Design with Jenn Martella: “Westland”

Before I visited this property, I checked my primary reference book, “Where Land and Water Intertwine” but I found no home named “Westland”; I had assumed today’s featured house, built in 2005, had been built on the site of a home that had been demolished long ago since I drove down a straight gravel drive lined with old, majestic oak trees. I soon glimpsed a view of a stone façade and as I drew nearer, the house soon revealed its full magnificent front facade of timeless architecture and the highest quality of construction and craftmanship.  

The house enjoys total privacy from its being sited on 5.44 acres, surrounded by Haskins Cove and Trippe Creek to the Tred Avon River. The width of the SE/SW facing shoreline inspired the gifted architects Hammond and Wilson of Annapolis to place the house parallel to the shoreline so all the main rooms of the house can enjoy panoramic water views and sunsets. 

After parking my car on the gravel motor court, I slowly savored the beauty of the front façade’s massing and textures. The roof’s slate shingles glide down to the eaves with a Gallic flair, supported by large scrolled brackets against a backdrop of vertical siding above the stone. Multiple gables outlined in white trim, bay window projections with copper roofing and multi-paned windows create very appealing massing that enhance the rectangular geometry to create a harmonious composition.  

As I walked around the house, every elevation was beautifully detailed.  This partial rear elevation with the mix of gable and shed dormers carefully placed  against the steep roof the gable projection of the screened porch and breakfast area adds great architectural character. Outdoor rooms of the stone terrace between the lanai off the family room opposite the screened porch have direct access to the pool area. One side of the pool surround expands in width to easily accommodate chaise lounges with umbrellas for shade.  I especially admired how the architects added a covered walkway with columns  not only connected the screened porch to the lanai but it was also a clever way to cover the solid wall of the garage. 

The long rear elevation is carefully detailed with multiple gables, chimneys, shed roofs over doors, bay windows with deep copper colored shed roofs and the stunning two-story bay wall projection at the center of the house break up the length of the façade.

After being totally captivated by the sheer perfection of the exteriors, I was  prepared for the interior architecture and interior design to exceed my expectations and indeed they did. The front door opens into a spacious foyer on axis with the two-story living room. The foyer’s tile flooring laid on the diagonal visually expands the space even more and the walls’ finish resembling stucco, the wide arched topped wall openings and the graceful double curvature of the stair with its thin iron spindles accented by filigree motifs create a grand entrance. The niches in the walls have painted scenes of various areas of the property.  

The dramatic two-story living room has a sloped chimney breast that rises to meet the cornice of the coffered ceiling that is articulated with molding. The window wall surrounding the pair of French doors leading to steps down to the lawn offers views of the landscape from both floors of the house. I admired the pair of mirrors on either side of the chimney breast that are ‘windows” to reflect the movement through the room and the serene and the sophisticated neutral palette of the furnishings.

As I stood in the middle of this exquisite room, I looked back to admire the “musicians’ balcony” at the second floor that must be a very pleasant sitting area for the second floor bedrooms. The subtle curvature of the balcony above the arched wall defines the boundary between the foyer and the living room.

I walked back through the foyer to the dining room to discover its interior design of subtle wallpaper, moldings framing the bay wall projection and the arched wall opening framing the view of the stair. The elegant furnishings, especially the inlaid wood table, set the scene for memorable dinner parties and family celebrations. No detail was overlooked by the architects-even the high grille is decorative!

Off the dining room is this wine storage room with bespoke cabinetry and the angled wall of the wine racks is due to its adjacency to the hall from the foyer to the family room.  Next to the wine storage is a wet bar with a wall opening to the adjacent family room. 

The kitchen is clearly the hub of the house with its connections to the family room, breakfast room and the screened porch for easy flow among the rooms and outdoors.  The window over the sink has a view to the adjacent screened porch. The earth tones of the floor tiles highlights the white of the bespoke cabinets and the backsplashes and the countertops add subtle textures.  I admired how the upper cabinets rise to the underside of the ceiling and how the top upper cabinets are backlit.

The family room’s chimney balances the living room’s chimney in the roofscape and the coffered ceiling echoes the ceiling treatment of the living room. The kitchen’s flooring flows into the family room and bespoke millwork surrounds the TV above the fireplace. The rear wall is infilled with three pairs of French doors  with transoms above that lead to the extension of the terrace off the living room for easy indoor-outdoor flow. 

Another elliptical arch over a wide wall opening connects the family room to the breakfast room/informal dining area. The graceful oval recessed fresco ceiling was inspired by trees found on the property. The wrap-around windows of the room offer panoramic views of the lawn and the water.

The  cozy screened porch with wrap-around window panes for the cooler months meets my definition of a Snug-an intimate space for sitting or dining. I especially liked the rug with its pattern mimicking brick laid in a herringbone pattern and how the flat part of the ceiling contains discreet downlights, leaving the sloped portion for exposed beams and decking finished in bead board. The accent of the side stone wall illustrates the beauty of the stone’s color variation.

