Neighborhoods change over time as families undergo transitions of young couples who first raise their children, then become empty nesters or find themselves a surviving spouse beginning to assess their needs to age in place. Such a transition is happening on N. Queen St. in Chestertown, as I learned on my tour of today’s feature.  It is very unusual that currently there are three houses for sale on this delightful street and the House of the Week feature two weeks ago is under contract. What an abundance of charming houses for lucky buyers! Today’s  featured house faces the Town’s brick sidewalk that signifies no parking along this side of the street so cars do not block views from the houses’ front porches. Now that spring is here, I was impressed how some neighbors have added colorful plantings to the buffer between the sidewalk and the street. 

Before I went inside the house, I walked along the side concrete walk that is sloped for drainage. The second floor of the rear elevation overhangs the first floor to create a covered porch. A closet along one side houses  HVAC equipment  which makes it easy for service calls. As turned around to admire the beautiful garden I had seen in the MLS pictures, I realized this garden backs up to another yard and the clever grid of thin metal fencing marking the property line gives the illusion that this house’s rear yard is double its depth.  A hardscaped path leads from the porch and becomes a border enclosing a brick terrace.  I could easily imagine how pleasant it would be to relax in this spot to savor the bursts of colorful and fragrant plants in the privacy that the wood fences along the side property lines provide. Every garden should have touches of whimsy and nestled in the greenery is a metal cow and a ceramic rooster to make one smile.   

I went back to the front porch and admired its details of fluted columns on high plinth blocks with decorative carvings and the gambrel shaped ceiling that is exposed to the rafters and decking for extra height. I loved the side view from the porch with its perspective through the other porches that are aligned the same distance from the street to the vanishing point. The porches extend to the edge of the Town’s brick sidewalk for a great way to catch up with one’s neighbors on their daily stroll. The houses have a variety of colors and this house’s slate blue siding with white trim has great appeal. 

This house had been renovated before the current owner moved in and as I walked through the front door her stylish interiors were perfectly attuned to the three-bay house’s size. The side entry door maximizes the space and two matching loveseats, a club chair and ottoman are grouped around the fireplace centered in the room next to a beautiful French style carved wood armoire to hide the TV. I admired the salvaged wood fireplace surround with a mirror accent above the mantle and how the owner had not totally stripped the paint finish. Sheers over the two front and one side windows filter sunlight into the room.  Between the cased opening to the adjacent dining room is a tall secretary and chair-the perfect spot for winter work by the fire.

Another fireplace is the focal point in the dining room with exposed brick that corbels up to the chimney to the ceiling. The agent explained this is not a working fireplace since the chimney was removed down to the second floor framing to open up the floor space on the second floor.  The color and massing of the brick chimney becomes a sculptural element and the Owner painted the stair risers that wrap around the fireplace alternating colors of the brick with fleur-de-lis accents. Single windows on each side wall add sunlight onto the wood table and chairs set perpendicular to the chimney that create ample room for circulation.  The other furnishings of a painted wood chest and a sideboard with glass fronts and diagonal muntins complete this “delectable” room’s design. 

Between the dining room and the kitchen is a short hall with a closet and another clever detail of a black grid inset with mirrors opposite the closet. The mirrors reflect the kitchen beyond as a prelude to the space.  The spacious kitchen could accommodate a breakfast table and chairs against the closet wall but I prefer the Owner’s choice of a tall armoire with doors above drawers for extra storage.  The “L” arrangement of the kitchen works well and the upper cabinets rise to the underside of the ceiling for a sleek look. The double windows over the sink provide an urban landscape view and the full French door provides a view to the rear garden.  Opposite the kitchen are the powder room and laundry room, very convenient after an afternoon tending the garden.

The stairs to the second floor end at a hall along the side of the house sunlit by several windows. Two spacious bedrooms are located at the front and rear of the house with adjacent baths and another smaller bedroom in between would be a perfect nursery.  I especially loved the rear bedroom with its gambrel partial roof shape, windows on three sides and restful tones of pink, rose and blue with the white iron bedframe disappearing into the wall. The adjacent bath has a long clawfoot tub for soaking and the black and white tiles expand the space. A medicine cabinet with a lower shelf and recessed shelves provide plenty of storage.

The front bedroom would make a better primary bedroom since there is a door to the hallway at the adjacent bath that can be closed for an en-suite arrangement. The bath has a large corner shower and a vintage porcelain enamel lavatory on chrome legs.  The bedroom has the advantage of two separate closets and winder stairs lead up to the attic with windows at the front and side walls.  One could add more closets for seasonal storage and still have room for an office area with a bird’s eye view of the rooftops and gardens of the Historic District. Additional storage is available in the rear of the attic.

