PHOTOS BY KIRSTEN HEAGY, FLYOVER PROPERTIES

Relocating from Buenos Aires to Pittsburgh 11 years ago, Inés de San Martín was looking for a vibrant and walkable community. For her, a neighborhood with a wide variety of restaurants, coffee shops and cultural attractions mattered just as much as the house itself.

When she stood in front of 1616 Denniston St., de San Martín didn’t know what lay beyond the basic front stoop of the 1920s-era townhome in Squirrel Hill. When she stepped inside, though, she had an epiphany.

This was where she wanted to live; it would just take a little work.

“I was dazzled by the luminosity of the living room and dining area, resulting from the abundance of natural light that enters the home via a very large skylight positioned right over the stairwell,” she recalls.

After buying the home, de San Martín immediately jumped into a large renovation project that aimed to make her vision for a sleek minimalist property a reality. She removed walls and created a space that glows with light and flows together cohesively. She also added a powder room to the first floor.

“For someone like me, who enjoys entertaining and having friends and family over, the layout is perfect,” she says. “One can start a party with drinks in the living room and then sit at the table in the dining room. In my case, drinks usually take place around the kitchen counter so I can enjoy my guest’s company while finishing cooking.”

While the exterior of the Tudor-style home, including its terra cotta roof tiles, is a classic, the interior has a distinctly modern vibe; glass railings, bright white walls and minimalist fixtures show off the large and airy space, while wide white oak plank floors throughout connect the space and make it feel both inviting and warm.

The galley-style kitchen includes stainless steel appliances, a washer and dryer and a wine fridge as well as a short breakfast bar, which allows de San Martin to easily chat to her guests while making food.

That luminosity that first drew her in is evident in every corner of the main living space thanks to the light that floods in from the massive windows. On the home’s top level, a large primary bedroom and second bedroom share a full bathroom. There’s also an open-concept den with an electric fireplace that could be used as a reading nook or home office.

The shared full bathroom is loaded with features, such as a heated towel rock and a bidet, that are more common in other countries than the United States; a glass tub surround and floating vanity also meld with the home’s modern style.

The lower level of the home features a guest bedroom and another, equally appointed full bathroom. There’s also ample storage space as well as room for a home gym.

In the backyard is a charming wooden patio lined with shelving for plants or other decor. Steps lead up to more green space and a covered carport.

Choosing to move onto her new adventure, de San Martín has listed the house with her favorite local realtor — her sister-in-law, Hannah Krause, a realtor with RE/MAX Select Realty.

The townhouse is now listed for $609,000, and Krause says she is excited to open it to the Pittsburgh market for many reasons, among them its convenient city location.

“While the location checked all of the boxes, the home itself required some work to become the open, light, welcoming space that [de San Martin] desired to showcase her art collection and to be able to host gatherings of friends and neighbors,” she says.

As both a real estate agent and a guest, Krause describes the home as comforting and stylish.

She also loves the fact that while there is plentiful outdoor space, there is no grass to mow. Instead, a perennial flower garden offers low-maintenance color that returns year after year. A solar array on the roof also cuts back on energy costs; there is also a suite on the home’s lower level that is perfect for guests; it could also be used as a short-term rental to generate extra income.

“It’s a classic real estate version of ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’” says Krause. “It’s a chic, upscale, renovated contemporary townhouse, full of gorgeous natural light, tucked behind a very traditional Tudor exterior.”

The friendly, walkable neighborhood that first caught de San Martín’s eye turned out to be a winner, too — and she’s sad to leave it. An end-of-summer block party brings neighbors together every year, and spending time with the community is just part of life on the 1600 block of Denniston, de San Martin says.

Throughout the years, Frick and Schenley parks, as well as the Homewood Cemetery, also became some of her favorite places for long walks with her dog.

“These parks are the hidden gems of the city of Pittsburgh, where someone feels like they are inside the real woods while being in the middle of the city,” she says.

About: Squirrel Hill North (shuc.org)
Population: 11,907
Planes, Trains & Automobiles: 40 minutes to the airport; walking community, public transportation, bike lanes, rideshare.
Schools: City of Pittsburgh (pghschools.org)
Neighborhood: One of the most highly sought after neighborhoods in the East End, Squirrel Hill’s overall borders touch Greenfield, Oakland, Shadyside and Frick Park. Housing includes some of the area’s most historical grand mansions, Craftsman-style homes, and simple row houses. The community is diverse with a mix of students, families and immigrants from the world over; several historical districts are within its borders.