Design with Jenn Martella: Tilghman Island Treasure

This aerial shot illustrates how the house’s octagonal shaped entry gable pays homage to the architectural element of the distinctive “wharf” houses of Tilghman Island that have an eye-catching “W” shape. This house’s octagonal shaped entry is set against the house’s rectangular shape with a full front porch.  The house is sited on a deep 0.42 acre lot and is nestled in a clearing surrounded by mature trees and professionally landscaped grounds.  The dead-end street provides privacy and views of Dogwood Harbor to the Chesapeake Bay. 

The property has great curb appeal beginning with the white fence along the road  that frames the view of the lush landscaping and mature gardens. As I walked up the paved path to the house, I admired the crape myrtle, a magnificent magnolia and fig trees in the front garden. The partial view of the house is both private and welcoming.

The focal point of the charming front elevation is the prominent two-story bay shaped gable with its arched top attic window and the slanted header trim of the windows. The light yellow lap siding and white trim stands out against the green enclosure of tall trees. The full screened porch beckoned me within but the vine covered arbor at the side yard encouraged me to continue my exploration of the grounds. 

The arbor introduces the path along the side elevation that ends at a pea gravel terrace next to this delightful deck, shaded from the midday sun by giant trees. Sliding doors from the sloped roofed living room provide for easy indoor-outdoor flow between the living room and the deck.

As I strolled along the meandering gravel path between the grassed areas, I  passed two outbuildings painted in a deeper yellow hue than the house’s yellow color. The blue trim is the perfect choice as blue and yellow are complimentary and the red accent of the umbrella at the deck dining area is another accent.

 

One outbuilding is completely finished and I admired the gambrel shaped ceiling and the white wainscot with its top aligned with the top of the mantel’s trim. The light gray walls above the wainscot balances the white of the flooring, wainscot and ceiling and the French door and window offer views of the landscape. The contemporary wood wing chairs were a delightful surprise and harbingers of what the house’s interiors might be. 

This space would be an elegant setting for a home office-I could easily imagine writing my Spy House of the Week column here, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature.  

The other outbuilding is a blank canvas for the next owner. Myriad options could include a potting barn, workshop, playroom, yoga studio, etc. The sloped ceiling due to the different heights of the side walls creates terrific spatial volume.

Having explored the professionally landscaped grounds, I went back to the front door to begin my tour of the interiors. The screened porch’s bay projection that encroaches onto the porch creates a short passageway to access cozy sitting areas at each corner of the screened porch. I loved the blue accents of both the floor and the ceiling and how the wood flooring is perpendicular to the exterior wall of the house and the ceiling’s slats are parallel. The colorful parrot is a great accent.

I love porch swings and this one suspended above the floor also makes cleaning easy. Both the diagonal latticed wall and the matchstick blinds offer partial or total privacy from the neighbor’s house.  As the Weekend Wine Woman at Piazza Italian Market, I noticed the arrangement of wine glasses in the accent pillow’s design on the swing’s cushion.

The Listing Agent greeted me at the foyer and I realized the octagonal shape of the foyer is broken by the hall, stair and the door to the kitchen. I was delighted to see the interior design’s stylish blend of old and new; the flooring is a mix of original and new and the recessed down lights provide ambient lighting. The diagonal wall opening of the bay projection leading to the dining room, the clear vista from the foyer to the rear wall and the original stair competed for my attention but I chose to explore the dining room first.

Across the stair hall from the dining room is the original paneled exterior door with both inlaid glass and stained glass. I liked how the side stringers for the stair drop down below the ceiling to frame the nook under the stairs that contains the stack W/D. The spacious dining room with the period chandelier, ceiling rosette above the contemporary wood trestle table and the mix of chairs creates an elegant setting for memorable meals.

At some point, the rear shed addition was renovated to become a living room and the wall between the dining and living room was opened wide with a center column for support. The long vista from dining room- living room-deck-landscaping ends at the towering bamboo “fence” at the rear of the property.

I loved the interior design of the living room that spans the full length of the addition. The stylish composition of the modern furnishings grouped on the large muted rug, around the square steel/glass topped coffee table and the rich deep blue of the sofa flanked by tall reading lamps could be a magazine cover!

At the opposite corner of the living room is a more intimate seating  area with deep wood framed, upholstered cushioned chairs and a round ottoman with the propane cast iron stove/fireplace in the corner to radiate heat into the room. The exterior door leads to the side path through the landscaping and the sliding French doors and full sidelight lead to the deck.

The kitchen has multiple access points from the corner doorway to the opposite dining room and living room and a front doorway to the foyer. I loved the painted exposed beams and the checkerboard flooring. There is ample space for both an island (perhaps a reclaimed wood chopping block?) and a breakfast area by the front wall to the screened porch. The painting of the antique Welsh Dresser could be a subliminal message that this spot would be perfect for that timeless storage unit. Built-in corner cabinets provide more storage.

The stair to the second floor ends at a spacious landing that blends into the hall connecting the primary bedroom, full bath, guest bedroom and the snug. 

The octagonal shape of the foyer below is broken by the stair, hall and door to the kitchen but this snug above enjoys the full octagonal shape with walls that wrap around the seating area.  The neutral wall and furnishing colors with a hint of blue makes this cozy space seem larger than it is. 

As a bibliophile, if I were lucky to be a guest, you would find me in this delightful space reading my current Book Club book! The wall opening that contains a second door to the guest bedroom could be infilled to add floor to ceiling bespoke millwork at the Snug’s interior angled walls to create a mini-library. Then the guest bedroom bed could be placed against the diagonal wall to free up more floor space in that room.

White is the classic color of cleanliness and it also sets a background for another owner to personalize the space with colorful towels or accessories.  The paneled walls add texture and the flooring is the perfect scale for the space. Changing the shower curtain to a glass door would expand the space even more. 

The primary bedroom is located at the rear corner of the house and the large room shares the angled wall of the adjacent snug. With windows on all three exterior walls for sun throughout the day, this primary bedroom is a haven of peace and privacy. 

I always enjoy seeing an Owner’s motto for their house and their American Primitive artwork perfectly conveys how I felt about this charming country place! Historic architecture in perfect harmony with contemporary interiors; outdoor rooms of the front screened porch and rear deck for great indoor-outdoor flow; mature trees enhanced by professionally landscaped grounds; spaces filled with sunlight, upgrades and freshly painted; move-in ready-hard to resist!

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For more information about this property, contact Angela Simonelli with Compass Real Estate at 410-429-7425 (o), 410-200-0414 (c) or [email protected] . For more photographs and pricing, visit www.AngelaSimonelli.com Equal Housing Opportunity”.

Photography by Brandon Manchion, [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.