California Dreamin’ In Meridian-Kessler
4932 Broadway St.Photos by Hoosier Property Media, courtesy Huff Homes/F.C. Tucker Company
CALLING ALL Beach Boys fans. Equipped with everything from a mid-century retro kitchen to a stone-floored, covered back porch, this new listing by F.C. Tucker Company’s Huff Homes has all the goodies an aspiring beachcomber could want, except for an actual beach. The 1,808-square-foot cottage with vintage surfboards adorning everything from the kitchen ceiling to the front porch sits not on the shore, but just off North College Avenue and East 50th Street.
The quirky, beach-house decor in the home, listed at $330k, is a day brightener, especially on gray winter days. That’s especially true in the kitchen, which is equipped with metal cabinets that were salvaged from another home, given a high-gloss blue paint job at an auto body shop, then custom mounted. The countertops are made from repurposed bowling alley wood, and the appliances are mostly fully restored mid-20th century gear, including a refurbished and rewired 1958 Frigidaire oven, a 1951 GE refrigerator, and a 1960 GE slide top freezer.
“The seller has a carefree style rooted in an appreciation for antiquities and midcentury-modern elements. Renovations and updates were done with sustainability in mind,” says listing agent Kelly Huff.
The century-old house mostly retains its original, fully restored oak floors, though the kitchen is equipped with spongy, easy-on-the-feet burl cork. The fireplace mantel and exposed beams in the kitchen and elsewhere utilize cherry wood salvaged from an 1825 barn formerly located in that famous beach culture hotspot: St. Paul, Minnesota.
The home’s lone bathroom features a freestanding, all-metal, mid-century Duratub sink (there’s another one in the basement), but it’s mostly done in contemporary style. The centerpiece is a frameless, glass-walled, walk-in shower, and one of the walls is accented with exposed antique tongue-in-groove woodwork.
Outdoor accoutrements include a vintage yellow 1961 front door (which complements the home’s bright blue paint job), and a covered, three-season backyard patio that shelters a smallish, retro-style metal camper. It would likely make a great guest room, if a prospective buyer wants to purchase it separately. If not, it leaves with the owner.
Given the distinctive character of this home, many won’t mind its diminutive floorplan (two smallish bedrooms and a single bath). “We have seen similar properties on the block add a second story for additional space,” notes Huff.
And the location is better than any beach: walking distance to the Upland Tasting Room, Aroma, coffee shops, and restaurants. “This unique property was so fun for us to list, and we are so pleased by the interest and feedback so far,” says Huff.
