One of the seven houses I have called home was an American Four Square so this house immediately caught my eye. What I like best about this architectural style is its compact floor plan due to its boxy shape (nearly a cube with two full stories) with minimal hallways, hipped roofs over both a full front porch and attic with dormer windows.  This house also incorporates Craftsman details of the porch’s half columns resting on a solid half wall instead of an open railing, the accent window on the second floor above the front door and hipped roofs over both the bay window projecting from the side of the house and the stoop to the side entry door. Tying all this charming geometry together is the shake siding that adds texture to the facades and the white color palette of both the siding and trim accented by the red entry doors. The property lines at the rear and one side of the house disappear into the surrounding woods and the white massing of the house stands out against this pastoral landscape.  

The front door opens to the stair with pilasters and an arched soffit defines the living room area with comfortable seating arranged around the wood stove and windows on the two exterior walls for sunlight. Opposite the living room is the dining room with a variety of windows including the front double hung single window, the side bay window that projects from the exterior wall and a small accent window. The spacious room has a flexible layout-here the table and chairs are placed on axis with the front window but I could easily imagine my circular oak table tucked into the bay with a hutch or other storage unit on the other walls.

This cook loved the black and white color palette of the galley kitchen with the white Craftsman styled cabinets, period style hardware, black solid surface countertops with an inspired backsplash of pressed tin for texture, ample storage from the open shelving and a pantry, white appliances, island with bar stools and the period style five-panel door. Off the kitchen is a cozy sitting area furnished with a rattan seating group with views of the landscape through the sliding glass doors.  This could also be a cozy breakfast area or the space could be expanded into the back yard for a family room. 

The staircase receives daylight from both the half-French entry door and the accent window above the nook at the second floor and a period style pendant light hangs above the stairs.  The two front bedrooms have windows near the corners of the exterior walls for diagonal views of the landscape. I admired how the tall filigreed black gate now has a second life as a very creative headboard for the primary bedroom. Between the windows is a cozy reading space with a wooden rocking chair and floor lamp.  The other corner bedroom has a white theme with its iron bed, painted chest of drawers and side chair. If I were a guest, I would choose the smallest of the bedrooms at the rear of the house with its pale sage green walls that are so restful. The room’s furnishings of the candlestick style bedside table, wood chest of drawers and wooden trunk at the foot of the bed would be all I need for a weekend in this country setting.

This house is as charming as I remembered and the full front porch with its sunset views would be another living room during the warm months of the year along with the slate terrace at the rear of the house that is ready for your outdoor grille and picnic table. Great architectural style, beautiful hardwood floors, period details, upgraded kitchen and baths- all this in sought-after Royal Oak and close to highway 329 for easy access to either St. Michaels or Easton.   

For more information about this property, contact Melanie Hopkins with Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate at 410-822-9000 (o) ,410-310-2893 (c) or melanie@cbchesapeake.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.coldwellbanker.com/MelanieHopkins ,“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.

I discovered the charm of Leehaven Road several years ago when I showed a prospective buyer the house across the street from this property.  The approach from highway 33 passes by fields that are part of Lee Haven Farm. This pastoral scene is protected from development through a conservation trust. I loved the scale of the architecture of the waterfront properties at the end of the road that reminded me of summer cottages on New York’s Long Island or Nantucket.  

Not surprisingly, this charming house began its life as a carriage barn for the Lee Haven Plantation.  It was rebuilt in the early 20th century as a summer home for the Henderson family who subsequently rented the property to the Driggs family of New York and Philadelphia. The Driggs soon fell under its spell and purchased the property in 1935. It has remained in their family since that time.  I love puns and learned at the time of the purchase, there were six other homes along the road so the Diggs were inspired to christen their home “Seventh Haven”. 

The day I visited, I was struck by the peace and quiet from the lack of traffic noise and I was immediately captivated by both the grounds and the house.  The 3.7 acres has a long trapezoidal shape along the shoreline of Dixon Creek with western exposure for serene sunsets over the water. The house is nestled in a setting of both towering oak trees and, to the delight of this native Tennessean, dogwoods and other flowering canopy trees for spring color. The rectangular house is perpendicular to the water and as you round the curved driveway the house’s weathered shingles, white trim, multiple low shed dormers over the second floor windows, two-story bay window projection, wrap-around windows of the great room and the stunning second floor porch have great appeal. 

The flagstone path leads from the gravel drive to an enclosed porch then to the main entry at the middle of the spacious great room with focal points of the fireplace at one end opposite the wrap-around windows on the water side. The original ceiling joists and posts of the barn portion of the house have a dark stain that accentuates their geometric pattern against the wall planes infilled with drywall.  The wood floors, accents of stained beadboard around the fireplace and the wainscot below the living room windows enhance the cottage look. The ceiling may seem low to some but the room is wide and long and when you are seated under the wrap-around windows to enjoy the water view, your thoughts are easily diverted away from the ceiling height.  

