Jennifer Martella

St. Michaels: Reclaimed, “Iron and Wood Redefined”

January 27, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

I recently visited Reclaimed, “Iron and Wood Redefined”, one of the shops located in the new building on the former site of the Acme in St. Michaels. Reclaimed is a treasure trove of old and new items and the third store in St. Michaels’ shopping district for entrepreneurs Mark and Tracey Miller who are passionate about “rebuilding history one piece at a time.” Their backgrounds in teaching and custom building and their love of history led to their founding a demolition salvage company.

They now travel around the country seeking historic salvage, antiques, vintage pieces, and other treasures rescued from American vernacular-homesteads, old wood barns, and other dilapidated outbuildings in danger of demolition. The Millers take great pride in their extensive research and for being able to convey the historic provenance of the unique items they sell. The reward for their hard work is seeing a customer connect with a piece that has a personal memory for them, perhaps from childhood.

Being passionate about history, Mark and Tracey located their first and second stores, Iron Will Woodworks, “Rebuilding History One Piece at a Time,” and The Boathouse, “An Eastern Shore Journey,” in the historic former Just Right Flour Mill complex that was a working mill from the 1890s to its closing in 1970. Their historic salvage is right at home in this wood-framed building, with most of the Mill equipment still in place. The focus of the Iron Will Woodworks is shabby chic and farmhouse furniture found across their travels in the USA, as well as pieces they custom built from wood salvaged from old barns they took down.

The Boathouse, which opened in April 2019, offers contemporary furniture, local maritime salvage, and nautical decor. Mark and Tracey gutted two floors in a section of the Flour Mill, including one of the original engine rooms, and restored the space to its 1890s historic character. Prominently displayed on the walls are the original black & white Flour Mill photographs the Millers have discovered in their searches.

Reclaimed’s focus is the American Industrial Age and the hard-working American men and women who toiled daily in factories under challenging conditions. The store is stocked with recycled furniture, ironwork, metalwork, home décor, and American made salvage items. Also, you’ll be exposed to two passions that the Millers share: Restoration of “Petroliana” (items relating to gas pumps) and custom-building furniture from iron machine bases discovered in their travels.

On the day I visited, something caught my eye everywhere I looked due to the creative merchandising that made browsing an adventure. First, there was a pair of square coffee tables with iron legs and wood tops, then a group of end tables and a coffee table with convex iron legs with reclaimed wood tops. Other furniture included a variety of wood cupboards, storage pieces, sideboards, tables, end tables, coffee tables, and small chests. The pendant light fixtures hanging from the ceiling are also for sale. I was delighted to find two whimsical sea creatures created by the metal artisan David Dunn, whose work I have featured in the Talbot Spy.

As an architect, I was intrigued by their selection of old barn wood as a wall finish or flooring for residential and commercial use. They offer the wood in several species and finishes to architects, interior designers, and contractors for residential or commercial projects.

Kudos to Mark and Tracey for bringing their unique stores to St. Michaels. Visit their website for information about upcoming events at Reclaimed, including their February 15th event with live music, furniture giveaways, and other surprises. See you there!

Reclaimed, “Iron and Wood Redefined” is located at 114 S. Talbot St., Suite B, in the new commercial building on the former Acme site. For more information, call 267-221-5017, follow them on Facebook @reclaimedmd or on Instagram @reclaimedmaryland or email. Hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm seven days a week.

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.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

House of the Week: High Style Jamaican Style

January 21, 2020 by Jennifer Martella 2 Comments

Once again I am delighted to return to the Cooke’s Hope Development and this time the irresistible banded cows grazing in the fields by the entry drive have been replaced with waterfowl. Even though the allee of trees along the drive have shed their leaves, the stark beauty of the trees’ trunks and branches provide an open view to the surrounding pastoral landscape.

This house faces a commons area across the street so the outlook from the house is of trees and plantings instead of other houses. Its “Jamaican Stairwell” design is one of the earliest houses to be built in Cooke’s Hope. The current Owners added a spacious master suite wing on the first floor and transformed a rear porch into a large family room.