A service hall behind the kitchen and screened porch leads to a secondary stair to the upper level next to the pantry,  bath, office/work out area, laundry and mudroom. The latter has a bench for taking off wellies and hanging up jackets with closed storage above. Two other closets contain ample storage for family coats.

At the end of the service hall  are steps leading down to the two-car garage. A half flight of steps lead down to this room that is at ground level. I loved the dramatic interior architecture from the white massive trusses with subtle curved bottom chords and the sleek white gypsum board ceiling that reflect the sunlight.  The exterior walls are infilled with windows and doors for panoramic views of the lawn and water and the French doors lead to the lanai overlooking the pool area.

The lanai is on axis with the centerline of the pool and is a perfect spot for respite from the sun after a swim or a day on the water. I especially liked the detail of the brackets at each exterior corner of the porch’s columns, the subtle colors of the stone flooring and the stepping stones set into the grass that separates the openness of the pool and the semi-enclosure of the lanai.   

To complete my tour of the main floor, I went back through the foyer to the primary bedroom ensuite. This room that was beautifully detailed with moldings and pilasters to give texture to the walls and the bespoke millwork has dual uses as an office and a sitting room for the primary suite. I especially liked the detailing of the rear wall with its corner pilasters framing the pair of French doors flanked by full sidelights. Moldings instead of transoms above the French doors match the moldings  on the side wall to unify the room’s interior architecture. The table desk and chair are perfect for catching up on emails. Instead of a sundial inlaid in the floor, this sundial is painted onto the ceiling for a clever decorative touch.

The corner primary bedroom has panoramic views of the lawn and water from the rear wall’s pair of French doors and full height sidelights and the side wall’s bay projection infilled with windows.  The bay window is a cozy spot for two chairs and an ottoman for relaxing at the end of the day to enjoy the views of the sunset. I especially liked how the shallow tray ceiling was outlined in the same color of the walls that accentuates its geometry and how the wood pencil post bedframe maintains the spatial volume.

The primary bath with heated stone floors also has a bay wall projection that creates the alcove for the jacuzzi tub. The angled corner wall separates the two dropped ceiling areas over the tub and the dressing table. Opposite the tub is the shower enclosed in angled glass walls and a side door. The ensuite is completed by two large walk-in closets with bespoke millwork. One closet has a window seat beneath a wide window for daylight. 

The second floor has another primary suite to allow parents with young children to be near them until the children are older. The parents can then move to the first floor primary suite when they are empty nesters to age in place. This second floor primary ensuite’s bedroom offers panoramic bird’s eye views of the water from its location at the waterside corner of the house. A large bathroom and walk-in closet complete the ensuite.

The second floor is laid out well for privacy with large closets and bathrooms or other spaces between the bedrooms. At the opposite waterside corner of the house from the primary bedroom is this spacious guest suite. It has a large walk-in closet and shares a bath with the front corner bedroom. The triple unit window provides broad views of the water. If I were lucky to be a guest, I would hope to claim this charming ensuite with its blue and white interior design that continues into the shared bath. 

I admired the blue and white wallpaper that is perfectly sized for the room’s dimensions and spatial volume. Having both a shower and a tub is a plus and the plantation shutters can be adjusted as needed. As I stood in front of the marble dual lavatory below the mirror that infills the entire wall, I enjoyed the view of the water that is reflected through the window over the tub. 

The remainder of the second floor has two other guest bedrooms, a large recreation room and a media room so there is plenty of rainy day options for both family and guests!

One of my fave quotes about architecture is by the architect Le Corbusier: “Space and Light and Order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep”. I could not resist having this exquisite nocturnal photograph as the coda to my article. The forms of the architecture come alive with the house’s total illumination! 

 Walking through the spaces of this exquisite house, I felt like Goldilocks since the rooms all felt “right” – each space was perfectly sized for the furnishings that I forgot the house contained more than 12,600 gsf that is not only impressive to guests but it is also at its heart, a family home.  

The house was carefully sited along the serene waters of Trippe Creek leading to the Tred Avon River, with deep water access from the private pier with  8’ MLW, full utilities, lifts for both boats or jet skis. Outdoor rooms of the stone terrace between the screened porch and the lanai and the heated waterfront pool area create easy indoor-outdoor flow for al-fresco living. 

Interior architectural elements of the foyer’s graceful double curvature stair, the stone chimney breast whose sloped sides rises to the underside of the living room’s coffered ceiling, other coffered and tray ceilings, floor to ceiling doors and windows for panoramic views of the landscape and water, match the beauty of the timeless architecture.  The property also contains a detached garage with a guest suite above for extended stays. This stately home reflects highest level of achievement in design, materials, uncompromising attentiveness to details and craftsmanship that the dream team of Owner, Architect, Contractor and Craftspeople achieved-Bravissimo!

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For details about this property, contact Chuck Mangold, Jr., at 410-822-6665 (o), 410-924-8833 (c), or [email protected]. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.6068westlandroad.com , “Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Jennifer Madino
Aerials by Suzanne Silverstein
Architecture by Hammond Wilson, www.hammondwilson.com, (410) 267-6041
Construction by Pyramid Builders, www.pyramid-builders.com, (410) 571-7707

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.