Charming house on one of my favorite streets, peaceful verdant and colorful urban oasis garden with a long vista across the neighboring property, front and rear porches, sunny rooms from an abundance of windows, refinished wood floors from a  total renovation in 2006-all it needs is screening around the rear porch-Brava to the Owner for her stylish interiors!

For more information about this property, contact Beth Ostrander with Doug Ashley Realtors at 410-810-0010 (o), 410-778-4241 (c) or [email protected] .For more pictures and pricing, visit https://www.bethohomes.com/.  “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Janelle Stroop, 410-310-6838, [email protected]

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.

Chestertown has something for everyone seeking houses. If you are a Historic Preservationist who is drawn to the urban size lots in the Historic District, last week’s feature on N. Queen St. is for you. If you prefer to be downtown but want a larger lot, the area east of Washington Ave. is for you and today’s feature has great appeal. The location is in the highly desirable neighborhood of Byford Heights near Washington College and the amenities of downtown Chestertown. The two-story Colonial is located on a corner lot giving it the bonus of more privacy and sunlight. The Owner has greatly enhanced the property with landscaping that is colorful now that spring is here. The front yard’s expanse of lawn is accented by low shrubbery and flowers along the side yard and bordering the front walkway.

The rear yard has shade from several towering trees with more plantings of colorful flowers and shade loving hostas. Obviously, the garden shed is well used by this Owner who takes care of over sixty-five species of perennials and over thirty-five shrubs! I especially liked how the edges of the plantings meander naturally around the perimeter defined by a small or larger rounded stones for texture. The stump from a tree in the middle of the back yard is now the “foundation” for a decorative multi-story whimsical bird house, created by local craftsman Dave Slama, that is the centerpiece of the garden.

The sidewalk ends at brick steps to the front porch protected by a pitched roof with an arched pediment supported by fluted columns. Another arched pediment infills the wall between bottom of the roof and the top of the door. Instead of side railings, charming white benches provide seating. The three-bay house has a center entry door surrounded by single 6/6 windows with black shutter cocks at both stories. The front porch details and the exterior palette of light gray Hardie-plank low-maintenance siding, seafoam shutters, white trim and charcoal architectural shingles combine to create a graceful and welcoming entrance.

The center hall plan has a very efficient layout with the stairs to one side of the entry foyer with wide cased openings at the walls to the dining and living rooms. The front and side windows make the living room sunny throughout the day. The living room has a triple unit custom millwork that spans the rear wall and provides attractive storage space for books and collectibles as well as space for a large screen TV. On either side of the fireplace are a single window and a glass paned door to the screened porch built onto on the side of the house. The screened porch’s painted wood floors, slat ceiling, column spacing and horizontal framing that create large openings for views of the landscape create a delightful outdoor room. Steps down from a screened door in the front of the porch lead to the landscape.

The dining room also has two exterior windows for sunlight and the table and chairs are centered on the side window on axis with the cased opening to the living room. The built-in corner cabinet provides storage of special pieces and the hutch on the interior wall provides additional storage. Behind the dining room is the kitchen at the original rear corner of the house. An extensive 2004 renovation removed part of the exterior wall for the addition of an extra room with a sloped roof and wrap-around windows on two sides that would be a great sunroom overlooking the rear garden. Now an office, I imagine the room’s view of the garden would offer a peaceful respite from work.

The kitchen has white cabinets, dark solid surface countertops and backsplash, both of which have a white outline along the top edge as an accent and dual undermount sinks. The white appliances blend into the cabinets and make the spacious kitchen seem even larger and it can accommodate a wood table for breakfast or an island for extra work space. Two base cabinets below the wide cased opening define the boundary between kitchen and office and provide extra storage. At the sunroom side, another pair of base cabinets behind the kitchen units has a wood countertop for serving. Both sets of base cabinets have glass fronts to display serving pieces. The extra depth of the back to back cabinetry created space for a closet to contain the stack W/D unit. A clever shallow shelf unit is inset into the closet wall at the kitchen side and above the door at the office side, two cabinet doors access more storage.

I would use the office as a sunroom and I could well imagine setting up a bar on the countertop for relaxing with friends before dinner. At the side wall of the office is a mud room with an exterior French door leading to steps down to the landscape. The remainder of the main floor contains a bedroom behind the living room and a full bath off the stair hall. The bedroom’s corner windows provide peaceful diagonal views of the gardens. The light gray walls, white bed linens, wood antiques and window treatments offer a quiet retreat for a guest.