The original house was square-shaped with a hipped roof crowned by a four-sided clerestory that in Jamaican architecture would have been the top of an air shaft for ventilation via louvers. Here the clerestory louvers are windows and other windows in the second floor walls filter sunlight below to the first floor.

The front elevation has great curb appeal with a symmetrical arrangement of the center front half-French door and sidelights surrounded by windows and the clerestory centered in the roof. The front porch has a low decorative railing above with finials on the newel posts that is low enough so the view from the window in the exterior wall behind it is unobstructed. Light yellow lap siding, white trim, pilasters as corner boards, and white windows complete the color palette inspired by the tropics.

The entrance hall is open to the ”U” shaped stairwell with views up to the clerestory windows. On one side of the entry is a cozy room furnished as a TV room that could easily become a guest suite with the adjacent full bath. Pocket doors between the suite and the entry provide privacy.

The other side of the entry is a room spanning the full depth of the original house. The fireplace is centered on the wall with chairs and an ottoman for relaxing by the fire. The front area of the room set up for dining and the rear sitting area creates a wonderful room for entertaining family and friends. One of the Owners graciously gave me a tour and as we moved through each room the exquisite interiors with the warmth of family photographs and art clearly communicated this was a much loved home.

The galley kitchen behind the stairwell had been expanded from the original design and overlooks the rear family room. The kitchen connects both the cozy breakfast area with a fireplace and picture window with views of the landscaped rear yard and also the sitting area of the living room so the cooks can easily converse with guests as meals are prepared.

The master suite has a luxurious bedroom with French doors to a covered porch with views to the fenced landscaped area, his and her baths, hers with a soaking tub, and a huge master dressing room. The second floor bedrooms are accessed by the sitting area with a fireplace at the top of the stairs. The two large bedrooms offer flexible use-one could be another master suite and the other a child’s bedroom and play area.

The rear yard has been carefully designed with a two-car garage off the alley, a hardscaped terrace and grille for outdoor cooking and dining, two formal gardens and other landscaping that provides privacy from the neighboring houses.

The floor plan is compact with a minimum of halls so you are not immediately aware that the total sf is 4,600. The peaceful setting with the front community commons, private rear landscape and gardens and stylish architecture in one of my favorite Easton neighborhoods-hard to resist. Bravo to Owners’ interior design skills!

For more information about this property, contact Hoppy Stafford of Stafford & Stafford Real Estate, 410-822-1980 (o), 410-310-7755 (c) , hoppy@goeaston.net. For more photographs and pricing visit www.staffordandstafford.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.

House of the Week: Classic Cape Cod

January 14, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

This classic Cape Cod caught my eye for several reasons-I liked the symmetry you expect from this architectural style of the front elevation with the center door and pairs of windows on either side and the three dormer windows above. Another reason is the appealing massing with the house’s side gable and the garage’s front gable connected by a “hyphen” that connects the two wings. The latter also places the garage doors on the side since front loading garage doors are one of my architectural pet peeves. The color palette of off-white siding, black shutters, black front entry door with sidelights, white trim and red brick chimney give this traditional house great curb appeal.

The beautiful interiors were even more appealing and were artfully arranged with the owner’s discriminating eye. The living room’s off-white upholstered pieces contrasted with the wide pine wood floors, thoughtfully placed accessories, color accents in the pillows, the pot of red geraniums in one corner and artwork that all create a serene space. The lack of a rug makes the room see even wider and I especially admired the perspective of the snow scene above the sofa that reminded me of a Wyeth print.

The dining room drop-leaf table is perfect for a dinner a-deux or a feast with family and friends on the wood table and chairs that are centered in the room on a striped rug. The other furnishings of a wood sideboard and small table between the large front windows with extra dining chairs were complementary but I especially loved the accent of the antique slate blue ice box that now provides extra storage that inspired the blue accents in the artwork.

