“We fell in love with St. Michaels when we first visited,” recalls Megan Goeller, wife, mother and chief influencer behind the project’s casual style. “It’s a calmer pace of life, with kind people and beautiful views.”

Veterans of home-building projects, the couple had previously built a getaway from scratch in South Carolina and were constructing a new residence in Wilmington—where Bill is president of an electrical contracting concern—when they called architect Christine Mizak Dayton of Easton, Maryland, in 2019.

“What brought them here was their love of the water. They also wanted to create a home that could entertain the family,” notes Dayton, who captured the spirit of St. Michaels with the couple’s relaxed, two-story, 6,000-square-foot retreat, completed by Focus Construction in 2021. Four thousand square feet of heated living space centers on an open-plan, 24-by-35-foot great room incorporating living, dining and cooking. An adjacent primary suite looks out to a screened porch. Upstairs, four ensuite bedrooms plus a bunk room over a two-car garage await visiting family. The house has six and a half baths in all, including two sharing a shower.

The interior skews lively, with a classic, blue-and-white palette that mixes export-style porcelain with easy-care rattan, cane and wicker furniture. The inspiration and acquisitions came from Megan herself. “I went here, there and everywhere,” she says of shopping adventures that took her from Delaware to South Carolina, as well as nearby Easton. “I wanted it to be light, bright and airy, but I didn’t want grandchildren to worry,” she adds. “I have a lot of antiques in our other homes but we did not want that formality here.”

Built on a tranquil, shady lane, the new house presents its charms quietly. Once inside, visitors are greeted with spectacle: a vista through the great room that extends to open water. “When you come in the front door, you immediately gain a sense of what’s beyond,” says Dayton. Wraparound, double-hung Marvin windows flood the kitchen and dining areas with daylight and views, while sliding-glass doors open wide to the porch overlooking the riverscape that drew the owners to this spot.

“We wanted the house to be built around the view,” says Megan Goeller. “Christine was really tuned in to what we had in mind.”

The layout is straightforward. The foyer opens to the owners’ suite on the right. Straight ahead is the great room, with a fireplace set in a wall of lightly detailed, painted paneling. At left, an open stair hall leads past a powder room to the laundry and mudroom that connect the kitchen and garage. Ceilings are nine feet throughout. The first floor has wide-plank, white oak flooring in the great room and primary suite, while the utility spaces and outdoor surfaces are tiled with bluestone.

The kitchen, designed in collaboration with Kitchen Creations of Easton, was especially important to Megan, who wanted to enjoy views from her Thermador range and from what she calls her blueberry-colored, quartz-topped island. “I cook a lot,” she points out. High-style cabinets improve the view from the sitting area; their design echoes glass-fronted models Dayton has in her own home.

The upper level has evolved. The architect included a sitting area at the top of the stairs. The owners gained a den by reclaiming a central bedroom that opens to the deck. A spiral staircase was added from the deck to the lawn, simplifying the route to the pool. The Goellers acquired the site by partnering with another family to split a double lot where a vintage house has since been demolished. Dayton, who designed new homes for both families, gave each its own identity. “This one is classy but not overly formal,” she says.

Siting respects a 75.5-foot setback from the water and also protects peripheral views from the porch. “I can’t see anything but nature,” Megan says. As Eastern Shore residents know well, seasons have their glories. So do porches. In the winter months, the Goellers enjoy the sunny west-facing front porch overlooking their quiet neighborhood. Come nicer weather, the east-facing porch becomes a favored spot for gazing at the pool and the Miles River.

“Christine was so good at having a vision,” says Megan. “This is a simple home, but it lives so comfortably. It’s the perfect house.”

Architecture: Christine Mizak Dayton, AIA, Christine M. Dayton Architect, P.A., Easton, Maryland. Kitchen Design: Kitchen Creations, Easton, Maryland. Builder: Focus Construction, Ltd., Easton, Maryland. Landscape Design: Solidago Landscapes, Church Hill, Maryland.

Keeping the scenic locale in mind, Purple Cherry tucked a small, screened porch (above) to one side off the main living area, beyond which a watery panorama unfolds. “It’s a destination room,” the architect notes. “The clients requested that it support seating, not dining, so it’s smaller in scale and has a cozy atmosphere.” A stacked-stone-look tile fireplace anchors the space, where trim details on columns and ceiling reflect the home’s aesthetic. Comfortable Kingsley Bate furniture sits atop an ipe floor and an all-weather rug. A set of stairs leads down to the pool terrace, creating easy indoor-outdoor connectivity.

Architecture & Interior Design: Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED AP, Purple Cherry Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: Bayview Builders, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Campion Hruby Landscape Architects, Annapolis, Maryland.

A New York City power couple, the owners had traveled the world—but fell in love with Chestertown, Maryland, more than five years ago. After finding the perfect site, they asked Purple Cherry to design a vacation home there that would reflect their shared aesthetic and values. It had to be sized for the two of them, with a modest presence and interiors that would support a vibrant collection of art, furnishings and books, as well as Asian Pacific artifacts acquired during wanderings abroad.

“Simplicity, smallness of scale, lack of pretense,” Purple Cherry says, ticking off the clients’ program for both architecture and interiors. “And, overarchingly, a very tight budget.”

Today, Nepalese wind chimes sound at the approach to the light-filled, 3,875-square-foot dwelling, which is set on a clearing parallel to and 100 feet back from the water. “One of my favorite aspects of the house is how the design thoughtfully blends in with its surroundings, truly bringing nature into every room and from every angle,” says the husband, a financial executive.

Purple Cherry arrived at the clean, modern spirit her clients had in mind via a restrained form consisting of three volumes. A bird’s-eye view reveals the house plan as a rectangle flanked by two identical squares topped with peaked roofs. “When you’re aiming for something simple and pure,” the architect observes, “symmetry makes for a more peaceful structure within the landscape.”

A visit begins at the east-facing front door, which opens into a 40-foot-long gallery with three points of entry into the 40-by-18-foot great room. The space neatly accommodates seating, cooking and dining for six under a beamed, white-painted ceiling rising to 16 feet. A wall of full-length windows looks west to the river through a 40-foot-long screened porch.

The gallery connects the central living space with two 30-foot-square “pods” at each end of the house. One contains the owners’ suite, featuring a fireplace in the bedroom, a pocket office separated by sliding barn doors, a small library and a laundry. The other wing holds two ensuite bedrooms—a home office now occupies one—plus a mudroom, walk-in closet, powder room and kitchen pantry.

Purple Cherry directed her interiors team to focus on quiet comfort rather than grand entertaining, in keeping with the owners’ desire for a private refuge. Says lead designer Annie Kersey, “The clients sought to combine their curated collection with a modern/minimalistic approach that feels natural and cozy while it draws your eye out to the water.”

In the great room, Kersey started with an existing coffee table and Oriental rug, then added soft goods in a palette shading from cream to gray. “We brought together the colors of the rug to make it the focal point,” she says. Furniture, rugs and textiles collected on the owners’ travels fill the primary suite.

In the kitchen, Crown Point Cabinetry under cabinets finished in Sherwin-Williams’ Classic French Gray frame Wolf, Sub-Zero and Asko appliances. A Remains Lighting Co. globe fixture and a backsplash of handcrafted, glazed-brick subway tiles from Waterworks nod to the residents’ New York ties. “The tiles are long, skinny and heavily pitted, so they’re a bit urban and modern-looking,” notes Kersey. Charcoal-gray grout provides contrast and relates to the dark gray, honed-soapstone perimeter countertop.

A precise budget led to cost-effective choices including asphalt shingles, prefabricated fireplaces and a patio of ipe wood rather than stone. Pared roof overhangs and minimal trim emphasize a clean-lined, modern aesthetic while inside, builder Pilli Custom Homes excelled at detailing—case in point, the distinctive square beams and boxed planks on the great room ceiling, which are set vertically to emphasize height.

Landscape architect D. Miles Barnard of South Fork Studio in Chestertown complemented the streamlined architecture with a restrained palette of ornamental grasses bordering the waterline and native shrubs planted around the house. He achieved all-season interest with chokeberry, clethra, summersweet, fothergilla, oakleaf hydrangea, inkberry, winterberry, Virginia sweetspire and Southern bayberry. A pair of Sweetbay magnolia trees graces the front entrance.

