This incredible M.C. Escher-esque kitchen floor was designed by architect Charles Bohl using cherry, walnut and oak wood.
Susan and George Brown (not their real names) believe that their home in Baltimore City’s Otterbein neighborhood dates back to the 1830s or 1840s and was probably the home of a Baltimore merchant. But by the 1970s and 1980s the neighborhood had fallen upon some very tough times.
“To encourage urban renewal, a lottery was held, and if your number was picked, you could purchase one of these homes from the city for $1—they were known as ‘dollar homes’—with the understanding that you would rehab it and live in it as an owner-occupier,” says George. Interestingly enough, his home is actually two “dollar homes”—purchased by a previous owner—which were once adjacent to one another.
When George bought the home in 1989, it had dark blue walls, a bar in the dining room, and in general was very uninviting. “I did what I could to lighten the place up. Plus I loved the skylight,” he says. “At the time I had my teenage son living here, and I was able to put him on the other side of the house.” When Brown remarried and his new wife moved in, it was time for another change. Working with architect Charles “Chip” Bohl of Bohl Architects, and with Bohl’s wife, Barbara, serving as an interior design consultant, a number of changes were made.
The couple’s collection of art and artifacts is scattered throughout the home and includes a collection of antique paddles on one of the walls.First was putting in new handrails on the stairs and tearing the kitchen apart to open up that space. “Chip helped us to do a completely different arrangement,” says Susan. “We put in open shelving and cut out part of the wall between the kitchen and the living room. I love to cook—cooking is sort of a form of entertainment for me and in spite of this being a small kitchen, the kitchen is where everyone hangs out.
The 16th century Scandinavian clock off the living room space and the varying school house light fixtures give this home its charm.
“We have stainless steel appliances, a moveable island, and a floor that is constructed out of hickory, maple, and walnut, which was inspired by an Italian marble floor. Furthermore, I love to be surrounded by colorful artwork while I’m in the kitchen.”
In the kitchen, part of the artwork is her collection of small painted tin stoves. “I began collecting them when I was in graduate school,” she says. “At the time you could find them at flea markets for very little, but then they got trendy and pricey. The kitchen has a number of hand-carved birds and trees.”
But the couple’s collection of art and artifacts is not confined to the kitchen, which lies between the living room and the dining room. Indeed, it is pretty much everywhere in the home. A collection of antique paddles hang on one wall, while a painting by the Scottish artist Jennifer McCrae is in the dining room, with another of her pieces hanging in the den. A very, very old frame that the couple found in Lucca, Italy, hangs in the dining room. Other paintings include those by Deborah Donelson, Joan Erbe, and Mark Barry.
“I have a collection of decoys, which are carved wooden ‘fish’ that are put on a weighted string to attract other fish,” says Susan. “Then the fisherman uses a special spear to actually catch the fish.
“I also collect hose nozzles and sprinkler heads, and have some really beautiful brass ones, plus there are a lot of really wonderful pieces of pottery, which I began collecting years ago when I owned an art gallery in North Carolina.”
In order to have more space in the living room, the couple opted to make the main entrance to the home the door on the side of the building. The living room has the original working fireplace—with a fire screen made by David Hess—built-in bookcases for the couple’s collection of art books, sofas and chairs, along with more of the artwork the two have collected.
The dining room looks out onto a small patio and garden. “When I moved in it was pretty much just mulch,” says Susan. “George had been tinkering with the idea of making it a parking pad, but instead we started putting in boxwood. However, the boxwood got way too big, so we dug them up and gave them to friends.
“Then we put in some trees … this is a shade yard, which really feels like another room. In the warm months we put out a table and chairs, and I have a number of large pots where I grow my own herbs.”
Along with collecting, the couple is very much into gardening. While their own garden is relatively small, they work to maintain the neighborhood’s main park, as well as six of its pocket parks.
One of the significant changes the couple made was to the colors of the walls, after a trip to Italy made them rethink their all-white home. Today the home features very pale blues and greens. In the dining room the color is gold, and in the master bedroom it is a soothing, pale gray-blue.An open stairway leads to the second floor. Because the home was originally two separate buildings, the second floor has two levels. The master bedroom sits at the front of the house and has the original working fireplace. “In the summer months on the north side of the house, if the shutters are open, it feels like you are living in a tree house,” says Susan. “There is a huge linden tree, so you can’t see anything except the tree. On the other hand, we have considered moving our bedroom up to the third floor, where we have a great view of downtown Baltimore.”
The bedroom’s walk-through closet—with sink and mirror—leads to the bathroom, while the bathtub, steam shower, and toilet are separate.
On the second floor landing is a 14-foot armoire made by David Klein from found pieces of wood. Also on the second level is a den and television room. A spiral staircase leads to the third floor, where there is another full bathroom and guest bedroom, as well as a second full bath and another bedroom, which serves as Susan’s home office.
Finally, there is a fully finished basement that George uses as his office. “George started out thinking that the asphalt tile flooring for the basement would be charcoal gray,” says Susan. “Instead, he ended up going with turquoise. There is a bathroom in the basement and doors that open directly out onto the sidewalk.”
Throughout the house, the couple decided to make use of plantation shutters. “These are the largest shutters, which we needed because the windows are so big,” says Susan. “However, after we put them in, our neighbors complained bitterly that they couldn’t see the displays of art and other things we collect and keep on our very wide windowsills.”
Mary Medland is a frequent contributor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contact:
Bohl Architects: bohlarchitects.com or 410-263-2200
