I always enjoy featuring period cottages of the early 20th century since I can’t resist their quirky charm and the fact that this house is on Thompson St. in the heart of St. Michaels is a plus. Thompson St. ends at San Domingo Creek and feels like a mews to me with the former carriage houses of properties along W. Chestnut opposite the houses along Thompson St. This Charmer’s location one lot away from the end of the street and the cottage’s light color palette stands out against the verdant background of mature trees including a towering Magnolia in the rear yard.
The front elevation of the story and a half cottage has harmonious symmetry from the arrangement of three gables with the front porch’s center gable between the two gables at the second floor linked by a shed dormer. Double windows at each side of the front porch complete the composition. The three-bay front porch is a delightful outdoor room with its swing and colorful accessories and provides a great way to interact with neighbors on their daily walks. When I followed the Owner into the foyer open to the living room, I could see her stylish interiors lived up to the exterior’s appeal.
The stairway’s combination of stained newel post, treads and painted wood risers was echoed in the living room’s ceiling of stained wood decking with exposed rafters painted white above the beautiful wood floors. Sunlight from the front double window, the side single windows on either side of the fireplace and another single window at the rear of the room keep the room sunny all day. I admired the perfect window treatment of stained wood shutters covering the bottom half of the windows that allows seated privacy and sunlight above. The room’s blue and white design scheme includes an antique sideboard painted a deep slate blue, a side chair’s blue and white interlocking key design and neutral colored sofas. The exposed brick chimney adds an accent of texture. The original wall between the stair hall and the living room is now a partial wall between two single French pocket doors that continue the vistas through the house.
Opposite the living room is a pair of French doors painted white that leads to the dining room. An original ceiling medallion above the chandelier centered over the table and chairs and the warmth of the antique wood furnishings against the wallpaper wainscot and wall above set the scene for memorable dinner with family and friends. Another French door leads to the laundry and kitchen at the rear of the house. Since my stacked W/D is located in an alcove, I envied this stacked unit next to a washtub with a wood top for folding clothes. Shelving for pantry items and the accent of the antique poster makes a pleasant space for laundry chores.
A cased opening leads to the kitchen with a side door to the driveway. The “L” arrangement with a center island of bright blue cabinets and a white tile countertop that contains the double sink has an efficient work triangle from the R/F at one end and the vintage range at the other end with side and rear windows for sunlight and landscape views. Opposite the island is a row of base and upper cabinets for additional storage. At the other side wall is a double window above a table and chairs for breakfast next to another sideboard. As pleasant as the dining room is, I would make this spot a seating area for my guests to keep me company while I cook. A second stairway leads to the primary suite above and a rear door leads past an outdoor shower to the screened porch.
When the screened porch was added, the roof pitched in two directions to keep wall space clear on the second floor for windows which also gave a contemporary flair to the addition. The rattan furnishings of a sofa, table and chairs creates a great indoor-outdoor room with its sloped ceiling and upper walls finished in painted beadboard. Pull-down shades on the side provide privacy from the vacant lot next door where a new house will soon will be under construction. I like how the previous Owner used cedar shakes that would age over time for the addition that contrasts with the light lap siding of the original cottage.
The exterior door at the driveway side of the house has a low ramp for ease of loading/unloading the car. The ramp ends at a brick sidewalk that becomes stepping stones that meander around to the front porch sidewalk. At the end of the gravel driveway, hardscape flows to the screened porch side door and then becomes a gravel path bordered in brick ending at a grouping of Adirondack chairs in front of the garden shed under the shade of the mature trees.
As charmed as I was by the main floor, I looked forward to the interior architecture of the second floor tucked under the sloped roof. At the top of the stairs is an open area furnished for exercise but with the shed roof windows above recessed open shelves it would also be a great office area or play area for young children. The bedroom over the living room has another exposed brick chimney as an accent to the white walls with the front and rear dormer windows creating cozy ceiling planes. On the other side of the exercise room is a smaller room that could become another bedroom or sitting area. The spacious hall bath’s interiors include a skylight, wallpaper wainscot topped with a mosaic style border and an antique mirror over the vanity cabinet.
The primary bedroom is located at the rear of the house with multiple windows from the side and rear windows that wrap around the corner, skylight, side dormer and a tiny triangular window at the top of the baseboard that any pet would love for a window on the world. The antique iron and brass bed frame, white bed linens and a combination of painted and stained furnishings, accent pillow and the patterned upholstered chair create a truly restful retreat under the sloped ceilings. The secondary stair is a convenient shortcut to the kitchen to start the coffee as the day begins or for a late night snack.
Great location toward the end of a quiet street, charming cottage architecture that creates cozy upper floor ceiling planes, sunlight from multiple windows, private verdant rear yard, front porch and rear screened porch for outdoor rooms that expands the main floor plan and interiors that reflects the Owner’s innate sense of interior design-Brava!
For more information about this property contact Alex Hodges with Cottage Street Realty, 8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 500, Vienna, VA, 22182, 703-848-9292 (o), 703-819-1023 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.CottageStreetRealty.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”. Photography by Kathy Ward, [email protected], 410-507-1314 https://katseyevirtualtours.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.
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