The heated, 14-foot-wide screened porch off the great room boasts a fireplace of stucco and rough stone. Jeld-Wen windows finished in Chestnut Bronze influenced both the trim color and furnishings selected by Kersey and team. The porch is a mainstay, making possible the kind of intimate evenings among close friends that the clients envisioned; at the same time, the easy indoor/outdoor connection makes the house expandable for larger events. “Porches are a lot about nighttime use,” notes Purple Cherry. “It’s not about the view, it’s about the camaraderie.”

Architecture: Cathy Purple Cherry, AIA, LEED AP, CAS, Purple Cherry Architects. Interior Design: Annie Kersey, Purple Cherry Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: Guy Pilli, Pilli Custom Homes, Millersville, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: D. Miles Barnard, RLA, ASLA, South Fork Studio Landscape Architecture, Chestertown, Maryland.

Modern Barn

When asked to design a large guest house on a Wye River property in Queenstown, Maryland, Kimmel Studio Architects tapped into the rural vernacular of the Chesapeake Bay region. Principal Devin Kimmel envisioned a barn-like structure “that would harmonize with the landscape and history of the Eastern Shore,” he notes. “We wanted a modern building with traditional design influences that would be at home on its site.”

Vertical wood panels clad a_ gabled, post-and-beam structure. Small windows on the south and west sides protect against heat gain while larger ones on the northeast façade optimize natural light; the river-facing wall consists entirely of windows. Two-story barn doors welcome visitors into a soaring, double-height great room; a dropped ceiling in one portion of the space delineates the kitchen and dining area, where a more intimate vibe prevails. Inside an attached, corrugated-steel silo, a spiral staircase winds up to the lofted second story, which evokes a hayloft but is modern in style. There, two bedrooms overlook the main level.

The completed guest house serves as a comfortable retreat for the owners’ relatives with young children. Says Kimmel, “The open-plan first floor and loft above it maximize the interior space and create an atmosphere of togetherness perfect for visiting families.”

Architecture: Devin Kimmel, AIA, ASLA, Kimmel Studio Architects. Builder: Lynbrook of Annapolis.

Pool-Side Refuge

ABS Architects and Bayview Builders overhauled a dwelling on Weems Creek in Annapolis, reimagining it as a classic, shingled home. Along with the residence, the project revamped an existing building as a pool house “similar to the main abode but on a smaller scale,” explains Bayview’s Chris Neumann. His team clad the structure in white-painted cedar siding to match the residence.

The pool house spills out to a pool and spa surrounded by ipe decking. A screened porch connects to a loggia with a Spanish cedar pergola overhead. A gabled roof and dormers add interest, as does a roof deck atop the porch enclosed by a decorative railing.

Inside, the two-story pool house contains two bedrooms, two baths and a full kitchen. A bath and changing room cater to swimmers.

Architecture: ABS Architects. Builder: Bayview Builders. Landscape Architecture: Campion Hruby Landscape Architects.

Lodge Living

Clients who love to hunt tasked architect Christine Dayton with designing an outpost on their Easton, Maryland, farm overlooking the Wye River. The structure would double as a social hub and storage space. Dayton conceived a traditional pole barn with a high ceiling, open spaces and no basement. “We sited the building to enjoy views of the farm and river,” she recounts. “A portion of the space stores decoys and equipment while the living area houses an office, bath and mudroom. A loft with a balcony captures river views.”

Vertical board and batten in stained pine clads the exterior, with a standing-seam metal roof and Marvin windows. Inside, vertical pine paneling channels the feel of a hunting lodge. A custom barnwood wet bar with a granite countertop serves the loft entertaining space.

Architecture: Christine M. Dayton, Christine M. Dayton Architect, P.A. Contractors: O’Neill Development; Chance & Associates.

Party Central

Tapped for the task of restoring and reconstructing a sprawling farm situated along the Miles River in St. Michaels, Maryland, architect Gregory Wiedemann developed a plan that encompassed numerous outbuildings as well as the main residence. Among the renovated structures: a former concrete-block dairy barn envisioned by the homeowners as a destination for entertaining.

In its new iteration, the barn is clad in a combination of stone and painted mahogany bevel siding and trim, with a cedar shake roof and custom windows by Dover Windows & Doors. An adjoining pergola-covered stone patio invites al fresco dining. Inside, the main gathering space is elevated by custom millwork in rift-sawn white oak, stone flooring and rustic-elegant furnishings. A full catering kitchen makes entertaining easy—as does a wall of built-ins for wine storage.

Renovation Architecture: Gregory Wiedemann, FAIA, Wiedemann Architects, LLC.

For the pair—he’s a biotech investor and she’s a retired investment banker—staying put in their Blue Springs Farm neighborhood was key, as they loved their home’s breathtaking setting. The lot, a 26-acre parcel cocooned by the forest on one side and wide-open vistas of the Ragged Mountains on the other, offers beauty in every direction. “At night, the lights on the mountain houses twinkle and you can see weather patterns as they’re approaching,” enthuses the wife. “Plus, our kids grew up here and played in those woods, so we have a lot of memories.”

As their three boys grew into teenagers, however, the couple started to feel the limitations of their 1990s-era residence. “We noticed that we were lacking separate spaces for everybody,” the wife says. “When the kids had friends over, we would lose our main living area.”

She and her husband embarked on a renovation helmed by Dalgliesh Gilpin Paxton Architects with an assist by contractor John Diven of Shelter Associates Ltd. But the project’s scope quickly shifted. “After we started the preliminary demo, we found there were major structural issues that couldn’t be resolved,” recalls project architect Mark Bittle. There was only one logical solution: Raze the house and start from the ground up. The new structure could be better oriented to its site, and could draw on a style that would resonate more deeply with the owners, whose tastes skew less traditional.

Loosely inspired by the region’s historical Georgian vernacular, the design is an exercise in symmetry and proportion, channeled through a contemporary lens. Says architect Roger Birle, “It’s a nice marriage between classic composition and modern materials and aesthetics.”

The completed, 14,000-square-foot abode effortlessly harmonizes with its site. By transposing the orientation of the previous home’s front façade, the architects created a more intimate arrival on the forest-facing side of the property while the rear takes in the majestic mountain range. Organized around a central mass and flanked by wings, the plan’s H-shaped layout accommodates the main living spaces and primary suite on the first level while four bedrooms, each with an adjacent bath, take up the second floor. The lower level boasts a home theater, gym, golf simulator and, for future grandchildren, a playroom accessed via its own secret door under the basement stairs.

Because the family loves to entertain and spend time outside, bringing nature in via seamless indoor-outdoor connections was paramount. The front entry yields a clear sightline to the rear yard and the views beyond. Nearly every room at the back of the house offers easy access to the pool, patios and a courtyard where a glass orb by artist Allison Armour serves as a focal point. These exterior spaces were shaped by landscape architecture firm Waterstreet Studio, which implemented a contemporary scheme using native plants.

Inside the home, European oak floors and a neutral material palette promote an aura of calm. The fact that the interiors possess the soothing vibe of a modern boutique hotel is by design: “My husband and I worked in Manhattan in the 1990s when W Hotels were new to the scene,” reveals the wife, who took on the role of designer. “That clean, uncluttered look is something we’ve always gravitated to since our early days.”

To execute their vision, she stuck to classic silhouettes and subdued shades of gray and cream. Just as a great capsule wardrobe affords the flexibility to interchange items, this approach gave her the freedom to move furnishings around on the fly. It also provided a quiet backdrop for more fanciful flourishes, such as the Poggenpohl kitchen’s diamond-like backsplash and an array of shimmery wall coverings and statement lights that add sparkle and pop throughout the house.

The glam aesthetic extends to the party barn, an outbuilding designed for hosting a crowd when the couple’s sons—all students at UVA—come home. “The clients didn’t want rustic, but at some point we started calling it the party barn and the name stuck,” Bittle explains. Riffing on the idea, the architects incorporated soaring steel trusses that mimic timber framework. To keep noise to a minimum, the barn is accessed via a courtyard that also leads to the main house, garage and pool.

“Part of the challenge was to create a new destination that would still feel connected to the house in a way that’s convenient and beautiful,” observes Birle.

These days, the party barn is packed almost every weekend, making the owners’ mission to entice the kids back home a success. “Every time I talk to them, they’re hosting parties or their sons are home having get-togethers,” Bittle affirms. “From all indications, the plan worked like a charm.”

Architecture: Roger L. Birle, AIA, principal architect; Mark T. Bittle, AIA, project architect, Dalgliesh Gilpin Paxton Architects, Charlottesville, Virginia. Kitchen Design: Poggenpohl, Washington, DC. Builder: John Diven, Shelter Associates Ltd., Charlottesville, Virginia. Landscape Architecture: Waterstreet Studio, Charlottesville, Virginia. Landscape Installation: Grelen Nursery, Somerset, Virginia.

