Habitat

House of the Week: Tolchester Estates

July 20, 2021 by Jennifer Martella 1 Comment

I have featured several homes in this neighborhood and love its breathtaking setting on the Chesapeake Bay. Since I moved to the Eastern Shore only seventeen years ago, researching the history of the neighborhoods I feature always unearths intriguing insights. I learned Tolchester Estates was established in 1920, during the heyday of steamboat crossings that docked at Tolchester Beach and unloaded happy vacationers or day trippers to enjoy the sandy beach that had been a popular spot by swimmers for many generations. After a day in the sun, the amusement park beckoned that was inspired by New York’s Coney Island that also included a dance pavilion, grandstand, many rides and a racetrack to extend the fun into the evening. The popularity of Tolchester declined after the Bay Bridge was constructed and the steamboat era survived only in historic photographs.

Everything old is new again and Tolchester Estates is now sought after for its cottages on the Bay, the park, marina and for incomparable sunsets. The drive to this cottage is lined with mature trees and ends with a vista to the Bay. The concrete sidewalk leads to the front door and continues to a covered terrace at the waterside corner of the house and to the screened porch on the opposite side of the house. The cottage’s rectangular shape is sited with the long wall parallel to the shoreline to give the open plan living-dining-kitchen-breakfast areas Bay views from wide and long windows and sliding doors for an easy flow from inside to outside. The corner of the living room has a four-unit window on one wall and a sliding door between double window units for great diagonal views of the Bay.

The wood floors and the retro patterned ceiling was a delightful surprise to tie the living and dining areas together. I imagined how pleasant it would be to attend a dinner party here and sit at the table on axis with the sliding doors to the terrace with views of the Bay and the distant Western Shore beyond. The finishes in the kitchen-breakfast area change to an easy care vinyl sheet flooring and pine boards for the wall, painted white to contrast with the stained pine board ceiling. The spacious kitchen has a center island and abundant sunlight from the double window over the sink with glass shelves containing a charming collection of miniature lighthouses and the triple window above the breakfast table and chairs.

If I were a guest, my favorite spot would be the waterside covered terrace. Sitting here you feel as if the water were just beyond the edge of the lawn instead of forty feet below. What a delightful space for relaxing in the shade and enjoying the Bay breezes on a lazy summer afternoon! Another outdoor space is the screened porch with its Bay view from its extension beyond the side of the house. Screen panels on three sides open the space to the landscape and the Bay view. A short hall from the screened porch passes by two of the bedrooms, the bath and laundry to end at the open plan area. The primary bedroom is located at the rear corner which gives windows on both exterior walls. The property also includes an additional lot with its own sewer allocation for a possible garage/guest house to create a family compound.

Bay front property, one-level floor plan with great flow among rooms and between the outdoor rooms of covered terrace and screened porch, low maintenance brick exterior, mature trees and landscaping-and did I mention the stunning sunsets….

For more information about this property, contact Retha Arrabal with Doug Ashley Realtors at 410-810-0010 (o), 410-708-2172 (c) or retha@dougashleyrealtors.com. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.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.

Developer Bob Greenlee Wants Easton to Live in Silos

July 15, 2021 by Dave Wheelan 1 Comment

A common phrase with organizational experts starting in the early 1980s was that specific staff were “living in silos.” This was a catchy way of saying that people were not interacting enough to stay on mission in a company or group.

But for Mid-Shore developer Bob Greenlee, that is precisely what he wants people to do; live in a silo. And not just any silo, but one that could indeed be one of the Eastern Shore’s remarkable architecture gems of this century if it becomes a reality.

Working with Easton and London-based architect Mitch Hager, Greenlee’s firm has developed a novel way to convert the silos owned by the Perdue Company in Easton into residential use. Perdue has been eager to sell the site due to grain farmers unwilling or unable to drive the narrow streets to get to the facility. They turned to Greenlee and his team to come up with new plans for the site.

While one option was simply to level the existing silos and replace them with straightforward residential housing, Greenlee and Hager saw a new and radical way to use the space. Instead of tearing down the silos, they would form the foundation of a design of some 40 plus apartments or condos right next to the popular rails to trails pathway.

Appropriately using the name “The Granary” for the complex, Mitch and Bob see this as not only a way to keep these iconic structures in place. This approach could also be a unique model for other communities on the Eastern Shore facing similar challenges with these aging facilities.

In the first part of the Spy’s extended conversation with Bob about his significant commercial projects on the Mid-Shore, we sat down with both of them last week to learn more about this exciting proposal.

This video is approximately five minutes in length. For more information about SVN | Miller Commercial please go here. For Mitch Hager’s firm, please go here.

