Choosing the right house can be a matter of seeing potential where it might not be obvious. This was certainly the case for a homeowner in St. Michaels, Maryland, who happened upon a beat-up 1958 rambler for sale on Maxmore Creek, a scenic inlet on the Tred Avon River. Though he wasn’t looking to buy, he was captivated—not only by the waterfront site but by the house itself.
A passion for architecture led him to purchase the home and enlist architect Gregory Wiedemann, with whom he had worked on several other properties, to restore it to its original mid-century glory. “He wasn’t even sure what he’d do with it,” Wiedemann says. “But he knew it would be a good investment. Almost anyone else would have torn it down, but he saw a potential that was about to be lost.”
Wiedemann and project architect Barbara Sweeney collaborated with construction manager Steve Cahall on the project, which entailed restoring the home’s best mid-century features while updating and improving the interiors with a plan that would capitalize on openness, light and spectacular water views.
The house boasts a sloped roof 12 feet high at the center and a wall of sliders facing the water; clerestory windows admit light from both north and south. The original pine beams run from front to back, supporting the ceiling as well as the exterior overhang that rims the roof. “The beams in the house extend to the roof of the carport, which is suspended from them,” explains Wiedemann. “The roofs of the main house and the carport seem to hover above the structures.”
The original abode encompassed a main living area with a bedroom wing on one side and what was probably housekeeper’s quarters on the other. Wiedemann’s team restored the bedroom wing, where three bedrooms boast Frank Lloyd Wright-style built-in bedsteads and storage, all painstakingly duplicated from the millwork original to the house. The housekeeper’s quarters were gutted to create a master bedroom suite, borrowing from the main living area to accommodate a cozy but comfortable bedroom, closet, and spacious master bath.
One surprising feature interrupted the open central living area and adjacent kitchen: a long-abandoned, enclosed indoor swimming pool. “When we got here, there was a big hole in the floor, surrounded by what looked like an aluminum storefront enclosure,” recounts Sweeney.
“It was a pretty big pool,” Cahall says, “and created a sort of ‘L’ of leftover living space.” Once the pool was removed, he adds, “The goal was to create an open central area with room for everything.”
The team positioned walnut-paneled floating walls to delineate the kitchen from the front entry on one side and from the secondary entry and powder room on the other. “They’re peninsulas that flank the kitchen,” Wiedemann explains. “They contain appliances on the kitchen side and closets on the other sides.” Because they don’t reach the ceiling, these dividers maintain a sense of openness and light while still creating a contained kitchen area with lots of storage space.
Walnut panels, beautifully book-matched, adorn the walls in the central living area. The architects specified that they measure six feet, eight inches in height to preserve an existing “datum,” or line of trim, common in mid-century architecture. This line separated the sliders from the clerestory windows and dictated the height of the floating walls. “The constant datum was characteristic about this house,” explains Sweeney. “It makes the rooms feel taller and creates a sense of the roof hovering.”
The owner tapped California-based designer Shaun Jackson, who had completed prior projects for him, to furnish the interiors. “The idea was to bring the home back to the original flavor and style,” Jackson says. “But contemporary, relatable and functional for the modern living now, which is different from what it was back then.”
With the dark walnut paneling in mind, Jackson whitewashed the new oak floors to a light hue. She modernized the kitchen, which now centers around an island with a deep-blue cabinet base. Glossy, white peripheral cabinetry and the Carrara marble backsplash and countertops are bookended by the walnut-paneled peninsulas. Modern furniture, mainly from Poltrona Frau, is both chic and comfortable.
Glass expanses throughout have been replaced with glazed double panes that fit refurbished frames. A poured-concrete patio overlooks the water. The original dingy red brick has been painted light beige, but the home’s exterior is otherwise unaltered. “We tried to change as little as possible outside,” Wiedemann says. “It’s a wonderful example of a Mid-Century Modern home. It was the owner’s vision for it that brought this house back.”
