The house at 2066 Ocean Ridge Circle oozes southern charm from the moment you step onto the gallery, an architectural feature found in and around New Orleans. Rocking chairs are spread out across the length of the porch, and you can almost hear someone call, “Come and sit a spell.”
And that’s precisely what Carolyn and Kenneth Worthington heard when they made the move to Vero Beach from New Jersey, recalls the couple’s daughter-in-law, Julie Creswell.
“What we all loved about the house was the light. There is so much light. It’s so beautiful,” says Creswell.
A sense of warmth and welcome permeates the home, with light flooding in through transoms that are plentiful throughout. The owner’s suite runs the length of the right-wing of the house and can be reached through a private sitting room just off the front entry. The built-in bookcases and cabinets in the sitting room showcase family treasures. Pocket doors close the sitting room off from both the main house and the owner’s suite.
The owner’s rooms include a large bedroom, powder room, two closets and a walk-in shower.
The bedroom opens onto a secluded courtyard. Windows throughout the bedroom and in both the powder room and shower let in still more natural light, carrying the sunny ambiance into every corner of the house.
“This home was custom-built for the original owners,” shares Michele Ritchie, Realtor with Alex MacWilliam, Inc. Real Estate, noting the high ceilings, crown molding, dormers, plantation shutters, built-ins and travertine floor, just a few examples of the high level of fine detail found throughout the home.
The formal living room is at the center of the house and serves as a conduit for light streaming in through a pair of skylights. Guests can gather here to chat alongside the built-in bar or head out onto the covered patio through the French doors lining the rear wall.
The formal dining room is to the left of the front entry with a short hallway that leads to the kitchen, a powder room, laundry room and garage access. You can also access the kitchen from the living room, where pocket doors can close the space off when you don’t want activity in the kitchen to interfere while you entertain.
The kitchen has double ovens, a paneled refrigerator and a walk-in pantry, along with plenty of storage. An island bar separates the kitchen area from the breakfast nook that opens onto the back patio through French doors. Transoms let in plenty of morning light, or you can wander outside to enjoy a cup of coffee before everyone else in the house wakes up.
“We had so many wonderful meals out there on the patio. It was just so relaxing,” notes Creswell.
Two guest rooms and a shared bath are located at the rear of the house, ensuring privacy for both guests and homeowner.
Ritchie notes the fenced backyard with an abundance of lush vegetation that envelopes the area in a zone of privacy, adding: “There’s plenty of room for a pool if you wanted to add one.”
“Oceanridge is a very happy community with all ages, from 9 months into the 90s. People look out for one another here,” says Ritchie of the oceanside subdivision across from St. Edward’s School on the south island.
The Worthingtons made the most of the outdoors. They both played golf and loved water activities, reflects Creswell.
“They would take their dogs for long walks on the beach and around the neighborhood. They really enjoyed the house so much.”
Oceanridge is a small, gated community with 60 homes and deeded beach access. The neighborhood is conveniently located near St. Ed’s and The Moorings Yacht & Country Club, just a few miles south of the 17th Street Bridge, Ocean Drive shopping, dining and Vero proper.
Photos provided