House of the Week: Charming Cape Cod

July 13, 2021 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

I have featured several homes in the Country Club Estates since this neighborhood has great appeal for its close proximity to Chestertown’s Historic District and for the lots with mature trees. When I drove up to this house, huge trees in the front yard provided privacy from the street and as I walked along the meandering brick sidewalk it was clear from the carefully created plantings with accents of color that a talented gardener lived here. The house has great curb appeal from its Cape Cod style with its symmetry from the center door, sidelights and transom, double windows on either side and three dormer windows centered above the door and the pairs of windows. Two tall hollies at each corner of the house and pairs of other shrubbery below the double windows complete the symmetry. A short “hyphen” connects the house to the one-car garage.

When I walked through the front door, the entrance hall’s “L” shaped stairs open to the second floor’s handrail creates a pleasant vista with a small table and mirror opposite the front door. The short hall next to the stairs passes the powder room and ends at the rear open plan kitchen-breakfast area-family room. Cased wall openings lead from the entry to the front left room that is furnished as an office and to the exquisite dining room on the right. I loved the dining room’s wallpaper pattern in mocha above a white wainscot with a white corner cabinet for display of fine china and serving pieces. The lovely wood furnishings and the mirror centered over the sideboard on axis with the center of the cased opening deepened the perspective.

Another cased opening at the rear of the dining room leads to the kitchen with its white cabinetry and appliances that contrast nicely with the beautiful wood floors. Accents of wallpaper in a foliage pattern for the backsplash and the soffit face above the upper cabinets breaks up the white surfaces for a unified look. The bay window that defines the breakfast area also is the logical place for the wall color change to a soothing sage green for both the breakfast area and the family room. The lovely marsh scene in the art above the pull down desk in the breakfast area picks up the wall color and adds more perspective to the interior wall.

The family room completes the open plan kitchen-breakfast area with its side wall of the fireplace, TV and comfortable upholstered furniture for relaxing by the fire or to watch TV. Another wide cased wall opening leads to the room at the front of the house that is furnished as an office with stained woodwork and window trim. Behind the family room is a cozy sunroom with built-in wood work. This corner room has skylights, French doors with full height sidelights that lead to the pergola that covers part of the rear deck with a side lattice panel that adds privacy. The Owner, who graciously gave me the tour, told me this open plan and the adjacent deck with a pergola sold her on the house and I was not surprised. When we walked onto the deck, the distant diagonal view was to protected farmland and the rear view of the lawn, mature trees and colorful plants and flowers create a serene haven.

All of the bedrooms and baths are located on the second floor with the primary bedroom at one corner with double windows on the rear wall to the landscape. The soft blue and rose interior design is restful and the spacious depth easily accommodates the bed and the chest opposite the bench at the foot of the bed. One guest bedroom has a dormer window and the light blue walls, iron bed with a curved headboard and floral coverlet is another restful retreat.

Highly desirable neighborhood with mature landscaping, faithful reproduction of a Cape Cod style house built in 1990 by one of the area’s best contractors, Tom Yetman, great flow on the main floor inside and outside, beautiful finishes of random width wood floors, crown and chair rail moldings, rear wall of windows and French doors to the deck and pergola for indoor-outdoor relaxation, lovely dining room for family and holiday celebrations-all this close to Chestertown’s Historic District!

For more information about this property, contact Mary Fielding with Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-708-4852 (c) , or mfielding@cbchesapeake.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.coldwellbanker.com/Coldwell-Banker-Chesapeake-Real-Estate-Company-2228c/Mary-Fielding-205443a , “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Patty Hill, 410-441-4719

House of the Week: Into the Woods at Chesapeake Landing

July 6, 2021 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

Once again I return to Chesapeake Landing Subdivision on scenic Mill Creek leading to the Chesapeake Bay. If you are a nature lover, this 0.92 acre waterfront lot is nestled in the woods with a gradual stairway leading to the dock for quick access to the Chesapeake Bay. The house was built by Alton Darling and the aerial photograph shows the minimal clearing for the house’s footprint that maximizes the preservation of the surrounding woods for views from every window.

The massing and floor plan works very well with the main floor’s core rectangular form and the addition of a front gable wing projection for the two-car garage creating a front porch with two dormer windows above. The rear gable wing for the dining room is next to the low slope screened porch that spans across the rest of the house. Since the house also has a partial basement, the screened porch with its exposed wood roof rafters and decking becomes a delightful tree house suspended above the ground. Steps lead down from the screened porch to a terrace with a hot tub and a grille for al-fresco meals. The basement door under a pergola with partial height brick retaining walls is the perfect place for a gardener to rest on the bench to take off his/her wellies and store the garden tools before heading upstairs. The basement includes two large rooms for a workshop or other multiple uses.

