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 [email protected] or Miles Norris at 410-810-3900 (o), 410-708-5423 (c) or [email protected]. For a virtual tour, visit www.handypointmd.com. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.selectlandandhomes.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.

Kent Street and Mt. Vernon Ave. have been fertile grounds for me in making my selections for House of the Week. This quiet neighborhood is ideally located close to both Chestertown’s Historic District, walking trail and waterfront and to the amenities Washington College offers. H.H Garnett Elementary School and the Kent County Public Library are also close by.  Walking around this house’s back yard, it is hard to imagine you are in a city neighborhood. The professionally landscaped verdant oasis offers sun and shade with an expansive lawn for play and relaxation, surrounded by a white fence bordered with mature trees and shrubbery. Hardscaping between the side porch off the kitchen and the small outbuilding for lawn and garden storage ends at the edge of the planting area behind the house to the lawn.  Beyond the rear fence is an endless vista of green from the trees in the rear yards of Mt. Vernon Ave. 

The house is faced with rusticated concrete block, a handmade product that became popular in the late 19th century for its rough surface with a carved bevel detail that was a much less expensive option than stone blocks. Its popularity led to the product being specified for the Sears kit homes. I love the texture of this product and the color reminded me of the brownstones along the side streets between New York City’s avenues. The five bay house is symmetrically arranged around the center door that has full-height vented shutters for ventilation and privacy and the shutters for the windows are painted a darker shade than the rusticated concrete block for contrast.

The front door opens to the stairs with an open railing toward the living room side. Both the living room and the dining room opposite the stairs have long windows for sunlight and the living room has an additional double unit window on the side wall. Wood floors, light colored walls to reflect the sunlight and the historic light olive green trim and molding color set the stage for the living room’s appealing eclectic look with the antique settee opposite two armchairs with an ottoman below the front windows. The dining room is furnished with a built-in cabinet with a Chippendale top, a period light fixture over the dining table and chairs and the icebox at the end of the room has another life as a sideboard.

The spacious kitchen is conveniently located between the side porch and the powder/laundry room and has another dining area centered on the “L” shaped arrangement of white cabinets and dark blue countertops with white appliances.  This room has clever details of the painted tile backsplash with motifs of water, small rocky islands and vegetation that gives the backsplash color and perspective and the charming black iron fork and spoon cabinet pulls stand out against the white cabinet doors.  I would be tempted to remove  the soffit above the upper cabinets and install glass-fronted cabinets for storage of special occasion items that would also emphasize the volume of the space. Behind the rear wall of the kitchen is the furnace room with an exterior door. Rearranging the equipment might make it possible to create a smaller equipment room to allow for the porch to expand around the kitchen. Additional windows would then overlook the rear yard. 

Climbing the stairs, your eye is immediately drawn to the delightful full wall mural whose subject is a historic scene of farms and water dotted with sailboats with a distant horizon of water framed by rocky cliffs.  The primary bedroom is located at one front corner and I loved its interior design of brown walls, white trim, white plantation shutters, antique bed with a low headboard that is perfectly scaled to the space and the white coverlet with accent pillows and a throw at the foot of the bed in a striped pattern. Another bedroom is located at the opposite front corner of the house and is furnished with an antique daybed with white bed linens and an intriguing canvas rug with cursive script that appears to be in French.

Opposite the stair landing is a space furnished as an office that I coveted for its size that is much greater than mine and for its Stickley style table lamp. The door at the rear of the room leads to the bathroom and I loved the dressing table with its triple mirror that is now a stylish cabinet for the vessel bowl lavatory. 

One of my favorite neighborhoods, great cottage feel with the rusticated concrete block and clever artistic details that add to its charm. Add the bonus of an expansive back yard with its endless horizon of green and a covered porch for possible expansion to a wrap-around porch to better enjoy the verdant oasis. 

 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 [email protected], “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.

