Right Place, Right Time: Finding Their Ultimate Waterside Destination

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It’s said the very best things in life are worth waiting for. That is definitely true of this month’s feature homeowners, who have always found themselves quite at home in Annapolis in their cherished private community that borders the South River near Thomas Point. So much so, they have lived there for decades in previous residences that they have loved, renovated, and raised their family in. Their ultimate goal, however, was to have a home on a quintessential, West-facing lot, right on the water. In 2020, that goal would be accomplished, as they were in the right place at the right time when that lot became available.

Assessing What Could Be

“We loved our last home, but our kids were grown and gone, and we wanted to be able to stay in the area because our kids are all on the East Coast,” says the wife, who added that they had been traveling back and forth from Colorado for her husband’s work. “We always just kept the house here and knew this is where we were going to live. So, we bought the lot to build a house for retirement.”

They would, however, do one essential thing before inking that deal. They reached out to an architect recommended by their realtor, to get her take on the property, and have a feasibility study performed.

For several reasons, that architect, Cathy Purple Cherry, of Purple Cherry Architects (PCA) in Annapolis, says the property would present some salient but surmountable problems.  

“This property presented a unique opportunity and challenges because of its siting on the lot and proximity to the water,” Purple Cherry says.

Her clients requested a 5,000 square-foot home. This would be the first challenge considering the size and complex nature of the waterside lot.  “And so, there were many aspects of overlays that created literally the tightness or the compactness that you are seeing. That was what was so difficult for this piece of property, says Purple Cherry of the design that was conceived for her clients.

The couple worked closely with Architectural Designer Kellen August of the PCA team in order to check off the boxes on the wish list that they had conceived; a list that included a floorplan to accommodate aging in place, a separate bedroom with en suite bath for each of their three grown children when they came to visit, and a covered outdoor entertaining area that would showcase the natural scheme the family had waited decades to be able to enjoy. 

Lot complexities would limit how and where the house would be oriented on the land, how many garages it could have, and exactly where those garages could be situated in the footprint. To look at its gorgeous façade and backdrop today, no one would even conceive that this property had any constrictions to contend with at all. 

August explains how the team accomplished the southern, low country exterior aesthetic goals that the homeowners requested.

“We did NuCedar siding, which is a synthetic cedar siding, and we had the brick water table, which spoke to that Charleston language that they loved with the stained mahogany doors,” August says. “We had some aspects of board and batten, and then we did an asphalt shingle roof.”

“The positioning of the house, and the design of the architecture is really exceptional. The house lives really well with the nature around us. It’s very inviting. It almost feels like it’s inside your home, which is nice,” said the husband, who could not say enough about the craftsmanship and team mindset of Bayview Builders lead by David Carlisle.

“There’s nothing [in the industry] that he isn’t knowledgeable about,” says the homeowner whose background is also in building and construction, about Carlisle. 

The final piece to the curb appeal puzzle was attended to by Annapolis-based Campion Hruby Landscape Architecture, who expertly integrated the site’s natural aspects with an optimal selection of trees, plantings, and elements of hardscape that helped provide that feeling of being surrounded by nature.

Post-build, the homeowners attest that probably the most rewarding aspect of the project is the wow factor that was brought to each room. From the custom entry with open views to the water through the great room to an amazing butler’s pantry, guests may re-think the definition of what these spaces usually mean. 

Helping to create that wow factor was the task of PCA’s Lead Interior Designer, Alex Epstein, who would inherit some interesting requests from the homeowners based on how they determined their new home would best work for them.

Base elements like a warm, re-claimed white oak was chosen for the flooring and additional elements such as the stunning crossbeam ceiling treatment used to elevate the look of the entry, were implemented to address the homeowners’ request that rustic touches be incorporated throughout.

White oak would make an even bigger statement in the great room appearing overhead as decorative timber trusses spanning the length of the room. This feature combined with a series of large, vertical windows strategically overlooking a tree-lined waterfront conveys a restive and tranquil gathering space and gateway to the rest of the home.

The great room advantageously connects to the kitchen via a two-sided limestone fireplace. (One of the special requests per the homeowners was to fill the home with fireplaces.) This would be the first of three on the main floor.

The home, says Purple Cherry, directly reflects the needs of a semi-retired couple who travel often, and whose children are grown. This is seen keenly and stylishly in the design of the kitchen (they both love to cook) with its ultra-fashionable banquette built into the backside of an ingeniously curved island.

“Therefore, 98 percent of the time, two people are sitting in the banquette,” Purple Cherry says. “And it works beautifully.”

To create an interplay of texture in this room the couple chose a Taj Mahal quartzite for the range feature wall to which they added open, rustic wood shelving on either side, as well as a hood made of tony stainless steel and brass. 

