OCEAN CITY — Real estate agent Chris Monihan calls the home at 212 W. Atlantic Blvd. a “fabulous custom single-family home on an oversized Gardens lagoon-front lot with three large, freshly dredged boat slips.” I call it a $4.25 million work of art.
The exterior of the three-story home features a symmetrical design with two peaked roofs flanking recessed open porches on two floors with a metal roof and cupola.
On the ground floor, two one-car garages are located on both sides of a covered front porch. A paver-brick parking pad leads up to each of the garages, whose doors resemble barn doors but are made of durable and maintenance-free material. A deck off the second floor tops both garage doors and can accessed by two of the bedrooms.
A brick pathway leads up to the front porch and two others lined by hydrangeas and other shrubs in mulched beds provide access to the expansive rear deck, offering fantastic views of the Whale’s Tail Lagoon. The house is situated near the mouth of the lagoon, allowing for views straight out into Great Egg Harbor Bay.
It’s a boater’s paradise with 67 feet of water frontage featuring three deep-water boat slips and close to Great Egg Harbor Inlet and the open Atlantic Ocean beyond.
The two-level hardwood deck provides plenty of space for entertaining, sunbathing, cooking and dining, or just chilling in the shade with a cold drink and watching the boats float by. There’s also a hot tub for soothing sore muscles after a long day of waterskiing or paddleboarding in the lagoon. A ramp leads down to a floating dock and a set of stairs descends to a stationary dock. A spiral set of stairs leads up to a second-floor deck.
Back out front, a door with a large leaded-glass insert flanked by double windows opens onto a fancy foyer with narrow-plank hardwood flooring. This space features 36-inch-high shadow box wainscoting and a handsome curved, wood staircase with carpet inlay that ascends to the main living area. An elevator in the corner has stops on all three floors.
The home has a total of five bedrooms, four bathrooms and two powder rooms and 4,346 square feet of living space.
Off to the left, underneath the stairs, is a door to one of the garages. A wide window provides natural light to the space, making it bright and cheery.
A mud room and laundry room are to the right, where the door to the second garage can be found. The room has a full-size Maytag Neptune washer and dryer with cabinets and counters, as well as a door to the side porch. There also is a porcelain Kohler sink.
Back in the foyer, a hall leads straight ahead to a family room.
The home’s first bedroom is to the left in this hall. Inside, a king-size bed rests beneath a ceiling with exposed beams and crown molding, reminiscent of a coffered ceiling without the crossbeams. Two tall windows and a glass door offering access to the back deck provide natural light. The room’s en suite bath has a long Corian-topped vanity with an equally long mirror behind featuring a tile frame with seashells and seahorses. One wall is completely covered in miniature tiles that extend into the shower with a swinging glass door.
A powder room with a pedestal sink and bead board wainscoting also is located in the main hall.
Two more bedrooms and a family room are located on this floor. One of the bedrooms has a king-size bed and bunkbeds that is perfect for a young family. The other has a double bed and a slider that opens onto the back deck. A hall bath between them has a long Corian-topped vanity with his and hers sinks, a porcelain tub with a curtain and a separate room for the toilet.
The family room is spacious and wide open with a sofa and two armchairs centered around the built-in entertainment center. Multiple windows and a couple of doors provide a view of the back deck and lagoon just outside. Another chair and a game table are in the corner.
Back in the foyer, the stairs feature white risers and hardwood treads that match the spindles and handrail. One of the posts is shaped and painted to resemble a lighthouse.
On the second floor, a hall to the left of the stairs leads to an office, making the home perfect for those working remotely from home. French doors open onto the office, where a desk and three chairs are situated for doing business. The room has a cathedral ceiling and double swinging glass doors that open onto the front porch on this side of the house. There also is a door that opens onto the center porch, allowing people to pass from the office to the bedrooms on the other side.
The open great room takes up most of the second floor. A round wood table that seats eight sits beneath a brass and glass hanging lamp in the center space, while the kitchen is to the left and the living room is to the right.
The kitchen features a huge granite-topped center island with a raised barstool seating area. The island contains a sink, Miele dishwasher, Scotsman ice maker, dacor warming drawer, GE Advantium microwave and two stainless-steel KitchenAid beverage drawers.
Custom white cabinets with granite countertops line three walls. A wet bar with a Kohler sink and stainless-steel Sub-Zero wine cooler is next to a Sub-Zero refrigerator with cabinet front. Two pantry shelves pull out on either side.
A wide porcelain sink is beneath a wider window facing the lagoon. To the left is another Miele dishwasher next to a stainless-steel six-burner dacor range with double ovens beneath a hood. The white tile backsplash has a decorative inset. Two skylights provide additional light, as does a glass door that opens onto the back deck where there is a sitting area beneath a vaulted half-barrel ceiling. The middle area of the great room has double sliding glass doors leading out onto the deck with a pergola roof. A compass rose is inlaid in the floor just inside.
The living room is on the right side of the great room and features more shadow box wainscoting, a sofa and two armchairs centered around a wall with a built-in entertainment center and gas fireplace with a wood mantel. A cozy seating area with windows and cushioned window seats on three sides juts out from the main part of the living room.
Heading toward the front of the house, the second powder room is to the left, across from another set of stairs leading to the master bedroom suite encompassing the entire third floor.
The home’s fourth bedroom is in the front corner. It has a lofty cathedral ceiling that slopes down on two sides above a king-size bed. Double swinging doors with a transom open onto the private front porch, while another door provides access to the shared middle section. The en suite bathroom has a blue-and-white checkered tile floor, Corian-topped vanity, bead board wainscoting and a fully tiled shower in the corner with a swinging glass door.
Up on the third floor, a hallway with more wainscoting leads to the bedchamber, where a series of wood beams stretch out from a lighthouse cupola, creating the impression of a sunrise. The curved rear wall has cushioned window seats inside four windows on either side of a door leading out to the private back deck. The king-size bed is below the cupola, featuring exposed beams and quality millwork.
The master bath has a tile floor, huge tub with jets and clerestory windows. A long cherry vanity features his and hers sinks beneath a long mirror with sconce lighting. A fully tiled shower has a seat and a swinging glass door. A door off to the side opens onto a private room with a toilet and bidet.
Other features include the copper circle downspouts and half-circle gutters, maintenance-free cedar-shake siding and an enclosed outside shower.
The home is listed for $4.25 million with Chris Monihan of Monihan Realty. Call (609) 602-3336 or (609) 399-0998 for more information or to set up an appointment to tour this wonderful home.