The kitchen was renovated with new craftsman style cabinets and quartz countertops and the dining area with the bay window with water views would cause one to linger over any meal.  Behind the kitchen is an enclosed porch, currently used for firewood storage with another entry door to the house.  This space offers many possibilities-laundry/mud room/powder room attached to a new garage, or additions of a family room or main floor bedroom suite.  The cleared area at this side of the house would be a great spot for a waterside pool. 

The single window shed dormers add sunlight to the second floor hall at the top of the stairs with the stained barn framing infilled with drywall that continues the first floor’s interior design scheme.  Two of the bedrooms are located at the gable end walls for extra headroom. The primary bedroom suite is located at the water side with the bed positioned under a slightly deep alcove. Glass sliding doors flanked by full-height windows lead to the porch for views of the pier, water and the Osprey nest.  On summer nights, I would be tempted to claim the porch as my bedroom to sleep under the stars. The other bedroom suite is at the opposite end of the house and has a fireplace and a seating area underneath the bay window for water views stacked over the dining area’s bay window below.  The bath is located off the hall and is shared by the middle third bedroom. The middle bedroom would make a great TV room for the two other bedrooms.

It is not often that one finds a property where the past renovations have already fixed the HVAC, electrical, plumbing, insulation, windows, exterior sheathing, etc. issues that consume a renovation budget.  This unique property awaits the finishing touches the next owner wishes to make this house their true “seventh heaven”. 

For more information about this property, contact Bob Shanahan with Shoreline Realty, Inc,  at 410-822-7556 (o) 410-310-5745 (c) or bob@shorelinerealty.biz.  For more photographs and pricing, visit www.shorelinerealty.biz , “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.

 

I always enjoy returning to Cooke’s Hope to feature a house since in warmer weather I can enjoy driving past the pastoral scene of the barns and fields where the distinctive Belted Galloway cows graze. I savor making my way along the entrance drive that meanders through trees and landscaping to the various neighborhoods. As an architect with work experience in urban planning, I greatly admire the site layout with its emphasis and amenities on open space from the walking trails through wooded areas and the fields and ponds with abundant wildlife.  No grid streets here-only meandering streets that control traffic and link the various neighborhoods. I also appreciate the adherence to urban design tenets such as porches to the street, garages opening onto rear alleys and sidewalks with planting separation from the street to encourage interaction with neighbors.  

One of the most important amenities of this neighborhood are the mature trees that enhance the landscape.  From this house’s full front porch with its brick surface, the absence of parked cars and the mature trees planted along the sidewalk offer a serene vista. Other outdoor rooms include the fenced side yards enhanced by landscaping, the screened porch off the living room and an upper deck off two primary bedroom suites.  The three bay Colonial tyle house has the classic color palette of white lap siding and black shutters but instead of being only two room deep this house was designed four rooms deep to add the screened porch, first floor primary bedroom suite, laundry/mudroom and garage to the main floor footprint. 

The front door opens into a two-story foyer to a vista of the stair set on the diagonal that creates a circulation pattern around the front study opposite the dining room and the living room opposite the breakfast area. All the rooms overlook the enclosed yards on both sides of the house with mature trees and landscaping that create private oases. Interior features include dining room’s wainscot linking the windows, the study’s wall of built-in millwork for a home office and the breakfast area’s curved wall of the stair landing. French doors lead from the breakfast area to the side yard. 

The living room is connected to the kitchen by a wide opening in the wall with a counter and bar stools and to the screened porch through French doors for indoor-outdoor living. Steps lead from the screened porch to the side landscaped yard. The exterior wall of the living room is a two-story box bay with the fireplace on the adjacent aide wall. The geometric stack of windows and three levels of transoms truly brings the outdoors in. The spacious kitchen is centrally located but I would be tempted to remove the two upper cabinets on either side of the kitchen window overlooking the screened porch and widening the window for a better view of the landscape.  

The rear hall leads to the first floor primary suite, laundry /mud room and garage  The bedroom has windows on both of its exterior walls for daylight and the wide bay window offers a peaceful view of the side landscaped yard. Two walk-in closets are opposite the bath with both a tub and shower. Since my laundry consists of a stack W/D, I envied the spacious laundry room with ample counter space, a sink under the window and hanging space for dry clothes.  A stair next to the laundry leads to a media room over the garage.

The second floor has overlooks to both the front foyer and to the living room which adds daylight to the hall connecting the two front bedrooms to the rear bedroom.  There is a sitting area behind the curved wall of the stair opposite the hall bath for the bedrooms. The rear bedroom could be used as a second floor primary bedroom suite since it has a bath and walk-in closet and it also has access to the private deck over the screened porch.  The third floor has a bonus room that spans across the front of the house and three dormer windows and one gable window for daylight for myriad uses.  The remainder of the floor is unfinished attic space. 

Colonial architectural style in one of Easton’s most picturesque neighborhoods on the sought-after Oxford corridor, with pastoral scenes and numerous community amenities including a boat dock with limited slips, kayak launch, over five miles of walking trails that wind past Sanctuary Ponds and over a Covered Bridge spanning  Peachblossom Creek, dog park, tennis court, fitness center and mail room.

