Design with Jenn Martella: Pin Oak House

The streets surrounding Idlewild Park contain a variety of  house styles including this distinguished Federal style house on its deep corner lot. Elements of the Federal style that are found in this house include its five-bay symmetrical  arrangement of both horizontal and vertical rows of 6/6 windows and shutters surrounding the fanlight over the door in a shallow entry vestibule. The main house was built in 1948 and with a one-story sunroom at one side.  

Each week on my way to choir practice at SSPP Church, as I drove past this stately whitewashed brick house, I admired its setting with an ivy-covered iron fence along the Town sidewalk and the towering presence of the majestic “Grand Campion Pin Oak” of Talbot County. The Owners nicknamed the tree “George,” and the spread of his canopy extends over half of the street! At night, recently installed uplighting at the property’s front and back yards adds drama to the nocturnal facades.

The deep rear yard contains both hardscape and landscape, including  a smaller Pin Oak the Owners named “Martha” for they imagined her arms were reaching out to “George” and a large crape myrtle whose summer blooms are not far away.  Gardeners would be enchanted by the plantings including irises and tulips, the fragrance of honeysuckle and the gentle sound of the koi pond’s waterfall.  On the day of my visit, I admired the shadows of the trees’ limbs that overlap the joints of the hardscape’s joints. The openness of the terrace’s outdoor room is balanced by the screened enclosure of the gazebo with its long vista over the garden to the house. The property’s bonuses are the storage outbuilding at the rear of the property and off-street parking for three cars, accessed from the side street. 

A red door signifies welcome, safety and prosperity and this house’s red door opens to multiple vistas from the entry vestibule that clearly define the center hall floor plan for  easy flow among the rooms. On either side of the door are newly installed custom closets with wood doors, crown molding and the sisal stair runner. The light gray walls and crisp white trim are discrete backdrops for the Owners’ furnishings of antiques and other pieces.

 

The wide wall opening at one side wall of the foyer frames the view of the spacious living room that spans the full depth of the house. I admired how the furnishings’ upholstery picked up colors from the beautiful Oriental rug over the refinished original wood floors. The working wood burning fireplace adds ambiance during winter evenings between the bespoke millwork for one’s display of family photos, books, collectibles, etc. The French door leads to the adjacent family room. 

Since the family room’s exposed foundation was brick and the wall cladding is siding, this room might have originally been an open porch with a brick floor. Now the earth tone of the grasscloth wall covering creates a cozy spot for watching TV or for unwinding after one’s workday. The plantation shutters over the wide windows provide privacy or filtered sunlight.

The rear wall of the family room has a glass paneled door with steps to the rear landscaped and hardscaped yard. The table and chairs can be an informal dining space or space for board games, cards or my fave, puzzles.  As I stood in front of the wide window opening in the original brick wall of the house, I savored the long vista through the living room, past the powder room, and ending at the kitchen.

I made my way back to the foyer to its other wide wall opening into the exquisite dining room filled with antiques including the graceful oval wood table and Queen Anne chairs below the period crystal chandelier. Another large and beautiful Oriental rug anchors the tables and chairs. 

I especially admired the dining room’s stunning mahogany breakfront with silver pieces glistening behind the glass doors. The wood wainscot and the Thibaut wallpaper whose pattern resembles brocade wraps around the room to create an elegant setting for memorable meals. The finishing touches of the custom window treatments blend into the wallpaper for a unifying look.

Previous Owners had remodeled the kitchen with tile flooring, wood cabinets and granite countertops. The dual ovens, gas stove, island cooktop and stainless appliances are ready to please the next gourmet cook. The side door opens into a short hall past the powder room to the living room.

The island’s color contrasts with the other wood cabinets and the overhang at the edge provides space for breakfast or snacks. The window over the sink overlooks the landscaped side yard.

