Photography by Chris Petrini/A Digital Mind
After a long week at work (especially in D.C.), what family doesn’t want to just jump in the car with a couple of suitcases and hit the road for an alternative destination designed specifically for them?
THE PROJECT: A new home build for a family that wanted to create the quintessential DMV-centric vacation-home escape; something that was large enough to relax in, re-connect, play golf, and put the work week behind them, without creating a forward-looking to-do list.
THE PLACE: The homeowners, who reside in Northern Virginia when they’re not on the Shore, were referred to Brent Paquin of Paquin Design/Build by their real estate agent, who had spent more than a year touring with his clients throughout Talbot County, looking for just the right location.
EXECUTING THE PLAN: Paquin says the couple gravitated to a custom home plan that he happened to already have on the drafting table.
Photography by Chris Petrini/A Digital Mind
A location, the homeowners say, that would provide the laid-back vibes that their kids expressed feeling when they would head to the beaches and other areas on the Shore, such as Royal Oak, Bozman-Neavitt, and Easton, for vacations.
“Finally, we narrowed in on St. Michaels,” the wife says. “We loved the town itself and its proximity to Easton was ideal. At the time, the Inn at Perry Cabin had recently purchased the property formerly known as Harbourtowne, in the Martingham neighborhood, and had also purchased the golf course.”
And when she learned the course, which became the Links at Perry Cabin, was to be designed by the renowned golf course architect, Pete Dye, she said that sealed the deal for them.
“The neighborhood of Martingham shot to the top of our list and we considered a few homes,” she adds. “Then, a lot became available, and it was on the water with western exposure which would allow us to enjoy the sunsets—a huge priority of ours. It was also a great spot in the neighborhood, just down from the Links and what will one-day be the Lodge at Perry Cabin.”
Photography by Chris Petrini/A Digital Mind
Paquin says he was impressed by the size and location of the lot that provided ample acreage and could potentially provide ideal views of the water from the back of the home. This was a particularly lucky find for the couple because it was an older, well-established community, and one that did not require the planting of trees that might otherwise obstruct the view of the creek.
“This community surrounds a golf course and it kind of sits out on the peninsula,” explains Paquin. “There are a lot of waterfront houses there, and some golf course frontage houses that have been around since the ’70s.”
“When they explained to me what they were looking for, this plan lent itself to that and they liked it, we just made some tweaks to it.”
The result is a residence, with a waterfront view of Porter Creek, built to provide just over 4,200 square-feet of living space, four bedrooms, and four-and-a-half baths. Paquin describes the style as a modern farmhouse look from the street, but with a more modern vibe for the rear exterior.
“The back of the house, the water side of the house, is all picture windows and casement windows. The street side of the house has double hung windows just to achieve the modern farmhouse look that we were going for.”
The process for the homeowners, they say, was seamless. “We liked the way Brent was open to working with clients, and he had several existing designs to start the process. His team on the site was outstanding, including their staff superintendent who was incredibly nice and had a keen attention to detail.”
Meaningful Main Level Living
The couple was also happy to take advantage of Paquin’s suggestions for their exterior and his interior design team’s take on the inner spaces that would come to mean so much to them.
“Brent presented a farmhouse-style home, and we loved it right away,” the wife explains. “We definitely wanted a front porch and a screened-in-porch. We also wanted to have a bright, happy feel. Inside, the most important thing to us was to take advantage of our water views.”
Photography by Chris Petrini/A Digital Mind
The homeowners say that they also prize their vaulted ceiling on the main level that is open to the upper-level recreation area and designed with massive windows, a space they would use to accommodate a pool table and television. They love that the layout allows the kids and guests to be upstairs playing pool, but still engaged with the action downstairs.
“Finally, we wanted as many guest rooms as possible, which is why we put two over the garage. Brent made it all happen.”
As far as the feel of the home, that all originated with one room in particular.
Photography by Chris Petrini/A Digital Mind
The floorplan would accommodate a main level primary suite with Porter Creek views and a primary bath with a sumptuous soaking tub.
“The work in the kitchen was the launch for the design and feel for the whole house, as we carried the paint choices everywhere,” the wife says. “The other thing we knew we wanted were some great built-ins in the family room. The design team immediately suggested navy grass cloth for the back of the built-ins, the perfect touch to tie in with the navy island. Everything flowed from there—light selections, countertops, et cetera—all with a nautical theme wherever possible. The same is true for our tile and bathroom choices. It all just came together.”
The couple says they knew they wanted white walls with neutral paint for the trim work, an idea they said they had picked up from one of their stays at the Inn at Perry Cabin.
Photography by Chris Petrini/A Digital Mind
Homeowners chose Eucalyptus Hardwoods in Natural Tupelo Honey from Ambient Flooring, Hinkley’s “Amelia” mini pendants over the island, countertops of Calacatta Laza-Q-Stone, and a backsplash of Calacatta Cressa Honed Marble wall tile in the kitchen. Kitchen cabinetry sourced through Kitchen Creations, Easton.
“We definitely wanted to mimic their gorgeous and sophisticated, yet serene, vibe. We also wanted a nautical feel—white with a khaki/taupe accent color and navy in strategic places, like the island in the kitchen. The design team helped us pick a perfect taupe for the kitchen cabinets that looked great with the navy island and a complimentary color for the trim work throughout the house.”
In terms of achieving those vacation home goals, especially when it came to choosing a location that would foster that sense of reconnection and relaxation that the whole family was striving for…
Photography by Chris Petrini/A Digital Mind
“Some of the design elements Brent added were amazing, such as the faux-wrapped beams that look like antique beams, a gorgeous modern wood and wire [cable] stair banister, and the barndoor shutters on the front of the house,” the wife says.
“We loved the feel of the place, and the vibe of the town. It provides the benefits of a maritime retreat without the craziness of the beaches, and a cute town that feels more like New England than the exploding commercialism of the beach boardwalk,” the wife says.
“Our blood pressure drops 20 points as soon as we cross the Bay Bridge.”
