The aerial of this eight acre wooded property with frontage along an inlet of the Wye East River is an appealing illustration of peace and quiet. The cottage and its pier are surrounded by approximately 460 acres of protected woods and the Pickering Creek Audubon Center is a neighbor. As I drove along the long gravel drive through the woods, the sights and sound of nature began to work its magic and I began to relax. I arrived at a clearing in the woods just as the sun was beginning its descent and the cottage and a large deck came into view.

The cottage with its rural vehicular form and its deck have panoramic views of the water from their position at the top of a deep lawn that gently slopes down to meet the steep bank along the shoreline. The earth tones of the exterior color palette blends into the landscape. The compact  pitched form of the story and a half cottage is enhanced by shed roofed one story extensions on three sides of the main floor of differing depths that give the cottage’s massing great charm. One extension creates a recessed area for the entry door and becomes longer to create space for a bath and guest bedroom. The side extension creates both space for the kitchen with a box bay for the greenhouse window above the sink area and also room for the dining area with its wrap-around full height windows. 

The third extension on the other side creates space for a spacious primary bedroom. The deck spans across the rear elevation and wraps around the corner of the dining room for diagonal views of the water. Glass doors from the living room and primary suite creates indoor-access to this wonderful outdoor room.  The lower portion of the deck contains an outdoor shower and a sink for cleaning the day’s catch after a day on the water.   

The entry door opens into a foyer that blends into the hall to the bedrooms and bath and to the kitchen on the other side. Stairs lead to the loft that overlooks the open plan living-dining-kitchen area. The wall cut outs of various sizes introduce the contemporary interior architecture. 

As I walked through the foyer, I admired the vista through the living room to the water and how the late afternoon sun from the glass doors with transoms above fills the room with light  and offers views of both the water and the blue sky. The living room’s furniture is arranged around the wood burning fireplace whose brick chimney rises to the underside of the ceiling to become a sculptural element. Built-in stained wood millwork on either side of the fireplace creates the cozy feeling of an inglenook. 

Before I toured the rest of the main floor, I could not resist going up the stairs to explore the loft bedroom above that overlooks the spatial geometry of the living-dining-kitchen area below. The pitched ceiling plane of the two-story living room transitions to the one-story shed roofed dining and kitchen areas below and stained wood collar beams accent the white ceiling. Wall planes define the open plan and vary from partial height walls to the full wall openings between the living room and the dining-kitchen area. Sunlight streams into the spaces from the glass doors, transoms, full height windows and the kitchen’s skylight. The pair of windows above the shed roof of the dining-kitchen area provide additional sunlight and views of the woods from the loft bedroom.  

I especially admired the dining area with the wrap-around picture windows,  operable units below and the triangular transom that combine to create diagonal views of the landscape. Glass doors lead to the deck for al-fresco dining.

The kitchen’s white cabinetry blend into the white walls and ceiling above the beautiful wood floors and reflects the sunlight from the windows, skylight and box bay greenhouse style window. The mix of gray-green quartz and wood countertops accent the white of the space. Although the desk area is inviting, I would prefer to relocate the washer and dryer from the basement to this area since it has direct access to the hall leading to the main floor bedrooms and bath.

The single story shed roofed area creates corner windows for diagonal views of the woods and water and creates a spacious primary bedroom with both sitting and sleeping areas. The adjacent bath has dual vanities with separate framed mirrors and a large shower.  The exterior door leads to the deck for a quick clean up after an afternoon on the water. 

There is another bedroom and hall bath on the main floor. The loft bedroom spans the depth of the main floor and has two large closets along the interior wall.  The interior architecture is defined by the exposed stained wood rafters under the pitched ceiling, the overlook to the open plan area below and the shed dormer above the pair of glass doors to a balcony for  bird’s eye views of the water. 

Charming cottage blending a rural vernacular exterior with contemporary interiors, sited on eight acres high above the shoreline of Pickering Creek in a clearing surrounded by over 460 acres of protected woods. Savor the peace and quiet from the large deck overlooking the water, sandy beach and a 120 foot pier for enjoying the outdoors. Great living-dining-kitchen open plan with interior wall cut outs to flood the spaces with sunlight, flexible loft space for a third bedroom or a TV room with a waterside balcony-the perfect move-in ready private retreat close to Town!