The front porch is screened from the road by mature landscaping and the rockers beckon one to relax in the shade. The front door opens to a vista through the living room with the dramatic fireplace rising the full height of the living room open to the second floor overlook at the stair hall. The “L” shaped open plan living-dining-kitchen area with the kitchen in the corner has an easy flow for entertaining and both the living and dining rooms have French doors to the screened porch. The living area is separated from the kitchen with stained wood post and beam framing contrasting with the painted gypsum board walls. The triple-unit window to the porch and the double-unit dormer unit filters sunlight through the trees into the space.

Throughout the house, artistic elements of the wood floors, stained wood accents of door and window trim, stair balustrade and fascia below add warmth and character to the interiors. The dining room table is centered on the rear double unit window and anchored in the room by the colorful Oriental rug. I liked the two-toned wood table with a stained top with the legs and Windsor chairs in a darker color. The kitchen flooring is an easy care tile and the high ceiling above the upper cabinets creates a display area The warm wood cabinets are perfect for this wooded setting. The spacious laundry/mud room is between the kitchen and the garage with an exterior door for convenient clean-up after a day gardening or boating.

The primary suite is located on the other side of the entrance hall for privacy. I loved the deep milk chocolate brown color of the bedroom walls-it must feel like sleeping in a Milky Way candy bar-heaven for this chocolate lover! Sliding glass doors lead to the screened porch and with its size and height above the ground I would be tempted to make this room a summer sleeping porch.

The stairs lead to the upper stair hall with direct views and sunlight from the dormer double unit window in the living room below. One bedroom is located over the primary suite with front and rear dormer windows and a gable window for sunlight. The deep rear dormer window creates an alcove that is currently furnished as an office. Two other bedrooms are located on the opposite side of the stair hall. If one needs more office space, the longer of the two bedrooms is furnished with a built-in workspace under the front gable windows with dual spaces for homework and/or office space, leaving plenty of room for a sleeping area. The appealing third guest bedroom is furnished with a black iron frame, white linens and shaker style pieces in two toned finishes.

A setting to satisfy both the nature lover and the boater, great floor plan with easy flow, porches that are outdoor rooms to enjoy the landscape of woods and plantings- quality construction and materials by one of the area’s best builders, a dock for a quick get-a-away to a day cruising the rivers or the Bay, a serene spot with quick access to Chestertown-hard to resist!

For more information about this property, contact Christine Burgess with Keller Williams Select Realtors at 410-972-4000 (o), 410-708-3511 (c) or cburg.21905@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.kwannapolis.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Stephen Buchanan, www.buchananphotography.com, 410-212-8753.

House of the Week: Calvert St. Cottage

June 29, 2021 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

This charming house was built in the 1920’s at the height of the “Period ” cottages whose sizes were perfect for urban lots. This block of Calvert St. is located between Spring and Mill Streets in Chestertown’s Historic District and an ideal location for this bibliophile since its rear yard backs up to the Public Library. The property has a unique connection to the Chestertown Spy since it is the former home of the Chestertown Spy’s Publisher and he launched the Spy in the detached shed at the rear of the property.

The two story one-room deep front part of the house with side gables telescopes down to a long shed roof and finally to a one-story sunroom. The front elevation includes cottage style details of the entry door covered with a pitched roof supported by decorative brackets, iron handrail and concrete stoop and steps to the Town sidewalk. This separation provides space for plantings that continue around the parking area of the house to soften the hardscape. I liked how the trim for the main floor’s shallow box bay triple window unit and the two windows at the second floor are painted a deep teal accent instead of the usual shutters for decoration to contrast to the white lap siding and metal roof.

The front door opens to the stair with the side balustrade overlooking the living room. The slightly deep box bay creates an interior ledge for plants or the purr-fect perch for contented cats who await their human companion’s return. The hardwood floors have been beautifully refinished throughout the house, including the kitchen and adjacent laundry to link the spaces together for a feeling of spaciousness. Instead of the usual white quarter round molding at the baseboard/floor joint, here the stained delineates the spaces and is much easier to maintain.

A period arched opening leads to the open plan kitchen and dining areas. The dining table under the large window creates a cozy dining space and the corner cabinet is handy for storage of china and glassware. An open doorway connects the kitchen to the laundry and both spaces have a modern flair with stainless steel cabinets, laminated countertops and the upper kitchen cabinets have frosted glass fronts. The stack W/D is recessed into the wall opposite base cabinets below a window to make laundry a pleasant task. The wall next to the W/D is faced with pegboard for hanging clothes or for cleaning supplies.