The large family area spans the rear of the house a sitting room, breakfast area and kitchen. The sitting room is very inviting with its blue and white color scheme of white rattan chairs, blue sofa, white bench turned coffee table, blue and white accent pillows, and the warmth of the TV wood armoire and antique writing desk. The artwork over the fireplace mantel between two windows with its subject matter of the same arrangement of elements was an especially deft touch. French doors behind the family room lead to a three-bay screened porch with areas for sitting and dining for additional relaxing with views of the rear lawn surrounded by trees.

The second floor’s delightful interior architecture is defined by the front dormer windows and the shed dormer that extends most of the length of the rear elevation. I especially liked one bedroom’s interior design of a powder-coat iron bed frame, blue and white bed linens, round woven rug with a sailing motif. The bench under the dormer window with blue legs and a stained wood top as a base for an arrangement of a blue pillow, yellow pillow and woven basket was the perfect detail.

Classic Cape Cod with a great floor plan-bravo to the owners for their beautiful interior design!

For more information about this property contact Dawn Lednum with Chesapeake Bay Real Estate Plus LLC at 410-745-6702 (o) 410-829-3603 (c) dawnlednum@gmail.com or www.cbreplus.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Habitat: Winter Planning for Spring Planting with Jan Kirsh

January 9, 2020 by Jennifer Martella

As I write this on a dreary gray day of winter, my home’s second floor office area overlooks the detritus of what were planting beds and shrubbery that are now in their winter slumber before spring comes again. My flowering plants have crew cuts that disclose no hints of their spring finery and the dead shrubbery that succumbed to last winter’s weather must be dug up. This will alter my landscape and clearly it is time to bring in a professional for planning help. Landscaping is cyclical, of course, and winter is the optimum time to work with a landscape planner to assess your lawn and garden to get ready for spring planting.

So many things to consider! What plants need to be moved? What would be the best replacements for dead plants or shrubs given the sun, shade and soil conditions? How to best build upon the three-dimensional aspect of the garden, keeping in mind the maximum height and breadth of plants and shrubs so each mature plant or flower can be appreciated when in full bloom? It is time to add more hardscape or perhaps a pergola? As Charlie Brown was fond of saying, “Aaaaagh!)

To inspire me, I recently visited the landscape designer Jan Kirsh in her studio to discuss winter planning. As we talked, we both realized our approach to design is quite similar-as I do with my architecture clients, Jan first visits the site to evaluate the sun path, prevailing breeze, existing conditions, drainage issues, privacy issues, outlook from the house to the garden and vice versa, shade, hardscapes, etc. She takes extensive photographs and measurements of existing conditions that will guide her design process. After she has absorbed the project challenges, she sits down with her clients on-site and engages them in a conversation about their wish list for the garden and their target budget.

She showed me one project in St. Michaels’ Historic District that beautifully illustrated her design process. The owners retained Jan to transform both their street side front yard and fenced rear yard off an alley. Jan’s design drew inspiration from the house’s exterior color palette of blue and yellow. For the front garden beds, she added a native shrub, itea virginica, along with spring blooming spirea, and an ornamental grass, the dwarf form of Miscanthus Zebrina, which has yellow and green striped foliage. A remarkably hardy clump of Pretoria ‘Bengal Tiger’ tropical cannas adds to the colorful summer show. The Owners requested that Jan include space so summer annuals or fall pansies can be added to further play off the house colors.

The rear yard needed Jan’s creative skills for both landscape and hardscape. She first added a parking area at one corner and an equally sized area for a small garden shed at the opposite corner for symmetry. The original wood steps from the house to the yard were removed and Jan designed a new brick landing and steps beyond the French doors. To solve drainage issues, the original brick patio at the bottom of the steps was removed and replaced with a higher brick terrace. The former rectangular planting bed was replaced with a water feature that is on axis with the center point of the French doors at the rear of the house.

Jan continued and deepened the serpentine form in front of the fencing that was painted white as a backdrop for the colorful plants. The existing pear tree at the top rear of the yard was relocated and Jan incorporated the existing shade trees along the perimeter into her design.

