicles. Spacious detached guest house. A Breathtaking
Historic Treasure in Old Town Key West."
Look below
to see how the original house and rear two story cottage looked before
the properties were literally taken apart and rebuilt. I dug into the
old shoe box and found the black and white photo of the property taken
in 1965. Compare that somewhat pure visage with the next pic which shows
how the house looked a couple of years ago before the restoration
began. Then take in the newly renovated home the way it looks today. Is
there any wonder why this property was awarded a Ceramic Award for
Historic Preservation? I think not.
This
home was the 21st such renovation undertaken by the owners. They
designed the project in cooperation with local architect Michael
Miller. While the newly rebuilt houses look like period correct
properties on the outside, key elements of the interiors are quite
contemporary with a blend of historic materials such as Dade County Pine
walls and 2 over 2 windows. Ten foot high ceilings on the first floor
and vaulted ceilings on the second give the home a spacious and bright
ambiance. The kitchen, for example, is sleek and utilitarian. The
African Anigre Wood cabinets and
Brazilian Azul Macauba granite are knockouts. The bathrooms throughout
both houses are sleek and seductive, especially the master bath in the
main house.
Let's
take a quick tour of the two homes. We shall start at the front porch
of the main house and work toward the guest cottage.
As
soon as you enter the interior you know you have arrived at someplace
important. Nothing has been left undone. No detail was too small not to
matter. The Dade County Pine was removed from the original houses and
re-planed and eventually reinstalled but not necessarily where it was
originally located. The wood floors in the main house are
river-reclaimed antique heart pine. The wood was harvested from rivers
in central Florida by divers who retrieve logs that sank years ago on
the way to the mill. The wood is about 500 years old and, once
harvested, is custom milled into elegant and gorgeous wood floors. Crisp
new baseboards, window and door trim, and crown molding punctuate each
room. Subtle recessed lighting is located throughout both houses. The
owners invested heavily in insulation of all walls and ceilings and even
insulated the floors from below the house. The house is very quiet and
energy efficient with high SEER air conditioning and gas on-demand
water heaters.
The
main house has a first floor guest room (or office as presently used)
with en-suite bath. This room is large enough to function as a master
bedroom in the event the stairs become an issue later in life. Glass
doors give the room some privacy while at the same time stylishly
separate the room from the rest of the house.
The
entry hall leads to the rear where the large living room is located.
Just after you pass the guest bath located off the entry hallway you
will see a notable feature of this home which is the newly added rounded
wood tower that evokes the style of historic of a historic tower common
in Victorian architecture. Michael Miller suggested adding the tower to
give this home architectural distinction. The first floor space
expanded the interior dining area. The second floor portion is used as
the closet and dressing area for the master suite. The roof is covered
in metal Conch shingles. The tower itself was built with a steel frame
sitting on a large concrete footer. The windows are impact rated. The
scalloped cedar shingles are painted the same color of the house. While
the look is historic, the tower is constructed of modern building
materials to comply with the 155 mph wind load of the building code.
The
ground floor portion tower extension dramatically expands the living
space and adds lots of light from the outside. So many homes in the Old
Town area are hindered by tall neighboring properties or too many trees
that sap up the sunshine. This home has lots of windows throughout.
Retractable
glass doors known as Nana walls make up the rear wall of the main
level. These doors stack to the side which allows the outside living
room and dining area to become an extension of the main part of the
home. When I first walked out to this space my eyes went toward the
guest cottage and pool, but then my attention came right back to the
incredible floors and columns which give this space the feeling of being
a real "room" except that the space is "outdoors". The floors in this
outdoor living space are IPE with inserts of Pink Cuban tiles from the
original house that were salvaged. The tiles were individually
refinished by local jeweler Diamond Dave. The Cuban tiles were
re-installed by tile master Tommy Lapp over historic cistern that was
reactivated and which is now used for irrigation. A computer system
regulates the filling of the cistern from rainwater retrieved from the
gutters.
The
second floor of the main house includes the quite inviting and almost
invisible front porch where you can sit and watch the world go by down
below. The porch is located just off the second floor front bedroom.
Note
the vaulted ceiling of the front bedroom which gives this area such a
spacious feeling. This bedroom has an en-suite bath. The second floor
hallway also leads to the rear where the master suite is located.
The
master suite has an almost circular flow from the sleeping area to the
bath and then back around to the dressing area and closet. The closet
must be one of the most expensive in all of Key West given the cost of
constructing the rounded tower. Two sets of French doors open out to
the sundeck which is a perfect place for private sun worship or
whatever. There is a great view of the super seductive 40 foot long pool
and water wall from the deck.
The
guest cottage is so nice and so well designed and thought out that
guests may refuse to leave. This has got to be the best guest house of
any I have seen in Key West. This building, like the main house, was
totally redone. And like the main house, the interiors are all
contemporary. Below are a few photos that help illustrate why I find
this guest space so seductive. As I finished taking photos of the pool I
notice a hidden rear deck just off the first floor bedroom. I snapped
some pics and went inside and said "Wow!".
The hallway leads to the bath and later the kitchen and then the two story living room. Talk about dramatic spaces. Wow again.
I took a lot of photos which you may see if you
CLICK HERE.
I encourage potential buyers to look through all the photos. The photos
offer a glimpse of the the thought that went into the design and
construction of 517 Grinnell Street which is offered at
$2,895,000. Better than just looking at photos, please contact 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. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.