RESOURCES

LIVING ROOM
Fireplace Tile: sarissandtile.com through emilamerica.com. Chandelier: rh.com. Sofas & Sofa Fabric: margecarson.com. Rugs: stantoncarpet.com. Coffee Table: vanguardfurniture.com. Armchairs: lexington.com. Curved-Back Chairs: adrianahoyos.com. Wall Covering: hollandandsherry.com.

ENTRY HALL
Chandelier: ilanel.com. Wall Paint: Galena by benjaminmoore.com.

KITCHEN
Cabinetry: poggenpohl.com. Backsplash Tile: akdo.com. Lights near Windows: sonnemanlight.com. Pendants: bradleylighting.com. Countertops: us.vicostone.com through cogswellstone.com. Wall Oven & Cooktop: subzero-wolf.com through Kraft Appliance; 434-923-8988. Faucet: newportbrass.com through fergusonshowrooms.com.

COVERED PATIO
Fireplace: europeanhome.com. Sofa, Chairs & Coffee Table: bernhardt.com. Rug: treasuregarden.com. Dining Table: seasonalliving.com. Dining Chairs: klaussner.com. Outdoor Sconces: hubbardtonforge.com. Console: urbiaimports.com. Ceiling Fan: bigassfans.com. Fireplace Tile: sarisandtile.com.

POOL-SIDE
Chaises: castellefurniture.com. Armchairs: klaussner.com. Firepit: rh.com. Porcelain Pavers: kronos-usa.com through sarisandtile.com.

PARTY BARN
Pool Table: olhausenbillards.com. Sofa: thayercoggin.com. Sofa Fabric: hollyhunt.com. Chandelier: tomdixon.net/en_us. Wall Covering: phillipjeffries.com. Bar Stools: mrbrownhome.com. Custom Cabinetry: worthingtonmillwork.com. Countertop: cogswellstone.com. Wallpaper: bradleyusa.com.

Accessory Dwelling Unit
FineCraft Contractors, Inc. Architecture: Thomson & Cooke Architects.

Custom Contemporary Home, 3,000–4,000 square feet
The Block Builders Group. Architecture: Teass \ Warren Architects.

Custom Contemporary Home, 5,000–5,500 square feet
Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC. Builder: Tulacro Development.

Custom Contemporary Home, 5,500–6,000 square feet
Elie Ben Architecture, LLC. Builder: Castlewood Consulting.

Custom Traditional Home, 10,000–10,500 square feet
Mark Giarraputo, AIA, Studio Z Design Concepts. Builder: Rivers Edge Builders, LLC.

Custom Traditional Home, 10,5000–11,000 square feet
Laurence Cafritz Builders. Architecture: GTM Architects.

Custom Traditional Home, 12,000–13,000 square feet
Castlewood Builders. Architecture: Castlewood.

Custom Traditional Home, 3,000–4,000 square feet
Douglas Construction Group, LLC. Architecture: Chris Lapp, AIA.

Custom Traditional Home, 4,000–5,000 square feet
Claude C. Lapp Architects. Builder: The Kehoe Group.

Custom Traditional Home, 5,000–6,000 square feet
Sandy Spring Builders. Architecture: GTM Architects.

Custom Traditional Home, 6,000–7,000 square feet
Classic Homes of Maryland. Architecture: Carib Daniel Martin | Architecture + Design.

Custom Traditional Home, 7,000–8,000 square feet
Castlewood Builders. Architecture: Castlewood.

Custom Traditional Home, 9,000–10,000 square feet
Castlewood Consulting. Architecture: Castlewood. Outdoor Space FineCraft Contractors, Inc. Architecture: MCDStudio.

Renovation, 4,000–4,500 square feet
Foxhall Homes. Architecture: Elie Ben Architecture.

Renovation, 4,500–5,000 square feet
Sandy Spring Builders. Design & Architecture: Ray Sobrino and Studio Z Design Concepts.

Renovation, 5,000–6,000 square feet
Francis Development, LLC. Architecture: Axis Architects.

Renovation, Under 1,000 square feet
Mark Giarraputo AIA, Studio Z Design Concepts. Builder: Structure Home Reinvented.

Speculative Home, 3,000–4,000 square feet
Douglas Construction Group, LLC. Architecture: Studio Z Design Concepts.

Speculative Home, 5,000–5,500 square feet
Francis Development. Architecture: Claude C. Lapp Architects.

Speculative Home, 5,500–6,000 square feet
Foxhall Homes. Architecture: GTM Architects.

Speculative Home, 6,000–6,500 square feet
Mid-Atlantic Custom Builders. Architecture: Mid-Atlantic Custom Builders.

Speculative Home, 6,500–7,000 square Feet
Classic Homes of Maryland. Architecture: Carib Daniel Martin | Architecture + Design.

Speculative Home, 9,000–10,000 square feet
Mid-Atlantic Custom Builders. Architecture: Mid-Atlantic Custom Builders.

Suddenly a modern refuge unfolds revealing a confluence of earth, water and sky.

If the entry is a bit out of the ordinary, that’s because this is no ordinary house. Pushing the concepts of threshold and boundary, openness and protection, it accentuates the magnitude of a setting where the Potomac River converges with the Chesapeake Bay.

It all started when a DC-based executive acquired the 144-acre Leonardtown, Maryland, property in 2019, then enlisted architect Todd Ray of Page to design a weekend escape on site. The initial request gave Ray pause. “He asked for a Hobbit house,” relates the architect. “I told him, ‘Well, you came to the wrong guy.’”

But as the dialogue deepened, sparks began to fly. “I liked the idea of a home that fits into the land,” the owner explains. “There is something exciting, a bit foreboding and very cool about going through a tunnel into the earth and entering a home you cannot see.”

As Ray and colleague Ana Zannoni collaborated on the plan, they envisioned the main entry as well as other thresholds that would offer revelations of their own. Walking the site, they took cues from black stone jetties protecting the beach. “The cadence of these manmade elements at play with nature,” says Ray, inspired them to carry the lines of the jetties onto the property. They created two massive parti walls that would form the home’s framework, perpendicular to the entry tunnel. “The two big walls created boundaries and have a very strong presence,” says Zannoni.

Social spaces—an open kitchen, living area and reading room—are laid out between the four-and-a-half-foot-thick walls while a dining room, two bedrooms with ensuite baths and a den/guest room are situated on opposite sides of the parallel partitions. A central interior courtyard brings light and greenery into the heart of the kitchen. When the folding doors are open, lines are blurred between the living area, pool terrace and the watery vista beyond.

The architects riffed on contrasts between dark and light and indoor and outdoor conditions. Enclosed passageways signal transitions from public to private realms. For example, a tunnel-like stair leads to a second-floor office with 360-degree views of nature. “Our client wanted the experience of entering a compressed spatial threshold that leads to an unexpected expanse—a place of safety, refuge and wonder,” says Ray.

“The contrast—between feeling contained and protected and instances where we blow out the walls so they almost disappear—is a reminder that we want a connection to the outside but are also conscious that at times, we shelter,” elaborates Zannoni.

A year after its 2022 completion, the owner and his long-time partner were married under the stars on the property. He and his now-husband, a consultant, selected most of the furnishings and building materials. The simple, organic palette pays homage to the architects’ exterior program. Concrete-look tile clads the floor and walls; custom concrete countertops and sinks grace the kitchen and baths. In the primary suite, a living wall illuminated by a skylight brings the outdoors in.

The 4,731-square-foot residence is an ode to the beauty—and fragility—of the site. Equipped with solar panels and geothermal heating and cooling, it has nearly achieved net-zero status. The entry berm was made from soil excavated during construction.

As the project neared completion, landscape architects Ryan Moody and Nick Wittkofski of Moody Graham joined the team. “We pulled the amazingly strong concepts that Todd and Ana developed into the landscape and pulled some of the forest back into the site,” says Moody. Focusing on native species, they planted the berm with silvery mountain mint and fringed the pool terrace with Virginia sweetspire, oakleaf hydrangea and Russian sage.

Continuing the axis established by the jetties and parti walls, concrete pavers extend from the home toward the forest, culminating at two Corten steel panels. “These planes that you can pass through create another portal, a transition point where you enter a different landscape,” says Wittkofski. Ana Zannoni, who launched her own architecture firm in 2022, has designed a new guesthouse and freestanding gym to be built in the woods.

