It is easy to succumb to the appeal of the village of Sherwood. Stroll the streets and admire the early 20th century architecture and streetscapes of cottages and bungalows with welcoming front porches that have been carefully preserved overlooking gardens lovingly tended by the village’s approximately 300 residents. Sherwood reminds me of an idyllic vacation I once spent on Nantucket’s village of ‘Sconset and this delightful cottage would be quite at home there.
The house, christened “Lily’s Pad” by its owner, is set perpendicular to the street with the side entrance off the drive between the house and a one-car garage with work or studio space above and a brick path through colorful plantings leading to the red front door facing the street. The house’s very close proximity to a point of the rip rapped shoreline that would no longer be allowed today provide priceless and panoramic views of the water.
The central foyer with deep marine blue walls and white trim has vistas through the house on three sides. The longitudinal vista across beautifully refinished hardwood floors passes through a short hall flanked by closets with an arched ceiling to open up to the living room and screened porch beyond. Wide wall openings on both side of the foyer lead to equally sized rooms for flexibility of use. One room is currently used as an office/library and the other room is a currently used as a family room. The office/library has two windows at the front of the house and two pairs of windows at the water side. Built-in millwork and comfortable seating make this an appealing space to linger with a good book.
The family room is a cozy space with comfortable upholstered pieces grouped around the TV. The red accents in the upholstery and the coffee table echo the red front door. Another wide wall opening leads from the family room to the open plan dining-kitchen area divided by both the side exterior door and the open railing stairs to the second floor. Centered over the side window is a round table and chairs with an exquisite crystal chandelier overhead.
The hardwood floors continue to the spacious galley kitchen with light colored base cabinets, glass fronted upper cabinets, white bead board backsplash with a touch of red of the rear wall over the beadboard. The rear opening leads to a short hall flanked by the laundry and powder room conveniently located between the French door to the lawn and pier. A pair of French doors on the side wall lead to the screened porch for easy serving of meals or snacks.
The hub of the house is the large living room connected to the screened porch with breathtaking water vistas. The living room has a fireplace centered between two pairs of double windows and French doors with full height windows to the screened porch. One could easily sink into the comfortable upholstered pieces grouped around the fireplace, gazing at the water and listening to the waves. When sitting down, all one can see through the windows is water. The neutral colors of the furnishings is enhanced by the deep slate blue of the fireplace surround and the built-in millwork that displays a delightful collection of ceramics. My favorite room is the screened porch which is the closest room to the nearby water. Rattan furnishings for seating and dining around the glass-topped table make this the perfect spot for a lazy summer afternoon or lunch after a day on the water.
The front and rear shed dormers of the house create delightful angular roof lines for some of the second floor bedrooms that frame the windows with water views. The short hall maximizes the size of the four bedrooms and the master bedroom has corner windows for diagonal views of the water. If one needs an office, the rear corner bedroom with water views on both sides would be my choice.
The architecture and interiors of this charming house and the unbelievable proximity to the water is simply irresistible. My compliments to the owner for her interior design that clearly makes this house a much loved home.
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 [email protected], “Equal Housing Opportunity”. For more photographs and pricing visit www.stmichaelsmdwaterfront.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.
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