For more information about this property, contact Keith Hensley, who helped sponsor this article, at Meredith Fine Properties at 410-822-6272 (o), 410-739-2526 (c), or  [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit https://m.prspcts.co/kk49rEfBrAaKx1Wu7 , “Equal Housing Opportunity.” 

Photography by Janelle Stroop, 410-310-6838, [email protected] 

Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a referral agent for Meredith Fine Properties. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Several years ago I featured an exquisite Georgian style property, Thornton Estate, that is now a rental property for family vacations or corporate retreats. Today’s feature is another exquisite property, The Brampton Inn, circa 1860, that is now a Boutique Inn just outside Chestertown. Low walls of stacked stone topped with colorful plantings on either side of the entry drive are a prelude to the carefully curated grounds and gardens of this thirty-five acre estate. As I drove along the entry drive that turned into a circular drive at the Inn, towering trees provided shade and enclosure and framed the front elevation.

In 1987, the property transitioned from a private residence to hotel. Many of the buildings on the property were restored or reconstructed to become private guest cottages. The present owners, Hilari and Dave Rinehart, acquired the property in 2020 and are spearheading a multi-year phased transformation that will restore, reimagine and breathe new life into this historic treasure.

As I turned onto the entry drive, low walls of stacked stone topped with colorful plantings were a prelude to the carefully curated grounds and gardens of this thirty-five acre estate. As I drove nearer to the Inn, towering trees provided shade and enclosure and framed the front elevation.

Before going in, I walked around the main house to savor its Greek Revival-Italianate architectural style. The five bay wide, two bays deep, three story house capped with a cupola with a two-story rear wing clad in white lap siding. A half flight of brick steps leads up to the wrap-around porch with square columns detailed with chamfered corners, trim and plinth blocks. The columns support the bracketed cornice and the brick piers below the columns and diagonal lattice panels complete the porch design. Given the outlooks to the beautifully landscaped grounds, I especially appreciated that the porch railing of thin black iron pickets disappears into the landscape.

The Brampton Inn’s striking facades are composed of pressed brick, oversized walnut windows with shutters and the low slope roof crowned by a grand belvedere that offers stunning 360-degree views of the 35-acre country estate. To reflect the hierarchy of spaces within, the main floor’s floor to ceiling 6/9 windows have headers of bracketed molding;  the second floor’s windows are shorter 6/6 with bracketed moldings and third floor windows have simple headers. The eave line of the roof breaks above the middle window into a gable and pairs of brackets enhance the eave line.  The side gable ends are identical and repeat the same window pattern as the front elevation.

The original frame house now contains the kitchen, breakfast area and the Fairy Hill Guest Suite on the main floor and guest rooms above. The breakfast area feels more like a sunroom with its wrap-around windows facing south and west for sunlight throughout the day. French doors lead to a brick terrace covered by a pergola for outdoor dining. Brick steps cascade down to a hardscaped terrace on axis with an arbor and a small pergola. To the side is a firepit surrounded by Adirondack chairs. The Brampton Inn is a popular wedding destination and as I walked across the hardscaped terrace, I could well imagine a bride and groom walking through the arbor onto the terrace for their first dance as man and wife.

After exploring the exterior, I began my tour of the interior through the pair of tall double doors. The layout of the main house is a center hall floor plan with a parlor on either side and I was delighted to discover that the first floor apparently remains unaltered. No expenses were spared for the interior – hand-carved marble fireplaces, intricate plaster medallions, crystal chandeliers, Georgia pine flooring and a three-and-a-half story curved walnut ash staircase. 

The open string type walnut stair is detailed with elaborately scrolled stair brackets and the heavy turned walnut newel post with acanthus and roped motifs rests on its octagonal base. Two turned balusters per each tread support the heavy walnut cap rail. I later learned from the Innkeeper that when the house was a single family residence, the young children would delight in sliding down the stairs! Walnut is also the material used for the four-panel doors with Greek ogee and bevel molding, as well as the door and window trim. This is no surprise, for walnut has a long history in America; Native Americans considered walnut to be the wood of mental focus and clear thinking. It is a high quality dark wood, with a fine straight grain that is perfect for the Inn’s flooring, trim and doors.

