Yup, we’re in Fairmount. Again.
Well, I challenge you to scroll through MLS and find a listing to beat this Fort Worth Friday. As I write this on Wednesday, the listing is all of eight hours old, so if you’re interested and it still is not under contract by Friday, you might want to get cracking.
Fairmount Historic District attracts buyers with independent character and inspires fierce loyalty among its residents. I suppose that’s what drew me to this rather imposing Craftsman-style villa at 1812 5th Avenue, because apart from its many solid attractions, it is a strong refection of an owner with an obviously deep connection to this house.
Buyers are often warned against making too much of a personal statement so that their property has the broadest appeal. Here, I think it will work to the sellers advantage.
On the list of solid attractions is the near-perfect condition of the property. Seriously, the bleached limestone forming the porch pillars of the 1914 build looks as if it were stacked yesterday. Ditto the painted clapboard. The house has been is painted a classic sage. It won’t be the last time that we see tasteful, sometimes bold color choices in the house.
Inside the 2,600-square-foot, four-bedroom, two-bath house we find fastidiously curated period details. The 108-year-old hardwood floors, mahogany-stained picture rails, and door and window frames are intact and perfectly restored and maintained. The living and dining room have been painted a deep mustard which complements and highlights the woodwork.
The kitchen is rather large by the standards of the time. The cabinetry looks original and would benefit from a tactical color selection and perhaps upgraded cabinet hardware.
The ambiance could be described as a bohemian mix — a popular Fairmount style. The furnishings are what is known as “Second Period” revivals of earlier styles like Jacobean (dining room) and Louis XIV (the living room chairs), which would have still been popular when the house was built. The rich eclecticism of the decor compels me to imagine the owner. I’m thinking of a Stevie Nicks type, favoring flowing paisley shawls and full skirts.
One of the vintage baths, complete with a pedestal sink and claw-footed tub, is made perfect with William Morris-style paper.
The bedroom is painted in the same warm mustard as the living and dining room and is entered from an anteroom with paired French windows. Again we encounter rich layering of leopard print, florals, and paisley.
The old sleeping porch has been enclosed and turned into a mini-conservatory with potted trees and bird cages. The area is a delightful sun trap with windows on three sides.
I’ve saved the best for last. The garden is nothing short of obsessive with a complex maze of sculpted boxwood hedges oriented around a central focal point. Rose bushes and crepe myrtles along the fence inject color as well as provide a screen. It’s difficult to imagine what promotion or transfer might have induced the owner to part with this exquisite and obviously cherished little Eden.
A two-car garage and front electric gate add privacy and extra parking on the brick drive for guests.
Brian Holland of Fort Worth Focused Real Estate has priced 1812 5th Avenue at $695,000.
