Habitat

Adkins Arboretum’s Enchanted Fairyfest is October 12

September 20, 2019 by Adkins Arboretum Leave a Comment

Bring your wings and wands for a day of magic at Adkins Arboretum! The Arboretum’s fourth annual Fairyfest, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sat., Oct. 12, celebrates fancy, fantasy and fun in the forest. Follow a trail of fairy houses along enchanted forest paths, meet Cinderella’s fairy godmother and kick up your fairy feet in a meadow maypole dance.

Face painting, archery and swordplay for elven warriors, a dragon tram and magical games and crafts are all part of the fun. Elves and fairies can make their own bows, search for Rumpelstiltskin’s gold, sip nectar at an acorn tea party and explore the labyrinth in Emily’s Play Garden.

The Fairy Queen (Chelsea Raithby) greets visitors to Adkins Arboretum’s annual Fairyfest. Photo by Kellen McCluskey.

The event includes live entertainment throughout the day, including performances by Shore Shakespeare, Ampersand, Chestertown Ukulele Club and the Sammati Dance Troupe. Unicorn rides provided by Snapdragon Stables, food by BBQ and Beyond and ice cream from Nice Farms Creamery will be available for purchase.

All are invited to enter The Great Fairy House Challenge. Awards will be given in the categories of Most Magical, Golden Fairy, Simply Spellbinding and Enchanted Excellence. Entries must be brought to the Arboretum October 4–6 and will be displayed during Fairyfest. Submission guidelines are available at adkinsarboretum.org.

Admission to Fairyfest is $10 for adults and children ages 3 and up and free for children 2 and under. Admission can be paid in advance at adkinsarboretum.org.

Adkins Arboretum is a 400-acre native garden and preserve at the headwaters of the Tuckahoe Creek in Caroline County. Open year round, the Arboretum offers educational programs for all ages about nature and gardening. For more information, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

House of the Week: House of Two Gables

September 17, 2019 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

Spy House of the Week is an ongoing series that selects a different home each week. The Spy’s Habitat editor Jennifer Martella makes these selections based exclusively on her experience as a architect.

Jennifer Martella has pursued her dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. Her award winning work has ranged from revitalization projects to a collaboration with the Maya Lin Studio for the Children’s Defense Fund’s corporate retreat in her home state of Tennessee.

The Spy Fall Tour of Talbot County Homes and Architects

September 11, 2019 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

The Spy is very pleased to announce its Fall Fundraiser, a tour of homes in the Easton, MD, Historic District and environs. This event will be held each fall to celebrate Habitat’s focus on distinctive architecture, interiors and landscape/gardens in Talbot County. This year’s inaugural tour is Sunday, October 6, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. The ticket cost for all six houses is $30/person. To purchase tickets, click here.

The Spy Habitat’s Editor, Jenn Martella, has carefully selected houses in a range of architectural styles from an early 20th century bungalow in Easton’s Historic District to a stunning contemporary design on the Tred Avon River. Two houses have been featured in the Spy as a “House of the Week” and one was featured in Jenn Martella’s article on the architecture of William Draper Brinckloe, who designed many charming period cottages. Tour highlights include:

11460 Old Cordova Rd, Easton, MD: Atelier 11 Principals Jon Braithwaite and Lauren Dianich bought eighteen acres of farmland in Cordova and designed a new home for themselves and their two pre-school boys. To the delight of their sons, their creative parents added design surprises -look for the ladder bookcase that leads to a “secret hatch” to the attic area with its circular window.

For family fun, they enhanced the pastoral site with a pond by the tall willow tree and stocked it with fish, planted a heritage orchard with trees for climbing that also bear fruit at different times throughout the summer season and a meandering walking trail through the property.

The house design evokes the simple form of the Federal style blended with imaginative contemporary details such as casement windows and transoms that stretch to the underside of the 10 foot ceilings and the wide chimneys with a third floor window tucked in between its double flues.

10205 Kintore Dr., Easton, MD

Charles Thornton is one of the founding partners of Thornton Tomasetti, an engineering consulting firm with fifty offices throughout the world. When he and his wife Carolyn retired to Talbot County, they retained the DC architect Alfredo de Vido to design them a unique home in its rural setting. The indefatigable Charles’ next project was to start the ACE program, a series of after-school sessions that expose high-school students to the fields of architecture, construction and engineering. The Thorntons have generously hosted “fun-raisers” for that organization in their uniquely designed home.

The multi-level house has a center wing that is primarily glass with side wings that cascade down to the ground level. In contrast to the center glass façade, the side wings are clad in siding and conventional windows. Many built-ins and seating are incorporated into the interior architecture and the multiple levels offer myriad vistas for enjoying the spatial volume of the soaring center wing with its rear wall of glass open to the water views.