The Innkeeper met me in the front parlor and the golden yellow of the walls, upholstery and elegant window treatments with the wood antiques, anchored by the beautiful wood floors and the Oriental rug made me wish I could stay long enough to watch the sun set that must set the room aglow. I wondered if the long windows were jib windows, since the sills were at floor level. This type of door was important for houses in the South since the jib window opens like a door for maximum ventilation. The Innkeeper remarked that during restoration of one window, he found a business card of the company in Pennsylvania who made the window hardware and he contacted them about replacement parts. He was amazed that the original parts were still available from the company!

The other front parlor was set up for afternoon tea and I made a mental note to make a reservation for a later date. Like the other parlor, this parlor has the same original wood floors, fireplace detailing, plaster walls and ceiling medallions. This room’s wainscot, patterned wallpaper, the sheer window treatments and warm lighting set the stage for an elegant daily tea. 

Seven guest suites in the main house and five cottages dotting the grounds offer a range of choices for guests. The first floor of the main house contains the Fairy Hill Suite that was the original kitchen.

This suite is located at the rear of the frame addition and has its own private entrance. This spacious two-level suite has a living room with a wood-burning fireplace. 

The mezzanine level off the landing between the first and second floors contains the two room Emory Suite with a gas fireplace in the bedroom and a separate sitting room that overlooks the terrace and gardens off the breakfast room. The cozy sitting room is a perfect spot to watch TV. 

The second floor contains the Blue Room, the Yellow Room and Poppy’s Retreat. All rooms have gas fireplaces.

This Goldilocks would relish trying out all of the rooms but my favorite room would the front corner’s Yellow Room with its pencil post bedframe covered by a lace canopy, beautiful wood floors, Oriental rugs, and wood antiques. 

The third floor contains the Red Room and Green rooms for bird’s eye views of the landscape. 

The Green Room also has a canopy bed that faces the front and side walls of the Inn. The chimney projection creates a cozy sitting nook by the corner windows near the free-standing wood stove.  

The five cottages have different architectural styles and interiors so there is something for everyone’s taste and mobility. On the day I visited, I was only able to visit two of the cottages, Marley’s Cottage and Russell’s Cottage but the Inn’s website has descriptions and pictures of each cottage.

Marley’s Cottage is the farthest from the Inn’s Main House and is located at the edge of a meadow. This suite and others will undergo renovations to be ADA compliant. The multi-level suite will be renovated to become a one-level ADA Suite. Enjoy the peace and quiet from the front porch, swing or the two-person hammock near the meadow. The suite has a wood burning fireplace viewed from both the sitting area’s two club chairs and the bed. The luxurious bath has both a spa tub and steam shower as well as a large Japanese-style soaking infinity tub in a screened porch. The suite also has a breakfast nook and wet bar with a refrigerator.

If I were a guest, it would be difficult to leave the comfort of a suite or a cottage, but the grounds offer approximately one mile  of walking trails for daily exercise or to work off the Afternoon Tea’s treats. The trails pass by pastoral scenes including the barn, a run-in shed and a silo from the property’s past as a working farm.

After dinner in one of Chestertown’s restaurants (I highly recommend The Watershed for its atmosphere and gourmet cuisine) a guest would drive back to this lovely scene of The Brampton Inn at twilight. This unique property is one of Kent County’s gems and the Innkeepers’ commitment to historic preservation and hospitality will continue to draw both repeat guests and new guests for a memorable stay. Many guests return each year and ask for their same room.

The Brampton Inn is also a popular venue for engagements, weddings, honeymoons, renewal vows, family reunions, and other special occasions. It is also no surprise that the Inn was recognized this year by USA Today 10 Best as one of the top 10 Bed and Breakfasts in the country.

For more information about the Brampton Inn, or to make a reservation, visit www.bramptoninn.com/chestertown-inn, 410-778-1860. (I love how their telephone number is the date of the main house’s construction!)

Photographs courtesy of The Brampton Inn to illustrate the charm of the exteriors and interiors through all the seasons.

Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a referral agent for Meredith Fine Properties. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

It is always a pleasure to return to one of my favorite Talbot County neighborhoods, Cooke’s Hope. The 450 acre neighborhood is named after Major Miles Cooke, and was part of a land grant from Lord Baron of Baltimore in 1659. I schedule my House of the Week feature during warm weather so I can enjoy driving along the tree lined entry drive past the pastoral scene of belted cows  contentedly grazing in the fields. 