It is always a pleasure to return to Beach Road in Rock Hall because how many houses have the Chesapeake Bay as an extension of their back yard?  The Craftsman style house has charming cottage style details including the steeply pitched roofline created by the main side gable roof intersecting with the front dual shorter gables that break to create a flat eave over the second floor center window flanked by two double unit windows. At the main level, the center foyer is recessed between the garage and the guest bedroom with a shed roof projecting from the front of the house and a gable roof projecting further out  to create a porch for the front door. 

Both the main and second floor plans are compact with minimum hallways that maximizes the spaces. The front door opens to a short stair hall that frames a clear vista through  the French doors at the rear wall to the endless horizon of the Bay.  Above the second floor stair landing is a large half-moon window that both filters light onto the landing and becomes an accent window for the primary bedroom. Behind the garage is a spacious laundry/mud room that opens to the kitchen and has an exterior door. The stair hall ends at the dining room as part of the open plan living-family-dining and kitchen with offsets to define each area. 

Columns slightly offset from the front and rear walls define the dining area between the living room and the kitchen.  The rear wall of the dining room is totally transparent with its pair of French doors with full height sidelights that access the covered porch.  I love to cook and I prefer minimal upper cabinets so when I saw the wall of windows with transoms above the rear length of counter space I was hooked.  Around the corner is a double unit window over the kitchen sink providing the cook with Bay views that makes the space feel like a sunroom with another French door to the covered porch.  The spacious “C” shape layout with a high ceiling, center island, wood floors, light cabinets contrasting with darker granite countertops and white appliances would inspire any cook. When you turn and look toward the living room fireplace, the dramatic ceiling treatment is fully appreciated.  The dropped beam over the dining room columns becomes part of a grid of a coffered ceiling  over the  kitchen-dining-living area.  I loved how the uppermost ceiling of the coffers was painted a warm cocoa that both complemented the warm wood floors and accentuates the white beams.  On the kitchen side, a geometric wallpaper adds texture to the walls above the upper cabinets that is a backdrop for the Owners’ collectibles. 

The living-family room was my favorite space with a fireplace faced with large random cut stone whose color complemented the mocha of the ceiling coffers. One seating area is grouped around the fireplace and the other seating area faces the rear wall with wrap-around windows.  Ducks are perched in each transom window for a playful decorating touch. The space feels like another sunroom and the oversize rattan chairs with plush cushions are the perfect way to watch sunsets over the Bay. On the other side of the living room is a TV area with triple windows at the side wall and a mix of rattan and upholstered seating.  An armoire contains the TV so when it is not in use the space becomes part of the entertaining area. 

The sumptuous second floor primary bedroom suite spans the entire rear wall and connects to the deck. The primary bedroom has a gambrel ceiling of wood stained to match the walls that adds texture. Opposite the half-moon window over the bed, the rear wall is a box bay with the center portion infilled with a pair of French doors, full height sidelights, four square transoms, topped with an arched transom tucked under the flat portion of the gambrel roof. The cozy sitting area with side windows centered on the wide doorway to the bedroom also has a pair of French doors to the deck. The four piece primary bathroom completes the suite with the tub below the rear windows for Bay views. 

The other two bedrooms area are located at the front corners of the house and one bedroom has a nautical theme with deep blue bed skirts bordered in white, blue and white striped coverlets with red piping and blue, red and white pillows.  

Great design in an irresistible Chesapeake Bay location, Bay views from all the main rooms, outdoor rooms of the rear covered porch, Bayside terrace, upper deck and dock for watching the sparking Bay or waiting for the sun to set.

 

For more information about this property contact  Lynn Hilfiker with Gunther McClary Real Estate at 410-639-2118 (o), 443-480-1163 (c)  or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing visit www.rockhallrealestate.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.

