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January 19, 2021

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

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    • The Chestertown Spy
    • Contact Us
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Habitat Habitat Homepage Habitat Habitat House of the Week Habitat House of the Week

House of the Week: Chesmar-velous

December 29, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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The aerial view of this double-lot in the well-established community of Chesmar, located on the north side of the Chester River, shows how close the house is to the water as if it were located on its own narrow peninsula. The dead-end street is single loaded with the houses facing the river and the inland water on the other side creates a very pleasant approach and gives the houses privacy. This story and a half house was built in the mid-sixties and is centered in its double lot for additional privacy. There are just enough mature trees to provide the balance between shade when needed and unobstructed views of the water from the house. The front elevation has great appeal with its length and massing broken up by a side gable projection and a slight projection on the garage side with dormer windows, a bay window and the entry porch carved out of the gable wing.  

The rear elevation opens up to the water with indoor-outdoor spaces of a large screened porch balanced by a sunroom on the other side.  Above the sunroom is a deck off the second floor family room for panoramic water views. One can also follow the brick walk from the house that widens to form a terrace for al-fresco grilling and dining before the path narrows again and continues to the dock.  The house is zoned very well with the front door opening to an entry hall that divides the bedroom suite from the rest of the house. Opposite the front door is the stairway to the second floor and a doorway to the spacious living room. At one end of the room is a fireplace and double sliding doors flanked by full height windows to the sunroom connects the adjacent spaces to create a great space for entertaining. Between the side windows of the sunroom is a French door opposite the door to the screened porch for easy flow between these rooms during the warm months.  I would be tempted to replace the sunroom’s stacked horizontal windows with a mix of picture and operable windows to maximize the views of the water. 

The dining room spans the full depth of the house with the table and chairs at the water side below a triple window for water views and a seating area at the front side under the bow window. The “U” shaped kitchen has stained wood cabinets with the upper cabinets to the ceiling with molding, solid surface countertops in a darker color, tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances.  I especially liked the inserts of lighthouse images in the backsplash and the scalloped wood trim above the window that does double duty by hiding the lighting above the kitchen sink and providing storage for bottles of wine above.  Next to the dining room is a large mud room/laundry area that leads to the garage.   

The upper floor bedrooms have great interior architecture from the dormer windows, knee walls and sloped ceilings. One bedroom has a triple unit window overlooking the water and a blue and white color scheme.  Off this bedroom is a cozy space with a twin bed below a window seat that makes a delightful sleeping space for a young child. Another bedroom is larger and contains two sets of bunk beds for slumber parties. The second floor spacious family room is set up for recreation with seating and a table and chairs for snacks or board games. The triple window and sliding doors to the deck over the sunroom below extends the living space.  The handrail around the deck has thin horizontal cables between the posts to maximize the views of the landscape and water.

The addition of the entire second floor and garage along with renovations and upgrades to the first floor were completed in 2008. Great private location with water views from all the main rooms and one-level living with guest rooms above. Easy flow between rooms and a variety of outdoor rooms from the sunroom, screened porch with hot-tub, brick terrace and pier for warm weather enjoyment.  

Since this is my last post for 2020, I would like to thank the owners and sellers who graciously gave me tours of their homes, the realtors and their assistants for their coordination and my fellow architects for their stunning designs.

For more information about this property, contact Ashton Kelley with Gunther McClary Real Estate at 410-275-2118 (o), 410-708-8144 (c) or akelleyre@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.gunthermcclary.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.

Please support the Spy’s House of the Week project by making a donation here.

 

Filed Under: Habitat Homepage, Habitat House of the Week, House of the Week

House of the Week: “Woodlawn Farm”

December 22, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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This classic house, circa late 19th century, is included in the Maryland Historic Trust’s Inventory of Historic Properties. Their preliminary research found many of the characteristics of the house’s late Federal Period architectural style-two story five-bay wide main wing with hipped roof, a side one-story two-bay wide wing, brick façade and wood cornice articulated with modillions. The front porch spans across the full length of the house and the hipped shed roof is supported by Doric columns with piers below and lattice infill between the piers. Brick steps lead up to the front door.

