The Tudor period of early 16th century English history has always fascinated  me for its larger than life personalities, politics and architecture. The style of its residential architecture loosely resembles late Medieval English grand country manors to modest thatched -roofed cottages. Distinguishing characteristics include steeply pitched roofs, gables on the front elevations, overlapping gables, ornamental half-timbering infilled with stucco paired with brick facades and cast stone trim. All of these architectural details drew me to this charming Tudor style house on Washington Ave.  

The house’s current use is commercial but I was greatly relieved to see that the current occupants have carefully furnished the rooms with great care to preserve the original details. The stair to the second floor is open on the hall side and the stair treads and cap rail are stained wood and the balusters and stair risers are painted white.  French doors lead from the hall to the living room with its brick fireplace corbeled out to form a mantel with millwork on either side. The pale yellow walls and wood floors give warmth to the room and the office furnishings are unobtrusive so one could easily envision this space as a gracious living room. 

The dining room with its hand-hewn dropped beams and chandelier is ready for a dining table and chairs to replace the private office furnishings. The “L” shaped kitchen has space for a breakfast table and replacing the surface mounted fixture with recessed downlights would upgrade the space.  The original door with chamfered top corners has been preserved.

 I loved the upper hall with its double window at one wall that brings daylight into the space and the original six-panel door to one room. All of the offices could easily be converted to bedrooms, each with its own charm.  All of the rooms have high knee-walls that meet the sloped part of the ceiling on the underside of the roof joists to intersect the flat ceiling plane for charming interior architecture. Dormer double windows pierce through the sloped ceiling to bring daylight into the space. One office has a stuffed bear perfect for a child’s bedroom.

The property is screened from the side street by mature trees and the deep yard with its hardscaped terrace and walkway to the alley offer myriad possibilities for additional landscaping.  Kudos to the current occupants who have carefully preserved this Tudor gem. I hope someone buys this carefully preserved house to maintain the historic streetscape along Washington Avenue. 

For more information about this property, contact Courtney Chipouras with Select Lands and Homes at 410-810-3900 (o), 410-200-1224 (c) or courtney@mychesapeakehome.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.

My last house in Knoxville, TN, was an American Four-Square. I was captivated by this charming Four-Square on one of Chestertown’s highly sought after streets,  Mt. Vernon Ave., located between downtown and Washington College and convenient to the shopping centers on Washington St.

I loved the front elevation with its upper level shake siding and main level lap siding in contrasting neutral colors, the side open porch and the sunroom.  The porch has an oversized Craftsman style column that rests on the siding half wall and a beautiful stained Craftsman style front door.  Another porch at the driveway side leads to a stair down to a full basement and up to the main level.

The front door opens to the stairway and the living room that spans the rest of the house width with windows at each side for daylight. The house is beautifully furnished with Craftsman pieces including a settee with a mirror and coat hooks just inside the front door. Another pair of French doors leads to the sunroom with wrap-around windows. Wood floors, white walls and woodwork make this a cozy spot for reading.

A wide wall opening leads to the to the dining room with a pair of French doors at the rear wall leading to the deck overlooking the deep rear yard.  The wood table and Craftsman wood chairs define the dining space that is open to the kitchen. The galley kitchen walls are painted an accent color that highlights the white cabinets, dark countertops and stainless steel appliances.

I also loved the aqua green walls, wood floors and white trim of one bath with its vintage wall mounted white porcelain lavatory and wall mounted medicine cabinet. The second floor bedrooms enjoy bird’s eye views of the rear yard and the master bedroom has a private deck to expand the space.

Great architecture that has been meticulously maintained, furnishings that complement the Four-Square architectural style, a deep lot, fully fenced back yard, close to all the best amenities Chestertown has to offer-irresistible!

For more information about this property, contact Liddy Campbell with Cross Street Realtors at 410-778-3779 (o), 410-708-5433 (c) or liddy@csrealtors.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.

The Quaker Neck area has always been fertile ground for me in seeking Houses of the Week and this charming property on 9.75 acres with shoreline along Phillips Creek caught my eye. The house site is surrounded by mature trees to give the house total privacy and the farmhouse has been restored and renovated to give the rooms views of the water.

