Smooth Landing: Creating a Comfort-Based State of Mind

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Into every life a little thing called retirement must come. And when it does, it’s nice to know that the plan you put in place will roll-out as effortlessly as you intended it to. To that end, it’s nice to have someone in your corner, especially if that plan involves a new home; someone who will understand that retirement is more than a dream house, it’s a comfort-based state of mind.  

The Project

A new build that will fit within an 1,100 square-foot plot of land in a planned community of newer homes that affords the homeowner maximized water views, as well as three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, the ability to age-in-place, and an exterior aesthetic that would blend in with the community’s colonial traditional vibe.

The Place

Chester River Landing, Chestertown. A premier Eastern Shore location of single family, semi-detached, and townhomes that falls within the parameters of a planned Homeowners Association (HOA) community and subject to architectural committee scrutiny. This particular community offers amenities including private sand beaches, a clubhouse with pool and adjacent grill and picnic area, a fishing and crabbing pier, and jogging paths along the shoreline. It is also prized for its proximity to the Chester River Yacht and Country Club, and downtown Chestertown business and shopping district. 

Executing the Plan

The team at Paquin Design Build in Grasonville was chosen to help conceive what retirement would look like for this particular client. And that someone who would understand that retirement is more than a dream house, would be company President, Brent Paquin.

“This one is unique,” says Paquin of the project, “because we had a limited footprint to play with.”

The client, he says, worked from a base plan of his conception and then Paquin’s team added the client’s wish list. One of the keys to having it all within the smaller footprint was elevating the home, Paquin says. 

Starting with a design that incorporated a two-car garage at the dwelling’s lowest level provided essential parking, enabled additional opportunities for storage, and the height necessary to maximize water views from the home’s primary living spaces and its screened-in porches.

“It all flows really well together, and from all angles you have views out to the water from that space,” Paquin says, who adds, there is 1,000 square-feet of completely unobstructed space in the main living area. 

The added elevation also created design advantages for both interior and exterior standpoints. 

“By elevating your first level, there are no neighbors at eye level with your main living space, which is nice. One of the things that we did, [exteriorly] when you look at the front elevation is on the top level where the screen porch is, we put in a knee wall there; that wall kind of stops the porch roof at that location, but also creates a little bit more privacy from the primary bedroom out to the screen porch.”

Balancing the client’s exterior wish list items with the interior aspects and furnishings that make a house a home, was, in part, the job of Jessica Johnson, Interior Design Specialist for Paquin Design Build. 

“So, this was a new build, and my immediate thoughts were how great the location was and also that this was a three-level home and that provided these amazing views of the area,” Johnson says.

Starting with location as inspiration and then adding in the client’s thoughtful wish list, that 1,000 square-feet of main level living space became very distinctive and customized very quickly.

“That is a very large open space and [the client] wanted it to convey the feeling of two different rooms in one,” Johnson explains. “She wanted it to feel divided, but still [appear as] one open space. So that’s why we did continue the cabinetry along the entire wall.”

During the design of the cabinetry, Johnson continues, they decided to bring forward the pantry, which is a floor-to-ceiling-height pantry, near the center of the space to break it up and then mimic the refrigerator and floor-to-ceiling pantry on the left side of the kitchen.

“This client was looking for a more traditional style, so that’s why you’ll see raised panels on the door front, as well as the style of the range hood. It has a traditional, yet leaning-toward-modern feel,” Johnson says. 

“Another thing we did to feel that sort of separation was put glass fronts in the wall cabinets in the den area. Those glass fronts help make that space [feel] different.” 

Johnson notes that the client fell in love with the veining of her chosen slab of quartzite, and the room’s color palette took off from there, including its tranquilly unifying paint color, ‘Muslin’ by Sherwin-Williams.

The client chose a coffered ceiling treatment in the living room, says Johnson, to convey her more traditional approach to design, and the hardwood floors were specifically chosen to partner with the furnishings she currently uses and loves. 

Because this space looks out onto the river, the client was especially interested in creating a unique area outdoors on the screened porches that felt more like indoor living areas. 

For the porch ceilings, says Johnson, the client really wanted to convey a wood vibe, but without the wood-vibe maintenance, so a tongue- and groove-style vinyl was chosen. The ‘Cottage’-colored decking is from Fiberon’s ‘Good Life’ Collection, and the James Hardi Cream Collection siding was chosen in a particular shade of yellow called ‘Cottonwood’— an absolute favorite of the homeowner.

The aesthetics, Johnson says, were extremely important to the client since one of the porches extends from the home’s primary suite. This personalized oasis and its exterior counterpart creates the sanctuary and helps end the day in the “comfort-based state of mind” that inspired the entire project.