Another arched opening leads to a short hall past the full bath and a bedroom/office. A double set of French doors opens into the appealing family room with a fireplace on the rear wall and seating opposite the TV wall for relaxation. A half French door connects the family room to the rear sunroom with one set of triple-unit windows on the side walls and two sets on the rear wall for panoramic views of the rear landscape. The exterior door leads to a terrace with French bistro chairs and table for a quick meal and a picnic table to accommodate a larger party with the gas grille standing by. A mix of fencing materials festooned with ivy provides privacy and the surrounding trees offer shade. The shed at the rear of the property has electric service so the next owner can launch her/his own business. I was curious about the Icelandic flag that hung inside but that fact remains unknown.

The second floor has a linear layout with a side hall opposite the stair linking bedrooms and bath. Two of the bedrooms have windows on two sides for sunlight throughout the day and the third smaller bedroom has its door on axis with the hall window opposite the side window for more sunlight. The primary bedroom is located at the rear overlooking the rear landscape. All of the baths have been updated including white tile flooring with black chamfered corners and black banding in the tile tub/shower combo, crisp white beadboard faced lavatory cabinets against the beadboard wainscot for a pristine look.

This house is indeed move-in ready with its updated kitchens and baths, beautiful hardwood floors and fresh paint with the flexibility of a main floor bedroom suite. Off-street parking and the rear terrace are a bonus and the rear fenced in yard is a blank canvas for a gardener’s finishing touches.

For more information about this property, contact Sarah Dean with Cross Street Realtors at 410-778-3779 (o),410-708-2528 (c) or sarah@csrealtors.com.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.csrealtors.com,“Equal Housing Opportunity”.

House of the Week: Traditional Out of the Box

June 22, 2021 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

Several weeks ago, I featured another property on Quaker Neck that was sited very close to the Chester River. As I walked through the waterside rooms, I felt as if I were on a boat. Due to the irregular river shoreline, this property’s setting is completely different. The house is set back from the road surrounded by mature landscaping and towering trees including a magnificent willow at the front corner of the house that frame the traditional style house. At the rear of the house is a deck leading to a stone terrace and these inviting outdoor spaces are framed by more mature trees for privacy. The trees break behind the terrace to open up a vista to a deep lawn ending at the dock with two boat lifts for cruising the Chester River.

The current owners broke out of the box by adding two-story gable ended wings to both the front and rear of the house and a front porch and balcony above on the front elevation. The front gable addition created a garage and expanded the second floor master bedroom into a sumptuous retreat. The rear gable addition opened up the house to the landscape and water with extensions to the dining and family rooms connected by a new sunroom. The rear gable projection on the second floor added a delightful three-season sun porch to the primary bedroom suite.

The living room is separated from the entry and stairs with short wing walls next to slightly offset columns to define the living room space and the stairway open to the foyer side expands the space even more. The focal point of the living room is the fireplace set against a paneled wall and the Oriental rugs, Chippendale style sofa, wing chairs, wood accent pieces and neutral colors give the room a serene feel. The wide cased opening at the living room’s wall next to the dining room opens a vista centered on the dining table below the coffered ceiling to the rear French door with long windows on either side. Corner cabinets with arched glass upper doors and a hutch with glass doors display beautiful china including an oyster plate collection for entertaining.

The entry foyer leads to the hall past the gourmet kitchen with its stained wood cabinets, darker granite countertops and a slate backsplash in a “L” and island arrangement. Many of the upper cabinets have glass door fronts to balance the expanse of wood. The kitchen is open to the spacious sunroom with space for sitting and informal dining with skylights and a wall of wrap-around windows for sunlight and views to the landscape and water. The expansion of the house benefited the family room the most for it added another wall of windows that wrapped around to the existing brick fireplace wall to create a great gathering space.

The second floor is zoned well with the center hall connecting the guest bedrooms and the primary suite that spans the entire depth of the house. One guest room has an antique white iron bed and an Oriental style chest as a nightstand against the background of patterned wallpaper. Another bedroom is currently being used as a study but could easily revert to a bedroom if a fifth bedroom is needed. The laundry is centrally located between the hall and the primary suite. The primary bedroom is located at the rear of the house with windows and sliding doors to access the charming sunporch. The space is detailed with a pitched wood slat ceiling, three pairs of rear sliding doors with screens to catch the breezes, French rails for safety, two transoms centered over the sliding doors and side windows for bird’s eye views of the landscape and water beyond.

Behind the bedroom is an open area opposite the walk-in closet that is a quiet space for a home office with the bonus of an exterior door to the balcony over the front porch below for breaks from computer work. The spacious master bath layout has the lavatory centered between the front windows with the tub and the shower opposite each other on the side walls.

