Neavitt is one of my fave villages so I never pass up an opportunity to feature one of the houses that give this village its unique charm. Ironically, last week’s feature was a house transformed by architect Mark McInturff, FAIA, and today’s feature is the home of his sister, who is a good friend of mine. I am very pleased to showcase her innate interior design and gardening skills that makes this house a treasured home. 

As I did the first time I was a guest, I admired the three-bay massing of both the house and the wrap-around porch and the texture of the porch’s metal roofing. The side bay of the porch frames the location of the entry door with its full sidelights.  Since my last visit was in late summer, as I recently walked up the wide steps, I missed the pots of colorful flowers that adorn each edge of the steps during the warm months. 

The location of the front door maximizes the porch’s seating area and the half glass/half wood door with full sidelights and the full glass storm door provides daylight for the foyer. The side of the porch ends at an original door that my friend left intact. She added a closet to the room within but the closet could easily be removed to restore the room’s original use for easy indoor-outdoor flow. The light gray siding, white Doric columns, the long main floor 2/2 windows and the shorter units on the second floor with shutters creates a serene backdrop for the seasonal colors of the landscape and year round great curb appeal.

The original “L” form of the house is enhanced both by the long shed dormer at the side and the one-story kitchen area overlooking the fenced yard. Instead of shutters, trellises at each side of the kitchen windows patiently await climbing flowering vines in the spring. 

 

As a counterpoint to the semi-private front wrap-around porch, the brick terrace is fully private due to the rear yard’s perimeter fence of vertical slats of wood that have weathered to a lovely patina.  The layered plantings along the fence include pachysandra and white quince. The table and chairs offer a shady respite from the sun and create a cozy space for al-fresco dining or watching children at play. 

 

As I write this article, my rear yard’s landscaping is slumbering under a thick blanket of snow so I wanted to include this picture to remind us that warmer days will come! The shed at the side wall is well used by my gardener friend and the low bed of white azalea and peonies below the Lady Banks Roses against the fence creates a lovely vista from the terrace. My friend chose that flowering plant for its characteristic evergreen leaves and white flowers and its ability to spread out quickly. It is also a harbinger of spring as it is among the earliest flowering of all roses.   

My friend also sent me this picture of her flowering plants and I can almost smell the fragrance of these peonies and azaleas that I also enjoy  in my own planting beds.

The front door opens into an entry alcove off the living room. The entry alcove was created by the extension of an HVAC closet next to the stairs and a short hall leads to a full bathroom. The wooden rack on the alcove’s side wall holds a  collection of hats that add a splash of color to the white walls. Like me, my friend is a bibliophile, so she added new built-in millwork to display artwork, books, collectibles and family photographs.

The living room’s loveseat with side arms was carefully chosen to fit between the two front windows. The neutral colors and placement of the furnishings make the space seem larger than it is and the accents of the patterned rug, the curvilinear  Oriental style tray that has a new life as a stylish coffee table top, and simple window treatments give this room a sophisticated look. I especially liked how the white window treatments blend into the wall and rise to the underside of the ceiling to expand the spatial volume.

 

I coveted the two distinctive spindle chairs with high backs and fretwork sides in front of the porch side windows of the living room. Walking through the beautifully decorated rooms, I was reminded of how well the scale of the furnishings complemented the size of each room and how my friend’s lifelong interest in antiques and her discriminating eye carefully curated each room’s interior design. I also appreciated how the floor plan had not been “modernized” to create the ubiquitous “open concept” floor plan. Instead, the rooms maintain their original dimensions with very little alteration. 

The texture and color of the exposed brick chimney becomes a sculptural element. The wall opening between the living and dining rooms was widened to create a telescoping vista through the adjacent rooms to the rear wall of the house.

The dining room is located at the center of the house and the rear window overlooks the rear garden. The white wainscot below a subtle wallpaper pattern, the beautiful antique furnishings of the table, Queen Anne chairs, Grandfather’s clock, antique chest and Oriental rug add warmth to the space.

The delightful “bonus” room connected to both the  wrap-around porch and the dining room has the original wood slat porch ceiling. The room’s  bead board wainscot, easy care tile flooring, triple side windows and a rear window overlooking the garden has great potential for myriad uses.  Since it has a closet, it could be a bedroom or office. If it were my house, I would remove the closet, replace the wood door to the porch with a French door and make this room a sunroom/TV room. 

My fave room has always been the kitchen at the rear of the house. About two years ago, my friend’s “Mcinturff design DNA”  kicked in and she began her transformation of the kitchen. She first addressed the room’s volume by removing the ceiling, exposing the roof framing and adding a window above the double window unit overlooking the garden. The white color of the sloped ceiling reflects the sunlight and is accentuated by the contrast of the pale wall color. 