The owners often get away to Leonardtown with friends and family. “They go there to rejuvenate and read, swim and be with nature,” observes Todd Ray.

“Coming here,” muses one resident, standing on the dock near a fleet of paddleboards, “you feel your blood pressure going down. The relaxation of it all is just amazing.”

The homeowner, a longtime client who works in finance, first considered the four-story, 2,332-square-foot house as an investment opportunity. However, she changed her mind on seeing it. “I grew up in New York,” she says, “so it was always sort of a fantasy to own a brownstone. I figure this is the closest I’m going to get to that in DC!” But as a fan of modern architecture, her fantasy brownstone veered contemporary on the inside. “I called Bob as I was walking out the door after touring the house,” she recalls, “and said ‘I have a project for you.’”

When the time came, Gurney enlisted a team that included colleague Kara McHone, designer Therese Baron Gurney (his wife and frequent collaborator) and builder Peterson+Collins. They had their work cut out for them, as the building was dilapidated—to say the least. “It had been a sort of rooming house, with a kitchen on each floor,” recounts the architect.

Working with McHone, he devised a plan that would gut the dingy interior spaces and create a 300-square-foot, glassed-in addition at the back of the basement and ground floor (zoning prohibited extending the upper floors). The main level became a single, open-plan room with the front living area flowing back to the kitchen and the dining area in the addition at the rear. The second floor encompasses the primary suite, which boasts a back patio, and the third holds two spare bedrooms. The basement includes a playroom and a home office.

In the revamped layout, the main level feels more spacious than its 20-foot width would indicate. “It’s a nice homage to the original space,” comments principal Ted Peterson, who spearheaded construction. “The rear addition was critical to the project’s success, as it elongates the room and makes it feel wider.”

The front door opens to an airy, floating stair that was relocated to its current spot along the wall. “The whole concept is organized around the stairwell, which cuts through the ceiling to a skylight at the top,” Gurney explains. “We came up with this system of a welded-wire fabric wall instead of a glass railing; reclaimed-white oak slats are layered over it on the main floor to add more texture.”

Beyond the stair, a functional core opposite the sleek kitchen holds a powder room and pantry; it extends to the second and third floors, where it houses the laundry room and a bathroom respectively. Also part of this core: an elevator that runs from the basement to the third floor, enabling the owner to age in place.

With visiting grandchildren in mind, robust, durable materials were specified—a mandate that inspired the architects’ palette of reclaimed-white oak surfaces, hot-rolled-steel accents, Italian stone-look porcelain flooring and dark-stained white oak on cabinets and upstairs walls. “I wanted a sophisticated look with some different materials,” notes the client, “and nothing too delicate.”

Those materials create continuity among spaces and delineate rooms in lieu of drywall—particularly the reclaimed white oak, which appears on floors, stair treads, walls and built-ins throughout the house. “With the home’s width, I thought all the wood might be overwhelming, but it makes the walls that much more special,” observes Peterson. “The door hinges are concealed and all the wood is matched. That kind of detail defines Bob’s projects.” To address the wood’s natural expansion and contraction, Peterson’s team fabricated the walls with quarter-inch reveals between panels that allow for movement; these echo the reveals typically found in modern architectural spaces—including this home—where moldings are eschewed.

Gurney and McHone also orchestrated finishes in the kitchen and bathrooms. The former combines custom, dark-stained oak cabinetry by Affinity Woodworking with terrazzo countertops; the nearby powder room sports the same surface. Frosted-glass walls define the minimalist primary bath on the second floor.

The cellar floor was lowered 16 inches to provide additional ceiling height and covered in polished concrete. A home office, tucked into the rear addition, is brightened by a spacious light-well-cum-patio visible through a wall of windows and accessible via a glass door. A quartet of young grandchildren enjoys time in the adjacent playroom.

Therese Baron Gurney’s interiors “support and blend the furnishings with the finishes,” she explains, adding that her involvement with the client carried over from a prior project. “We reconfigured many items from her previous house, adding new pieces to make them work specifically within the new environment.”

The owner is thrilled with her vintage row house and its elegant yet livable modern interiors. “I love it here, I love how it feels,” she enthuses. “It really works perfectly for me.”

This time around the couple—she’s a real estate agent, he’s a venture capitalist—wanted a stylish, amenity-rich waterfront estate where they could host their four-generation clan, entertain friends and ultimately age in place. (Think interior elevator and a lower level, now occupied by Maria’s mother, that could someday become caregiver quarters). 

They jumped on a nearly-four-acre lot in Severna Park, Maryland, and hired architect Marta Hansen, who grew up sailing the Chesapeake with her parents and had already designed nearly 200 homes along the region’s scenic waterways. She says her practice evolved after architecture school, when family friends kept hiring her to create waterfront dream homes in many sizes and styles. 

In 2022, after a year of pandemic-era construction, the architect delivered the Kostkowskis’ 7,565-square-foot retreat, beautifully sited atop the tract with prime river frontage. “It’s a Shingle-style Tudor/Arts and Crafts” home, which, given its size, says Hansen, “is almost like a cottage on steroids.” Surrounded by majestic trees, the five-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath residence evokes coastal New England style, but with easy-care cement-fiber shingles instead of high-upkeep cedar shakes. A trio of front gables, a large arched window and a smaller oval porthole add visual interest. 

Hansen designed the home with two main-floor focal points: The distant sweeping curves of the Severn snaking past lush woodland on both banks, and a wide, welcoming covered rear porch running the length of the 42-foot-long great room. Retractable electric screens that repel the region’s pesky warm-weather bugs vanish into the porch’s top beams for critter-free outdoor living the rest of the year.

The architectural drama inside begins just beyond the front porch, where a soaring two-story foyer leads into the great room. Quarter-sawn white oak flooring unifies the main level; coffered ceilings break up an otherwise flat expanse while hiding numerous lights and sprinklers. 

The center dining area is anchored by a long table and chairs, just steps from the chef’s kitchen on the left. A Wolf range and white upper and lower cabinets topped with white quartz line the kitchen’s perimeter. The large, deep-blue island was designed to accommodate sumptuous buffets. Since the Kostkowskis often host their children, two grandkids and extended family, the kitchen includes a wet bar and a walk-in pantry with extra ovens. Maria jokes that even washing dishes is now a pleasure because the window above the sink overlooks the river.

Doors in the kitchen and great room open to the rear porch, where furniture groupings and a tall fieldstone fireplace roughly parallel seating vignettes and the smaller, formal mantelpiece indoors. Hansen left space between the garage and the home directly under the second-floor breezeway to break up the long streetside structure and to catch the Severn breezes while grilling outdoors.

Décor throughout the home is simple and welcoming. “We didn’t want it beachy,” says Maria, who favors a subtle palette of blues, grays, whites and earth tones. Those hues dominate four large abstract paintings on the main level by the late Joe Niermann, co-founder of Niermann Weeks in nearby Millersville, which fabricated the home’s indoor and outdoor light fixtures.

Interior designer Linda Hartman of Severna Park, who specializes in sorority house décor, helped select durable furniture upholstered in soft indoor-outdoor performance fabrics. “Maria wanted clean, easy-going lines—nothing fussy,” she notes. “All the sofas can be cleaned with a sponge using water or a light bleach solution” to withstand the dog, children and crowds of revelers.

Most of the furnishings are from Lexington Home Brands in North Carolina, save for occasional antiques and favorite pieces the couple already owned. Window treatments were kept to a minimum to preserve the views.

Half of the second floor comprises an owners’ wing, which boasts a large bedroom and a long, sleek bathroom, both with jaw-dropping river vistas. The couple’s walk-in closet is off the interior hallway, which, along with the parallel exterior balcony, connects to a pair of additional bedrooms, a half-bath and a laundry room. An exercise room built over the garage could easily be converted into a fifth bedroom with a full ensuite bath. 

The home’s impressive panoramas are best observed from Ray Kostkowski’s airy third-floor office. “I own a building not far from here, and every day I say I’m going there to work,” he muses. But once at his desk, he can’t seem to tear himself away from this little corner of Severn heaven.

The parcel included a 4,000-square-foot, three-bedroom clapboard house built in 1952 that had been added onto over the years, leading the husband to describe it as a “Chesapeakeglomeration”—a hodgepodge of rooms with no particular architectural style. The captivating waterfront lot also featured a four-car garage, a pool and a pool house that was being used as a gym. 