Chester River Landing was developed as a “green” waterfront community along the Chester River with close proximity to Chestertown’s Historic District.  The forty-nine homes are a mix of townhomes, condominiums and single family residences. In addition to the views of the Chester River, the numerous amenities include a private marina, kayak launch, outdoor swimming pool with bath house, shoreline walking paths and landscaped park areas. This townhome is located at the end of a block of attached residences and has a one-car detached garage.  The brick driveway connects to the development’s brick sidewalks and a half-flight of steps lead up to the house’s front porch.  The brick façades of the front and side of the house are articulated with details of quoins, double headers and the water table band. At the third floor, arched dormers are inserted into the mansard roof and the main floor’s high ceiling allow transoms over the windows.   At the rear of the house, the brick wraps around to meet a bay projection that is clad in lap siding. Corner porches on both the main and second floors provide wonderful diagonal views of the landscape and water.  

When I opened the front door, I immediately realized these homeowners had added significant upgrades. The vista to the left of the foyer is to the inviting corner library with its  interior wall of built-in millwork flanking a gas fireplace. The side window is a benefit of having an end unit and the front window is also flanked by built-in millwork. Being a bibliophile, I could easily imagine curling up with a good book by the fire. 

The long vista from the front door offers hints of the open plan layout and ends in a wall of windows with water views.  Past the foyer are the stairs and an elevator, the only one in the development, that provides easy access to all three floors.  The dining room has double windows at the side wall and the elegant furnishings are the perfect setting for a dinner party.  The charming large painting over the sideboard adds perspective to the interior wall.  

The living room is beautifully detailed with a dropped soffit below a coffered ceiling centered over the fireplace and the windows with transoms above are proportioned well for the high ceiling.  Wainscoting wraps around the dining-living-breakfast area at the different window sill heights and the Plantation shutters on the side windows control the sunlight and privacy. The living room’s rear window has a center picture window with side units overlooking the porch and the breakfast area with its four long windows fills the space so it feels like a sunroom with its French door to the porch.  Another painting of an oversized flower in bloom adds perspective to the breakfast area side wall.  The kitchen has a wide wall opening to the dining room and I loved the details of the soffit with recessed lighting whose vertical surface becomes a backdrop for colorful art and the high upper cabinets facing the breakfast room that give the cook water views.  These upper cabinets have glass fronted doors on both sides so glassware can be easily accessed from both the kitchen and breakfast area.

The second floor primary suite is stacked over the geometry of the living and breakfast rooms below. Sleeping and sitting areas with a fireplace centered on the bed and the corner porch off the sitting area create a serene sanctuary. The remainder of the floor contains another bedroom and bath. At the front of the third floor are two offices created from the original bedroom.  The bath connects one of the bedrooms to the third floor family room which was a delightful surprise of colorful art, sculpture, ceramics, rugs and wall hangings.  The table and chairs in the nook at the rear wall is the perfect spot for Scrabble players like me. The TV and mini-kitchen complete this perfect space for relaxation.

One doesn’t often find such high quality upgrades as this home has and kudos to the Owners for their distinctive interior architectural details and their stylish interiors.  Add the outdoor rooms of the two porches high above the water below for bird’s eye panoramic views, your own boat slip with 20 ft water depth, the community amenities, the small neighborhood feel  and you have a restful retreat! 

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 [email protected]. 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, Thru the Lens Photography, 845-744-2758

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

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

Last year I featured a contemporary house on this property that featured wood detailing by the artisan Vicco von Voss.  I noticed this older house nearby and I recently paid a visit to learn more about it. The house is part of “Langford Creek Farm”, consisting of thirteen contiguous parcels on approximately 790 +/- acres, 150 of which are tillable. 66% of the acreage has been preserved as mature forest, some of which contains the oldest second growth forest on the Eastern Shore. Over four miles of shoreline facing west provides breathtaking sunsets for an early evening stroll after a day enjoying the extensive biking and walking trails. There are a range of buildings that have been subtly inserted upon onto this pristine nature sanctuary including a log cabin, two large barns and the historic farm house that caught my eye last year.

