On the market in Palm Beach: Upscale townhouse was a 'private refuge' for longtime owner
Answering a question about what the late Maudette Devenow loved best about her townhouse in Midtown Palm Beach, her son, William Schachner, says: “She had a nice reading area in the kitchen and she enjoyed her spacious bedroom. She also liked that it had optimal closet space.”
Devenow and her second husband, the late Chester Devenow, bought the townhome at 314 Chilean Ave. new in 2000 from its developer, Zack Ciomek of Euro Homes. And it proved a good fit for the couple, her son recalls, especially the location two blocks north of dining and shopping venues on Worth Avenue.
“They were not beach people. They wanted to be close to Worth Avenue. My stepfather did not want to maintain a yard, and this yard was manageable. And the Mediterranean-style (architecture) appealed to them,” Schachner says.
His mother died July 28 at 83, and so Schachner and his sister are selling her townhome. Part of a duplex, the residence has four bedrooms, five-and-a-half bathrooms and 4,812 square feet of living space. inside and out.
Priced at $16.49 million, with the furniture available separately, the property is listed with Brown Harris Stevens agent Ashley Copeland. On the south side of Chilean Avenue, the townhome is on the west side of the duplex, with its own gate granting access to its private driveway.
At the heart of the floorplan — and adjacent to the foyer — are the living room, dining room and office. South of these rooms are the kitchen, breakfast area and a bedroom suite. To the north are the powder room, elevator, laundry room and two-car garage.
The primary suite and two bedroom suites are upstairs, radiating off the central stair hall.
Interior details found throughout the residence include stone floors, deep crown moldings and high ceilings with decorative elements. Windows and doors feature impact-resistant glass.
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The living room — graced by a fireplace with a carved stone mantel — has a bank of French doors that open to the pool patio.
A pair of beveled inset mirrors and framed panels covered in fabric by Brunschwig & Fils fabric are highlights of the dining room, while the den is paneled in a honey-toned wood. The same wood is found in the well-equipped kitchen, where some of the high-end appliances are integrated into the cabinetry. Nearby are a butler’s pantry and a breakfast area set into a bay window.
A wrought-iron stairway leads to a landing with a skylight above. Double doors open to the main bedroom suite, which comprises a pair of closets and two bathrooms, one with double vanities, a tub and a shower. The pool, with a whirlpool spa, is sequestered by tall hedges.
“My mother was pretty private, and friends would come down on occasion to visit her, but she didn’t treat her home as a social showplace,” Schachner recalls. “It was her private refuge from the world.”
He adds: “From my perspective — she lived there for a little over two decades — it was her little slice of paradise, where she could come and go in an invisible manner and live her life quietly. But at the same time, she made many friends, who she enjoyed interacting with and exchanging ideas.”
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To see more photos of 314 Chilean Ave. in Palm Beach, click on the photo gallery at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Palm Beach real estate: Upscale townhome lists at about $16.5 million