The interiors were less than appealing. The small kitchen was designed for a couple, not a crowd, and a cramped layout made gathering spaces tight. The owners envisioned an open, welcoming floor plan that would offer room for family members to spread out, whether relaxing or in work mode. They also wanted to make the most of the panoramic river views. However, strict regulations on the narrow, rectangular lot ruled out a significant expansion. 

The couple turned to Speight Studio Architects and Mueller Homes to craft and execute a renovation that would stay largely within the home’s existing footprint. “It was generous, but the living space wasn’t what one would expect, given the size of the house,” recounts project architect Stephanie Cook. “What was needed was a new vision for the floor plan.”

The renovation happened in stages. First came a reimagining of the two-story garage, where the fourth car bay became a mudroom and gardening area. Unfinished space above it was redesigned to accommodate a two-bedroom apartment with a full kitchen. Next, the pool house was converted into a one-bedroom guest cottage, adding even more living space for guests.

The final stage was the main house. Critical area rules made adding onto the back impossible. So to create the generous proportions desired, the design team conceived a brick-clad addition of roughly 300 square feet at the front, facing the driveway. “It complements the existing structure without feeling heavy,” observes Mueller Homes’ Paul Mueller, Jr. “The brick gives it an Old World look that ups the curb appeal.”

The addition, which encompasses the relocated laundry room and pantry and a new powder room, required the removal of an interior wall—and gave the kitchen its much-needed expansion. Now, an open-plan kitchen/dining area spans the depth of the house from driveway to rear. A cedar-wrapped ceiling beam, crafted on site by the Mueller team, was added for support between spaces. “It’s a good accent and also differentiates between the kitchen and eating area,” Mueller says.

Designed by Kitchen Encounters, the enlarged kitchen features abundant cabinetry and plenty of workspace arranged around a seven-and-a-half-by-six-foot island. Designer Melissa McLay, who spearheaded the interiors, conceived its clean, crisp palette, which combines white custom cabinetry with pops of blue in a tile mosaic above the stovetop and on the island, painted in Benjamin Moore’s Van Deusen Blue. Just steps away, the pantry offers additional workspace, with ample storage and countertops and a wall of shallow shelves tailored specifically to spices and other cooking needs. In the updated laundry room, a new window provides symmetry to the home’s front façade.

The redo also called for replacing a 14-by-17-foot screened side porch with a water-facing family room boasting two walls of windows. “Most 20th-century homes built on the water weren’t really situated to take advantage of the view,” observes Cook. “They were oriented toward the street. Now we craft views to the water.” A 14-foot-tall cathedral ceiling built on site by Mueller Homes gives the space a sense of drama; it’s covered in shiplap and embellished with poplar beams in a decorative scissor-truss pattern.

When it came time to choose furniture and finishes, McLay followed her clients’ mandate to create a coastal cottage feel and complement the water views. She purchased new furnishings with clean, classic lines and selected neutral upholstery, with pops of color in the couple’s favored blue and green. “The home has a fresh, traditional look that feels relaxed,” she notes. 

Further visual interest comes through varied patterns in window treatments and eye-catching accents; McLay incorporated textured fabrics, woven materials in wood tones and brass fixtures that complement new white oak floors. “All the walls and millwork are white, so I balanced that out and added warmth,” she says. “The entire space is fun, happy and welcoming.”

The homeowners are delighted with their finished abode. “We wanted to create a seamless integration of outdoors and indoors,” says the husband, “so that wherever you are in the house, you can see the river or gardens and trees.” Mission accomplished.

“The home is elevated about 30 feet above the river’s edge,” recalls principal architect Cathy Purple Cherry. “The bedroom’s large, ganged windows create an emotional connection to the water below.” 

A beamed, vaulted shiplap ceiling and walls clad in board and batten embellish the space. “I wanted as much light as possible,” Oursler relates. “The ceiling adds volume and an oval window draws the eye up.”

RH furniture and lighting lend coziness while a surfboard from K-Coast in Bethany Beach is a playful touch. Since completing the home, Oursler has converted the guest room into a nursery for her infant daughter. As she reflects, “I sit in a rocking chair with her while watching the boats go by. It really is peaceful.” 

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
Home of the Year—Regency at Belmont–Dylan; Toll Brothers.

Custom Home of the Year—Towlston; James McDonald Associate Architects.

Community of the Year—Amblebrook Gettysburg; Crown Community Development.

Innovative Land Planning—The Townhomes at Reston Station; EYA LLC | VIKA | Sutton Yantis Associates Architects | STUDIOS Architecture.

Green Building—On the Green at 20th; Arlington Designer Homes Construction.

FreeStanding Clubhouse
(under 6,000 square feet)—Westside at Shady Grove Metro Clubhouse; KTGY | EYA LLC.
(over 6,000 square feet)—Rock Creek Club at Amblebrook; Sutton Yantis Associates Architects.

Detached Home (lots under 7,000 square feet)
$700,000 to $849,999—The Sutton Model at Tapestry; Miller & Smith.
$850,000+—Rockingham II at N. Underwood Street; Evergreene Homes.

Detached Home (lots 7,000 square feet and over)
$700,000 to $849,999—Finley; KTGY | Atlantic Builders.
$1,000,000 to $1,399,999—Belmont II; Van Metre Homes.

Attached Home
$400,000 to $499,999—Sienna; Atlantic Builders | KTGY.
$600,000 to $699,999—Bluemont Model Home; Lennar | Mangan Group Architects.
$700,000 to $849,999—The Christopher; Drees Homes.
$850,000 to $999,999—The Lily; Drees Homes.
$1,000,000 to $1,399,999—The Townhomes at Reston Station–Baker Model; EYA LLC | Sutton Yantis Associates Architects | STUDIOS Architecture.
$1,400,000+—Naylor Court Manse; OPaL, LLC.

MULTI-FAMILY
New Construction, High-Rise—The Edge; CBG Building Company.
New Construction, Mixed-Use—Bryant Street (Coda and The Chase); MRP Realty | SK+I Architecture | CBG Building Company.
Renovation or Conversion, High-Rise—RiverPoint; CBG Building Company | Antunovich Associates | Orr Partners.

CUSTOM BUILDING
Design & Architecture—Custom Home, Single Lot
3,000 to 5,000 square feet—Spencer Road; James McDonald Associate Architects.
5,001 to 7,000 square feet—Altoona Custom; James McDonald Associate Architects.
Over 7,000 square feet—Towlston; James McDonald Associate Architects.

Design & Architecture, Renovations or Additions
Over $1,000,000—Naylor Court Manse; OPaL, LLC.

That was the thinking behind Dede and Bobby Hunter’s plan to create an alluring gathering spot for their expanding family. With the couple’s three adult children now settled in Richmond and having kids of their own, the Hunters realized their primary residence nearly 300 miles away in Tazewell, Virginia, was not ideally situated for frequent meet-ups.

“We knew we wanted to be on the water and wanted a place our children could get to easily,” Dede says. “A place where we could all get together and enjoy being with one another.”

The Hunters now have that home in White Stone, Virginia, located at the end of a point with 270-degree views of Mosquito Creek, the Rappahannock River and the Chesapeake Bay. When their son found the property’s online listing, they moved quickly. “We loved the lot immediately,” Dede recalls. “Bobby wanted a wide-open view of the bay and this property has water on all three sides.”

The design of their new, nearly 8,000-square-foot structure belies its size, thanks to a modern approach envisioned by architect Randall Kipp, who was hired for the job. Abundant windows provide views of the water from every room while distinct gathering spaces flow together in a seamless whole.

Before construction began, however, the architect had to overcome the challenge presented by the low-lying site. “We agreed we couldn’t build a house only four to five feet above sea level,” Kipp says. To provide a safeguard against flooding and maximize views, he constructed a plinth that would  form a new, elevated foundation for the eventual home. Made of engineered fill soil and close to an acre in size, it rises nearly seven feet above the original grade and is held in place by a combination of riprap and indigenous plantings. “Now, rather than a pancake level of topography,” Kipp muses, “you have a lovely undulation and great views.”

Before the Hunters could build the house of their dreams, they removed an existing home on site that was more than a century old. “It had low ceilings and didn’t have the windows and space we wanted,” Dede recalls.

When the time came to design the new structure, the couple had clear goals in mind, but gave Kipp the freedom to envision something dramatic. “We’re not really ‘modern’ people, but we wanted lots of windows so we knew we probably needed a modern design,” Dede explains. “We wanted it to be comfortable for everybody and didn’t care about spaces being formal.”

They also asked for high ceilings, easy circulation, plenty of fireplaces and “a private area for us,” Bobby adds.