The windows are 4/4 and the first floor windows that open to the porch become full French doors with transoms. The windows and French doors have beautifully paneled wood shutters in a dark color that completes the classic color palette trio of red brick, white window headers, sills and white moldings. The center hall main floor plan has a front entry pair of wood paneled doors with sidelights that open to a clear vista to the two paneled doors at the rear wall leading to a screened porch overlooking the gently sloping lawn to the pond, gazebo and lawn below.

The magnificent drawing room that spans the depth of the house has a pair of fireplaces on the side wall between two windows with wood panels below. The arrangement of a single side window on the opposite of side of each fireplace combined with the two front and two rear windows opposite each other completes the symmetry. Even though the room is unfurnished, I appreciated the opportunity to admire the beauty of the interior architecture surrounding the wood floors without the distraction of furnishings. I also appreciated the dining room’s details with the three paneled door design of pairs of rectangular middle panels between the square top and bottom panels and the built-in corner cabinets. The spacious room with its wood flooring and crystal chandelier would set the scene for elegant dinner parties.

The original stair leads to the second floor hall that is lined with built-in millwork to become a library with sunlight from the window above the stairwell. The two bedrooms above the corners of the drawing room below have fireplaces and windows for abundant sunlight and views of the pastoral landscape below.

The 306 acre property includes 200 tillable acres with 30 acres in hay and pasture and two three-bedroom tenant houses. For the outdoor enthusiast, the grounds offer 100 wooded acres for hiking and scenic riding trails. For the hunter or fisherman, there are excellent hunting and fishing opportunities including a three acre stocked pond. The outbuildings include a six stall stable with Run-In shed, hay barn, loafing shed, shop and equipment shed. This property is fortunately surrounded by preserved farmland to further preserve its privacy. What a wonderful opportunity to own a historic house!

When I first saw the site aerial of this house with its red metal roof, I knew I had found my “Christmas Card” to wish all my Chestertown Spy Habitat readers the happiest of holidays! Thank you all for your support for the past four years and in the immortal words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us everyone!”

For more information about this property, contact Francis “Joe” Hickman with Cross Street Realtors, at 410-778-3779 (o), 410 -708-0536 (c) or joe@csrealtors.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit https://csrealtors.com/listings/exclusive, :Equal Pricing Opportunity”.
Photography by Janelle Stroup, Thru the Len Photography, 845-744-2758, janelle@thruthelensphotos.com

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

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

Please support the Spy’s House of the Week project by making a donation here.

Filed Under: Habitat Homepage, House of the Week

House of the Week: Captivating Cape Cod 

November 17, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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The quintessentially American Cape Cod-style houses (symmetrical story and a half, center door flanked by two pairs of windows, dormers in the roof) were built throughout New England into the mid-1800s until the Victorian styles became popular.  In the first few decades of the 20th century, the Cape Cod style came back in fashion during the revival of colonial-era architecture and the style spread to other parts of the country. 

This house in one of downtown Easton’s popular neighborhoods has all the architectural elements of the style; centered front door flanked by two windows with shutters and steep roof with front dormer windows.  This Cape Cod design was expanded with a one-story sunroom addition at one end of the center wing and another one-story master suite addition at the other end that breaks down the massing. The rear shed dormer spans the full length of the center wing and provides greater headroom at the second floor. The light brown shake siding adds texture and dimension to the facades and the classic white trim and gray roofing offers a very appealing exterior color palette.  

The house is on a prized corner lot with alley access to the one-car garage and two parking spaces. The hammock under the shade of the tall mature tree beckons one to relax and the stone terrace with table and chairs offers al-fresco dining with easy access to the back porch that leads to the kitchen. 

The front door opposite the stairs next to back-to-back closets creates a foyer open to the living room with a vista through to the sunroom.  The spacious living room with hardwood floors spans the full depth of the house with windows on the three exterior walls.  The brick fireplace is centered in the side wall with a French door leading to the sunroom with views to the side and rear yards.  The brick chimney, tile flooring and painted wood slat ceiling add texture and color to the sunroom and the full height windows and sliding doors to the yard make this a cozy indoor/outdoor room that would also be a great study/home office. 