Renovation Architecture: Gregory Wiedemann, AIA, principal; Barbara Sweeney, AIA, project architect, Wiedemann Architects LLC, Bethesda, Maryland. Interior Design: Shaun Jackson, Shaun Jackson Design, Inc., San Luis Obispo, California. Construction Manager: Steve Cahall. Landscape Consultant: Barbara Paca, B. Larch, MFA, Ph.D., ASLA, Preservation Green LLC, Oxford, Maryland. Landscape Installation: McHale Landscape Design, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.
Anice Hoachlander is a principal at Hoachlander Davis Photography.
In boating terms, Little Round Bay on Maryland’s Severn River is what’s known as a “gunkhole”—a protected spot for anchoring overnight. The picturesque cove is perfect for day outings, too. No wonder architect Alan Dynerman and his wife, Nancy Seybold, owners of a classic Cape Cod Marlin, chose a perch above its shore as the site for their new weekend retreat. “We bought the property for the view, the water access and a place to put our sailboat,” reveals Dynerman.
Seybold first spotted the lot online. Undeterred by its existing 1970s split-level, she made a scouting trip to Crownsville, just outside Annapolis. The easy drive from the couple’s primary residence on Capitol Hill checked one box from the get-go. “I saw the view and thought, ‘This is what we’ve been looking for,’” says Seybold, a website consultant, and nonprofit COO. “I knew right away.”
With the site secured, Dynerman began designing the modern escape he would build to replace the outmoded home. His goal was to create a house that works well for two empty nesters but also comfortably accommodates visiting friends and family (Dynerman has a grown son who recently married).
One of the couple’s annual New Year’s celebrations served as the prosaic impetus. Dynerman wanted the young children of overnight guests “to have room to make a mess,” away from the main gathering area. “It’s not very poetic,” he confesses. ”That’s how I think about architecture: You start by asking ‘What are the issues I want to address?’ and you buy into those and make something beautiful from that.”
As he explains it, the house is “a simple assembly of boxes,” organized into three volumes—two programmatic structures connected by a stair tower. It combines open space for entertaining with privacy for owners and guests while taking advantage of views. A raised entry opens onto the second-floor living/dining/kitchen area. To the left are the stairs and library. Below are two bedrooms, a TV/playroom and Seybold’s office; above is the master bedroom suite.
“The plan is amazingly simple and works for the way we live,” asserts the architect. “The house is meant to support the dance that’s life.”
Careful planning and construction processes minimized impact to the critical-area terrain and protected waterway. Dynerman, who envisioned a modern cabin tucked into preserved trees, introduced rusticity by way of weathered cedar siding, for posts and beams and wide-plank pine floors. His updated interpretation of a cabin-style kitchen includes bamboo cabinets, open shelves, and concrete countertops.
Bold and subtle moves throughout capitalize on natural light to varying effect. A dominant skylight suffuses the kitchen with sunshine, while open risers stream bright rays onto the stairway wall. Glass blocks, set randomly into the front walls, create a dynamic glow—inside by day and outside by night. “I tend to play randomness against the hard geometry of building,” Dynerman notes.
The great room celebrates its surroundings thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors. “This space is imagined as an enclosed porch, an outdoor space that’s not outdoors,” the architect explains. “The view becomes the character of the home, giving it a sense of place.”
A deck off the great room, a flagstone terrace, and a roof deck offer outdoor-living options. Together, Dynerman says, they “allow for a range of experiences that work with and are informed by the site but also are particular to the house.” Under Dynerman’s site plan, developed with input from landscape architect Lisa Delplace at Oehme, van Sweden, river birch lines the flagstone path connecting the driveway to the slate front stoop.
The couple retreats to Little Round Bay most weekends year-round. Friends often join them for sailing jaunts, informal dinners, and overnight stays. “The house absorbs extra people well,” says Seybold. “We can have six people spending the weekend, and it feels just the right size.”
Before long, plans will get underway for the New Year’s Eve bash. “Last year I made a leg of lamb,” recalls Dynerman. “It’s usually a heavy winter dish—a get-out-the-big-red-wine dish.” One thing is for sure: Guests roll up their sleeves and participate. “Everyone gets involved. Some are shucking oysters or making this or making that. It’s just fantastic.” It’s a dance, indeed.
Architecture & Interior Design: Alan Dynerman, FAIA, Dynerman Architects, Washington, DC.
