The front elevation of this one and a half story house looks like an advertisement for Southern Living Magazine with its Colonial style architecture, full front porch and muted colors of the brick foundation and lap siding.  The massing is very appealing with the garage wing’s wide front gable, the main five-bay wing’s front gable roof dormer centered over the front door with the windows at each side and a smaller wing that telescopes down at the side.  The house offers several opportunities to enjoy the outdoors with the front porch and decks overlooking the rear yard that ends at a road instead of an adjacent property. Part of the rear deck is covered by the attic roof overhang with a partial roof for shade.

The front door with its graceful elliptical fanlight opens onto an open plan entry, dining and living areas defined by dropped beams that mark the boundaries for architectural interest.  The dining room’s two windows overlooking the porch bring filtered light into the space and the chandelier and the large rug anchor the Queen Anne style furnishings. The living room’s wide wall opening brings light into the hall and the fireplace flanked by built-in millwork with arched tops echoes the arched transoms above the tall windows overlooking the deck. An angled doorway at the corner of the living room gives a diagonal view of the family room with its rear bay-shaped wall of tall  windows that wrap around to sliding doors with transoms to the deck. Opposite the family room is the kitchen whose base cabinets’ footprint echo the angles of the family room. The breakfast area was especially charming with a side bay window and sliding doors to another deck. Behind the kitchen is the mud room/laundry connected to the two-car garage.

The master bedroom suite and guest room suites are located next to the main living areas.  The master bedroom’s rear wall is also bay-shaped and infilled with double window units for views of the rear landscape. Two guest rooms with a Jack and Jill arrangement complete the bedroom wing.  Upstairs is another bedroom suite and the rest of the floor is open to the wall and roof framing. Endless possibilities for storage, studio, office, playroom…

I love Cooke’s Hope setting and the amenities of this development are outstanding.  I always enjoy driving through the tree lined streets of this neighborhood when I am researching houses-the brick sidewalks, walking trails, waterside picnic pavilion and ponds that are sanctuaries for wildlife are a few of the outdoor amenities. This traditional style house on a quiet dead-end street has curb appeal, a great floor plan with easy flow among the entry, dining, living, family, kitchen and breakfast areas, a variety of outdoor spaces, one level living and expansion possibilities for the attic floor.  

For more information about this property, contact Cornelia Heckenbach at Long and Foster Real Estate Inc., 410-745-0283 (v), 410-310-1229 (c) or info@corneliaheckenbach.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”. For more photographs and pricing visit www.stmichaelsmdwaterfront.com ,  “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.

Before I moved to the Eastern Shore, I worked at Urban Design Associates in Pittsburgh.  They were the first firm in the US to focus on urban design and the revitalization of downtown neighborhoods.  Key to revitalization are 24/7 streets, with commercial space on the ground floors and residential spaces above. This building on a block between the full residential and full commercial uses of S. Harrison St. is a great candidate. Its charming exterior of deep slate blue shake siding, white trim and  white windows with black shutters and black entrance door is quite appealing. The door has a fanlight transom and arched roof covering supported by brackets at each side of the door that are attached to white pilasters. The brick stoop with a slim black iron handrail leads down to the brick city sidewalks.

The front door opens to the hall and staircase with stained wood treads, newel post and cap with white risers.  Wood floors lead to the living room at the side and the dining room at the rear. Although it is not original to the house, the front bay window, combined with the side windows flanking the fireplace and another window at the rear overlooking the side yard, keep the space sunny throughout the day.

The dining room has windows on each side of the room for light and cross ventilation.  One window overlooks the side yard that has great potential as a garden and the other side window overlooks the driveway so the house is not crowded against its neighbors. The kitchen at the rear has laminate wood flooring that closely matches the original hardwood flooring in the rest of the house. A half French door leads to a small porch that could be enclosed for a home office.  

At the top of the stairs is a room in the middle of the house with built-ins that would make a great TV room. The front bedroom has a fireplace and its bath has a clawfoot tub with shower fittings.  The rear bedroom’s full bath has a shower and clear views and sunlight from the rear windows since the rear yard and parking area separates this house from the houses along Washington St.

If this house were my live/work-space, I would be tempted to first add a white picket fence with a gate covered by a curved arbor that matches the front door’s fanlight curvature and add a side garden that would wrap around to the rear of the house.  Then I would convert the porch to an office by adding windows around the side/rear porch off the kitchen for views of the garden as I worked on my computer. Third, I would remove the rear stair to add more space to both the kitchen and rear bedroom above.  Voila – a charming downtown urban live/work- space with short walks to Easton’s restaurants and shops, the Avalon, the Academy Art Museum. 