I see so many neutral walls in homes that are on the market so I appreciated how this owner understood how to use color in her choices of the deep butter yellow of the living room warmed by the sunlight in contrast to the cooler sage green of the dining room. I have several hooked rugs in my home and I loved the multicolored runner cascading down the stairs that reminded me of a hooked rug and its pattern of circles was perfectly scaled to the treads and risers.  I also love eat-in kitchens and this one’s corner banquette is just the spot for that last cup of morning coffee or helping a child with homework. Behind one side of  the banquette is a tall slender cabinet that cleverly uses the space between studs in the wall for pantry storage.  Recent kitchen upgrades include hidden accent lighting above the upper cabinets, stainless steel appliances, white cabinets and dark granite countertops.  

The master suite has both a walk-in closet and a floor to ceiling IKEA storage unit outfitted with shallow and deep pull-outs for storage from scarves to sweaters so there is no need for dressers or chest of drawers.  The master bath has a dual lavatory cabinet finished in a deep stain against the white bead board wainscot.  Next to the bath is the laundry with another closet for storage.

My favorite spaces in one and a half story houses are most often the second story rooms tucked under the slope of the roof with knee walls and dormers.  This house’s upper rooms are quite large since they span the full depth of the house and two of the bedrooms have ample sunlight from both a front dormer window and two rear windows in the shed dormer.  The bonus room with its gable end window over the master suite is connected to one bedroom and would be a great playroom.  The upstairs bath is conveniently located at the front end of the stair hall between the two bedrooms. 

Corner lot in a wonderful in-Town location, one of the most popular architectural styles, detached garage with ample surface parking, great floor plan with a main level master suite, floor plan with easy flow and updates that would appeal to most buyers-all this and a large dry basement for storage!

 

For more information about this property, contact Diane Taylor with Benson and Mangold Real Estate at 410-770-9255, x 315 (o), 410-924-1586 (c) or dtaylor@bensonandmangold.com,  “Equal Housing Opportunity”. Photography by TruPlace, 301-972-3201, www.go.truplace.com

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

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

Please support the Spy’s House of the Week project by making a donation here.

Filed Under: Habitat Homepage, House of the Week

House of the Week:  “Honest Point Farm”

November 17, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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This serene setting on twenty-six acres along Horner Cove off the West Fork of Langford Creek contains a main residence and two guest cottages.  All three houses have their own individual setting with water and wooded views that gives all three residences their own private haven.  The Colonial style main house with its classic exterior color palette of pale yellow lap siding, white trim and dark shutters has been lovingly maintained by its current owners.  The brick walk leads up to a brick stoop covered by an elegant portico supported by Ionic columns below the entablature. The front door with its elliptical fanlight transom and half glass, half paneled sidelights opens opposite the “L” shaped stairs detailed with stained wood treads and cap rail with white pickets and risers.

A wide wall opening trimmed in molding leads to the living room which spans the full depth of the house with views of the water.  The walls between the large 6/6 windows on each side of the room are paneled and accented with swags in the Adam style and painted in an accent color. The furniture grouping around the fireplace has two neutral colored sofas linked by a corner piece opposite two red upholstered chairs and decorative pillows.  Art, sculpture and the discrete recessed lighting create a serene space for relaxing by the fire.

The adjacent family room also spans the depth of the house with built-in millwork on each interior wall with the furniture arranged around the fireplace and TV. The rear wall of the family room has a French door flanked by windows overlooking the screened porch. Screened panels on three sides are designed to minimize the framing and to maximize the panoramic views of the landscape and water beyond. The space is sized for both sitting and dining and has a door to the rear terrace off the kitchen for a great indoor-outdoor entertaining space.

