Several weeks ago, I featured another property on Quaker Neck that was sited very close to the Chester River. As I walked through the waterside rooms, I felt as if I were on a boat. Due to the irregular river shoreline, this property’s setting is completely different. The house is set back from the road surrounded by mature landscaping and towering trees including a magnificent willow at the front corner of the house that frame the traditional style house. At the rear of the house is a deck leading to a stone terrace and these inviting outdoor spaces are framed by more mature trees for privacy. The trees break behind the terrace to open up a vista to a deep lawn ending at the dock with two boat lifts for cruising the Chester River.
The current owners broke out of the box by adding two-story gable ended wings to both the front and rear of the house and a front porch and balcony above on the front elevation. The front gable addition created a garage and expanded the second floor master bedroom into a sumptuous retreat. The rear gable addition opened up the house to the landscape and water with extensions to the dining and family rooms connected by a new sunroom. The rear gable projection on the second floor added a delightful three-season sun porch to the primary bedroom suite.
The living room is separated from the entry and stairs with short wing walls next to slightly offset columns to define the living room space and the stairway open to the foyer side expands the space even more. The focal point of the living room is the fireplace set against a paneled wall and the Oriental rugs, Chippendale style sofa, wing chairs, wood accent pieces and neutral colors give the room a serene feel. The wide cased opening at the living room’s wall next to the dining room opens a vista centered on the dining table below the coffered ceiling to the rear French door with long windows on either side. Corner cabinets with arched glass upper doors and a hutch with glass doors display beautiful china including an oyster plate collection for entertaining.
The entry foyer leads to the hall past the gourmet kitchen with its stained wood cabinets, darker granite countertops and a slate backsplash in a “L” and island arrangement. Many of the upper cabinets have glass door fronts to balance the expanse of wood. The kitchen is open to the spacious sunroom with space for sitting and informal dining with skylights and a wall of wrap-around windows for sunlight and views to the landscape and water. The expansion of the house benefited the family room the most for it added another wall of windows that wrapped around to the existing brick fireplace wall to create a great gathering space.
The second floor is zoned well with the center hall connecting the guest bedrooms and the primary suite that spans the entire depth of the house. One guest room has an antique white iron bed and an Oriental style chest as a nightstand against the background of patterned wallpaper. Another bedroom is currently being used as a study but could easily revert to a bedroom if a fifth bedroom is needed. The laundry is centrally located between the hall and the primary suite. The primary bedroom is located at the rear of the house with windows and sliding doors to access the charming sunporch. The space is detailed with a pitched wood slat ceiling, three pairs of rear sliding doors with screens to catch the breezes, French rails for safety, two transoms centered over the sliding doors and side windows for bird’s eye views of the landscape and water beyond.
Behind the bedroom is an open area opposite the walk-in closet that is a quiet space for a home office with the bonus of an exterior door to the balcony over the front porch below for breaks from computer work. The spacious master bath layout has the lavatory centered between the front windows with the tub and the shower opposite each other on the side walls.
Wonderful waterfront site with mature landscaping creating privacy and outdoor rooms of the main floor deck and terrace and the second floor balcony and sunporch. Traditional architecture and a great floor plan for family relaxation or entertaining-country living minutes from the center of town!
For more information about this property, contact Mary Fielding with Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-708-4852 (c) , or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit https://www.coldwellbanker.com/coldwell-banker-chesapeake-real-estate-company-2228c/chestertown-office-76035d, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Photography by Janelle Stroop, 410-310-6838, [email protected]
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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