Owners Gilbert Gaynor and Anastasia Khitruk were looking for a sanctuary during the height of the pandemic when they discovered Vero Beach. Wanting to escape the high-density hustle of New York City, the couple searched satellite photos and Zillow for low-density areas with greenery and a good in-dependent bookstore.
“I think I looked at every house on the Eastern Seaboard,” adds Anastasia.
They found their hideaway in Vero Beach at 400 Live Oak Road in Bethel by the Sea, where the “ambiance” of winding, oak-canopied streets evoked a sense of unhurried graciousness.
From the curb, the classic mansard roof is the predominant feature, a common element of the postmodern architectural era. The home has a semicircular driveway, framed by a lush canopy of greenery that keeps the rest of the world at bay.
“It is a jewel box,” says Sally Daley, founding broker of The Daley Group at Douglas Elliman, describing the property as one that defies the “rabbit hutch” proportions often found in older beach cottages.
“It is not a cookie-cutter. It felt like a normal house, a house that happens to be near the beach, rather than just a beach house. There are no dark corners,” ex-plains Anastasia about the features that initially attracted her and Gilbert to the home.
From the moment you step through the glass-paned, double front door into the foyer, it becomes apparent that this isn’t your typical “beach cottage.” The foyer is an elegant space that gives a distinct sense of arrival, rather than spilling directly into the communal living spaces.
To the right of the foyer, a utilitarian gallery-style hallway literally circles around to each of the interior rooms in the home, first leading to a powder room, then to two guest bedrooms and a shared bath that are tucked into their own corner of the house.
Further along the hallway provides access to a climate-controlled, two-car garage, perfectly suited for a home gym or protected storage. At the back of the house adjacent to the garage access is the primary suite, featuring garden views and a lovely bathroom with dual sinks, a shower, a bidet and a walk-in closet.
From the primary suite, you can enter the west wing of the house via the hallway where a utility niche housing the washer and dryer is conveniently located between the sleeping areas and the kitchen.
As the hallway leads toward the east wing where the living and dining rooms are located, the layout reveals its “smart design” with the adjacent kitchen de-fined by a peninsula that serves as a breakfast or lunch counter.
Whether you’re preparing a full Thanksgiving feast or just a quick breakfast, the uninterrupted sightline to the communal living spaces ensures you aren’t excluded from the action where guests are gathered. “I call it the Cinderella test. If I’m doing dishes, do I feel like Cinderella in the scullery? No. You’re part of the action,” Daley says.
The living room and dining room are both filled with light from the French doors that open to the outside area. While the interior boasts high coffered ceilings, plantation shutters and an open floor plan, the true “surprise and delight” lies beyond the French doors that open onto the lanai.
Tucked away on the side of the house rather than the rear is what Anastasia calls the “swimming room.” The thoughtful orientation maximizes the over-sized lot, allowing for an enclosed, private grotto that feels more like a botanical garden than a pool deck.
“We have had pools before, but we’ve never had a swimming room. It is just as private as the rest of the house. On a moonlit night, the light is so bright I can read by it. You can come out at 3 a.m. and your neighbors can’t see you and you can’t see them. It’s magical,” shares Anastasia.
The lot extends beyond the pool area, offering 59 feet of green space that provides a rare buffer in Central Beach, Daley notes.
For the owners, the appeal was as much about the community as the architecture. To them, Vero Beach felt like a slice of the 1960s, a place where people aren’t tethered to their phones and children still play outside.
“It reminds me of growing up in Southern California in the ’50s and ’60s. Vero has avoided the high-rises that block the cooling wind. You can feel that breeze right now. It’s heavenly,” Gilbert reflects.
Though the couple is preparing to return to a more urban lifestyle, they describe their time in the house on Live Oak as a “resort lifestyle” that felt wonderfully apart from reality.
Bethel by the Sea, a sleepy, bungalow neighborhood located just north of the Merrill P. Barber Bridge, is close to mainland shopping and a short walk away from to the beach and the island’s Ocean Drive shopping and dining district. Enjoy cultural offerings at Riverside Theatre or the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Riverside Park offers a tennis facility and boat launch just south of the neighborhood, and the City Marina and an off-leash dog park are nearby.
Vital Statistics
400 Live Oak Road
Neighborhood: Bethel by the Sea • Year built: 1970
Construction: Concrete block, with stucco
Lot Size: 185 feet x 86 feet • Home size: 2,053 sq. ft.
Bedrooms: 3 • Bathrooms: 2 full and 1 half
View: Pool and garden • Pool: Screened
Additional features: Tray ceilings; elegant finishes; tile and carpet flooring; plantation shutters; skylights; dual sinks; bidet; walk-in shower; screened lanai; outdoor shower; irrigation system with well; partial shutters; new roof; and climate-controlled, two-car garage.
Listing agency: The Daley Group at Douglas Elliman
Broker associate: Sally Daley, 772-538-4503
Listing Price: $1,300,000
Photos provided
