The neighborhood of Little Neck Farms in Rock Hall offers a unique setting with its 200 acres of open space and a community pier in the private community marina on Swann Creek for quick access to the Chesapeake Bay. The house is sited on a corner lot with a front porch for watching sunsets and a rear terrace for early morning risers to enjoy that second cup of coffee to begin their day. This traditional styled house has a main three-bay story and a half wing with double doors in the center between single windows and three single dormer windows aligned above. The full front porch is covered by a shed roof extending from the main roof’s eave and is the perfect spot for unwinding at the end of the day.
The one-story hyphen links the main wing with the story and a half two-car garage wing. I especially liked how the garage doors do not face the street so the front wall becomes a full gable with a shorter one story gable box bay for additional architectural interest. This box bay alcove offers a spot in the garage for trash and recycling bins, one feature I would love for my own garage.
The floor plan is zoned very well with the entry doors opening into a foyer with the guest bedrooms and bath to the left connected by a short hall. To the right of of the foyer is a sitting room that is currently used as a music room with light from the front single window and the pair of French doors to the foyer. From the front doors there is a clear vista through the house to the rear wall of the family room with its trio of long windows overlooking the landscape and sliding doors to the concrete terrace below. The side wall of the family room has floor to ceiling built-in millwork finished with crown molding and open shelves around the opening for the TV.
A wide cased opening connects the family room with the dining area and kitchen. The “L” arrangement of the kitchen cabinets and an island with bar stools is opposite the dining area defined by an angled bay window for diagonal views of the landscape. The dining table blends with the wood color of the kitchen’s base cabinets and the vertical pattern of the cabinets’ doors creates a uniform look. The upper cabinets stop below the ceiling to allow for display and I like how the backsplash continues up the wall space between the side of the cabinets and the window to end at the top of the window’s trim and the cabinets. Stainless steel appliances and the subway tile backsplash in earth tones completes the look.
A smaller wall opening in the kitchen-dining area leads to the gable wing containing the two-car garage, the primary suite, laundry and the “L” shaped stairs to the unfinished attic. I envied the primary suite’s sumptuous bath with a corner tub under a window, separate shower, dual sinks, toilet room with a window and a linen closet and off the bath is a large walk-in closet. The bedroom is located at the terrace side of the house and has two rear windows overlooking the landscaping.
The bonus room of this house is the entire attic area with framing carefully thought out for maximum headroom for future uses. The attic area over the garage has daylight from the windows at each gable end and the attic area over the main wing of the house has daylight from the three single window dormers over the front of the house and another window at the gable side wall. Huge potential for finished space-another bedroom suite, playroom, studio, etc.
Great location with wide open spaces and sunsets, floor plan with an easy flow and privacy zoning with the guest wing on the opposite side of the house from the primary suite. Full front porch and rear terrace are outdoor rooms to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature of this pastoral setting, with close proximity to Rock Hall and a short drive to Chestertown.
For more information about this property contact Lynn Hilfiker with Gunther McClary Real Estate at 410-639-2118 (o), 443-480-1163 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing visit www.rockhallrealestate.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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