The House on Penn Cove is a rare find — no bank waterfront. Go down the stairs and you're on the beach. It has an original 1950s vintage vibe with art and beauty all around. It's a special place for friends and families to make an art out of gathering. The space When you walk into the house through the sliding glass doors, you immediately enter the family room. Even though the view from the living room is stunning, the family room is popular because of the Legos in the corner, the Pac-Man machine, the vending machine with Jelly Bellies and M&Ms, which makes the value of a quarter skyrocket. The large TV, comfortable sofas, and board games make it a great place to hang out. There's also a powder room and a washer-dryer combo. Walk through the family room and into the kitchen and step back in time to the 1950s. The house was top of the line in 1953. The kitchen has many of the original pink appliances — the cabinet fridge and freezer, the oven, the range top, the pink sink. Once you've gotten over the coolness of the appliances, if the tide is in, you will feel like you are on a boat, it's that close. The living room has two sections. The front looks out at the waters of Penn Cove — in the mornings and afternoons you may catch one of the resident harbor seals swimming by. We deliberately kept the TV out so guests can focus on the view and relax. The back half faces an electric fireplace with a cosy seating area for dark winter nights. There is a hybrid electric grand piano you can unlock with the key on the Carnegie Hall keychain. The first bedroom is to the right of the fireplace. It has a comfortable queen bed and is the darkest room in the house, perfect for afternoon naps. The full bathroom is in the center of the hallway. We gave up counter space so you could have both a separate shower and a full bathtub — worth it. The second bedroom overlooks the cove. Wake up to a view of the water, and if you crack the window you will hear the waves lapping against the shore. The third bedroom at the end of the hall is spacious and light, with a queen bed and a well-stocked shelf of pulp fiction and romance novels. Most of the art on the walls was painted by my mother, Beatrice Powell — I often refer to it as "Mom Art." My parents were the second owners of the house and bought it in 1971. It's the home I grew up in. The art in the living room was painted when she was at art school in New York City in the 1950s, at the same time the house was being built. You will notice a heavy Chinese influence throughout — Mom was a sinologist and spent five years at Columbia University in New York City studying Chinese language and art. She signed many of her paintings in Chinese, often with a description and the date. On the east side of the house is a covered porch. Head down the stairs and you'll find lawn games — croquet and cornhole — tucked underneath along with a gas grill. On your left is a lavender and raspberry garden. To the right of the stairs is a covered seating area with tables, chairs, and benches. It's shady in the summer and dry on drizzly days, which on Whidbey is useful. There is a small lawn that leads you to the bulkhead at the beach. The bulkhead is a nice place to sit and listen to the birds and watch the resident harbor seals who swim by regularly. When the tide's out you can walk the beach in either direction. Go east and you will get to Monroe Landing Beach — it's sandy and perfect for sunbathing. Go west and you're heading towards the two piers. If you get lucky you may find agates, or an arrowhead. On the side of the garage you'll find a mural painted by local artist Timothy Haslet. We were the first mural he painted on the island. You'll find his work in galleries on Whidbey and in murals around Oak Harbor. It's a perfect place to take pictures. The garage was converted into a music room in 2023. On Wednesday nights I host open jam sessions — everyone is welcome. Saturday mornings from 10 to 12 my all-girl jazz combo rehearses. We've had guest sax players and drummers sit in and it's always fun. You're welcome to join us. Past the garage is a large side lawn with fruit trees and the TIE Fighter fire pit — good for toasting marshmallows and staying out too late. The side lawn is also the best spot for boules. At the top of the property near the parking area is an herb and flower garden. If the peach roses are in bloom, stop and smell them — just watch the thorns, they're vicious. The herbs are fair game: thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, chives, and mint. Guest access Fossil Lane is a private road. It's a single lane with a 90 degree bend — drive slowly, as you may meet someone coming the other direction. Usually it's the driver heading out who backs up, but sometimes it's the more skilled driver who does. Stay on the paved road. The house is the blue one, past the little fenced garden on your left. There's a gravel parking space by the sliding glass door at the back of the house. Overflow parking is available down by the garage — the building with the mural. Other things to note Whidbey Island is home to a Naval Air Station. We're not directly in the flight path and most of the time you won't notice it, but occasionally there is jet activity. It varies depending on what's going on in the world. Check with me before you dig for a clam or grab a mussel. There are occasional red tides which make them unsafe to eat. We're on a septic system in an environmentally sensitive area. Please don't pour grease down the kitchen drain, and don't flush anything you haven't eaten first — except toilet paper.