As the painted wood sign in the living room says “The Olde Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast” may have inspired this new farmhouse built in 2004 on two parcels of land with a total of 4.5 acres of privacy. The long driveway winds through woods and curves around to the one-story garage wing. Pavers lead from the driveway to the main wing’s two stories with a two-story gable projection defining the front door at the first floor and a nook at the stair hall on the second floor. The front elevation is further articulated by a wrap-around porch that begins at the main floor’s living room and continues around to end at the one-story garage wing.
Rattan furnishings with cushions are arranged around the porch for relaxing with family and friends to enjoy the view. The exterior color palette of beige shiplap style siding with accents of darker scalloped shingles infilling the gable of the two-story bay projection stands out against its green backdrop of trees. The roofing is darker to contrast with the siding and the darker trim color of the windows and doors is a refreshing choice instead of the usual white.
The front door opens into a spacious foyer formed by the angled bay walls opposite the stairs to the second floor between the living room and the dining room. The living room has double windows overlooking the front porch with a single window at the side wall for views of the landscape and the sectional sofa is arranged around a large screen TV for family movie nights. The artwork on the walls proclaim this is a family house that “… loves until the cows come home”-a great motto for happy families.
Opposite the living room is the dining room with both a front double window and a side window overlooking the wrap-around porch. The dining room is totally open to the stairs which become a sculptural element with the open railing and pickets at the lower run transitioning to paneled walls at the upper run and the wall under the lower run. The wall panels are light gray with white trim and this detail continues to the underside of the stairs. I would be tempted to replace the panels at the end with doors to access the area underneath for storage of serving pieces for the dining room.
From the dining room, there is a clear vista to the family room that begins the open plan family room- breakfast area-kitchen. The family room’s rear wall has a pair of French doors with tall sidelights for access to the deck and the above-ground pool. The side wall is detailed with a wood burning fireplace centered between two single windows with arched transoms. The breakfast area’s angled bay walls echoes the entry foyer in plan and here each angled wall has a single window to flood the space with sunlit panoramic views of the landscape.
The spacious kitchen has a “U” shape with a peninsula next to the breakfast area with the end of the base cabinets detailed with open curved shelves for display. I liked the contrast of the darker gray base cabinets with the white upper cabinets and how some upper cabinets had glass fronts and open shelves below. The stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and easy care tile flooring complete the very stylish look.
Beyond the cased opening in the kitchen is a hall with the powder room and another stair to the attic area over the two car garage. One bay of the two-car garage is finished as an exercise room but it could easily revert to a two-car arrangement. Doors at both the front and rear ends of the stair hall lead to another foyer that becomes a great mud room for unloading totes and backpacks.
All of the bedrooms and full baths are located on the second floor. The stair opens into a hall with an alcove formed by the bay walls of the breakfast room below. This space would be a great location for built-in seating and a tabletop for board games. The primary suite has a pitched ceiling and two side and one double-window at the rear wall for sunlight and views of the landscape. The dark blue walls are a background for the light colored furnishings and the pink bed linens and window treatments are a prelude to the large bath. White wainscot below light pink walls enclose the bath and I coveted the free-standing soaking tub surrounded by the angled walls above the breakfast room. What a serene space for relaxation!
Large lot for privacy in a wooded setting, appealing farmhouse architecture with outdoor rooms of a meandering wrap-around front porch and rear terrace with above-ground pool; great flow among the main floor rooms including an open plan family-breakfast-kitchen area-great family home!
For more information about this property, contact Peter Heller with Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-708-3301 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing visit www.hellertheseller.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Photography by Patty Hill, www.pattyhillphotography.com, (410) 441-4719
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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