I always enjoy featuring the houses in Easton’s Historic District and this charming house on a corner lot has features of the Colonial Revival style-two and a half stories with a hipped roof, full front porch, center gable and single window at the attic floor, full two and a half story side gable wall inset at the first floor for the bay-shaped dining room and symmetrical window arrangement of the original front elevation. From the offset in the front elevation’s wall and the connection to the side gable wall, I believe the porch at one time wrapped around the house to meet the dining room so its bay-shaped wall would have been fully exposed. Many of the houses from this period had this arrangement and there would have been a door from the dining room to the porch. Now the side of the porch has been infilled to make a sunroom/study and a second bath at the upper floor. The windows in the sunroom/study are double units which is a pleasant contrast to the single windows in the rest of the house. 

Brick steps with thin black iron railings lead up from the sidewalk to the front door at the far right of the house. Lattice panels infill the crawl space between the brick piers that support the columns above between wood railings that surround the porch. The most popular color in the world is blue and as I write this, I look out my home office window to my neighbor’s blue house and another across the street in a lighter shade of blue! Ergo, very deep blue was the perfect choice for this house’s lap siding and combined with the crisp white trim creates great curb appeal. I also like the paneled front door with an upper multi-paned glass panel above two middle panels and the single panel below in an “X” pattern, framed in crisp black.  

The front door opens into the spacious living room that spans the full width of the house with focal points of a fireplace in one corner and the lower run of the stairs to the second floor at the opposite corner. The room has both direct and indirect sunlight from the side windows and the front windows overlooking the front porch. The stairs to the second floor are cleverly accessed from both the living room and the laundry and kitchen behind the stairs. The lower stair runs connect to the upper run at a bay shaped landing at the side wall. Beyond the living room’s fireplace is the sunroom/office with wrap-around windows with one angled wall behind floor to ceiling built-in millwork. The angled wall in the sunroom/office backs up to one of the segments that create the shape of the exquisite dining room’ elongated octagon with the center segments longer than the top and bottom segments. This unusual shape, the fireplace and the windows in the exterior portion of the octagon sets the scene for memorable meals with family and friends. I would be tempted to remove the built-ins in the sunroom and open up a cased opening between the dining room and the sunroom/office for better flow.  The framing for the original exterior window is probably still there and this change would also fully restore daylight into the dining room and diagonal views through the sunroom/office windows.  

Next to the dining room is the powder room and the  “L” shaped kitchen with a center island supported by posts at one end to create knee space for chairs.  The sleek white interior of cabinets, quartz countertops and white subway tiled full backsplash is accented by the stainless steel appliances and beautiful hardwood floors. The upper cabinets rise to the underside of the ceiling to emphasize the height of the space and windows at both the side and rear walls keep the space sunny and bright.  The exterior door leads to a deck area with steps down to the fenced rear yard and the two-car garage to the alley.

All of the bedrooms and baths are located at the second floor. The upper run of the stairs opens into a square hall with doors to all four bedrooms with three of them located at the corners of the floor with windows on two exterior walls. The hall bath serves the three guest rooms and has been beautifully updated. The primary suite is located at the rear of the floor with the bedroom between a walk-in closet and the beautifully updated bathroom. The primary bath layout has  a window between the large shower with glass walls and the partial privacy wall creating a toilet compartment.  Next to another window are the dual lavatories separated by a base cabinet drawer unit with round surface mounted mirrors above and the stylish tile floor as a delightful accent.

The attic area is an airy space with its interior architecture defined by the windows in each of the two gables in the roof at the side and rear of the space, knee walls around the perimeter and high sloped ceilings.  The white walls reflect the light and the carpet on the floors alleviates sound transmission below that offers a finished space ready for multiple uses. There is also a partially finished basement ideal for storage or a home gym with an exterior stair up the rear and side yards. The shed at the rear of the yard facing the alley can accommodate a full size car. 

The lack of furnishings allows one to imagine decorating the large living room into two seating groups, one by the gas fireplace; curling up with a good book in the cozy sunroom/study under the wrap-around windows; dining in the octagon shaped dining room by the warmth of another fire; preparing meals in the chef’s kitchen or grilling on the deck overlooking the yard as children and pets play in the fenced yard; or for me, relaxing on the front porch’s swing and chatting with neighbors on their daily strolls-knowing all the restoration has been done and one can truly relax!

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  chuck@chuckmangold.com ,  For more pictures and pricing, visit https://www.chuckmangold.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.

Although I will continue to rely upon real estate agents’ listings as Houses of the Week, beginning this month, I will endeavor to include houses that are unique private homes. I will rely upon my “scouts” who live in Talbot County’s many towns and villages and my “Oxford Scout” told me about today’s featured house that the Oxford Historic District plaque identifies as the Haddaway House, circa 1876. I first walked around the exterior of the house to admire and photograph this Italianate house with its full front porch, bay projections that mirror each other on the side walls and tall windows. The original part of the house is two bays wide by two bays deep with later additions that include the kitchen/family room, screened breezeway, laundry and two-car garage on this corner site.   

Before I went in to meet the Owners, I paused to admire the two-bay front elevation with its side entry door, wide and tall 2/2 windows, light blue lap siding, black shutters and white trim. The first floor windows stretch from just above the floor to the underside of the porch ceiling and the upper floor windows stretch from the top of the low slope roof to the white cornice board. The cornice board is articulated with brackets that protrude from the face of the wall and the porch columns are embellished with brackets and fretwork.

The Owners greeted me at the door and I immediately realized from the vistas I glimpsed that this house was a treasure of design and indeed it was. I was fortunate to visit on a sunny day to savor the rooms flooded with light from the large and tall windows. The entry hall has delightful interior architecture from the stairs that wind up to the second floor and the tableau of an antique table with a mirror above resting against the upper run of the stairs that is the spring line for a curved wall leading the way to the dining room. Below the side wall is an antique settee with a blue upholstery accented with pillows and artwork above. At the ceiling, the first of many period lighting fixtures provides ambient lighting.