I especially liked Jan’s design for the garden shed that was designed to blend with the neighborhood vernacular outbuildings along the rear alley. The garden shed matches the house’s architectural style, light yellow siding and white trim color. Details included a bright blue half French door with a transom above flanked by two small 2/2 windows with pendant downlights. Now the garden shed is a visual destination and not just a storage area.

The serpentine planting areas with their low bushes were transformed by plantings of different ascending heights to just underside the top rail of the white fence with its arrowhead points as a backdrop. New plants added texture, variegated leaves and color. The juxtaposition of the spherical pink hydrangeas (one of my personal favorites) against the tall, spiky pink astilbe is a great example of variety without a change of color.

Now the owners can relax on their brick terrace that extends into the garden for 180 degree views of the colorful serpentine borders and listen to the soothing sounds of water accompanied by the songs of birds. Even a relatively compact urban yard like this one can be transformed into a verdant oasis with the creative talent of a landscape designer.

Jan enjoys working with small spaces and their corresponding budgets as much as the waterfront estates for which she is best known. She is also available for a one-time consultation if a garden enthusiast needs to discuss their ideas, so I will be seeking her assistance for my small planting areas to enhance my property!

Known for functional, artful four-season gardens, Jan Kirsh has worked collaboratively with clients for over 30 years to bring her unique hardscape and planting style to homes on the Eastern Shore and beyond. Ever conscious of the existing architecture and surrounding site, Kirsh’s successful garden making experience allows for dramatic results, whether she is providing a quick on site consultation, staging a home for sale or drawing a master plan. She delights in turning her clients dreams into reality.

A portfolio of her landscape work can be seen at her website www.jankirshstudio.com or contact her at 410-745-5252 (o),410-310-1198 (c) or email at.jankirshstudio@gmail.com.

House of the Week: West Chew Wonderful

January 7, 2020 by Jennifer Martella

Several years ago, when I was active in real estate, I showed this house to potential buyers and it still has great appeal to me. I liked the “T” shaped footprint which creates spaces for front porches on both of the two floors, and a terrace at the back. The short leg of the “T” has a gable roof at the front and back and the long part of the “T” has a shed roof extension which provides shade for the second floor porch. The front gable is articulated by a bay projection at the first floor, a double window at the second floor and a single arched top window at the attic level. Fretwork brackets enhance the bay eave and the header of the double window and between the porch columns is a decorative fretwork motif.

The front door opens to the living room with the stair at the side for maximum floor area. I liked the easy flow from the covered front porch through the living room to the open rear deck accessed by two single French doors. A fireplace at the side wall of the living room is the perfect finishing touch for relaxing with family or entertaining friends.

The front elevation’s bay window defines the dining area that is open to the spacious kitchen. Behind the kitchen is a one-story mud room/pantry with high wrap-around windows above shelving for storage. When I showed the house, the buyers loved this space but wished it could be a sunroom with longer windows for better views of the rear yard. I suggested extending the shed roof over behind the stairs and flipping the powder room and utility closet to that space. Then the entire width behind the kitchen could be a sunroom/TV area.

The second floor has three bedrooms and one bath with a laundry closet. My favorite bedroom was the front bedroom with private access to the covered porch for sleeping al fresco. The second floor area over the mud room below could be extended to create a second bath and closets so the rear bedroom could become a master suite.

Historic District location close to the park, boat ramp at San Domingo Creek, Rails to Trails and Talbot Street’s “Restaurant Row”- plus great potential to create an expanded master suite on the second floor, a sunroom below and a rear yard that is a blank canvas for the avid gardener to transform-hard to resist!

For more information about this property, contact Gene Smith at Benson & Mangold Real Estate, 410-745-0417 (o),410-443-1571(c), gsmith@bensonandmangold.com, or “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

House of the Week: East End Infill in Easton

December 31, 2019 by Jennifer Martella

Earlier this year I wrote about how the architectural firm Atelier 11’s development projects began the revitalization of the East End. Their first venture was the design and construction of their own architectural office on an Aurora Street vacant lot. Since that time, at least seventeen other new or renovated properties, either of their own design or residents’ investment in their properties have built upon that revitalization that continues today.

