Come home to your oasis, a home distinguished by refined elegance and old Florida charm. Built around 1928 as the personal residence of Dr Blake Lancaster, a local surgeon, painter, and musician, this is no old house with a cookie cutter renovation. Move-in ready, the home has preserved features and historic patina that combine with modern functionality for a light- filled and joyful ambience. With spacious rooms and 10’4” ceilings, it is perfect for those who love to entertain or host fun family gatherings, who seek a serene retreat or who crave a huge canvas to express their creativity. Miraculously, many original features remain: gleaming heart- pine flooring, 7’ mahogany veneer paneling, 4 original murals by Lancaster; arched ceilings, carved pilasters, gilted carved pocket doors, impressive Art Deco light fixtures, a built-in bookcase & mahogany wardrobe. Renovations and updates (between 2020-24) include kitchen and laundry with new LG appliances, bathrooms, window glazing, plumbing, electrical, new roof, & 3 new A/C units. Additions include a bespoke stained-glass interior door, ornamental fence, & backyard irrigation. A new 400 sq ft sunroom (2023) features ceiling-to-floor doors that open onto the deck of a 29’ heated, saltwater pool with sun shelf + bubbler. Sweeping views of the rear garden transport you to a leafy preserve, with winding nature trails, raised garden beds, lush tropical trees, flowering vegetation, even insect hotels! An outdoor chessboard with oversized playing pieces lend a European city park vibe; a climbing structure created from lighter trees is a kids’ favorite. A 12x20’ custom shed (2022) is stylistically in step with the house & fully wired with A/C; it is used as workshop but could be converted into pool house, art studio, or office. Two rooms in the house – the breakfast room and the former east foyer, now a playroom – are also versatile and could be repurposed, and prior owners used the study as a 4 th bedroom. So many options! Unlike many older homes, this one offers great storage, including walk-in closets in every bedroom and a walk-in linen closet upstairs. Main bedroom is downstairs. The home is solidly constructed on a raised foundation to minimize risk of flooding. The rear lots (~.8 acre) are zoned residential, but options to develop are almost limitless with city approval: homes for the next generation, in-law or Airbnb cottages, a retreat center, a wedding venue. Or keep the entire property as it is, your oasis, an escape that invites you to relax and play, that inspires you and draws out your creativity. A copy of the history of the house conveys. Many furnishings negotiable, if turnkey is preferred. This remarkable home is set in a diverse and friendly neighborhood, walkable to Olde Manatee, the Bradenton Riverwalk & Manatee River. Close proximity to public boat launch on Braden River, golf courses, shops, restaurants, & grocers. Minutes to downtown Bradenton, Saturday farmers market, & marina; 11 miles to world-class soft-sand beaches, 20 minutes to SRQ airport or UTC mall, 30 to downtown Sarasota, 35 to St Pete, 50 to TPA airport. Discover how old Florida can enliven your future!