The cased doorway that introduces the front parlor is on axis with the side wall’s window flanked by more art above a mix of upholstered pieces and an Amish Windsor rocking chair. When I moved further into the room I was fascinated by the striking exposed chimney with its form that corbeled up from the firebox opening to a slender chimney above to become a freestanding piece of sculptural.  The owners proudly explained that they had liberated the chimney from its drywall enclosure and a renowned local masonry artisan, Miriam Maynard, restored it. She first carefully chipped away the old chinking and repointed the brick with mortar whose mix included both coal chips and oyster shells for color and texture.  The crown molding wrapping around the top of the chimney was indeed the crowning touch and bricks recycled from Chestertown have a new life as the hearth. The other focal point of the room is the wide cased opening with a pair of original nine feet tall paneled wood pocket doors to the adjoining dining room. The Owner had lovingly removed the paint and restored these magnificent doors. As I passed through the room, I noticed a small square artwork that was the first of many I saw throughout the house.  The Owners explained the artworks were their very clever solution to hide unsightly wall thermostats-a stroke of design genius! After their explanation, I was on a scavenger hunt to discover the other artworks and made a mental note to commission one of my artist friends to do the same for my house.  

The dining room’s chimney is identical to the one in the front parlor but here unfortunately the brick had been painted white and it is impossible to completely remove paint from brick surfaces.  Undaunted, they called once again on Miriam Maynard who worked her magic.  She mixed the same oyster-coal chip mortar with white mortar and sponged coal dust as a faux finish over the white painted brick. No hearth remained so the Owners found a slate remnant for a new hearth and keystone above the firebox opening.  Their carpenter deftly used the irregular edge of the slate as a mold to fit the wood flooring against it like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Opposite the chimney is a bay shaped floor projection centered on a beautiful wood table surrounded by Windsor chairs. The Owners encouraged me to sit and as I sank into the undulations of the wood seat they told me the furniture was the work of the renowned Robert Treate Hogg Cabinetmaker Shop of Oxford, PA, a happy and fitting coincidence. The 150 year old heart pine flooring planks were rescued from a uniform factory in Conshohocken, PA, that had been in business since the Civil War before it closed.

Further delights awaited in the kitchen where other artisan creations vied for my attention. The ornate ironwork that has a new life as the pantry door was once an elevator door and the original call plate still lights up when you push the button beside it!  I admired the lack of upper cabinets and learned the pot rack for the copper pots was fabricated by Bobby Haddaway from oyster tongs and rakes. I loved the feel of this kitchen with these details, the exposed stained beams, white cabinets and dark countertops,the low brick backsplash that corbels up to meet the underside of the range’s stainless steel hood, the butcher block inserts into the countertops that were discovered at the Crumpton Auction House and the wood countertop planks from the ABC Printing Company in Boston, the first printing company in America.

Off the kitchen is a screened breezeway to the laundry/mudroom and the two car garage. I was enchanted by the Owner’s impeccably restored antique car with foot pedals shaped like actual feet and the turn signal that pops up the side of the car.   

The kitchen is open to a sitting room with another exposed corbeled chimney that was restored by Miriam Maynard.  Here the firebox is wider than the base of the chimney, creating ledges on both side for display. The bricks in the hearth were recycled from Washington College and one wonders if President Washington had tread upon these very bricks. I am a huge fan of the glass artisan Dale Chihuly and the art pieces in the room’s shelving were actually the work of high school students who participated in the “Hilltop Artists” program in Tacoma, WA, sponsored by Chihuly. Obviously the students had paid attention to the Master’s lessons.

Between the rear sitting room and the office is a full bath with a European design concept of a shower without walls defined by the floor drain and rain shower head above.  The walls are floor to ceiling subway tile and I loved the white octagonal tiles in the floor with insets of black tiles to create a flower detail and the frosted glass of the window panes for privacy without window treatments.

The office is opposite the dining room in plan so the same bay floor projection is mirrored here but this bay is infilled with a seat with a hinge for storage below.  Cushions and pillow make this a cozy respite from office work where both Owners can share the antique partners desk. The office is behind the entry hall so it shares the same curved wall that is now festooned with a curved iron light fixture that is now lit by gas instead of candles.

The second floor contains three bedrooms, a music room and a large hall bath.  The primary bedroom at the front corner has the large front double window and a side window between built-in closets for sunlight throughout the day.  If I were lucky enough to be a guest, it would be difficult to choose between the front and rear bedrooms. I loved the streetside bedroom with its front double window and side window, wood furnishings and the striking bed linens that are the handiwork of the Owners’ niece whose colorful and playful designs reminded me of Bemelsman’s work. The rear bedroom is a sunny, cheerful space from windows on all three sides and the rear double window is surrounded by built-in woodwork for display.  The colorful bed linens with sunflower designs and the Lichtenstein prints add the finishing touches.  As we were leaving this room, I asked the Owners if the tea set, tray and colorful pedestal base were a McKenzie Childs design.  I learned the set was antique silverplate whose bases had been cleverly painted as well as the tray and pedestal. The music room has access to a deck with wonderful views of Oxford’s landscape. The spacious hall bath has a large tiled shower with a rain shower fitting and a freestanding soaking tub.  I loved the Mission styled wood mirror above the lavatory and the unique artwork that appeared to be a maze by an Aboriginal artist Ronnie Tjampitjinpa. 

As I reluctantly left these remarkable and thoughtfully arranged interiors filled with art and crafts, I was amazed that I had been there two hours but there was so much to admire and to learn from the Owners who graciously shared their home and time with me. Many thanks for your hospitality!

Masonry Restorer: Miriam Maynard, 302-233-4755 Amish Furniture:  Robert Treate Hogg Cabinetmaker Shop, (717) 529-2522 Bed Linens: Art by JB, jb123459@yahoo.com; graphic art: society6.com/donutsandcoffee.

For more about the Crumpton Auction house, visit my article https://talbotspy.org/dixons-furniture-auction-nirvana-in-crumpton-by-jennifer-martella/

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 welcome a chance to feature a property in Easton Village since the Pattern Book for this new neighborhood was developed during my tenure as the Marketing and Operations Director for Urban Design Associates (UDA) of Pittsburgh.  UDA was retained by Elmhurst Development for master planning and house designs were inspired by the design team’s visits to Easton, Oxford and St. Michaels during their charrette in Talbot County.  This charming Colonial with Victorian touches of 2/2 windows and fretwork at the front porch’s columns has a very appealing location at the rear of Easton Village near the community green space along the Tred Avon River, the mailboxes and Community amenities including the Clubhouse, Pool, Marina and Fishing Pier.  

