This Ventnor beach house is both a year-round home and a peaceful getaway

While judging a barbecue competition in Atlantic City — a hobby they’ve shared for 15 years — Kevin and Tracey Jasey became smitten with Ventnor City. They found a charming, two-level home on a corner lot with an ocean view in 2018, and they knew they had found their home away from home.

Located just a few blocks from the beach and boardwalk and an easy ride from their Fishtown home, the house seemed ideal. What really sealed the deal was that it had a downstairs apartment with its own entrance, the perfect spot for Tracey’s mom, Jane Bell.

“The town is so calm and peaceful,” said Tracey, partner and managing director at MPI, a national business valuation and advisory firm. Most of their neighbors live there year-round and welcomed the couple immediately.

The main house includes three bedrooms and two bathrooms, while the downstairs apartment has two bedrooms, one bathroom, and a kitchenette. Built in 1925, the home needed some updating, including gutting the upstairs kitchen and remodeling a family room.

Shila Griffith of SG23 Design in Riverton and Deptford-based Jenkins Construction Services helped the Jaseys create a beautiful but practical working kitchen.

“Goals for the renovation included adding more storage, improving organization, and creating better circulation throughout the space,” said Griffith, SG23 Design owner and principal designer.

They removed the wall between the old kitchen and dining room, more than doubling the size of the former kitchen. Now, the kitchen is the gathering place where the Jaseys enjoy cooking and entertaining friends around the 10-foot white quartz island.

The cabinets are a beachy green with honey bronze knobs and pulls, standing out in the otherwise-white kitchen. Looking for energy efficiency, they installed an induction stove. They also included a drawer microwave and wine refrigerator. The floor is a luxury vinyl plank to accommodate sandy feet.

“Kevin loves to cook and I love to eat,” joked Tracey. Chicken adobo, a Filipino dish, is his specialty.

The couple also renovated a family room in the back of the house, brightening the space by replacing wood paneling with drywall and removing the drop ceiling. They painted the walls with Sherwin Williams Niebla Azul, a pale blue. They also restyled the Florida room into a cozy seating area.

“In the evening, we open the windows and let the breeze flow through,” said Kevin, studio manager of the commercial architecture sector at Norr, a global architecture and engineering firm with an office in Center City. “In the other corner, we have a breakfast area where we can watch the passersby.”

Two of their favorite works of art hang there, painted by Tracey’s grandfather, Clarence Jupiter, in 1957, while an art student at the Art Institute of Chicago.

In 2021, Tracey convinced her mom to make the move from New Orleans to Ventnor City to live in the downstairs apartment.

“I came to be closer to my daughter and my favorite son-in-law,” said Bell, who retired from her job as an administrative assistant at an all-girls prep school in New Orleans.

The arrangement has worked out well for them. Bell lives in the downstairs unit year-round, enjoying the neighbors and nearby church. Her daughter and son-in-law come to town as often as they can, staying upstairs. They all love being at the Shore in every season, walking the beach and boardwalk.

They also love hanging out on the front porch, sipping coffee or a glass of wine and chatting with neighbors or gazing at the ocean. They refurbished that space, painting the brick white, installing a new decorative wooden door, and adding a wire railing, new lights, and comfortable furniture. The rug came from their recent trip to Marrakesh, Morocco.

The family’s favorite times at the beach include friends and family. Each summer, they host a weekend for their Fishtown neighbors.

“It’s special to be able to share with the people who are close to us,” said Tracey.

Ventnor City is not your prototypical Shore town, said Kevin. “It’s a residential neighborhood that happens to be adjacent to the Shore.”

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