She next added two new floor to ceiling cabinets, changed the existing cabinet fronts from glass to solid wood to match the new ones, and added molding above the upper cabinets.  She replaced the Formica countertops with granite and replaced a dreary double sink with a much more workable single stainless sink and gooseneck  faucet.  Her finishing touches included the warmth of wood antique pieces including a distinctive armoire with upper glass fronts, another chest and a small piece between the doorway to the dining room. The adjacent pantry/laundry provides extra storage. 

Behind the kitchen was a bathroom that had deteriorated to the point that made demolition necessary. In its place is part of  the two-story addition with a first floor’s  spacious pantry/laundry and fridge next to the kitchen, and a bath with a shower off the entry hall.  

I am very lucky to have been a guest for several memorable meals and stimulating conversation in this corner of the kitchen’s delightful interior architecture. It was easy to linger after dinner on one of the Queen Anne chairs around the beautiful antique table and being surrounded by windows overlooking the garden.  The exterior door leads to the brick terrace.

The second floor contains two bedrooms and one full bath. The primary bedroom spans across the front of the house with three windows and one side window for ample sunlight. This serene bedroom with its light aqua walls, wood bedframe with low headboard and footboards, white quilted coverlet, striped bed skirt and patterned shams created a restful retreat.  Two small wooden tables with lamps serve as nightstands and behind the bed is a large walk-in closet. 

Like the living room, the primary bedroom’s window treatments on the wrap-around windows rise to the underside of the ceiling and the exposed brick chimney adds a touch of texture.

Part of the two-story shed roofed addition is this spacious full bath with a Jacuzzi tub/shower. The white pedestal sink and toilet blend into the white wainscot and contrasts with the pale yellow wall above.

The rear guest bedroom’s warm butter yellow walls are a backdrop for a vertical row of china plates and artful arrangements of art and memorabilia. A set of nesting tables serve as one nightstand and on the other side of the bed is an antique washstand.

“Little Giddings” is the sixth home my friend has renovated and illustrates so well  her innate design talent for both interiors and gardens. Her space planning and staging skills and her exquisite taste gives this house its distinctive personality. Classic historic Eastern Shore vernacular architecture, outdoor rooms of the front wrap-around porch and brick terrace overlooking beautiful plantings, great flow among the main floor rooms, “bonus” room that could become a main floor bedroom, updated kitchen and baths-all this in the charming village of Neavitt-Brava! For more information about this property, contact Joan Wetmore with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty at 410-673-3344 (o), 410-924-2432, or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing, visit , https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/associate/180-a-df220928172710858981/joan-wetmore, “Equal Housing Opportunity.”

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

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

It is always a pleasure to feature designs by my fellow architects and I am very pleased to kick off the new year to feature another design by architect Mark McInturff, FAIA. When the Owner purchased this property eight years ago, the cottage was a wreck caused by a broken frozen pipe on the second floor that was not discovered for over a month. Luckily, the property was within the Critical Area so the house’s close proximity to Lee Creek could remain as long as the original foundation footprint was not increased. 

The Owner retained Mark to modify the cottage and they first decided to leave the front façade as-is, in homage to the cottage having been built in the early part of the 20th century, the heyday of small cottage designs. 

The waterside original rear elevation had been somewhat updated previously with glass infill in the rear gable and longer windows.  McInturff’s transformation of the cottage from “plain vanilla” to “neapolitan” began with leaving the roofline intact, demolishing the one-story side room and organizing the placement of the windows and doors to create a cohesive composition. 

Now the rear elevation proudly claims its place along the shoreline of Lee Creek with a flat roofed screened porch/second floor deck that encompasses the footprint of the original one-story room. The triangular shaped screened expansion was carefully detailed to seamlessly blend into the flat roofed portion of the screened porch. The second floor deck’s thin cable railing maximizes views of the landscape and water. 

The first floor’s gray vertical siding contrasts with the second floor’s white horizontal siding that makes the cottage seem longer than it is. The masterful arrangement of wide picture windows and slender operable units opens up the cottage to the water. The gable window is now single pane of glass for maximum views. I especially admired both the break in the gray façade by the insertion of a glass unit and also the finishing touch of emphasizing the operable window units and doors by their red color. Bravo! 

The fixed glass panel’s break in the gray façade is on axis with the floating stairs inside the house. New wide steps lead from the cottage to the water for great indoor-outdoor flow.

