Two of the six houses I have called home were Craftsman style bungalows like today’s featured house located at the edge of Easton’s Historic District, close to Idlewild Park. So many Craftsman exterior design elements that appeal to me are illustrated in this four-level charming bungalow built in 1920. The front elevation’s three-bay porch is detailed with a rusticated block foundation wall, white skirt board, brick steps leading up to the front door, two white columns framing the center bay with corner wide square columns clad in cedar shakes and a white handrail. The house’s sage green shake siding, white windows and trim, side entry door with a triple window at the main level and two single windows centered above with individual shed roofs create great curb appeal. The house is sited on a desirable corner lot and at the rear of the house, an elevated deck extends from the rear door to the side property line with a fence for privacy. The spacious deck has room for an outdoor grille, seating and dining areas that overlook the manicured rear yard with a tall dense hedge for additional privacy.
The oversized half glass-half paneled front entry door opens into a welcoming foyer with beautiful pine floors, side stairs with wood newel post, treads and top cap and a Chippendale settee next to the side window. Between the foyer and the living room is a wide cased opening that frames the vista to the living room’s side wall with a fireplace centered between single windows. The cased opening’s “jambs” are half walls infilled with partial height bookcases with glass fronts and wood muntins below a short column that rises to the top of the cased opening-one of my favorite Craftsman interior details. Since the fireplace chimney projects into the room, I would be tempted to add window seats below the side single windows. The wide cased opening, triple front window, side windows and another cased opening to the adjacent dining room creates a feeling of spaciousness and introduces the easy flow between the main level’s rooms.
The red walls of the dining room accentuate the white furnishings of the built-in corner cabinet, hutch and chairs. Double windows at the side wall and the pair of French doors to the rear family room continues the easy flow. The family room has views of the landscape from two double-unit windows at the side and rear exterior walls with the TV in the corner between them. The sage green walls and light peach sheers over the windows create a feeling of relaxation. An alcove off the family room leads to an exterior door to the deck opposite a coat closet and behind the closet is the powder room and the kitchen. I liked how the kitchen has kept its original white cabinetry and black strap hardware and how the upper cabinets rise to the underside of the ceiling accented by a light sage green paneled wall. Updates include recessed lighting, tiled backsplash, corian countertops and a large pantry.
The family room, rear entry, powder room and kitchen extension were part of an addition that had the extra benefit of creating a sumptuous primary suite above at the second floor. The stairs to the second floor end at a short hall connecting the two front bedrooms and a smaller bedroom currently used as a study. Past the office is the laundry closet and the rear primary suite. All of the bedrooms have their own interior design personality; the bedroom over the living room has deep peach walls, sage green sheers over the windows and a sage green bedspread with floral accents. Another bedroom has a contemporary feel with dark wood furnishings and bedspread. The rear primary bedroom has cranberry walls balanced with sunlight from the high triple-unit windows over the gray iron bed frame and bed linens with wood furnishings. A large walk-in closet and bath complete the primary suite.
Off the stair landing is another set of stairs to the third floor with its knee walls and sloped ceilings creating delightful interior architecture for an open multi-use space, bedroom and storage room. The lower level is a single open room under the original part of the house for additional storage and windows on three sides for daylight.
Great location on a corner lot with abundant sunlight, charming Craftsman style exteriors carried through to the interior detailing, beautiful wood floors, wide cased openings on the main floor for easy flow, outdoor rooms of the front porch and rear deck; three spacious bedrooms, one bedroom/office and two baths on the second level and a third level for views of Easton’s rooftops-a great family house!
For more information about this property, contact Tara Harris with Redfin Real Estate at 443-396-3216 (o), 410-443-9898 (c), or [email protected],“Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Photography by HD Brothers, 202-215-9962, [email protected]
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.
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