For more information about this property, contact Kelly Showell with Benson & Mangold, LLC  at 410-822-1415 (o), 410-829-5468 (c), kshowell1958@gmail.com. For the virtual tour, visit https://thru-the-lens-ivuf.view.property/public/vtour/display/1458605?idx=1#!/,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Janelle Stroop, Thru the Lens, 845-744-2758, Janelle@Thruthelensphotos.com.

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 farmhouse was built in the early 1900’s on three + acres of land that once may have been part of Mt. Pleasant Landing Farm. The original two-story farmhouse was built close to the shoreline of Broad Creek and its linear footprint parallels the water to give the main rooms direct or indirect water views. The house was later enlarged by a one-story addition with a full front porch linking the house to the detached garage that is sited perpendicular to the house to complete the very pleasing massing.  The color palette of light gray shake siding, white trim and red metal roofing evokes the Eastern Shore rural vernacular. 

White accents of picket fencing and lattice define the outdoor rooms and links between the house and garage. The side walls of the front door’s stoop are lattice and the original part of the house has a front garden enclosed by white picket fencing with arbors opposite each other. One arbor leads to the flagstone sidewalk at the parking area and the other leads into the landscape. Another white picket fence along the flagstone sidewalk from the guest suite above the garage leads to the front porch of the main house and to the parking area.  Between the house and the garage is the delightful pergola with four lattice panels at each corner to define the enclosure at one end of the pool. 

The front door of the original house leads to a small foyer opposite the stairs between the living room and the kitchen-breakfast area. The large living room has double windows at the front, side windows flanking the wood burning fireplace and a rear window overlooking the sunroom for sunlight throughout the day.  The bold blue wall color above the white wainscot is striking and I loved how the windows had no coverings to maximize the water views.  

The serene aqua walls of the kitchen works very well with the white craftsman cabinetry, “Blue Louise” granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. A wide opening above the kitchen sink gives the cook water views through the sunroom’s rear windows. The window seat below the front window wraps around the side wall to give the cook plenty of company until dinner is ready and the soft floral print complements the aqua walls. I imagine it is also a popular perch for family canine or feline companions.

The sequence of indoor-outdoor rooms begins with the sunroom behind the living room and the kitchen. The sunroom’s color scheme continues the blue and white theme with walls of bead board for texture divided by the white chair rail separating the upper blue from the lower white wall. The tall windows maximize the water views and the centered French door divides the room into sitting and dining areas. The French door also leads to the deck next to the screened porch. The simple details of the screened  porch’s gable wall clad in dark gray shake siding, eave sides clad in white bead board and flagstone floor with minimal framing that maximizes the water views create a wonderful enclosure.  A pair of French doors lead to the adjacent dining room. Another pair of six-panel wood doors leads from the dining room to the secondary hall between the kitchen and master suite to create an easy flow inside and outside the house.  

The sloped side walls of the master bedroom meet at the underside of the ceiling’s collar beam to give the room greater volume in proportion to its large size. The focal point of the side wall is a fireplace flanked by built-in millwork and the rear wall’s wide triple unit window unit offers expansive water views. French doors lead to another deck and to the screened porch. With all these features, this large room could also be used as a family room.

The second floor has four bedrooms of varied sizes and two baths.  The rear suite with a bedroom and bath would be a perfect master suite with side and rear windows giving bird’s eye diagonal views of the water. The bathroom’s deep aqua walls are a soothing backdrop for the white fixtures including a free-standing soaking tub and the glass shower wall that expand the space.  The other three bedrooms are beautifully appointed, especially the room with white furnishings against the golden yellow wallpaper.

If I were lucky to be a guest, I would claim the guest suite over the garage that is an open area with sleeping and living areas.  The suite is accessed from a riverside porch with a pair of French doors to the stairs. The gambrel shaped roof creates a delightful ceiling plane and the table a-deux beneath the waterside triple windows would be a perfect spot to linger over that second cup of morning coffee.

Charming farmhouse architectural style, wonderful combination of old and new, indoor-outdoor waterside rooms, pool and pergola, flexible floor plan with options for master suites on either floor, close proximity to St. Michaels’ attractions-who could ask for anything more?

For more information about this property contact Wink Cowee with Benson and Mangold at 410-745-0415 (o), 410-310-0208 (c) or winkcowee@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing visit  www.buythechesapeake.com,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Photography by Janelle Stroop, 845-744-2758, Janelle@Thruthelensphotos.com

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 thirty plus acre property with southwesterly exposure includes a  two-bedroom, one bath cottage and a studio with a half bath nestled in a clearing of mature trees.  The rip rapped shoreline and pier with expansive water views to Tilghman Island on the distant horizon and the Choptank River beyond offers myriad possibilities. Both the cottage and the studio have been renovated inside and outside including extra conveniences such as foam insulation in the attic and crawlspace, new well, pump, water softener, upgraded electric service with new panel, new HVAC and new septic field. 