Atelier 11 designed and built two new houses on lots near their building to knit the streetscape back together and this charming house was one of them. The house’s length faces the street to maximize the rear yard area and the main floor is set several steps above the sidewalk for privacy. Brick paved off-street parking is a plus in this urban neighborhood of narrow one-way side streets. Glass block inserted into the brick faced foundation wall adds light to the basement and the vertical board and batten siding accentuates the height of the house, broken by a trim band at the second floor level and the cornice board below the eave. At each gable end, the lap siding replaces the board and batten for greater architectural interest.

I was very impressed with the variety of spaces to enjoy the outdoors. A brick path leads from the parking area and first passes the gate in the fence to the open flagstone terrace. The brick path continues to the steps up to the main floor deck that then connects to the screened porch overlooking the rear yard. The second floor deck above the screened porch offers a bird’s eye view of the property and the pergola framework gives a wonderful sense of enclosure to the deck. I loved the detailing of the decks’ railings with the upside-down arrowhead design of vertical slats with a circle inserted for a contemporary flair. At the main floor level, the railing incorporates a wrap-around seat; at the upper deck, the railing provides seated privacy.

Like many of its older neighbors in the Historic District, the house is one room deep with windows on all sides that creates interior rooms filled with daylight throughout the day. Most of all, I loved the masterful play of light on the second floor deck. The railing with minimal spacing between the vertical slats casts shadows of circles and thin lines on the deck floor, the horizontal beam supports cast diagonal shadows on the house’s rear wall and the horizontal framing members above the main pergola joists add their layer of shadow on the house’s rear wall with its slight jump over the vertical board and batten siding whose dimension adds another layer of shadow.

The floor plan works very well with the stairs to the basement and the upper floors located at the rear of the house to create minimum hallways to maximize the living area on each floor. The main floor has a living room at one end and the kitchen-dining at the other end with the powder room and closet separating the spaces. Both the living room and the dining area have wrap-around windows for broad views of the rear yard. The second floor has the master bedroom and another bedroom at each end and in between is a large bath and third bedroom. The third floor is one splendid open space filled with light from windows on all four walls, from round windows inserted into triangular dormers, two other windows in a shed dormer and single windows at each gable. The sloped side ceilings meet in the middle flat area below the collar beam for great interior architecture that would inspire myriad uses.

Great design with more outdoor spaces than most urban houses of its size, charming architectural style that complements the neighborhood’s older houses, a floor plan for today’s lifestyle. Design matters-bravo to the architects!

For details about this property, contact Kelly Showell with Benson & Mangold, LLC at 410-822-1415 (o), 410-829-5468 (c), kshowell1958@gmail.com, or bensoldandmangold.com/agents/kelly-showell, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

House of the Week: Colonial Charm

December 24, 2019 by Jennifer Martella

I have several friends who live in this in-town neighborhood and they love its proximity to Easton Parkway, Easton Middle School, the YMCA, Idlewild Park and downtown. This colonial style home’s front elevation is very pleasing with its entry door centered in the main wing, flanked by two pairs of windows on each side with the second floor windows aligned above and the attached two-car garage with its pair of windows. I especially liked how the garage doors were located at the side instead of the front of the house. White lap siding, dark shutters, the wood six-panel door and elliptical fanlight and a graceful arched porch roof supported by white columns over the front brick stoop are some characteristics of the Colonial style.

The house is zoned quite well beginning with the two-story entry centered between an office on one side and a living room on the other. The rear wall of the living room has a wide wall opening to the dining room with a bay window for views of the landscape. Next to the dining room is the open plan kitchen-breakfast room-family room area that spans across the rear of the house. The “L” kitchen arrangement with an island opposite the refrigerator wall is very efficient and both the breakfast area and the family room have sliding doors to the deck. The family room’s rear triple windows and a fireplace on the side wall between double windows make it a bright and sunny space that is clearly the gathering spot for family and friends.

The spacious second floor bedrooms all have either pairs of windows or a double window for daylight. The entry hall stair extends to the third floor open storage area with three dormer windows for natural light.