The upper floor contains the rest of the bedrooms and baths. I loved the primary bedroom for many reasons, first of which was the bold red color and the floral window treatments. Two closets flank the front window creating a nook for reading by the warmth of the radiator unit and another window at the corner adds more sunlight. I have written before of my preference for a radiator heating system, which when coupled with low velocity AC, is perfect for my level of comfort. Another bedroom also has corner windows and light lavender walls, white bed linens and a lovely antique highboy with mirror.

Location in a highly desirable downtown neighborhood, corner lot for privacy and additional sunlight, mature trees, an underground irrigation system for the amazing sixty-five perennials and thirty-five shrubs that dot the landscape, appealing Colonial architecture, compact floor plan with a main floor bedroom and bath, and an office that wants to be a sunroom overlooking the gardens-all this plus an attic and basement for storage. Brava to the Owner for enhancing her neighborhood with her landscaping and gardens!

For more information about this property, contact Paula Reeder at Keller Williams/Select Realtors, 410-972-4000 (o), 410-708-4947 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing visit Paula’s app- https://app.kw.com/KWCATJZT, “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 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.

The private community of Kennersley Farm is located on part of the original acreage of “Kennersley”, dating from the late 18th century and listed on the National Register of Historic Properties. As I drove down the original lane under a canopy of mature trees, I admired how well the community was developed to respect the historic house complex including a line of tenant houses along a hill above the road. At the end of the lane is this twenty-two acre waterfront property with a wood fence around the perimeter for privacy. The driveway curves around to the craftsman/contemporary style house, with its main wing elongated along the shoreline for maximum views and the garage wing at the front, perpendicular to the house.

The house was built in 2003 and the exterior materials of the light golden shake siding, earth toned architectural roofing shingles and crisp white trim have been very well maintained. Two of the houses I have called home were craftsman bungalows and some of my favorite craftsman details have been interpreted in this house’s contemporary detailing that adds great curb appeal. The entry story and a half wing has a full front porch with a steep gable centered in the roof above infilled with a trio of windows and transoms. I especially admired the detailing of how the shake siding flared out slightly at the mullion separating the windows and transoms and how the trim board went across and then turned down along the gable eave. I loved how the flared detail creates a shadow line on the wall-beautifully done! The front six-paneled door was paired with a full sidelight and another door at the side of the porch provides access to the laundry/mudroom.

On one side of the main wing is a one-story hyphen connection to the primary suite with its front gable repeating the same flared siding detail at the side of the dual windows and transoms but here the trim boards are horizontal until they end at the corner board. Another hyphen connects the main wing with the laundry/mudroom to the three-car garage. Above the garage doors is another gable set into the roof that echoes the main wing’s detailing with dual windows and transoms in the gable.

As I walked around the house, I was mesmerized by the view across the creek to an undeveloped wooded shoreline with only the sounds of nature for company. I looked back to the house and was delighted by the detailing of the side/rear corner with a four-unit window centered in the gable projecting from the main wing roof meeting a shed roof below with three roof windows inset into the roof over the kitchen windows below for a greenhouse effect. The side windows of the shed roof projection follow the sloped roofline. A one-story gable projection off the side wall with corner windows for panoramic views completes the corner massing. Sliding doors lead from the side wall to the deck.

The rear elevation is always the star of waterfront properties since it usually faces the water as this house does. The main wing has a gable projection from one side that is all contemporary with a brick chimney centered in the wall surrounded a grid of glass and mullions stretching from the horizontal band of shake siding to the underside of the roof’s eave. Pairs of full glass doors on either side of the gable projection lead to a waterside deck. Another gable wall at the primary suite has a four-unit window overlooking the water and a side full glass door to the deck. Truly a beautiful composition that blends contemporary and craftsman touches.

The front door opens into the spacious foyer with a vista through to the rear wall of glass around the brick fireplace. I loved the geometric rug that anchored the seating area created by two full size blue sofas with two tufted ottomans that double as a coffee table or extra seating. The interior architecture of the vaulted ceiling with trimmed collar beams and the side windows connected to the rear window wall offer pastoral views of the water and woods. Next to the living room is the kitchen with its dramatic trio of windows’ meeting the sloped roof windows above that create great views for the cook. The spacious “U” shaped kitchen layout then angles to create a breakfast bar accented by bright blue contemporary stools.

Next to the breakfast bar is a bar sink set into cabinetry with the corner windows above for views-a very pleasant spot for bartending during parties! The breakfast bar cabinetry and the post and beam structure above also defines the boundary of the adjacent dining room with a single glass door to the front porch and the sliding doors to the side deck. The remainder of the wing contains the laundry/mudroom and garage.