The exterior materials of the cottage have appealing texture and color with the center wing construction of concrete block painted yellow between the entry foyer and the bedroom wing, both of which are clad in white vertical board and batten. The gable ends of the main wing are also clad in white board and batten. The massing of the three-bay foyer elevation against the gable wall to the step-down offset rear wing with its dormer windows and the accent of the blue exterior doors gives this cozy cottage great charm.  

Many houses built in the mid 50’s incorporated picture windows in the living room and this house’s expansive picture window is flanked by operable window units that along with the side window near the corner provide diagonal views of the landscape and water. The living room’s wood floors, brick gas fireplace surround painted white to blend into the white walls and contemporary touches of the slim granite hearth and mantel supported by wood brackets is a great backdrop for any style of furnishings. The fireplace is set into a deep wall that has a door to storage on one side and folding doors to the stack W/D on the other side.

The open plan dining-kitchen area is located opposite the living room. The dining area’s side operable window and rear picture window offer views to the landscape and its porcelain tile flooring extends into the kitchen area. The kitchen’s “U” shaped arrangement offers plenty of storage and the color palette of white Shaker styled cabinets, quartz countertops, tiled backsplash and stainless steel appliances has great appeal. I especially liked how the upper cabinets extend to the underside of the ceiling and the upper ones in the center of the “U” have glass fronts. 

The bath is conveniently located next to the adjacent two bedrooms and the perfect finishing touch would be a skylight for sunlight/moonlight above the tub/shower at the rear wall. The two bedrooms are “bookends” with closets in between.   

The studio/guest house’s unequal side exterior walls have two windows on the short side and a large picture window on the other side that gives it a quirky appeal.  The main floor room has sunlight from the dual front half-glass doors next to the wide picture window with side operable windows and another window on the side wall.  A wall of closets on the opposite side wall, the bath and extra room at the end wall makes this a great guest suite.   The upper floor attic area could be extra sleeping space or a studio/home office. 

Unique opportunity for a move-in ready weekend family retreat with options to fit your lifestyle. Live in the cottage, relax in Adirondack chairs at the shoreline as the sun sets after your day on the water. Take your time planning your waterfront dream house surrounded by a very private 30 plus acre nature preserve in sought after Royal Oak!

 

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 or view the video https://youtu.be/LQNYE4bIUlY “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.

 

“Plimhimmon”s original 600 acres were surveyed in 1659 as one of several grants bestowed by George Calvert, First Lord Baltimore. The name of the estate later built on this land is a derivation of the Welsh mountain “Pumlumon”. This mid-18th century house built in the Georgian style and modified by later additions was acquired by one of Talbot County’s illustrious sons, Mathew Tilghman, who gifted it to his daughter, Anna Maria, widow of Col. Tench Tilghman.  As a history buff, I was fascinated to learn that Col. Tilghman had served in the Revolutionary War from the battles of Rhode Island to Yorktown. For Col. Tilghman’s loyal service as his aide-de-camp, General Washington selected him to travel to the Continental Congress to hand-deliver Cornwallis’ “Articles of Capitulation”. After Col. Tilghman’s death in 1786, Anna Maria continued to live in the house where she welcomed visitors, including Lafayette, during his 1824-25 tour of America. Today’s visitors walk up a short run of brick steps to a brick landing that connects to concrete steps that diminish in width to the front door. Graceful black iron handrails with flared ends follow the outline of the steps of the upper run.

The original two-story brick house with a one and half story wing rose from a low man-made hill at the head of Town Creek. The four-paneled front door with a transom above is recessed into the brick façade with paneled jambs and brackets to support the top molding.  The symmetrical arrangement of the 9/9 windows on the main floor, 6/9 windows on the second floor, black shutters, single 6/6 dormer windows and the weathered brick with arched foundation openings is the beautiful centerpiece of the current telescoped composition’s side wings clad in lap siding on brick foundations. 

The current owners have lovingly maintained historic features and details such as the entrance hall with an “L” shaped stair with a walnut balustrade and turned newel posts and the wide recessed arched opening in the side wall that is exquisitely detailed with fluted pilasters, paneled soffit and wall surrounds broken by moldings to accentuate the cornerstone and spring line. The five fireplaces, the warmth of the wood floors and the owners exquisitely appointed interiors evoke an earlier era of gracious living, coupled with careful updating the house with modern day conveniences such as geothermal heating and an elevator. 