The fenced rear yard has mature trees, a children’s play area and a large pool with a brick surround that expands to create a terrace with a dining area. The deck at the rear of the house has a retractable awing for shade and areas for seating and dining. Two sets of steps from the deck creates easy access both to the pool and the outdoor grille. The perfect “outdoor room” for family fun.

Great location with a very livable floor plan ready for holiday celebrations and a rear yard designed for relaxation-all in a quiet in-town neighborhood!

For more information about this property, contact Robert Lacaze at Long and Foster Real Estate Inc., 410-770-3600 (v), 410-310-7835 (c) lacazerob@gmail.com, or www.longandfoster.com/RobertLacaze, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Since I am writing this on Christmas Eve and on the second day of Hanukkah, Happy Holidays to everyone! I also want to express my deep appreciation to the sellers who have graciously given me tours of their homes, the agents and their administrative assistants who coordinated their listing information with me, my fellow architects who shared their outstanding house designs and you, dear readers for your support!

Jennifer Martella

House of the Week: “Beauvoir Farm”

December 17, 2019 by Jennifer Martella

“Beauvoir” literally translates from the French as “beautiful to see” and indeed, on the day I visited, it was beautiful. The aerial shows how the house is nestled among mature trees and its long elevation is broken by the curved passage and the angled North Wing. The first written mention of the property was thirty nine years after the Pilgrims’ landing at Plymouth Rock, when Edward Lloyd, of the illustrious Lloyd family, obtained a patent for 3,050 acres along the bank of La Trappe Creek at its entrance to the Choptank River. 1798 tax records include a reference to a one story frame house, 36 ft long by 18 ft wide, a frame addition 25 ft long by 18 ft wide, and a passage 14 ft long by 18 ft wide. Outbuildings listed including a “Quarter” (part of the now guest cottage ) “fowl house”, “meal room” and “meat house”. The latter is also known as a smokehouse and this square outbuilding with its steep pyramidal roof is among the most distinguished in the County.

The description in the 1798 tax records matches the existing one and a half story part of the main house that is now attached to the two-and-a-half story Federal style addition built in the early 19th century. In the 1930’s, the curved passage with brick floors and arched topped French doors connected the main house to the north addition. The house was also updated during this time but the original architectural details have been preserved, including handmade bricks, probably fabricated on-site, wood flooring, the dining room’s paneled walls with bolection chair rail between panels, window headers, jambs and sills, door wooden handles and latches, the living room’s period woodwork and the open string staircase constructed of walnut and doors hung on original cast iron hinges. The rich architectural details that are usually found in the great country seats of the County contrast with the simple exterior facades of the house.

The approach to the house is along a straight gravel drive flanked by an allee of trees that becomes a circular drive as it passes by the main house, the curved breezeway and the angled north wing to break down the massing. The north wing is also slightly “T’ shaped with front and rear gables for further architectural interest. The front porch leads to the spacious entrance hall with the stair at one side and a rear door with steps leading to the lawn and water beyond. The location of the stair gives the parlor windows on three sides for panoramic views of the landscape and water. The period furnishings enhance the interior architecture.

The earliest part of the house, the exquisite dining room, has windows at both the front and rear of the house and the spacious room could comfortably accommodate 10-12 guests around the antique table. The aforementioned full height paneled walls in pale green and the beautiful antiques would make it easy to linger over dinner by candlelight and the light of the fire. The modernized kitchen adjoins the original kitchen that once had a firebox width of eight feet and more depth than it now has. It is one of my favorite rooms with its exposed hand hewn beams blackened over the years, the white ceiling, the wide brick fireplace painted white with corbelled sides, wood floors, serving pieces arrayed on the wood mantel and on top of the wood antique armoire with its long black strap hinge and wood latch and handle. A small table and chairs is a cozy spot for breakfast.

Another favorite room is the library with floor to ceiling bookcases in between wall panels, a fireplace, comfortable chairs and a door to the 45 ft. long sunroom with views of the water. Both the old and new kitchens have access to the sunroom with its brick floors, continuous walls of sliding doors, pitched ceiling with stained wood exposed rafters and decking with broad views to the water.

