The approach to this house begins as asphalt then becomes gravel as it passes through a grove of pines up to the parking area. The house is named “Peaceful Point” and it was indeed a fitting name as I opened my car and was soothed by both the sound of the water feature at the side of the driveway and the chorus of birds that encouraged me to relax after a hectic morning. I parked my car and admired the tall lattice fence on its hardscape base that also marks the border of gravel and grass. Planters along the bottom of the fence and trellises at exterior walls await seasonal flowers. the top of the fence and the arched top over the opening for the walkway are festooned with branches that will also soon bloom. Through the arched top of the arbor, the hardscape narrows to become the walkway to the front door.
From the parking area, a path of large stone pavers guides you past the water feature and around the house to the rear yard with its carpet of soft and fragrant pine needles for low maintenance ground cover instead of grass. As I walked around the house I admired its setting around a point along Porter Creek that leads to the Eastern Bay. From the end of the pier, the house nestles into its wooded setting at the edge of the point.
The side elevation showed the mix of contemporary roof forms from the single sloped one-story roof of the garage and the one-story gable end of the delightful waterside screened porch at one corner. The rear elevation’s shed dormer breaks up the massing and creates a second floor en suite overlooking the water. The light green siding in a mix of vertical and diagonal patterns and the roofing shingles color of bark blends into the backdrop of trees. At the front of the house, the overlapping roof forms create a row of clerestory windows and at the first floor, the front elevation is enhanced by the recessed front entry porch and the box bay window extension.
The front door opens into a hall between the bedrooms and the kitchen-garage wing. Past the hall the vista opens up to the waterside “L” shaped open plan living-dining-family room-kitchen with the latter being the short leg of the “L”. The sloped ceiling is open to the underside of the decking and the end wall of the living room is detailed with a wide chimney for the firebox and recessed wood storage flanked by open shelving for display. Behind one sofa at the fireplace is a beautiful armoire filled with books and I imagined how relaxing it would be to curl up with one of the books by the fire.
Pairs of sliding glass doors define the living and family area at the corner with the center dining area’s box bay with wrap-around windows overlook the deck. A grand piano brings elegance to any room and here the piano opposite the dining area is both a spot for music and a display for family photos on its top. The cozy family room has pairs of glass doors at its corner leading to the spacious screened porch and deck. I especially liked how a short wall for the TV defines the area while maintaining the open plan.
The large kitchen has a “U” shape with a center island and wood countertop contrasting with the darker quartz countertops over the white cabinets. The upper cabinets extend to the ceiling and are finished with crown molding and the side wall of cabinets with a lower counter above a drawer has knee space for a workspace. One end of this wall contains tall pantry units and the other end has a bar area with a sink in base cabinets below glass fronted upper cabinets. Behind the kitchen is the laundry and the garage.
The floor plan is zoned very well with three bedrooms and two baths on the main level and another bedroom and bath on the upper level. One bedroom is set up as an office and the large walk-in closet for the primary bedroom is larger than my guest room! If I were a guest here, I would hope to stay in the upper level private bedroom with its four-unit windows created by the shed dormer for bird’s eye views of the water.
Built in 1986, the house has undergone many renovations that have kept the house updated for today’s lifestyle including the renovation of the kitchen and bathrooms. The tasteful landscaping with minimal grass and maximum ground cover is a plus and the bonus of the sight and sound of the water feature welcomes you home. Great family house on a quiet dead end street very close to St. Michaels!
For more information about this property contact Dawn Lednum with Chesapeake Bay Real Estate Plus LLC at 410-745-6702 (o) 410-829-3603 (c) or [email protected],. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.cbreplus.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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