One Dover St: The Daylight Building: Atelier 11 At Home and At Work

Atelier 11 Architects’ new studio for their firm and an apartment on the third floor for the firms’ principals is the perfect example of what Easton’s new Arts and Entertainment District makes possible by offering the perfect opportunity for an artist or other creative entrepreneur to benefit from the tax related incentives created by this new designation.

The historic Daylight Building that anchors the intersection of Dover and Washington Streets has an angled entry door and a slightly recessed porch formed by the arched columns that meet at the corner. Large picture windows on the ground floor are the perfect showcase for the firm’s architectural models that attract attention from passers-by.

The second and third floors of the building are clad in red brick and have a rhythm of large windows with black shutters for a very appealing façade. A private elevator takes you to the foyer of this apartment with views of the urban landscape below including the Courthouse and Thompson Park. Light streams in from the large windows and is the perfect get-away from work deadlines below.

206 S. Harrison St, Easton, MD: Georgian Spendor

This stately home built in the 1920’s on over a half acre in the heart of Easton’s Historic District offers the charm of its Georgian architectural style with an addition that updates the house’s floor plan for today’s lifestyle without compromising the historic street façade or the original interior architecture of the house. The off white stucco is accented by deep blue shutters and the multitude of windows open up the house to the landscape.

The original part of the house contains the entrance hall dominated by a curved stair, the dining room, living room and sunroom that make great entertaining spaces. The addition incorporated a large gourmet kitchen, informal dining, family room, ground floor master suite, screened porches and a garage off the alley. The second floor addition created another sumptuous master suite and a roof deck overlooking the lawn and garden.

538 S. Aurora St., Easton, MD: Period Bungalow designed by William Draper Brinckloe, Architect

Earlier this year, I wrote an article to express my deep admiration for the exquisite Period bungalows designed by the Architect William Draper Brinckloe, who lived in Easton from 1911 to 1933. Aurora Street has several of his designs that create a delightful streetscape. All of the one and a half storied houses are clad in brick with tile roofs. No cookie-cutter houses here-Brinckloe varied the roof forms, dormer types, number of windows, etc. so each house is unique. The bungalow on this tour is loaded with style, charm and original details like the flared gambrel roof broken by a wide shed dormer with a pair of square windows flanked by a longer rectangular window on either side, the cast iron window frames and the first floor bay windows with transoms above.

Don’t miss the irresistible main floor octagon room that the owner has furnished as a sunroom. She also removed the full height shutters on either side of the door to reveal the cast concrete quoins of Brinckloe’s original design. Now the front façade fully illustrates the design intent of this master architect.

27950 Tred Avon Rd., Easton, MD

From the street, this house is camouflaged by its dark paneled walls and surrounding landscape. Mitch Hager firmly believes design begins with the site- studying the path of the sun, geological conditions, the use of indigenous plants, etc., that begin to establish a sense of place; the art of craft-how to be innovative in the materials to be used; and Tectonic Culture, or the artistic expression of the materials.

When I visited this house, the dramatic butterfly roof over the simple rectangular floor plan had a dual purpose not only of shelter but also a very practical function-high winds flow over it unlike conventional pitched roofs that are vulnerable to uplift when subjected to hurricane force winds. At the front side of the butterfly roof, clerestory windows allow light within while providing privacy. At the rear side of the butterfly roof, the high wall of the butterfly form with its exposed structural frame is infilled with panels of glass for panoramic views of the Tred Avon River.

The concrete floors, exposed aggregate polished stone blocks for interior walls and the stainless steel industrial kitchen are just a few elements of this extraordinary house.

Spy House of the Week: Tis the Gift to Be Simple, Farmhouse Style

September 10, 2019 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

This house reminded of the Shaker song,

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

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

And when we find ourselves in the place just right

It will be in the valley of love and delight”

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

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

The High & Wides to Headline Adkins Arboretum Beer Garden September 28

September 7, 2019 by Adkins Arboretum Leave a Comment

Local beer, fresh seafood, ice cream and music by The High & Wides are all on tap when Adkins Arboretum hosts its second annual Beer Garden on Sat., Sept. 28.

Like the large-haul trains for which the band is named, The High & Wides project a big, driving sound—mountain music reimagined for a new century. Regional favorites hailing from Chestertown, the group released its debut album, Lifted, to widespread acclaim in 2018. Dubbed the “apostles of hillbilly boogie” by The Washington Post, the group draws from its members’ extensive bluegrass backgrounds to take the music to a place all their own, recalling an era when old-time, rockabilly and proto-rock ‘n’ roll coexisted in a murky soup of hillbilly string band music.

Photos courtesy of The High & Wides

Centreville’s Bull & Goat Brewery will be pulling premium craft beer and homemade root beer, complemented by fresh seafood from Centreville’s family-owned Bay Shore Steam Pot and small-batch “cow to cup” ice cream served by American Corner’s Nice Farms Creamery.