The master bedroom on the second floor of the Federal style wing has a fireplace and windows on three sides for views of the landscape and water. The other second floor bedrooms tucked under the pitched ceilings have charming interior architecture with their hardwood floors, dormer windows and fireplaces. There is also a third floor bedroom in the Federal wing.

I loved the curved breezeway connection with the brick floors laid in a herringbone pattern, white walls and trim and arched top doors. The ground floor of the North Wing is a self- contained suite with a kitchen, den with fireplace, master bedroom with a fireplace and bath and a room used as a workshop. The second floor bedrooms have flat moldings that add texture to the ceilings and wainscot. There is also a room used as an office, and my last favorite room, the sitting room, whose steeply pitched ceiling’s hand hewn stained rafters contrast with the white ceiling. Since is it located at the end of the wing, it has windows on three sides and a fireplace at the gable end. A perfect space to hide out for a long afternoon of relaxation!

Many owners through the years have left his/her impact on this remarkable piece of Talbot County’s architectural heritage. What an opportunity to live in a notable house on its present six acres including a detached four-car garage, two-bedroom guest house with a screened porch literally at the water’s edge, private pier with a boat shed-a magnificent property!

For more information about this property, contact Chuck Mangold with Benson and Mangold Real Estate at 410-822-6665 (o), 410-924-8832 (c) or mangold@bensonandmangold.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”. http://www.beauvoirfarm.com/

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

House of the Week: Craftsman Elegance

December 11, 2019 by Jennifer Martella

When I first saw this exquisite house, it reminded me of country houses I remember from visits to my oldest sister, who worked in New York City and had a weekend house in the Hamptons. The beautifully detailed house incorporates Craftsman details including the mix of wood shake and lap siding, wood shake roofing, gable and shed dormers, porches, windows and doors with transoms and a Queen Anne turret, that along with the gable dormer at the other end, anchors the elongated elevation for great curb appeal. The front porch spans the full front of the house and its depth expands into semicircular spaces at each end. A one-story hyphen connects the main house to the attached garage and above the garage is a spacious “bed-sit” for guests.

The front door opens into the foyer that is enhanced by a painted mural for wall covering, hardwood floors that continue throughout the house and an antique chest with sconces. To the left is the “gathering room”, a cozy space with a fireplace, built-ins and TV. To the right is a clear vista through the living-dining area to the sunroom windows at the other end. On the day I visited, the weather was overcast but daylight filled the rooms through the wide windows and transoms.

The linear plan is two rooms deep and behind the gathering room was my first favorite room, the mud room. I rarely rhapsodize about a mud room but this one is a unique exception. The front wall of the mud room has a triple window with transoms above a high counter work area with storage units on either side. In front of the red brick chimney is a tall cubbie unit for hats, jackets and wellies. The table at the center of the room is perfect for folding clothes or depositing shopping bags from the adjacent garage. You almost overlook the washer and dryer since the room is so interesting with its pitched ceiling, art and a colorful rug beneath the table over the stone floor.

The breakfast room is open to the gathering room and the kitchen and has wrap-around windows with transoms and seats six for informal dining. Bar stools at one side of the “U” shaped Smallbone designed kitchen offer more seating. The kitchen was simply stunning-the volume is open to the second floor with the rear window wall composed of three levels of stacked windows with a white subway tile backsplash on either side. Opposite the “U” and an island is more storage and a short hall on axis with the front door to the water view beyond. The hall passes by a fully stocked butler pantry on one side and a powder room with Waterworks fixtures and fittings on the other side.

The focal point of the living-dining area and the adjacent salon are two pieces from France-the stone fireplace surround in the living-dining area and the Etagere in the salon that is now a tres’ elegant bar complete with back mirror. I admired how the living-dining area’s neutral interiors on hardwood floors contrasted with the salon’s striped wallcovering, animal prints, rug and colorful art. Another favorite room was the sunroom with wrap-around windows, glass doors to the circular porch, painted wood floors, stained wood ceiling and a colorful rug that anchored the furniture grouping in front of the TV. A diminutive painted wood child’s chair in the corner and the dollhouse in the yard are evidence of much loved grandchildren.

