Long time readers of my blog might suspect the home shown above is located in Santa Barbara or La Jolla instead of Key West. And they would be wrong. Yes, the home is atypical for Key West. It is in fact more reminiscent of an old Italian villa snuggled away from the world. Although the house is only nine years old, the design and lush landscaping suggests the property is much older. The softly faded exterior is emphasized by creeping vines that climb up the walls and over trellises and columns. The ochre colored walls blend harmoniously with the red barrel tile roof and seamlessly blend with the palms and tropical vegetation that surround this property.
1425 White Street is located at the corner of White Street and Flagler Avenue in the
Casa Marina Area of
Key West. The lot totals 13,813 sq ft (92.5' facing White Street X 149.33 facing Flagler Avenue). According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser the house is
3369 sq ft. The property is now offered for sale at
$2,000,000 or $594 per sq ft. The Atlantic Ocean is a four block walk to the South. Old Town is a five minute drive to the west or north. The Key West International Airport is seven minutes or so on a normal day. And the worries of the world are forever enduring, but behind the double door arched entry, the worries disappear as you enter a truly remarkable Key West property.
You gotta admit, the entrance is pretty damned impressive. And that's just the beginning of what you will see in this remarkable property which the listing Realtor describes as:
"Unique and elegant, walled and landscaped for the utmost privacy sits this
luxurious estate on a double corner lot. 3 bedrooms, 2,5 baths and an office in
the main house and a separate guesthouse. The impressive front gate opens to a
beautiful pathway leading to the front entrance, a 2 car garage and additional
off-street parking. Outstanding kitchen equipped with all gourmet appliances
includes a Wolf stove, Subzero fridge, two Bosch dishwashers, a drawer fridge
and custom cabinets. Large rooms, huge great room and 16' ceilings. Polished
hardwood floors. Split floor plan for privacy. Gracious outdoor living includes
a beautiful pool and hot tub, covered porches and gardens. The roof is barrel
tile. A most elegant & private retreat."
Once you are inside the property you notice the rich Cypress wood that sets off the portico leading to the front door. You also become immediately aware that all of the doors and windows are painted black and that all are variations on paladin windows. Much of the architecture and interior hallways features the similar curved arches. All interior walls feature Venetian plastering. Some rooms also include tromp loy finishes such as the arched wall in the living room shown below. Rich rosewood floors are another feature of the house. Travertine marble is used in other areas.
While this house looks old on the outside, the interiors are laid out with a modern take on American life in the early 21st Century. In the old days rooms were partitioned off into various functions. Today and especially in this house the rooms seem to flow from one use to another. While the house has a very grand feel, it is also functional. The kitchen features Kraftmade Cabinets, a Wolff range, Subzero refrigerator, and rich appointments everywhere. Doors open out from the kitchen to an outdoor dining area to the east. Doors from the adjacent dining - family room open out to the covered loggia or portico that overlooks the pool.
The west wing of the house includes two guest bedrooms which share a Jack and Jill bath, the most incredible laundry room I have ever seen, and the double car garage. The two bedrooms have French doors that open out to the pool area. If you look at the above photos you will notice the doors and trim all of which are painted with a superior deep black finish that is absolutely PERFECT. The finish is the very best I have ever seen anywhere. Seriously!
French doors off the master bedroom lead to the east garden area and the glass door in the master bath leads to the spa and pool. Two large walk-in closets are another feature of the master suite.
The guest cottage is located at the front part of the property. It has a wet bar for making cocktails and coffee, but it is not equipped as a kitchen. There is a large closet and a very large bath with tumbled marble walls and French doors that open out to the pool.
I took a lot of
photos of this incredible property which you can see if you
CLICK HERE. Take some time and go through the photos and imagine what a grand life you could lead if you lived here. This house sits empty now. It has been that way for some time. It needs a new owner.
I realize that this house does not look like the typical old Conch house with a white picket fence that almost everybody associates with Key West. That and the previous much higher asking price of $2,700,000 are probably the two biggest factors this property has not sold. The new price of $2,000,000 is probably beyond the means of many people reading today's blog. But for that small group of buyers that can purchase a property like this, I would suggest you take a look. The property is listed at a price much lower than when it was purchased. The property is vacant and needs someone to take care of it. If this would not be a full time residence, I think a new owner could very successfully rent this as a vacation rental.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet. And then please call me,
Gary Thomas,
305-766-2642 to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. You just might get over the Conch cottage thing and fall in love with this big and truly impressive Key West property. I did.
The current house has been lived in "as is" for several years. It is typical of many 1950s era ranch houses with two bedrooms, one bath, a shared living and dining area and a closed off kitchen. Each of the rooms have original Cuban tile floors (all in good condition). The bathroom is a throwback to the colorful 1950s tiled bathrooms. There is even a cedar lined closet. Both bedrooms have good sized closets. A new owner would probably replace the jalousie windows. I would expand some of the widow sizes and replace with energy efficient impact windows. The kitchen exists - but barely. A new owner would probably install a new kitchen and update the appliances. I believe the south side yard is large enough to accommodate a new pool. 
There are a couple of issues a new buyer would need accept. First, the house has some spalling on many of the exterior walls. This is a common occurrence for CBS houses and commercial buildings buildings in Key West. Spalling can be repaired. A concrete contractor would be able to tell a potential buyer the cost to do any repairs. Also, the existing carport is in bad shape. Since the carport exists, a new owner might alternatively tear it down, keep it place and repair it, or possibly convert that space into a third bedroom. The existing laundry room is at the rear of the carport and has water and sewer in place. I think the entire area could make a great new master suite. CLICK HERE to view photos I took of this property. 
