This street in Easton’s Historic District has long been a treasure trove of houses for me to feature. I have passed by this property many times and admired its double corner site on a deep lot that extends back to the next street for privacy. The streetscape elevation shows how the house is enhanced by several majestic trees and mature landscaping. The house’s very appealing eclectic architectural style has a three-bay façade with a front stoop under a pediment supported by Tuscan columns. The symmetrical arrangement of windows around the center door is accented by the pair of windows over the front stoop, in contrast to the single windows. I especially admired the jerkinhead gables on each façade at the front and side of the house.
Along the side street, the “T” shape of the house’s footprint reveals a delightful open porch overlooking the deep rear yard. Above the open porch is a room, that given the age of the house, might have originally been a sleeping porch but it is now enclosed to create a delightful sunroom/office. The color palette of light yellow siding and white trim is surrounded by the various shades of green in the lush landscape.
Before I went into the house, I opened the gate in the fence along the side street to discover a verdant oasis outlined in tall evergreens, majestic deciduous trees and year round shrubbery including the Japanese Aucuba with its distinctive leathery green leaves with bright yellow speckles.
Steps from the open porch lead down to the yard and to a hardscaped area below the center gable. A low brick semicircular wall infilled with plantings spans across the wall below the gable wall projection. Outdoor seating arranged in a larger semicircle on a hardscaped area faces the planting wall. At the side of the house off the kitchen is another area for al-fresco dining and easy indoor-outdoor flow for entertaining.
Past the lawn at the rear of the house, a hardscaped path meanders through mature landscaping against the fencing on each side of the property, past a trampoline and a greenhouse. Seeing the discreet landscape lighting tucked into the landscape, it was easy to imagine how magical this special space must be at twilight. The view of the barn became more tantalizing so I continued my walk.
The brick walk blends into a larger hardscaped outdoor room with seating and double gates that open onto the side street for parking. The distinctive barn is now used for storage but architect John Hutchison AIA has designed a renovation to turn the barn into a stunning guest house. The first floor will contain the living-dining space with a gas fireplace, a kitchenette and two bathrooms. The second floor will contain custom built-in beds and bunks. Architectural existing condition plans have also been prepared for a main house addition.
I reluctantly left the exquisite private garden to explore the interiors of the house. The front door with its fanlight opens into a stair hall with a door to a coat closet. I admired how the graceful stair’s wide landing splits the upper portion of the stair into two opposite runs to reach either the front or the rear of the second floor. The stair is beautifully detailed with the cap rail’s darker wood contrasting with the stained treads and white pickets, accented by a black and white stair runner in a diagonal pattern. I am currently selecting new wall colors to refresh my house and this deep olive wall color was striking and the perfect background to the abstract art. The wide wall opening leads to the family room.
The family room spans the full depth of the house with the long and wide window overlooking the streetscape. I admired the neutral tones and design of the sofa and rug over the original slim oak flooring, with the red accents of the two chairs. The bespoke millwork adds a contemporary flair and the fully stocked bar is ready for entertaining guests.
The slight wall projection at the rear of the room, infilled with a wide double unit window creates a great Snug overlooking the rear gardens and landscape. As an art lover, I greatly admired how carefully each piece of art contributed to the wall’s composition of various sizes and colors.
Across the stair hall is the living room with long and wide windows at the front and side walls. The colors and patterns of the pillows and ottoman accents the neutral sofa color. Being a Beatles fan, seeing the Fab Four in black and white over the piano was a delightful surprise. The French door leads to the open porch along the side of the house and the doorway leads to a short hall past a powder room to the kitchen.
The fireplace that extends into the family room is a focal point and I admired the color of the firebox surround with its deep blue-gray color that complements the rug. It was easy to imagine sinking into the sectional sofa for a family TV night with the kitchen close by for snacks!
The spacious kitchen is this cook’s dream with its easy care tile flooring whose subtle pattern simulates wood, stainless steel appliances, white cabinetry, black granite countertops accented by the backsplash’s colorful mosaic tiles and the crisp white window and door trim. Another French door leads to the open porch for easy indoor-outdoor flow. The photograph of Snoop Dog is a striking focal point of the space.
I admired how the layout of the cabinetry and appliances accommodated the existing windows and how the gentle elliptical arched soffit highlights the triple unit window overlooking the rear garden. I especially admired how the upper cabinets that rise to the underside of the ceiling have back-lighted glass fronts, all the better to focus on the collection of colorful ceramics. The island has a mix of cabinetry, open shelving and an overhang for stools.
The porch at the side of the house is a charming outdoor room with its kinetic chevron pattern of wide parallelograms in subtle shades of blue and gray. The blue slat ceiling is the traditional color for Southern porches and the star shaped three-dimensional pendant light fixture is the perfect touch. The length of the porch accommodates both sitting and dining areas and the steps at the end of the porch lead down to the garden.
Having explored the main floor, I made my way back to the stair hall. Since the upper stair run splits in two, I first chose the steps that lead to the primary bedroom ensuite overlooking the rear landscaping. I admired the deep blue color of the walls that is a colorful background for the white furnishings and bedding. The door at the side wall opens into a large walk-in closet and an adjacent laundry room.
From the primary bedroom, the half glass, half paneled door leads to this delightful space with windows on three sides that is furnished as an office. The desk is strategically placed for panoramic bird’s eye views of the side and rear landscaping and the long vista across the cemetery.
The compact primary bath’s white fixtures and the white walls highlights the flooring’s small grid of hexagon shaped tiles in black and white tiles that is perfectly scaled for the space. The vintage style pedestal lavatory pays homage to the age of the house and the clear shower curtain maintains the spatial volume. Opposite the lavatory is a window overlooking the rear yard’s landscaping.
The other upper run of the stair leads to a wide landing connecting two guest bedrooms. The deep landing is furnished with a vintage sofa and pillows that could be a mini-snug for reading stories to children before bedtime. This spacious bedroom has ample room for a sleeping area and study area and the wide and long windows on each exterior wall flood the space with sunlight.
The other guest bedroom is furnished as a playroom with storage bins, shelving and cabinets for toys and games to keep the room tidy. I admired another geometric rug whose pattern reminded me of a maze.
There is also a finished basement furnished as a recreation room with a daybed, TV and shelving for games and puzzles. On the other side of the stair is a large storage room.
This property has it all-great location on a highly desirable, deep double corner lot in Easton’s Historic District; appealing eclectic architecture, beautifully renovated interiors that combine both the historic details of original hardwood floors, moldings and fireplaces, with contemporary furnishings for a very appealing eclectic look. The upgraded kitchen and baths make this house move-in ready, just in time to enjoy the summer season from the side porch or hardscaped areas around the rear of the house, surrounded by the deep rear yard’s lush landscaping that is fully fenced for privacy. The bonus of architectural plans for the barn’s renovation into a guest house and an addition to the main house by one of the Eastern Shore’s most talented architects offers more possibilities to make this property uniquely yours. Bravissimo to the Owners for their stylish interiors!
For more information about this property, contact Jennifer Chino, Team Leader, Anchored Home of Compass, 410-429-7425 (o) 410-941-7009 (c) or jennifer.chino@compass.com . For more pictures and pricing, visit www.anchoredhomeannapolis.com, “Equal Housing Opportunity.”
Photography by: HD Bros, www.hdbros.com
Barn and Addition Architecture: John Hutchison Architecture, www.johnhutcharch.com, (410) 449-0466