Circular driveway frames the façade, accentuated by sycamores and a pergola over the garage.
I always enjoy returning to this charming street on San Domingo Creek very close to the shops, restaurants and attractions of St. Michaels. This property is unique in that it is one of the five properties in an HOA that offers its own amenities of a central community lot, a deep water dock with a slip for each property, a kayak rack, a small sandy beach for launching paddle boards or boats and an open air pavilion for members to enjoy with family and friends.
The house is hidden behind a quiet cul-d-sac and its circular drive provides ample space for guests’ cars. On the day of my visit, I admired the tall sycamores and several plants in the landscape were beginning to bloom. I also admired the pergola with its verdant cape draped over the two-car garage’s doors.
Light caramel cedar siding complemented by copper roofing marks the home’s distinctive exterior.
The garage is connected to the house by a gated breezeway to access the side door to the kitchen for direct unloading of groceries. From the garage, hardscape varied in size and material widens to meet the wrap-around porch. I admired the house’s textures of light caramel cedar shake siding and the low slope copper roof over the porch.
Expansive windows bring natural light into the sunroom and offer stunning water views.
I postponed entering the house for the opportunity to explore the waterside rear yard. Towering deciduous trees offer shade and the seating group tempted me to linger. The one-level house stretches its length along the shoreline and this part of the elevation is infilled with windows of the waterside sunroom and dining area. The sunny deck off the sunroom has umbrellas for shade for one to enjoy the panoramic view of San Domingo Creek.
Private terrace off the primary suite blends tall shrubbery with sliding glass doors for seamless indoor-outdoor living.
Next to the sunroom is the primary ensuite with its rear wall also infilled with sliding doors flanked by long windows. Steps lead down from the primary bedroom to its terrace with tall shrubbery for privacy from the other deck.
Umbrella-covered seating invites relaxation while soaking in views of San Domingo Creek.
It was hard to resist not sitting on the sunroom deck to enjoy the tranquil view of San Domingo Creek. I could well imagine how it would be easy to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon stretching out to read a book on the chaise and later enjoying an al-fresco meal with family or friends.
Unusually close proximity to the riprapped shoreline creates an intimate connection to the water.
As I walked along the riprapped shoreline, I was surprised to see that the distance from the house to the shoreline is uniquely less than most Talbot County waterfront properties. Since the house is nestled in a clearing surrounding by trees and shrubbery, it also enjoys privacy from the water.
Warm wood finishes and carefully chosen antiques make an inviting first impression.
I circled back to the wrap-around front porch and opened the door to a spacious foyer with two closets for coats and other storage. The warmth of the wood antiques and the colorful rug over beautiful wood flooring creates a gracious space for welcoming family and friends.
The house is zoned very well with a short hall at the end of the foyer leading to the guest bedrooms and baths and past the powder room at the end of the foyer is the hub of the house; the living room, sunroom-dining area and kitchen.
Sloped ceilings with exposed stained rafters elevate the living space above the wood-burning fireplace.
One-level houses have the advantage of opening up their ceilings to increase their spatial volume. These sloped ceilings and stained rafters give the living room great interior architectural character and the mix of upholstered and wood furnishings is quite appealing. This large room’s seating is anchored by another colorful rug and grouped around the focal point of the wood burning fireplace flanked by custom built-ins. The wide wall opening at the living room’s rear wall defines the boundary between the sitting area and the circulation path to the adjacent sunroom.
Sliding glass doors merge the indoor seating and dining areas with waterside deck access.
The length of the sunroom easily accommodates sitting and dining areas and the wide sliding doors create easy indoor-outdoor flow to the deck. I loved the antique bench with its patina of age that is now a perfect coffee table. With the TV tucked into the corner of the sitting area, one can enjoy both watching TV and the view of the water.
Surrounded by wrap-around windows, the dining area offers room for eight and uninterrupted views.