The view of the foyer to the front door shows how this small space makes a big impact with its wall of floor to ceiling storage units clad in wood, the recessed wall niche for one’s keys, etc., the long bench for totes or unloading packages from one’s car, and shelves below for crocs, gloves, etc. The herringbone brick is an easy care choice for flooring throughout the first floor. 

From the foyer, the stairs with open risers offer a vista through the rear wall of windows and doors to the landscape and water. I admired the colors and texture of the  herringbone patterned brick floor and gray exposed ceiling framing against the white of the walls. 

I love diagonal vistas and this one from the foyer to the corner of the living area is very appealing. Its enclosure has transparency from both the vertical wood inserts in the stair wall and also the window units at the corner of the living room. 

 

Galley kitchens are my fave layout and this sleek and stylish kitchen gets high marks. The kitchen is part of the open plan kitchen-dining area with one side of the cabinetry’s countertop creating an overhang for stools below. The color scheme continues the foyer’s wood cabinets and black hardware with the addition of countertops in black granite with subtle white veining. I especially liked how both the tile backsplash that surrounds the window above the sink and also the cabinetry rise to the underside of the ceiling to maximize the room’s verticality.  

 

Doors from the kitchen slide along a track to the screened porch with its triangular shape of a boat’s bow that inspired the design of the custom wood table and benches by Mass Furniture Design.  Even though the wicker swing chair beckoned me, I continued my exploration of the cottage.

The detailing of the rear wall of windows in thin frames that rise from the brick floor to the beam above gives the dining area’s corner windows panoramic views of the landscape and water. Round tables are so conducive to conversation and there is ample floor space for a table that could be expanded for holidays or other special occasions. 

 

Moving through the cottage, I was impressed by the amount of sunlight that penetrates deep into the house from the rear wall of windows and doors that wrap around the corners of the open plan spaces defined by dropped beams. The stairs’ detail of the vertical wood slats adds to the vista’s total transparency and evokes a detail from the Arts & Crafts era. 

 

The living area accommodates all the basics-sofa, individual chairs with stylish handwoven textile throws, storage and a fireplace. I especially liked how the exposed chimney is set against the exterior wall of the house so a single window unit could be placed above the firebox to continue the wrap-around window design. 

The remainder of the first floor contains a full bath and a bedroom at the front corner of the cottage.

The stairs end at a landing with one additional step to each of the two areas of the second floor containing the primary bedroom opposite the office and bathroom. I liked how the landing defined these private areas and how the wall of windows becomes a mural of the landscape and water. 

 

The original roof framing of the cottage has been dramatically transformed by removing the lateral supports, cladding the underside of the roof rafters in drywall and creating partial walls at the top of the stairs to define each area. The vertical supports near the top of the stairs rise to the roof’s ridge beam for maximum spatial volume. The vertical wood slats at the tub area and the mint green wall of the “corner” office are very pleasing accents and the windows that wrap around each rear corner flood the spaces with sunlight throughout the day.

 

The side wall of the primary bedroom echoes the mint green wall of the office wall. The copper Japanese soaking tub was an unexpected discovery in a nook next to the office area and behind the tub wall is the rest of the full bath.

 

The nook’s Japanese copper soaking tub has views of the sky from the cottage’s rear wall of windows. After a day on the computer, it certainly offers one a unique option for relaxation!

 

From the primary bedroom, the wall of windows with the triangular transom provides views of the landscape and water. I admired the coverlet design of large leaves and fronds that creates a restful retreat.

 

The original dormer window in the roof has a new life as a deep nook in the front wall of the primary bedroom. I admired the earth tones of the space and I especially liked how the walls and ceiling were painted a deep gold to emphasize its cozy size. The pillow with the lady’s shoe pillow is by the artist Arin Waddell.

I am addicted to the BBC Home and Garden network’s Wednesday marathon with architect Gerald Clarke whose specialty is renovation projects. Seeing this nook reminded me of another deep nook in one of his segments where his recommendation was to have an artisan woodworker replace the front base of the nook with a deep drawer that could be fully extended to create a single bed, with the cushion stored in the drawer until needed. This is an inspired idea for a young child’s bed or a great spot for stretching out and reading!  

 

By now, if you are wishing  you could be a guest in this remarkably renovated cottage, you can! “Chesapeake Sunset Cottage” is also an Airbnb with access to the property’s in-ground pool, pier, and this outdoor area with a grouping of chairs for guests to await the sunset.  

Outstanding transformation of a simple cottage into a sophisticated retreat with walls of doors and a mix of fixed and operable windows that penetrate deep into the rooms, interiors featuring custom woodwork and furniture, artwork and many treasures from the Owner’s travels. Delightful waterside outdoor rooms of the screened porch and upper deck to enjoy nature; all this and a location equidistant from both Ocean City’s beach and  Easton’s amenities. Bravo to the Owner and Architect Mark McInturff for a great kick-off to this year’s House of the Week!

