Spring House Hunt

Home of the Week: Cabinets replace bedroom closets — and it’s a win

The kitchen, baths, and more have been updated in this three-bedroom home. Search the latest listings to buy or rent at realestate.boston.com.

By John Ellement

April 25, 2019

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Email
• Email

173 Aspen Road, Swampscott

$559,900
Style: Colonial
Year built: 1935
Square feet: 1,440
Bedrooms: 3
Baths: 2 full
Sewer/water: Public
Taxes: $7,147 (2018)

It’s a common practice to name houses in coastal communities like Swampscott. Perhaps the sobriquet for this single-family home would be “Nicely Done,’’ given the changes made during the owner’s 14-year stewardship.

One has to walk through the gate in a white picket fence to reach the front door and the main entry. To the left of the entry is the living room, which is a rectangular comfort zone — spacious, sunny, and welcoming. There is a working fireplace with a wooden mantel, multiple updated windows, and high ceilings.

To the right is a surprisingly large, and sunny, shower-only bath that serves double duty as the mudroom. The shower has a subway tile surround, and the room is designed with a porcelain tile floor that has a barn-wood look, bead board walls, an illuminated mirror, a single vanity with a high-gloss white cabinet, and a separate, tall double cabinet for coats.

The kitchen has undergone an IKEA makeover, but it’s not like one you’ve seen on display at a store or pictured online. In its center is a five-sided island with a white quartz top and a downdraft gas range. The cabinets are extensive — with high-gloss white for the uppers and a brown-striped wood grain for the lowers. The appliances are stainless steel.

The sink sits along the rear wall, flanked by counters and positioned in front of a plate-glass window overlooking the flat backyard of this 0.12-acre lot. In place of the usual backsplash, the kitchen offers a rectangular window under the cabinets. A door off the kitchen leads to a deck.

To the left is a comfortable dining area with a spiral light fixture.

A carpeted stairwell leads to the second floor, which houses a full bath and arguably the most distinctive design feature of this home — bedrooms with cabinets in lieu of closets. The hallway even gets into the act, with a cluster of white cabinets so unobtrusive they could be mistaken for a wall.

The master bedroom features a three-piece set of cabinetry, including a window seat flanked by dresser-like storage. There are two windows and recessed lights. All of the bedrooms have hardwood floors.

One of the secondary bedrooms offers built-in bunk beds with trundle storage and an alcove. The final bedroom comes with two windows and a collection of cabinets.

The full bath on this level has been updated. The shower/tub combo, which sits behind clear-glass doors, has a dark porcelain tile surround with a glass tile inlay and multiple shower heads, including a rain shower one. The single vanity is a porcelain bowl atop high-gloss cabinetry. The flooring is ceramic tile.

The basement is not finished, but it houses the laundry setup and and a multipurpose room.

The property also comes with a paver patio and a freestanding garage with a workbench.

Coleen McAdam of Leading Edge Real Estate is the listing agent. At of press time, an offer with contingencies had been accepted on this property.

See more photos of the home below:

173 aspen st. swampscott

Follow John R. Ellement on Twitter @JREbosglobe. Send listings to [email protected]. Please note: We do not feature unfurnished homes and will not respond to submissions we won’t pursue. Subscribe to our newsletter at pages.email.bostonglobe.com/AddressSignUp.