Kipp set out to make their dreams a reality. “We worked really hard at composing this group of buildings, all connected, where each one has its own purpose,” the architect says, noting the influence of an old Tidewater aesthetic that embodies “a firm, stout hold on the earth,” with clean lines and spare details.

“We twisted and turned and bent [the design] to get the proper alignment of views,” he adds. “There are as few walls as we could muster. The goal was to create spaces, not rooms.”

The heart of the home contains the kitchen and an adjacent dining area that leads to a vaulted-ceiling great room with a television and a fireplace. A screened porch—with its own two-sided fireplace, sitting and eating areas and an outdoor kitchen—is accessed via a 60-foot-long wall of La Cantina sliding doors. A second 40-foot-long wall of sliding doors leads to the pool and deck.

Ensuite bedrooms are thoughtfully placed throughout the home’s three connected pavilions, as Kipp calls them, designed at various levels to create visual interest and signal hierarchy. Three bedrooms are located above the kitchen, reached via an open staircase in the foyer. The primary suite occupies the first level, separate from the hustle and bustle of river life, and has its own study and private porch. “The primary suite is the one space in the house that is quiet and private,” Kipp says.

Adjacent to the great room, the bunkhouse pavilion boasts a caregiver suite on the main level while upstairs, a children’s zone comes complete with six built-in beds, two trundles, sitting and play areas, a mini-kitchen and a full bath. (When the design process began in 2018, there were two grandchildren; now there are six.)

The home’s modern design is softened by deliberate touches. Steel interior beams are wrapped in white cedar for warmth. Outside the many windows, native grasses and plantings around the exterior perimeter sound an organic note.

Reflecting on the completed home’s 21st-century take on local vernacular, Kipp remarks, “Modern architecture is alive and well in rural America. I think people are genuinely tired of living in boring, nondescript, center-hall Colonials. This is a very livable house.”

The Hunters describe their new escape as “heaven on earth,” noting that the transitional interiors and comfortable furniture, envisioned by Kipp Architecture in-house designer Lauren Davenport, are just what they requested.

Meanwhile, the house is such a hit that the couple has an occupancy schedule for their adult children, who each visit one weekend per month. Of course, the elder Hunters have visiting rights whenever they like. Their favorite time? That’s easy, says Dede Hunter. “In the winter, we can sit in our study, have the fireplace going and look both ways at the water. It’s our happy place.”

Architecture & Landscape Architecture: Randall Kipp, AIA, NCARB; Interior Design: Lauren Davenport, Randall Kipp Architecture, Inc., Irvington, Virginia. Landscape Contractor: Green Planters Landscape & Garden Center, Hayes, Virginia. Builder: The Allen Group, Inc., Urbanna, Virginia.  

Coming back to Maryland allowed Noah to fulfill the dream of owning a waterfront property where he could keep his own sailboat. When a lot on the Severn River came up for auction, the couple acted quickly, bidding on it sight unseen. Although the old-fashioned cottage on the one-third-acre parcel was not their style, the views were exceptional. The wooded street side reminded Elina of the Swedish forests of her childhood while the water vista takes in a horizon where the Severn empties into the Chesapeake, with the Bay Bridge in the distance.

The Donaldsons decided to tear down the cottage and build their dream home. They envisioned a modern, open retreat that would maximize views and screen out nearby neighbors. When Noah saw a home designed by Annapolis architect Chip Bohl, he knew they’d found the right match. “Capturing the view is something I’ve worked on my entire career,” says Bohl, who was hired for the job. “It’s a core of our practice.”

The lot is narrow but Bohl turned that into an advantage, designing a tall structure that fits perfectly on the site; its verticality acts as a counterbalance to the wide panorama of the bay and the horizon. While the front façade is more closed-off and private, the water side is transparent and dynamic with generous walls of glass.

“Rather than a sheer, flat wall, we sculpted the volumes facing the bay to create complexity,” Bohl explains. “The house has volumetric depth, so each room has a different orientation to the horizon, giving the interiors a rich relationship to the view.”

Completed in 2018, the 4,000-square-foot residence boasts four bedrooms and four and a half baths over three floors. Organized around an airy central staircase, the first floor contains a large, open living space that reflects the family’s social lifestyle, encompassing the living and dining rooms and kitchen. There’s a dedicated “kid space” with sliding doors that enable the parents to shut away clutter when needed.

The second story houses bedrooms for the couple’s two children, now eight and 10, on one side and the owners’ suite on the other; an office and a family room await on the third floor.

Bohl is proud of a cantilevered, glass-enclosed “cube room” that sits at the mezzanine level between the first and second floors. “It’s completely floating,” says the architect, noting that the perch he describes as a crow’s nest required “quite a bit of structural gymnastics as it has no apparent means of support. The design allows for dynamic, anti-gravity verticality that is so important to the success of this house.”

Embodying Scandinavian style, the home blurs the line between interior and exterior, with walls of windows allowing uninterrupted connections to its surroundings. The design balances cool, practical materials like polished-concrete floors with warm woods. As a result, the interiors are beautiful in their effortless minimalism.

Though Elina’s background is in engineering, she has often helped friends with interiors projects and during the pandemic decided to launch her own design firm, Simplicity by Elina. Putting her skills to work in her own home, she searched for furnishings that met her exacting principles with a focus on three criteria: beauty, function and craftsmanship.

In the living room, she opted for a large sectional in blue to give the space a pop of color. The fireplace was inspired by traditional Swedish Kakelugn stoves, updated with modern, textured tile.

In fact, texture was essential to her approach—so wool rugs, sheepskin and cowhide throws and blankets appear throughout the home. And while Elina selected sleek, fully integrated Leicht kitchen cabinetry in a dark, rich gray, the oak backsplash and bronze-toned bar stools offer a warm counterpoint to the cool cabinets and white quartz countertops.

Many of her favorite pieces are treasures she found in Scandinavia, such as the dining table designed by Johannes Andersen and Boomerang chairs by Alfred Christensen—these pieces by Danish furniture makers were purchased at auction in Stockholm. Others came directly from nature, like the tree stump in the living room that washed up on their neighbor’s beach; Elina meticulously dried and shaped it into a functional side table.

The active, outdoorsy family enjoys their new waterfront digs, where they can jump in a kayak or on a paddleboard—or set sail on their 31-foot trimaran, Frequent Flyer, right from their own beach or dock. “But the most important thing to me,” reflects Elina, ”is the feeling inside the house—the light and the connection to nature. I feel a house should be a reflection of its owners and this house reflects us as a family.”

Architecture: Chip Bohl, AIA, principal; Jessica Giovachino; Ted Sheils, AIA, LEED AP, Bohl Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Interior Design: Elina Donaldson, Simplicity by Elina, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: Riley Custom Homes & Renovations, Annapolis, Maryland. Landscape Architecture: Heike Nolker, ALSA, Landscape Architect, Annapolis, Maryland. 

BY THE BOTTLE
A wine cellar crafted by Artisan Builders for a 2020 show house in McLean was elevated by a modern aesthetic and innovative storage design. “The bottles were stacked on metal spikes that gave the impression of wall art,” recalls Stephen Yeonas, a partner at Artisan. “It was a forward concept by designer Olvia Demetriou to illustrate both function and visual display.” Other common requests he hears from oenophile clients, he adds, are “proper conditioning and a bit of sizzle.” Architecture: Harrison Design. Interior Design: HapstakDemetriou+.

GLASS HOUSE
Most high-end custom homes today incorporate connected and covered outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed all year round, according to Chris Neumann of Bayview Builders. The company recently completed a modern, eco-friendly home on the Magothy River in Arnold, Maryland, enveloped in floor-to-ceiling glass. Pictured here, a five-panel, 10-foot-tall sliding-door system opens out from the kitchen to a screened porch. “Heaters,” says Neumann, “help extend livability into multiple seasons.” Architecture: Bohl Architects. Interior Design: Don Wooters.

TEE TIME
A golf simulator was just one sports amenity Pyramid Builders recently integrated on the lower level of a custom abode in Annapolis—along with a shuffleboard court and indoor resistance pool. “The client wanted the golf zone to be social, with a bar nearby for watching games,” relates Pyramid president Bret Anderson. “The home-fitness trend reflects a desire to incorporate true entertainment into the design and details of a home.” Architecture: Patrick D. Jarosinski & Associates. Interior Design: Christy Brown Interior Design.

