Chester River Landing has only 49 residences in its private community along the Chester River. Residents have access to a range of amenities including the private marina, kayak launch, outdoor swimming pool, piazzas and parks. This two-and a half-story unit has a front façade of brick that is traditionally detailed but the rear elevation is open to the river views with its wrap-around porches on the main and second floors.

The open plan of the main floor is broken by the front door that divides the space into two sitting areas. The boundaries are defined by two columns at each side supporting an exposed beam above. One pair of full height columns defines a sitting area with comfortable seating arranged around the TV. The other pair of half-columns rest on bases that flow into the built-in bookcases below long windows flanking the fireplace. A high paneled wainscot with bright blue walls above, tall windows with transoms and beautiful variated hardwood floors tie the two areas together. The coffered ceilings further enliven the interior architecture.

The open floor plan works very well as the fireplace sitting room is also open to the kitchen and dining area with the same wall and window treatment. The focal point of the kitchen is the paneled stove hood with a mantel that displays colorful ceramics. From the kitchen window the cook can overlook the dining area with its wide windows to the river views and a French door accesses the wrap-around porch overlooking the river to quickly serve al-fresco meals.

The master suite and one guest suite are located on the second floor and another guest suite with two bedrooms connected by a “Jack and Jill” bath are tucked under the roof. The master suite has the same white wainscot with a deep taupe wall above, a fireplace opposite the bed and a cozy sitting area at the rear of the house with a French door to the porch for the perfect spot to sip a nightcap while stargazing.
The third floor is versatile since the elevator makes it accessible. The current owners use one bedroom as an office and the other bedroom as a studio.

I loved the office desk under the rear windows with the long views of the river below for a welcome break from computer work.
An open plan that flows well, sunlight from large windows on all sides, rich architectural detailing, an elevator, two floors of porches overlooking the river, a private deeded boat slip and low maintenance-hard to resist!

For more information about this property, contact Stacy Kendall with Cross Street Realtors at 410-778-3779 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.

Recently I wrote an article about the work of the architect Hugh Newell Jacobsen, whose iconic residential design including the famous Green residence in Easton that was a series of linked pavilions. Several years ago the architect Peter Newlin of Chesapeake Architects designed another remarkable house that was a series of detached and linked pavilions.

All great architecture begins with a site and a client’s program for the functions and types of spaces they wish to be incorporated into the design. Newlin’s client purchased a small wooded point of land with a creek around the perimeter. They asked for peace and quiet where they could enjoy the creek views and share the site with the wildlife who also called it home. Like their boat with its functional, snug fitting cabinetry, the client wanted the interior to contain functional cabinetry to minimize furniture for storage.
Newlin’s masterful solution was to create five pavilions, linked together by overlapping their corners, like a string of pearls along the gently sloped ridge. The creek then becomes a design element visible from every pavilion and house and landscape are inseparable. North facing walkways tucked under the deep roof overhangs lead to the “Summerhouse” pavilion with its walls of full height screened panels open to the gentle morning sun and breezes.

I especially admired the massing of the pavilions with the hipped roofs, some with triangular dormer windows and others with shed dormers. I also appreciated that many of the window units had vented windows below the picture window above for natural ventilation and for clearer views of the surrounding woods and water.

I enjoyed the meandering approach to the house on the gravel drive that then became a winding brick path from the guest parking area and the family parking at the detached garage to the main pavilion. The color palette of the pavilions with their deep taupe siding and copper roofs originally treated to accelerate their oxidation blends seamlessly into the surrounding woods as if the pavilions were camouflaged.

The hierarchy of interior spaces ranges from the Guest Wing to the “Summerhouse”. The living area with its free-standing fireplace chimney and its soaring ceiling is the centerpiece of the plan and is open to the dining and kitchen areas with their morning sunlight. The dramatic stair tower goes down to the basement utility areas and up to the master suite above.

The master suite has built-ins that divide the sleeping area from the dressing area lined with a wall of closets. The built-ins also function as a headboard for the bed so the sunlight from the windows opposite the bed can penetrate the dressing area. A wonderful nook with a window seat provides a cozy spot for reading or for contemplating the views of nature from the large window.

The finishes are outstanding from the custom recessed lighting in the coffered ceilings, the beautiful inlaid wood floors and the sleek cabinetry. The recessed lighting between the exposed ceiling joists was designed by Newlin and fabricated by Deep Landing Workshop. The pendant lighting was also designed by Deep Landing Workshop.

A gifted architect, sophisticated client, incredible architecture, stunning interiors, outstanding craftmanship in the construction and the detailing all combined to make this house truly remarkable.

For more information about this property, contact Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company agents Richard Budden at 410-778-0330 (o), 443-480-1181 (c) or rbudden@easternshoremdre.com, or Mary Carlisle at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-703-3820 (c) or m.carlisle@cbchesapeake.com “Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Architecture by Peter Newlin of Chesapeake Architects, 410-778-4899, peter@chesarch.com, www.chesarch.com. Custom lighting by Deep Landing Workshop, 410-778-4042, www.deeplandingworkshop.com

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.