As an architect with work experience in planning new neighborhoods, I greatly admire the site layout with its emphasis on open space including five miles of walking trails through wooded areas and fields and ponds with abundant wildlife.  No grid streets here-only meandering streets that control traffic. The sidewalks are shaded by mature trees to encourage walking and interaction with neighbors relaxing on their front porches. For athletic pursuits, there are tennis courts, a putting green, fitness center and community dock. For less strenuous exercise, there are parks, including a park to enjoy with one’s four-legged companions. Since the development began in 1998, one of the most important amenities of this neighborhood are the mature trees that enhance the streetscapes.  

Today’s property has a very desirable location on a circular street at the top corner of the neighborhood’s boundary. Beyond the rear yard is a protected commons area against a backdrop of woods. The builder of this house gets high marks from me for aligning the front wall of the garage with the rear wall of the house, which also creates a deep driveway to accommodate guest parking. As I walked up the brick sidewalk, I noticed the walkway design continued the herringbone pattern with a brick border of the street’s sidewalk. At the porch floor, the brick changes to a basket weave pattern. 

The house has charming curb appeal with its traditional style architecture, enhanced by the front gable portion with a bay window projection at the main floor and two setbacks that both break down the massing and also provide a four-bay covered porch at the main floor.  The house’s classic exterior color palette of its brick foundation, white siding and dark operable shutters is framed by a tall crape myrtle at one front corner and a flowering vine that arcs over the end bays of the porch.  I admired how well the scale of the low shrubbery complements the house so one can relax on the porch’s Chippendale benches and greet neighbors on their daily strolls. 

The floor plan is a center hall design, slightly modified to add a full bath and powder room on one side of the foyer. The vista from the front door ends at the spacious living room, which also has space for an informal dining area  and an exquisite antique harpsichord. 

Before I explored the rest of the main floor, I was drawn to the  wide arched opening at the rear wall of the living room that leads to the three-bay sunroom with brick floors. The rear wall of the sunroom is infilled with wide floor to ceiling arched windows on either side of arched French doors that provide views of the pool area with a mix of hardscape and plantings.  After walking around the pool area, I returned to the foyer to continue my tour. Off the foyer is the dining room at one front corner of the house and the primary suite at the other front corner. 

The primary suite has two baths, one of which is located next to the powder room off the foyer and the larger bath has both a shower and soaking tub with views of the pool area.  The spacious bedroom has two windows on each exterior wall and ample space to accommodate the bed, a loveseat and a chest with circulation space. Between the bedroom and the larger bath is a hall between walk-in closets.  

The dining room’s box bay window on the exterior wall creates a nook for a side table, part of the Owners’ collection of antique furnishings, including the elegant  Hepplewhite dining table and chairs and a Pennsylvania Dutch high chair for the wee ones. The deep caramel color of the walls accentuates the white moldings including a coffered ceiling with the beams trimmed in egg & dart molding, the chair rail around the room and the corner paneling at each corner of the box bay. 

Behind the dining room is the kitchen, which is part of the open plan at the rear of the house. The neutral colored cabinets, dark granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and the efficient prep and cooking areas due to the “L” shape and island arrangement would please any cook. 

Since my home has only a stack W/D set into an alcove, I coveted this house’s mudroom and adjacent laundry. The mudroom has doors to both the garage and the rear yard and the room is furnished with a deacon’s bench, shallow table and hooks for coats. The easy care brick floor and wood white beadboard wainscot is accented by light green walls and the French door and a side window bring sunlight into the room. The laundry also has a window and the sink next to the side by side washer dryer for ease of clean up after a daily dip in the pool. 

The stairs to the second floor overlook the open plan kitchen-informal dining-living area. As we ascended the stairs, the Owner pointed out how much she appreciates that the builder added a handrail at the wall side of the stairs, which is a thoughtful detail not often provided and how the wainscot is a continuation of the paneled wall in the music corner of the living room.  The stairs lead to a huge open area that could be a family room/game room with space for a pool or ping-pong table, a table and chairs for board games under the double-unit dormer at the rear of the house and a wrap-around sofa opposite the TV on the interior wall. 

