OCEAN CITY — The custom-built two-story Victorian-style single at 2509 West Ave. is fantastic at first sight and gets better and better.
From the wrought-iron fence bordering the property to the awesome architectural details — such as the asymmetrical design with a tower to one side and the wide steps up to the covered front porch — the home was meticulously designed and built with attention to detail and high-quality materials.
Nothing characterizes a Victorian-style home more than vertical elements and detailed ornamentation — and this property has both. It would fit in well with the “Painted Ladies” that line the streets of Cape May, except all of the materials are modern and made to stand up strong to the sometime-harsh shore environment.
Built in 2005 on a double lot, the home has five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, including a fully appointed mother-in-law suite with a full bathroom and separate rear deck on the first floor.
Out front, the fence stretches the width of the property, sporting ornate spindles and posts, then runs down both sides to the alley on one side and the backyard on the other, cutting across in front of two off-street parking spaces and ending at the two-car detached garage.
The fence is set in flowerbeds running the width of the property; hedgerows line the slate walkway.
Inside the fence is a grassy yard and raised, mulched flowerbeds with shrubs bordered by a brick wall flanking the steps. The bed wraps around the right, where another runs along the side of the house. The grassy side yard leads to the back, where a corner paver patio leads around to the side door of the detached garage.
The two-level deck can be accessed from the dining room or the first-floor bedroom and has a privacy wall blocking out the neighbors.
Back out front, more exterior features include attached flower boxes at every window.
The wooden steps are lined by railings with fat wooden balusters and lead up to the covered porch with multiple round columns, where a door with a leaded glass insert, side panels and a transom opens onto the foyer.
Inside, the home is beautiful, with Brazilian cherry hardwood flooring, tall baseboard and crown molding throughout.
To the right of the foyer is a small seating area with an oval window and a coat closet with double swinging doors, just to the right of the handsome wooden staircase. All of the door and window hardware is reproduction Victorian style.
The wall beneath the stairs is paneled wainscoting with two hidden doors opening up to a large storage area. A door just to the left of this opens into the powder room, which has a pedestal sink and toilet.
Just to the left of this is the first-floor suite. Inside the door is a double-wide closet with sliding doors. A turn to the right puts you in the bedroom, which has wall-to-wall carpeting, two windows flanking the bed and a sliding glass door opening onto that private back porch with access to the full deck. The suite has a full bathroom behind a pocket door with a tile floor, granite-topped Merillat vanity and a mirror. The tall shower is fully tiled and has a swinging glass door.
The open layout lets you see the entire great room, with the living area and a small dining area to the front and the kitchen and formal dining area toward the back of the house. Lofty cathedral ceilings are found throughout.
In the living area, a sectional sofa is centered around a gas-log fireplace with curio cabinets and a space for a large flat-screen television.
The kitchen, which has a tray ceiling, is separated from the living area by a granite-topped counter with four stools and pendant lighting. Two more are located at the center island, which also has pendant lighting.
The Wood-Mode cabinets are plentiful and wrap around the kitchen on three walls. Appliances include a GE Profile microwave/convection oven and Wolf gas oven below the counter, as well as a Wolf five-burner gas range set in the counter beneath a fantastic custom-painted hood. The pot-filler faucet set in the decorative tile backsplash is a nice addition.
Two dishwasher drawers are just to the left of the double-basin stainless steel sink, while the Wolf two-door refrigerator with a freezer drawer is to the left.
The dining area is just steps away, and features its own tray ceiling, this one painted with a sky and birds. The long table below the chandelier includes seating for at least eight people. Natural light is provided by the sliding glass door that opens onto the back porch.
Back in the foyer, the stairs, which have paneled wainscoting, ascend to a landing where there are multiple stained-glass casement windows, then up again to the second floor.
A central living room provides access to all four bedrooms on this floor, three of which have a private bath and working, lighted transoms. The fourth, the turret room, has a 16-foot-tall coned ceiling and a large oval window overlooking the street, and could be used as an office, studio or really cool sitting room. Accessed via double pocket doors, it also includes the laundry hidden behind two more doors.
The primary bedroom is located in the back right behind French-style doors. It has wall-to-wall carpeting, a closet with double swinging doors and a king-size bed flanked by windows, as well as a slider opening onto a private back deck. The primary bathroom has a tile floor, long granite-topped Merillat vanity with his and hers sinks and mirrors. The shower, like everything else in the house, is very tall and tiled to the ceiling with a swinging glass door.
Back in the central area, a large game closet is just outside another of the bedrooms. Located in the rear left, this room has wall-to-wall carpeting and two closets with double swinging doors. The bathroom has tile on the floor and halfway up the walls with a fiberglass tub and shower, as well as a granite-topped vanity.
The final bedroom, in the front left, has carpet, a queen-size bed and sofa set inside a curved bay of casement windows in the front. It has a full bathroom with tile on the floor and halfway up the walls, as well as a granite-topped vanity and tall shower with tile to the ceiling and a swinging glass door.
A second set of stairs leads up to a second landing with more stained-glass casement windows and finally to a rooftop deck with a panoramic view of the city.
Extras include a multifunctional irrigation system including freestanding and hanging planters and window boxes, as well as high-efficiency Andersen windows and doors.
The garage has separate wooden doors with lion’s head knockers and windows above that provide light to the loft storage area, which is completely floored and has standing room.
In addition to being beautiful, the home also is smart, allowing the owner to control the lights, thermostat, video surveillance system and alarm remotely.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
