An architectural makeover opened this waterfront home up to serene views while maintaining its original style.
It’s not surprising that this French Tudor gem on secluded Otter Pond in Gibson Island caught the eye of its homeowners as a perfect place for a retreat home for themselves and their grown children. The house, one of the first on the island, has retained all its early 20th century architectural charm, including a soaring great room with exposed wood beams. And the land across the pond from the home is protected, ensuring gorgeous views and alluring privacy for years to come.
“When I walked in, I loved the great room, and my husband loved the sunroom and the view,” the homeowner explains. The couple bought the house shortly after a family excursion to Germany. The house reminded them of the historic bed and breakfast where they stayed. “We wanted the rooms to be true to the age of the house, as opposed to making it a beachy house,” she continues. “We wanted to keep the doors, the oil-rubbed bronze bathroom fixtures, and the hardware, for example.”
For all its attributes, though, the house was not maximizing all its assets.
“The location of the house is key, but the siting and design of the house seemed to turn its back on the water,” explains architect Laurie Stubb of Place Architecture: Design. “We wanted to reverse that and embrace the view and also give the owner her creature comforts without losing the original style of the home.”
In what Stubb calls an act of “architectural gymnastics,” she unified the rooflines at the back of the house that had been disjointed by the addition of several thoughtless porches over the years. To brighten the master bedroom and maximize its pond view, two small dormers were connected to make one large window. All of the circa 1920s bathrooms were updated (as were the major systems, such as the air conditioning), and a dumbwaiter was installed to move things through the house with ease. The small kitchen was representative of the home’s age, and, as an exception to the homeowner’s interest in “being true to the age of the house,” was enlarged and opened onto the other living spaces, most notably the great room and sunroom.
Erin Pitts of Erin Paige Pitts Interiors, was the perfect person to enliven the interior décor as she is a Gibson Island resident, too, with an appreciation for this unique home. Although the house is undeniably French in style, “We didn’t want it in-your-face French Normandy, but rather to take elegant cues from that style,” says Pitts. “We tried to do things that felt like they worked, like using stylized French fabrics or wrought iron sconces in the bathroom that make a connection to the wrought iron in the great room.”
The great room is arguably the showstopper of this house. To manage its large scale, Pitts created two seating areas. The large social area demarcated by the sofa is a congenial place to relax by the fireplace, while the breakout space of two upright chairs and leather ottomans under the epic windows creates a nice private nook. Two wrought iron chandeliers custom made by Phillips Metal Works in Montgomery, Alabama, help bring down the feel of the soaring ceiling. It is a dark room by nature, so it’s grounded with a light rug and neutral upholstery popped with patterned pillows.
The great room features two sitting areas furnished with high back chairs from Artifacts International, side tables from Emerson Et Cie and Woodbridge Furniture, and two wrought iron chandeliers custom made by Phillips Metal Works
As the hub of the house, the great room influenced much of the interior design. For example, once the kitchen was opened so that it related visually to the great room, Pitts wanted to create a connection between the spaces. Hence, the custom kitchen cabinetry features an arch that echoes the great room’s beamed ceiling. The island fixture is set a bit higher than normal for great visual perspective between rooms and to show off the copper range hood and large backsplash medallion. “That is softly French and a great focal point,” Pitts explains.
The kitchen floor, which Pitts describes as “a labor of love,” was inspired by a photo of The Inn at Little Washington. The tiles are made of porcelain made to look like wood combined with stone tile, all set on a diagonal so the room feels more expansive.
The home relies on unifying tones of taupe, copper, gold, and brown, accented with blues and greens—colors the owner loves. This color scheme is apparent in the seven bedrooms, each designed to evoke that B&B feel that so charmed the owners on their trip overseas. As the house is used seasonally, and mostly in summertime, the owner wanted the bedrooms to be comfortable, but not overwrought. “The bedrooms are small but plentiful and private,” she explains. “They’re meant for sleeping because most of our time is spent together with family or outside.”
“Each bedroom received a tremendous amount of attention to detail to make each feel warm and inviting,” Pitts explained. The master suite uses soothing turquoise tempered with copper accents, colors that reoccur in the new, modern shower. As a nod back to the home’s original architectural style, Pitts utilized wrought iron sconces on the master vanity.
The details of this house are what made it such a joy for Pitts to work on. Some of Pitts’ favorite finer points are a crewelwork bolster pillow in the guest bedroom; the rivet detail she placed on the edge of the kitchen countertop, and the silk trim on the kitchen shade. “The client really made this a wonderful project because she adores amazing fabrics and was so inspired by the things I showed her,” she explains. “She was so embracing of details and appreciated how they made the rooms go from wow to WOW.”
The home, with its brilliant sunroom, new patios, open kitchen, and sunlit master bedroom may be a departure from the original design. However, it seems to have found the visual identity and relationship to its surroundings that was always meant to be.
Christianna McCausland is a contributing editor for Chesapeake Home + Living.
Contact:
Erin Paige Pitts Interiors: 443-392-5036 or erinpaigepittsinteriors.com
Place Architecture: Design: 410-337-5299 or placearchitecture.com
