Monterey Beauty on West Colorado Brings Pebble Beach Architectural to Kessler Park

First of all, Kessler Park. Makes my heart throb. I spent an afternoon there last week driving the ‘hood, and I can never understand why it’s not the priciest dirt in town. Well, intellectually I know why, schools and all that, but really when it comes to the Three T’s — trees, topography and taste, Kessler has it all.

Heck, even the turrets there are gorgeous!

As for schools, well, that is beginning to change now with Rosemont Elementary and The Kessler School.

So when I saw that David Griffin had listed 915 West Colorado Boulevard, I had to dig deeper. This is one of the neighborhood’s original homes and one of the most architecturally significant. You get the charm of yesteryear on the outside with a totally new inside. And when I say new, I don’t mean they slapped some surface stuff on and called it a day. I mean a totally well conceived, well-planned and detail-oriented professional remodel with the newest in 2014 desired finishes. The home was taken down to the studs, and everything new, beautiful and convenient was brought in. The only stuff worth keeping was kept, such as the terrific terrazzo flooring.

You also get a hefty lot of .42 acres — how much would that cost you in Highland Park, eh? — on Colorado, which is basically the Tokalon of Kessler.

The arched porch is the first indication that this is no cookie cutter builder’s re-do special. The home is a vintage 1948 Monterey style, which originated in beautiful Monterey, California, near Pebble Beach. Thomas O. Larkin is considered the pioneer of the Monterey architectural style. He brought New England colonial with him to California, right from Boston to Monterey, in 1835. His Larkin House in Monterey is the first two-story home in the area, and is today a National Historic Landmark. Monterey’s two main innovations are the two-story structure that was in stark contrast to all the single-story Spanish Colonial homes of the era, and those exterior balconies.

According to Houzz, “The balcony could possibly have originally been inspired by Spanish townhouses but was affectionately adopted and modified by new settlers from the eastern U.S. bringing traditional details with them.”

The Monterey home’s lines are clean and simple, as is the timelessness of the architecture with a combination of warmth and interior spaciousness. It’s a welcoming home. In addition to the two-story construction and exterior balcony, Monterey style homes are characterized by features including: porches, hip roofs, and adobe walls,  low-pitched gable roofs with shingles or tiles, double-hung windows, plaster or adobe walls, and exposed beams. Our home on Park, for example, had the exterior exposed beams and a second story balcony.

Walk into to a huge foyer, scrumptious dark wood floors, and a beautifully scrolled staircase. Take note of the wood trim and moldings. the charming telephone or statuary nook in the foyer. I love the study with the brick wall and plethora of book cases. The formal rooms flow into a brand new kitchen that will make you sign up for a course at La Cornue the moment you sign the buyer’s contract. By the way, if that farm sink goes missing, I don’t know a thing. I LOVE IT!. The kitchen is a total success story of softly hued cabinetry, white marble counters, fabulous stainless appliances and light. The main center island holds the microwave, and a mom’s desk is built-in off the breakfast area. Bar, too. (Very handy spot indeed!) Speaking of breakfast area, it has the same terrazzo floors as the family and a wall of built-in shelves. If there is something I learned from my second home, it is that terrazzo floors rule in Texas — durable, retain cool air in summer. And breakfast rooms need functional walls: every one should have a wall of built-ins, shelves and cabinets. We moved from a 3800 square foot home with tons of cabinets and shelves to a 4600 square foot home with barely any cabinetry and couldn’t store a dang item.

The family room has original terrazzo floors that have been polished to a sheen, original beams and more architectural detail in rich, coffee-colored wood. The upstairs master is huge and sports a breath-taking white marble bathroom, complete with vessel soaking tub and enormous shower. The home is 4279 square feet t=with three bedrooms, three full baths and one powder room, formals, family room, breakfast room and library/study. There is also a full laundry room and spacious two-car garage.

This one is very special, and priced beautifully, I think, for the quality of construction: $1,095,000.