The entrance hall’s recessed wall opening has a vista to the dining room’s fireplace beyond service areas of a second stair, elevator, closet and powder room. The deep gold walls, large Oriental rug, art and antique furnishings of the dining room create a serene setting for family gatherings. The rear wall has a door to a hall leading to the kitchen through the butler’s pantry for ease of serving. The butler pantry includes an expanse of open shelving, bar sink, wine cooler and extra dishwasher and the light olive and gray limestone floor continues into the spacious kitchen.  I loved this room’s color palette of the light olive green trim and cabinetry, “L” shaped arrangement with the island centered on the fireplace with a brick surround and hearth, butcher block countertops and stainless steel appliances. The window seat at one corner creates a delightful spot for breakfast with the table and two chairs.  Steps lead down to the mud room which I greatly envied with the same limestone floors, light olive cabinetry and window seats under the two windows. The double sink cabinet, walls of tall cupboards and exterior French door can accommodate the boating or hunting enthusiast for clean-up after a day on the water or in the woods. 

The living room next to the entrance hall spans the depth of the house and is part of the original construction. The windows at the front and rear offer views of the landscape and the sofas and ottoman perpendicular to the fireplace beckons one to relax by the fire.  Off the living room at the front of the house is a cozy study with front and side windows lined with deep apricot walls accented by white built-in millwork for books and the TV. Behind the living room is another space furnished with two tables for casual dining or the perfect spot for this lover of puzzles and Scrabble. An exterior French door leads to the terrace at grade and a wide full height wall opening frames the sunroom’s wrap-around walls of full height windows. 

How can one resist a sunroom?  This one is certainly irresistible with bays of windows separated by pilasters that support a continuous trim band above the window walls.  The white wood slat ceiling, pale gray wood flooring and rattan furnishings with cushions of white leaves on a green background would be the ideal spot to curl up with a good book. 

Four bedrooms and three baths are located on the second floor. The original part of the house contains two of the bedrooms that are “bookends” over the living room and each have corner fireplaces.  Opposite the stair landing is the hall bath. Above the dining room wing is another hall for access to the elevator and the master suite. The bedroom’s dormer windows on the front and rear walls, window seats and knee walls create charming interior architecture and the restful yellow and blue interior design scheme completes this restful master retreat. The fourth bedroom has its own bath and stairs to the kitchen below.

Other lucky guests would be accommodated on the third floor’s two bedrooms and bath.  Both bedrooms have two dormer windows for views of the landscape and water beyond. The truly lucky guests are the ones who could claim the two-story guest house on a point of Town Creek with its own driveway and unobstructed views of the water on two sides of its site. I would be tempted to extend my stay indefinitely as this spacious house is sized and equipped for a full time-residence. Other buildings include a four-bay garage and workshop with an open plan office-dining area above and the historic brick smokehouse.

What an opportunity to own a distinctive part of Talbot County’s history with this house that the author Christopher Weeks in his book “Where Land and Water Intertwine” includes in his list of the eight “Georgian masterpieces” of the 18th century in Talbot County. Architectural history buffs would also appreciate country living in the 200 acres of statement trees, woods, native landscaping, farm fields, abundant wildlife and waterfowl including the splendid sight of migrating Canada geese. Natural shorelines along Town Creek protect shorebirds and ducks; buffers along the shoreline and restored wetlands are a haven for many species of game-located off the sought after Oxford corridor-simply stunning! 

  

For more information about this property, contact Benson and Mangold Real Estate agents Coard Benson at 410-770-9255 (o), 410-310-4909 (c),  coard@bensondulingroup.com, or Alicia Dulin at 410-770-9255 (o), 410-200-6378 (c) or alicia@bensondulingroup.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.bensondulingroup.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.

Please support the Spy’s House of the Week project by making a donation here.

 

If you had seen a photograph of today’s house before the owner/architect transformed it, you would have had great difficulty matching that image with the fantastic design its owner/architect created.  This block of E. Chew is a one way street that ends at the St. Michaels Harbor and the streetscape is a mix of one to one and half story cottages enhanced by a landscape of mature trees.  Over the past three years, I first drove past this house after meeting with two architectural clients I had in that area and I was fascinated to watch the construction progress of this extensive renovation. The owner/architect moved into the house five years ago and began the renovation three years later with the help of another contractor. 

The existing house was a “plain vanilla” one-story rectangle with a low pitched roof. Demolition began by removing the roof framing from most of the house and  the new dramatic roof form took shape with three steeply pitched intersecting gables at the front, side and rear of the house. On the fourth side, the existing one-story footprint remained but new roof framing was added over the existing roofing to match the new pitch that created a telescope effect at the rear. The exterior elevations were carefully designed and meticulously constructed. 

The front gable form was expanded over the existing covered porch on the main floor which created another porch above at the second floor. The front elevation is a masterful interplay of open and closed spaces with the lower and upper porches overlapping horizontally and balanced by the shake siding of the first floor wall, part of which extends up to become the center part of the upper porch railing flanked by steel mesh panels with Ipe rails.  This center solid railing portion also breaks the double cornice at the front wall below the upper porch that does double duty as the eave return and window header trim finished in the dark gray-blue trim color. The vertical symmetry of the second floor porch’s triple glass doors centered under the gable and aligned with the center panel of the upper rail above the first floor window below completes the design. The craftsman detailing of cedar shake shingle siding that will weather over time in contrast with the dark blue-gray roofing and trim creates outstanding curb appeal.