---

Architecture by Mark McInturff, FAIA, McInturff Architects, 301-229-3705,  www.mcinturffarchitects.com. 
“Chesapeake Sunset Cottage” Airbnb, https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/33012586?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=aaa672c4-80f2-4521-bc97-df781c5f0e54
Photography by Mark McInturff and Jenn Martella
Art of the Wall by Arin Waddell, arin-waddell.myshopifycom, 307-763-2501 
Woodworking by Fritz Mass, Maas Furniture Design, maasfunrinturedesign.com, 571-249-0861

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

I always enjoy being a volunteer for the Christmas in St. Michaels Tour of Homes.  Since this event is usually sold out, I am offering this Christmas card to my readers featuring my fave house in this year’s tour. Several years ago, I had seen this house with architectural clients when it was for sale, so I was eager to see the changes made by the current owners. 

As I walked up to this charming three-bay house in the Historic District, I admired again the massing with rear additions that telescope from the original two-story part of the house.  The current owners’ exterior color palette of light cream shake siding with deep slate blue shutters is very appealing. The wreaths at the side of the house and the gate to the fenced rear yard were harbingers of Christmas decorations that beckoned me within. 

This house, known as the Arthur K. Easter house, was built in 1889 on part of the Old Mill property; the house was moved to its current location in the 1940’s. The original house’s three-bay front elevation’s symmetry of the windows grouped around the front door and the side additions that are set back further in respect to the original façade creates great curb appeal. 

The current owners purchased the property in 2021 and began an extensive renovation/restoration of the both the house and grounds. Every surface of the house has been updated for modern living, while retaining the original details of the well-worn wood staircase, beautiful wood floors and the windows. The couple are avid gardeners and first designed a master plan for the front and rear gardens which is now being implemented with crape myrtles, weeping peach, dogwood, roses and arbor vitae sleeping that will awaken in the spring. The tall hedge of holly provides privacy from the adjacent property. 

Planters with seasonal greens mark the beginning and end of the brick walkway to the house and lead up the front stoop with its solid railing of taupe and slate blue with decorative cut-outs. The front entrance is dressed for the season with festive garlands of Magnolia leaves, other greens, pine cones for texture, red and silver balls, gold snowflakes and ribbon. I especially liked how the garland peaked above the door header instead of outlining the door and I made a note to inquire about the door color which was simply lovely. 

The rear elevation shows how the gable and shed-roofed additions have enhanced the architectural character. The brick terrace with its curvilinear edge blends into the lawn and the retractable awning provides shade when needed. Pairs of French doors lead to the original sunroom that I soon discovered has a more intriguing current use. 

Next to the accessory structure is a peaceful spot for warm weather relaxing in the hammock on its stand and being enveloped by the tall enclosure of the hedge of mature cedars.

The owners greeted me at the front door, and I immediately knew their interiors would be a special treat for me as mid-century modern is one of my favorite interior styles. I dearly coveted the pair of iconic Arne Jacobsen Egg Chairs in deep caramel leather opposite another chair upholstered in lamb’s wool.  The large Oriental rug flows under the transparent base of the Warren Platner coffee table design for Knoll. I love earth tones and the colors of the grass cloth wall covering, the silk drapes that rise to the underside of the ceiling and the Oriental rug over the beautiful pine floors create a serene space for welcoming guests. 

The charming portrait behind the baby grand piano identified the musician in the family and his parents will soon enjoy private concerts over the Christmas holiday. The large artwork behind the Jacobsen chairs was a clue of more Asian delights to come as I learned that before his retirement as a business executive with a worldwide portfolio, the husband brought home treasures from his travels.  

When I commented on the beautiful color of the front door, the Owners graciously told me it was a Farrow and Ball paint color. I also admired how well the shape of the Christmas tree was perfect for its spot by the grandfather clock and it did not completely cover the stair’s decorative railing.

Passing through the doorway in the living room, I discovered the open-plan dining and den opposite the kitchen. The Warren Platner table design with Mid-Century chairs anchors the dining area under the onion domed pendant light fixture. More Asian pieces, including the statuesque Garuda from Indonesia, are beautiful accents, and I especially liked how the wooden screen defines the two spaces without being a barrier. 

The den’s dark-colored walls create a cozy space for relaxing around the fire, and the tusk becomes a sculptural element.  The Mies van der Rohe chaise chairs in caramel leather that face the fireplace and other seating create a cozy space for relaxing.  The gingerbread house, “Santa’s Winter Sleigh Ride” on the millwork was the first prize winner in this year’s Christmas in St. Michaels Gingerbread contest. 

