OCEAN CITY — Some houses are terrific and some houses are in a terrific location. In the case of 375 E. Seaspray Road, everything is terrific.
The three-story upside-down home was built in 1988, long before builders on the island fully embraced putting the bedrooms on the ground floor and great room above so that the heart of the home offers a better view. It also has a wide-open floor plan, another element that was forward-looking at the time.
Continuing the bohemian theme, the 3,750-square-foot house has a somewhat-futuristic aura, with its Escheresque open staircase ascending off the foyer straight up to the rooftop deck. The kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities also have a simple, utilitarian design.
Fully renovated in 2011, it is an incredible mix of contemporary architecture and a laid-back beach vibe reminiscent of the 1970s.
Not only is the home in the best part of the island — the Gardens — but it is in the best part of the best part of the island. It’s on the corner of Atlantic Avenue, right where it curves around to run along Great Egg Harbor Inlet, so it’s just a clam shell’s throw away from the large beaches in the north end and has a fantastic view of the Atlantic City skyline across the water.
“There are so few corner properties available in the Gardens,” listing agent Disston Vanderslice said. “Even getting a lot on this side of the Gardens, there’s nothing for less than $2 million.”
There is plenty of parking on both Seaspray and Atlantic, plus a one-car attached garage.
The home has four bedrooms, four bathrooms and a powder room, as well as curb appeal aplenty.
Landscape artists took advantage of the corner location with mulched beds bordered by flat river rock walls wrapping around the side. There is plenty of mature landscaping in the front and around the corner, where a steppingstone path leads to the back, past the outside shower and to the in-ground pool.
The patio around the pool has poly-sealed concrete, which is very durable, and there is plenty of room for lounge chairs.
The home’s gray vertical plank siding makes it appear tall and lean, while the use of contrasting colors stretches it horizontally.
The middle section, just above the partially covered front porch, has an aqua blue metal roof that matches the color of the double front doors, while the dark brown horizontal siding of the porch matches the fencing around the in-ground pool to the right.
Located off Seaspray, the main entrance features wide composite stairs off a large concrete area. The front doors hint at what’s to come inside — they have large frosted-glass inserts with circular standard glass bubbles and are quite whimsical.
The doors open onto a large foyer whose ceiling soars all the way to the roofline. Natural light is provided by three skylights up in the front roof.
The tile floor in the foyer has an artistic inset that is repeated in the step-down casual living room to the right, where there is a large, wrap-around sectional and a sliding glass door leading to the patio.
There is a full bathroom off this room, which is convenient for those using the pool or hanging around watching TV. It has this cool rectangular sink and a tiled shower with a pebble-like floor and a swinging glass door.
Also off this living room is one of the home’s bedrooms. It has a daybed and two oversized, overstuffed beanbag chairs just waiting for someone to plop down in them. It has a tile floor, which is convenient since there is a door leading outside to the pool area. Just to the left outside is a shower for washing away beach sand, and whatever gets tracked inside can be cleaned up with the central vacuum.
Back in the foyer, a short hall leads past the stairs to three downstairs bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry closet and garage access.
All three bedrooms have a whitewashed wood-impression laminate floor, which can stand up strong to wet towels and bathing suits. The first one has its own bathroom with a tile floor, modern porcelain-topped vanity and deep tub/shower combo with tiled walls and a curtain. All three have these big closets with heavy sliding frosted-glass doors.
The laundry closet has double bi-fold doors that open to reveal a full-size Bosch washer and dryer. This is a high-end duo prepared to handle a large demand of beach towels and swimsuits.
Made of hardwood treads with open risers and glass side panels, the stairs ascend, turn to the right, then ascend again.
At the top, the most amazing room unfolds before the eyes. It is a huge, open space with oak hardwood flooring and is designed for entertaining. Recessed lighting and speakers for the surround sound system are overhead throughout the space.
A beautiful blue-felt billiards table is to the left, just inside the glass doors opening onto an uncovered side deck offering peeks of the ocean.
A sectional sofa atop an area rug and a light-filled alcove with a café table and chairs occupy the other front corner.
It’s the kitchen, though, that sets the tone for the space. Reminiscent of a 1950s diner, it has a huge Cambria quartz-topped center island for six bar stools. These things are very chic — white leather with chrome — and provide a place to sit while eating or chatting with the chef while dinner is being prepared. The island also has a two-basin stainless steel sink and a stainless-steel Bosch dishwasher.
The island countertop, which is white with silver accents, also runs along the back wall, where there is a KitchenAid two-door refrigerator with a bottom freezer drawer and a KitchenAid four-burner gas range/oven below a Broan Elite exhaust hood. Some of the solid-wood cabinets have frosted-glass fronts, reminiscent of the closet doors downstairs, and the backsplash is vertical glass tile.
Down a hall past the kitchen is what I can describe only as “the aquarium.” It is an office with a rectangular window overlooking the foyer. As you approach from the great room, you see a large picture on the wall of an undersea scene, creating the impression of a fish tank. The room actually is a small office space. Across the hall is a half-bath with one wall completely covered in the same glass tile used on the backsplash.
Past this room is the master bedroom. This room has the same hardwood flooring as in the great room. It’s very spacious and has a private deck overlooking the pool area. The private bath is like a home spa — it has a slate tile floor, a wide granite-topped vanity with his and hers sinks, a huge shower large enough for a crowd and a wooden sauna.
Back in the great room, another set of those amazing stairs ascends to the third floor, which is designed purely for fun. There is a kitchen with cabinets, a sink and a mini refrigerator, plus a television with a couple of chairs in front, but the best part is the four glass panels, two that open onto the rooftop deck. This spacious area has room for a dining table, some lounge chairs and a barbecue grill. The view from here is amazing, well worth the price of admission.
The home is listed for $2.625 million with Disston Vanderslice of Grace Realty. Call (609) 675-1575 or email disston@icloud.com for more information or to set up an appointment to see this wonderful home.