Sandy Lane Subdivision in Downtown Easton Area N. Washington St.
Sandy Hammond has been involved in the construction management business of luxury homes for decades in Maryland as well as Delaware, Florida, New York and North Carolina. Over the past few years, she became increasingly interested in the development of smaller scaled more affordable homes in Talbot County for first-time buyers, teachers, first responders, nurses, small business owners, retirees, or teachers.
Ms. Hammond’s project options included houses needing rehabilitation, conversion of commercial properties to residential, new townhomes or duplexes before she chose to build new homes. She searched for the right property to realize her dream and found it in an established neighborhood off Washington St. that is now the Sandy Lane Subdivision. The site plan for the subdivision includes ten lots with the first lot parallel to the new Sandy Lane that ends in a cul-de-sac connecting the other nine lots that are deep for privacy. Her vision for infill development was in sync with the Town of Easton’s development goals and the new development’s varied architectural styles fits into the neighborhood’s streetscapes.
The ‘Wylie”: Washington St. elevation
The “Wylie” model is the first completed in the development. The house has two entrances, one facing N. Washington St. and the other facing Sandy Lane. The house’s rectangular form, pitched roof, and lap siding are enhanced by gables filled with vertical siding that intersect the roof’s main ridge at varied heights. The vertical siding’s deeper hue and the lap siding’s lighter hue of the same color, along with cottage-style windows, add further architectural interest.
Front of home on Sandy Lane
The focal point of the side elevation along Sandy Lane is the recessed brick porch with steps leading to the entrance door with half glass/half paneled sidelights and the accent of the stained timber truss that infills the gable roof. The house’s roof steps down to the garage wing to create a pleasing massing. The variety of gables, window sizes from the small square accent units to the long windows that provide ample sunlight and the slight projection beyond the face of the garage with a double unit window adds additional architectural interest.
Home’s single car garage and deck from side elevation
The house’s rectangular footprint is notched at the rear to accommodate a single-car garage with space for storage and a spacious raised deck off the living-dining-kitchen open plan layout that overlooks the side and rear yards.
A fresh and modern floor plan welcomes visitors into the entry-way foyer / living-dining-kitchen space featuring lux flooring and 16ft ceilings
The Sandy Lane side entry door, the interior door to the garage and the sliding doors to the deck make the open plan area the hub of the house. The entry door opens into a foyer area that blends into the open-plan living-dining kitchen space with the beautiful high-quality luxury vinyl flooring that flows throughout the house. The pitched ceiling above the open plan area rises to a 16 foot height for greater spatial variety and I admired the slight variation in the color of the walls against the ceiling and trim vs. a monochromatic look.
The dining area’s large windows provide panoramic views of the landscape.
I especially liked the dining area’s corner windows and the sliding doors to the deck that provide panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. The colorful “bistro” chairs are the perfect pairing for the sleek wood table with its light stain that complements the flooring’s darker color. The size of the dining area can accommodate family meals or larger celebrations.
The neutral color palette in kitchen and dining area is kept interesting with contrasting cabinetry and warm granite countertops.
The kitchen’s neutral palette with creamy white high-end cabinetry and accents of the leather-look granite countertops and premium stainless steel appliances pleased this cook. The island cabinetry is darker for contrast and the countertop overhang accommodates bar stools for breakfast or an informal meal. The contemporary pendant lighting is the perfect finishing touch.
The galley-style kitchen has storage and prep areas abound, making it the perfect place to host family and friends for a yummy breakfast!
The island’s base cabinet doors match the creamy white color of the other cabinetry accented by sleek black pulls. The upper cabinets rise to the underside of the ceiling and the wide window over the sink gives the cook views of the landscape.
Sitting in the far corner of the living room, it’s easy to see all of the gorgeous details that make up the Wylie’s cozy gathering hub
My fave vista is this diagonal one from the living room seating that offers views of each part of the open plan layout. The side wall plane of the foyer creates an offset in plan to further define the living room seating.
The spacious vista from dining area through the open plan
From the dining area’s sliding doors and the door to the garage, the separate functions of the open plan living-kitchen-dining areas are clearly defined. On the day of my tour, sunlight poured in from the windows and doors surrounding the space in three directions.
The private but, brightly lit primary bedroom is perfectly serene
Instead of an egress window, the primary bedroom has an exterior door to a stoop with steps down to the lawn. High accent windows on the side wall provide additional sunlight and privacy. The room’s length can accommodate sleeping and sitting areas, and I n between closets opposite the bed is enough wall space for a wall-mounted TV.
The primary bathroom is contemporary lux in every way – designed with usage and storage in mind.
The primary bath has a black and white color scheme and the dual lavatories with a white quartz countertop are separated by drawers for storage. The white tiled walls and glass front of the shower expand the space and inserts in the interior wall of the shower provide convenient storage for soap or shampoo. The exterior wall opposite the shower provides sunlight and the stylish contemporary light tubes above each mirror with arched tops completes the look.
Two additional bedrooms complete Wylie’s layout and provide a perfect place for guests or an office.
Two guest bedrooms share a hall bath next to the laundry. All of the bedrooms have ceiling fans-so convenient for early spring and fall days when one can open windows for ventilation. This front corner bedroom has both an accent window on one wall and a longer window on the front wall for egress. Each guest bedroom has ample closet space.
This completed “Wylie” model is sited on a one-quarter lot with a sodded yard enhanced by landscaping. Its one level floor plan has great appeal from young couples to retirees with the added benefit of being able to age-in place. Close to downtown Easton’s amenities and route 50 for commuters, deep lots for privacy, house designs by an architect offering a core open-plan area with a pitched ceiling, abundant sunlight from wide and long windows, and exteriors that offer a luxury product for a more affordable price. The different architectural styles of the future houses will create a pleasing streetscape for one to enjoy on their daily stroll on sidewalks.
My complements to the developer Sandy Hammond for her wise guidance of this project through the pre-development tasks of holding hearings with neighbors to allay their concerns, meeting the planning and zoning requirements, addressing the needs of Talbot County and the Town of Easton as described in the comprehensive plan and building the infrastructure.
She then worked closely with her Architect and Contractor to create a portfolio of house styles that achieved her goal of offering a luxury product on a smaller scale. No cookie cutter designs here- each house will be different to create streetscapes that reflect the surrounding neighborhood. Her ultimate goal was to be a good new neighbor and this project will indeed be is a real asset to Easton.
To review the other house designs available for the Sandy Lane Subdivision, visit www.Sandylaneliving.com
For more information about this property, contact Janet Larson, Associate Broker at Benson & Mangold Real Estate, 410-745-0415 (o), 410-310-1797 (c), or [email protected]. or Marla Baines, Associate Broker at Meredith Fine Properties, 410-745-8060 (o), 410-924-1980 (c), or [email protected]
For more pictures and pricing, visit www.shoremove.com or www.bensonandmangold.com “Equal Housing Opportunity.”
Photography by Janelle Stroop, Thru the Lens, 410-310-6838, [email protected].
Developer: Sandy Hammond
Architect: Darren Johnson
Contractor: RJ Stansberry and Sons
KB says
Nice open design and a good location. At an entry level price of $450,000, this is an affordable home for the target audience identified in the article. It’s probably closer to $475,000 once you personalize the home. A household income of between $115,000 – $135,000 gets you in the home comfortably even at a 7% mortgage rate. The only stumbling block would be the roughly $90,000 necessary down payment and closing costs.