On the other side of the living room is the charming dining area centered around the wide bay window and French door to the deck.  The wood table and chairs are anchored by an Oriental rug and paneled doors lead to the kitchen. I especially liked how the crown molding was set slightly below the ceiling to hide the uplights around the perimeter of the room for a magical effect at night.  I loved the spacious galley kitchen with its surprise contemporary look in colors and textures in shades of gray with wood floors.  At either end of the island are seating areas to keep the cook company-a sofa at one end and at the opposite end are benches with cushions to create a banquette below the corner windows.  The wide corner windows and the two wide sliding doors create a window wall that frames the deck, landscape and water beyond.  On the opposite end of the house is a ground floor bedroom suite with a large bath. Leading off this corner of the house is a hyphen linking the service areas with the garage. The hall area has sunlight from the glass doors that slide behind the full height windows on either side.  Steps lead down to a small deck for access to the lawn and gardens.

The second floor master suite has water views from the long window seat below a triple-unit window flanked by built-in millwork for books and family photographs. The contemporary styled master bath has sleek cabinetry and hardware with dual lavatories below mirrors with vertical uplights/downlights on either side.  High windows above the mirrors add sunlight and the large shower with tiled rear walls and front glass wall expand the space. There are also three other bedrooms (the smallest one would make a great home office) on the second floor and two bathrooms.  One large bath has a clawfoot tub against the knee wall between two dormer windows and a wide shower with a glass front underneath the ridge of the ceiling.  

The property also has two cottages, christened the “summer cottage” and “winter cottage”  for myriad uses such as guest house, caretaker residence or rental.  One cottage has a small front screened porch and the other has a  screened porch the full width of the cottage  The interior finishes of wood floors, exposed ceiling joists and cozy rooms maintain the cottage feel.  

Close to the main house deck is a waterside gunite pool with a brick surround that expands to a terrace area with umbrellas over tables and chaises for relaxing after a dip in the pool. One can also stroll through the orchard, gardens and around the pond or enjoy walks through the twenty acres of woods with vistas to the water.  Enjoy sunsets from the pier or relax on the Adirondack chairs at the water’s edge.  There is also a barn, several outbuildings and a pond for other diversions-Honest Point Farm has it all! 

For more information about this property, contact Trey Rider with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty at 410-280-5600  (o),443-786-0235 (c) or trey@treyrider.com.  For more photographs and pricing, visit www.treyrider.com or view the property video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dW-HSkn6rU,  “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.

Please support the Spy’s House of the Week project by making a donation here.

Filed Under: Habitat Homepage, Habitat House of the Week, Habitat Portal House of the Week, House of the Week

House of the Week: Gambrel Cottage

October 20, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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The architecture of Dutch settlements in Albany, NY (1614) and New Amsterdam (NYC, 1626) with its distinctive steep gambrel roof shape lasted for fifty years until the English took formal control over the Dutch New World colonies.  Interest in the Dutch Colonial style spread to the other colonies until the 1840’s and resurfaced again in the early twentieth century when “Revival” styles of Colonial, Dutch, English, French, Greek and Spanish became popular. It has always been one of my favorite styles from my many visits to relatives in Albany County, NY.

This front elevation of this Dutch Colonial style house has so many appealing elements-the main gambrel roof has a projecting smaller two-story gambrel roofed bay with the lower floor bay connected to the screened porch that extends over the rest of the front elevation. The second floor double unit windows and the single attic window have elliptical header molding.  The shake siding has weathered to a warm brown and combined with the white trim and red roofing the house has great curb appeal in its setting of mature landscaping. The front porch has an angled side with a door leading to a concrete walk to the French door at the family room for easy flow.

The front porch is detailed with a solid perimeter wall covered in the weathered shake siding with round columns above infilled with screened panels.  The front door opens into the spacious foyer and I was relieved to see that the oak floors, moldings and stair balustrade in this room retained their original stained finish.  To the left of the front door is a wide landing at the base of the stair flanked by newel posts with a “L” shaped stair to the second floor.  The light stain of the flooring paired with the dark stain of the balustrade was very appealing.  The elliptical arched window above the lower stair run brings light into the space. Opposite the landing is a wide trimmed wall opening  leading to the living room with its front bay wrapped with windows and a side window for additional sunlight.  In the corner of the rear wall is a recessed glass fronted cabinet for books.  Throughout the house, pressed tin ceilings add texture and beauty.