The Beer Garden runs from 4 to 6 p.m. As the day cools down, guests can dance to the band, take a woodland walk or join in games. Admission is $10 in advance and $15 at the door for adults, $5 for children ages 3 to 18 and free for children ages 2 and under. Beer and food are an additional fee. Seating is limited; please bring chairs or blankets to enjoy the event.

Advance registration is appreciated. To register, visit adkinsarboretum.org or call 410-634-2847, ext. 0.

Easton Point: A Plan for a Boathouse by Val Cavalheri and Jenn Martella

September 4, 2019 by Spy Staff Leave a Comment

Like many 18th century communities, Easton’s initial development began at its waterfront. Those who grew up in the Hill District and other in-town neighborhoods remember their grandparents telling them about walking down to the Tred Avon River to enjoy a picnic or launch a boat for a relaxing afternoon.

After the construction of the Easton Bypass, the link from the in-town neighborhoods changed and development between the By-pass and the river became primarily industrial. Londonderry’s decision to build its retirement community on twenty-nine acres at the corner of the By-pass and Port Street, including 1500 feet of the Tred Avon River’s shoreline, was an important step toward redevelopment of this area.

The Town of Easton and the Easton Economic Development Corporation took the next step and began a long-term planning process that led to The Port Street Small Area Master Plan. The goal of the plan is to guide future development for the area christened “Easton Point,” and the Port Street corridor connecting Easton Point to downtown Easton. The development will be the catalyst to enable Port Street to become a vibrant portal into the Town, with diverse uses including cultural, housing, open spaces, walkability, recreation, restaurants, and retail. One of the components of the plan is a much-needed boathouse located on the NW side of Port Street.

Another stakeholder in the redevelopment of the Port Street Corridor is Evergreen Easton Point, a not-for-profit wellness and learning center. They are currently housed in a converted small residence and a detached modular building and need more space for their community outreach. Two years ago, the group approached Mitch Hager to help in the redevelopment after seeing his other project on the Tred Avon. The project happened to be his own personal family home.

After months of meetings, which included examining the Port Street Master Plan and discussions on the mission and vision for Evergreen, Hager created designs for a two-story Boathouse Cultural Center. He presented the plans at a recent meeting of the Town Council.

The design is for the second floor to serve a variety of functions including a full commercial demonstration kitchen, bar, sub-dividable event spaces, and office space. The Boathouse on the ground floor will support large regatta events (think thousands of spectators). It will also accommodate storage for up to twenty 60’ long crew boats with significant additional smaller crew boat and kayak space. This will be a welcome benefit for both the Freedom Rowers and the Eastern Shore Community Rowers, who currently store their boats on Evergreen Easton Point’s property.

The planned one-way drive will facilitate the movement of cars and trailers for regattas and other events. The aggregate concrete drive first passes by plantings and leads to a row of parking spaces on each side of the site to allow separate parking areas for the multipurpose nature of the cultural center. In the middle is a large grassy area for events and other special gatherings. The drive continues around the perimeter of the grassy area and passes by the Boathouse Cultural Center back to the entry drive to Point Street.

The state-of-the-art building will include the three principles used by Hager in all of his designs: (1) Place/Site—the seasonal path of sun, the use of indigenous plants, geological conditions, etc. (2) Craft –the innovative use of materials, and (3) Tectonic Culture—artistic expression of the materials to be used. As such, the building will be in a park-like setting, naturally lit, geothermally heated/cooled, and self-sustaining. “It will be the first building of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region,” says Hager. “It will be at the forefront of sustainable practices, using an approach not done on the Eastern Shore ever before.”

In the plan’s development, Hager paid homage to neighboring Londonderry’s Manor House, built at the end of the Civil Was by prominent architect Richard Upjohn. His Boathouse will reflect and respect the sensibilities of the scale and materiality Upjohn used for his own work.

Hager also incorporated the site’s towering evergreens which were apparently planted by a German immigrant who moved to Talbot County to escape the Nazi regime. Since the mature trees created a woodland atmosphere, a decision was made to expand that setting in the plan, making it broader and more open than it is currently.

But it is the placement of the site towards the Tred Avon River that most excites Hager. “The building’s ground floor is oriented in a southwestern orientation. The second floor is oriented in a true north-south axis. During the darker winter months as the sun gets low on the horizon, its light is filtered through the evergreens, flooding the space with warm natural light. Yet you still have an uninterrupted and glare-free view of the Tred Avon River. As the sun rises and as the season approaches the summer solstice, the angles and array of the structural components start to filter out the sunlight and shade the interior spaces when they need it the most. “Simply put,” says Hager, ‘this is a building that respects the local vernacular convention, the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay, and the compelling vision of Evergreen for the Community.”

