For a DC couple who dreamed of owning a waterfront retreat in Annapolis, patience paid off. The pair of avid boaters moved quickly when an estate they had always admired became available. “We had boated by this property many times over the years and always looked at it and thought, ‘What a great place,’” recounts the husband, principal of an investment firm. “When it came on the market, my wife saw the listing online. We bought it the next day.”

The husband, who has participated in nearby Wednesday night regattas for decades, was particularly keen on the boat houses and docks that came with the nine-acre parcel ideally situated at the intersection of Whitehall Creek and Whitehall Bay. But the 6,500-square-foot abode built in 2006 boasted its own share of selling points. For starters, the five-bedroom home with additional guest quarters over the garage offered ample accommodations for friends and family, including the couple’s four grown children and new daughter-in-law.

What’s more, “it had beautiful views of the water,” enthuses the wife, a lawyer-turned-nonprofit executive. “The previous owners had just done an extensive renovation so everything was brand new.”

That 2020 revamp, completed by ABS Architects and Pyramid Builders, introduced airy, contemporary elements—from a glass-and-steel entryway to a floating staircase—to what was originally a traditional, somewhat buttoned-up house. The kitchen and bathrooms underwent overhauls, and the screened porch was revised. Lastly, a glass walkway was added to connect the residence to the garage.

While the new owners embraced these prior improvements, they had a wish list of their own. So they engaged designer Jay Jenkins to boost function, further refine the plan and instill fresh style throughout. Jenkins invited Pyramid Builders back to collaborate on a smaller-scale renovation that subtracted some features, such as a superfluous opening in the dining room, and added others, including several built-ins. The most transformative change: converting part of the garage into livable space.

“First, we had to get the bones of the house right for the way they wanted to live,” relays Jenkins. “Then the rest of the project was all-encompassing interior decoration.”

The owners sought clean yet comfortable spaces. “We like transitional design with some contemporary flair,” reveals the wife. “We also wanted the house to be inviting. Jay really picked up on that.”

Jenkins employed crisp, white paint and natural wall coverings to create a cohesive canvas in the main-floor public spaces. “I really do believe that a house speaks to you and tells you what it’s looking for,” he offers. “Here, the architecture would not lend itself to a choppy color palette.”

Indeed, a clear sightline extends from the foyer, through the living room and porch, to the backyard and watery scene beyond. Jenkins established two seating areas in the living space and populated both with updated-traditional furniture upholstered in creamy neutrals that don’t distract from the view. He shares, “I wanted to do something quiet and elegant, without being off-putting.”

His subdued scheme also allows the couple’s artwork to shine. While visiting a Bethesda gallery, the wife fell for a painting by Washington Color School artist Thomas Downing, which today presides over the living room sofa. Several other pieces by Color Field artists soon joined their curated collection. Jenkins tapped his sources to find additional abstract works, including a swirly, multi-hued painting that emboldens the dining room, located to the left of the entryway.

The previously remodeled kitchen, with its cobalt-blue La Cornue range and hood, remained largely intact. Nonetheless, Jenkins masterminded a few modifications. He retrofitted the existing island with a custom white-oak surround and replaced glass lanterns with sleeker pendants overhead. Given that the kitchen could accommodate a casual dining table, the adjacent breakfast area seemed redundant. So, the designer reimagined it as a sunroom, trading its patio door for a picture window that showcases the cinematic setting.

One functional conundrum persisted, though. The home lacked a laid-back hangout where the whole clan could congregate. As a remedy, the team converted half of the two-bay garage into a family room and bar, adding 800 square feet of finished space. “That big move provided the program that is necessary to live in a wonderful way,” states Bret Anderson, founder and president of Pyramid Builders. “The space is really on par with the rest of the house now.”

Getting there required ingenuity and vision. Taking color cues from the home’s exterior stonework, Jenkins chose a warmer, coppery palette for the after-dinner destination. In the family room, he concealed non-negotiable mechanical equipment behind bespoke doors wrapped in a striped rug that suggests height. “The rug provides a nice visual as you come down the glass-lined hallway,” notes the designer. “But it also absorbs sound. A lot of thought went into making this project work.”

For the primary bedroom at the opposite end of the first floor, Jenkins mixed soothing shades of blue and green that mirror the 180-degree panorama on display through its large windows. Three ensuite bedrooms housed upstairs, as well as a lower-level bedroom and the above-garage apartment, received decorative makeovers too.

After all, togetherness was the ultimate goal. “This was meant to be a multi-generational family space for our kids and, someday, their kids,” discloses the wife. “It’s all about the good quality time spent there.”