My favorite details are the convex side walls of the second floor porch that meet the second floor exterior wall that is the backdrop for the upper porch. I also admired how the front and side gables’ eave returns meet at the front corner of the house above the corner windows and how the new second entry off the driveway is relocated at the landing of the stairs to the second floor for equal access to both floors.  This entry wall has three square accent windows in a triangular shape over the door that provide daylight to the second floor master suite dressing room. The same eave detail is repeated at the intersection of the side/rear gables. Under the peak of the rear gable are sliding doors off the master suite bathroom leading to a deck over the first floor porch that opens into the first floor dining room.

The front entry door was an architectural salvage treasure and leads to the side foyer off the living room with a vista to the dining room at the rear. On either side of the living room are bedrooms at the front corners of the house.  The “U” shaped kitchen’s tones of gray finishes with darker base cabinets, lighter countertops and upper cabinets with the stainless steel appliances create a serene look for this owner/architect who is a serious cook. In warm weather he holds court at his outdoor kitchen with its stylish contemporary single slope roof attached to the outbuilding that also contains an office and one-car garage.

At the upper stair landing there is a nook for display of items from the owner’s collection. French doors that are another architectural salvage treasure lead to the master suite with a vista to a large alcove with a coffee bar at one end and a workstation for the architect at the opposite end between the sliding doors to the porch.  The master bedroom is offset from the alcove and its interior architecture is formed by the knee walls on each side of sloped ceilings that meet at the underside of the collar beam above. Two lights are centered over the bed and the detail of three square accent windows is repeated but here they step down the wall for a striking effect.  Paneled bulkheads at each knee wall cleverly hide the HVAC supply ducts that results in deep recesses for storage and display.  The master bath features a tiled floor, walk-in shower and the lavatory cabinet has a mirrored wall above to expand the space.  The lower portion of the sliding doors leading to the deck have a translucent finish for privacy that emits a soft light within.  From the deck you can see the harbor in the distance.

Bravo! The talented owner/architect’s design skills are equally matched with his extensive construction experience illustrated by the carefully thought out details. He has certainly set the bar for the remaining E. Chew houses that have not yet been renovated! 

For more information about this property, contact Dave Parker at 410-310-2033 (c) or dp.parkerhomes@gmail.com.  For more projects by Dave Parker or to schedule a consultation, visit www.daveparkerfinehomes.com. Photography by the owner and the author.

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.

Please support the Spy’s House of the Week project by making a donation here.

I am always fascinated by the history of Talbot County’s early houses and “Old Wintersell” has an interesting provenance. The house was built ca. 1845 by Jeremiah Bromwell and his wife and their house originally stood about 2000 ft to the east of its present location, on the farm today called “Wintersell”.  The house was moved in the early 1900’s to its current location and the property was later owned for many years by two other owners, one of whom undertook a meticulous and historically sensitive renovation of the house. “Old Wintersell” is currently a vacation rental.

This approximately 14 acre property is located on a secluded cove off Island Creek.  Two conical topiary on either side of the brick walk off the gravel drive reminded me of the famous topiary in the stunning garden at Beckley Park in England, known to fellow Hercule Poirot lovers as the setting for “The Halloween Party”. Behind the conical topiary, the brick walk enlarges to a terrace bordered by low “C” shaped hedges in front of the brick stoop that is protected by a pedimented roof supported by columns.  The paneled front door with half glass sidelights and a full transom is placed in the middle of the center wing, five-bay, two and a half story Georgian Colonial house. The house steps down on each side to one and half story wings.  This classic massing along with single dormers on each of the end wings’ roofs and the three single dormers in the main roof present an elegant symmetry. The classic white siding has added texture from the shakes of the main wing to the lap siding of the end wings with an accent of  green shutters for the 6/6 windows.  

The floor plans also have a beautiful symmetry  The front door opens into a center entrance hall with a U” shaped stairway that has a widened landing with a window above that filters sunlight below to the entrance hall.  The doors in the entrance hall to both the dining room and to the front parlor currently used as a billiard room are aligned with each other for cross vistas. Both of the rooms have a fireplace on the side wall and the billiard room has a wide doorway at the rear wall detailed with moldings and offset columns that leads to the sixty foot long waterside sunroom.

The sunroom spans the full length of center two-story wing.  The space feels like an outdoor room with the shake siding, brick flooring and walls of windows and French doors. One end of the sunroom has a single French door leading to the main floor bedroom suite with a waterside sitting room, short hall to the bath leading to  the bedroom at the front of the house. Stairs lead off the bedroom to the second floor’s very spacious dressing room and bath that could also be used by the adjacent bedroom to create a second floor master suite. 