A  deep arched opening centered in the living room’s rear wall leads to the dining room with built-in millwork recessed in the wall depth.  Two drawers are below glass fronted cabinets for china storage.  The large dining room’s details of chair rail and a bay with wrap-around windows create a wonderful space to linger over dinner with family or friends. The galley kitchen color scheme has a wood floor, deep blue cabinets, white granite countertops and white subway tile backsplash, black appliances and fittings. The galley width accommodates a round white table and chairs for breakfast.   Across from the kitchen is the spacious laundry/mudroom with a convenient exterior door to the rear yard.

At the side of the house is a large family room with a wood burning stove for watching TV by the fire. Wrap-around windows and the French door to the patio leading to the screened porch create a sunroom effect with sunlight throughout the day.

I loved the interior architecture of second floor bedrooms with the steep gambrel walls of the roofline springing from the floor, the five paneled wood doors and wood floors.  One bedroom has a nook created by the projecting bay with space for a double dresser and the identical nook in the other bedroom has a table and chair.  The pale yellow walls and wood floors create serene retreats. One child’s bedroom has light lavender walls with accents of yellow gold windows shades, a rug with a white checkerboard infilled with yellow and a delightful mural of a tree with birds is painted over the bed.  The attic area is infilled with light from the single windows set into the gambrel roof and at the top of the stairs is a large area that would be a great space for an office with its bird’s eye views.

In addition to the house, at the end of the fenced rear yard is a two story carriage house/shop for myriad possibilities. Great architectural style, wonderful period details of the oak floors, five-panel doors, beautiful stairs, pressed tin ceilings throughout the house and built-in millwork-many details that are not found in new houses today.  Simply charming!

For more information about this property, contact Brett Schrader with Taylor Properties at 800-913-4426 (o), 410-490-6075 (c) or brettschrader6@gmail.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.easternshorerealestate.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.

Filed Under: Habitat Homepage, Habitat House of the Week, Habitat Portal House of the Week, House of the Week

House of the Week: Bay View Estates Beauty

August 18, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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If you drove down this street, you would think this charming Farmhouse/National Folk style house dated from the 1900’s and has been lovingly maintained.  In fact, the owners bought this lot in 2001 and carefully designed the layout of their new house themselves and incorporated elements of this architectural style. The lot is deep and the house is set back from the road with views of the Bay from the front elevation’s windows and wrap around porch. The gable side of the house faces the street and a smaller gable over a two-story bay wing rises out of the hipped roof of the porch. The driveway side elevation has a door leading directly to the mud room, kitchen area and the stairs to the basement.  The other side elevation has a box bay shaped wing that forms the end wall of the wrap-around porch.  A French door leads to the dining room so there is an easy flow from inside to outside. The rear elevation gables step down to a one-story “L” shaped area surrounding  the deck and gazebo.

The front door opens to the stair hall and the spacious living room with the bay window wall and Bay views is a great gathering space.  The maple flooring continues through the dining room and the kitchen at the rear of the house and large 2/2 windows create light filled spaces in this open plan arrangement. It would be easy to linger over dinner in the dining room that feels like a sunroom with its windows and French door to the porch. The wood furnishings, antique wood clock and the accent of the white hutch with glass fronted upper doors create a very pleasant space to linger over dinner. 

The kitchen was my favorite room and was well designed with its “L” shape anchored by the range at one end and the R/F at the other end. Corner windows over the sink provide expansive views of the deck and landscape. The continuous shelf over the windows is the perfect spot for display. The large island with both creamy white base cabinets is topped by a butcher block top which complements the honey colored cabinets and off white countertop along the rear and side walls.  A French door leads to the deck for ease of serving meals and a corner antique hutch adds interest.  An interior French door leads to a cozy studio for the owner artist that could also be a home office or breakfast area.

The second floor master suite has a spacious bedroom with the bay window wall above the living room below for views of the Bay.  The large bath also has a  Bay view from its window centered between two mirrored medicine cabinets above dual lavatory cabinets with ample storage.  The other bedroom has front and side windows for sunlight throughout the day and the large bath has an elongated counter with knee space for a hamper or chair space.  The staircase to the third floor leads to a space that could be finished as a third bedroom suite with windows at the gable end and skylights.  