I admired the bay window seat’s seasonal tableau of crystal trees and hurricane lamps with candles on a bed of greenery. The potted greenery is strategically placed in front of the mullions so the view to the landscaping is unobstructed.

 

I was delighted to see the Eileen Gray table next to the chair opposite the bay window.  The reception area of my Knoxville architectural firm had two Corbusier chairs on either side of an Eileen Gray table. This clever table was originally designed for a clinic and the pin on a chain can be pulled out to adjust the table height from a side table to a bedside table.

 

Before I explored the kitchen, I was mesmerized by the exquisite quilt wall hanging created by the wife that tells this family’s story in an adaptation of a very old traditional quilt called “Civil War Bride.” The wife cleverly modified seven of the original 20 blocks to represent their family of three, adding she and her husband in their wedding finery, their initials in script and a mother bird watching over one egg in a nest that represents the birth of their son. She named her version “Willapa Wife” after the name of the bay where the family lived in Washington state. The work is all needle-turned appliqué and she used a technique called free-motion quilting where she  guides the fabric under the needle of the sewing machine to create shapes and texture and to hold the whole quilt together.

 

I prefer storage units like Welsh dressers or pie safes to upper cabinets, and this kitchen has minimal upper cabinets, and the Asian “tansu” wooden piece next to the R/F provides storage with great style. I admired how the gleaming copper pots stand out against the dark walls and how the island is actually a flat-file enhanced by flat knobs in an Asian design. The prep area’s upper cabinets rise to the ceiling to fill the spatial volume and the two windows provide daylight. The design of the window valances were also the handwork of the wife who used the same free-motion quilting technique of her  “Willapa Wife” quilt wall hanging in this pattern called “double wedding ring”.   

 

The sunroom has a dual use as both a dining room for large dinner parties and also the workroom for the wife’s quilting projects.  I loved this quilt’s floral pattern with the colors overlaid onto the black background. The quilt’s pattern is called “Auntie Green’s Garden”,  by Irene Blanck, an Australian quilter. The technique used for all the shapes is called needle-turned appliqué. The rear French doors and side windows make the sunroom a delightful space for dining or work.

 

The  sunroom/workroom credenza has seasonal touches grouped around the antique Singer sewing machine. The plantation shutters offer a view of the adjacent dining area and provides a view of the landscaping beyond the sunroom/workroom from the dining room and den.

 

Like the front door, the sunroom/workroom’s doorway, festooned with greenery, ribbons, dolls and beads, offers a  vista through the house. This space was the entrance for the Christmas in St. Michaels tour and the framed wall openings telescope through the house to the living room at the front of the house were wayfinders for the tour attendees.

 

The second floor contains the primary suite, a guest bedroom and a full bath. The primary bedroom’s sitting area is furnished with classic Charles and Ray Eames Lounge chairs and a “mushroom” table next to the side wall of millwork built around the window.  The chairs are positioned across from the TV on a chest and the TV can swing in a circle so it can be seen from either the sitting area and or from the bed.

 

I admired the tranquil landscape artwork over the bed and its colors inspired the wallpaper with its sepia tones which was an inspired choice of wall covering. The partial wall between the sleeping and sitting areas is covered in cork, which adds great texture as does the lamp base by the bed and the sisal rug. The high knee walls, sloped ceiling and earth tones create a restful setting conducive to sweet dreams.

The bath serves both bedrooms and I admired the staggered pattern of the tile flooring that expands the space and how the vintage porcelain lavatory with chrome legs does not interrupt the flooring as a wood cabinet would. The plantation shutters can be adjusted for privacy as needed.

In the eight years I have written these articles, this “headboard” in the son’s bedroom is the most creative I have seen. I believe every house should have a touch of whimsy and this artwork that was painted on wood made me smile. The red and green tulip patterned quilt is the perfect touch for the Christmas season.

I very reluctantly left my tour of this amazing house filled with treasures from the Far East, artisan quilts that are museum pieces, and other decorative items crafted by the wife and rooms of classic Mid-Century furniture that give this house its unique personality-Bravo and Brava to this couple who graciously shared their house on the Christmas in St. Michaels tour and who inspired this Christmas card from me to readers of my weekly column. As Tiny Tim wisely said, “God bless us every one”- Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Jenn Martella

---

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

One of my interests is cartography and after my move to the Eastern Shore, I was intrigued when I learned from my primary reference book for St. Michaels that only a few of Maryland’s eighteenth century town plans were laid out by an individual land speculator as  St. Michaels’s plan was.  James Braddock was an agent employed by the firm Gildart and Gaywith of Liverpool, England, and he had been trading in Talbot County since 1714. Braddock began to act independently and over time accumulated property near Christ’s Church. In only four years, his holdings totaled two hundred acres and Braddock turned out to be an imaginative urban planner. Rejecting the 18th century’s conventional town planning grid system, Braddock instead arranged thirty six lots around a central square, which later became known as St. Mary’s Square. Its boundaries were Market Street (now Talbot St.), Mulberry, Chestnut and Water St. Today’s feature is located on one of these original streets. 

