Sleek rooflines, deep eaves, and offset volumes blend this mid-century modern home beautifully into the surrounding pines.
Since last week’s feature was an exquisite historic house, I was thrilled to find this equally exquisite mid-century modern house in Royal Oak for today’s feature. The house is surrounded by tall Loblolly pines with their “feather duster” canopies that provide unobstructed views of Irish Creek. As I walked around the house, I admired how well several offsets in the floor plan create the house’s lively massing. Deep eave overhangs obviated the need for gutters and created a sleek look. The house’s architecture, the exterior color palette of various shades of gray and the mix of brick and siding creates great curb appeal.
The landscaped berm softens the retaining wall while clerestory windows crown the design with light and airiness.
The house was designed with two levels reached by a split stair off the foyer. To soften the sides of the retaining wall along the stair to the front door, a landscaped berm was created. I especially admired the house’s juxtaposition of solid walls with the transparency of the windows and the screened porch that floats above the ground. The clerestory rising above the roof’s ridge is the crowning touch to this magnificent composition.
This elevation showcases layered outdoor spaces, from the elevated screened porch to the stretching deck and covered storage below.
This side elvation highlights the house’s outdoor rooms. The elevated screened porch provides maximum water views and the screened panels rise to the underside of the roof rafters to create an airy feeling. The covered area below provides storage of wood and lawn maintenance items. The deck spans across most of the upper level for bird’s eye views of Irish Creek. The deep eaves above the exposed roof rafters add character to the elevations.
A lively roofline with a central clerestory and sloped glass conservatory enhances the transparency of the waterside elevation.
The rear waterside elevation’s clerestory in the middle part of the house above the side wings of the screened porch and the bedroom wing on the other side creates a lively massing. The upper level is almost entirely transparent, including the sloped glass roof of the conservatory.
Offsets and soaring windows enliven this facade, leading seamlessly to the stone path toward the pool area.
All of the house’s elevations are very appealing with this elevation’s pitched roof, upper windows that rise to the underside of the roof rafters and offsets in plan that enliven the façade. The path of stone pavers around the corner of the house leads to the pool area.
Unobstructed views and a maintenance-free pier invite serene escapes on protected Irish Creek.
Before I explored the pool area, I turned toward the water and savored the unobstructed view of the protected shoreline and the tranquil view of no other house in sight along the other shore of Irish Creek. Boating enthusiasts will enjoy the maintenance-free Azek pier with new 30K lb. boat lift.
A terraced outdoor space with a firepit, dining pavilion, and luxe kitchen pavilion elevates al-fresco living.
After walking the shoreline, I rejoined the path of stone pavers that ended at a series of spacious outdoor rooms beginning with a terrace with a firepit surrounded by folding chairs. Next was an open air pavilion supported by large columns of textured tiles set horizontally below wood siding. Under the pavilion is a large area for al-fresco dining. Another open air pavilion with a sloped roof contains an outdoor kitchen luxuriously equipped with every appliance one could need for preparing meals for one’s family or parties. The same tile that was used on the pavilion encases the appliances and unified the two spaces. Seeing the string of light bulbs that outlined the rim of the pavilion’s soffit, I could visualize how lovely their effect would be when the sun begins to set.
The heated pool, in-ground hot tub, and full-sized tennis court offer endless opportunities for recreation and relaxation.
Past the pavilion is a large heated pool with a surround of random sized stone pavers. There is also an in-ground hot tub and an outdoor shower. If water sports are not for you, the full size tennis court awaits you.
The split-level foyer, simply yet stylishly furnished, gives an immediate sense of the home’s spacious and thoughtful design.
Having explored the grounds, I was primed for a tour of the interiors. From the driveway, brick steps lead up to the front door that opens into the foyer with stairs to the lower and upper levels. I noted how the run to the lower level is longer so the lower level rooms would have high ceilings. The spatial volume, simply furnished with the sleek table below the Bauhaus print and the colorful art clearly are clues this mid-century house is much, much more than the usual “split level”.
Panoramic glass infilled framing creates a seamless connection between the interiors and the surrounding landscape.
I admired the carefully thought out detailing of the foyer’s exterior wall infilled with wood framing and glass that rises to the underside of the roof framing for panoramic views of the landscape. The foyer’s steps ends at a hall that blends into the open floor plan and connects all of the upper floor rooms.
Natural wood framing, exposed roof rafters, and a cantilevered hearth define the mid-century modern character of this space.