A trim low hedge separates the Village’s sidewalk from the house’s front yard and a herringbone patterned brick sidewalk ends at steps to the full front porch of the three-bay house.  Porches are an important part of the New Urbanism tenets that guided Easton Village’s master planning for they are important spaces for socialization with one’s neighbors on their daily strolls and warm weather outdoor rooms for one’s family.  This porch’s roof has the bonus of a deck offering views from the second floor of the woods in their seasonal splendor above the shoreline diagonally across from the street corner. The gable wall at the third floor has a single window with an arched top for even better views.  The light colored lap siding, white trim and black shutters have timeless appeal.  

The front door opens to a spacious foyer with two closets between a double window with a cushioned seat below the window sill for a cozy conversation spot.  The wide cased opening on the foyer’s other side wall frames the fireplace in the living room and the white wainscot ties the two rooms together. The living room’s two front windows and single side windows flanking the fireplace make this a sunny spot for relaxing by the fire.   Another cased opening leads to the dining room with a double unit window on the side wall and a vista through the rest of the house to the rear terrace.  The dining room is also next to the stairs and I liked the detail of the bottom landing’s being three risers above the floor so the bottom two threads gracefully turn back to the wall. Opposite the stair hall are the powder room and a storage room and under the top run of the stairs is a pantry next to the kitchen. 

The open plan kitchen-family room is strategically placed next to the dining room and another sitting room at the end of the house to make this area the hub of the house. The spacious kitchen layout is detailed with paneled wood cabinets, solid surface countertops and stainless steel appliances.  The family room’s windows on either side of another fireplace, rattan upholstered furnishings, rear windows and French door to the screened porch and terrace beyond create a sunroom/breakfast area feel. All this room needs for this bibliophile are bookcases below the windows next to the fireplace. The rear sitting room is a second family room for gathering around the large screen TV. Between this rear sitting room and the attached garage is the mud room with an exterior door to the terrace. The wood fence along the property line provides privacy for the terrace and walkway with a gate to the driveway. 

All of the bedrooms and full baths are located on the second floor. The deck above the front porch below offers bird’s eye panoramic views from the bedroom of the spacious primary suite.  Two walk-in closets across a short hall and a large bath with separate tub and shower complete the suite. The primary bedroom’s windows on three walls and windows on two walls of the other bedrooms make these spaces sunny and bright. The laundry is conveniently located off the stair hall. A second stairway leads to the third floor that spans the full depth of the house. The stairs divide the area into two spaces for myriad uses-dual offices, studio/storage, etc.

Great family house near Easton Village’s amenities, including a small grass Commons a block away; outdoor rooms of the front porch, rear screened porch, terrace overlooking the fenced yard for children’s and pets’ play and second floor deck; double attached two-car garage with alley access, short distance to Waterside Village’s shopping and close to downtown Easton in a thoughtfully planned neighborhood whose landscape has matured-Easton Village living at its best!

 

For more information about this property, contact Kathy Christensen with Benson & Mangold Real Estate at 410-822-1415 (o), 410-924-4814 (c) or kccamb@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.KathyChristensen.com,“Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Janelle Stroop, 410-310-6838, 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.

In the late 17th century when the Puritan colonists arrived in New England, the half-timbered houses they left behind inspired their house designs in the New World. The new style evolved into a modest story and a half house with a center door, double windows on each side with operable shutters to keep out the  storms of New England. The Reverend Timothy Dwight, President of Yale University, is credited in naming the new style when he wrote a book about his travels along the coastline of Massachusetts where Cape Cod juts out into the Atlantic and christened the style of houses after their location. From the late 1800’s to the mid 1900’s, Colonial Revival Cape Cod houses became popular due to a renewed interest in Colonial America and Post WWII, Pattern Books including Cape Cod designs emerged to meet the demand for housing. The timeless appeal of this style continues today.  

This charming Cape Cod has a sought after location near churches, Easton Middle School, Idlewild Park, the YMCA  and downtown. The street has many mature trees and two towering oaks frame the sidewalk to this house’s front door. The classic exterior has red brick, white trim and black shutters paired with the symmetry of the entry door centered between double windows and single window roof dormers centered over the windows below. The one-story wing to one side of the house was originally a single-car garage with the entry from the rear street.  Converting this garage into livable space was seamless since the original garage door opening was in the back and there were windows on both the front and sides of the space.

On the day I visited, I admired the expansive open plan living-dining-kitchen area. One of the Owners explained they had removed part of the walls between the living room and the kitchen and dining rooms, leaving a post at the bearing point to define the spaces.  They also removed the wall between the kitchen and dining areas so there is now an easy flow with sunlight from three exterior walls. I liked how the back of one side of the wrap-around sofa defines the edge of the foyer and stairs and how the two club chairs opposite the sofa define the edge of the dining area.  With the fireplace and built-in millwork for family photographs and the spacious dining area with room for celebrations, this hub of the house is a perfect space for family fun. The dining room’s rear door leads to a sunroom with wrap-around windows, brick floors and another door to the rear yard’s play area.

The beautiful hardwood floors extend into the kitchen with its “L” and island arrangement.  The light walls of the living and dining room become the kitchen’s white cabinets with upgrades of a sold surface countertop, sleek cabinet hardware and stainless steel appliances.

A short hall leads past a full bath opposite a room that does dual duty as an office and another TV area but could easily become a guest room. I loved the black and white design of the bath across the hall with white tile floors of small tile, white tile countertop and wainscot with the accents of the black tile edge of the lavatory, wainscot border and the towel bars inset into the tile wall. At the end of the short hall is the former garage which is now a delightful playroom any growing family would appreciate. Two windows overlooking the rear play area and a side window makes this a sunny space for play and the exterior door directly accesses the play equipment area. The laundry is conveniently located at the back of the playroom and the center hall of the house.

Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and another bath, with the space over the playroom connected to the primary bedroom now being used as a nursery.  The two bedrooms span the full depth of the house and are located between the stairs and the full bath.  Both bedrooms have sunlight from the front dormer, side gable window and the window in the shed dormer across the rear of the roof. This geometry creates spacious bed-sitting rooms so the child’s room has space to grow with sleeping and play areas.  If a dedicated bath for the primary bedroom is desired, the current nursery could easily become a primary bath that could stack over the laundry area below, leaving ample space for closets.   

Great neighborhood, large lot with mature trees for shade, off street parking from the rear street, classic architecture, family friendly floor plan with easy flow among the rooms and great upgrades just waiting for the next family to call it their own!

 

For more information about this property, contact Jimmy Higgins with Benson & Mangold Real Estate at 410-822-6665 (o), 410-310-6999 (c) or jhiggins@bensonandmangold.com. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.bensonandmangold.com ,“Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Eastern Shore Dronography LLC, Jeremy Vogel, President, 410-745-8310

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.

Good things do come in small packages as I soon discovered when I toured this week’s charming house that is very special for so many reasons. One of the original houses that front St. Mary’s Square, it began its life in the late 19th century as the Methodist Episcopal Church’s Sunday School. Its next owner was Eleanor Blades who built a two-bay, two story house on the lot. Today it is a private residence that was on this year’s Christmas in St. Michaels Tour of Homes. The owner retired from her business named “The Enchanting Florist” and I soon fell under the spell of this enchanting cottage when the owner graciously gave me a tour.

I am fascinated by cartography and the 1877 Lake, Griffing and Stevenson Atlas shows St. Mary’s Square between Mulberry and East Chestnut Streets with gates at each end. A half-circular driveway connects the row of original houses fronting St. Mary’s Square and I appreciated how the contiguous front lawns had low landscaping and lack of fences so one could fully appreciate the streetscape of charming houses. Walking up the brick path to the front porch of today’s featured house, I admired how the scale of the plantings increases in height as you come nearer to the front porch. Additional random stone pavers meandered around the side of the house to an arbor festooned with greenery that marked the entry to the rear fenced yard. The house’s neutral tones of shake siding and white trim make the small house seem larger and the accents of the cottage style plank shutters, the yellow half glass front door and the front porch’s rattan furnishings welcome one within.

When Owner opened the front door into the living room, it was evident that the original one room wide, four rooms deep plan had been dramatically opened up to enlarge the vistas and the Owner explained she had collaborated with an architect. The one room width has the advantage of windows on all four sides of the house to give each room sunlight throughout the day. I loved the taupe stain on the original wood floors and the neutral interior design scheme of light gray walls, creamy white trim, light olive, golden yellow and apricot accents of upholstery and accessories that serenely enhanced the room’s size. The Owner’s art collection throughout the house includes work by the artist Suzanne McKibbon.

The living room has great diagonal views from the front and rear corners of the room with the window to the porch, side windows flanking the fireplace centered in the room and the rear window. I especially liked how the 6/6 windows had white plantation shutters over the lower portion of the window only, giving one seated privacy but allowing light within by manipulation of the shutters. The oval glass topped table on powdered gray legs between the settee opposite two houndstooth checked chairs created a cozy spot for conversation by the fire. Naturally, the hand of a master floral designer was evident in the greenery and decorations on the mantel with a watercolor of an oyster that inspired the interior design colors.

The round glass topped table in the dining room continues the transparency and I was drawn to the high dark gray wood chest in the corner next to the side window. A blown glass container held delicate curlicued twigs that fanned over other objects artfully arranged on top of the chest and I especially liked the trio of oil paintings of wooden boats from small to large sizes. The widened wall between the dining room and the kitchen now showcases the kitchen’s medium gray cabinets and the stunning granite countertop. When I saw the single oyster shell sitting on top of the counter, I realized it was the inspiration for the colors of the house and that the oyster shell was strategically placed upon an expanded vein in the granite. To me, it resembled a jewel in a necklace resting against the brocade of a dress-brava for a marvelous selection of scale and color! I also loved how the perspective of the room steps back from the solid pantry wall next to a base cabinet with its backdrop of granite to the doorway that frames the wall of windows of the family room beyond-a masterful stroke of design; (that is why folks hire architects!)

Behind the kitchen is a full bath and a short hall to my favorite room, the family room overlooking the rear garden. One side wall contains the fireplace flanked by a wine cooler and built-in millwork with a painting over the fireplace cleverly hiding the TV. The rear wall has French doors flanked by tall 2/2 windows and the other side wall repeats the pattern of tall 2/2 windows to transform the space into a sunroom with a sleeper sofa to accommodate guests. Stained wood beams against the white of the plank ceiling and the marvelous oversized fronds of the rug add texture to this enchanting space.

The stairs to the second floor are located at the side of the house which maximizes the size of two bedrooms between the hall and full bath. The primary bedroom lies under the long sloped roof of the rear wing and the high windows at the end are perfectly sized to accommodate the bed’s headboard and nightstands. The hall bath’s flooring in two white octagons with small squares at the chamfered ends are perfectly scaled for the room’s size and the pocket door makes the bath fully accessible. Opposite the door is a vista to a window seat between closets. I have my mother’s hat collection and I loved the decorative collection of straw hats on either side of the window.

The front room is primarily an office but a chest behind the table/desk that looks like a credenza cleverly conceals a Murphy bed for guests. What an improvement over the tall cabinet Murphy bed I had in my first apartment! Above the bed/chest are built-in shelving for storage and display. Since this room is under the pitched roof of the front wing, the ceiling joists were removed and raised up to become collar beams for lateral stability. Wood planks instead of drywall were added to the underside of the roof rafters and the collar beam with its original ax marks is stained as an accent. The double drop leaf table/deck can be stored against the stairwell wall to accommodate the bed. With the front window, rear window with a seat below and the “window” to the stairs, (plantation shutters cover an opening in the wall overlooking the stairs-another great detail from the architect) how could anyone get any work done? The “window” also provides an opportunity for artwork or family photographs to be hung on the stairwell wall to be viewed when one is working at the desk.

I was quite reluctant to leave the house but I wanted to explore the rear yard with its pergola, hardscaping, landscaping, fencing and mature trees for privacy. At the rear of the property is a shed for storage that also gives additional privacy to the yard from the rear property.