Wonderful waterfront site with mature landscaping creating privacy and outdoor rooms of the main floor deck and terrace and the second floor balcony and sunporch. Traditional architecture and a great floor plan for family relaxation or entertaining-country living minutes from the center of town!

For more information about this property, contact Mary Fielding with Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-708-4852 (c) , or mfielding@cbchesapeake.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit https://www.coldwellbanker.com/coldwell-banker-chesapeake-real-estate-company-2228c/chestertown-office-76035d, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Janelle Stroop, 410-310-6838, Janelle@thruthelensphotos.com

House of the Week: Artisan Aerie: “Honeysuckle Haven”

June 15, 2021 by Jennifer Martella 1 Comment

When I saw the word “artisan” in the first line of the agent remarks for this property, I was immediately intrigued. My mother was a member of the Southern Highlands Craft Guild and from an early age I accompanied her to craft shows that began my life-long love of art, basketry, ceramics, metalwork, painting, weaving and many more creative endeavors formed by those artisans as if by magic to my young eyes so long ago. When I drove up to this property, it reminded me of sites above the cliffs of Great Britain with its perch forty feet high above the Chesapeake Bay. The cottage’s heavily textured white stucco exterior walls, light olive trim with delightful accents of purple in the plank style shutters and trim topped with a Widow’s Walk that stands out in its exuberant landscape of plants and flowers surrounded by mature trees confirmed my comparison.

As I walked under the gable roof over the front door with the side brackets ornamented with curves and other geometric shapes I felt I was literally on the threshold of an amazing experience and indeed I was. The Owners graciously gave me a tour and I soon learned he was the talented woodworker and she was the equally talented gardener who together over 40 years created this special place that obviously was a labor of love. I first stood still and savored the wonderful interiors of the living-dining-kitchen area since so many treasures and visual delights vied for my attention. The wide plank floors that had once been the roof decking now had their turn to shine and I especially loved the plaster walls for their texture. This material inspired the detailing of the windows with gently curved corners that eliminate wood jambs, painted wood sill and apron and the roughhewn planks weathered to a fine patina that are set into the plaster just deep enough to become a decorative header.

I admired the living room fireplace’s unique dark wood shallow mantel in an unusual shape and the owner explained it was carved to resemble a ship’s hull. Flanking the fireplace are polygonal porthole windows with low iron candleholders adorned with colorful metal fish sculptures. A merry mermaid is aloft over the wide picture window that frames the water of the Bay and I secretly coveted the brightly colored ceramic fish plates on a shelf at the dining area. The sill height of the picture window is carefully set to maximize the view to the water as if you were aboard a boat.

I thought the beautiful wood corner cupboard was an antique but the owner proudly admitted he had built the piece from reclaimed wood. Two pilasters of reclaimed wood frame the view from the living room to the kitchen and the wood base for the kitchen island countertop began its life as a sideboard. Its green paint and wood top is a pleasing contrast to the white cabinetry lining the walls. I collect pitchers and I complemented the owner for the variety of style and color of her collection positioned along the top of the upper cabinets.

Beyond the kitchen is the powder room whose clever lavatory pedestal resembles a Corinthian column capital but the owner told me it was once part of a church pulpit. The main floor bedroom suite has many special details including a fireplace adorned with two cherubs intertwined in an embrace whose bodies blend into the leaves to outline a heart shape. Adjacent to the bedroom is the exquisite screened porch with a pitched ceiling of exposed rafters and decking and the collar beam and brackets under the rafters are painted the accent green color. The solid walls below the screened panels define the enclosure and the TV makes this spot the perfect space for binge watching movies. The colorful carved wooden figurehead once mounted at the bow of a ship now serenely observes the terra firma below her new position under the ridge of the ceiling.

Before I climbed the stairs to the second floor, I admired the detailing of the lower treads that gracefully spill into the living room with the bottom tread curving around to the wall to beckon one upwards. The window at the landing is set low to create the perfect spot for a beloved pet to await the return of his/her human companions. The sinuous wood handrail was a piece of wood the owners found on the beach and its diameter was perfect for my hand to grasp. The second floor contains two guest suites and a bath with one of the bedrooms a second primary bedroom. The wood furnishings are painted white with a slight distressed finish and the decorative fretwork and filagree motifs make the bed frame a work of art. Once again I was amazed to learn that the owner had made all of the wood furnishings.

The vertical travel that begins at the main floor stairs continues to the spiral stair that culminates in a double height cupola. The lower part is a cozy room with double windows at the front wall and triple windows at the back wall. Built-in seating doubles as a bed for a lucky guest and the owners mentioned this is the favorite spot of their grandchildren but I think children of all ages would be equally enchanted too. A ladder leads to the upper part of the cupola with glazed windows on all sides of its polygonal shape. An operable window leads to the Widow’s Walk surrounded by iron railings for 360 degree views of the Bay and I imagined how stunning it would be to stargaze at night from this space!

