701 S Fess Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47401

This limestone home is located on a prominent corner lot in the highly sought-after historical Elm Heights area. Just one minute to The Elm Restaurant & three minutes to the IU campus. From 2023-2025, this home underwent extensive transformations. No details were overlooked & no shortcuts were taken. The result is a rare level of craftsmanship, architectural thoughtfulness & uncompromising design. From the outset, the quality of the materials sets the tone: true divided steel windows & doors custom made by Pinky's in Los Angeles. The entry opens to a commanding 14-ft vaulted ceiling. The living space is anchored by a 26-ft-wide by 10-ft-tall custom library crafted from striped sapele sourced from the Benin River region of Nigeria. Underfoot, walnut parquet flooring, executed in the French 17th-century tradition, that features a herringbone field with a continuous border frame, imparting warmth, luxury & timeless elegance. The kitchen continues the same standard with bespoke British Shaker cabinetry & fully concealed refrigeration, dishwasher & trash bins. At its center is a La Cornue Chteau Fourneau 150 with 4 burners, 2 French plaques, a gas roasting oven, & an electric baking oven. La Cornue fourneau are handmade to order in Saint-Ouen-l'Aumne, just outside Paris, France. Cabinetry is complemented by Carrara marble countertops. The bathroom is equally refined: A fully waterproofed, truly curbless floor with radiant heat throughout, finished in encaustic cement tile (cementine) on floors & walls, & framed by Nero Marquina marble baseboards & trim. Fixtures are by Lefroy Brooks, with china by Perrin & Rowe (England respectively). Behind the scenes, the home is as serious mechanically as it is visually. The plumbing & electrical systems have been updated to premium specifications (2025), with full insulation in walls, ceilings, & floor joists. Comfort is delivered via a concealed Mitsubishi mini-split system powered by a 42,000 BTU heat pump, alongside a 50-gallon heat-pump water heater (4,500 BTU). There is an 18-panel, 7.6 kW solar system.

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