Design with Jenn Martella: Contemporary on the Chesapeake Bay
4.4-acre waterfront retreat in Neavitt features decks designed to take full advantage of Chesapeake Bay views.
When I began my home search after moving to Talbot County twenty one years ago, I fell under the spell of the charming village of Neavitt. I liked both its location near St. Michaels’ amenities but also its privacy from being a peninsula surrounded by various creeks and the Chesapeake Bay. The picturesque houses, the former Post Office building that has been restored by architect Mark McInturff, the Community Park and Neavitt Landing give Neavitt its unique charm. This contemporary house was built in 1986 and is sited on a 4.4 acre lot with both mature trees and also its long driveway for privacy. Decks at both floors of the house offer panoramic views of the Chesapeake Bay.
Compact yet striking, the layered rooflines and large windows add architectural interest while maintaining a minimal site footprint.
The house’s compact footprint minimized disturbance of the site and its simple sloped roof is enlivened by a layer of shed roofs infilled with windows at both the front and the rear of the house. At the front of the house, one shed roof provides headroom for the second floor primary suite.
The elevated first-floor deck and expansive windows create seamless indoor-outdoor living with stunning Bay vistas.
The rear elevation opens up the house to unobstructed vistas of the Chesapeake Bay and the offsets of the second floor rooflines enliven the façade. The first floor deck is elevated to maximize the water views and is connected to the stone terrace by a paved walkway.
A prow-shaped upper deck with sleek cable railings offers uninterrupted panoramic views of the Chesapeake Bay.
The second floor deck is shaped like the prow of a ship above the bay wall projections of the living room below. The railing of horizontal cables and thin cap offers clear bird’s eye views of the Chesapeake Bay.
Multi-level outdoor spaces, including a deck, terrace, and screened gazebo, provide versatile areas for relaxation.
The placement of the main level outdoor spaces, from the large deck with a wide railing for extra seating to the stone terrace below and the screened gazebo offer a variety of options for relaxing outdoors. The blue cushions and the green umbrella are colorful accents to the house’s and deck’s exterior palette of light gray.
The red roof, bold door, and accents create a vibrant entry, warmly welcoming visitors into the home.
A welcoming front entry is crucial for a house that is for sale. As I walked up the steps to the front entry deck, I admired the deep aqua pot with red flowers and the bench accented by a striped, multicolored pillow. The other red accents, that symbolize welcome, of the door and the red roof created an entry that beckoned me inside.
Natural light pours into the foyer through sidelights and a central window, complementing the wood floors and pale yellow walls.
I opened the front door into a foyer with daylight from both the sidelights on either side of the front door and a window on axis with the interior French door that creates a vestibule and airlock. Opposite the front door is a long closet for family coats and another closet under the stair to the second floor. The wood floors and trim accentuated the pale yellow walls. As I walked down the hall, I glimpsed a view of the water through both an arched opening of the adjacent office and also the living room’s exterior wall of windows.
Sloped ceilings and tiered windows add character and light to the cozy guest spaces.
At the end of the hall a short hall leads to the guest suite at the front of the house. The bedrooms are compact but their sloped ceilings give them a pleasing spatial volume and the soothing neutral wall color is accented by the colorful striped bed linens. The side window has both a low operable window as well as a picture window above.
Thoughtful design, such as L-shaped cabinetry and glass shower walls, maximizes the functionality and openness of this shared space.
Between the two guest bedrooms is a large bath with “L” shaped cabinetry that wraps around one corner. Placing the lavatory in the corner provides separate space for each guest’s toiletries. The transparent glass shower maintains the spatial volume.
Visible roof beams and partial-height walls maintain an open, airy flow throughout the hall and living spaces.
The entry hall ends at the open plan kitchen-office-living room. The hall table is strategically placed for entertaining and the kitchen’s breakfast bar has a vista down the stair hall. I admired the lightly stained wood framing that frames the partial height wall between the adjacent office and dining room so the expanse of the exposed stained roof beams and decking is uninterrupted.
The U-shaped design features granite countertops, airy shelving, and uninterrupted views.
The large “U” shaped kitchen has everything a cook would want-plenty of counter space, an easy care floor finish, white cabinets, dark granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances. I appreciated the lack of cabinets at the rear wall so windows could instead offer views of the landscape and water.
Stained sloped ceilings anchor this light-filled dining room surrounded by wrap-around windows and custom millwork.
