Having spent one delightful sojourn at the Ecole Des Beaux Arts’ summer program for student architects, artist and musicians, I came away with a keen appreciation for French country houses we students discovered during our weekend explorations. This house with its French influences has a wonderful curb appeal with an array of earth toned materials and textures that blend into the landscape. Sandy colored stone (that began its life in a Pennsylvania quarry and was reclaimed to enhance the facades of this house), brown wood shake roofing, board and batten siding at the main wing and lap siding at the garage wing complement each other to create a delightful composition. The front elevation is further articulated with a porch and box bay windows that cast shadows onto the stone and accents of deep red shutters.
The floor plan is oriented very well to the landscape with the rear rooms having a view down the fairway of the Inn at Perry Cabin’s 18th hole, the last of three holes designed by the legendary golf course architect Pete Dye. The stone terrace off the living room, decks that wrap around the dining room’s corner and connect to a sunroom off the kitchen provide many opportunities for entertaining or endless entertainment for golf enthusiasts.
The foyer detailed with wainscoting opens to a vista of the dramatic two-story living room with its pitched ceiling, two front windows and a side wall of a box bay with floor to ceiling windows and sliding doors with transoms separated by a spandrel for structural support. Opposite the window wall, the stone chimney rises to the underside of the pitched ceiling. The dining room is open to the living room and has the same window wall design at both exterior corners for a luxurious dining space with wood parquet flooring. The ceiling drops down over the adjacent kitchen and the wide wall opening above the base cabinets at the dining room partial height wall continues the open plan.
The spacious kitchen offers great views for the cook-the range is opposite the dining room’s window wall and the sink is opposite the sunroom’s views to the landscape. The “L” shape and island layout, plus an additional row of cabinets on the opposite wall with underlighting below the upper cabinets, the color scheme of white cabinets, white countertops, and the accent of the island’s granite countertop would inspire any cook. A French door leads to the sunroom and to the garage for easy access of unloading the car after a day of errands. The porch has a flat area that creates a balcony for the second floor rear bedroom and sloped glazed panels beyond the flat area cast sunlight deeper into the sunroom.
The main floor master suite is located at the front corner of the main wing for privacy. The front elevation’s tall box bay window brings sunlight into the master bedroom and the mirrored closet doors reflect the light into the room. The suite also contains an office between the bedroom and his and hers baths. The second floor hall has overlooks to both the foyer and the corner of the living/dining rooms’ intersection for interesting interior architecture with sunlight from the box bay window at the stair landing and the living and dining rooms’ window walls. Two bedrooms, one with an office, and a bath accessed both from the rear bedroom and the hall complete the floor plan. The rear balcony offers a front row seat to the golf course and pastoral views of the beautifully landscaped grounds.
Great convenient location in the popular Martingham neighborhood, great curb appeal of house and mature landscaping, great floor plan layout for relaxing with family and friends and minutes to the attractions of St. Michaels. Une charmante maison!
For more information about this property, contact Larry Brennan with Benson and Mangold Real Estate at 410-745-0415 (o), 410-443-3659 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit https://talbotmdhomes.com/h20/ , “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.
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