For more information about this property, contact John Jelich with John Jelich Talbot County Properties at 410-829-3568 or jjelich@tcfl.org. For more photographs and pricing visit  www.marylandhistoricproperties.com,  “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.

The “piano nobile” was the principal floor of a palazzo belonging to Italian nobility that contained the entrance hall and reception areas one floor above the street level. When I entered this house’s upper floor, it was clear that the owners had a love of all things Italian.  It was also clear that the beautiful interiors were designed and constructed with the highest level of craftsmanship and enhanced by the Owners’ furnishings, art and accessories. Their piano nobile floor contains an open plan sitting room, dining room, kitchen, breakfast area and screened porch as well as the master suite.  

Guest rooms are located on the third floor, with its own kitchenette and stack washer/dryer.  The ground level contains the family room leading to the loggia that extends across the rear of the house, Gunite pool, full bath, wine room, storage/utility room and elevator. My favorite room on this level was the wine room and I recognized many of my favorite Italian wines. The space planning on all three floors maximizes views from the rear of the house to the landscaped buffer along the Tred Avon River.

The interior architecture defines the functions of the open plan area on the main floor. The front door opens into the entrance hall with  “U” shaped stairs to the second floor and the ground floor. The balustrade to the second floor is detailed in iron with a wood cap and the shelf below the landing’s window displays part of the Owners’ Italian ceramic collection. Tuscan columns with elliptical arched headers mark the doorway to the dining room and a smaller arched opening connects the dining room with the adjacent kitchen that creates a diagonal view to the great room. I especially loved the lunette shaped artwork between the front windows of the dining room and the Italian street scene opposite it. 

The great room’s exquisite coffered ceiling and the diagonal pattern of beams stretches the space.  One group of furnishings is arranged around the fireplace with a painting of an interior perspective of room with a coffered ceiling and arched openings that was the perfect touch for this room. The other sitting area at the rear of the room is grouped around built-in millwork with other Italian ceramics and the TV.  A wall of windows wraps around this space with views to the screened porch and deck.  

Another arched opening decorated with colorful Italian plates defines the boundary between the kitchen and the sitting area and the curvature of the countertop above a row of base cabinets creates space for bar stools. The kitchen is also open to the breakfast area with views of the water through the wrap-around panels of the screened porch.  Beautiful porcelain tile flooring, cream colored raised panel cabinets and granite countertops create a dream kitchen that is the envy of this cook.

The master suite on the opposite side of the house has an office/bedroom at the front and the master bedroom at the rear.  The master bedroom’s coffered ceiling, built-in millwork and a full width rear wall of bay shaped windows for water views is a serene retreat.  The luxurious master bath has a corner soaking tub with a dropped soffit above supported by two columns. Opposite the tub is a mirrored wall below the arched soffit and above the dual lavatories separated by a storage columns.  

From the piano nobile to the upper and lower floors , the interior architecture that maximizes views of the Tred Avon River, the highest level of finishes and craftsmanship, art, accessories and of course the beautiful Italian ceramics reflect the Owners’ Italian heritage and their happy memories of travel to Italy.  Viva Italia-per sempre! 

 For more information about this property, contact Joan Wetmore with Meredith Fine Properties at 410-822-6702 (o), 410-924-2432 (c) or JoanWetmore@msn.com. For more photographs and pricing visit www.meredithfineproperties.com ,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”.  Photography by Liz Baker of Home Visit, 703-953-3866. Construction by Ron Mooney  Italian ceramics are available locally at Simpatico, Italy’s Finest, 106 Railroad Ave., St. Michaels, 410-745-0345

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.

This Tidewater colonial, circa 1730, was originally a story and a half house with two rooms on each floor.  Fireplaces that once were the primary heat source now provide charm and ambiance to the former living room that is now an entrance room and the adjacent dining room.  One of the original dormer bedrooms above also had a fireplace and I loved the detail of using a contrasting paint color as the fireplace surround instead or brick or tile. The one room deep floor plan with front and rear aligned windows captured the breeze off the water. Walking through these four rooms was like walking through a house museum due to the lovingly maintained original details that have been preserved for over two centuries.

Additions added from the 1950’s to the 1980’s telescoped  down from the original wing including a spacious master suite on one side and library, sunroom, kitchen, mudroom and greenhouse on the other side. The family room’s story and a half addition at the rear created a gathering space filled with sunlight on three sides from sliding doors, a bow window with a triple unit transom above and a five-unit window on the other side wall.  The two story pitched ceiling is finished in wood and the hardwood floors, corner fireplace and water views make this space with its comfortable furnishings the hub of the house.  