The large dining room’s wrap-around windows and the sloped ceiling with stained exposed beams and decking create a stylish space for family dinners or celebrations. The bespoke millwork with glass fronted upper cabinets tucked into a recess in the room and the rattan backing of the dining room chairs maintain the transparency of the space. Windows on both exterior walls provide panoramic views of the landscape and water.
Arched shelves and open sightlines connect the office with the entry hall while framing views of the landscape.
The office ‘s interior wall’s rhythm of recessed arched openings infilled with open shelves has a full center opening that creates a “peek-a -boo” space to the entry hall. Cabinets below the arches provide ample storage for office supplies. Next to the desk at the rear corner of the space is a wall opening to the living room. Seated at the desk, one can enjoy views through the living room’s wrap-around windows.
A bay window wall creates a focal point, framing water views while complementing the warm tones of the living room addition.
The living room addition with a rear bay-shaped wall infilled with long windows of picture planes above operable units for ventilation maximizes the vistas to the landscape and water. The room’s other angled side contains the fireplace and TV with shorter windows above more bespoke millwork.
The sloped ceilings and trio of large windows fill the serene primary suite with light and views of the landscape.
The stair to the second floor ends in a hall that contains to the primary bedroom, bath, laundry and a family room. The primary bedroom is tucked under the sloped roof with high knee walls that can easily accommodate a bed’s high headboard. A door in the knee wall painted to match the wall leads to eave storage. At the side wall, a vertical window containing a picture unit, ventilated unit and transom with a sloped top stretches from the baseboard to just below the underside of the ceiling.
Expansive windows ensure waking up to tranquil Bay views in the light and airy main bedroom.
Opposite the bed is a trio of windows that offer views of the landscape and water. The light blue walls and white furnishings create a serene setting for sleep.
A trio of high-set windows provides ample light while maintaining privacy and adding symmetry to the bright, spacious bath.
The bath for the primary bedroom is located off the hall. The trio of windows provides ample daylight and their high sill height accommodates towel racks below and also eliminates the need for window treatments. The primary bedroom’s blue and white scheme extends into the bath.
Wrap-around windows and deck access offer a seamless indoor-outdoor connection in the second-floor family room.
The house’s bonus room is this delightful family room, reached by additional steps from the second floor’s stair hall. The long pitched ceiling begins at the corner windows and extends past the dropped stained beam and ends at the rear wall of windows. The large closet is convenient for extended stay guests.
Built-in millwork blends seamlessly with wrap-around windows and sliding doors that frame breathtaking water views and lead to the angled deck beyond.
The notch in the family room’s side wall accommodates bespoke millwork without compromising the water view from the sitting area. This delightful room has wrap-around windows of both picture and ventilated window units for panoramic views of the landscape and water beyond. The neutral colors of the upholstered furnishings and blue accents create a great space for relaxing with family and friends. Sliding doors lead to the large deck with angled sides for panoramic water views.
The ship-inspired angled deck and low-profile railings maximize water views, creating an outdoor oasis for relaxing.
My fave room was this deck off the family room with Adirondack chairs facing the tip of the angled deck that reminded me of the prow of a ship. The slender cap rail and horizontal cable lines disappear into the lawn beyond. With the south facing orientation, this outdoor room must be quite popular during the warm months.
This waterfront retreat combines its close proximity to St. Michaels with its location in the picturesque village of Neavitt. Carefully designed to maximize the expansive views of the Chesapeake Bay, the house’s compact footprint is seamlessly integrated into its natural surroundings. The contemporary architecture of sloped ceilings and wrap-around windows enliven the spaces with daylight, maximize the spatial volume and offer panoramic views of the landscape and the Chesapeake Bay.
The compact floor plan is zoned very well with the first floor’s living-dining-kitchen spaces and guest rooms and the second floor’s primary bedroom, bath, laundry and family room. The outdoor rooms of the terrace and gazebo, the first floor’s elevated deck and the second floor’ deck with its prow shape facing the water keeps one connected to the landscape and water. Nature enthusiasts would enjoy sightings of deer, eagles, foxes, geese, osprey and other shorebirds and water enthusiasts would enjoy the private pier to launch a boat for an afternoon on the water. The property also has a detached shed for storage or a workspace. Great property for weekend or full time living!
For more information about this property contact Wink Cowee with Benson and Mangold at 410-745-0415 (o), 410-310-0208 (c) or [email protected]. For more photographs and pricing visit www.buythechesapeake.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Photography by Janelle Stroop, 845-744-2758, [email protected]
Architecture for the addition by Atelier 11, www.atelier11architecture.com ,(410) 310-1385
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.
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