Tucked away in the bucolic community of Providence—which has a renowned history as the Annapolis area’s first Puritan colony settled during mid-1600s—this home underwent a complete transformation after the new owner purchased the property in 2016. What was once a stately but simple Georgian-style footprint built in 1967, the property was renovated into a Nantucket shingle-style home—expanding the square footage and adding custom millwork throughout, among many other architectural details.
The homeowners collaborated with Purple Cherry Architects to develop an altogether unique blueprint within this unique lot, a portion of which is water oriented on Mill Creek, a tributary of Whitehall Bay and the near the mouth of the Severn River. Today, Providence is an evolving community of 77 single-family homes—where croquet sets once dominated backyards and front, there are now lacrosse goals and soccer balls.
We spoke with our homeowners—who wish to remain anonymous—about their property selection and collaborative experience throughout the project.
What is the backstory to this property/project (how did you come to own it and decide to renovate it)? We had been looking for a waterfront property in a low traffic neighborhood with a friendly community feel near downtown Annapolis but on the north side of the Severn. We also wanted a Nantucket shingle-style home with a first-floor master suite, which wasn’t available. It was a beautiful lot in a safe community.
How did you come to meet with Purple Cherry and how would you describe the collaboration and process of designing your home? My husband’s company had done a project with Cathy Cherry and was impressed with her design detail and her team.
Cathy listened carefully to our wish list and creatively re-oriented the house toward the water with the new addition. It is a seamless transition from the original footprint of the home into the addition which includes my special office space.
What architectural features and home amenities were must-haves on your list? Detailed millwork throughout the first floor; barrel entry on the front of the house; wide hallway leading to the great room; interior window; abundant light; hardwood floors throughout the house; open space great room, kitchen, and screened porch with views of the water; first-floor master suite with a water view; screened in porch with a fireplace; a second spacious first-floor office off of the kitchen for easy access and yet a way to close the door as needed; a mudroom with bench seating and good storage; three-car garage; and lots of storage space throughout the house.
The color palette is neutrals w/ touches of color; how/why did you decide on this color plan? We wanted the interior of this home to be relaxed and inviting, grounded by detailed neutrals accented with a variety of fabrics to add texture and patterns in soft shades of sea blue and cream. The first fabric we selected was used in the window treatments in the great room. It set the tone with its subtle print which makes one’s eye move directly out to the lawn and the creek beyond. It is soothing to the eyes. I wanted everything light and airy from the water.
How/where did you source much of the décor, furniture, and fixtures? Anne Hahn of Willow Hill Studios was my interior designer who was very helpful in finding the fabrics in the color palette I wanted from the Washington Design Center. Because we wanted stuffed furniture in the great room, we selected that which was similar to what we loved from our previous home. Anne is a talented professional who was great about guiding me through every selection process beyond what was done during the architectural design process with Cathy. Margaret Blount of Sew Beautiful handled the window treatments and cushions for the window seats on the front side of the house. The lighting fixtures came from too many sources to name!
What are your favorite features of the property/project? The detailed kitchen design and millwork, however I love the millwork throughout. The detail of the screened porch, where we spend every moment we can year round. Both the exterior and interior barrel entry and the open foyer. The beautiful oval window with the cross which looks over the creek.
We absolutely love our house! It’s everything we wanted, and Purple Cherry Architects and Bay Builders did a fabulous job making it happen. Working with an existing footprint and the challenges of the old property made it challenging, but the experienced professionals made it all possible.
