Arched doorways throughout the home mimic the shape of the front door.
At the turn of the 19 th century, Bay Ridge in Annapolis, Maryland, was a resort community where steamboats and a railroad brought weary Baltimoreans for a summer respite and Victorian-era diversion. In the 1920s, when the resort’s popularity had ceased, developers transformed this point of land where the Severn River meets the Bay into a community of summer cottages. When the Bay Bridge was built, tourists bypassed Bay Ridge for the Eastern Shore; its waterside cottages became quiet summer getaways and eventually, year-round homes. Bay Ridge was relatively unchanged when Dr. Stephen and Stacy Labbe purchased their cottage.
The young couple was drawn to the neighborhood because of its reputation for being family-friendly. They also loved the view from the lot, which takes in the entire expanse of the Bay Bridge. They certainly were not drawn to the house itself, which was poorly constructed and had such “fine” interior design touches as a baseball bat holding up one side of the kitchen island. After many discussions with professionals, the Labbes realized the home could not be saved and would need to be torn down and rebuilt. Just when that project was about to commence, Stacy became pregnant with the couple’s first child. Then came a second child. Before they knew it, the Labbes had spent six years in a home they meant to live in for one.
Finally it was time for the young family to build the house they’d always intended, a Nantucket-inspired cottage that evoked Steve’s youth on the New England coast. The couple selected architect Thomas D. Davies, Jr., AIA, having seen his work in the neighborhood. “We knew we were going to be working with him for a long time so we wanted to make sure he was someone we felt comfortable with,” says Stacy. “We loved him because he has no ego in his work.”
The Labbes–who had already spent six years in their little cottage–were not going to make any rushed decisions. They were meticulous about the design of the house, taking three years to perfect the plans. In addition to the New England style of the home, the Labbes wanted an open floor plan for easy entertaining and so Stacy could keep an eye on her children. They didn’t want any extraneous, showy rooms, but rather a thoughtful home with well-programmed details of superb quality.
The homeowners took three years to perfect the plans for their Bay Ridge cottage.
(The turret and master bedroom are set back slightly for privacy.) The house respects the Bay Critical Area guidelines and maximizes the narrow lot.
The interior was planned with an incredible eye for detail. “The problem is always melding a contemporary, open floor plan with a traditional feel to the rooms,” Davies explains. To give the rooms warmth and depth he designed elaborate trim including wainscoting, six-inch moldings, and raised panel hardwood doors, not to mention architectural details like arched doorways and softly curving walls.
Obviously, the Labbes wanted to enjoy their view, but they didn’t want to live in a fish bowl. “I gang together traditional windows rather than using big picture windows; I just think it’s more friendly,” says Davies. “You get a nicer feeling – the interiors of the rooms aren’t as cold.”
The detailing of the house and its position on the lot required a skilled builder. The Labbes hired Geaton “Guy” DiZebba of Annapolis’ DiZebba & Sons who “stick-built” the entire house on-site because the small space made it difficult to create anything off site or to bring in large pieces of machinery. DiZebba brought stone from Massachusetts, installed reclaimed, 200-year-old, heart pine floors that give the rooms a golden hue, and oversaw the creation of the almost two miles of custom trim and cherry paneling. The staircase has elaborately turned spindles (a recreation of something the Labbes spotted in a magazine) that were custom crafted by Warren’s Wood Works on the Eastern Shore.
Smart House technology lets the homeowners control things such as lights and temperature. A geothermal heating and cooling system combined with foam insulation makes it extremely efficient. The house took almost two years to build.The Labbes frequently entertain large groups of friends, and as with many homes, it was mandatory that the kitchen become the hub of the home. Working with interior designer Leslie Hunt, Stacy realized the black, white, and red-themed kitchen she desired. “I wanted the kitchen to feel very furniture-like and not ‘kitcheny,’” says Stacy. “We have a banquette with a fireplace where people can sit down and have a glass of wine while we’re cooking.”
