House Lust: A Pink Victorian-Style Mansion on a Hilltop is on the Market

Locals call this Victorian reproduction, built in 1986, the Rose Painted Lady.

May 18, 2021

Casey Nilsson,

Unlike the Painted Ladies gathered in a gaggle on Alamo Square in San Francisco, this Rose Painted Lady stands solo and strong atop the highest point in Watch Hill. She’s younger, too.

House Lust isn’t ageist (in fact, we’re enamored by the old). But this thirty-five-year-old beauty has all the refinements of the venerable Victorians she emulates — plus a pool with a waterslide. Its late owner, an architectural enthusiast who loved San Fran’s “Postcard Row,” worked closely with builders to construct the 6,000 square-foot, tri-level house on nearly three acres.

“That’s massive for Watch Hill,” says Travis Justice of Randall Realtors, who listed the property last week. “Once you get inside it, it has some of the most stunning woodwork. All the trimwork and detail is fabulous.”

The most striking features include a three-story spiral staircase — “almost reminiscent of an Escher painting; it goes on forever,” Justice says — plus scores of specialty windows with workable shutters and a pink ballroom with lofted cathedral ceilings.

But the late homeowner’s attention wasn’t just trained on big spaces. He also topped the turrets with custom copper finials to ground the house like they did in the old days — “not just to have a form, but a function,” says Justice. The exterior is clapboard, but the trim has been replaced with composite to withstand the elements.

Close to the Misquamicut Club, downtown Westerly and the beaches, the house affords privacy without reclusiveness. The multilevel master bedroom (that’s right, multilevel) also captures distant ocean views. Other details — including the pool, a nursery and a Jack and Jill bathroom for kids to share — point to its longtime use as a family home. The seller, who inherited the house from his father, grew up here.

“It was thoughtfully designed,” says Justice. “Everything melds together to form this masterpiece of construction and craftsmanship.”

Here’s your House Lust:

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8 Oenoke Lane in Westerly is on the market for $3.5 million. (Photography via Planomatic/Randall Realtors)

8 Oenoke Lane in Westerly is on the market for $3.5 million. (Photography via Planomatic/Randall Realtors)

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It has five bedrooms, two full baths and three partial baths over nearly 6,000 square feet. The house sits on a 2.7 acre property and was designed to emulate the Painted Ladies of San Francisco with contrasting exterior paintwork and elaborate architectural details, including towers and turrets.

It has five bedrooms, two full baths and three partial baths over nearly 6,000 square feet. The house sits on a 2.7 acre property and was designed to emulate the Painted Ladies of San Francisco with contrasting exterior paintwork and elaborate architectural details, including towers and turrets.

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The house was built in 1986 and has been in the same family since construction. The walk-out recreation area and in-ground pool point to its use as a family home.

The house was built in 1986 and has been in the same family since construction. The walk-out recreation area and in-ground pool point to its use as a family home.

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A view of the entryway with elaborate trim work and grand staircase.
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A formal receiving room sits off the entryway.
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The kitchen.
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Note the saloon doors leading to a pantry tucked behind the kitchen.
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A sitting room near the kitchen.
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A large sunroom sits off the kitchen and sitting room and offers views of the property.
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Adjacent to the kitchen is the large formal ballroom.
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The spiral staircase.
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A view of the massive master suite.
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The master bath has a reproduction claw foot tub and a pull-chain toilet.
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Another view of the master suite with his and hers closets. The second-level landing currently serves as an office space.

Another view of the master suite with his and hers closets. The second-level landing currently serves as an office space.

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A closer look at the landing.
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A nursery or office on the upper level of the master suite. Down the corridor is a cedar closet.
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The walk-out lower level features a rec space, a kitchenette and a Finnish cedar sauna.
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The adorable garage resembles the home's architecture.
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The center bay of the three-bay garage features a fifty-foot clearance for a yacht.
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The upper level of the garage has potential for a bonus space or guest quarters.