1209 Johnson Street - The Casa Marina Area - Key West

As I first approached the entrance to 1209 Johnson Street, I was not sure exactly what to expect. The house is hidden from street view by a multitude of mid range tropical foliage to towering palms. Custom made mahogany shutters protect all of the windows and are a start counter point to the blue colored house. This is no Conch cottage but instead a big house tucked away for privacy, I thought.

 Circular wood stairs rise to the front entry. I have never seen a staircase that substantial or crafted with such care as a means of ingress or egress to a house. "What else might I find inside?" - I thought. There is a small front porch with a sitting area which provides a place to watch the world go by without being watched yourself. 

 Bi-fold doors open into the reception area which smacked me in the face with two old typewriters that were sitting upon old desks. A new printer sat in the corner and I laughed at the incongruity of the scene. The room itself gave me an inkling that this house would not be "normal" by any sense of the word. The colors are vibrant. The shutters, when viewed from the inside looking out, gave a totally different perspective of "privacy". I could see out but those on the outside cannot see inside.

I turned and entered into the living room which has a ceiling that soars up to the sky. My eyes were immediately drawn to what the listing agent calls "sky windows". That's an appropriate name, for sure. Others might call these windows sky lights, but that description understates the quality of light that these windows provide. Also note the clerestory in the center of the living room. This provides additional filtered light into the living space and adds to the drama of this incredible area.

 

A guest bedroom is located at the left front corner of the house. Two walls of windows allow light filtered by the mahogany shutters to enter this space. As I looked around this room I immediately felt like I was in a tree house. What an exhilarating feeling that is. 

The kitchen is set off to toward the back but it is not set off by itself. Three banks of windows near the prep area by the kitchen sink look out and down toward the swimming pool. The outdoor views are filtered by more tropical foliage in the garden. If I were cooking, I would want to be outside with everyone enjoying that inviting space. But since I would be slaving away to make a meal, the view would at least provide solace of knowing others would be jealous of the owner of this abode.

A second guest bedroom is located on the far side off the living room. More bold colors here as well. And, like the front guest room, the ceiling soars upward.

The master bedroom with en suite bath is located the far backside of the house. I noticed an inviting reading nook in one corner. And then I saw French doors that open out to a deck that overlooks the pool. Like all of the other rooms in this home, the mahogany shutters provide a rich textured view of the outside from the inside and privacy for the interior. You must see the views to appreciate them.

The master bath is extra large but the spaces are refined. There is a bath, a separate shower with etched glass window that allows light but no peering eyes, and the other necessities of a bathroom. What a perfect place to make one's self look presentable.

 

 As I headed toward the outside I noticed a sign over the French door to the deck. It read "Friends gather here". How appropriate, I thought. This house is all about warmth and loving life in Key West.  

A finely crafted wood deck wraps the back side of the house. Stairs descend down to the pool area where there is ample roof for lounging and tanning by the quite large pool. I noticed a couple of "dry ducks" resting at the side of the pool. They were waiting for their owners or friends to throw them into the pool where they could party with the adults.

A house like this would make a wonderful full time home or a great second home where the owner might choose to do an occasional vacation rental.  The Atlantic Ocean and beaches are located a couple of blocks away. Guests can walk there in five minutes or less. Old Town is an easy bike ride. Numerous gyms and yoga studios are within easy walking distance as well. CLICK HERE to view more photos that I took of this property.

1209 Johnson Street is offered at $1,395,000. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet and to view the listing photos. If you would like to see this very inviting Key West home, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.

I Can See Clearly Now! - Key West

May 2nd was a horrible day in Key West, at least it was for me and a few of my fellow Realtors (Roger Emmons, Frank Kirwin, Robin Van Mater, Sabrina Acevedo, Rick Lively, Bill Hammesmith, and Jeffrey Dunaway) that showed houses in a torrential rainstorm that brought up to seven inches of rain to our little island.

My buyers and I made it back to their beautiful little vacation rental no worse for wear. They may end up buying a place. They got to see about the worst of life in Key West and did not seem all that bothered by it.  I was too busy driving my car through flooded streets and darting in and out of the rain to take any photos myself. I found the photos in today's blog on Instagram.  If you have never gone there, do it. There are some incredibly talented photographers out there.  One photographer noted the following under his photo: "Tough times don't last. Tough people do."

The couple above are newlyweds. They will always have this great photo to remember a miserable day but I bet they will remember it with a smile.

There are always clowns who hope to make it on tv or in the printed media.

I don't recognize this location. I drove along North Roosevelt Boulevard which was reduced to one lane of traffic. The left side lane was about a foot deep with water.

Above photos is of the corner of Grinnell Street at Southard Street. As you can see the area is high but not dry and also not flooding. 

The rain stopped. The clouds went away. The sun reappeared. All was right with the world.

"I can see clearly now" is how the photographer proclaimed his joy about the return of blue skies to Key West.

701 Elizabeth Street - Key West - Pied-à-Terre

Fresh on the Market: pied-à-terre located at the iconic 701 Elizabeth Street at the tippy top of Solares Hill in Old Town Key West. This three story apartment has designer genes, is fully furnished, and is ready for immediate occupancy. Annual lease required.

701 Elizabeth Street is located at the intersection of Elizabeth Street at Windsor Lane. This is two blocks east of Duval Street and within easy walking distance to all of Old Town.

Private deck for outdoor entertaining.

The living space here is like none other in Key West. The living space soars three stories to the vaulted ceiling on the third level where the bedroom is located.

The kitchen, dining area, and living space are located on the first floor. French doors open out to the front porch for al fresco dining. The indoor space is contemporary chic.

The second floor is home to the quite large bath, laundry and closet.

Access between the floors is via the spiral staircase.  The stairs and movable exterior louvers are an integral part of the design of this apartment. People from the street cannot see inside. The louvers are adjustable from the inside and give you control over the light at any time of the day.

CLICK HERE to view more photos of this one of a kind Key West residence. Annual Lease $2,000 per month. Landlord pays water and sewer. Tenant pays electric, cable, and phone.  First, last, and security required. No pets and no smokers.  Contact Gary Thomas, Preferred Properties Key West, 305-766-2642 to view.