Renowned landscape designer Fernando Wong is on the move.

Wong, who has designed multimillion-dollar gardens worldwide for a clutch of high-profile clients—such as golfer Greg Norman and actor Matt Damon— and his husband and business partner, Tim Johnson, are selling the Key West, Florida, vacation townhouse that they bought in 2017.

The property is located within a waterfront luxury residential development, Truman Annex, a former 17th-century naval base with many of the original Victorian and Colonial-style buildings still intact, which gives the development “an old-world charm,” Wong said. It also offers its residents amenities such as multiple swimming pools, walking and biking paths and a park.

The townhouse hit the market on Aug. 2, according to the listing agent Carrie Thomas of Keller Williams Key West Compass Realty. She adds that the development is about a half mile from the heart of Old Key West, an area full of restaurants, shops and bars. As an additional point of interest, she notes that the development is called the Truman Annex because President Harry Truman used to spend his holidays on the base.

“His barracks are now a museum and called the Truman Little White House,” Thomas said.

 

Wong and Johnson might be putting their townhouse on the market—with an asking price of $1.399 million—but they’re not leaving Truman Annex. The couple is currently contracted to buy an apartment in the development that once belonged to photographer and Johnson and Johnson heiress India Blake Johnson. Comprising 900 square feet over two floors, the townhouse they’re looking to sell has two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. Wong describes the aesthetic as “contemporary island” and says that it has an open floor plan and large windows that allow for an abundance of natural light to filter in.

Blue is a prevailing color theme.

“We’re fans of blue because we find it soothing and reminiscent of the ocean,” Wong said. Features include new floors, wood doors and kitchen appliances, renovated bathrooms and three outdoor areas, including a covered terrace off the primary suite with vistas of the surrounding palm trees.

Wong and Johnson decorated the home together and have outfitted it with furniture and lighting from brands such as Brown Jordan, Ralph Lauren, Serena & Lily and Legrand. These pieces are included in the property’s asking price.

The couple divides their time between Miami and Palm Beach, and Wong said they invested in the townhouse, which they bought in 2017 for $830,000, according to Wong and Johnson, because they were seeking a hideaway “where we could get away from it all.”

“Yes, I live in two vacation cities, but they’re also where we work, so we don’t really escape,” Wong said. “We rode out the pandemic in the condo and have very warm memories of it.”

When they’re not using the property, they rent it out for an average of $3,000 a week.

The townhouse is a solid investment, according to Thomas..

“Key West’s real estate market is considered one of the hottest in the United States,” she said.

According to Redfin data, the median price was $1.15 million in Key West in July up 11.9% annually. There were 33 homes sold in the month, according to Redfin, a 26.9% increase compared to last July.

Wong says that he and Johnson bought their new apartment because it offers a waterfront setting and larger spaces for them to entertain their families and friends; they signed a contract to buy in the beginning of August for $2.825 million, lower than the asking price of $2.995 million. They expect to close in mid-October.

“We love the townhouse, but we love the ocean more, so when the opportunity to buy the apartment came up, we jumped,” Wong said.

The duplex is in a wing attached to the naval base’s former hospital. It spans 1,770 square feet and has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Notable features include the vaulted ceilings in the living room and a large terrace with ocean panoramas off the living and dining areas. The primary bedroom and bathroom are located on the second story and open out onto their own balcony.

Ralph Sanchez of Century 21 All Keys is the selling agent for the apartment and said that it’s special because it offers “fabulous sunset views and has a great location on the water.”