As you walk up the brick-paved path and through the arbor, a sense of Americana pervades.
You are stepping through a gateway to a simpler, happier past in the cottage at 2501 Ocean Dr. in Old Riomar.
You can hear the waves crashing on the beach from the colonial-style cottage, reminiscent of bygone days. While the charming coastal cottage was built in 1984, it’s right at home in historic Riomar. AMAC agent Kit Fields, who is co-listing the house with AMAC agent John Pierce, says that was intentional.
“The house was designed to keep in touch with what Riomar originally was,” says Fields of the cottage influence.
The three-bedroom, three-full and one-half-bath home is situated on a large corner lot with mature landscaping across from the Riomar beach access.
“This street is convenient to everything. You can walk across the street to the beach and the Beach Club. Quail Valley is at the other end of the road, Riomar Country Club is just around the corner, and you can walk to restaurants, shops and the Saturday morning farmer’s market,” notes Fields.
A lovely veranda graces the front of the house. It is wide and deep enough to create a cozy outdoor sitting area where you can enjoy a cup of coffee as you watch the sunrise.
A screen door at the front entry lets you enjoy the fresh ocean air as it filters down the terracotta tiled center hallway – beautiful and practical in a home where sandy feet come and go – to the kitchen and sitting room. You can access the first-floor spaces from here or go up the second-floor staircase off the foyer.
Crown molding, chair rails, shutter-covered windows and built-ins add to the home’s character; and hardwood floors in the communal spaces and bedrooms add warmth and a sense of tradition.
To the right of the foyer, the formal dining room offers a generous space for entertaining, with a bay window and a secondary access point leading into the bright kitchen. The garden window over the kitchen sink assures that your herbs get plenty of natural light.
The bar island counter provides extra seating and defines the space, which includes a nice-sized pantry and storage closet just off the kitchen. Guests can relax in the sitting room and chat with the host prepping dinner in the kitchen or take advantage of the screened sunroom across the rear of the house. Two sets of French doors open into the protected space, letting fresh air flow freely.
You can access the powder room from the sitting room or the adjacent open deck area, which adds to the home’s indoor-outdoor accessibility.
You can head to the screened breezeway from the sitting room to reach the two-car, side-entry garage. The laundry room sits along this passageway and can be accessed from the deck or the outdoor hallway, increasing its functionality so you can drop off beach towels, sportswear and gardening gear before entering the house. It also provides covered protection from the garage to the house during rainy weather.
The southern wing of the house has a quaint living room with a gas fireplace featuring a terracotta surround. At the rear of the house, there’s a flex room currently used as the family room that would work well as an office, guest suite or first-floor primary suite with a full bath that includes a shower, soaking tub, walk-in closet with built-ins and dual sinks.
Built-ins and multiple access points, including a pair of French doors that open into the sunroom, offer the additional convenience of a private entry for this multi-functional room.
Upstairs, a guest suite sits opposite the primary suite, completing the cottage. A small nook in the primary suite offers an Eastern view of the ocean and a Southern-facing balcony where you can catch the sunrise or sunset.
The generous lot has ample room for the kids to run around or to expand the footprint of the living space, something the owners engaged Nicholas Roseland with Architect Roseland to explore, making the home appealing to a wide variety of buyers, whether you’re looking for something ready to move into or want to enhance this charming home to suit your lifestyle.
“The permits are essentially in place for a remodel if somebody is interested in that,” Roseland says, noting that modifications can be made.
Pointing out the beach and club proximity, Fields says, “You’re in one of the nicest beachside neighborhoods in Central Beach. There’s great space on each side, and it’s a good-size lot, so there’s a lot of potential.”
Old Riomar is conveniently located between the bridges, with easy access to beachside and mainland locations. One of the first areas settled along the ocean, the neighborhood is rich in history and known for its groves of live oak trees. It’s just a short walk, bike or golf cart ride to Quail Valley River Club, Riomar Country Club, Riomar Beach access, the City Marina, Riverside Park, Riverside Theatre, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Vero Beach Dog Park and all the high-end shopping and fine dining on Ocean Drive.
Photos provided