I can’t resist the charm of cottages, especially bungalows, so this cute cottage surrounded by trees and its proximity to Quaker Neck Landing caught my eye.  The front elevation with its French door flanked by double windows and the wide shed dormer above with four windows, the blue siding and white trim was very charming.  The pitched roof had a lower slope over the front which had originally been a porch.

The interior design was equally appealing with hardwood floors and exposed wood decking and beams at the ceiling that had been painted white to better reflect the light. The former porch had been split into two rooms, once of which was the entry and living room. Comfortable upholstered furnishings, bookcases, a wood stove and a beautiful antique corner cabinet created a cozy space in which to linger.  The other was my favorite room, an even cozier nook with two chairs for reading by the double window and two lovely antique pieces for additional charm.

The kitchen with its “L” shape and peninsula counter was a bright and open space in which to work.  I liked the Owner’s collection of baskets and kitchenware above the upper cabinets, especially the large fish shaped grill rack which was a great piece of sculpture.  Off the kitchen was a mud room under another shed roof and a French door to the side yard with its outdoor shower.

The master bedroom with its light blue walls, pencil post wood bed with a white coverlet and blue & white duvet, pegs on white trim around the walls for hanging hats and baskets Shaker style, created a serene retreat. The matchstick blinds at the window allowed sunlight to filter in during the day. The other bedrooms were tucked under the sloped ceiling of the roof for great interior architecture.  

A cottage loaded with charm and close to Quaker Neck Landing-simply irresistible!

For more information about this property, please contact Doug Ashley at Doug Ashley Realtors, LLC, at 410-810-0010 (o), 410-708-0480 (c), or dougashley@dougashleyrealtors.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.

Last month I wrote an article in the Talbot Spy about a “Bee House” built on the grounds of the Inn at Perry Cabin. The “Bee House” provided year-round shelter for the bees that ate pollen and nectar from plants and pollinated flowers from the cutting garden to support the Inn’s restaurant and Spa. The architect Peter Newlin told me about a “bird house” he had designed for an ornithologist so naturally I was intrigued. The ornithologist had purchased a site and built a small one-room cabin as her get-away, nestled in a wooded area with conifers, mature deciduous trees, native plants, a creek and marsh that attracted birds and other wildlife.

Peter’s client asked for a three-story addition so she could better observe the birds since different species seek different heights for feeding or nesting areas. The conifers on the property provided shelter, nest sites, and food for birds who prefer high spaces. The wild grasses and weeds provided cover for ground-nesting birds and their seeds provided abundant food for many other types of birds. Trees that bore fruit in autumn such as dogwoods and berry plants provided food for migratory birds and allowed non-migratory birds to “fatten up” to face the food challenges in winter. The oaks and other trees provided food for jays, titmice, woodpeckers as well as nesting habitats for many other species.

The design challenge was how to join a three-story vertical addition to a one-story  small cabin without overwhelming the cabin’s scale and to insert the addition as carefully as possible for minimum invasion of the wildlife’s habitat.  Peter rose to the challenge with his masterful addition. A path of pavers meandered through the opening beneath the trees from the parking area to the house.  The hipped roof of the original cabin inspired the shed roof of the wrap-around porch whose depth varies around the rectangular footprint to create a variety of spaces inside and out. Breaking the tower massing up by stepping it back as it passed through the roof behind and above the one-story original cabin, recladding the entire house and new roofing met the challenge. Many windows became “outlooks” for endless birdwatching. Old and new were blended seamlessly.

I absolutely loved the space planning. The first floor contained the original cabin that became a guest suite with its own door to the outdoors. The front door under a deep porch opened to a vista of the three-story spiral stair centered on the wood stove beyond.  Then your eye was drawn to the sitting room with posts around the center to delineate the comfortable upholstered seating around the wood stove and floor to ceiling bookcases. Surrounding the sitting area was the dining area and other seating in front of tall windows and French doors to access the outdoor seating under the deep protecting roof overhang. A galley kitchen completed the first floor plan.

I was amazed to learn from Peter that his client had applied seven coats of shoe polish to stain the slab-on-grade concrete floors! After this treatment, the large panel sizes defined by the wide joints in the flooring resembled flagstone and the earthen brown color was so appropriate for this wooded setting. The exposed stained wood decking ceiling, comfortable seating around the wood stove, French doors and tall windows that provided large areas for bird watching created a delightful space.

The bedroom on the middle level also had a stained wood decking ceiling. Wrap-around windows and a French door by the bed accessed a deck for listening to nocturnal birds. A bath and two large closets completed this floor. My favorite room was the third floor whose ceiling was pitched on all four sides to better reflect the sunlight throughout the day. Tall, large windows with vented units below and picture windows above wrapped around each corner.  Between the windows were full height bookcases. A wonderful space for a study but the interior architecture and the “bird’s eye” views of the landscape could be a distraction.

The house design was ahead of its time by incorporating many energy saving features.  The insulated slab-on-grade acts as a heat sink and the spiral stair provides natural ventilation by drawing the cool air off the forest floor and exhausting warm air through a dormer window at the third floor roof.

