The Coral Gables Times

FOR $90,000, A NEW HOME Dressels No Longer Dreaming And Wine Cellar Via a Trap Door!

TIMES Thursday, May 3, 1962 FOR $90,000, A NEW HOME Dressels No Longer Dreaming By SANDY CALPINI Correspondent "We hadn't thought of worrying about golf balls," says Mrs. C. L. Dressel Jr. "We were more concerned about falling coconuts." She was explaining her amazement at opening the rear door of her new home to find a golf ball rolling nearby. The home—which might be called the Jerry Dressels' $90,000 dream house—is located at 3417 Alhambra Cir. and backs up on Biltmore Golf Course. The family has just moved in after looking longingly at it for 12 years. It's two-story and rambling, built in the Gables' Spanish style with a red tile roof and a bright white wall. The Dressels—he's a dairyman and a city commissioner—bought the house furnished. "It was almost too much to believe," said Mrs. Mary Nelle Dressel. "It appealed to us as a homey place where we could raise our five children. I'm really a country girl at heart and you know that old saying, 'You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl.' " The house is sprawled on almost an acre of land. The Dressels politely turned aside the question of cost but the deed transfer shows the price to be $90,000. A spacious circular driveway graces the entrance and to the left is a formal garden with stone pathways which have served as a race track for the younger family set. Let's go inside. The library located between the family living room and the sunporch particularly appealed to the head of the family. "I've been looking for a den for many years," he declared. His wife looked on apologetically, "Everytime we had a baby we took the den away from Mr. Dressel." This room has a fire place and handsome cabinet bookcases which contain the 40 to 50 scrapbooks that Mrs. Dressel has been keeping up for the children. The master bedroom is located on the second floor with the three girls' rooms and the family sitting room. She finds the view from the sundeck overlooking the golf course satisfying for the soft spot she has for the game. The family musician, Debra, will put the music room, just left of the front door, to use with her lessons on the organ and the combination organ-piano. Jeffrey, a rambunctious individual, will not be confined to any one room and likes the feeling of run of the house. Fifteen-year-old Chuck, a student at Ponce Junior High School, spends a lot of time studying in his room — conveniently located not too far from the refrigerator door. And the three-year-old twins, Mary and Lois, toddle around freely. Common stamping ground is the roomy, stainless steel kitchen with two refrigerators and plenty of working space. The stove and an eating counter form a rectangular island in the center. Here the Dressells will continue their practice of "Choice Night" when Mr. Dressel is away at one of his meetings. Choice night, Mrs. Dressel explained, is when the children have the pick of their favorite foods. Family night, usually held on Sundays, is the time when the family meets to air any problems. Other rooms not already mentioned in the 30-year-old house, originally designed for the Murrell family, are the family living room with a cathedral ceiling and a row of three large glass doors which make the room very light and airy; dining room with hand carved wooden beams; the utility room. A small breakfast room, seven bedrooms and baths; powder room and the butler's pantry. This last room, located between the dining room and kitchen, will also serve as Mrs. Dressel's headquarters where the children can bring their report cards and important papers and where she can do her planning. The much-decorated bulletin board in the kitchen consolidates the telephone messages from the five phones. "We're living in a modern life but we want to live in just an old-fashion way. We hope that living will be easier and simpler in a large home where there is an appeal and a niche for the members of the family, yet small enough to have a close family, too." MOVER IS COVERED WITH MATTRESS And Wine Cellar Via a Trap Door! With a 20-room house—"I count anything with four walls around it which has to be cleaned, a room"—Mrs. Dressel had some apprehensions about taking care of such a large home. "With the Spanish tile floors we hope cleaning will be easier because I don't want to increase help," the lady of the house stated. The present help is a Spanish maid who has had quite an influence on the twins, Mary and Lois, who speak more Spanish than English and who relay messages between Mrs. Dressel and the maid. The presence of a second floor (the other home at 1300 Country Club Prado was one level) has added a few problems of expending too much energy running up and down stairs but Mrs. Dressel, who likes to be systematic, hopes to have time-saving steps mapped out. "Losing things can be quite a problem around here. Now the children have that much more space to drop things." The moving in had its memorable moments and Mrs. Dressel jotted them down so she can reminisce with friends. Her friend Mrs. Robert Searle, wife of the mayor, was helping her move in when they found a bicycle which the Searles had discarded 13 years ago after their three children had used it, and which the Dressels had taken over for use by their five children. On the first night, Mr. Dressel, overseeing every detail, popped his head out an upstairs window and exclaimed, "Look, someone moved in next door, Oh no, it's just the light over the bath house." A trap door found in one of the closets intrigued the children and they followed it under the house to a wine cellar. "It might make a handy bomb shelter," Mrs. Dressel added. The first few days Mrs. Dressel got her own surprise when she dashed into the pantry closet trying to find the back staircase. "The house seems to grow on us and we still keep finding new light switches." She will maintain strict rules for the large rectangular pool with the accompanying Grecian bathhouse and will carry the keys to the gates. Mrs. Dressel said there will always be an adult with a car attending the children. MAYOR SEARLE'S WIFE (LEFT) AND MRS. DRESSEL THE DRESSELS SPREAD OUT OVER THEIR SPACIOUS FRONT YARD