The house is sited slightly above the Town’s brick sidewalk that seamlessly blends into the brick driveway for off -street parking. The tall row of hollies behind low ivy provides privacy from the neighboring house. I admired the house’s massing with front and side gables and a wrap-around porch, surrounded by rows of  nandina with red berries behind a row of liriope that provides privacy from the street.

Before I walked up the front steps, I paused to admire the front elevation’s arrangement of the front door and surrounding windows. Instead of a typical three-bay house, the middle windows on both the first and second floors are outliers for both their asymmetrical horizontal and vertical alignments below the centered attic window. Coupled with the eclectic mix of design elements of several architectural styles and the classic white façade with contrasting shutters, this house has a unique charm. The very deep front porch is a delightful outdoor room with wicker chairs for relaxing with family and friends.

The solid wood fence at the end of the drive is the boundary between public and private space. From the gate, the light colored gravel hardscape connects the screened porch with the accessory structure at the rear of the property. The seamless gable roofed addition includes a family room on the first floor and the primary bedroom on the second floor.

The accessory structure, fully finished, offers myriad uses-office, artist studio, teen hang-out, etc. From the Adirondack chairs, one can appreciate the verdant oasis of lawn and mature landscaping with privacy from both wood fencing and the trees. The view of the rear elevation in the background shows the gable of the original part of the house with the gable and shed roofed additions in the foreground.

The front door opens into a foyer with a direct vista through the house and the screened porch. The location of the stairs on the exterior wall maximizes the floor plan. The earth tones from the beautiful wood floors, stair newel post and balustrade and the period pendant fixture are reminders of another era. The side window brings sunlight into the hall and selecting the same color for the  wall and trim expands the space.  

Seeing the front room off the foyer with the fireplace fitted for gas, I understood the placement of the windows that creates a natural spot for the sofa directly across from the fireplace and space for artwork above the sofa. If this room became a bedroom, the wall could accommodate a high headboard. Sunlight filters inside through the wooden blinds and the French door leads to the side of the wrap-around porch for great indoor-outdoor flow.  Built-in millwork holds books, memorabilia and family photos.

At the end of the stair hall is the dining room, with two large windows for sunlight and built-in millwork for display of serving pieces. The round wood table and mix of wood chairs with cushions over rattan and upholstered chairs is conducive to lingering after dinner for conversation. The light wall color accented by the white chair rail and crown molding compliments the wood floors.

The living room is connected to both the dining and family rooms. The wood-burning fireplace and wood surround is flanked with wide and long windows and the side wall has built-in backlit millwork. Like the dining room, wood cornices offer the option for the addition of drapery. The door leads to a full bath but the bath could be rearranged so the door could open into the front room to create a first floor ensuite if needed.  

From the living room, a wide wall opening detailed with pilasters and layers of molding leads to the family room at the end of the house for a quiet space in which to relax at the end of the day for TV watching.

With its two side windows and a double-unit window overlooking the rear landscaping, this sunny and spacious family room accommodates both family or guests. The focal point of the room is the wide window seat below the double-unit window flanked by the full height built-in millwork. The soft colors and the subtle rug pattern create a restful pace for binge watching TV.

The kitchen’s sloped ceiling has skylights for added daylight and moonlight. The beautiful wood floors and the craftsmanship in the mix of wood species and color in the cabinets and the wood ceiling creates a unique look. The French door leads to the adjacent screened porch and windows that open into the porch for views of the landscape beyond.

Screened porches and sunrooms are two of my fave types of rooms and this screened porch gets high marks for its sloped ceiling finished with white wood and skylights that create patterns across the brick floor throughout the day as the sun passes over. The porch’s large size has ample room for both dining and sitting areas and is a perfect space for entertaining or small dinner parties. 

The stairs to the second floor pass the two front bedrooms and ends at this sitting room between the primary bedroom and the front bedrooms. The millwork full of books, the gas fireplace, a desk for checking emails or homework, a rattan chaise for settling in with a good book or reading a story to a wee one before bed creates a delightful space.  