Writer Catherine Funkhouser is based in Arlington. Paul Burk is a photographer in Baltimore.
A Capitol Hill couple—both with political careers—were in search of a home on the Chesapeake Bay that would serve as a tranquil weekend escape. They found just what they wanted in a four-bedroom Sherwood, Maryland, home set on six waterfront acres. “We fell in love with the location. It’s quiet, remote and truly feels like a getaway from DC,” says the wife. “The house, however, was standard builder-grade, so we hired Bountiful Interiors in 2015 to give it more character and a higher-quality design.”
Principal Jamie Merida and lead designer Denise Perkins collaborated on the makeover with kitchen designer Barc A. Upchurch and builder Kurt Hermann. The overall plan added character to the home with new architectural elements, a bold color palette, and chic furniture and art. The team also forged a better connection to the property’s coveted outdoor environment. “We wanted the design to improve the relationship between the land, water, and home,” explains Merida.
The quest for spatial definition began in the foyer, where beige drywall previously set the tone that existed throughout the house; the staircase was plain oak. “We added paneled moldings up to the second floor,” recalls Perkins, “then painted everything—walls, stairs, railings—a crisp white.”
The foyer opens to the sitting and dining rooms, both slightly more formal spaces that have their own distinct character. The eye-catching sitting room is a study in blue and white and incorporates patterns of stripes, trellises, and geometrics that evoke the movement of water outside.
The dining room also pops. A vinyl Thibaut wall covering, which reads like grasscloth but is more practical in a watery environment, provides a textured background. Dashes of red in the china cabinet, chair cushions, and pillows add contrast. “The dining room carries a fresh take on more traditional forms,” says Merida. “It’s coastal in feel but also sophisticated—our signature Tidewater style.”
Upchurch and the Bountiful designers took the kitchen—once closed-off with dark, cherry cabinets and granite counters—in a lighter direction. It now boasts a white-and-navy color scheme with nautically inspired chrome hardware. A widened, cased opening to the family room connects these two revamped spaces. “We created an enfilade of sorts by reorienting the kitchen. Its stovetop and island, and the fireplace in the family room, all lineup and have a sense of symmetry,” says Merida. Other special features in the kitchen include onyx countertops, a custom stainless-steel hood and an island with navy shiplap siding.
The palette of red, white and blue carries into the family room, where a red-and-white checked wool carpet grounds the furniture. Swivel chairs in navy with contrasting white piping sit in a bay window, while the homeowners’ existing white sofas were recast with a medley of red, white and blue pillows. Matched bookcases were also added during the redesign.
Two sets of French doors—in the kitchen and first-floor master bedroom—now lead onto a new screened porch that takes full advantage of the views and is perfect for entertaining. “The porch is divided into sitting and dining areas,” Perkins explains. “It’s furnished with a mix of teak and wicker as well as indoor-outdoor fabrics.” A coral-and-aqua palette prevails on the porch, while the designers introduced shades of tangerine and teal to enliven the bedrooms.
The large master bedroom also enjoys expansive views. “We wanted to make it more cozy and warm, so we chose interesting 3-D stacked-wood cladding for the headboard wall,” says Merida. The hue of the weathered-wood wall is echoed on a brown velvet-upholstered armchair and a side table with a petrified-wood top. He adds, “There are a nice yin and yang of rustic wood finishes and luxe materials like the leather-wrapped night tables.” In the guest room, orange chests flank the bed, providing storage for visiting guests and family.
The owners love escaping to their waterfront getaway. “Our design team did such a great job of bringing in coastal elements while making sure everything remained classic and timeless,” says the wife. “It’s become a wonderful retreat for us.”
Interior Design: Jamie Merida, principal; Denise Perkins, lead designer, Bountiful Interiors, Easton, Maryland. Kitchen Design: Barc A. Upchurch, Barclay Designs, Easton, Maryland. Renovation Contractor: Kurt Hermann, Shore Projects Custom Homes, Easton, Maryland.
Charlotte Safavi is an Alexandria-based writer and stylist. Robert Radifera is a photographer in Charlottesville.
