BEESLEYS POINT — While many houses at the shore are built as vacation homes to be used only during the summer months, the newly renovated stunner at 17 E. Golden Oak Lane in Upper Township was clearly designed with family in mind.
“With every detail newly completed and no expense spared in the finish work, this exceptional home combines modern luxury, thoughtful design and a highly desirable location — truly a rare opportunity in Upper Township,” listing agent Kevin McGonigle said.
Just a couple of miles from the fantastic shore towns of Ocean City and Sea Isle City, the two-story home is set in an area where children ride their bikes and paint with chalk on the wide street out front, walk to the nearby primary and elementary schools and grow up playing hide-and-seek with neighbors.
Located midway down North Shore Road, the area sees little traffic as the street ends at Great Egg Harbor Bay and a free municipal beach and park.
Offering three bedrooms, two full bathrooms and a powder room, plus an exceptional kitchen and dining area, the two-story home boasts 2,200 square feet of living space on a large lot with a spacious backyard.
Featuring a decidedly nautical aesthetic and asymmetrical design, the home has curb appeal aplenty with its navy blue cedar-impression siding on the ground floor, white board-and-batten siding on the upper floor and white trim.
“This stunning home has been completely renovated down to the studs, offering the feel of brand-new construction with timeless style and exceptional craftsmanship throughout,” McGonigle said.
A concrete driveway up to the one-car garage is on the right, partially beneath the new second floor, and is separated from the yard by a terraced stone border wall. Mulched flowerbeds line the home.
The front door is to the left off a new composite deck and beneath a sheltering overhang. A colorful door opens into the spacious living room with heated floors and a 10-foot ceiling, making it feel even larger. Wood-impression flooring runs throughout the space, making for easy cleanup.
Light and bright, the space welcomes the sun through a large front-facing window, a garden window with two casements on the side and three windows overlooking the back deck.
Just to the side of the door, a built-in bench seat with cubbies and hooks provides a convenient place to remove shoes and hang jackets — and is just one of multiple little touches that make the home special.
There’s also a powder room with a floor-to-ceiling marble tile wall and Unihopper vanity with a porcelain top.
“The expansive main living area is a show-stopper,” McGonigle said.
The primary bedroom suite is off the living room. Just outside is a mirrored closet door, one of the original parts of the home that was preserved because of its uniqueness.
Through the solid door — the home has white walls and woodwork with matte black hardware — are a large bed chamber with a triple window overlooking the front yard, a walk-in closet and full bathroom with a two-sink vanity, wide mirror and doorless shower tiled to the ceiling.
“The thoughtfully designed first floor includes a spacious primary suite, providing both comfort and convenience,” McGonigle said. Back in the living room, a doorway leads into the dining area and kitchen, where black tile flooring contrasts with the wood cabinets and white quartz countertops topped by a mini-subway tile backsplash.
The staircase to the second floor runs up along the side of the dining area and kitchen, creating an open ceiling stretching to the roofline.
“The dining area flows seamlessly into the kitchen and is perfectly suited for everyday living and entertaining,” McGonigle said.
Abundant cabinets run along the outside wall, while more form a coffee bar on the inside wall, where a closet beneath the stairs to the second floor makes for a great pantry.
Stainless steel appliances include a five-burner Viking range/oven with a hood and decorative backsplash, dishwasher and side-by-side Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer, along with a built-in Frigidaire Gallery microwave, Miele toaster oven and dacor warming drawer.
On the far side of the kitchen is the door to the garage laundry room, which sports more of the terrific Wood-Mode cabinets and a full-size washer and dryer.
Atop the stairs, a landing lit by four clerestory windows provides another seating area for conversing with friends or scrolling through Instagram, and opens into two more bedrooms and a full bathroom.
Each of the bedrooms has a walk-in closet, while the larger one has a bonus room for hobbies or a home arcade, with access to the storage attic.
“The private backyard provides ample space for entertaining and offers excellent potential for a future pool,” McGonigle said.
The garage has a concrete floor and lofty ceiling, leaving plenty of space for loft storage.
Out back, there is a deck off the dining area with steps down to the yard, which has a lawn sprinkler system.
Upper Township is a bedroom community just off the island communities of Ocean City and Sea Isle City. It also has its own island, Strathmere, and a beach and county park on Great Egg Harbor Bay.
It has highly regarded primary, elementary and middle schools and is a sending district to Ocean City High School, known for its academics and athletics as well as oceanfront playing field.
Many of the student athletes live in the township, where abundant recreation programs prepare them for the demands of high school sports in the Cape-Atlantic League.
The township also has several historic buildings and sites, including the Colonial Era Tuckahoe Inn just down the street.
A marker at the beach celebrates the story of sisters Rebecca Stillwell Willetts and Sarah Stillwell, who according to legend played their part in the Revolutionary War by firing a cannon at approaching longboats filled with British soldiers intent on pillaging the village’s stores. The marker is part of the New Jersey Women’s Heritage Trail.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