As I drove down the gravel drive, the classic “L” footprint of the beautifully maintained farmhouse soon came into view, set onto a slight knoll overlooking Langford Creek and a pond. I admired the symmetry of the house’s front elevation with its five-bay arrangement, the entry door in the center bay, the three bay front porch and the three dormer windows in the roof. The warm light yellow lap siding and white trim create a classic look and the front and side porches provide views of the pastoral landscape and water. The rafters of the front porch are painted white to accent the decking of classic light blue. 

The front door opens into an open plan living-dining area with fireplaces at each end. The chimneys project slightly into the room and the white plaster surround of the firebox is set against the pine paneled walls.  With windows on three walls of the house, sunlight streams in throughout the day onto the beautiful wide plank wood floors and the hand hewn exposed framing.  The entry porch off the rear wing of the ‘L” opens into another open plan area with the galley kitchen overlooking a space set up as another dining area. French doors open onto the side shed roofed porch with a teak dining set and grille ready for outdoor entertaining overlooking the pond. If one wanted a main floor bedroom suite, this could easily be added behind this area  with exterior doors opening from the bedroom to the porch.

Stairs are one of my favorite architectural elements and this stair has an unusual flow.  You can access it from the kitchen-dining area or the living-dining area and winders then take you around and up to the second floor bedrooms and baths.

This house has most recently been used as a hunting lodge but could easily revert to a single family residence.  You could also add on to the log cabin on the site for a blend of old and new. If historic houses are not your style, the acreage for this parcel has opportunities for a second waterfront home site.  Development of three or four other waterfront homesites on the northern area of the property offer income potential as well. 

Rare large parcel, pristine nature sanctuary to explore by boat, bike or walks in total privacy, variety of housing opportunities-Langford Farm is one of a kind!

For more information about this property, contact Trey Rider with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty at 410-673-3344 (o),443-786-0235 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit https://www.ttrsir.com/eng/sales/detail/279-l-85898-zce69d/6270-broad-neck-rd-chestertown-md-21620 or www.treyrider.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.

Like many of you, I have been an “armchair traveler” during the pandemic and seeing this house brought back happy memories of a trip to Massachusetts many years ago.  I spent a delightful day strolling through Old Sturbridge Village, an outdoor living history museum containing forty structures of restored buildings, including buildings from around New England,some authentic reproductions, to replicate life in 19th century Massachusetts. This house is a reproduction of a Sturbridge Village design and is sited on 2.2 acres with both rear views of pastoral farmland and close proximity to Chestertown. The New England simplicity of its two-story, two room deep, pitched roof form; minimal trim and two-toned exterior light color palette are indicative of this style.

The original house consisted of the main two-story wing with a brick terrace off the family room and the laundry/power room hyphen to the garage and the bonus room above.  The current owners expanded the house by converting the terrace on the other side of the main wing to a sunroom that leads to a sumptuous master suite including a private screened porch.

The front door opens onto the “U” shaped stair between the spacious living and dining rooms on each side of the foyer. Back to back fireplaces add charm and warmth to both rooms and the grayish-brown brick against the historical gray trim color of the mantel, moldings and chair rail in the dining room set the stage for the period furnishings. The rear of the main wing is an open plan family-informal dining-kitchen area that spans the length of the house.  I liked how the owners kept the original exterior windows to the former terrace, now sunroom, that frame the vista though to the primary suite hall. 

The rear window of the family room is flanked by built-in millwork for display of photographs and books and the comfortable sofas encourage sinking into the leather to watch TV.  The dining area is between the pair of French doors with full height sidelights that lead to steps down to the brick walkway in the rear yard.  Opposite the French doors is another fireplace with its paneled full height surround detailed with a built-in door for wood storage. The spacious “U” shaped  kitchen and island has a counter overhang for bar stools, wood cabinets to contrast with the darker countertops and stainless steel appliances.

I truly coveted the primary suite.  The geometry of the gambrel ceiling adds height above the deep sage green walls. The sleigh bed is opposite the fireplace with single doors on each side to the screened porch.  French doors at the side wall lead to the brick walkway in the rear yard.  The bathroom walls are the same sage green with white accents of the trim and the porcelain free-standing lavatories between the soaking tub. The opposite wall contains an oversize shower with a glass door and glass panel next to a sliding door to access the toilet enclosure.  Now is the time to enjoy screened porches and this roomy porch’s framing around the screened panels maximizes the views of the rear yard outlined with evergreens and mature deciduous trees. 