The wall of art at the foyer is the back side of the fireplace’s chimney in the open plan living-dining room. The wide hearth floats above the floor since it is cantilevered from the chimney. I admired the proportion of the space from the roof’s slope being just right-neither too low nor too high. The living room’s rear wall grid of wood framing infilled with glass and the wood roof rafters with white decking creates a rhythm of bays that gives the space so much character. As befitting a house surrounded by pines, the beautiful pine floors add warmth to the space and the mid-century modern furnishings complement the architecture. Wide sliding doors lead to the deck that spans across the living room and wraps around the dining room to end at the screened porch.
Walls of glass and the sloped conservatory roof fill the dining space with light and vistas of the lush outdoors.
The corner of the dining room faces the conservatory with its sloped glass roof beyond the rear wall of the dining room. Alas, the conservatory is in its winter dormancy but I could well imagine how colorful plants would create a delightful vista for diners. The dining area’s rear wall of glass and wood and the side wall to the screened porch with its sloped ransoms above the wide wood sliding doors offer panoramic views of the landscape and water beyond. The thin tubular modern pendant light fixture is suspended in space above the table.
Perched in a corner for maximum views, this airy screened porch is the ideal retreat for dining or relaxing.
Screened porches are usually my fave rooms and this spacious outdoor room is no exception. Its corner location that offers one hundred eighty degree views and cooling summer breezes is the perfect spot for warm weather family dinners or dinner parties with friends. At the rear wall, a door leads to the waterside deck for easy indoor-outdoor flow to the open plan living-dining area. The sloped ceiling accentuates the airy feeling of this delightful space.
Stretching along the rear elevation, the deck provides sweeping views of Irish Creek through the sheltering pines.
The long deck offers panoramic bird’s eye views of Irish Creek through the tall pine trees. The rear wall of the open plan living-dining area is beautifully proportioned with picture planes of glass and operable units below and transoms above the wide sliding doors.
A balance of open shelving and cabinetry, paired with blue island accents, creates a kitchen both functional and visually striking.
The kitchen is connected to both the dining area and the screened porch. I loved the windows along the sink wall of base cabinets and how only the side wall of this “L” and island arrangement has upper cabinets to maintain the spatial volume. The island’s blue cabinetry and white veined countertop accents the white cabinets and the dark countertop color of the other cabinets. The subtle pendant lights are the perfect finishing touch.
Floor-to-ceiling glass walls frame the tranquil waterside views, blending the indoors with the serene landscape.
The primary ensuite is located at the quiet waterside corner of the house and its wall of picture plane glass between an operable unit becomes a live mural. The spacious bedroom easily accommodates sleeping and sitting areas.
A neutral palette and light blue tile accents create a clean, serene backdrop in the primary bath’s design.
I admired the compact design of this bathroom and the neutral color palette with an accent of light blue tile is a backdrop to one’s choice of towels and accessories. The five-piece primary bath has a long dual lavatory cabinet and a free-standing glass panel separating the shower/tub area from the toilet.
Daylight streams into the bath from a skylight and window, enriching the calm, spa-like atmosphere.
Both the window over the tub and a skylight provide ample daylight for the primary bath. A walk-in closet, laundry, and powder room complete the upper level floor plan.
The lower-level living area creates a cozy, private retreat with a fireplace and outdoor connections.
The house was zoned very well with the upper level’s main living areas and primary ensuite and the lower level’s family room with a fireplace, three bedrooms, one office/small bedroom and two baths so visiting family members or guests have privacy. The family room and the two bedrooms at the rear of the house have their own outdoor rooms below the upper level deck.
The lower level also contains a large utility room that has a door to the two-car garage.
Oversized corner windows flood the lower-level guest bedroom with light and offer serene views of the water and landscape.
Each guest bedroom is a different size and this corner bedroom has a wall of windows for water views and another window overlooking the landscape.
As I walked through the house, it was hard to believe this house was built in 1988 since it has been so meticulously maintained. The 7.9 acre property in sought after Royal Oak ensures privacy and the 500 lineal feet of protected shoreline along Irish Creek offers tranquil views. Mid-century modern architecture and interiors are one of my fave styles so I am sorry the architect of this exquisite house is unknown so he/she could be credited for their thoughtful design and appealing massing of the house.
The upper level floor plan offers great indoor-outdoor circular flow from the open plan living area to the screened porch to the deck. The perfectly proportioned spatial volumes of the upper level rooms whose ceilings are the roof’s exposed roof rafters and decking made me want to linger and enjoy the tranquil panoramic views of the landscape and Irish Creek framed by the house’s rear wall of wood and glass. The outdoor rooms of the open air pavilion, kitchen pavilion, pool and tennis court are great bonuses. This turn-key property is fully furnished. Bravissimo!
For details about this property, contact Rob Lacaze, SVP/Realtor with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty at 410-745-2596 (o), 410-310-7835 (c), or [email protected] , “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.
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