Beautiful blend of historic house with interior upgrades that preserve the original details including the vertical plank doors and hardwood floors in its new stylish finish. It is always fascinating for me to feature a house and property whose Owner is another design professional who understands scale, proportion, pattern, color, vistas and perspective. Seeing the exquisitely decorated rooms decked out in their holiday finery put me in the Christmas spirit. Brava to this talented Owner who has created her own “enchanting” haven in the heart of St. Michaels!

 

Phyllis Kennedy, Ret., The Enchanted Florist Architect: Cathleen Curtin, https://www.cathleencurtinarchitects.com/, (703) 930-9322 Photography: George Sass, georgesass@mac.com, https://georgesass.myportfolio.com 410-703-3753

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 featuring cottages, especially one like this whose interior has been very creatively opened up to the landscape and water. The site also includes two detached sheds, one for lawn and garden equipment and one waterside room divided into a screened porch and a sewing room for one of the owners who is an accomplished quilter. The story and a half cottage is clad in light blue shake siding, darker blue shutters and white trim with the front door’s accent of bright yellow. Previous owners had expanded the cottage on one side to enlarge the living room and to provide a window at the rear for views of the water. This expansion also created space for a double unit window at the front for additional sunlight. Another addition at the rear of the house added a family room as part of a great room concept of family-dining-kitchen. The family area’s wall of windows and French doors on three sides feels like a sunroom oriented to the water views. The second floor is also filled with sunlight from double unit window dormers and other windows at the side gable walls.

My tour began with the former front porch which is now a spacious foyer with the entry door surrounded by windows. The tile floor is a great walk-off choice for an entry and the pitched ceiling, walls and ceilings of creamy white beadboard gives the space a light and airy feeling. The clear vista from the front door ends at the rear wall of waterside windows of the great room. Offset from the foyer is the original entry space now furnished with a chest for gloves and scarves and a hall tree unit for wellies and jackets but could easily become an office. Past the stairs and cross the hall is the original living room with a fireplace that the current owners use as a primary bedroom. The built-in modular slate blue unit is now a clever headboard infilled with family photographs and books for reading before turning in for the night.

The stair hall blends into the great room beginning with the kitchen at one side opposite the dining area. A lovely hooked rug in red tones anchors the wood table and chairs in front of a wall inset with glass blocks that allows sunlight to filter into the dining area from the window of the adjacent laundry room. The glass wall projects slightly into the dining area to create open shelving for display. Opposite the laundry room is a full bath and like me, the current owners removed an existing tub/shower unit and extended the flooring into the new shower area. A great way to increase the floor area in a small space and an accessible shower is a plus. I also liked the vertical lighting on either side of the lavatory cabinet which is much better than overhead lighting alone.

The “U” shape’s Craftsman style kitchen cabinets have a lighter finish than the beautiful hardwood floors for a pleasing contrast and the corners of the “U” are rounded with open shelving at the ends of both the base and upper cabinets for display. The back to back base cabinets facing the family room makes a perfect spot for setting out the bar and buffet for family or friends. The stainless steel appliances and the dark solid surface countertops complete the look.

The waterside family room is clearly the hub of the house with its continuous wall of windows and doors to the deck. The comfortable furnishings in red, blue and white pick up the colors of the large rug. Next to the family room is a deck for grilling that connects the house to the detached shed containing the screened porch and workroom. Vertical rows of glass block are used again to filter the sunlight within and the screened porch with its two walls of screening is a great alternative for dining. The water views from the workroom makes a quite pleasant environment for the Owner and I admired the quilt in progress with its predominant log cabin pattern amid other patterns.

I never can resist the charm of upper floor spaces tucked under the eaves and sloped ceilings of the roof’s framing. This house’s upper rooms are light filled on all sides from the front double unit window dormers, the gable side windows and the rear shed dormer’s double windows. The high gable window in the primary bedroom is perfect above the bed’s headboard and I liked the angular geometry of the front dormers that follow the structure up to the collar beam at the flat portion of the rooms. The smallest bedroom is set up as a dressing room with a desk under the windows for a home office. I loved the interior design of the child’s room with the twin bed tucked into the front dormer alcove and open shelving recessed into the eave walls.

The house has undergone an extensive renovation that new owners would much appreciate including lifting the house onto a new foundation with a concrete crawlspace, solar panels for electricity, updated septic and new well. The property includes a private pier with 4-5 slips and boathouse, protected shoreline with unobstructed views of Balls Creek and waterside fire pit. The kitchen and baths in neutral finishes are ready for new Owners’ personal tastes. A great family home close to Neavitt Park!

 

For more information about this property, contact Brian Petzold at Chesapeake Bay Properties, 410-820-8008( v), 410-725-6852 (c) or brianpetzold@hotmail.com. For more photographs and pricing visit http://www.chesapeakebayproperty.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.

 

When I moved to the Eastern Shore, I first rented apartments until I was ready for house hunting. I began my search in Claiborne and was immediately charmed by this small village near the mouth of the Eastern Bay.  Its rich history includes being a busy destination for the passenger and ferry service from the late 19th century until the Bay Bridge’s opening in 1952 and the home of the “Miracle House” that was founded in 1913 as a summer vacation for children who had been exposed to tuberculosis. Maple Hall, now a private residence, was one of inns that served vacationers arriving by ferry.  

Even though I eventually bought a house in a nearby village, I still enjoy driving over to the former ferry landing to marvel at the panoramic view of the water and the view to the shoreline of the Western Shore on the distant horizon. This property has the same view and except for one lone cypress at the rip rapped shoreline, the house has an unobstructed view of the Bay. A circular gravel driveway leads to the house that is set back deep from the road. The berm landscaped with roses not only offers a pleasant vista from the house but also  provides screening of the rear yards of houses across the road. 

The front elevation of the two-story, three bay house shows the classic simplicity of its farmhouse style with single windows arranged around the front door in the center, white lap siding and black paneled shutters. A one-story shed roof addition includes a mud room and screened porch at the corner of the house for maximum water views and summer breezes.  At the rear of house, an exterior door leads to a small deck that could become part of a series of decks to a new pool nearer the water since the rear yard setback is 216 feet, according to the listing information.