With plenty of living space, the basement with headroom of nine feet can be devoted to a workshop or storage space. The half French door leads to an exterior stair that is quite convenient for the gardener to store garden maintenance supplies before heading upstairs. 

Bay views, deep lot with mature landscaping, familiar architectural style, great floor plan layout for relaxing with the family or entertaining, outdoor rooms of the wonderful wrap-around front porch with Bay views and the rear deck, with a third floor whose use is only limited by your imagination.

For more information about this property, please contact Jennifer Mobley at Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company, 410-778-0330 (o), 443-350-5917 (c), or jmobley@cbchesapeake.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”. For more photographs and pricing visit www.jenseasternshorehomes.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.

Filed Under: Habitat Homepage, Habitat Portal House of the Week, House of the Week

House of the Week: Coastal Design With a Twist

July 7, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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The design goal for the two artists who designed and built this house was not only to express their creativity but also to be good neighbors by fitting into the neighborhood streetscape. They incorporated many elements of rural vernacular architecture that appealed to them- a full front porch deep enough to accommodate a group of family or friends, board and batten siding, metal roofs and simple geometric forms including gables. Site restraints dictated that all utilities must be five feet off the existing grade which led to a design solution with the garage on the ground level and the living spaces on the upper floors, but with a very clever twist.

The house is set perpendicular to the street with a full front porch across the gable front wall. The front elevation is articulated by the single slope red metal roof over the porch, gray board and batten siding for the ground and main floor with white banding at the transition to horizontal lap siding in an accent color at the uppermost floor.  The delightful large circular window below the craftsman eave detailing portends the hint of other craftsman details within. To break up the long side elevation, a slight box-bay projection for the living room’s fireplace overlaps another projection over the red metal shed roof over three-car garage doors.

Wide steps lead up to the front porch that is only four feet above grade and the front door is located at the side to maximize the porch seating area. Fixed shutters are the backdrop for a pair of red rocking chairs overlooking the lush verdant landscape. It is only when you open the front door that you realize the fixed shutters are a clever trompe l’oeil by the artists to disguise non-existent windows and flight of steps lead up to the main living floor. At the front of this main level is a guest suite with three high windows at the front of the house and a side wall of built-ins separated by a long window with a built-in seat below. The open plan living-dining-kitchen area at the rear has a side fireplace flanked with built-ins with high windows and French doors lead to a glassed porch/dining space overlooking the landscape with views of Swan Creek and wildlife in the marsh.

The “L” shaped kitchen is detailed with cream cabinets, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The artists specified base cabinets with either full height doors (with no drawer) or a full height bank of varying height drawers. The top quarter of the 42” high upper cabinets are detailed with open display-lighted glass top panels. The angled freestanding wood table is an informal dining area and the mirrored wall of the built-in below the stairs offers another illusion of perspective.

The upper floor has charming interior architecture with sloped ceilings and four ventilating skylights with window seats below that allow the light to penetrate further into the spaces. The focal point of the front bedroom is the massive circular window and the rear master bedroom accesses a roof deck over the glass porch below.  I especially liked the master bath wall with its free form pebble tub surround.  Between the two en-suite bedrooms is a sitting/office area.

Wonderful and inspired design solution, great outdoor rooms of the front terrace surrounded by gardens and upper floor roof deck, open plan gathering spaces, private en-suite bedrooms and a basement with a workshop and a three car garage.  All this in in the heart of Rock Hall-bravo to the artist owners for their very clever vision!

For more information about this property, contact Cindy Gerther with Rock Hall Properties Real Estate at 410-639-4003 (o), 443-480-1953 (c) or cindy@rockhallproperties.com. . For more photographs and pricing, visit www.rockhallproperties.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. 

 

Filed Under: Habitat Homepage, House of the Week

House of the Week: “Fox Hall”

February 4, 2020 by Jennifer Martella Leave a Comment

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I had toured this property when it was for sale several years ago and it was such a pleasure to reacquaint myself with the French Country house whose architecture and interiors are trés magnifique! Like many houses on the water, there was a previous house close to the shoreline that enabled this house to start its new foundation much closer than is allowed today to take full advantage of vistas to Broad Creek. There are not enough superlatives in either French or English to describe the blend of the exceptional architectural design of architect Jon Braithwaite, Principal of Atelier 11 Architects and his Associate, Tom Batchelor, that inspired the exquisite French Country interior design.

