Photo credit: Windermere Realty Trust
When the home at 1481 South Promenade was first built by an Oregon theater owner in 1928, the view was grand. The crashing waves of the Pacific could be seen from a myriad of angles in the home, and with the recent addition of bay windows, the view has only improved. Lucky for those in the market for a beachside beauty, the home is currently up for sale. Pam Ackley and Christy Chaloux Coulombe of Windermere Realty Trust are listing the home.
1481 was built along the promenade just seven years after the walkway was updated by the city of Seaside. The Classic English Craftsman, situated between Avenue N and Lewis and Clark Way, still capitalizes on this iconic coastal attraction today. It has easy access to the beach and all the events and excitement that accompany the “Prom”.
Jan Baker and Fred Carlson purchased the home in 2002 from the Erland family as a way back to their roots. The owners live in Hillsboro, but are native to the Seaside area. “We were looking for a house on the beach,” Jan told the Daily Astorian, “It was not pretty, but it had a lot of good vibes. It felt like it was happy.” With good bones and a positive attitude, Jan and Fred set to making the house into their family’s dream home. They hired local builder Chris Rose, who led a team of his own family members in bringing the vision alive.
One main task of the team was to enhance the front entry. As the face of the house, the facade was flat and two-dimensional. Rose’s team worked to make the entrance inviting and appealing as seen from the promenade. The foyer’s outside walls were removed and reshaped, inserting a bay window. Additional space and an oriel window were added to the second floor master bedroom at the same time. These new vantage points greatly enhanced the house’s views of the ocean, as well as Tillamook Head to the south.
The updated foyer leads into the living room which was kept intact during the remodel. It features open seating and a cozy nook nestled close to one of the house’s gas fireplaces. From the living room, a winding wood staircase leads up to an open air hallway giving an aerial view of the downstairs space. It allows access to the bedrooms, elevator, and an intimate alcove designed for quietude. With ancillary lighting from suspended chandeliers and a plush rocker, residents can relax here. A desk sheltered between two bookshelves provides the perfect locale for contemplation. Above the desk, an arched window reveals ocean waves and beach grass blowing across the horizon.
Three bedrooms are located on the top floor, each with their own bath. The master features a shower and whirlpool tub sunk below an oversized window, allowing for privacy and observation simultaneously.
The elevator can be accessed from the hall or the master, moving the length of the house. Stopping in the kitchen, it opens to an island that seats four. The kitchen, another main item on the remodel agenda, is now ready for a lazy weekend with family or entertaining for an event. Updated cabinets and drawers surround the featured Wolf six-burner gas stove and double oven. A pantry is hidden to the right behind barn style doors with copious space and shelving. The kitchen cabinets were constructed with quarter-sawn oak and the cupboards from the original home were moved to the basement. In this way and countless others, the honor and integrity of the historic home were kept during the refurbishment.
Lastly, the addition adds entertaining space to the house. It was the third substantial undertaking during the five year remodel project. The original 2,152 square foot home nearly doubled to 4,220 through the updates. The addition includes a two car garage and great room where family and friends can congregate. In the original space, an open air deck sat over a smaller garage. Jan and Fred decided to add the large indoor space to accommodate get-togethers. “The hope is for a seamless feel with the vintage look of the rest of the home,” Christy Coulombe-Chaloux explains. And it does, the transition from the addition to the kitchen is unnoticeable, without knowledge of the demolition and reconstruction on this portion of the home, visitors would be none the wiser.
When the addition was constructed along with the garage, the basement was also repurposed. It now holds three bedrooms, a bath and a kitchenette. The luxury of the first and second floor are mimicked in the tiling and attention to detail in this extra apartment space.
After years of dreaming and toiling away in remodel and reconstruction, the owners triumphed. For Jan and Fred, the house became a home. The picturesque view was matched by the carefully crafted structure and it was ready for vacations and visitors. It is now primed for a new family. Years of Seaside adventures and stellar sunsets await prospective buyers.