The hyphen between the living room and the primary suite is currently used as an office with views through the sliding doors to the deck. Pairs of glass doors separate this space from the living room so this space could become a TV room. The interior architecture of the primary bedroom takes advantage of its one-story architecture by having the side walls follow the gable roof line to add ceiling height for the transoms above the four-unit windows for abundant sunlight and views of the landscape and water. Double walk-in closets and a four piece primary bath with separate vanities complete this restful retreat.

At the top of the stairs to the second floor, the wall plane on axis with the living room’s fireplace has a triangular shaped overlook that juts out over the wall to the living room below. The second floor rooms’ interior architecture created by the gable walls piercing the sloped roofs, gables intersecting at corners, knee walls of varying heights, windows and skylights make delightful spaces for the second primary bedroom, two other bedrooms two baths and a loft/sitting/office area.

Unique waterfront setting with acreage for total privacy and a private airstrip for getaways, boat dock and pier to launch an afternoon on the water, sunsets over the creek with its backdrop of woods, great family house with primary suites on both floors, wonderful blend of craftsman and contemporary touches-who could ask for anything more?

For more information about this property, contact Deborah Callahan with Benson & Mangold Real Estate at 410- 643-3033 (o), 443-988-8094 (c), or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.bensonandmangold.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.

Seeing a farmhouse that has been completely renovated as stylishly as today’s feature inspires me since I live in a 1900’s farmhouse with a long list of projects to complete my This farmhouse style property has almost seven acres of land for total privacy and a compact floor plan that creates very appealing massing. The five-bay house has a center door between two pairs of single windows and five windows aligned above. At each side of the two-story house red brick chimneys rise from the black metal roofing.

The shed roof of the full front porch wraps around to one side with a gable at the middle to accentuate the entry door. Lattice panels cover the porch’s crawl space and since the house has recently been completed, the next owner can add their own finishing touches of shrubbery and flowers around the porch. The exterior color palette of white lap siding, door and window trim, corner boards and fascia is crisp and clean with the accent of the black roofing and the entry door. The rear elevation shows the truncated “T” shape of the house’s footprint that creates compact floor plans at each floor level with minimal or no halls. Two other shed roofed porches on either side of the kitchen add more interest to the massing.

The front door opens into a small foyer opposite the stairs to the second floor between the living room and the dining room. The living room has two front windows, windows on the side wall between the chimney and another single window at the rear porch for panoramic views of the pastoral landscape. The mantel of the former fireplace was left intact and a wood stove was added for winter warmth. The beautiful wood floors stand out against the white walls with their beadboard wainscot. The contemporary club chairs and pendant light fixture are the finishing touches that tell you this is not your Grandmother’s farmhouse.

The dining room is also a blend of old and new with a wooden trestle table and bench with contemporary molded chairs and the contemporary pendant light fixture that matches the one in the living room. Here the chimney’s mantle was removed to create space for artwork as the room’s focal point. Like the living room, two front windows and one side window offer views of the pastoral landscape.

Instead of a hallway, cased openings at the rear of both the living and dining rooms connect to the spacious kitchen for an easy flow among the rooms. Entering this room, you know you are not in Kansas anymore with the wall of contemporary light gray cabinetry’s Shaker styled door fronts, sleek black hardware, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and the stainless steel free-standing range hood that becomes a sculptural element. The large “farmhouse” style sink is a nod to the past and another of contemporary pendant light fixture illuminates the room. The rest of the room is left open for the next owner to either add an island and bar stools and/or a seating group for guests to keep the cook company. I loved the black interior doors used in this room and the rest of the house. Here the half French, half wood doors lead to porches on either side of the kitchen and one porch could be screened for al-fresco dining. Off the kitchen is the powder room and laundry.

All of the bedrooms and a full bath are located on the upper floor with bird’s eye views of the wooded surroundings. Two of the bedrooms are located at the front of the house between the stairs and the third bedroom and the bath are located at the rear wing. The dual lavatory cabinet has a rustic wooden enclosure without doors for easy access to supplies. The walls are half beadboard wainscot and half light gray paint above with the ceiling accented in pale blue.

Stylish renovation that completely updates this farmhouse including the metal roof, new craftsman styled doors, new 4/4 windows in keeping with its original style, beautifully refinished hardwood floors, new kitchen and baths, compact floor plan for easy flow among rooms and plenty of acreage for an addition of a main floor primary suite, garage, or pool-Bravo!

For more information about this property, contact the Seller directly at 717-268-9700 or [email protected].

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.