Valhalla - in Old Town Key West

This two-bedroom, two-bath classic contemporary is the perfect headquarters for your dream vacation. The entire inside is painted cloud white. This choice creates not only a crisp, clean elegance but also serves as the perfect backdrop for an amazing art collection. It's fitting that this special residence isn't designated merely by a street number but rather is named Valhalla. Of Norwegian descent or not, in a short time you'll come to appreciate the reference to heaven, to a personal piece of paradise.

Start your tour in the pool area, which easily comprises half the property. How appropriate this outdoor space allocation is for an island boasting 260 sunny days per year. If you're like most vacationers, you'll want to spend a large chunk of time floating or swimming or just dangling your toes in the sparkling blue water.

If you're ready to read or nap, move from the heated waters of the Riviera-shaped pool to the stone deck and sink into lime-green chaise lounge chairs. Small cocktail tables wait nearby for your iPad or Kindle and beverage. You can stretch out in sun or shade depending on the time and the play of sunlight through the verdant tropical foliage ringing the deck area.

And when you want complete shade, move to the adjacent wood-planked, roofed veranda. Here you'll find potted plants, a conversation area, a dining area for six, and a barbeque grill. Sit to enjoy some fresh tropical fruit or a sinful slice of Key Lime pie. This sheltered space is also perfect in case of brief tropical showers. You can enjoy the rain and soak up the healthy effects of negative ions while staying dry and comfortable.

Now step through the back door to enter the house. You're immediately in a "great room" that serves as the family room, TV or movie viewing room, living room, and study. The great room centers around a white couch with three cinnabar pillows arranged among white cushions. The red/orange square pillows reference the three framed paintings on the wall above. These works create a stunning contrast of vibrant palate of reds, blues, yellows against the rectangular white wall and vaulted ceiling above. Everything is white except the art in this room, down the hall, and in the bedrooms. The collection is eclectic and diverse, ranging from ancient to contemporary, from local to world famous, from found objects to sculpture to carvings to paintings.

To the right as you stand at the back door is a compact, functional kitchen that has everything you need to whip up some delicious one-bite appetizers or full meals. A wrought-iron rack suspended from the ceiling puts cookware and utensils at your fingertips, adds visual interest, and maximizes storage space. On the left is a convenient open-shelf pass-through that compliments the open floor plan.

From the kitchen, move down the hallway, which has more fabulous art on the right and three doors on the left. The first and third doors open into comfortable bedrooms and the one in between is a full bath. The first bedroom offers a queen bed with puffy white duvet, white bed linens, white louvered closet space, white dresser, and more colorful art. The second bedroom, the master suite, features a queen bed dressed in puffy white linens as well with the added convenience of another full bath. You know by just looking that you could sleep peacefully in either bedroom.

But before bedtime, there's vacation fun to be had: the tours, beaches, museums, water sports, shopping, bars, and over two hundred restaurants await you. To know what the Southernmost City has to offer from minute to minute, get a copy of Paradise, the free weekly round-up of local activity available almost everywhere or check the Calendar page at milezerokeywest.com. Both sources list the current music scene, movies, plays, gallery openings, and charitable events just to name a few. You will find plenty to entertain you. And you can still look forward to going back to your own private heaven, sleeping soundly, and getting up tomorrow to do it all over again. And at vacation's end, Valhalla will stick in your mind, will call you back.

The closest on street parking spaces are at either end of the block. You may have to park on a side street. To know what's going on from day to day, check out Historic Hideaways' informative Events page on our website. Other information on the current music scene, movies, plays, gallery openings, and charitable events include milezerokeywest.com and Paradise, which comes out every Thursday.