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AN EYE ON THE ENVIRONMENT: The homeowners are very conscious of their impact and addressed energy usage by installing an extensive system of solar panels on the roof of the home soon after they moved in.
Every city or town has at least one—one great stretch of road that provides the gateway to an aspirational community—a sought-after community known for its prime location and for the signature properties within it.
Such was the objective of this month’s feature homeowners, who not only relocated from one of our lovely waterfront neighborhoods in 2018 to such a community, but also upsized their lifestyle when most couples are thinking of doing the opposite.
“This is the neighborhood that when you drive down the road, everybody says, ‘Man, I wonder what it would be like to live in a neighborhood like that,’” the homeowner says. “We did that for a long time.”
That said, giving up living on the water was going to need to provide some pretty significant upsides, if they were going to take the plunge. And in a sense, that is just what they are able to do now that they have relocated to a property with an envious in-ground pool, a glorious fenced-in yard, three-times the garage space, and a total of 11,000 square-feet to spread out and host family and friends.
While they were able to trade up from their 3,600-square-foot waterfront residence to a two-acre property that also provided the degree of privacy they required, the home, built in 2004, would not be a turn-key endeavor.
[The home] had good potential,” the homeowner says. “But certain things were outdated and some things were not super functional. The kitchen was smaller and had this angle-shaped island that wasn’t really functional because only one person could stand at it at a time.”
The kitchen would become a significant part of the greater renovation plan, as was the home’s lower level, the primary bath suite, and literally wiring the place for sound—and every smart home function the couple could imagine.
While assessing what it would take to elevate their new home to the next level of desired efficiency, they knew just who they would call upon to help apply their goals to a floorplan—an architect the husband had known for some time after working in the same office building together.
“When we saw the house, we saw it had a lot of potential,” the homeowner says. “But we knew there were a number of things we wanted to change. We decided to take the plunge and do it all as soon as we could. So as soon as our old house went under contract, we called Melanie and said, ‘Okay, we’re ready to get started,’” referring to Melanie Hartwig-Davis of HD Squared Architects of Annapolis.
The homeowners relayed that they knew HD Squared Architects had an exceptional work ethic especially when it came to super detailed projects, had a solid staff, and would bring in just the right resources when it came to the actual construction of the vision they would create together. The homeowners greatly respected Hartwig-Davis’ choice of Victor Daccarett of Annapolis Green Construction when it came to sustainable strategies and depth of experience with custom builds.
As to the homeowners’ wish list, Hartwig-Davis’ says their primary desire was to elevate the experience of the home so it was personalized to them, and spoke to their family’s lifestyle, which includes their constant companions, their dogs, two Boxers and two Yorkies.
“They wanted to spread out horizontally,” says Hartwig-Davis. “They wanted to make it feel comfortable. They’re very social people, so they talked a lot about providing that retreat for their family and friends. They also wanted it to be a multigenerational dwelling when needed.”
So, with their specific target areas identified, HD Squared defined the plan, and the integrated team got to work on executing it.
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Target Area 1: The Kitchen
“The home had really not been updated since 2004,” explains Hartwig-Davis. “The kitchen had dark wood cabinets, that just pulled the light out of the space.”
With their former home being on the water, they were used to a room bathed in natural light, so it was assessed that this kitchen would need a serious window upgrade. The window above the sink would be expanded and an additional side panel window would be added.
The room was also diminished by the amount of space dedicated to the pantry. So a scheme to relocate the pantry to an adjacent laundry area and expand the kitchen into that space ensued. A new, expanded laundry would be re-located to the lower level and an additional laundry area would be added near the primary suite on the upper level.
More room and utility for the couple to entertain in the kitchen was provided by accessing space under a back staircase formerly used as a closet to create an elegant wet bar area.
“The wet bar worked out really well and it’s functional because it pulls people out of the prep zone into the more social space on the other side of the island where there’s ample space for standing and seating,” Hartwig-Davis says.
In essence, the entire kitchen was gutted and re-worked to provide an upscale and ultimate gourmet chef’s kitchen from appliances to countertop workspaces.
“We have a chef now, but I like to cook, too, so having a nice kitchen was critical,” the homeowner said.
To accomplish a high-end look without sacrificing utility, the homeowners requested a company located in Pennsylvania well-known for its hand-made custom cabinetry, quality materials, and white glove delivery. The team at HD Squared drafted highly-detailed drawings depicting their design for the well-appointed kitchen and bar.
The end result is a kitchen with infinite smart storage options, glossy, luxe granite countertops, sumptuous Tennis White beaded inset cabinets lightly coated with a warming gray glaze, and amazing top-shelf appliances. The awkward island was replaced with a rectangular island tricked out with charging ports for electronics, seating on two sides, prep sink, and microwave and warming drawers. This combination creates an inviting and fully functioning space that their prestigious home chef remarks as the best-conceived home kitchen she has ever had the pleasure of working in.