I reluctantly climbed down and postponed my departure by strolling through the beautiful gardens fragrant with the scent of honeysuckle that inspired the name of this enchanting house. Climbing hydrangea provide shade for the pergola over the terrace off the dining room and the day lilies are just beginning to bloom. The charming small enclosure with a pitched pergola turned out to be an outdoor shower. The meandering brick path wove its way through the planting area to a deck with colorful Adirondack chairs overlooking the Bay. The corner area of the landscaping is carved into the hill with a gravel switchback path outlined by stacked slabs of stone between the terraced plantings. A statuesque mermaid with her “copper”tone tan marks the way to the flight of steps down to the deck just above the top of the bouldered riprap about four feet above the water. Here you can relax, gaze at the parade of the Bay’s traffic from freighters to sailboats and be quickly mesmerized by the soothing sound of the water lapping over the rocks before launching a canoe or kayak to explore the shoreline.

Truly amazing property with unique artisan touches-my compliments to the owners whose combined creative talents and interior design made “Honeysuckle Haven” unforgettable for this architect-Bravo and Brava! I hope new owners will fully appreciate this very special house and gardens.

For more information about this property contact Lynn Hilfiker with Gunther McClary Real Estate at 410-639-2118 (o), 443-480-1163 (c) or lynnhilfiker@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing visit www.rockhallrealestate.com , “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

House of the Week: Townhouse Living in Style

June 8, 2021 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

Kent Street continues to draw my attention and this house attracted me both for its charming curb appeal and for the landscaped vista at the side of the house. A graceful iron gate leads to a brick walkway bordered with a landscaped bed full of plants about to bloom against the texture of the weathered wood fence. Past the corner of the house, the space opens up to a delightful outdoor room. The weathered wood fence continues around the entire rear yard bordered with mature trees including a tall maple shading the picnic table on the brick terrace. Lights strung along the side fence are waiting to illuminate festive early evening al-fresco dining.

The front elevation is as appealing as its verdant rear outdoor room. Two steps lead from the street’s brick sidewalk to the front stoop which leaves enough room for a row of flowering plants of various heights to soften the hardscape. Between the front door and the window is a trellis festooned with blooms and the window with its flower box is ready for a new owner’s seasonal flowers. The house’s serene exterior color palette of light blue lap siding, dark turquoise green wood shutters, white trim and corner boards is crowned by the white articulated cornice with extended decorative brackets to create great curb appeal. The top two of the six panels of the dark turquoise front door are glass that act as a transom would have to filter light within.

The side front door opens into an entry alcove opposite the original stairs with its stained newel post, cap rail and treads with white risers. The open plan living-dining room layout has offsets to define each individual space. Two windows at the corner of the living room and the side windows opposite each other in the dining room keep the spaces sunny and bright. The exposed brick chimneys in each room add accents of color and texture against the beautiful pine wood floors and light gray walls. I especially liked how the quarter molding at the wall/floor edge was stained to match the pine floor instead of being painted the white trim color. The bright red wood stove in the living room is a sculptural element and the other chimney has a cap over the original flue opening that would be the perfect spot for the wall clock in the living room.

Between the dining room and the kitchen is a powder room with a window to the rear yard and one wall has an accent wall clad in shiplap. A column is the “hinge” between the living and dining rooms and is next to a full height shelving unit ready for china and glassware. The dining room has a clear vista through the cased opening in the wall adjacent to the kitchen to the pair of exterior French doors leading to the rear yard.

The kitchen layout includes another cased overlooking the dining room and the pendant light defines a cozy breakfast spot. The white cabinets, gray and white veined granite countertops, white appliances and the pine floors is a neutral palette ready for the next owner’s color accents. The glass doors of the upper cabinets between the window above the kitchen sink expand the transparency of the wall.

The second floor contains two bedroom en-suites, one at the front of the house and the other overlooking the rear yard. The front bedroom has two windows above the living room’s door and window below and one side window for sunlight throughout the day. The nook below the side window would be a great space for a home workspace and the room also has a built-in unit for books and family photographs. The rear bedroom has delightful interior architecture from the sloped ceilings, skylight, windows in the knee walls, built-in shelving and the textures of the painted brick chimney and the recycled barn wood closet door. The bath includes both a claw foot tub for soaking and a shower with a wood wainscot around the tub.

