House of the Week: West End Wonderful
I am enjoying exploring Cambridge’s Historic District with its treasure trove of houses like this charmer on a corner lot whose frontage faces a quiet street that ends at the Choptank River. The three-bay National Folk architectural style with Victorian elements has a very pleasing massing from the front gable projection with an accent window at the attic level and the wrap-around porch that spans the full width of the house. Rustic stone pillars mark the sidewalk to the brick steps leading up to the porch supported by Doric columns. The tall windows with black shutters, light blue lap siding, white trim and the reddish brown tone of the asphalt architectural shingles create great curb appeal. The layers of colorful plants, shrubbery and hedges add color and texture.
At the corner of the side street, the towering magnolia and the tall rows of additional landscaping that obscure the first floor of the house provide not only shade but also privacy for the porch. The Choptank River water front is only five houses away for your evening stroll after dinner.
Solid brick walls capped with stone slabs enclose the brick steps up to the front porch. The offsets in the porch’s footprint create cozy spaces for relaxation. The original wood slat ceiling was transformed by a trompe l’oeil design by Michael Rosato, a locally acclaimed artist whose work can be found throughout the Eastern Shore and in numerous museums throughout the country.
The front door opens into a foyer and parlor, with a fluted pilaster and two columns supporting a beam with moldings that separates the two spaces. I admired how the base of the front column is held away from the front wall while the other column’s base is against the stairs. The two columns frame the view through the parlor to the former fireplace’s mantel. The beautiful apricot yellow walls focuses one’ attention on the colorful abstract designs of the rug and artwork over the mantel. Pairs of French doors lead from the parlor to the living room and to the dining room on the other side wall of the foyer. Beautiful wood floors flow throughout the house.
The elegant contemporary interior design continues into the spacious dining room divided by another pair of columns. The stylish pair of pendants float over the long light wood table and chairs, anchored by two rugs in a striped pattern in shades of red, green, gray and white. Between the long windows is a collection of contemporary art in a range of media.
The adjacent kitchen’s countertop extends through the wide wall opening between the dining area and the kitchen with an overhang to accommodate stools for breakfast or informal meals. The twig art is a playful finishing touch.
From the kitchen side, I understood why the open wall area’s header is low, since above the Carrara marble countertop is a row of upper cabinets with mirrored fronts. I admired the careful detailing of how the bottom of the upper cabinets aligns with the middle of the double-hung window. This set the height of the backsplash between them that lowers on the other side of the window to a standard height. The spacious “U” shaped kitchen’s color scheme of light tile flooring, mix of dark base cabinets with creamy white upper cabinets and the Carrara marble countertops creates a light and airy feeling that would inspire any cook. The pedestal table whose top matches the countertops, the mix of chair styles and the large Oriental rug would make breakfast or informal meals an occasion. I especially liked how the window retains the original rosette corner trim.
The architect Charles Goeble worked his magic on the addition of a family room with a very wide wall opening connecting the addition to the kitchen. French door panels with frosted panes silently glide along a hidden track to create an open plan. The lilac accent wall was a lovely surprise and made a background for the colorful trio of exotic birds. The vista to the pair of French doors in the distance connects the family room with the parlor for easy flow among the spaces.
The subtle neutrals of the upholstered furnishings, one slightly darker in hue than the other are positioned diagonally across the room from each other. The rug between them defines the natural circulation path to the front parlor and the rear screened porch. I loved how the bottom of the double hung windows are covered with plantation shutters for privacy as needed while the decorative window treatment of the arrangement of paper umbrellas filters the sunlight within.
I loved the earth tones of the main floor bath from the pebbled shower flooring to the tile walls of the shower with a front glass wall that visually extends the space. I admired how the height of the wainscot flows above the porcelain lavatory and becomes a backsplash. The accent of the wood adds warmth to the space.
The rear wall of the living room has a both a double unit window and a door and window leading to the screened porch overlooking the landscape. I admired how the deep brown color of the wood slat ceiling is matched by the color of the rattan furnishings with white cushions and how the blue accent pillow picks up the blue of the stone flooring. The grid of the horizontal framing of the screened panels was carefully designed for the height of the furniture and the spacing of the vertical posts sets up the grid for the pergola over the terrace.
On the day I visited, I admired how the late afternoon sun cast shadows through the deep framing of the pergola onto the terrace and how the pergola was reflected in the glass of the living room’s double unit window. The smooth stone pavers of the terrace contrasts with the brick walkway to the garden. Lattice fencing and dense mature shrubbery and trees maintain the privacy for one to savor the sight and sounds of nature.
How marvelous to have the choice of dining in a either the semi-enclosed space of the screened porch, in the open air under the pergola or surrounded by the verdant oasis of the rear garden! The dark color of the potting shed with its birdhouse cupola is camouflaged by the trees and shrubbery.
As I looked up from the garden I saw yet another outdoor room, the second floor deck that overlooks the beautifully-landscaped garden. The tall mature trees obscures the view of the neighboring lots and it must be a great spot to watch the July 4th fireworks! I reluctantly left the serenity of the garden to explore the second floor, which contains three bedrooms and one bath with doors to both the hall and to the deck.
The primary bedroom is located at the corner of the front gable wing so it has windows on three sides for abundant sunlight. The white furnishings stands out against the apricot yellow walls and the beautiful wood floors. The window rosette trim and three-panel doors pay homage to the original period of the house.
Charming Eastern Shore vernacular architecture in the heart of downtown Cambridge, desirable corner lot surrounded by mature landscaping, range of outdoor rooms from the front porch, rear screened porch, terrace and pergola and hardscape surrounded by the garden, additions of the family room, screened porch, and pergola terrace by architect Charles Goebel, trompe l’oeil painting by Michael Rosato, easy flow among the main floor rooms, with the wife’s artistic attention to minute details throughout the interiors that has been a haven for her and husband for twenty years. Bravo to the entire design team!
For more information about this property, contact Mary Losty of Compass Real Estate at 215-920-3595 (c), 410-429-7425 (o), or [email protected], “Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Photography: Eve Fishell, Chesapeake Pro Photo LLC, 443-786-8025, www.chesapeakeprophoto.com, [email protected]
Architect: Charles Paul Goebel, Architect, Ltd., www.cpgoebel.com, (410) 820-9176
Trompe l’oeil Painting: Michael Rosato, www.michaelrosato.com 202-302-7705
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