At the rear of the kitchen is a cozy area with a half French/half paneled  door with a view of “Martha”. The pet door insert for the family dogs allows them to freely access the large fenced back yard for their daily exercise. The door is also the primary access from the parking area so the space is a combo mud room/breakfast room with a wall mounted rack for jackets and coats and a chest of drawers for storage. The wood table and bentwood chairs creates a restful spot for that second cup of morning coffee. Opposite this area is a wet bar/coffee bar, conveniently located  for outdoor entertaining. 

The main floor’s powder room has privacy from its location on the hall between the living room and the kitchen. The vintage pieces of both the nightstand that has a new life as a lavatory and the towel rack, the white wainscot and light blue walls create a delightful period -inspired space. 

The combo of the stairs that lead to the second floor and the hall width to the guest bedrooms creates a wide nook with a window overlooking the rear yard’s landscaping. The nook has myriad uses but this mini-office is perfect for a household that needs two office areas.

The second floor also contains three bedrooms and two baths. The corner primary bedroom spans the full depth of the house. The room’s spacious size easily accommodates the scale of the antique furnishings and I especially admired the beautiful bed frame with its four posts with an arched headboard. The door at the corner leads to a walk-in closet next to the primary bath at the front of the house. This buffer from traffic on the street creates a serene space for sleep.

I loved the primary bath’s designer toile wallpaper with its pattern of flying dragonflies that stretches the space. A former sideboard now has a new life as a stylish lavatory and the tile flooring’s color complements the wallpaper. The plantation shutters’ slats can be adjusted for sunlight or privacy. 

The rear corner guest bedroom also overlooks the rear yard landscaping and is currently furnished as a home office. The two windows offer panoramic views of the neighborhood.

The front corner guest bedroom has everything a guest requires- soothing light green walls, colorful floral bedspread with matching valances over the windows, highboy, desk with a computer, and a TV strategically placed opposite the bed.    

This compact hall bath’s spatial volume feels larger than it is due to the light colored walls and to the white vintage porcelain lavatory’ s legs, instead of a cabinet on the floor. The wide window provides ample light and the plantation shutters’ slats can be adjusted for sunlight or privacy. 

Another staircase leads to the third floor hall with two guest bedrooms, one bath and a large storage closet. The two spacious guest bedrooms are tucked under the gable ends at each side of the house, which creates delightful interior architecture with high knee walls and sloped ceilings to the underside of the framing above. The wide doors at the knee walls open into storage areas. The other bedroom has a single wide window at the gable wall. 

Each third floor bedroom has identical charming nooks at the rear wall that create mini-dressing areas with wide closets. The top of the built-in seating is hinged for more storage. What a marvelous space to stretch out and enjoy the bird’s eye views of the landscape below and the rooftops and treetops of Easton! 

This stately house’s numerous amenities begin with its prime location on a deep corner lot with views of Idlewild Park and the house’s landscaped rear yard, off-street parking, classic Federal architecture and mimimal hall space that creates a compact floor plan with easy flow among the rooms. Spacous living room and formal dining room, cozy family room, gourmet kitchen, primary ensuite on the second floor and two other bedrooms, one of which is a spacious office, two other guest bedrooms on the  third floor tucked the gable walls create a home for family living. The beautiful wood floors, high ceilings, moldings and trim, custom plantation shutters, stair runners, window and wall treatments are a gracious backdrop for the next Owner’s furnishings.  There is abundant storage on every floor, including a dry basement, with both interior and exterior access, that contains a laundry and many storage racks. Outdoor rooms of the fenced rear yard’s large stone terrace and screened gazebo for relaxing to the soothing sound of the koi pond’s waterfall, and off-street parking from the side street. The Owners have meticulously maintained and improved the house and grounds so it is move-in ready- Bravo!

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For more information about this property, contact Tiffany Cloud with Meredith Fine Properties at 410-745-8060 (o), 570-751-8637 (c), or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.meredithfineproperties.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity.”  Tiffany Cloud is both the Owner and the MD licensed Listing Agent.

Photography by JM Real Estate Photography, www.jmrealestatephotos.com , [email protected] , 410-971-0027

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.