Wonderful setting between Chestertown’s retail/restaurant area and Washington College amenities, quiet street with a charming pedestrian scale, great curb appeal of its architecture, private rear yard with landscape and hardscape for relaxation and stylish renovations- Bravo!

For more information about this property, contact Liddy Campbell at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, 410-673-3344 (o), 410-708-5433 (c) or liddycampbell@gmail.com. For more photographs or pricing, visit www.TTRsir.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Janelle Stroop, 410-310-6838, Janelle@thruthelensphotos.com

House of the Week: “Rose Villa”

June 1, 2021 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

The aerial shot of this property shows an “island” of verdant 2.8 acres surrounded by farmland. Two brick piers with white gates mark the entrance of the meandering gravel drive that passes through a landscape of mature trees. Then the drive becomes an oval shape as it passes by the side of the house. The inner oval is infilled with more mature trees to screen the house and other towering trees surround the front and opposite side of the house for privacy. One of the lower branches of a tree bends over to frame the brick walkway lined in low shade-loving plants that curves around to the front porch of the house.

The exquisite rose red brick five-bay house has Italianate touches of a low pitched roof, wide eaves supported by articulated decorative brackets, high cornice and the square cupola. I loved the rhythm of the windows and the simple but elegant color palette of rose red brick against the white accents of the masonry windows sills and headers, window frames and paneled shutters, the porch’s three bay hipped roof and columns. The house appears to be a square until you walk around the house to see how the massing steps down at the rear to a two-story wing tucked under the main roof and finally to the sunroom that wraps around the secondary wing.

The front door opens to a compact floor plan and a vista through the house to the one story sunroom, brick terrace and pool. Cased openings on either side of the entry hall lead to the living and dining rooms. The living room’s appealing interior architecture and design with its tall windows inset into the deep masonry walls, moldings, wood floors and the fireplace that projected into the space to become a focal point made want to linger. The interior design takes its inspiration from the soft colors of rose and pale pink in the upholstery and accent pillows, Tiffany style lamp, antiques and the art subjects that ranged from a seascape and a view of mountains shrouded by fog. My favorite piece was the settee with its curvature of both the front edge and arms with its tufted back cushion.

The dining room was equally appealing with its focal point of the fireplace’s white marble surround that is the perfect backdrop for the collection of blue and white ceramics on the hearth and mantel. Juxtaposed beside the ceramics is a trio of slender black iron candle holders that step down in height at either end of the mantel. The large Oriental rug anchors the light wood of the table and the darker wood of the Windsor chairs on axis with the fireplace sets the stage for family gatherings.

Behind the dining room is the eat-in kitchen with ample storage including double upper cabinets that reach to the underside of the high ceiling. Side and rear windows provide sunlight and views and the round oak table and chairs create an appealing spot for breakfast or a midnight snack. The light color of the cabinets, stainless steel appliances, tile floor and porcelain farmhouse sink are a blank canvas for the next cook to add his/her decorative touches.

The main stair is located perpendicular to the entry hall and an arched cased opening defines the entrance to the stair open to a side hall. The original wood balustrade gently curves to meet the tapered carved newel post and the stair treads are accented with colorful carpeted treads with white risers. Behind the stair, a short hall leads to another arched opening of the informal family room, with exposed stained wood beams and seating around the fireplace and TV for relaxation against the background of the exposed brick wall of the original house. French doors lead both to a sidewalk at the drive and to the sunroom. The pitched wood slat ceiling, slate floors and walls of windows make the sunroom the perfect spot for respite after sunbathing on the adjacent upper brick terrace or the lower brick terrace around the pool.

Two of the second floor bedrooms have fireplaces that are infilled with brick which reminded me of one of my former homes and how I asked an artist friend of mine to paint the brick to create a perspective of the firebox interior for fun. The bedrooms are furnished with beautiful antiques and I especially liked the antique French chest that has a second life as a stylish double lavatory cabinet for the primary bath. I was also charmed by the children’s bedroom with three twin identical white bedframes in a row with red, white and blue bedding and plantation shutters for window treatments.

The jewel in this crown is the magnificent cupola that pierces the main roof. Pairs of arched windows on its four sides offer 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside.

“Rose Villa” is an intriguing property with historic architecture, period interior architecture of high ceilings, interior transoms over doors, moldings, wood floors and arched cased openings between rooms and multiple fireplaces. Add the perennial gardens and outdoor rooms of the front porch and brick terrace that lead to the pool surround-all this close to Rt 301 and Chestertown- simply heaven!