The house has a remarkably compact footprint considering its over 4,000 sf size. All of the elevations are equally appealing due to the architect’s masterful studies in massing, scale, proportion and texture, executed in stone and brick detailing that will last for centuries as the great French country houses have. The front elevation has a center three-story gable stone wall in gray tones and full height brick quoins in reddish brown tones.  I loved how the brick quoins turn and follow the outline of the roof as a frame for the stone. Tucked under the roof ridge are two double windows accentuated by brick headers and sills. At the second floor is a box bay supported by brackets back to the exterior wall with a pair of arched top windows a la Francaise surrounded by irregular shake shingles in gray. 

At the main level is the stained mahogany entry door edged in brick and covered by a triangular roof supported by brackets. The left side of the front gable roof continues down to the first floor and a tapered brick chimney is flanked by tall and narrow arched top windows with another small rectangular accent window at the top right wall.  On the other side, a curved room with a metal roof is set on top of another larger curved room below that creates a  balcony for the second floor bedroom suite above. Two small dormers on each side of the main roof complete the composition.

The waterside elevation is defined by the 9 x 47 foot screened porch with its sloped metal roof.  Rising behind it is another chimney that bisects the gable roof of the second floor with stacked windows on each side topped with quarter arched windows, a shed dormer on one side of the main roof and the curved rooms that connect the porch to the main house wall. 

The symmetrical interior vistas of the main floor resulted from careful studies by the architects.   The front entry door is opposite another door that leads to a bedroom suite with a pocket door to close off the suite for privacy.  The foyer hall leads to the dramatic suspended stair between the living and dining rooms whose ceilings rise to the second floor.  The large hand-hewn roof structural supports were rescued from a Singer Sewing factory and the exposed wood decking above is finished  in stained wood punctuated by small dormers for light. The exterior fireplaces in the dining and living rooms are opposite each other and rise to the underside of the second floor ceilings. The living room is between the “his” and “her” library/study rooms. The doors to these rooms are opposite each other for beautiful vistas to the fireplace in one study with a window seat and to a curved bay with a window seat below flanked by bookcases in the other study.  I loved the kitchen with the exquisite curved continuous windows meeting French doors to the screened porch and the water views beyond. One does not often see  window frames and glass that are curved!

The two master suites on the second floor are located at the waterside corners  of the house on either side of the bridge overlooking the two-story living and dining rooms.  One suite has a “Juliet” balcony accessed by French doors and an inglenook under the shed dormer with its curved interior ceiling for a cozy sitting area. The other suite has a longer balcony whose curved shape was formed by the kitchen perimeter below. The sleeping area has a barrel vaulted ceiling and two small windows artfully placed just under the spring line of the barrel vault to filter light onto the ceiling. The flat ceiling over the curved wall of windows defines its cozy sitting area with water views.

Both the guest house and carriage house were built by the current owners and the architectural style and interior detailing matches the style, level of detail and craftsmanship of the main house. The current owners also added a pool surrounded by hardscape that connected the main house to the guest house.

7.7 acres of a private, partially wooded site with serene vistas to the water, exquisitely detailed exterior and interior design, the play of light from multiple sources of windows, dormers and doors and the very liveable floor plan make this house one of the most unique houses I have ever seen on the Eastern Shore-bravo to the Architects and to the Contractor!

 

For more information about this property, contact Tom Crouch with Benson and Mangold Real Estate at 410-745-0720 (o), 410-310-8916 (c) or tcrouch@bensonandmangold.com. For more photographs and pricing, visit http://bensonandmangold.com/agents/tom-crouch/, “Equal Housing Opportunity” Architecture of main house:  Atelier 11, Jon Braithwaite, Principal and Tom Batchelor. Contractor of Main House:  Frank Deak Guest House and Carriage House:  Knappworks LLC

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.

Filed Under: Habitat Homepage, House of the Week Tagged With: House of the Week

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