Brock Michael Sorenson A colorful three-story home in San Juan, Puerto Rico, appears unassuming from the outside, but is anything but when you set foot inside.
Behind the bold blue facade on San Jose Street is a historic 9,242-square-foot residence with an abundance of flair.
“When you walk in, then you start admiring all the different aspects and the beauty of it. The architecture, the terraces,” says listing agent Monica Alvarez Sastre . “In Puerto Rico, each owner picks out a color of the property, so it definitely creates a scenery that’s unbeatable.”
The Spanish Colonial–style home in the commonwealth’s capital was built in the 18th century and is now available for $4.9 million.
“Whoever buys this property is truly buying into its history,” Alvarez Sastre says. “The property’s location is behind the Catedral Basilica Menor de San Juan Bautista (one of the oldest in the Americas). And San Jose Street is one of the oldest blocks in old San Juan. This property has an amazing location within the Old City.”
A few nearby buildings are classified as UNESCO World Heritage sites . Exterior (Brock Michael Sorenson) Entry (Brock Michael Sorenson) Interior (Brock Michael Sorenson) Interior (Brock Michael Sorenson) Interior (Brock Michael Sorenson) Interior (Brock Michael Sorenson) “In the years I have been doing real estate, without a doubt I can tell you this is one of the most gorgeous and breathtaking houses in the Old City,” Alvarez Sastre says.
Inside the door and the gate, there’s a courtyard that’s visible from the street, offering a glimpse of the beauty beyond.
“It’s fabulous how you can take a peek of what is majestic inside,” she says. “Then you have doors that connect to each of the rooms. The interior patio brings a lot of natural light into the property.”
The three-level home has eight bedrooms and 8.5 bathrooms. Two of the bedrooms are off the entrance along a long foyer. The other bedrooms and two main suites are on the top level, and each has a terrace.
They have “fabulous views,” says the agent. “It’s spacious there, so you can hang out up there, drink coffee, or even entertain.”
Decor and finishes throughout the home present an intriguing mix of historic and modern. They include wall frescoes, colorful wall tiles, as well as original tile and marble flooring.
“If you look close [at the marble floors], some of them have different shapes because they have had to be repaired, but they’ve kept the same flow and the same style,” says Alvarez Sastre of the homeowners’ upgrades, which retained the building’s historic integrity. Salon (Brock Michael Sorenson) Kitchen (Brock Michael Sorenson) Dining room (Brock Michael Sorenson) Library (Brock Michael Sorenson) Alvarez Sastre says the second floor is made for entertaining.
“You have an impressive grand salon, which is the whole width of the building. Then you have three wood doors that open to the balcony,” she says. “From there, you can appreciate the streets and scenery of Old San Juan. You can look around and appreciate the other houses and the colors.”A […]