At the other end of the sunroom are French doors to the open concept family room, kitchen, large pantry and breakfast area. Double sets of French doors lead from the family room area to a deck covered by a pergola with steps to the brick terrace and the pool.  The kitchen is detailed with an island in a warm wood tone to contrast with the white of the other cabinetry.  I especially liked the corner windows above one sink and the detailing of the recessed cooktop hood with tiles laid in a diagonal pattern on the rear wall. Between the breakfast area and the dining room is a short hall with the powder room on one side and recessed wine storage opposite a butler pantry. At the front of this wing is a secondary entrance to the mud room, (complete with a dog shower for family pets), large coat closet, laundry and another stair to a bedroom suite above.

At the top of the stairs is a short hall between two bedrooms with the hall bath in between. The other bedroom with a fireplace could also be part of the second floor master suite. The third bedroom located over the kitchen has its own bath and a bonus room.  The third floor plan has the same arrangement as the second floor main wing but these bedrooms are tucked into the sloped ceilings created by the roof framing with dormer windows.  One bedroom is a charming little girl’s room with colors of yellow, lilac, pink and aqua.  The headboard area cleverly follows the shape of the wall with pleated fabric between  bookshelves and built-in drawers under the triangular shape of the sloped ceiling. Another bedroom is dramatically designed with gray walls and a fabric headboard of checked fabric below black and white toile above. Ottomans in front of the bed are covered with the same toile and the white chest and nightstand on each side of the bed with identical lamps complete the modern look.

Great location on the highly sought after Oxford corridor, historic architecture, water frontage off Island Creek, a pond that attracts wild turkeys, deer, red fox and an array of waterfowl; salt water pool, dock, lawns under the shade of mature trees and firepit to warm cool evenings-great family property or continue the property’s use as a rental until you want to retire! Who knows, you may meet Colonel Mustard in the Billiard Room holding the candlestick…

 

For more information about this property, contact Cliff Meredith with Meredith Fine Properties at 410-822-6272 (o), 410-924-0082 (c), or mre@goeaston.net. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.cliffmeredith.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.  Photography by HomeVisit, www.homevisit.com, 703-953-3866

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.

Please support the Spy’s House of the Week project by making a donation here.

 

This property fronts Washington Street but is sited on a slope above the town sidewalk for privacy and one side yard adjoins the access drive to the Quaker Meeting House grounds for additional privacy.  This Colonial Revival house was built in 1938 and the brick facade reflects the construction technique of brick veneer that was perfected in the early 1920’s for an affordable option to a solid masonry house. The three-bay one and a half story house has a center front door flanked by side windows aligned vertically with the dormer windows above and the exterior color palette of red brick, dark green shutters and white trim is timeless.  The lot is 200 feet deep and an arbor in back of the house is a portal  to the landscape shaded by mature trees to delight nature lovers in the heart of Town.

The front door opens to the stairs between wide wall openings at both the living room on the left and the dining room on the right.  The fireplace is centered in the living room wall next to the stair wall and windows on the front and side walls bring sunlight throughout the day.  Bibliophiles and Collectors would appreciate the built-in floor to ceiling millwork at the rear wall that wraps around to the fireplace. The firebox surround is detailed both with painted brick and a paneled full mantel with sconces above on either side of artwork. Oriental touches in the furnishings and accessories reflect the Owner’s individual style.

The beautiful wood floors of the living room and the swag window treatments augmented by pull down shades for privacy continue into the dining room.  At the rear wall are wall mounted glass open shelves to display an interesting collection of large seashells.  The chandelier centered in the room and mounted above the antique table anchored by a large Oriental rug sets the stage for dinner parties when we can once again enjoy dinners with family and friends.

Behind the dining room is the original kitchen with an exterior side door and a rear window that could become a bath as part of a master site addition, mud room/laundry or home office.  Next to this space is a very short hall with a utility closet leading to the kitchen.  This circulation space could easily be widened by removing the shallow closet enclosing the electrical panel and covering it with artwork as I did in my own home. The short hall leads to the spacious kitchen-breakfast area with a side door to the driveway and one-car garage.  The stack washer dryer is located next to the door and adding a wall to divide this area from the kitchen area would create a mudroom that gardeners would appreciate.  I loved the breakfast area with its double window unit and floor to ceiling glass fronted cabinets for display of china and glassware.  A French door leads to the sunroom that the owner added to extend the living space with four pairs of sliding doors to provide a front row seat to watch the parade of wildlife through the wooded rear yard.  The rear wall of the kitchen could easily be removed down to the base cabinet countertop so the kitchen would become part of the sunroom with views to the landscape. 

The second floor contains three bedrooms and one bath.  The two front bedrooms have the charm of  interior architecture formed by knee walls and sloped ceilings. Their spacious size is due to their being one room deep over the original portion of the house with windows in the front roof dormers and side gable walls. One of the front bedrooms is furnished as a sitting room with built-ins around the room for storage of books and collectibles.  One wall has a full height built-in unit with closets on either side. The large bath with both a tub and shower is located at the top of the stairs accessed by a wide hall.  Behind the spacious bath is an area with double windows overlooking the rear landscape above each of the sunroom’s sliding doors below for myriad uses.