As is the practice with PCA interiors projects, the team would travel to North Carolina to the High Point Market designers showcase to get a feel for what furnishings, styles, and accessories would best suit the couple as they appointed their home. These new pieces and trimmings would be specifically chosen to work with the treasure trove of fine antiques and other collectibles the couple already owned.

Fine Dining Redefined

The room that best exemplifies how this curated mix works is the home’s library, which the couple opted to situate just off the kitchen. In fact, the room that is most commonly located adjacent to the kitchen, does not visually appear in the floorplan at all. The homeowners decided they would take a totally different, more flexible approach to two of the rooms that flow out of the kitchen.

The library concept evolved after the couple fell in love with an exceptional pair of tall cabinets with mirrored glass front panels on that visit to High Point. These exquisite furnishings were purchased to sit on either side of a streamlined, cast stone-front fireplace. 

“I remember we had so many conversations back and forth if we wanted to do built-ins or not do built-ins, but when they saw these pieces, it was a no-brainer,” Epstein says. 

What the addition of those pieces did for the room made it more of a sophisticated, yet informal gathering space that could be used on a regular basis, rather than a formal dining room that the couple would use maybe once or twice a year. 

“So, we found we weren’t using a formal dining room anymore. A lot of people don’t, except on rare occasions, big family events. And a lot of those are in the summer and our outdoor space transitions with our indoor space beautifully for that,” the wife explains. “But on occasion, I do need a dining room, so the library was designed to be a flexible space.”

That space would also provide the nooks, crannies, and walls for cherished heirlooms. The fifth wall, as Epstein refers to it, or ceiling, in her opinion should never be overlooked as an opportunity for interest and inspiration, and certainly was not in this case. She adds that an intense blue lacquered wallpaper was employed and is beautifully counterbalanced with a floral-patterned paper and abundant light from the room’s glass patio door.

Chill Zones & Other Re-Imaginings

As beautiful, thoughtful, and picturesque as these spaces are on the main level, there are other rooms on this floor where you are most likely to find the couple hanging out mixing a cocktail, reviewing paperwork, or retrieving treasured dishware. Remember that other room off the kitchen? 

“We were trying to figure out what this space was going to be used for,” August explains. “If it was going to be strictly a butler’s pantry, strictly an office, strictly a bar, or if there was a way that we could get all of that into one space.” And while it may say, “Butler’s Pantry” on the floorplan, we have yet to see another that rivals the style and utility of this couple’s butler’s pantry.

“First and foremost, it physically presents as a bar,” Purple Cherry says. “Its darkness, its ambiance, its ceiling, its glitz—it’s all bar, and it’s kind of a man-bar.”

The lack of a traditional dining room presented a question about where the traditional dining room storage would go. But not for long. Storage was provided in this most opulent of pantries with exquisite custom cabinetry fitted with glass doors and enhanced with brushed nickel cross-hatched inserts, adding some of the “glitz” to the room.

Then an antique mirror tile was chosen for the backsplash, hammered metal was selected for the sink insert, and a small floral print pattern wallpaper was chosen for the ceiling, all creating a feeling of understated glamour.

Additional utility came in the form of a bar-height style desk space created with hidden storage underneath to conceal their printer and stow office supplies, so the wife, an accountant, has a place to crunch the numbers. Dare we say, the entire space added up to one sleek, multipurpose room for both him and her, that is far from an afterthought. 

And when cocktails and dinner are done, the couple will retreat to a primary bedroom suite that pulls every aspect of their waterside location together into one serene and inspirational setting in which to unwind and recharge.

Bringing in those rustic touches for the husband, the corner nook fireplace in the room was constructed with a re-claimed barnwood mantle above, and a wall of shiplap behind it. To accentuate and maximize the advantage of the water view and light from the large picture window in the room, the design team chose an ever-so-subtle ceiling treatment. 

“And then just as a fun element, we did a very faint light blue ceiling in there,” August says. “That was another element of really bringing in that southern, low country feel, as well.”

For the wife, there’s an incredible spa get-away of an en suite bath. “I would say this room, was all about the view, even though it’s a bathroom,” August explains. “That’s why the shower is all glass…and it specifically also has a skylight above, so there’s tons of natural light coming in.” 

To this framework, the couple chose Kohler’s stunning Stargaze soaking tub for the room because that’s just what they can do from where the tub is situated, right at the foot of a waterside-facing window. The perfect way to end the day, and our narrative, looking across the pond, out to the South River and beyond, and above to the night sky. 

“We’re west-facing, which was important when we were thinking about building, because I love the sunsets,” remarks the wife. “And in the winter, we get the most spectacular sunsets.”