The textures, massing, symmetry and accent colors of this house immediately caught my eye. The house with its center two-story wing clad in red brick below the wood shake gambrel roof and the one-story wings clad in creamy white siding nestles under the trees in this wooded setting on the Tred Avon River. The combination of the center wing’s symmetry with the two asymmetrical wings gave this house great character. The right side is a single story wing but the left side telescopes down to a wing with a triple window dormer then down again to a one-story hipped roofed room with a bright red door.
The front door opens to an entrance hall with a French door at the rear and an “L” shaped stair that evokes Maryland’s historic center-hall floor plans. Both entry doors and a window at the stair landing filter daylight inside and the apricot walls and wood floors create a warm and inviting entry. The main floor plan is linear and one room deep so as one moves through the house the water is always visible.
The entrance hall separates the living room and the dining room. The focal point of the living room is the fireplace and pairs of windows at the front and rear of the house make this a sunny space. The dining room also has pairs of windows at the front and rear and it connects to my favorite space, the kitchen and sunroom furnished as a family room with a breakfast area. The sage green walls, warm wood floors, triple windows above the front cabinets, fireplace, beautiful Craftsman styled cherry cabinets, solid surface countertop, triple windows with the sills at the top of the counter along the front cabinets and a wall of windows that wraps around the sunroom create an irresistible space.
Beyond the living room is the spacious master suite. The master bedroom’s light blue walls, the fireplace opposite the poster bed with pale blue linens, millwork with books and family memorabilia and a wide chaise create a serene retreat. The three upstairs bedrooms are tucked under the geometry of the gambrel roof and one charming bedroom has windows at the rear and a triangular wrap-around side window that follows the roofline below. As I walked through the house with the agent, I admired the interior design and was not surprised to learn that the owner is an artist whose flair with warm wall colors, antiques, art and collectibles created a home with great personality.
The site’s outdoor rooms offer many opportunities for relaxing and enjoying the river views. Off the sunroom is a brick terrace with a fireplace and pizza oven for al-fresco dining. Large stone pavers connect to another brick terrace accessed by the rear entrance hall door and a door to the master bath for quick access to the hot tub. If a hot tub is not enough, there is room for a pool on the site. Another seating area is close to the river with a fireplace to warm cool fall evenings. The lawn slopes gently away from the rear of the house to the river to complete this picturesque setting.
For more information about this property, please contact Cheri Bruce-Phipps at Long & Foster Real Estate at 410-745-0283 (o), 443-994-2164 (c), or [email protected], “Equal Housing Opportunity.”
Spy House of the Week is an ongoing series that selects a different home each week. The Spy’s Habitat editor Jennifer Martella makes these selections based exclusively on her experience as a architect.
Jennifer Martella has pursued her dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. Her award winning work has ranged from revitalization projects to a collaboration with the Maya Lin Studio for the Children’s Defense Fund’s corporate retreat in her home state of Tennessee.
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