The second floor has three bedrooms and two baths, one of which is located off the hall. If I were a guest, I would not mind sharing a bathroom so I could claim the middle bedroom. I would sink into the loveseat to watch the TV that is inset into built-in cabinetry for storage or enjoy this bedroom’s bonus of the exterior balcony located over part of the front porch below. 

This house was built to the highest quality of finishes and standards of craftsmanship, including functional wood shutters, moldings, paneling and trim, hardwood floors, gourmet kitchen, built-in millwork in many rooms and plantation shutters. The rear fenced yard is a private retreat with the pool and hardscaped areas for relaxing after a swim or an al-fresco meal. After sunset, the planting areas around the pool are uplit to enhance a last dip in the pool/spa combination as you are soothed by the sound of the waterfall feature. The gate in the fenced backyard leads to the community open space that connects to the walking trails. All this on a quiet circular street at the edge of one of Talbot County’s most desirable neighborhoods!

For more information about this property, contact Bob Shanahan with Shoreline Realty, Inc,  at 410-822-7556 (o) 410-310-5745 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.shorelinerealty.biz , “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

For information about Cooke’s Hope, visit www.cookeshope.org

Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a referral agent for Meredith Fine Properties. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

The phrase in one of my fave Joni Mitchell songs…”I felt unfettered and alive…” always reminds me of an idyllic summer in France after graduation from architectural school. I attended a 10 week session at the E’cole Des Beaux Arts and spent each weekend roaming Paris’ arrondissements with my fellow students. I came home with a deep appreciation for mansard roofs, (which has slopes on all four sides of a building, unlike a gambrel, with slopes on two sides). When I arrived at this property and saw the mansard roofs on both the carriage house and main house, I knew the top floors would be tres magnifique!

I began my tour by walking along part of the 200 feet of waterfront along the Choptank River as a family of ducks left the river to glide into the tidal pond along one side of the property. The house is sited perpendicular to the shoreline and a deep wrap-around porch offers broad vistas up and down the river. The exterior white color palette of stucco on the first floor and white siding on the second floor stands out against the background of tall trees, one of which a bald eagle has claimed for its nest. 

The roof of the main house’s side porch extends over to become a covered porch at the former two-car garage. The covered walkway leads to the front door that opens into a spacious foyer that is part of an open plan living-dining-kitchen area.

When the agent opened the door, I immediately realized that the French Eclectic exterior has an interior inspired by “barndominium” design. After the 2016 segment of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper” featured a transformation of a horse barn into a family “barndominium” with its free-span spaces, rustic wooden staircases, barn doors, wood flooring and reclaimed wood elements,  the design caught on across the country. I loved this house’s wood floors in varied colors, wood beams and the floating wood stairs that contrasted with the white walls to reflect the sunlight from the numerous long windows and glass doors. The stairs’ landing is supported by hand hewn tree limbs and a reclaimed wood framed window has a clever use as a railing for transparency. The dramatic three-sided stucco fireplace is the focal point of the open floor plan. 

The dining area is centered on a wide picture window with operable units on each side for tranquil views of the tidal pond. Between the cushioned window seat and the upholstered side chairs, there is plenty of seating for small or large groups. I especially liked the two white oak planks with live edges that combine to make the stylish table top floating above the slender deep gray iron frame. The kitchen’s light gray cabinets blend with the stainless steel appliances for a sleek contemporary look and most of the upper cabinets have glass fronts for transparency. The white countertops and the splashes of deep blue accents on the sides of the cabinetry add color. Uplights on top of the exposed beams provide soft accent lighting. Behind the kitchen is the family room that was the former two-car garage, a large pantry and a full bath. 

The stairs with open risers and thick wood treads with the landing enhanced by a ledge with a wood cap built into the steep roof. Three tall woven vessels on the ledge are back lit and combined with the exposed beams above that are top lit to create a dramatic effect. The hall off the stairs leads to barn doors to access the bedrooms and baths. At the end of the hall is a large room currently furnished as a laundry but it could easily be converted to a secondary sitting room or TV space. 

The primary bedroom is located at one corner with windows offering views of the river.  The dormer windows’ pitched headers, exposed wood collar beams and open ceiling that follows the roof rafters’ slope accented by wood trim at roof intersections creates simple and elegant interior architecture. 