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Target Area 2: The Primary Bath
While there weren’t any size or structural concerns with the home’s primary bath, there was one fundamental element that benefitted from some heavy work with a sledgehammer: the primary bathtub. Inset and sunk into a corner of the room, the garden style tub was the main thing to go.
Hartwig-Davis says there was also an overload of generic white tile and neutrality about the room that made it less than inviting. The upscale, spa-like scheme would involve a faucet upgrade, a dual vanity redux that included going bold with a misty blue hue on the cabinets; topping them with classic marble, and replacing the early 2000s status tub with a gorgeous free-standing soaking tub. The new fixture was uniquely situated to take center stage in the room at the apex of the two vanities; a statement-making tray ceiling and opulent chandelier hanging from above. (The couple credits the experts at In-Home Stone in Annapolis with helping them navigate the dizzying world of tile options to help them find just what worked for the space.)
A state-of-the-art shower/steam room was added to be the answer to a day’s worth of Zoom meetings and To-Do lists with its tranquil color palette and high-tech integrated sound system. The room’s large, existing linen closet was converted to accommodate both linens and a conveniently stacked washer and dryer combo, creating a place for everything—and everything looking great in its place.
Target Area 3: The Lower Level
Taking what was a mere blank canvas of concrete and creating a dual-purpose, multi-functioning, multi-generational living space in the home’s lower level would prove to be the most ambitious of the couple’s objectives for the home.
As Hartwig-Davis explains, the overall plan would need to ensure a thoughtful transition and flow from the indoors to the property’s lovely exterior patio and pool area. Before they could get to any of the “fun stuff”, however, some pesky, but essential storm water management issues needed to be addressed.
“We could see dampness on the concrete block,” Hartwig-Davis says. A multi-pronged plan to address run-off issues that had water overflowing the pool and patio area and seeping into lower-level interior areas, included extensive basement waterproofing, upgrading downspouts, and re-grading the landscape to create swales to allow the water to run off more easily and percolate into the soil, rather than having it run off and cause erosion.
“With the rains we are having, storm water management is definitely a check-list item,” Hartwig-Davis adds.
With the major wet elephant in the room taken care of, Hartwig-Davis and the team could get to work on their grand plan to have the lower-level flow from the bottom of the stairs to an attractive hallway that has two distinct paths.
“The lower level has a public and private wing,” she says. That aspect of the lower-level build was essential if the homeowner’s dream of constructing an authentic home theater experience was going to happen.
The home theater, which took nearly a year to complete, would be part of the public wing, which would also have a large recreation area, a bathroom, and ease of access to the pool area and hot tub. And when the homeowner says, “authentic” he means it, as no detail or element was too small or overlooked, right down to nostalgically realistic concession stand with its theater-box sized Snowcaps, Raisinets, and movie-theater grade popcorn machine.
One of the less-than-sexy details about the room is also one of the things that most home theaters owners are hard-pressed to mitigate, and that’s the booming sound that theaters create. As adept at tech as the homeowner is (the home boasts a robust sound system and hardwired Internet/WiFi access backed up by the best generator on the market), he reached out to a local expert at Household Installs in Annapolis to help him achieve the ultimate level of soundproofing throughout the home.
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For the plush, lush, and softer goods associated with a theater, including the leather padded and tufted swinging entry doors, the homeowner says, he sought the help of a father and son team out of Baltimore who have had their hands in building commercial theaters for decades. The result is an incredible home theater experience that ensures built-in quality family time.
And when friends and family want to stay over, the private wing of the lower-level functions as an in-law suite with a bedroom, full bath, and an attractive kitchenette outfitted with re-vamped cabinetry from the home’s previous kitchen.
As if all that isn’t enough, this wing also offers homeowners and guests alike access to an essential in-home gym constructed with glass doors for the advantageous balance of light from the basement windows, and a roomy, resort-worthy sauna with an adjacent dressing room.
Final Thoughts
Looking back on the project, Hartwig-Davis says what she’ll remember most is the depth and diligence the homeowners brought to their comprehensive plan of creating a retreat. “They said they wanted to build their own little resort, and they really feel like we achieved that.” But perhaps the homeowner explained it best: “I’ll tell you it’s hard to travel because you don’t get these kinds of accommodations anywhere else.”
Check Out What's Up? Media’s 1st Annual Home Excellence Awards
What’s Up? Media has developed the 1st Annual Home Excellence Awards to honor elite home builders, architects, designers, and professionals serving the greater Chesapeake Bay region. Award entry categories are showcased in two main divisions: Home Build and Home Design.