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 pheller@cbchesapeake.com. For more photographs and pricing visit www.hellertheseller.com , “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Patty Hill, www.pattyhillphotography.com, (410) 441-4719

House of the Week: Majestic Classical Revival

May 25, 2021 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

This stately manor home sits on a slight rise with lawns that slope gently to the 1000 feet of white sandy beach along the Upper Chesapeake Bay. Seen from the water, the front elevation captures your eye with its classic five-bay two-story house with a full height portico supported by two pairs of Doric columns below a pediment articulated with dentil molding and an accent triple window in the gable wall. The brick façade has been painted a light color and the large windows have masonry sills and flared headers with dark colored shutters for contrast. Between the pilasters at the front wall opposite the portico’s columns is the second floor balcony overlooking the parterre of brick paths and landscaping ending in a reflecting pool to the lawn and shoreline of the Upper Bay.

The original part of the house is rectangular in form with side gables and a slight two-story rear wing that projects from the house to end in another a gable wall. I appreciated how the additions to this house respected the original house’s footprint and form by telescoping back from the rear gable wall in three distinct one and half story bays with other one-story projections to break down the massing. These additions update the house with spaces for today’s family living.

The front door opens to reveal a center hall plan with a spacious entrance hall. The beautifully detailed “U” shaped staircase has stained treads with white risers, a darker stain on the newel posts and cap rail for contrast with the stair stringer that becomes a white wainscot below striped wallpaper. The living room and the library are across the hall from each other and span the depth of the original part of the house with windows and seats below at the front and rear walls. Both rooms are beautifully detailed with a triple height two-toned grid of paneled walls in soft mocha shades with the panels outlined in white for contrast. The furnishings are anchored by large Oriental rugs in a predominant colors of red and blue and I admired how in the living room the blue accent is carried through in the abstract painting over one sofa, the painting over the mantel of a ship at sea and the surround of the firebox. As a bibliophile, I loved the library’s focal points of the floor to ceiling paneled fireplace surround opposite an exquisite armoire. The full height built-in millwork around the room would encourage one to linger and read by the fire.

Off the living room, steps lead down to an informal mini-library which is the transition from the original part of the house to the addition. Built-in bookcases, a fireplace and leather recliners encourage relaxing by the fire. An exterior door leads to the sunroom and I loved this space’s brick herringbone patterned floor, sloped white bead board ceiling and the deep blue rattan furnishings with floral cushions on a cream background. This room also connects to the spacious dining room with windows at the front and back walls. The Oriental rug fills the room with a wainscot breaking the paneled walls into a vertical and horizontal grid with deep red wall panels outlined in creamy white. The valances and full height drapery and the beautiful Chippendale furnishings create an elegant ambiance for memorable celebrations.

Next to the dining room is the hub of the house with an open plan family room, kitchen and breakfast room that spans the full depth of this wing. The family room’s brick chimney pierces the pitched ceiling with insets of half-moon dormer windows on the side roofs. The tall windows with transoms at each corner of the space stretch to just under the springline of the pitched ceiling for abundant sunlight. The spacious galley kitchen with a center island has wide cased openings to both the family room and the breakfast room. I loved the wrap-around windows of the breakfast room and the round tabletop of glass with Windsor chairs for informal meals. The last bay of the telescoping additions contains another sitting room, laundry and bath with an exterior door to a deck.

The bedrooms are located on the second floor with two sumptuous primary bedroom suites in the original part of the house. The “blue” bedroom has a full height paneled wall around the fireplace that blends into the paneled wainscot with a deep blue wall above. The canopy of the bed and the bedlinens are blue brocade. I would choose the other primary bedroom with its warm apricot walls, white chair rail, white quilted coverlet with a scalloped edge and the subtly patterned canopy and drapery. The guest rooms are tucked under the pitched ceilings and knee walls of the ceiling for delightful interior architecture.

Guests would be tempted to prolong their stay after they discovered the pool/ recreational area. As an architect, I was enthralled by the pool enclosure with its two-bay steel roof structure of joined arches of glass meeting the tall glass walls-it must feel like swimming in a crystal palace! The pool area is attached to the original barn that is now a sauna, fitness room and recreation room. The remainder of the barn has four horse stalls to complete the options for daily exercise.

One of a kind property with views of the Upper Chesapeake Bay, surrounded by undeveloped and preserved farmland, Classical Revival architecture with additions that respect the original house and provide spaces for today’s lifestyle and an amazing pool-recreation building, formal and informal landscaping-truly a treasure!

For more information about this property, contact Select Land and Homes Inc. agents William “Billy” Norris at 410-810-3900 (o), 410-708-0956 (c) and bnorrisselect@gmail.com or Miles Norris at 410-810-3900 (o), 410-708-5423 (c) or mnorrisselect@gmail.com. For a virtual tour, visit www.handypointmd.com. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.selectlandandhomes.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

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