Luckily for the next owners, the site and house underwent an extensive renovation. The house was lifted up and reset onto a new and higher foundation wall, fill dirt was added along the foundation wall for proper drainage away from the foundation and a French drain was installed as an extra precaution.  The shoreline was rip rapped and the pier was rebuilt.  Concrete was added to the crawl space and the house’s exterior walls were gutted, foam insulation was added along with new finishes, windows, HVAC, electrical and plumbing.  

When I opened the door, there was a clear view to the rear wall’s French door and windows to the water.  As I began my tour, the compact floor plan began to reveal itself with the “service” areas of bathroom and laundry at one front corner of the house and the kitchen and mud room on the opposite front corner.  This results in an “L” shaped open plan waterside kitchen-dining-living room. The rear wall of the living-dining area is virtually all glass with pairs of four-unit windows between the exterior French door.  Along with the double unit window at the side wall of the dining area, the open plan feels like a sunroom with diagonal views of the water.  One wall of the living area has a fireplace beside the TV for total relaxation and I especially liked how the wall color of the living room picked up one of the colors of the rustic stone fireplace surround.

The spacious kitchen has both an “L” shaped arrangement with an island and a bar counter with chairs on both sides to separate the kitchen from the dining area.  The bar is finished with white vertical boards and the island has a black distressed finish in contrast with the white cabinetry and stainless steel appliances in the rest of the kitchen. The stair run that begins at the rear of the house left space at its end for bar cabinetry recessed into the stairwell facing the kitchen. The bar cabinetry is finished to match the island and since the sink is located on the opposite side of the wide island, the circulation space in front of the bar cabinetry makes a great spot for setting out drinks and food for entertaining.  Next to the dining area is a screened porch with diagonal views of the water.  Access to the screened porch is both from the door between the dining area and kitchen and from the mud room off the kitchen.

If a main floor primary bedroom suite is desired, the house could possibly be expanded since there is already a full bath next to the laundry area.   The second floor’s four bedrooms are located at each corner of the house. Each bedroom has at least two windows on opposite walls for sunlight throughout the day and the rear two bedrooms have bird’s eye views of the water.  The extra hall space at the top of the stairs under a window could be a great office/homework area by a slight shift of the door to the adjacent front bedroom. The one bath on this floor could be rearranged and enlarged to eliminate the corner shower and replace it with a tub/shower to better accommodate a family with young children.

Breathtaking waterfront site in one of my favorite villages in Talbot County, a charming house renovated and ready for the next owner with possibilities for a main floor primary suite or a waterside pool-great property!

 

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

Photography by HomeVisit, http://www.homevisit.com/, 703-953-3866

House Design by Residential Designer Lars Erikson, East Bay Construction Services LLC, 410-745-0644

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.

 

Once again I can’t resist Easton’s Historic District and the appeal of this charming house I have passed by many times on my trips through Town.  The house is sited on a corner lot and both the front elevation and the side elevation facing Aurora Street have great curb appeal.  The exterior color palette first caught my eye-I loved the dark reddish brown shake siding, light olive trim and imaginative accents of blue.  The front, rear and side screened porches’ floors and ceilings are bright blue and I truly coveted the artisan center handrail with its curvaceous lines that divides the wide brick steps to the front door.  At the Aurora St. side, weathered wood fencing is interrupted by tall light olive green posts between weathered wood gates whose irregular shaped tops echo the curvaceous lines and color of the front steps’ handrail.  

The massing of the house adds to its charm with the front elevation’s center gable at the second floor projecting slightly onto the front porch’s hipped roof below. Inset into the gable is a double unit window to contrast with the single windows on either side above the first floor windows flanking the center front door. Above the gable’s cornice board is a delightful mix of diamond and scalloped shingles painted the light olive green trim color.  The side elevation at the corner has a two-story wide gable wall projection next to a screened porch overlooking the side and rear yards. At the rear of the house, a covered deck overlooks the fenced yard with hardscape and landscape nestled under the shade of mature trees.

The front door opens onto the foyer between the living and dining rooms to a vista of a wood antique hat/umbrella stand with the upper part containing a mirror with hooks for hats on each side and metal pans recessed into the base shelf below for umbrellas. The stairs are detailed in a combination of white stringer molding, balusters and the bottom of the newel post with the stained wood newel cap, top rail and treads. 

The living room is located at the front corner of the house with the bay shaped wall’s center double window and single windows at the angled walls.  Opposite the bay wall is the other focal point of the room, a mirror “fireplace” with a surround of fluted side molding, rosette corner blocks and plinth blocks. Partial height built-in millwork on either side of the fireplace surround follows the outline of the chimney projecting into the room and creates clever additional millwork at the inside corners of the chimney. The millwork is beautifully detailed with double rows of curves and moldings along the top of millwork. 

The dining room is equally dramatic with a wall of slender vertical floor to ceiling cabinets between open shelving for display for china, silver, glassware, etc. with the top recessed area between the cabinets lit for great effect.  The combination of period pendant lighting over the table and the contemporary gallery type lights was striking and the effect at night must be magical. The wood dining table and chairs stand out against the wall of white with an accent of the darker wood of the bar chest next to the window. 

The kitchen’s sleek look has a checkerboard floor, wood cabinets, white tiled backsplash and under cabinet lighting hidden by the molding of the upper cabinets. The breakfast area has a wood table with molded white chairs and an open shelf unit for cookbooks, small appliances and storage. The continuous flow from the rear porch overlooking the back yard to the kitchen, family room and screened porch create great spaces for relaxation and entertaining.

The second floor bedrooms are located along the front of the house with the primary bedroom’s bay wall projection above the living room and the rhythm of alternating single and double windows keep this space sunny and bright. The primary bedroom interior design has a blend of contemporary and traditional wood pieces and one of the guest rooms has a traditional feel with its antique white iron bed with neutral bed linens. The cozy third bedroom is located under the center gable and I recognized the image of the poster opposite the bed whose striking perspective becomes an interior window.  I have a poster of the same Brassai black and white photograph with steps and street lamps cascading down from Montmartre to disappear into the early morning mist of Paris. The rear room is a true multipurpose space of laundry, wet bar and office area complete with a Scandinavian blond wood chair and footstool with bright red cushions for breaks from work. 

