The great room takes in uninterrupted vistas through floor-to-ceiling windows.
Searching for a waterfront lot on which to build their dream home, Tina and John Galdieri came upon three-plus acres at the tip of a peninsula west of St. Michaels with 300-degree vistas. “We were already living on the water, but wanted better views and access,” relates Tina, who is director of cheerleading for the Baltimore Ravens. “When we pulled up and saw the view here, we were sold.”
Situated on Broad Creek with easy access to the Chesapeake Bay, the undeveloped property offered a clean slate for building. After buying the land, the couple, who have a teenage daughter, enlisted architect Jonathan Rivera to design their home; Mueller Homes came on board as builder and interior designer Wesley Pehlke also joined the team. “We wanted a sanctuary that would be a serene retreat from our demanding jobs,” says Tina, whose husband, a pilot, owns an aircraft management company. “The biggest goal was to have windows everywhere, so as to create as many water views as possible.”
They soon discovered that critical area guidelines limited the project’s architectural possibilities. Not only were there wetlands, but three water-facing sides of the site had 100-foot buffer zones. “I let the lot inform the design,” observes Rivera, who sited the structure carefully “so that the main areas got the best views.”
The completed dwelling clocks in at 8,300 square feet, with five bedrooms and seven-and-a-half baths. Built in coastal Shingle style and clad in HardiePlank and stone, it’s distinguished by such architectural flourishes as towers and a working cupola that admits natural light to the second-floor hall. One tower, lined with clerestory windows, contains the floating wood staircase, while another houses a gym on the main floor with the primary bedroom above. Banks of clerestory and floor-to-ceiling windows by Andersen frame views at every turn.
“The goal was to create a home that would stand the test of time, in a style that would not necessitate frequent changes,” notes Mueller Homes president PJ Mueller. At the owners’ request, he and his team implemented a variety of interior finishes, including board and batten and shiplap siding for nautical flair.
The front entry boasts sightlines straight through to the water in back. To the right, the open-plan kitchen flows into a double-height great room with a vaulted ceiling clad in shiplap and a massive stone fireplace. Off the breakfast area, glass pocket doors access a patio where a swimming pool and outdoor kitchen beckon. The home features three main-floor porches grounded by bluestone flooring. An enclosed breezeway leads to a four-car garage with a one-bedroom apartment over it.
Occupying the whole right side of the second story, the primary suite with its sleeping and sitting areas “is truly a sanctuary,” Tina says. It spills out to a tiled deck large enough for entertaining; an exterior spiral stair leads down to the pool terrace.
Tina’s ground-floor office is also a stand-out: Accordion doors open it to a screened porch with eastern exposure that admits morning light. A west-facing glass interior wall is positioned to let in afternoon and evening light.
“With the number of must-haves on the Galdieris’ list, I was concerned that the house would feel too big,” Rivera comments. “But we were able to spread it out so that individual areas feel separate and have a sense of coziness.”
Designer Wesley Pehlke had a clear vision of what her client wanted, having designed her prior home. “I worked off what I did before, which she loved,” Pehlke recounts. “Tina has an unfussy style. She said she wanted to feel is if she’s always on vacation. I persuaded her to use a clean, coastal color palette and textures like oyster shell and rattan to achieve a nautical aesthetic that wasn’t too overt.”
White oak floors extend through much of the house. Shades of blue and sandy beige contrast with crisp-white walls. Black accents pop via hardware and accessories. A combination of new and repurposed furniture is transitional in style; creative finishes in tile and wallpaper add interest.
The kitchen exemplifies the coastal sensibility that Pehlke and her client embraced. “Tina had just completed the kitchen in her other house, and she literally wanted to recreate it here,” the designer reveals. Columbia-based Engrained Design Works devised the custom cabinetry—and all other built-ins throughout the house—while Pehlke selected details including cabinet style, quartz countertops and a decorative backsplash. She finished the shiplap walls to match the sand-toned island base and hung airy Visual Comfort light fixtures above the island and breakfast table.
While Rivera specified hardscape materials and design, the pool and travertine surround were installed by Absolute Landscape & Turf Services. Tina, who loves to garden, masterminded the landscape plan for the front yard, then tapped Wayne Dederick Landscaping to carry out her vision.
Throughout the project, the Galdieris thought long-term about their dream home. When they decided their bedroom suite should be on the second floor to take better advantage of the views, they installed an elevator with future needs in mind. “What I love is that our home feels functional as well as beautiful,” Tina says. “We hope to stay for a long time.”
Architecture: Jonathan Rivera, AIA, NCARB, Jonathan Rivera Architecture, Glenwood, Maryland. Interior Design: Wesley Pehlke, Simply Wesley, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: Paul Mueller, Jr., Mueller Homes, Annapolis and Sykesville, Maryland.