Realty Check: What $375K Gets You in Fletcher Place

An industrial loft, private Rooftop Garden, and custom Italian lighting.

When interior designer Carol Lengkeek-Ollier and artist Aak Lengkeek bought this downtown condo in 2006, Fletcher Place was little more than a quiet passageway between downtown and Fountain Square. Nearly 10 years later, their street lies at the epicenter of one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city, with the Cultural Trail and contemporary eateries Bluebeard and Milktooth within walking distance. “There’s a small number of industrial buildings that have been converted into lofts downtown,” realtor Joe Everhart says. “When you add that limited supply to the fact that this property is within a few blocks of a brewery, distillery, and award-winning restaurants, you can’t lose.”

The couple’s historical building has also come a long way. Built in 1900, the two-story structure once housed a thriving laundry company and was eventually refurbished into the warehouse-style Union Laundry Lofts in the early 1990s. Today it holds 27 residences, each one featuring a polished industrial look with exposed brick walls and duct work, hardwood floors, and beamed ceilings.

The Lengkeeks played up that modern vibe in their two-bedroom loft by removing the kitchen island to create an expansive main level that can be divided into separate living and dining areas with sliding reclaimed-wood panels. “It can be a warm and intimate space or open into one large room with a Christmas tree in the center,” Carol says. The couple also updated both bathrooms, which include vessel sinks and a cool wood-and-pipe vanity in the master bath. Carol, a dealer for high-end custom lighting, added artful Italian fixtures to nearly every room; they will stay with the home, along with most of the antique furniture and art pieces.

The 1,500-square-foot condo comes with other unusual amenities, like large remote-controlled clerestory windows in the master bedroom, and a wood-burning fireplace that the new owners can hunker down next to this winter. During the warmer months, expansive views of Indy from a private rooftop garden await.

Want to
Buy It?

address:
735 Lexington Ave., Unit 17
list price:
$375,000
agent:
Joe Everhart,
Everhart Studio
phone: 916-1052