If you ever had the opportunity to step inside a beachy Florida home in the 1950s or ’60s you may have a sense of déjà vu walking into this Royal Park cottage along one of Vero Beach’s most historic boulevards.
Owner Cheryl Williams is a former award-winning professional surfer who loves an old Florida beach ambience. When she found the home at 703 Royal Palm Place three years ago, she decided to keep the original vintage details and polish them up to let them shine.
The previous owners had rented the property after their parents moved to assisted living, so the house did not have anyone to cherish its character until Williams threw her heart into it. She immediately began to play up its original character and add some charm of her own.
“I just love the vintage style, terrazzo floors, stucco walls and how well built the home is,” said Williams. Her grandparents lived in Vero and she grew up in various places around Florida but considers Vero Beach one of her hometowns. Now, however, she wants to travel and see more places around the globe. She listed her home with Ilene Victor of Coldwell Banker Paradise, who is offering it for $329,000.
Her 1958 ranch home on Royal Palm Lane is located across from the Vero Beach Country Club golf course along a street with shady oaks and historic homes. Once considered the heart of Vero Beach, halfway between downtown and the beach, the house is in a great location; pool homes along this area are seldom seen at $329,000. Williams said her pup loves to trot by the golf course and she enjoys biking or walking to restaurants, downtown events and numerous activities nearby.
A brick-paved walkway makes a path from the street to the front door with a semi-circular driveway for convenient parking and turnaround. The home has a small portico entrance which opens to restored vintage terrazzo floors that have become the rage once again and flow throughout the whole house. A small entry area, which has grass cloth wallpaper below a wide chair rail, opens to a spacious living room that is reminiscent of the era in which the home was built.
The wide picture window and French doors beyond the living area in the dining room open up the space with a view of the freeform pool and screened patio. Wooden valances add a picturesque bit of vintage and also provide space for Williams to display her art pieces, collections and surfing awards. All of the rooms were repainted to have a soft, calming ocean peacefulness with clean white details to give the home a charming restful appeal.
“When you are in the living room or most areas of the house you can look out and see just the backyard,” Williams said. “Everything is green and you don’t really see your neighbors, so it seems very private.”
Because of the home’s solid CBS construction and many mature trees providing shade, the house seldom needs air conditioning according to Williams.
“It is very well insulated and when I open up the windows and French doors there is a great breeze and the house just stays cool. They built it about two feet off the ground to get very good cross ventilation,” said Williams. “That is just how older homes were built – they don’t make them like this anymore.”
The split floor plan offers two bedrooms to the right, with the master bedroom on the left, next to the kitchen. The master bath is spacious, containing a bathtub, original tile work and Art Deco style illuminated mirrors.
“That cool old lighting is just great for putting on makeup,” said Williams.
The other two bedrooms are identical in size and share the second full bath which does not have a bathtub but offers a walk-in tiled shower. Williams updated the sink and cabinet but kept the tile original since it is so unique and in wonderful condition, as is the tile floor, which has a unique patterned design. Between the two rooms is a hallway that has a long matching wooden valance that serves as a shelf to display more of William’s many surfing awards and trophies.
The kitchen sits off the dining room and Williams kept the original cabinetry but the hardware and appliances have all been replaced, and it is the one space that does not have terrazzo; it has simulated wood flooring instead. There is the same cute wood valance which all the rooms have over a huge picture window. There is a pass-through to the patio and tiled counter tops with lots of room to prepare meals while enjoying the tranquil view.
The outdoors is a main feature of this property and the house takes full advantage of its oversized backyard, which has many mature trees and is fenced completely, making it a perfect place for kids and dogs to play.
There are two levels to the large leisurely patio; the pool level has space for dining, while the second level, down one step, can be accessed from the kitchen. The entire patio is screened, which allows back windows and doors to be open without worry about mosquitos or other pesky insects.
The bonus storage room off the patio has enough space for William’s 15 surfboards plus beach equipment and a laundry room/studio/fitness area next door contains the half bath with a standup shower so swimmers can utilize it without walking inside.
More recent updates include the electric panel, a new roof, and air conditioning that was replaced about six or seven years ago; although Williams has not yet hooked them up, there are solar panels to heat the pool.
“This house has got that ’50s appeal and it is solid as a rock with the CBS construction and stucco,” said Coldwell Banker Paradise realtor Ilene Victor. If you would like to see this unique home, call Victor at 772-633-1140.