Once again I can’t resist Easton’s Historic District and the appeal of this charming house I have passed by many times on my trips through Town. The house is sited on a corner lot and both the front elevation and the side elevation facing Aurora Street have great curb appeal. The exterior color palette first caught my eye-I loved the dark reddish brown shake siding, light olive trim and imaginative accents of blue. The front, rear and side screened porches’ floors and ceilings are bright blue and I truly coveted the artisan center handrail with its curvaceous lines that divides the wide brick steps to the front door. At the Aurora St. side, weathered wood fencing is interrupted by tall light olive green posts between weathered wood gates whose irregular shaped tops echo the curvaceous lines and color of the front steps’ handrail.
The massing of the house adds to its charm with the front elevation’s center gable at the second floor projecting slightly onto the front porch’s hipped roof below. Inset into the gable is a double unit window to contrast with the single windows on either side above the first floor windows flanking the center front door. Above the gable’s cornice board is a delightful mix of diamond and scalloped shingles painted the light olive green trim color. The side elevation at the corner has a two-story wide gable wall projection next to a screened porch overlooking the side and rear yards. At the rear of the house, a covered deck overlooks the fenced yard with hardscape and landscape nestled under the shade of mature trees.
The front door opens onto the foyer between the living and dining rooms to a vista of a wood antique hat/umbrella stand with the upper part containing a mirror with hooks for hats on each side and metal pans recessed into the base shelf below for umbrellas. The stairs are detailed in a combination of white stringer molding, balusters and the bottom of the newel post with the stained wood newel cap, top rail and treads.
The living room is located at the front corner of the house with the bay shaped wall’s center double window and single windows at the angled walls. Opposite the bay wall is the other focal point of the room, a mirror “fireplace” with a surround of fluted side molding, rosette corner blocks and plinth blocks. Partial height built-in millwork on either side of the fireplace surround follows the outline of the chimney projecting into the room and creates clever additional millwork at the inside corners of the chimney. The millwork is beautifully detailed with double rows of curves and moldings along the top of millwork.
The dining room is equally dramatic with a wall of slender vertical floor to ceiling cabinets between open shelving for display for china, silver, glassware, etc. with the top recessed area between the cabinets lit for great effect. The combination of period pendant lighting over the table and the contemporary gallery type lights was striking and the effect at night must be magical. The wood dining table and chairs stand out against the wall of white with an accent of the darker wood of the bar chest next to the window.
The kitchen’s sleek look has a checkerboard floor, wood cabinets, white tiled backsplash and under cabinet lighting hidden by the molding of the upper cabinets. The breakfast area has a wood table with molded white chairs and an open shelf unit for cookbooks, small appliances and storage. The continuous flow from the rear porch overlooking the back yard to the kitchen, family room and screened porch create great spaces for relaxation and entertaining.
The second floor bedrooms are located along the front of the house with the primary bedroom’s bay wall projection above the living room and the rhythm of alternating single and double windows keep this space sunny and bright. The primary bedroom interior design has a blend of contemporary and traditional wood pieces and one of the guest rooms has a traditional feel with its antique white iron bed with neutral bed linens. The cozy third bedroom is located under the center gable and I recognized the image of the poster opposite the bed whose striking perspective becomes an interior window. I have a poster of the same Brassai black and white photograph with steps and street lamps cascading down from Montmartre to disappear into the early morning mist of Paris. The rear room is a true multipurpose space of laundry, wet bar and office area complete with a Scandinavian blond wood chair and footstool with bright red cushions for breaks from work.
Great corner location in the Historic District on a wide street with mature trees, Victorian charm with a mix of original moldings and imaginative contemporary touches, compact floor plan with easy flow among the rooms, beautiful hardwood floors, built-in millwork in the living and dining rooms, covered and screened porches for warm weather relaxation, spacious rear yard with a mix of sun and shade and fencing for privacy-Bravo to the Owners for their stylish interiors!
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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