Great corner location in the Historic District on a wide street with mature trees, Victorian charm with a mix of original moldings and imaginative contemporary touches, compact floor plan with easy flow among the rooms, beautiful hardwood floors, built-in millwork in the living and dining rooms, covered and screened porches for warm weather relaxation, spacious rear yard with a mix of sun and shade and fencing for privacy-Bravo to the Owners for their stylish interiors!

 

 For more information about this property contact Sheila Washburn at 410-822-1415 (o), 443-786-6785 (c) or swashburn@bensonandmangold.com.  For more pictures and pricing, visit www.sheilawashburn.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.

Easton’s Historic District has many charming Victorians and I discovered this charming one recently located near the corner of Goldsborough and N. Hanson Streets. The front elevation of this three bay, two and a half story house incorporates many of the elements of the Victorian style.  Gable roofs cascade down from the full front gable to the one bay gable at the second floor to the one bay gable at the first floor that defines the front entry. Decorative elements abound-the top gable has a trim board below the double window separating the top lap siding from rows of scalloped siding.  The second floor gable has a tiny triangular window just below the roof rafter and another band below the window sill above more scalloped siding. The first floor entry gable is festooned with turned columns and fretwork below a band of open fretwork with the low sloped roof infilled with scalloped siding. The columns, fretwork and open band continue around the full front porch. The exterior color palette of pale lilac German shiplap siding and deep green shutters is very appealing. 

Along the Town sidewalk is a low privet hedge in front of a higher viburnum hedge whose top ends at the porch’s railing cap for privacy from the street.  The view from the porch is an endless vista of the rear yards of houses fronting  Goldsborough Street beginning with the manicured garden and fountain of the property across Hanson St.  Along the side elevation is a brick sidewalk and fencing leading past an offset in the house’s wall for storage of rubbish bins and  the rear hardscaped yard surrounded by trees. 

The front door opens into a spacious foyer with sunlight from a triple windows and filtered light from the front door’s transom and half glass sidelights. Stenciling is a quick way to add decorative detail and I admired the double pattern of diagonal squares with a Greek key border on the foyer’s floor. The Owners explained this detail was added by previous owners who were both architects.  I loved the furnishings and accessories of this room including the modified  Windsor settee opposite the sideboard below a sunburst mirror. The short hall past the stairs leads to the dining room and another side doorway leads to the living room. 

The previous architect/owners had added a second fireplace behind the original living room fireplace that created dual see-through fireplaces between the living and dining rooms.  I loved the window treatment of wood shutters at both the top and bottom parts of the 2/2 windows that provides the flexibility of seated privacy while allowing sunlight to penetrate the room and this detail is repeated throughout the house. The recess next to the fireplace could become built-in millwork if needed. 

A doorway to the left of the fireplace leads to the dining room and the tall freestanding glass fronted wooden cabinet next to the fireplace caught my eye  and one of the Owners proudly told me his grandfather had built it. The side wall offset creates a cozy space for reading on the upholstered chaise angled in front of built-in millwork surrounding the center window. Another window at the rear wall overlooks the side yard. At the dining room side of the foyer hall, the original curved corner connects the angled door to the wall. 

Beyond the dining room is a short hall past the powder room and the steep secondary stairs that had probably once accessed upper rooms for servants but is now a great convenience in a linear floor plan.  At the rear of the house is the delightful kitchen with an original built-in cabinet with upper glass fronted doors between two side windows. The detailing of the butler pantry/bar unit wall adjacent to the powder room pays homage to the original unit with its beadboard backsplash and glass fronted upper cabinet doors. An exterior door leads to a side porch and to the brick pathway to the street for unloading groceries. I loved the open shelves instead of upper cabinets, white cabinetry, black veined granite countertops and stainless steel appliances.  The Owners found a stainless steel drop leaf table that has a new life as an island and its extension becomes a great buffet table for entertaining. 

At the top of the stairs the hall is offset and the curved corner of one bedroom diagonally across from the top stair tread opens up the landing. The primary suite is located at the front of the house for bird’s eye views of the landscaped yards across the street.  The spacious primary bedroom has an unusual two-drawer nightstand created by recycled furniture artisan Teri Griffin.  Since the Owners enjoy water sports, Ms. Griffin painted the drawer fronts with nautical map scenes with cleats as clever drawer pulls.  The adjacent primary bath has both a tub and shower and generous lavatory space. The original pocket door hidden by previous owners is now restored for easy flow between bedroom and bath.

Off the side hall with sunlight from several windows are the two guest bedrooms. One bedroom’s green chest of drawers opposite the bed picks up the green accent of the bed’s charming coverlet with rows of light blue, green and lilac designs against the wall color of pale lilac. The other bedroom has a white coverlet, pink throw and a multicolored ottoman as an accent. Past the bedrooms is the guest bath with white walls, plumbing fixtures, and subway tiled shower with a big splash of color from the blue and white Turkish floor tiles. Since my laundry is a stack unit in an alcove, I envied this laundry with its window between the washer and dryer opposite a table and chair for folding.

Across the hall from the primary bedroom stairs lead up to my favorite part of the house, the stunning attic area that has been transformed by former owner/architects into a playroom at the rear and a sitting-office area in the front.  The sloped ceilings with exposed stained collar beams created by the gable roofs’ geometry and the array of windows from skylights, double units in the front gable and the mix of windows in the side gable of a large diamond shape window between triangular windows on each side is simply marvelous.  You almost miss the tiny low triangular window in the second floor gable that is the perfect height for the family pet.  What a creative space for work or play!

Classic Victorian exterior and interior details of the fretwork, door and window surrounds, hardwood floors, see-through fireplace between the living and dining rooms, efficient kitchen arrangement with a butler pantry wall and island buffet table for entertaining, easy flow among the main floor rooms, spacious primary suite and charming guest rooms with the bonus of the marvelous attic area-all this in Easton’s Historic District-Bravo! 

For more information about this property, contact Jana Meredith with Meredith Fine Properties at 410-822-6272 (o), 443-235-3404 (c), jana@goeaston.net , “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.

