When I first saw this spacious cottage style house, it reminded me of a delightful vacation years ago in Nantucket. I quickly fell under the spell of the wee village of Sconset and this house would fit seamlessly into that charming village’s streetscapes- all it needs is pink roses intertwined along the white picket fence. This property also includes a guest house, waterside pool, outbuilding and an open pavilion by the tennis court. I discovered the owners’ passion for tennis was the inspiration for the name of their house. I am sports challenged but when I asked the listing agent about the name, she graciously explained that the “sweet spot” is the perfect spot on the tennis racket for the player to make contact with the ball.
The site aerial shows a panoramic view of the Sassafras River and the house complex that sits on a slight knoll along 300 feet of shoreline. The arbor over the picket fence frames the meandering stone walkway to the light blue front door. The front elevation is charming with offsets that create two end gables, 6/6 windows with light blue shutters, white lap siding and a red brick chimney as an accent.
The floor plan of the main house flows very well with the bedroom wing at one end, the main entry and living room in the middle and the laundry/mud room, kitchen, and dining at the other end. The waterside sunroom spans across the living and dining rooms and has a wall of windows that wrap around the corner for diagonal views of the water. I love corner windows in rooms since they expand spaces and the kitchen, laundry/mud room and master bedroom all have corner windows to maximize views of the water. Wide wall openings connecting the living and dining rooms to the sunroom create an open plan that is the hub of the house. The focal point of the living room is the fireplace’s chimney of river rock, flanked by built-in millwork ready for books, collectibles and family photographs with wall space in between for a large screen TV.
Since this has been a beloved family compound for over fifty years, this is a unique opportunity to upgrade the finishes and materials to one’s taste and lifestyle. The wood floors are in great shape and the kitchen already has a white ceramic farmhouse sink, light colored backsplash tile and period hardware for the cabinets. Paint is an easy way to upgrade a space and would transform the main rooms into light and airy spaces for relaxing in the evening as the sun sets over the water.
The story and a half guest house is sited perpendicular to the water and its sunroom with a gambrel shaped ceiling, wrap around windows and the adjacent waterside deck would be the perfect gathering spot after a dip in the pool. The open plan living-dining-kitchen has a freestanding fireplace and the upper level bedrooms are tucked under the roofline for cozy retreats.
This property is part of the Kentmore Park Community Association and offers a deep sandy beach with access to two docks, boat ramp and moorings, swimming and picnic areas for a modest voluntary annual fee.
“The Sweet Spot” has been lovingly maintained over the years and is ready for the next owner to make it even sweeter.
For more information about this property, please contact Jennifer Mobley at Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company, 410-778-0330 (o), 443-350-5917 (c), or [email protected], “Equal Housing Opportunity”. For more photographs and pricing visit www.jenseasternshorehomes.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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