1651B E. Ashley Ave. — Italian villa-style looks give pizzazz to oceanside home on Folly Beach
In the strictest sense, one towering residence that’s somewhat obscured by cottages on Folly Beach’s eastern nub is a “beach house.”
The stucco-like structure fronts the Atlantic Ocean, aka the beach. And people live there, so it’s a house.
Beyond that, 1651B E. Ashley Ave. bears little resemblance to the iconic wood-framed elevated row houses where grown ups and kids track in sand or even to the formal dwellings springing up from the Isle of Palms to Seabrook Island.
“There’s nothing out here like this,” says Ann Martin, a real estate agent who owns the property and is listing it for sale. She compares the home to a sculpture. The 3,000-square-foot house, completed in 2007, is priced at $1,650,000.
While untraditional, the three-level fortress with suspended stairs is an attractive fit among Folly Beach’s upper crust east-end homes.
The dwelling, which has no wood on the exterior, is constructed with aerated concrete — a technique that’s supposed to strengthen and insulate the frame. “Every four feet, there’s rebar (steel reinforcement bars),” Martin says. “They call it hurricane resistant.”
Right from the get-go, 1651B E. Ashley Ave. draws looks. The extra-solid 12-foot metal doors at the front of the house were hand made in Mexico.
“They call it the castle,” Martin says. “It’s unusual.”
Downtown architect SGA crafted the house, which has a 23-foot high enclosed entryway and two car storage area on the ground level. It was designed so that the first-floor living quarters would be elevated, providing eye-catching views most anywhere in the house.
From the foyer, people walk up wide, European-looking stairs marked by custom-made Italian handrails.
On the upper floors, bedrooms and balconies spoke out from the top of the stairs on each level. Walls are hand painted in the style of a Mediterranean villa. An intriguing feature are open showers — no doors or curtains — that are highlighted by imported reflective tile.
By oceanside standards, the house has a modest four bedrooms and sleeps eight. But the master suites are luxurious, showcasing such extras as flat-screen televisions that can electronically slide out of sight or swivel for easier viewing.
Back lighting and wall sconces highlight hallways and rounded tray ceilings accentuate bedrooms.
Each floor comes with a covered balcony, accessed through glass doors, that overlooks the ocean. The doors are protected by a rust-proof material used on the Space Shuttle, she says. Tankless water heaters keep down the power bill and provide a steady flow of hot water.
The second floor is the main level. An upscale kitchen off the cozy living room sports a marble island and marble slab backsplash with hidden plugs. Cabinets are cherry, refrigerator is Sub-Zero, dishwasher is Asko. There’s also a built-in stainless steel drawer microwave oven.
Meanwhile, two sets of Murphy beds on the first and third floors pull out from the wall and can be used for guests or family members.
A fixed wooden ladder leads from the top floor balcony to the roof deck, which has a small bar area. “People sit and have a drink in the summer,” she says.
The house does not have an elevator — Martin says it wasn’t feasible at the time of construction — but she says one could be added on the outside of the building facing east.
Martin says the perks help keep the house rented: It draws in $100,000 a year in rental income. For a buyer, it is geared to a second-home purchaser. But since the national real estate slump, “I think that type of person has pretty much gone for awhile.”
She says, “I do not see one buyer any more. I see a law practice, a medical practice” buying the house as a corporate retreat. Or, it could be a half dozen or so families going in together to purchase the home.
The property garnered a brief bit of publicity in 1999 when it became the first lot permitted for a house on Folly Beach that was seaward of the existing setback line.
Martin, who has owned the property for 30 years, ran into snags lining up contractors and architects to design and build the house. She eventually broke ground in 2006, and work on the house took about 10 months.
“It came out beautiful,” she says.
The house is a few blocks from the end of the island. To get there, take the James Island connector from downtown Charleston, turning left onto Folly Road. Continue on Folly across the bridge to Folly Beach, where the road becomes Center Street. Turn left on East Ashley Avenue. Proceed three-and-a-half miles. On the right tucked behind Martin’s first island house is 1651B E. Ashley Ave.
Reach Jim Parker at 937-5542 or jparker@postandcourier.com.
Agent: Ann H. Martin
Office: AHM Real Estate and Development
Phone: 843-345-6981
Philosophy: “I have been in the real estate business 35 years. I have a residential and commercial background and strong interest in the latest in building design.”
investincharlestonsc@knology.net