Looking back on the five years I have been writing Houses of the Week, Easton’s S. Harrison Street has been the street I have featured most often.  It is easy to understand why-its range of historic houses from Brinkloe’s Cotswold type cottage, several Victorians, a Dutch Colonial and a Classic Colonial continue to inspire me. I have often passed by today ‘s feature, “Covington House” so it was a special treat to tour this magnificent property. The lot spans from S. Harrison St. to the alley named Tylers Lane. The graceful circular driveway leads to the house that is sited back from the street and as I walked along the drive I enjoyed views of the house from several angles.  

Before I went in, I paused to fully appreciate the beauty of the front elevation with its harmonious blend of Georgian symmetry, pedimented front porch and multi paned windows combined with Craftsman elements of the roof eave brackets, shake siding and attic shed dormers.  The exterior palette of white siding, black shutters and the stained wood entry door is classic.  I loved the symmetry of the three-bay house with the porch leading to the front door in the center bay flanked by identical end bays of a wide window on the main floor below two windows above. Red brick steps lead up the front porch with the pedimented roof supported by Doric columns and pilasters at the front wall. Instead of a handrail, benches float above the ground between the columns.  Above the ridge of the pedimented roof are a center window and two smaller side windows below the deep soffit detailed with eave brackets protruding from the cornice board. Two shed dormers placed in the hipped roof complete the elegant composition. 

The gracious sequence of entering the house continues from the entry porch to a shallow vestibule open to the foyer. I admired how the soffit beam curved to meet the wall at each end and how the molding at the spring line defines the boundary of wallpaper below and paint above. I was not surprised to learn that one of the Owners, who is an artist, added the molding that was the perfect decorative touch.  The foyer is the circulation hub of the house with its location between the living and dining rooms, side hall and the stairs. The French doors in the rooms around the foyer and the full sidelights at the front door filter sunlight into the space. Opposite the stairs is the elevator, cleverly disguised by a frameless door camouflaged in the wallcoverings.  The rear wall of the foyer contains the staircase and the cozy room named “The Snug”, perfectly sized for watching TV a-deux with a view through the triple windows overlooking the lawn and gardens. The living room spans the full depth of the house and has two seating areas, one grouping around the wide front window and the other grouping around the fireplace at the rear wall. The adjacent sunroom began its life as a porch but a previous owner had seamlessly infilled the bays between the Doric columns with windows, moldings to conceal the window coverings tracks and raised paneling below.  These two rooms create a wonderful entertaining area. 

The focal point of the elegant dining room is the majestic crystal chandelier installed by a former owner above the current Owners’ beautiful antique furnishings.  Off the dining room is a spacious pantry that once was a second stair but now stores china and serving pieces. Behind the butler pantry is the mud room with an exterior door and the kitchen-breakfast area.  I love checkerboard patterned flooring in kitchens and when I complimented the Owner on the colors and the softness of the material of her flooring she told me it was a “Marmoleum (marbleized linoleum)” product. The checkerboard scale was perfect for the size of the room and the white cabinets, upper cabinets to the underside of the ceiling, earth toned granite countertops, olive green molding and window trim, accents of the stainless steel stove and the diamond patterned backsplash, blue and white ceramics and upholstery creates a kitchen this cook coveted.

The second floor contains three bedrooms, two diagonally opposite each other at corners of the house so either one could be the primary bedroom. One bedroom has beautiful rose patterned wallpaper, a bed with an openwork canopy over the wood bed frame and an oversize chair and ottoman.  Matching rose floral fabric cover the valances of the adjacent bath and the background color is used for the walls of the claw foot tub. The other bedroom has a blue and white color scheme and is furnished with two beds with the same openwork canopy opposite the fireplace on the rear wall. 

As appealing as the second floor guest room was, I would remain in the elevator until it stopped at the attic level to claim the bedroom tucked under the hipped roof.  The elevator opens into the book lined stair landing that is a mini library as a foyer for the bedroom. The bedroom’s charming interior architecture from the knee walls and deep recesses to the front and rear wide shed dormer windows. Below the front dormer window is a cushioned seat where one is apt to find a canine or feline family member taking a nap. The spacious room is furnished with a sleigh bed and a crib for family visits and a table a-deux for watching TV or enjoying a leisurely breakfast.  I liked how the wallpaper’s vertical stripes around the knee walls emphasizes the room’s height and ends at the spring line for the sloped ceiling planes.  A walk-in closet encourages guests’ expanded stays.  

The lower level is climate controlled for safe, dry storage. The main laundry is located here near the elevator and there is also space for a gym and half bath. Being sports challenged, my choice of exercise would be strolls around the lovely lawn and gardens surrounding the side and rear of the house.  A summer sojourn in France long ago gave me a love of topiary and parterre and the exquisite parterre garden at the side of the house has a Lutyens bench on one side for rest and enjoyment of the landscape’s symmetrical pattern. In the rear yard, serpentine low hedges define planting areas.  At one corner of the yard is a pergola floating over a deck’s seating area with lattice walls for privacy with the floor curvature matching the edge of the circular pool.  The Owner told me she had been inspired by the two oriel windows in the house to use that shape for the pool. 

The property originally had two double garages connected by a smaller wing. One original garage remains opening onto the alley next to the addition for the Owner/Artist’s studio.  The rest of the building is a spacious office suite for the other Owner and I reflected how the two Owners must have cheerfully endured Covid quarantines in such comfortable and stylish workspaces.

In the middle of the rear landscape are two small sheds with a gate to the alley. The space along the edge of the alley paving has been transformed with a high solid privacy fence enhanced with plantings and a terrace-not your average alley view! 

I know realtors can be accused of “puffing”, (exaggerating a property’s appeal) but to fully appreciate this property, visit the link at the end of the article and savor the beauty of a stunning balance of architecture, interiors and landscape-Bravo!

For more information about this property, contact Long and Foster Real Estate agents Martha Suss at 410-770-3600 (o), 410-310-4856 (c), or martha.suss@lnf.com, or Annie Witte Raymond at 410-310-9387 or anniewitteraymond@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit

https://www.longandfoster.com/homes-for-sale/211-S-Harrison-Street-Easton-MD-21601-323778142 , “Equal Housing Opportunity”.