White is the color of cleanliness and this bathroom’s white walls and ceiling accentuate the interior architecture. The white plumbing fixtures resting on the wood floors, the exposed beams and the water views creates an inviting place for a soothing soak. This bathroom has a clever detail of the reclaimed wood ladder in its role as a towel rack. 

All of the bedrooms have great individual style and although it was difficult to choose, this Goldilocks would choose this bedroom with the bed against the mansard roof and windows on either side-wonderful geometry and materials!

The third floor waterside corner bedroom would be a perfect child’s bedroom with the window seat that connects the front and side windows. It is easy to imagine this room with toys, favorite stuffed animals and books arranged on the window seat. 

If I were lucky to be a guest for an extended stay, I would claim the carriage house with its gambrel roof. The entry door opens into a foyer/laundry then another door opens into the open plan living-dining-kitchen area that spans the full depth of the house. 

From the front bay window to the wrap-around windows at the rear dining area overlooking the water, this space would delight any guest.  The front bay window is a cozy spot for two and the main sitting area is centered on the fireplace and the TV. The exposed beams are uplighted by a continuous light cove that cast a gentle glow. The light cove ends at the waterside dining area with its white drywall ceilings to better reflect the sunlight from the wrap around windows with a continuous built-in seat below around the large table. In between the living and dining areas is the galley kitchen with an island. 

A circular stair leads to the second floor bedroom and this space truly personifies the barndominium concept with the wood sloped walls, collar beams and ceiling accented by the white drywall knee walls. The entire space is a sumptuous bedroom ensuite complete with a soaking tub. 

The main house has the wrap around porch overlooking the Choptank River but the guest house has its own outdoor room, the deck overlooking the serene tidal pond.  What a perfect spot to end a day at the beach or boating on the Choptank River!

This ten acre property with the main house’s seven bedrooms over two floors and the guest house’s additional bedroom is currently a vacation rental that offers myriad possibilities to a new owner. Numerous amenities include a ramp for watercraft, a waterside canopy of mature trees, extensive shoreline bulkheading, sandy beach, tidal pond, main house wrap around porch, and the guest house second flood deck. Claim your spot on a hammock or sink into an Adirondack chair on the porch for watching dramatic sunsets over the river.  A bucolic setting with contemporary barndominium interiors-where else can you find all of this only an hour from the Atlantic Ocean?

For information about this property contact Coard Benson with Benson & Mangold Real Estate at 410-770-9255 (o), 410-310-4909 (c) or [email protected].For more pictures and pricing, visit www.coardbenson.com , “Equal Housing Opportunity.”

Interior design by Honor Moore, Honor Moore Studio, www.honormoore.com Photography and virtual tour by Broadview Interactive LLC,  [email protected]

Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a referral agent for Meredith Fine Properties. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

Whenever I find a property that meets all four of my criteria of site, architecture, interiors and landscape excellence, I do my “happy dance”. I danced an Irish jig for this charming two-acre property along Irish Creek in its setting of mature trees and plantings enhanced by nocturnal uplighting. The house is sited parallel to the undulating riprapped shoreline for maximum water views from all of the main rooms. As I walked up the brick sidewalk for my tour, I admired the house’s exterior color palette of taupe siding, warm white trim and the accent of the front entry door and sidelights of creamy golden yellow. 

As I reached the front porch, I also admired the massing with the three-bay front porch set against the five-bay two-story wing of the house. This allows the two windows at the front corners of the house to still receive direct sunlight. As I began my tour with one of the Owners, I was surprised to learn the house had once been a center hall Colonial with an attached garage. 

The current Owners transformed the house by adding the front and rear porches that are delightful outdoor rooms. The semicircular group of Adirondack chairs around a firepit at the water’s edge is another option for relaxing outdoors close to the water’s edge. The rear porch’s gable roof covers the screened porch connected to a low sloped roof over the open porch next to the pool. The Owners also converted the one and half story garage to a family room and added a connection to a new garage. Setting the new cruciform shaped garage back from the house’s front façade enhanced the original massing.

The two-story foyer has direct sunlight from the second-floor window above the front door that casts delightful shadows on the high side walls. On each side wall of the foyer, French doors lead to either one room furnished as a guest bedroom with a full bath or to the dining room. The bath does dual duty as a powder room since it  has a second door to the foyer.

