Sunday, November 15, 2009

By story BY BARBARA BOWERS Special to The Citizen PHOTOS BY MIKE HENTZ The Citizen

After eight months of auditioning at least 50 houses, last year Lamar and Wesley Stanley finally found 1410 Duncan St.

"It was in need of some tender loving care, but it immediately felt like a place we could make home," said Wesley. "Because Lamar is in the Navy, we're rarely stationed in one place more than three years, and three years is too short to work on a complete fixer-upper."

Their new home was just about right. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom structure needed some attention but not full-time devotion. A lot of paint and a little woodworking rejuvenated the interior, which had been renovated almost 20 years before.

The garden took time, too, but most everything was in place -- especially the nursery -- by the time Martha Attis Stanley was born on Sept. 10, 2009.

"Designing and decorating a nursery in Key West is an adventure because there are few resources here," said Wesley. "I found the baby closet at Second Hand Sam's, but Jo and Caroline at Style Key West were the biggest influence."

While Lamar, the Navy lieutenant in charge of catching drug runners in the Caribbean, heads off to his government office every day, Wesley works at home for a Virginia Beach consulting firm, and until Attie, their first child was born, Wesley also worked part-time at Style Key West.

"We could barely afford to have Wesley work there any longer," laughed Lamar, as he nodded his approval of the new gold, linen-covered sofa and more conservative, tweed chairs in the living room.

Without a hint of defensiveness, Wesley said, "By working with Jo Coveny, I took advantage of her fabulous eye for the coastal cottage look then blended it with my traditional taste to get a more interesting, eclectic mix" that features contemporary and antique furnishings.

A newly refinished chair in the living room was found on the streets of Key West.

"I think the entire island periodically recycles itself," Wesley said.

And of course, there are hand-me-downs like the china cabinet that was retrieved from Lamar's family barn, and the old barn window that Wesley found on her parent's property and converted into a mirror has traveled with her since she went to college.

Tales of travel loom large in this Navy household. For instance, the "traditional coastal cottage" mix in the living room is anchored with a thick, contemporary, red-and-cream-colored Turkish carpet.

"Just six weeks after we were married, I spent some time with Lamar in the United Arab Emirates," Wesley said. "On Christmas Eve, we were in Sharjah, where I wanted to buy this particular rug, but before I could bargain with the weavers, first I had to go to another bazaar to buy a cloth to cover my head."

Turkish kilim pillows, even two lamps that Lamar made from wooden candle sticks, have personal stories of place related to where the couple has lived and worked.

Because Attie was born in Key West, "this house will always be special to us," said Lamar. "Her nursery has been a labor of love, but I think it's perfect now."

Located on the first floor, the nursery occupies the center room off the remnants of a wide, shotgun hallway that ends in the bright, airy kitchen. It extends across the back of the house, and two sets of French doors -- one in the kitchen proper, the other in the dining area -- open to the covered porch and tile deck patio around the pool.

"We think the original house is a conch cottage in a shotgun style -- probably more than 80 years old -- but the recent history is what makes it so much fun," said Lamar. "Realtor Rudy Molinet used to live here, and he shared some stories about relaxing on the back porch and by the pool with friends. A local decorator also lived here at one time, and he gave us pointers on how to have a great time when inviting guests over."

"We like to entertain," Wesley said, "but since Attie's arrival, the guest bedroom has become a nursery."

Overnighting guests are temporarily on hold, similar to the Stanley's four-poster bed: It's in storage because the second-floor master suite cannot accommodate the height of the head and footboards. In fact, the low-angled ceiling offers handy access to scuttles the way most bedrooms access windows.

The bathroom, though, is what offers a truly unique household luxury: The bath's funky, two-room combo has a walk-through to a small balcony at the rear. Here, an outdoor shower is treetop private, and the ultimate blend of traditional use with tropical cottage living.

Barbara Bowers is a writer and member of the Key West Historic Architectural Review Commission. To suggest a home feature, send an e-mail to Barbara@bbowers.com. Homes listed for sale will not be considered.