The second floor stair divides the floor plan between the master suite and the two guest bedrooms and the upper landing becomes a bridge that overlooks the kitchen below with views to the rear landscape through the top tier of the kitchen windows. The luxurious master suite contains my last favorite room, the library at the end of the house that has a deck above the circular porch below for a bird’s eye view of the water and a ceiling chamfered on all sides for architectural interest. Built-in bookcases between a table desk and two chairs with ottomans are clearly for serious bibliophiles. The master bath has his and hers lavatory and water closet rooms with a shared glass shower and a tub underneath windows. The luxurious dressing room has floor to ceiling millwork with glass fronted doors. One guest room is furnished for adults and the other charming room is clearly the grandchildren’s room.

This exceptional house has been expanded and transformed from a small weekend house into a permanent home where every detail was carefully considered as part of an exquisite whole. A short trip via golf cart to the deep water boat slip in one of the finest marinas the Chesapeake Bay has to offer is a plus. Kudos to the Owners for their vision and their close collaboration with the design team of Tim Kearns, Architect, and Suzanne Hanks, Interior Designer.

For more information about this property contact Jane McCarthy with Benson and Mangold at 410-822-1415 (o), 410-310-6692(c) or jmcarthy310@gmail.com, Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Janelle Stroup, Thru the Len Photography, 845-744-2758, janelle@thruthelensphotos.com

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

House of the Week: “Boston Cliff”

December 3, 2019 by Jennifer Martella

The author of my primary reference book for significant houses in Talbot County, Christopher Weeks, states in his book Where Land and Water Intertwine that “Boston Cliff” has the “most carefully executed early Georgian interior in Talbot County.” He also cites a chimney brick marked “1729” as evidence. I would imagine most architectural historians would agree that “Boston Cliff”, patented in 1665, is one of the most significant houses in the entire Chesapeake region. It is a great pleasure to feature this house and its grounds today.

“Boston Cliff” underwent several phases, beginning in 1676, with two later phases in 1729 and 1954. The splendid massing of the front elevation shows the phase one part of the house as a one and half story Flemish bond brick building with five bays and the entry door with its jack arch in the center bay with a stepped water table brick course. The 1954 phase three addition to the east side is also a one and a half story three bay building, telescoped down from the main wing.

The front door opens onto the entrance hall with its open-string staircase, turned balusters, continuous handrail, carved tulip step-ends and raised panel side wall. The center hall plan with living and dining rooms on either side and a modern den in the rear has original painted Georgian raised panels in most rooms, painted in the distinctive colors of its day. Other interior details include six fireplace mantels with bolection moldings, built-in cupboards, five fireplaces, raised panel doors with original hinges, paneled window seats and Gunstock corner posts.

As you pass by the brick piers at the end of the drive, the front elevation comes into view with its very pleasing textures of red brick, gray weathered wood roofing and white windows, dormer siding and trim, framed by mature trees and giant aged boxwoods flanking the front door. The side elevations are dominated by the chimneys with articulated chimney caps at each end and windows at each floor. The rear elevation massing includes shed additions with white lap siding that project from the main wing of the house. The outbuildings include a guest house designed by Dr. H. Chandlee Forman, AIA, a paddock, horse stalls and tack room. The English garden is enclosed by a picturesque fence with a brick base and white fencing above next to the pool with a brick surround.

The current owners have lovingly maintained this treasure. The wood floors have been refinished and they consulted with Paint Historian Susan Buck for selections of wall colors. I especially liked the slate blue of one parlor’s full height raised paneled wall that dropped to a wainscot on the other walls, the light olive-gold of the dining room with the arched corner cabinet and the deep red of another parlor. The owners’ exquisite taste in furnishings matches the historic elegance of this extraordinary house that has been on the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage. Now it could be yours!

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, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Don’t miss the latest! You can subscribe to The Talbot Spy‘s free Daily Intelligence Report here.

Follow Us