Both the front and the rear elevations are loaded with charm. The front massing is broken down into two wings, and a shed-roofed addition adds more living space.  The shed roof has skylights to filter light into the spaces that had originally been located on an exterior wall.  A shed dormer behind the addition on the main roof has three windows to bring sunlight and water views into the upper level bedrooms tucked under the roof. A gable roof marks the front door and a recessed porch with a pergola marks the entry to a room currently used as an office.  Great materials and textures of both shingle and metal roofing, creamy lap siding, red brick stoops and the massing create a very appealing composition.

The rear elevation has the same shed-roofed addition as the front but here the shed roof starts higher up the main roof for part of the addition to project beyond the rear wall with wrap-around windows at one corner and a screened porch at the end perpendicular to the house. Several sliding doors lead to the hardscaped area around the pool and a deck with a grille next to the screened porch is strategically placed for al-fresco dining. Double window dormers provide water views to the upper level bedrooms.

The family room with its sloped ceiling, wood floors and comfortable seating grouped around the fireplace is a cozy space for relaxing. Recessed shelving units placed at an angle at each end of the room contain books and media equipment. Another sitting room has a white wainscot and wall above painted a colorful accent color, white ceiling boards and exposed stained wood beams. The same ceiling treatment extends into the kitchen. The dining room has a sloped ceiling, a skylight and a row of four windows ganged together for views to the landscape.  I loved the colorful collection of ceramic plates and platters displayed in the hutch. The Peacock chairs around the wood table topped with striped candles in blue holders and the graceful chandelier made this dining room unique.

The spacious main level master suite includes a sitting room created by the shed roofed addition with sliding doors to the poolside deck. The “corner office” at the other end of the house has a wood wainscot and colorful trim accents.  The upper level bedrooms have interesting interior architecture due to the different knee-wall heights. My favorite room was the screened porch framed in white with a stained wood ceiling and wide screened panels for panoramic views of the site.

Charming farmhouse with plenty of privacy but close to Chestertown amenities!

For more information about this property, contact Richard “Clint” Evans with Cross Street Realtors at 410-778-3779 (o), 410-708-0630(c), or clint@csrealtors.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.

Queen Street is one of my favorite streets in Chestertown because of its history as part of the 1706 plot of the Town, the scale of its houses on narrow lots, brick sidewalks, shade trees and the variety of architectural styles.  This charming house caught my eye for its distinctive attic dormer with sloped sides, reminiscent of the Second Empire style combined with a Victorian front facade, the color palette of light blue siding, white trim and corner boards, deep green shutters, full front porch and Victorian details including eave brackets and fretwork. The house takes advantage of its narrow but deep lot by offsetting the rear wing from the front wing. This gives more room to the side yard and allows the living room that spans across the width of the house to have not only front windows but also a rear window for cross ventilation and a long vista to the rear of the property. 

The front entry door with a transom above opens into the stair hall with walls in a very pleasing wallpaper in a small pattern perfectly scaled for the space. The staircase balustrade has stained treads and risers, wood newel posts and cap rail with white balusters.  The hall becomes a gallery  for art and leads to the dining room beyond the stairs and another doorway leads to the living room. The corner fireplace, beautiful hardwood floors, a wonderful mix of antiques, a rocker in an accent light green color, upholstered pieces and rattan side tables create a cozy look.  The dining room is almost as large as the living room and can easily accommodate small or large parties.  This room also has a very pleasing mix of furnishings from the glass top table, antiques, Oriental armchairs and an Art Deco sideboard.

The kitchen has white cabinets and the high walls above the upper cabinets are painted a warm sage green that accentuates the cabinets. Above one row of upper cabinets is a shelf supported by brackets that contain a delightful collection of ceramics. A colorful fish sculpture swims above the rear door and the breakfast table under the window is a sunlit spot for that last cup of coffee before beginning the workday. A door at the rear of the house leads to a deck with spaces for grilling and outdoor dining. At the back of the lot there are two sheds for lawn and garden storage

My favorite room was the master bedroom with light mocha walls, white trim, white sheers on the windows, white bedlinens, and two wood night tables. Lamps on the night tables complement each other instead of being identical. The deft touch of hanging antique mirrors that are approximately the same size but differ in style over the night tables instead of art and the unusual rattan chair were inspired decorative touches that give this serene space great personality.

One bedroom that has access to the hall through French doors also has an opening to the master bedroom and is furnished as a sitting room.  Completing this master suite is a large bathroom and I loved the full bath with a tub, pedestal sink, rattan trunk for linen storage and a rattan settee. I am always drawn to attic spaces and this third floor space that spans the front of the house with light from the center front dormer and windows in each side gable is another favorite room.