SMALL WONDER
Horizon Builders delivered on character when constructing a potting shed as part of a comprehensive McLean project. Cedar shingles, a slate roof and charming window details reflect the main house—with a dose of playful color. “Outbuildings are no longer an afterthought but an extension of the main home and a way for clients to express themselves,” says Horizon vice president Brad Pryor. These satellite structures, he notes, are often devoted to offices, gyms, guest quarters and more. Architecture: Harrison Design. Landscape Architecture: Arentz Landscape Architects LLC.

The awards go to remodeling and custom-building projects in DC, Maryland and Virginia; this year, judges reviewed 109 submissions in 41 categories. Media sponsor Home & Design gave its Award of Excellence to a project by FineCraft Contractors, featured on page 115. All of the award-winning projects are listed on these pages and can be viewed on the chapter’s website, promidatlantic.org.

Home & Design Award of Excellence
FineCraft Contractors

Basement under $100,000
GRAND: Tabor Design Build
MERIT: HIVEX Basement Finishing Co.

Basement $100,000-$250,000
GRAND: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists
MERIT: Anthony Wilder Design/Build
FINALIST: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Basement over $250,000
GRAND: MOSS Building & Design

Commercial Specialty
GRAND: Heltzelhaus

Creative Solutions $15,000 and over
GRAND: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists

Entire House under $350,000
GRAND: Blue Star
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Entire House $350,000-$550,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
MERIT: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists

Entire House $550,001-$750,000
GRAND: Blue Star
MERIT: Coupard Architects & Builders
FINALIST: FineCraft Contractors

Entire House $750,001-$1,000,000
GRAND: Blue Star

Entire House over $1,000,000
GRAND: BOWA
MERIT: OPaL Design Build

New Custom Home under 3,000 square feet
GRAND: OPaL Design Build

New Custom Home 3,000-5,000 square feet
GRAND: Landis Architects/Builders

New Custom Home 7,001 square feet and over
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Residential Addition under $200,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Residential Addition $200,000-$350,000
GRAND: Coupard Architects & Builders
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
FINALIST: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists

Residential Addition $350,001-$550,000
GRAND: Schroeder Design/Build
MERIT: TriVistaUSA Design + Build
FINALIST: Bowers Design Build

Residential Addition over $550,000
GRAND: FineCraft Contractors
MERIT: FineCraft Contractors
FINALIST: Landis Architects/Builders

Residential Bath under $25,000
GRAND: Marks-Woods Construction Services

Residential Bath $25,000-$50,000
GRAND: Spectrum Design Build
MERIT: Marks-Woods Construction Services

Residential Bath $50,001-$75,000
GRAND: Kingston Design Remodeling
MERIT: Merrick Design and Build
FINALIST: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Residential Bath $75,001-$100,000
GRAND: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
MERIT: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists

Residential Bath over $100,000
GRAND: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists
MERIT: Landis Architects/Builders
FINALIST: Bowers Design Build

Residential Detached Structure
GRAND: Blue Star
MERIT: Blue Star
FINALIST: FineCraft Contractors

Residential Exterior $50,000-$100,000
GRAND: Merrick Design and Build
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
FINALIST: Lofft Construction

Residential Exterior $100,001-$200,000
GRAND: Pristine Acres
MERIT: Gilday Renovations
FINALIST: Landis Architects/Builders

Residential Exterior over $200,000
GRAND: Anthony Wilder Design/Build
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Residential Exterior Element under $30,000
GRAND: Pristine Acres

Residential Exterior Element $30,000 and over
GRAND: Tabor Design Build

Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration under $250,000
GRAND: MOSS Building & Design

Residential Historical Renovation/Restoration $250,000 and over
GRAND: OPaL Design Build
MERIT: Landis Architects/Builders
FINALIST: Marks-Woods Construction Services

Residential Interior under $100,000
GRAND: Marks-Woods Construction Services
MERIT: TriVistaUSA Design + Build
FINALIST: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists

Residential Interior $100,001-$250,000
GRAND: Bowers Design Build
MERIT: Bowers Design Build
FINALIST: Bowers Design Build

Residential Interior $250,001-$500,000
GRAND: Marks-Woods Construction Services
MERIT: Landis Architects/Builders
FINALIST: TriVistaUSA Design + Build

Residential Interior Element under $30,000
GRAND: Marks-Woods Construction Services
MERIT: Tabor Design Build

Residential Kitchen $50,000-$100,000
GRAND: Blue Star
MERIT: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes
FINALIST: RessaBuilt

Residential Kitchen $100,001-$150,000
GRAND: FineCraft Contractors
MERIT: Marks-Woods Construction Services
FINALISTS: Daniels Design & Remodeling and Landis Architects/Builders

Residential Kitchen over $150,000
GRAND: Bowers Design Build
MERIT: BOWA
FINALIST: MOSS Building & Design

Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living $100,000-$250,000
GRAND: Tabor Design Build
MERIT: Coupard Architects & Builders

Residential Landscape Design/Outdoor Living over $250,000
GRAND: Pristine Acres
MERIT: Pristine Acres
FINALIST: Michael Nash Design, Build & Homes

Universal Design—Bath
GRAND: Sun Design Remodeling Specialists

BATHROOM REMODEL—WASHINGTON MARKET
Spectrum Design + Build, Albemarle Street, NW—Bathroom Remodel, Washington, DC

BATHROOM REMODEL—BALTIMORE MARKET
Owings Brothers Contracting, Skyline Bathroom Remodel, Ruxton, Maryland

CUSTOM HOME
Bayview Builders, Ulmstead Shores, Arnold, Maryland

GREEN HOME BUILDING
Bayview Builders, Lake Ogleton, Annapolis, Maryland

HISTORIC RESTORATION 1,000-2,000 SQUARE FEET
Owings Brothers Contracting, Industrial Style Condominium, Baltimore, Maryland

HISTORIC RESTORATION 100-999 SQUARE FEET
Spectrum Design + Build, W Street, NW—Historic Façade, Washington, DC

KITCHEN REMODEL/ADDITION 100-999 SQUARE FEET—WASHINGTON MARKET
Spectrum Design + Build, 14th Street, NW—Kitchen Remodel, Washington, DC

KITCHEN REMODEL/ADDITION 100-999 SQUARE FEET—BALTIMORE MARKET
Legacy Cabinetry & Design and Crosen Homes LLC, Argent Path, Ellicott City, Maryland

KITCHEN REMODEL/ADDITION 1,000-2,000 SQUARE FEET
Parker Design Build Remodel, Laurel, Laurel, Maryland

OTHER—CONDOMINIUM
Owings Brothers Contracting, Bank Street Condominium, Baltimore, Maryland

OTHER—55+ CONDOMINIUM
Owings Home Services, Retirement Condominium, Pikesville, Maryland

OUTDOOR LIVING
Spectrum Design + Build, Klingle Street, NW—Outdoor Living, Washington, DC

SPECIALTY AND/OR DETAILS—ENTRYWAY
Bayview Builders, Chartwell Branch Entryway, Severna Park, Maryland

SPECIALTY AND/OR DETAILS—STRUCTURAL
Owings Brothers Contracting, Davidsonville Specialty Project, Davidsonville, Maryland

Her husband, an investment banker, came around with a little coaxing. “My wife had this excellent argument,” he concedes. “As an immigrant, when she thinks of the United States, she thinks of progress, innovation. She wanted something that represents the New World, and a contemporary style is what we both agreed would do that best.”

The pair secured a leafy lot in an established McLean neighborhood, knowing they would soon replace the brick rambler inhabiting it. They then asked Cunningham | Quill Architects to synthesize myriad images and ideas they had gathered over time and conjure their new home. A collaborative process ensued. “These clients understood from the beginning that it was going to be a team approach,” says founding principal Ralph Cunningham. “They were very engaged.”

First and foremost, the couple envisioned an open-plan nucleus that would support frequent entertaining—ranging from intimate dinner parties to 100-person charity fundraisers—and daily family life (their 18-year-old son lives at home and 20-year-old daughter studies abroad). “It was a mix of trying to make sure we had an environment where lots of people could mingle easily without moving through a maze,” explains the husband, “while also keeping it to a livable size and preserving a sense of home, comfort and snugness.”

The layout evolved from there. “It was very important to them that the center of house be a three-part room—dining, living and den—and that it be a big, tall, welcoming space,” discloses architect Angie Yu. “Our job was to figure out how everything else fit around that.”

In the architects’ 7,000-square-foot plan, an assembly of interlocking boxes forms a U-shape around a rear courtyard. The main volume holds the social hub on the ground level and three en-suite bedrooms above; the lower level includes hangout spaces, a guest suite and a gym. An office for the wife, who volunteers with many charitable groups, and the owners’ suite are housed in separate cubes to the right; the kitchen occupies a back wing to the left. A service extension off the kitchen contains a back stair connecting to the garage. The main staircase sits in a tower at the front.

