Chestnut Street home in Sewickley on the market for $1,795,000

For Robyn Carson Jones, a house is more than brick and mortar — it’s a place to create family memories.

When she and her husband were renovating their current Sewickley residence for their three children, they included an in-law suite for her mother so she could be close by during the 2020 pandemic.

With their next move, they want to have plenty of space for Jones’ two nieces to visit. The young women lost their mother, Tracy Sundberg, who is Jones’ sister, in a hit-and-run accident on New Year’s Day 2023 in Las Vegas.

“Losing my sister made us reevaluate what’s important in life,” said Jones, a real estate adviser with The Robyn Jones Group of Piatt Sotheby’s International Realty who is selling the home. “And that time and space for family is really important to us.”

Their family home on Chestnut Street in Sewickley is on the market for $1,795,000.

Jones has been in real estate for nine years. As both the Realtor and the seller, the home takes on another level of connection.

“It’s just funny because my husband is always asking, ‘What showings do we have this week?’ ‘Let me check with our agent,’ I tell him,” Jones said. “It is humbling in a lot of ways and it’s a good reminder for me for what my clients do go through getting everything ready for the pictures and getting ready for showings. I am trying to listen to my own advice that I give clients. I need to be understanding and empathetic with my clients when they’re going through this process.”

Courtesy of Roseanne Martin, Pennsylvania Real Estate Photography

This home, built in 1876, was renovated in 2019 and the owners created an open floor plan with a living room and kitchen.

Jones and her husband purchased the home in 2019. They spent a year renovating what was at one time an office for Bell Telephone Co. and also Ritchey Funeral Home, Jones said. It was converted into four apartments in the 1970s. Jones runs into people all the time who said they lived in one of the apartments.

With the renovation, they worked to preserve as much of the original structure and details of the home, which was built in 1876 by local architect John McMillan.

The home is Italianate architecture style, which is a nod to the Victorian era. Key characteristics include a brick or wood clapboard facade, two to four stories, roofs with little to no pitch, overhanging eves and corbels — projections jutting out from a wall to support a structure above it.

McMillan is known for designing one of the first roofed front porches.

“That became a big thing because everybody wanted to be able to sit on their front porch,” Jones said. “I am a front porch person. I love a big nice porch.”

The home has a large back porch as well. All of the plumbing and electrical have been upgraded, as has the heating and air conditioning system. On the main level, they created an efficiency suite equipped with a kitchenette, washer and dryer, bathroom and a private entrance.

The original marble mantels remain throughout the home. Their intricate look is influenced by Parisian style, with each carved design a little bit different from the others.

The home has five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one partial bathroom and encompasses 6,339 square feet. It has an open-concept kitchen with Thermador appliances, new marble countertops and custom handcrafted cabinetry. A dining room and lounge area in the back of the home are accessed by a few steps from the first level. The primary bedroom suite features a marble shower and a spacious walk-in closet. A finished basement provides additional living space with a movie room, office and home gym.

One thing that hasn’t changed in the home is its front door — the couple kept the original one.

Courtesy of Roseanne Martin, Pennsylvania Real Estate Photography

This home has a speakeasy, which the owners use for entertaining.

One of Jones’ favorite parts of the house, which is situated on a half-acre lot, is the spacious flat backyard and five detached garages. Part of the garage area was converted into a speakeasy.

“It has this 1920s vibe,” Jones said. “So we do a lot entertaining out there. It is a great location. Where else do you find half an acre in the (Sewickley) village? This street is really cool.”

Jones said since the pandemic, buyers want different living spaces such as home offices or a place to home-school their children or do virtual learning. Buyers want more room to entertain and space to include extended family members.

“I love that it’s a solid built home with a lot of history and stories,” Jones said. “I love that we were able to update it and open up the space. I love the size of the yard, and the original plaster moldings. The front porch and front windows were what first attracted me to the home. It has a southern feel to me, which I love.”

The walkable neighborhood is also a bonus.

“We love to walk and we can walk so many places living here,” said Jones, who plans to stay in the area. “You can definitely have extended family, multi-generational family, like we do. This home can be whatever you envision it to be. It is going to be hard to say goodbye to this home. We’ve made so many memories here, especially those with my sister.”

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