According to Hager, the Town of Easton, Easton Economic Development Corp., and multiple nonprofits are excited and supportive of the project. “We already also have subcontractors that are helping, including Weems Brothers, Spearhead, Blessing Environmental, and REHAU.” As for what’s next, Hager said final design plans are being approved. “We’re also looking to make the project as inclusive as possible to the entire community and welcome additional partnerships.”

Stay tuned to the Spy for updates and progress on this exciting and landmark project.

Val Cavalheri is a recent transplant to the Eastern Shore, having lived in Northern Virginia for the past 20 years. She’s been a writer, editor and professional photographer for various publications, including the Washington Post.

House of the Week: Craftsman Class

September 3, 2019 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dining With Flowers Exhibit at Kent Island Library September 13

August 30, 2019 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Learn how to accent a table for two or a table for four or even a buffet table at the Dining With Flowers exhibit on September 13, 2019 from 10:30 AM until 4:30 PM at the Kent Island Library. The event is sponsored by the Kent Island Garden Club. Admission is free.

Mixed hydrangeas flower centerpiece in decorative vase.

Learn how to show off your china and glassware simply by factoring in overall eye appeal, coordination of table components, and focal points. Experienced gardeners and designers will offer displays that will suggest to hostesses ideas for floral centerpieces, interesting table settings, and serving piece placement.

The Kent Island Garden Club, now in its 41^st year, is comprised of members who enjoy gardening, learning about native plants, and preserving the environment. The group meets monthly at various Kent Island locations. The group maintains gardens at some Kent Island properties, including the Cray House, the Kirwan House, and the Kent Island Library. They are also a prime contributor to the Wreaths Across America that takes place in December.

For further information contact dbonner@verizon.net

Spy House of the Week: From Aerie to Shibui

August 27, 2019 by Jennifer Martella 1 Comment

Last year I featured a house designed by the architect Peter Newlin for an ornithologist who asked him to design a “bird house”. The ornithologist had purchased the site and built a small one-room cabin as her week-end get-away, nestled in a wooded area with conifers, mature deciduous trees, native plants, a creek and marsh that attracted birds and other wildlife.

The ornithologist wanted a three-story addition so she could better observe the birds. She explained different species seek varied 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 on the site as carefully as possible for minimum invasion of the wildlife’s habitat. Peter Newlin rose to the challenge with his masterful tower addition. He broke the tower massing up by stepping it back as it passed through the roof behind and above the one-story original cabin and then re-cladded and re-roofed the entire house. Many windows became “outlooks” for endless birdwatching. Now the new house was indeed a Bird House and the ornithologist christened her weekend retreat “Aerie”.

The ornithologist later sold the house and the new owner added a screened “hyphen” connecting the house to a screened pavilion and a deck that paralleled the creek. The wood slat ceiling were attached to the underside of the roof rafters to give the space an “airy” feel. They also added a wonderful inglenook to the sitting room with a fireplace to expand the interior living space. These additions were designed and constructed to seamlessly blend with the house and its tower addition.

The third and current owner uses it as his full time residence. Peter Newlin and I visited the house to meet the owner, the photographer Richard Lange. His contribution to this remarkable house’s story is his beautiful interiors. It was a delight to see the interior design that reflects the owner’s love for Japanese culture and his collections of books, pottery, artisan crafts and furnishings and art. Comfortable upholstered sofas were mixed with beautiful artisan wood chairs, settees and wood tables with unique shapes and live edges. Accent pillows and the Oriental rugs over the hardwood floors added color. Not surprising, considering that the owner is a photographer, everywhere I looked-on tabletops, the fireplace mantel, windowsills, etc., were tableaus of carefully arranged pieces from his collections.

He was also a friend of the late Seiko Kato Behr and has a stunning collection of ceramics from this artist. This was the first time I had seen her work in a residential setting and I was fascinated by the organic nature of her designs. She was inspired by flowers, fruits and the floral motifs in the designs of Japanese family crests and antique kimonos. One vase caught my eye since it remined me of a tree trunk with its vertical striations that resembled the tree’s bark. Art and craft were combined in her gifted hands but each piece was also carefully designed for everyday use.

Richard Lange explained his interiors reflect his admiration for the philosophy of “Shibui” which the Japanese define as a particular aesthetic of simple and subtle beauty. At first glance, Shibui objects may appear to be simple but after closer scrutiny, reveal subtle details or textures that are both simple and complex. This balanced dual nature results in one’s finding new meaning that increases the object’s aesthetic value through the years.

With great reluctance, Peter Newlin and I left Richard’s beautifully furnished home. I remarked to Peter that he must be so pleased to see how his original design, that was itself an addition, has adapted and thrived through the additions and interiors of subsequent owners.