Historical architecture, an owner with a flair for stylish interior design, a site one block from the Chester River-hard to resist!

For more information about this property, contact Margie Bryant with RE/MAX Premiere Selections at 301-580-7990 (c) or margie@margiebryant.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.

This three-story A-frame contemporary cottage surrounded by woods combines a haven of privacy with the proximity of  the Chesapeake Bay and Chestertown amenities that are only a short drive away. The wrap-around “Trex” deck at the main level is the perfect spot for a nature lover to relax while watching the ever-changing wildlife show. The light gray shake siding and blue metal roof offer low maintenance and the sleek handrail around the deck with its thin horizontal rails are a minimalist barrier to the panoramic scenic views. Under the deck is the basement level with a garage.

The exterior walls of the living-dining room meet at a point with a free-standing fireplace flanked by sliding doors with three transoms above that reach up to the underside of the pitched ceiling for a dramatic focal point. Seating and dining areas are arranged to maximize the views and opposite the living-dining area is a space the owner has furnished as an office. The “U” shaped kitchen is open to the dining area and above the kitchen sink is a bay window with a skylight roof for more scenic views. The white cabinets and countertops are outlined in wood and part of the soffit over the cabinets has a clever niche for cookbooks.    

Two bedrooms and one bath complete the main floor and the upper floor has an overlook to the great room below and another bedroom and bath. The owners’ use of color accents was quite refreshing-piping on the great room sofas, the wood trimmed cabinets and countertops, a red accent wall in one bedroom, deep yellow walls in another, blue trim in one bathroom, blue stair treads with white risers and another bedroom with light plum walls. Recessing a bookcase into the high knee walls was a clever way to keep books close at hand-much better than my precarious stack of books on each nightstand!

If you are seeking a quiet haven in the woods that is also close to Chestertown or the Chesapeake Bay, this sunlight filled cottage and wrap-around deck could be just what you are looking for. 

For more information about this property, contact Stacy Kendall with Cross Street Realtors at 410-778-3779 (o), 443-480-3453(c), or stacy@csrealtors.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.

When I first saw this house, its simple farmhouse form and minimum detailing  reminded me of both Shaker and Scandinavian design. The house, built in 2009, has a peaceful ten acre setting of meadow, fields and woods. Pastoral views of the farm across the street are protected by an easement against development. Both the front porch and the rear screened porch are great spaces for enjoying the views of the landscape. I loved the juxtaposition of the house’s exterior color palette of creamy light yellow and white trim against the red of the barn form that is actually the garage with guest quarters above. How different this house would have looked if the garage had been cladded with the same creamy yellow siding!

The beautiful interiors are so well matched to the house’s exterior simplicity. The interior architecture with high ceilings, large windows with stained wood window frames, white trim with the sill piece slightly overlapping the jamb/apron connection, inside mount window blinds that disappear when fully opened and warm wood floors create very appealing interior architecture. The furnishings are a harmonious mix of upholstered pieces, wood antiques and accents of Scandinavian chairs and settees 

The focal point of the living room is the stunning Finnish “Tulikivi” slate blue soapstone wood stove that becomes a sculptural element opposite the inlaid wood armoire. The upholstered pieces around the fireplace pick up the red in the colorful rug’s motifs.  The media room has light mocha walls and a Scandinavian wood framed sofa and chair in a subtle pattern that complements the walls.  

The kitchen has, fittingly, a “farmhouse” sink set into cranberry colored countertop and wood cabinets arranged in an “L” around an island with bar stools. The kitchen and dining area are combined and another wood stove keeps the room cozy and warm during the fall and winter.

I also loved all the bedrooms’ interior design. The master bedroom’s pale butter walls, colorful Kilim, white bed linens, wood tables as nightstands and art makes a serene space. Another bedroom has light sage green walls, a double and a twin wood beds with pencil post frames flanking a double window. The colorful duvets with rows of alternating flowers in varied colors and the geometric rug were just the right touch. The cozy guest bedroom over the garage had knee walls and a sloped ceiling and the dark wood bed frame contrasted with the white bed linens. 

This house reminded of the Shaker song, 

“Tis the gift to be simple, tis the gift to be free,

Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be, 

And when we find ourselves in the place just right

It will be in the valley of love and delight” 

One would be very lucky to “come down” here in this “place just right”!

For more information about this property, contact Richard Budden at Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company, 410-778-0330 (o), 443-480-1181 (c) or rbudden@easternshoremdre.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.

