30°
With striped awnings, a glossy, retro fridge, and big, white umbrellas that dot the neatly-cut grass around the saltwater pool, The Guard House is no cookie cutter.
It's something out of Palm Springs, and has become a friend to the neighbors, who simply can't help but quip in delight while strolling past.
"It has been the most talked about home on our island," said listing agent Janet Bogorowski, of COMPASS Real Estate.
"One neighbor who walks by The Guard House everyday told me, 'This house makes me smile — and I swear when I look at it, it smiles back.'"
Another, out for an afternoon stroll, yelled, "You had me at the orange and white striped awning," the realtor said.
"It is so fun that everyone around here feels so instantly connected to this home."
Designed and owned by Judy Betlyon of Social House Design, The Guard House and its great, big, orange front door is on the market for $10.795 million. The Eichler-inspired home includes six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, and sits on a 6,600-square-foot lot.
Betlyon bought the property in 2021, and says The Guard House was a collaboration with Rose Randa, an architect with Asher Slaunwhite Architects, and D.L. Miner, the builder.
"I came to Rosa with this idea of doing something that was a departure from Avalon, because I'm tired of seeing the typical, traditional structure that is everywhere in town," Betlyon tells Daily Voice.
Betlyon and Randa channeled their shared love of mid-century modern to bring The Guard House to life.
The idea was to blur the lines of indoor and outdoor spaces.
"There's a lot of glass and use of outdoor spaces connected to the indoor spaces — more of a feeling of openness, which I don't think you feel in the houses of Avalon, which have a lot of individual rooms.
The Guard House was a steel beam project, which allowed Betlyon and Randa to incorporate more open spaces, inspired by the retro, architectural form of Eichler homes.
"It has a staying power," said Betlyon of the straight lines, glass walls, and openness of Eichler homes. "Mid-century modern-lovers try to keep things as original as possible. They may put their mark on them, but they don't really change them."
Good news for whomever buys The Guard House: It's turnkey, and everything stays.
All of it, down to the linens, was purchased for the house, which Betlyon says was just under a two-year build.
"There was a lot of detail that went into the house," she said. "Some of the lighting was very specific, like the table lamps, the low, sectional furniture, a lot of good, colorful tile work."
The Guard House sits on a prominent corner in town and overlooks the beaches through the dunes, with views on two sides of the home.
Each floor is treated to views of the beaches with plenty of oversized windows, particularly the lower-level family room, which is surrounded by glass.
Among the home's hidden gems are a reading nook, built-in bar, coffee bar in the kitchen, wraparound decks on the first and second levels, floating sinks in every bathroom, a Kalista tub, and a custom-built walk-in closet.
Betlyon noted a "whole house approach" to all storage, which was accomplished thanks to a collaboration with HenryBuilt. She said that "added tremendously to the uniqueness of the colorful playful interiors" of the home.
More than three years after delving into the project, Betlyon is preparing to say goodbye to The Guard House.
"It's a labor of love," she said. "It will be bittersweet to hand it off to someone else."
Click here for the complete Zillow listing of The Guard House, located at 5 W 32nd St., in Avalon.
Click here to follow Daily Voice East Brunswick and receive free news updates.
