Home of the Month: 560 Broadway St.

When thinking of homes on Longboat Key, it’s easy to think of all the beautiful mansions that grace the island. The homes that sometimes don't come to mind are the quaint, charming cottages — such as the Longbeach Village home at 560 Broadway in the Longbeach Village that's currently listed at $579,000.

The 1,838-square-foot home was built in 1971 and has three bedrooms and two baths. Its bohemian design was modeled in a Key West-style.

“One of the owners decorated it herself,” said listing agent Ingrid Caruso, of Michael Saunders & Co., who co-lists it with Tom Bangerter. “She has reds in the kitchen and distressed, beachy blues in the wood. The way she pulled it all together makes it very unique. It makes the house very relaxing.”

Bangerter imagines the cottage’s next owners will use is as an escape from their other home.

“Living there, you’d always feel like you’re on vacation,” he said. “It’s for somebody that’s looking for a renewal and relaxation from their regular life. If life is a journey, that place is a destination. You don’t need to go any further than here.”

Pool

The kidney-shaped pool is surrounded by lush greenery, which gives the backyard a jungle-like feel.

“The pool is surrounded by foliage but it gets sun,” Bangerter said. “It’s not completely shaded during any part of the day.”

Deck

The cottage has expansive deck space that can be used for relaxing, eating and cooking.

“There are three portions of the deck, and you could have three privacy areas,” Bangerter said. “You could have people sit outside the dining room, outside the master bedroom and the family room and not see each other.”

Foliage

The home is surrounded by jungle-like foliage.

“There’s a lot of tropical-type foliage and a few different types of palm and coconut,” Bangerter said. “There’s not grass to mow. It’s got a lushness and a privacy to it. You’ll have a shady area somewhere at each point during the day.”

Family Room/Living Room

Both the home’s structure and furniture give it a tropical-like feel.

“Everything is geared toward the Florida environment,” Bangerter said. “It has old Florida, new Florida, a tiny bit of Caribbean. It’s meant to be a retreat and to lower your blood pressure, and that’s what it does.”

Kitchen

Like the blue wood throughout the house, the kitchen’s red tones make the room welcoming and inviting.

“The owner was able to take cabinets that were technically dated and surround it with textures and colors and make it a place you want to be in, not a place you want to get out of,” Bangerter said. “It invites you to do cooking.”

Loft

The entire second floor is an L-shaped lofted area that can be used as a bedroom, living room or office.

“When you’re up in the loft, you can look down in both the living room and dining area and see what’s going on down there,” Bangerter said. “It’s a nice, big space that can be used for a lot.”