As an architect, what I love about conceptual design is working simultaneously in plan, section and elevation along with the site features and to see the design evolve.  It is clear the architects for this exquisite award-winning house did this and more. Carefully crafted details like the bowed rear wall of the great room, dropped beams that create coffered ceilings and a stunning staircase are just a few of the many design features of this unique house. 

The linear main floor plan is organized along a transverse hall and the great vistas begin with the entry.  A low arched header spans across the front door with full height sidelights and the four-panel door with very slightly incised panels echoes the muntin pattern of the sidelights. The spatial geometry of the ceiling changes from flat over the closets next to each sidelight up to a low arched soffit above the entry door and sidelights.  The higher soffit continues across the room to intersect with the transverse hall that is a gallery for art. The walls between the entrance hall and the gallery have nooks open from front to back and divided into four parts to resemble a window with a transom above. 

As you enter the gallery, multiple delightful vistas open up in every direction. One end of the gallery terminates at a set of doors that lead to the recreation room with a kitchenette, sauna, and full bath. The other end of the gallery terminates at the family room with a short walkway to a garage with a guest suite above.  The transverse vistas from the entrance hall have views through the wide wall opening in the great room and to the stunning staircase. 

The lower stair treads are much longer than required and diminish in length until they reach the landing to the upper run of the stairs.  The third tread extends to the opposite wall of the entrance hall to form a seat and the fourth tread becomes a shallow ledge for display. The balustrade design with its rhythm of open space and railing inset with an “I” shape, the wood treads and white risers complete the design.     

On the water side opposite the gallery, the great room with living and dining areas has a bowed wall of windows and French doors with transoms for water views and the side wall’s focal point is the fireplace with seating arranged around it.  A short hall from the great room leads to the kitchen, screened porch and to the service areas across the hall.  

I loved the kitchen with its bowed window at the water side that creates a cozy informal eating area, another low arched pair of windows overlooking the screened porch, the white cabinets, dark countertops, stainless steel appliances and the small island furniture piece accented in slate blue with a white countertop. A French door at the breakfast area leads to the waterside terrace that extends along the rear of the house at various depths. The large screened porch has areas for dining and seating to enjoy the water view.  

The bedrooms are on the second floor with the spacious master suite on one side of the staircase and the other four bedrooms and three baths on the other side. The steeply pitched roof creates a variety of ceiling planes with knee walls, soffits and dormers, creating great interior architecture. The luxurious master suite has a large master bath including a freestanding tub with a high window tucked into a small dormer, and three walk-in closets to provide ample storage.

The exterior massing of the front elevation breaks up the linear plan by short one-story connections from the main wing of the house to both the recreation room wing and to the garage wing and by placing the recreation room perpendicular to the house. The steep roof of the main wing is accented by a large gable that projects beyond the main roof eave over the entrance hall below and a much smaller gable dormer contains one of the windows in the master bath. The entrance hall gable is carefully detailed with a double window centered in the gable and extends beyond the front wall of the entrance hall to create a porch supported by columns at each end.  Between the columns are wide columns clad in siding that frame the bowed entry door and sidelights beyond.  

In my opinion, the architects could have won their design award based solely upon the outstanding rear elevation that faces the water. Two large gambrel gables anchor each end of the main roof.  One gambrel roof has a double window with a large transom and the other gambrel roof has a shed roof over four ganged windows. A shed roof with three evenly spaced windows connects the two gables and is centered over the bow window of the breakfast area. The continuous row of windows and doors at the great room and the matching screened panels and doors of the screened porch open these rooms to the water.  

The craftsmanship of this house is outstanding. The interior with ceilings punctuated by dropped beams to create coffered areas, the wood floors, the varied ceiling planes of the second floor and the vistas all combine to create great interior architecture. The exterior massing and detailing of the slate blue siding, crisp white trim, corner boards, the white cornice board that wrapped around the house and the covered terraces enliven the facades.  This is the second time I have had the opportunity to feature the work of this architecture firm and such a pleasure to see another of their stunning designs. I’m going out to buy my lottery ticket tomorrow!

 For more information about this property, contact Barb Watkins with Benson and Mangold at 410-822-1415 (o), 410-310-2021 (c), or barb.c.watkins@gmail.com,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”. Architecture by Hammond Wilson Architects,410-267-6041 Construction by Winchester Construction, 410-987-5905

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.