After visiting the property, I was inspired to rethink my own landscape design to attract more birds who hopefully would visit daily for my delight not to mention for my two cats’ entertainment!

As an architect, it is always a pleasure to feature an outstanding house designed by another architect.  It is no surprise that “Aerie” won a “Citation of Merit” from the Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Here we are almost thirty years later celebrating this unique house.

Architecture by Peter Newlin of Chesapeake Architects,  410-778-4899, peter@chesarch.com, www.chesarch.com.

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 massing, varied roof planes and color palette drew me to this house that reminded me of a European country cottage. The story-and a half look with the recessed front porch, shed dormers, two turreted rooms, the smooth creamy facade, light olive trim and shutters with the light brown roofing created a beautiful composition. The rear of the house was dominated by the sunroom with walls of windows for expansive water views. Directly behind the sunroom was a large family room with a fireplace and the adjacent spacious dining room would be the perfect spot for Thanksgiving dinner. Doors from the sunroom, dining room and kitchen created an easy flow between indoors and outdoors.

I loved the geometry of the kitchen with its angled walls and ceiling planes with stained beams at each segment of the turret’s bays. The warm hardwood floors, white cabinets, the stove hood, blue tile counters and backsplash gave it a French country look. The other turreted room was the master bath with its angled ceilings of wood. The sunroom with its views to the river was the hub of the house and with plenty of space for sitting and dining areas one could easily linger there for relaxing after boating on the river or a tennis match.

The second floor bedrooms were tucked under the shed dormers that created delightful interior architecture. The bedrooms’ interior design had a combination of paneling and drywall with stained or painted finishes and the double window dormers in each bedroom created a cozy nook with views to the water. One of the bedrooms had twin beds with headboards in a ship’s wheel design for young sailors. As appealing as the guest bedrooms were, if I were a guest, I would claim the cozy detached guesthouse for my stay.

Wonderful architecture, great floor plan and the river beyond the lovely landscaping-as the French would say, “formidable!”

For more information about this property, contact Pat Kern with Gunther McClary Real Estate at 410-275-2118 (o), 443-480-0299 (c) or cdkplk@gmail.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”. Photography by Steve Buchanan Photography, 410-212-8753, 310-996-7295, steve@buchananphotography.com, www.buchananphotography.com.

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 1730 plat of Chestertown showed a grid of streets that created 100 lots with Mill Street in the middle of the grid. The homes date from the mid 19^th century including this Folk Victorian that has been lovingly maintained. The three bay front elevation with its light blue siding, yellow shutters, white trim and the Victorian details of brackets and fretwork gave it great curb appeal. The porch spanned across the front of the house and opened to the side to maximize the seating area.

As an architect, I also enjoy interior design and this house’s interiors were equally as appealing as the exterior. The focal point of the living room was the fireplace and chimney set slightly forward of the millwork on either side. In the center of each floor to ceiling millwork was an arched opening with shelving. The bright blue background of the arched openings complemented the colorful artwork over the fireplace and enhanced this room’s personality.

The dining room walls had a white wainscot below soft sage-green walls above.  A large multi-colored circular braided rug anchored the round table centered in the middle of the room opposite another fireplace. The dark wood of the table and chairs, the painted sideboard and the wood chest, lamps for accent lighting and the crystal chandelier above the table created a delightful eclectic look to enjoy as one lingered over dinner.

The wainscot and sage green walls continued into the adjacent kitchen. I loved how the kitchen kept period details during its upgrade. The mix of open shelving and closed upper cabinets, the period hardware, “subway” tile backsplash between the white craftsman styled cabinets, granite counter and the pot rack over the kitchen window made this cook want to find an apron and get to work. Opposite the “L” shaped work area was a wood free-standing piece of furniture with a deep top that became an island with room for three chairs.  The wall between the kitchen and dining room had another fireplace but the firebox opening was filled in with a mural. Instead of a mantel, a curlicued metal rack held colorful ceramic pieces. Next to the fireplace a pantry was partially hidden by doors with sheer fabric panels. A wonderful room!

The master suite with its warm light blue walls, white bed linens and antique armoire would be a restful retreat after a soak in the extra-long deep craw foot tub. Another bedroom had deeper sage green walls, and a wedding-ring quilt over the white bed linens.

Another porch spanned the rear of the house and was divided into an open area and a screened area. The rear yard was a verdant oasis of shade trees, crape myrtle, and a hardscaped area laid in brick with a table and chairs for al-fresco dining. Plantings were carefully planned and selected for low-maintenance that would bloom through spring, summer and fall.  There was also a firepit for cool fall evenings.  A charming shed was at the rear of the lot for storage or studio use.

A historic home whose details were carefully restored like the refinished heart pine flooring, moldings, built-ins, charming interior design and an urban garden in the middle of Town-who could resist?

For more information about this property, contact Liddy Campbell with Cross Street Realtors at410-778-3779 (o), 410-708-5433 (c) or liddy@screaltors.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.