From the sitting room, double door open into the sumptuous primary bedroom located at the rear corner of the house overlooking the landscaping. The light wall colors, beautiful wood pieces and light blue bed linens create a serene space for sleep. As a bibliophile, I appreciated the pair of sconces attached to the built-in millwork on either side of the bed that are the perfect height for reading. 

The primary bath has a shower and the hall bath serving the other two bedrooms has a soaking tub. I admired the hall bath’s wood floors and the white wainscot instead of tile and how the sea scape artwork adds perspective to the wall.  

The larger of the two guest bedrooms is located at the front corner of the house and has windows on two walls for sunlight throughout the day. The soft colors accented by the paisley bedspread creates a restful retreat.

My home office is an accessory structure on my property and I like separating work from home life. This stylish office would please anyone working from home with bright white walls and a seating area for breaks from computer work. Above the sofa are built-in shelves for storage.

I could easily imagine writing my Spy articles at this desk, surrounded by windows and the glass entry door. The stylish track light fixture offers both ambient and task lighting.  

This charming historic home in the earliest part of St. Michaels’ Historic District with its appealing traditional architecture, high ceilings, hardwood floors, and original architectural details that have been meticulously maintained offers timeless elegance of an earlier era with updates for today’s lifestyle. Easy flow between the main floor rooms and the spacious outdoor rooms of the front wrap-around porch and the rear screened porch overlooking the landscaped fenced yard expand your everyday living and entertaining space. The “bonus” room is the front main floor room that was probably the original parlor; minor reconfiguration of the full bath behind it could create a main floor ensuite. Other “bonus” spaces are the accessory structure that is finished as an office and the attic accessed by a stair for storage.

---

For more information about this property, contact Monica Penwell, Realtor with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty at 410-745-2596 (o), 410- 310-0225 (c), or [email protected] . For more pictures and pricing, visit monicapenwell.sothebysrealty.com “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Eve Fishell, Chesapeake Pro Photo LLC, 443-786-8025, www.chesapeakeprophoto.com, [email protected]

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.

“Sol y Sombra”, (sun and shade) is aptly named for this unique property has just enough trees to shade the house in the summer and in the other months sunlight streams through many large windows, including bay window walls. The site’s 4.8 acres offers peace and privacy along Barrett Cove, off Edge Creek that leads to the Choptank River. The 500 linear feet of riprapped shoreline includes a deep water dock with an electric boat lift as well as a kayak launch. The property contains a main house and a guest house and both offer one-level living for a multi-generational compound or for extended stays by family members. 

The house’s footprint is set high above and parallel to the water which gives it the added advantage of being slightly angled to the road for privacy. The cottage-style architecture mixes gabled and hipped roofs and hints of French design elements in the arched doorway and dormer. The house was built in 2004 by the current owners and has been meticulously maintained. The owners happen to be treasured friends of mine and on the day of my visit for The Spy, the white brick façade stood out from the tall trees festooned with their golden leaves of fall. 

The main house is surrounded by water on two sides, and the rear elevation reaches out to the water with bay-wall projections containing wide and tall windows at each corner of the house. Between the bays is a covered porch, accessed by both the living room and the family room. Brick steps lead down from the covered porch to a brick terrace for unobstructed panoramic southeast water views. Before I went inside, I relaxed on the terrace and marveled that across the expanse of water, only one house was visible.   

Walking out to the dock, I appreciated the sloped riprapped shoreline and the house’s setting in a cluster of tall deciduous and evergreen trees that do not obstruct the water views from inside the house. To the left of the main house, the guest house is angled away from the main house for privacy.  

The pair of French doors with a half-moon transom in the recessed front porch opens into the spacious foyer with its very high ceiling and gleaming white oak floors that flow throughout the main rooms.  The foyer blends into the hall that connects the bedroom wing from the main living areas. Slender white columns are spaced along the high wall that separates the foyer/hall from the living room. 

Just as I did  the first time I saw this room; my eye was immediately drawn to the niches in the chimney wall of the gas fireplace that display an artful arrangement of backlit pottery. I was also again enchanted by the crafts, wall hangings and art that reflects the wife’s upbringing in South America that give this house its unique personality.

The vista from the front door through the living room’s wall of sliding doors to the porch and to the lawn and water beyond is hard to resist.  At the side wall, other slender white columns define the edge of the adjacent dining room. The focal point of the dining room is the built-in millwork containing more enchanting artifacts from South America.  

The dining room table is centered on a wide double unit window for views through the porch to the lawn and water. If one preferred a larger living room, the perhaps decorative columns could be removed and the living room would double in size.  Seating could then be grouped around the fireplace and another seating group around the built-in millwork full of books would please this bibliophile very much. I could well imagine two loveseats flanking the fireplace and another sofa facing the dining room window with ottomans for putting one’s feet up for an afternoon of reading.