Being a Hitchcock fan, I loved the “Vertigo zoom” shot of the stairs with their honey colored pine treads and white newel posts and balusters. Two windows in the second floor stair hall add sunlight and filter light below to the stairs. One bedroom is charmingly detailed with scalloped stencils around the ceiling and furnished with twin wood bed frames with white paneled headboards and foot boards.  The edges of the  bedspreads are also scalloped and the delicate floral pattern on a white background complements the design of the ceiling stencils.

The rear yard is partially fenced and the meandering brick paths lead to a pergola at one corner with chairs for relaxing, al-fresco dining or watching over pets or children at play. This house was beautifully detailed with the period charm of Old Sturbridge Village, including the random width pine floor throughout the house and multiple fireplaces, with modern conveniences in a serene setting close to Chestertown’s downtown amenities.        

 

For more information about this property, contact Lisa Raffetto with Coldwell Banker Chesapeake Real Estate Company at 410-778-0330 (o), 410-708-0174 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit www.cbchesapeake.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Photography by Patty Hill, 410-441-4719, www.pattyhillphotography.com. For online booking, visit https://pattyhillphotography.simplybook.me/v2/.

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.

 

This unique site on 8.5+ acres has 320 feet of protected shoreline along the Chesapeake Bay.  When you sit underneath the pergola at the water’s edge, you have an unobstructed vista of water disappearing into the horizon. The brick house was custom built in 1986 but the front elevation could easily be mistaken for an historic house with later additions.  Semicircular brick steps lead up the six-panel Colonial style front door with its circular transom and overlapping muntins.  The front door is centered in the five-bay main wing with a smaller telescoping wing.  The windows have elliptical headers and slate blue shutters that contrast with the earth tones of the Flemish bond brick.  The beautiful symmetry of the dormers centered over the windows below give this home great appeal.

The front door opens to the entry and side stairs with a living room to the right and the formal dining room to the left.  Instead of art on the walls, the walls became the art.  Above the dining room’s wainscot is a mural around the room by the artist Jack Schroder who was inspired by scenes from Eastern Neck Island, Oxford and St. Michaels.  The mural is interrupted by a corner cabinet with a cabinet below arched glass doors to display china and crystal. The smaller wing contains an office with base cabinets along the side wall and built-in millwork on either side of the window with ample room for a work desk and comfortable seating for breaks from work. 

The center hall passes from the entry through the open plan kitchen and informal dining area with its ceiling detailed with stained beams to create a coffered look. The spacious kitchen has a “U” shaped layout opposite a wall containing the R/F, wall oven and desk area.  The dining area has a five unit picture window and a corner window for water views. There is also a butler pantry and I loved the Mola framed piece in the powder room.

The vista continues through to the dual fireplace that separates another sitting room from the rear TV room.  Off these rooms is a hall that connects to the other areas on the main floor that is detailed with a mix of textures from the paneled wall with casement windows and a door overlooking the courtyard opposite a wall of brick with a brick herringbone floor. This hall intersects with another wide hall that does double duty as a sunroom with its rhythm of casement windows above a paneled wainscot on opposite walls, rattan cushioned furniture and a gambrel shaped ceiling framing the end wall of brick with a white wood door and black strap hardware that leads to the garage wing. An eyebrow dormer set into the wood slat ceiling completes the range of textures and materials and brings additional sunlight/moonlight into the space.

The other leg of the corridor leads to a hall to the main floor primary suite and  another stair leading to the second floor bedrooms.  The spacious primary bedroom has a corner fireplace and a bay projection in the rear wall with wrap-around windows for views of the endless water. French doors lead to a covered brick terrace for direct views to the water and breathtaking sunsets. On the other side of the covered terrace is a pair of French doors leading to the corner family room with a wide picture window that frames the Bay views.  

