One of my favorite Christmas movies is “It’s a Wonderful Life” which may have planted the seed from my childhood to one day being able to help families with small houses for big dreams. I have written before of my past architectural experience in designing affordable new and infill housing for urban neighborhoods for HUD’s HOPE VI Initiative. I was delighted when the owners of this charming house contacted me about their house being a House of the Week. When I chatted with one of the owners, he told me he has a degree in urban studies/planning and had always dreamed of one day emulating George Bailey’s community. His dream was realized when he and his wife bought parcels in Easton’s Historic District to create a three lot infill subdivision and built their own house on one parcel. Unlike many infill lots, their lot size exceeds ½ acre so the house could both be set back from the street that also left ample space in the rear yard for their own “secret garden”. The garden includes crape myrtles, hydrangeas and many other colorful plants with a large shed for the next gardener to store lawn and garden equipment.
Like the infill houses I designed, from the sidewalk this charming cottage appears to be a renovated house because of its sensitivity to the scale of its streetscape of one-story, story and a half and two story houses across the street when viewed from the front porch of the house and its architectural craftsman cottage style. The gable front of the house steps down to a smaller gable that defines the front porch and entry door next to a single window. Two of my architectural pet peeves are posts masquerading as columns and chunky vinyl railings. This front porch is elegantly detailed with properly proportioned columns enhanced with moldings and a beautiful railing. The larger gable contains a double unit window for the front bedroom and the cream colored siding and crisp white trim completes the look.
The front door opens into a short hall between the front bedroom opposite a full bath and the bedroom’s interior was a clue to the stylish interiors in the rest of the house. I have the same white quilted coverlet but here the black furnishings with accents of red in the decorative pillows and the patterned duvet create a cozy guest bedroom which becomes a three room suite with the bath and sitting room across the hall. I admired how the sitting room’s beadboard wainscot aligns with the top of the bottom window pane and how the TV hidden in a small armoire and the hutch with books creates a quiet retreat for a lucky guest. Behind the sitting room and opposite the kitchen is the spacious laundry which I would gladly trade for my stack W/D combo!
The open plan kitchen-dining-living-screened porch is the hub of the house and has great flow for entertaining. The rear wall of sliding doors to the screened porch extends the vista to the landscaped yard beyond and the four-unit window in the kitchen, the triple-unit window in the dining area and the single windows flanking the fireplace bring sunlight throughout the day. I am not a fan of upper kitchen cabinets as I prefer a pantry and this kitchen wins me over with its mix of upper glass fronted cabinets, open shelf units, minimal closed upper cabinets and the large walk-in pantry. The kitchen’s “L” shaped layout has an island on casters and bar stools that can be moved around for large parties. The white cabinets, farmhouse sink, dark quartz countertops, black accents of the island base with its white marble countertop, the black armoire on the opposite wall for storage and stainless steel appliances creates a dream kitchen!
The wood dining room table and chairs in a distressed white finish is centered on the triple window unit overlooking the side yard and is between the kitchen and living room. The living room has an earth toned random stone fireplace surround and chimney that projects into the space between two side windows. I like the mix of the neutral upholstery and side chair cushions against the textures of the rattan chairs, accent pillows of red and the wood bench that now has a new life as a coffee table. The seating group is anchored by the large rug with a red background and oversize creamy white flowers. The rear wall of sliding doors with full height sidelights to the screened porch connects the two rooms visually for an easy flow between the rooms.
My favorite room was the screened porch with its dramatic rug of multicolored oversized flowers, cushioned oversize rattan chairs, textured slat ceiling and wide screened panels for landscape views. How pleasant it must be to relax at the end of a workday in this serene space far from the traffic of the street.
An alcove off the living room leads to the mud room connected to the primary suite opposite the rear porch with another exterior door to the screened porch. The charming bedroom has an iron bed painted white below a trio of high windows and a rear window overlooking the rear landscaped area. The white quilted spread is accented by a blue and brown coverlet and pillows with a blue throw. The primary bath has compartmentalized areas and a pocket door to the bedroom for easy flow between rooms.
Great location near Idlewild Park and the Rails to Trails, one year old Beracah design with numerous upgrades to blend new construction with details inspired by the surrounding Historic District houses, many pocket doors for easy flow, primary suite and guest suite zoned for privacy, outdoor rooms of the front porch and the rear screened porch; move-in ready, as realtors say. My compliments to the Owners for their stylish interiors and to this “George Bailey” for a great urban infill!
For more information about this property contact Sheila Washburn at 410-822-1415 (o), 443-786-6785 (c) or [email protected]. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.sheilawashburn.com “Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Photography by TruPlace, 301-972-3201,https://truplace.com/.
For more information about this property contact Sheila Washburn at 410-822-1415 (o), 443-786-6785 (c) or [email protected]. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.sheilawashburn.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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