The kitchen is enhanced by an enormous island built by a craftsman in St. Michael’s who is known for his farm tables. The island top, made of elm from an 80-year-old barn, is solid wood and required 12 men to install. The island contains vital storage and appliances–including individualized refrigerator drawers the Labbe children can use for easy access to snacks–so the room isn’t overpowered with cabinetry.
Although Stacy always anticipated a home decorated in colors that would reflect its waterfront locations (blues and greens) according to Leslie Hunt, Stacy’s love of the black and white Buffalo check used in the kitchen created a strong color scheme for the home “The downstairs uses bold red, white, and black,” says Hunt. “The walls are a French gold faux painted in a layered, antique beautiful finish.” In the open home, lighting was extremely important. In the kitchen, Hunt says the pair of Niermann Weeks chandeliers is a surprising complement that sets the tone in the room. “They’re black wrought iron with balls of scattered crystals. It’s an elegant piece but there’s an element of fun in it,” she says.
Set within the home's turret, the master bedroom boasts the best view in the house.
There are other playful elements in the house, like the “Annapolis bathroom,” a guest bathroom on the first floor that has hand-painted tiles featuring local landmarks and historic Bay boats. There is a rendering of the house in tile over the custom mirror. “For a teeny little bathroom it’s very special,” says Hunt. On another occasion, Stacy found a beautiful black and white fabric she loved, but all the upholstery had already been selected. Hunt suggested she use the fabric to create upholstered walls with welt detailing in the entry foyer.
While the children’s bedrooms reflect their personalities and interests–a pink princess theme for her, a navy blue fisherman’s theme for him–the master suite is a respite from the abundant color in the other parts of the home. Stacy and Leslie found the neutral silk embroidered with a taupe pattern that looks like coral or seaweed and felt it was a soft accent to the room’s stone fireplace. Not only is the fabric used in the window treatments of the turret, but also as a backdrop to the bed, which is set in a recessed arch. Next came the beautiful wool rug that “looks like a fisherman’s sweater,” says Hunt. The master bath uses the same champagne colors and features a glass shower for Steve and a claw-foot tub for Stacy. The walls are hand-stenciled in a soft pattern. “It’s a peaceful refuge,” says Stacy.
Stacy wanted to keep the landscape of the property as natural and New England-inspired as the home itself with bright pops of color to bring up the grey of the shingles. Landscape designer Hans Bleinberger of McHale Landscape Design explains that to keep the feel of a 1920s cottage, the Labbes chose to put in a tire track driveway using paving stones, which also kept down the impervious surface so close to the Bay Critical Area. “What we tried to do was let the house and the site speak for themselves,” says Bleinberger. “It’s a beautiful house with a million dollar view so we needed to have a light hand and not get overly enthusiastic with the planting, especially in such a small space.”
Bleinberger kept to traditional plants such as hydrangeas, roses, and ornamental grasses to give the home a Cape Cod feeling. There is room in the design for seasonal color so that pansies beget tulips then geraniums and chrysanthemums for almost 12 months of color.
Unlike many couples that can’t wait to see the conclusion of a building project, Stacy says she was sad to have the process come to an end. “We heard so many war stories about building a house,” she says. “We loved everybody, and that’s got to be important. And the three of them–the architect, the designer, the builder–got along as well. I think we were very lucky in that regard.”
The Labbes love their home so much, they had a moment’s pause before leaving for a recent vacation. “My husband and I looked at each other and said we didn’t want to leave,” she says with a laugh. “We just love being here.”
Christianna McCausland is a Contributing Editor of ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
DiZebba & Sons Custom Home Builders: dizebba.com or 410-923-6022
Leslie Hunt Interiors: 443-995-3225
McHale Landscape Design: mchalelandscape.com or 301-599-8300 Thomas D. Davies, Jr., AIA: thomasddaviesarchitect.com or 410-263-2831
WarrenÕs Wood Works, Inc.: warrenswoodworks.com or 410-820-8984