Wonderful location close to Idlewild Park, the YMCA, schools and a large lot that offers privacy with room for expansion!

For more information about this property, contact Meg Moran, GRI, with Long and Foster Real Estate-Christies International Real Estate at 410-770-3600 (o), 410-310-2209 (c), or megmoran007@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing visit www.megmoran.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.

 

Please support the Spy’s House of the Week project by making a donation here.

 

I always enjoy writing about Dutch Colonial style houses since they remind me of many visits to my New York state relatives. My sister had a weekend house in the Hamptons and on Sunday walks or drives this future architect would admire the distinctive house style with broad, double-pitched roofs whose top slopes were fairly flat and wide at the ridge with second slopes that became very steep angles straight down to the eave. This shape is now called a “gambrel” or “barn roof” and maximizes the useable floor area below.  Along with windows at the gable ends and dormer windows integrated into the roofline, the attic area could become a sun filled second floor.

This house that was built in 2001 features the Dutch Colonial gambrel roof shape and has a truncated “L” footprint to maximize the views of Dun Cove.  At the inside corner of the “L” is the entry foyer with a diagonal corner and wrap-around porch that links the two wings of the house. I especially liked the rear elevation that faces the water with the two story predominant gambrel shaped roof that spans the full depth of the house detailed with French doors flanked by full height side windows at both the living room on the first floor and the master bedroom above. The balcony at the master bedroom, a circular window at the attic level, four pairs of windows with shed dormers and the bluestone patio that spans across the rear elevation with its partial red metal shed roof enliven the façade. 

The patio has a bay shaped center portion that matches the shape of the breakfast room behind it and wraps around to the front corner of the house for access to the mudroom/laundry area.  Steps from the patio lead down to the lawn and at one corner are steps to the waterside pergola and pool that is perpendicular to the house.

The entry/foyer has vistas to the hallway past the kitchen and dining room and beyond the beautifully detailed stairway are vistas to the kitchen and living room.  At the front corner of the house is the family room/den with built-ins and triple windows for the water views. Behind the family room/den is the living room detailed to showcase the 10 foot ceilings.  The rear wall has a pair of French doors with windows on either side and transoms above for water views. Coffered ceilings play off the fireplace wall with full height built-ins hidden by paneled doors on either side of the fireplace.  French doors at each corner lead to the screened porch that is the full depth of the living room and its bay shaped perimeter walls offer diagonal views of the landscape and water. 

The hub of the house is the gourmet kitchen with multiple sinks and prep areas for the cooks and the island with the cooktop and bar stools echoes the bay shape of the breakfast area.  A French door at the corner of the breakfast area provides  easy access the patio and the pool.  The adjacent dining room has a triple unit window overlooking the patio and water beyond. Beautiful furnishings, light blue walls with white chair rail and moldings, crystal chandelier and a stunning large landscape painting that reminded me of the California coastline create an elegant setting for a dinner party.

The second floor plan works very well with the short side of  the “L” containing the master suite and the other bedrooms arranged along the long side of the “L”.  The spacious rear corner master bedroom contains sitting and sleeping areas with two deep dormers tucked into the side gambrel roof.  Each dormer contains  built-in drawer units below the windows on either side of the bed.  I appreciated how the rear wall was carefully designed with enough wall space for the drapes to be fully open against the walls without blocking sunlight through the windows on either side of the French doors leading to the private balcony.

The other two bedrooms and office/bedroom are located along a single loaded hall and have the same dormer/window treatment for water views.  I especially liked one guest/child’s room with one wall covered in wallpaper in a playful pattern of white sailboats against a blue background. The blue and white theme continued to the white bedframes covered in white quilts accented with stars of different shades of blue and a blue chest of drawers. 

In addition to the bluestone patio with a partially covered area, screened porch, pergola, pool and private pier, the outdoor areas feature colorful plantings of perennials, native grasses and specimen trees including a magnificent willow. The fenced and raised bed garden next to the potting shed would entice even the most novice gardener. 

This is a unique opportunity to purchase a home from the original owners who also converted the former farm barn into a three bedroom, two bath guest house including a one car garage.  The renovation carefully preserved and highlighted the original beams and exposed framing members that along with the wide plank wood flooring create delightful interior architecture that would encourage any lucky guest to extend their stay.  

 

Since this is my last post for 2020, I would like to thank the owners and sellers who graciously gave me tours of their homes, the realtors and their assistants for their coordination and my fellow architects for their stunning designs.

For more information about this property contact Wink Cowee with Benson and Mangold at 410-745-0415 (o), 410-310-0208 (c) or winkcowee@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing visit  www.buythechesapeake.com,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Photography by Janelle Stroop, 845-744-2758, Janelle@Thruthelensphotos.com

Architecture by Pamela P. Gardner AIA, (410) 820-7973, www.pamelagardneraia.com.

Construction by Willow Construction LLC, 410-822-6000, www.willowconstruction.com

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.

Please support the Spy’s House of the Week project by making a donation here.