Any guest would be quite content to linger in this charming bedroom with soothing walls of caramel and fabric colors of rose red and sage green. Sunlight from four windows falls on the beautiful hardwood floors. I admired the interiors and the Owner modestly admitted she had selected both the exterior and interior colors herself.

The inviting dining room with its antique round oak table and upholstered chairs reminded me of my own dining room’s design. Like my table, leaves can be added to extend the shape to an oval to accommodate more guests. The wide corner cabinet is a mini butler’s pantry that contains china and crystal for setting the table. 

We walked through the dining room to the rear of the house, and I observed how the space planning was dramatically changed by the Owners. Service rooms were removed and the conversion of the former garage to a family room created an open plan living-dining-family room with views of the water. The living room’s rear wall of windows and transoms above creates the feeling of a sunroom. I usually see built-in millwork flanking a fireplace, so it was a refreshing change to see free-standing shelving units on either side of the fireplace for family photographs, books and memorabilia. 

The spacious kitchen is a cook’s dream with its separation of food prep and cooking areas by cleverly staggering the line of cabinets that breaks down the large room’s size, the long and wide island with seven bar stools and the built-in work area tucked into the interior wall. The white color scheme of both the cabinets and countertops stands out against the beautiful wood floors and the stainless-steel appliances complete the crisp and fresh look.  An exterior door leads to the screened porch for ease of serving meals.

The screened porch is a spacious sitting room with views of the landscape and water. I admired both the high sloped ceiling and the white rattan furniture’s variety of seating from the sofa, chaise, ottoman and rocker.   The circular table and chairs creates the perfect spot for a pas de deux breakfast. 

I appreciated how the walls of the family room are darker to make this large room feel cozy. The room has sunlight throughout the day from both the two front windows and the rear wall of windows overlooking the fenced garden area. A wide wall opening leads to the secondary entry between the family room and the two-car garage. The two-story entry has a “U” shaped stair that ends in an overlook to the entry below. The oversized garage has extra space for a waterside fitness area with a shallow porch overlooking the water and storage. Above the garage is the bonus room that has myriad uses; home office, studio, or a teen gathering space.  

From the foyer, stairs to the second floor open onto a large landing with room for a computer table for homework. The sumptuous primary suite spans across the entire length of the rear of the second floor and I paused at the door to the primary bedroom to savor this serene room. The aqua wall color, neutral tones and patterns of the checked bedspread, upholstered chairs with aqua pillows, quilted headboard that matches the bench at the foot of the bed and the light colored wood pieces create a restful retreat. French doors lead to the spa-inspired spacious bath with a dual vanity, glass walled shower and free-standing soaking tub under windows at each side wall of the waterside corner. The pebble flooring of the shower was also used in the shower wall’s inset as an accent. The remainder of the suite is a long walk-in closet with center island storage that is an inspired use of the former garage’s attic. The remainder of the second floor contains two guest bedrooms and a shared hall bath.

I reluctantly ended my tour of this beautifully designed and lovingly maintained property- my compliments to the Owner for her innate interior design skill. Convenient location between Easton and St. Michaels, Irish Creek frontage leading to the Choptank River, outdoor rooms for relaxation ranging from two covered porches, a screened porch and a private dock with a boat lift, creative space planning and great curb appeal-all this in sought after Royal Oak! 

For more information about this property, contact Cliff Meredith, who helped sponsor this article, at Meredith Fine Properties at 410-822-6272 (o), 410-924-0082 (c), or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.cliffmeredith.com , “Equal Housing Opportunity.” 

Photography by Krista Valliant, Atlantic Exposures, [email protected]

Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a referral agent for Meredith Fine Properties. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

I always welcome an opportunity to fall under Oxford’s spell so when I attended an open house at this property, I knew this historic house would have an intriguing story and indeed it does. The house’s large lot is due to its being the location of both the Jeremiah Valliant Store that was built at the corner of the lot approximately ten years before this house, known as the Pastorfield-Valliant House, was built next door. As befitting a post-Civil War era house, the lot originally included a kitchen, carriage house, granary, small office, meat house and dairy. 

The original two and half story, five bays wide and one room deep house has been beautifully maintained. The color palette of  light brown lap siding, white trim and corner boards is classic and the 4/4 long windows on both the main and second floors and three single dormer windows arranged symmetrically over the second-floor windows create a very pleasing symmetry. The front porch is four-bays wide for expansive views of the charming townscape. Each bay is embellished with fretwork on both sides of the turned columns and a low elliptical trim spans from column to column with another fretwork detail marking the center of each bay. 