On the day of my being a hostess for an open house, during breaks I relished the serene water view from the rear covered porch. The living room’s sliding doors to the porch divide the porch into two areas for relaxation. As the sun angle changed, I moved down to the brick terrace that was bathed in sunlight. 

I returned to the house by the door that leads to the open plan family-breakfast-kitchen area. The family room has always been my fave room for its combination of the bay wall’s tall and wide windows with the side windows that offer panoramic water views. This spacious room is ideal for entertaining or for relaxing with family and friends. 

The ceiling plane from the family room to the office area, breakfast area and kitchen changes from the segmented roof line of the family room’s bay wall to a flat ceiling over the other areas. The breakfast and office areas could be combined to create a dining area and the table would be centered on the wide double unit window at the side wall. 

The custom kitchen design has corner-angled base cabinets with the sink cabinet below the windows for landscape and water views. I usually prefer upper cabinets to end below the ceiling but with the high ceiling, my friends’ display of colorful ceramics parades above the upper cabinets. There is also a walk-in pantry for additional storage.

The hall between the kitchen and the foyer contains this well-stocked bar set into the wall next to the door to the dining room. Its location is easily accessible from the kitchen, family room, dining room and living room. As the Weekend  Wine Woman at Piazza, I was happy to see several bottles from Piazza in the wine rack! Opposite the bar is the powder room and utility/laundry room with the latter having a door to the oversized double-car garage.

I continued my tour by crossing the foyer part of the hall to reach the bedroom wing. Another short hall with a linen closet leads to this waterside primary suite. The ceiling plane has a perimeter soffit for HVAC and then becomes a tray ceiling from the segments of the bay wall. I loved the artful and slim iron bedframe whose transparency doesn’t compete spatially with the room’s volume and the deep blue wall color creates a restful space. 

A pair of double doors leads to the primary bath from the primary bedroom.  The corner jet tub below a wide picture window with an up/down pleated shade privacy when needed. The mirrored walls above the separate lavatory cabinets enlarge the space and the heated tile floors are a plus now that winter is fast approaching. There is also a toilet compartment and a separate shower. The large walk-in closet completes the primary suite.

There are two other guest bedrooms that share a “Jack and Jill” bath. This bedroom at the front of the house has an alcove created by the box bay window with a picture plane between operable units and transoms above. The focal point of this room is the colorful wall hanging above the bed instead of a headboard.

This guest bedroom/office has two windows overlooking the lawn to the guest house and the blue and yellow color scheme is restful. Any guest would appreciate the ergonomic chair and computer table for checking emails before turning in for the night. The adjacent bath is compartmentalized which makes sharing easy when there are guests in both bedrooms.

Shortly after my friends bought the property and built their main house, they added this two-bedroom, two bath modular home for a guest house. The guest house is a plus for three-generation living or as accommodations for extended stays of family or friends during the summers or holidays.

The spacious guest house family room accommodates two sitting areas and the rear windows have landscape and water views.

The eat-in kitchen easily accommodates a table that could be expanded as needed for special occasions. The side door leads to the laundry and an exterior door. From the sliding door, steps lead down to the lawn and to the water. 

When the open house ended, I relaxed in one of the Adirondack chairs near the large willow tree and admired the serene, long view across the water as I basked in the late afternoon sunlight before heading home. 

“Sol y Sombra” offers a rare opportunity to own a large waterfront property with both a main house and guest house, very close proximity to St. Michaels’s many amenities, without having to drive through the Town during the peak summer months as I must. One-level living for aging in place, great indoor-outdoor flow to the outdoor rooms of the rear covered porch and the brick terrace, a pier and kayak launch for warm weather afternoons on the water, meticulously maintained houses and grounds-wonderful property!

---

For more information about this property, contact Cliff Meredith, Broker, with Meredith Fine Properties at 410-822-6272 (o), 410-924-0082 (c), or [email protected] . For more photographs and pricing, visit www.MeredithFineProperties.com ,“Equal Housing Opportunity.” 

Photography by-Townsend Visuals, www.townsendvisuals.com, (443) 279-8309

Construction by Warrington Builders, (410) 820-9371

Contributor Jennifer Martella has pursued dual careers in architecture and real estate since she moved to the Eastern Shore in 2004. She has reestablished her architectural practice for residential and commercial projects and is a real estate agent for Meredith Fine Properties. She especially enjoys using her architectural expertise to help buyers envision how they could modify a potential property. Her Italian heritage led her to Piazza Italian Market, where she hosts wine tastings every Friday and Saturday afternoons.