To execute their geometric design, the architects chose a material palette of stucco, ipe and steel. “We took it consistently around the house,” Yu points out. “The material palette is very simple and clean yet playful at the same time.”

Cunningham adds, “I would describe the style as ‘warm modern,’ and the wood helps with the warmth.”

Several characteristics reflect Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy. “One thing that Wright did consistently was to build on the brow of a hill, and that concept went into this project,” offers Cunningham. To take advantage of a sloping site, the team, which included Potomac Valley Builders, tucked the base of the house into the grade. That move helped to de-emphasize the street-facing garage doors, as did placing them in shadow and painting them a charcoal hue. It also allowed for a dramatic, ascending approach to the residence. As Cunningham explains, “The house sort of floats up in the air on a very dark base.”

Vast stretches of shaded glass—another Wright signature—establish the strong indoor/outdoor relationship the owners requested. In the main living area, kitchen and primary bedroom, sliding doors open onto the courtyard, with a pool and garden beyond. Large windows and several skylights amplify natural light. Black-painted, aluminum-clad wood frames on the doors and windows contribute a modern edge.

The couple also sought to evoke an inviting spirit with their see-through home. As the husband reveals, “We wanted an open house, not just for being able to see outside, but also the idea that it would be a house where our friends would feel welcome and people could come and enjoy themselves.”

And they do. The wife, who grew up in Provence, often prepares French favorites, such as blanquette de veau, to share with guests. “We like a good meal and good wine,” she readily affirms. Despite its heavy use, the kitchen projects a pristine aesthetic thanks to sleek, white cabinets and countertops from Porcelanosa.

Natural materials figured prominently in the owners’ vision for their interiors. Anchoring each end of the public core is a fireplace boasting a floor-to-ceiling, slate surround. Horizontal panels of French oak flank both fireplaces, decoratively concealing storage cabinets and adding desired texture. Wide-plank, white oak floors span throughout.

Striving for what she terms “simple elegance,” the wife created a minimalist vibe with neutral, clean-lined furnishings sourced mainly through RH. Bold, original artwork introduces color and personal meaning. As she sums up, “We wanted our house to have soul.”

Architecture: Ralph Cunningham, FAIA, principal; Angela Yu, AIA, Cunningham | Quill Architects, Washington, DC. Builder: Potomac Valley Builders, Bethesda, Maryland. Landscape Contractor: Fine Earth Landscape, Poolesville, Maryland.

RESOURCES

THROUGHOUT
Paint: Kendall Charcoal, Distant Gray & Amherst Gray by benjaminmoore.com.

GENERAL
Light Fixtures Over Stair: moooi.com.

DINING ROOM
Table & Chandelier: rh.com.

KITCHEN
Cabinetry & Countertops: porcelanosa-usa.com. Ovens & Refrigerator: mieleusa.com through abwappliances.com. Barstools: ikea.com.

LIVING AREA
Sofas, Leather Chair & Coffee Table: rh.com. Artwork: original by Dan Badea.

DEN
Leather Sofa & Coffee Table: rh.com. Mirror: antique.

OFFICE
Desk & Chairs: rh.com.

COURTYARD
Dining Table: rh.com. Dining Chairs: cb2.com.

POOL AREA
Sofas: rh.com. Lounge Chairs: cb2.com. Pool: alpinepool.com.

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE
Home of the Year—The Logan at Quarry Springs, Bethesda, MD. Wormald Homes
Custom Home of the Year—1437 Cedar Avenue, McLean, VA. Clear View Homes; WCRA
Community of the Year‑—Robinson Landing, Alexandria, VA. EYA LLC; JBG SMITH; Mitsui Fudosan America; KTGY Architecture + Planning; Shalom Baranes Associates
Innovative Land Planning—Robinson Landing, Alexandria, VA. EYA LLC; Shalom Baranes Associates; KTGY Architecture + Planning; Mitsui Fudosan America; JBG SMITH
FreeStanding Club House—Bayside Fenwick Island, Fenwick Island, DE.
Carl M. Freeman Companies; AdsIntelligence Marketing
Outstanding Living Space or Architectural Feature—Cabana at Cornwell Farm, Great Falls, VA.
James McDonald Associate Architects
Outstanding Implementation of Innovative Design Concepts Detached/Attached—Chateau De Riviere, Great Falls, VA. The Building Group; Grow Landscapes
Green Building—Mid-Century Modern, Arlington, Arlington, VA. Arlington Designer Homes Construction LLC

Detached Home (lots under 7,000 square feet)
Under $300,000—Brooke in Evershire North, Waynesboro, VA. KTGY; Atlantic Builders
$600,001-$700,000—Atwood at Tapestry, Clarksburg, MD. KTGY; Miller and Smith
Over $850,000—Parkhurst at Willowcreek, Dayton, MD. Toll Brothers; Lessard Design, Inc.
DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE Detached Home (lots 7,000 square feet and over)
$1,000,001-$1,400,000—The Robey on Homesite 8 at Miller’s Reserve, Purcellville, VA. Evergreene Homes
Over $5,000,000—Chateau De Riviere, Great Falls, VA. The Building Group; James McDonald Associate Architects
Under $400,000—The Chesapeake at Orchard Hill, Spotsylvania, VA. Atlantic Builders
$400,001-$500,000—Tidewater Slab at Kindleton, Lewes, DE. KTGY; Lennar Corporation
$500,001-$600,000—Southport Basement at Kindleton, Lewes, DE. KTGY; Lennar Corporation
$850,001-$1,000,000—The Monroe at Meadows at Rose Hill, Alexandria, VA. The Christopher Companies; Moment Engineering + Design
Over $1,400,000—Palatine at the Windmill Collection, North Potomac, MD. KTGY; Toll Brothers

Attached Home
Over $850,000—The Logan at Quarry Springs, Bethesda, MD. Wormald Homes
$400,001-$500,000—Norwood at Watson’s Glen, Millersville, MD. KTGY; Tri Pointe Homes
$500,001-$600,000—Bluemont at Carter’s Mill by Del Webb, Haymarket, VA. PulteGroup
$600,001-$700,000—Sydney at Crown East, Gaithersburg, MD. PulteGroup
$700,001-$850,000—Willard at the Braddock, Chantilly, VA. KTGY; Toll Brothers

Multi-Family
New Construction—Robinson Landing, Alexandria, VA. EYA LLC; JBG SMITH ; Mitsui Fudosan America; KTGY Architecture + Planning; Shalom Baranes Associates
Mixed-Use—Juniper, Columbia, MD. CBG Building Company; The Howard Hughes Corporation; The Preston Partnership
Condominium or Apartment Unit—Walney at the Fairfax Collection, Chantilly, VA. KTGY; Toll Brothers

CUSTOM BUILDING
DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE Custom Home, Single Lot
3,000-5,000 square feet—Walker Road, Great Falls, VA. James McDonald Associate Architects
5,001-7,000 square feet—Arnon Chapel Road, Great Falls, VA. James McDonald Associate Architects
Over 7,000 square feet—Cornwell Farm, Great Falls, MD. James McDonald Associate Architects

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE Custom or Customized Infill Home
5,001-7,000 square feet­—1437 Cedar Avenue, McLean, VA. Clear View Homes; WCRA Under 3,000 square feet—OPaL’s Tiny House, Washington, DC. OPaL, LLC
3,000-5,000 square feet—6525 32nd Street, Falls Church, VA. James McDonald Associate Architects
Over 7,000 square feet—1016 Langley Hill Drive, McLean, VA. Brush Arbor Home Construction; WCRA

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE Renovations or Additions Over $1,000,000—
OPaL’s Historic Renovation in Cleveland Park, Washington, DC. OPaL, LLC

The gabled, 400-square-foot pavilion “is sited on a point of land overlooking the creek and the small enclave of custom homes surrounding it—so it has 180-degree views,” Long explains. “It echoes the home’s architectural features, including a vaulted board-and-batten ceiling, columns and screened radius transoms.” The structure features an open area for al fresco dining. Full-color bluestone paves the space, which is made cozy by a wood-burning fireplace with a gas insert and rattan furniture that beckons into the cooler months.

Architecture: Marta Hansen, AIA, LEED AP, Hansen Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: Matt Long, Gate One Builders, Annapolis, Maryland. Photography: David Burroughs.