The side elevation shows the “T” shape of the original house with both a one and a half story pitched roof wing that telescope down with three shed roofed rooms attached to it at both the rear and side of the house.  

 The paneled entry wood door has a full transom and half glass/half paneled sidelights and opens into a gracious entry opposite the original L-shaped staircase. The staircase shape creates space for a former sewing machine to have a new life as a stylish table opposite a bench for storage of shoes. The dark stain of the  balustrade and treads are a pleasant contrast to the white risers and stair stringer. The foyer separates two original rooms that are identical in size. At the wide wall opening to the family room, turned columns are slightly offset from the wall to further frame the opening. 

On the opposite side of the foyer, a pair of French doors lead to the living room. This room has been modified from the original layout of two windows opposite each other at the front and rear walls. A closet was added next to the fireplace and one of the rear windows has been incorporated into a full bath, to offer the flexibility of using this space as a main floor bedroom.

Chesterfield style sofas have always appealed to me, probably from years of watching PBS’ Masterpiece Theater, so I was tempted to linger on this inviting room’s sofa to imagine winter evenings of watching TV by the fire.

Next to the family room is the kitchen that has exterior doors on its two side walls flanked by single windows. I loved the eclectic look of this kitchen’s wide galley layout that creates space for a large island with its “L” shaped higher counter and bead board wall against the stylish bar stools’ metal frame and deep gray cushions. At the island’s other side, the standard height counter has a dark finish with black cabinetry and a stainless-steel dishwasher. I admired the deep gray ceiling and the original wood floors that highlight the white of the walls and cabinetry and how the textures of the white bead board, red brick exposed chimney and mix of black and light quartz counters add character. On the opposite wall of the galley, the middle upper cabinet has glass fronted doors inset into deep gray frames between white upper cabinets that breaks up the wall of white cabinets as the stove does on the other side of the room. 

Behind the kitchen is the story and half wing with another stair for access to the playroom above. The sunny dining room has three windows on one side opposite the door and window to the side small porch. I admired the appealing variety of wood finishes from the flooring, table, chairs, and the sideboard with its glass fronted doors. Behind the dining room is the laundry area and a full bath, including a clawfoot tub.

At the second floor, the corner room over the family room is a spacious ensuite.  The original mantel at the chimney wall and the wallpaper design of oversized flowers give this space great character. The two front windows and one side window provide abundant sunlight.  

Off the stair landing to the second floor is a short flight of steps leading to another bedroom in the original “L” part of the house. The bedroom is furnished as a nursery with a closet opposite the chimney creating a window seat that is a perfect spot for a bedtime story. Behind this space is the attic area over the dining room below. The high knee walls and sloped ceiling create a cozy space for this delightful children’s playroom. The ductwork at the floor level is disguised by a long window seat and black cubes above provide storage for toys and games. At the rear of the room is the secondary stair to the dining room and kitchen below.

The entire third floor is a sumptuous primary suite with the bedroom area and the bath at the front of the house with both dormer windows and low windows in the side gable walls. The amount of floor space would allow flexible furniture arrangements. With two closets in my entire house, I envied the dressing area with chests on each side that leads to a deep walk-in closet with windows at the rear gable wall for sunlight. The spacious bath’s soaking tub in front of the other exposed brick chimney between windows creates a private space for a long soothing soak.   

Large lot in Oxford’s Historic District surrounded by a traditional Oxford wooden fence, close to the waterside park and shopping area, beautifully maintained home with many original details, wrap-around porch to expand your living space, spacious rooms filled with sunlight from large windows, upgraded kitchen and baths- a unique opportunity to become the next steward of this historic home rooted in Oxford’s history!

For more information about this property, contact Jane McCarthy at Benson and Mangold Real Estate, 410-822-1415 (o), 410-310-6692 (c) or [email protected] .For more photographs or pricing, visit  www.marylandseasternshorehomes.com , Equal Housing Opportunity.” Photography by Janelle Stroop, Thru the Lens Photos, 410-310-6838, [email protected]. 

Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a referral agent for Meredith Fine Properties. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.