Being a bibliophile, I loved the smaller scaled library with floor to ceiling bookshelves, pine flooring and wainscot and the oval colorful rug.  Since the rear wall of this room was once an exterior wall, the windows were left intact when the sunroom was added behind it to bring the indirect light within. The four-bay sunroom with wrap-around windows and spaces for sitting and dining, beautiful flagstone floors and panoramic water views make this the perfect spot for reading a favorite book until it is time to savor the sunsets over the water.  The awning windows make this space a screened porch in warm months and the chamfered ceiling adds height to the space to balance its length.

The library also connects the dining room to the kitchen so there is a continuous vista from the doorway of the entrance hall to the kitchen. The kitchen’s rear door and window open now to the sunroom for ease of serving informal meals and access to the side terrace off the sunroom for al-fresco meals. The mudroom connects the kitchen to the green house and on the day I visited, numerous geraniums were in bloom to inspire any gardener.

The main floor master suite addition has a spacious bedroom with built-ins and recessed storage.  The waterside rear wall has a center half French door flanked by windows for views from the bed or the seating area by the fireplace and the pale blue interior design creates a restful retreat.  When the family room addition was planned, it was connected to the master suite for easy flow.

The other bedrooms are tucked under the roofline with dormers for light that create delightful interior architecture.  Two bedrooms could also be used as a suite as they are connected and one room has the fireplace with the painted surround.  The other bedroom with its sitting area is located above the kitchen area and is finished in pine paneling and a window at the gable end and dormers on the front and rear walls bring sunlight throughout the day.

The seventeen acres of this site offer myriad opportunities to enjoy the outdoors with about 350 feet of south facing rip-rapped shoreline, a 110 foot long dock for fishing and boating, waterside in ground pool, pond, wetlands and woods for exploring and observing wildlife.  This property also has a detached two-car garage close to the mudroom and kitchen with space for a workshop and storage, one bedroom guest cottage, shed and boat house. Two generations of a family have lovingly maintained the Colonial architectural style of the main house that combines historic preservation and additions for today’s lifestyle. 

For more information about this property, contact Carol Harrison with Coldwell Banker Real Estate at 410-822-9000 (o), 410-310-7047 (c) or charrison@cbchesapeake.com . For more photographs and pricing visit wwwcarolharrisonhomes.com ,  “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.

The architect William Draper Brinckloe, who lived in Easton from 1911 until his death in 1933, designed several residences and commercial buildings including Easton’s original Fire House.  This house, christened “Landfall”, was Brinckloe’s first residence in Easton for his farm on Peachblossom Creek.  He wrote an article in “Farm Journal” about its design and said, “So here’s my own house; it suits me, and perhaps it may suit you” and I think it certainly does.  The existing small house on the property was greatly expanded and renovated by the Brinckloes and subsequent owners have made alterations that have enhanced Brinckloe’s design.

The wrap-around open porch is now partially screened at the side elevation and the door to the front terrace is now the entry door which I think works quite well.  The original second story balcony with an awning for a sleeping porch at the front of the house is now a full shed dormer.  The result is a charming three-bay main wing at the first floor with the screened porch, entry front door flanked by large windows and a triple window unit at the side providing almost total transparency.  The second floor’s shed dormer with six windows and the higher small dormers with double windows at side completes this beautiful composition. The side wing telescopes slightly down with large windows and a French door at the front for access to the terrace from the dining room.

The front door opens into the spacious living room with a fireplace and arched top built-ins at each side and the dropped beam in the ceiling defines the entry and  the sitting area. An elliptical arched opening leads to the equally spacious dining room with another fireplace and an original built-in for storage. The staircase hall is behind these rooms and connects the study, family room and kitchen to the screened porch. I could easily imagine writing this article in the study with its triple window for views to the water and proofreading by the warmth from the fire on chilly evenings. The family room addition is filled with daylight from windows on three sides and the long galley kitchen and deck at the rear updates the house for today’s lifestyle. The mud room adjacent to the kitchen with a separate entry porch near the detached garage is a plus.

The second floor master suite at the corner of the house contains a bedroom with a four-unit window overlooking the water and a luxurious bath with an octagonal window over the tub and rear windows for water views. Three other bedrooms and baths complete the second floor. 

Designed by one of Easton’s best early 20^th century architects, with an addition in 2013 and a complete renovation in 2015 that carefully preserved original details, rooms filled with abundance daylight, water views high above Peachblossom Creek-you don’t have to be an architecture buff to appreciate this exquisite 1.8 +/- acre property!

For more information about this property, contact Chuck Mangold with Benson and Mangold Real Estate at 410-822-6665 (o), 410-924-8832 (c) or mangold@bensonandmangold.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.chuckmangold.com,  “Equal Housing Opportunity.”. Photography by Jennifer Madino.

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.