The second floor bedrooms are tucked under the roof framing with dormer windows for sunlight and views. One child’s bedroom with intersecting gables and knee walls has imaginative murals to inspire creativity in a child-the sloped ceilings have wood Gothic-style arches that link together to become windows or fences to scenes of blue sky fields and green hills topped with trees above faux stone knee walls below. The crowning touch is the gable wall behind the white twin beds under the window. The painted wall is festooned with oversized deep lavender drapery and the three-dimensional folds and tie backs are simply marvelous! I also liked how all of the furniture was white which highlighted the painting and the rug with oversized colorful flowers over the warm pine wood floors. 

If the six bedrooms are not enough, there is also a spacious guest/in law/ extended stay suite over the three car garage. “Merrythought” is well named for how could you not be merry in this estate house with the Chesapeake Bay as a backdrop?  

For more information about this property, contact Miles Norris with Select Land &  Homes at 410-810-3900 (o), 410-708-5423 (c) or [email protected].  For more pictures and pricing, visit www.selectlandandhomes.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.

Now that warm weather is final here, I am finally spending time once again on my screened porch. My farmhouse style house is linear and I wished it had this house’s compact floor plan with the porch across the  front of the house. Since this porch has jalousie windows, adding  a baseboard heater would enable the space to be used through the winter months.  When I moved to the Eastern Shore seventeen years ago, I was charmed by the rural vernacular architecture of houses like this one, with a full front porch and a steeply pitched gable centered in the roof above the front door with an accent window at the attic level. The house is “L” shaped and telescopes down to one-story additions, one at the rear for the kitchen and one at the side for the main floor bathroom. The rear yard landscaping has begun to awaken from its winter dormancy and the mature deciduous tree and the large beautifully shaped crape myrtle is beginning to show its deep pink color. The rest of the yard is lawn and ready for play. 

This house has been completely renovated, including the basic systems that make it move-in ready.  The roof, siding, foundation waterproofing, windows, wall insulation, recessed lighting, plumbing, water meter and water line that runs from the street to the house, underground electric and heating and cooling are all new.   The baths have been updated including tile floors and charming round windows. 

The main floor interior walls have been removed to create an open plan with windows on three sides that keep the great room living-dining-kitchen space sunny and bright. I liked how the gray tones of the waterproof Pergo flooring complemented the light gray walls with crisp white trim. The space is very flexible for a variety of arrangements-the area under the side bay window could be a reading or dining nook and the middle space could be a TV area or dining room. The front living room opens to the front porch for great flow for relaxing with family or friends. 

The vista from the living area ends at the “U” shaped kitchen’s island with the stainless steel range hood that is a dramatic sculptural element. The upper cabinets rise to the ceiling that expands the volume of the room and the white cabinets, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and easy care tile floor would please any cook. I especially liked the detailing of the island’s corner facing the living room with  rounded open shelves instead of more base cabinets-a great space to display colorful pottery, ceramics or special serving pieces. The side door off the driveway makes it easy to unload groceries. 

The remainder of the main floor has a bedroom suite and the  round window and linen closet in the bathroom are great touches. Two other bedrooms and one bath are located on the second floor and one bedroom has a built-in seat under a window between two closets.  The details of the round window and linen closet are repeated in the second floor bathroom.  The bedrooms have windows on at least two walls for sunlight throughout the day.

Total renovation in the heart of Rock Hall, large rear yard with mature trees, primary bedroom suites on both floors for flexibility, high-end kitchen, ready for move-in!

For more information about this property, contact Debbie Meilke of Long and Foster Real Estate Kent Island  at 410-643-2244 (o), 410-708-7789 (c) or  DEBRA.MEILKE@LongandFoster.com,   “Equal Housing Opportunity”. 

Photography by Patty Hill, 410-441-4719, www.pattyhillphotography.com. For online booking, visit https://pattyhillphotography.simplybook.me/v2/.

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.