The dining area is surrounded by the wrap-around windows for panoramic views of the landscape and water. The area’s size easily accommodates seating for eight around the table.
Warm wood flooring anchors the repurposed island and complements the sloped ceiling.
The kitchen has a side exterior door to the breezeway and is also connected to both the dining area of the sunroom and the living room. The warm yellow walls, beautiful wood floors, the exquisite large oval rag rug, the repurposed piece that is a great island workspace and the sloped ceiling adds great character to the space.
A serene retreat featuring wood rafters, water views, and a cozy fireplace for wintry nights.
The primary bedroom is accessed off a short hall from the sunroom. Its sloped ceiling with stained rafters, light blue walls and the sleigh bed with white bedding create a quiet haven for relaxation and restful sleep. The fireplace is a bonus on these cold winter nights we have endured lately!
Sliding doors lead to a private courtyard, balancing functionality with tranquil outdoor access.
The four-piece primary bath has a corner shower between separate lavatories with ample space for toiletries. Sliding doors lead to another outdoor room, the interior courtyard that is accessed also by one of the other three guest bedrooms. A walk-in closet completes the primary ensuite.
Open latticework fosters airflow while creating an intimate, shaded space with varied textures.
My compliments to the photographer for taking this shot when the sun maximized the shadows on all of the surfaces with their varied materials and texture-Brava! The square lattice is open to the landscape for cooling breezes to flow through this delightful and very private outdoor room. All this retreat needs is a fountain to provide soothing background sounds!
Sunlit windows and earthy tones define this cozy, corner guest space with artisan rocking chair accents.
I always channel Goldilocks when I tour guest bedrooms and this one would be the one I would choose after testing the other choices if I were a lucky guest. The corner location with long windows for sunlight throughout the day and landscape views, earth tones of the interior design and the exquisite artisan rocker would make a guest’s stay quite enjoyable.
Ideal for families with pets or children, this guest ensuite features courtyard access via sliding doors.
The largest of the guest bedrooms is an ensuite that could also be a primary bedroom when children were young. The bedroom also has sliding doors to the interior courtyard -perfect for guests with young children or pets. The third guest bedroom at the front of the house is perfectly sized for an office use as well with a window overlooking the courtyard for breaks from computer work.
The community deepwater pier and historic pavilion offer long water views and reflections of shared history.
I ended my tour of the property by walking the path to the community pier with a deepwater slip for each of the five homeowners in the HOA and the pavilion with long views of San Domingo Creek. How wonderful that this historic pavilion has been preserved for lucky residents of this HOA to enjoy!
Wide bays open to panoramic creek views, transforming the pavilion into a haven for gatherings at dusk.
The large open-air pavilion with wide column bays for maximum panoramic water views must be the scene of many family reunions and other celebrations. At sundown when the string of lights comes alive, this must be a magical place!
Preserving pieces of the “Oakwood Inn,” the pavilion recalls the area’s vibrant summer resort lineage.
The pavilion for the former summer resort that was located here is all that is left of the “Oakwood Inn” property that was a popular retreat in the early 20th century for its scenic water views and outdoor activities of boating, skating, and swimming -how fortunate that the pavilion still delights its full time residents!
This charming one-level waterfront retreat is tucked away on a quiet cul-de-sac along San Domingo Creek with close proximity to historic St. Michaels. The site also offers three unique bonuses. One is its distance from the house to the shoreline that is uniquely less than most Talbot County waterfront properties. Another is its being one of the five properties in an HOA that offers its own amenities of a central community lot, a deep water dock with a slip for each property, a kayak rack, a small sandy beach for launching paddle boards or boats and an open air pavilion for members to enjoy with family and friends. The third is although it is currently served by a septic system, approved public sewer service is coming soon that offers opportunities for expansion.
The interior architecture is enhanced by flooring of rich custom yellow pine, premium carpeting, and tile and sloped ceilings that increase the spatial volume.
The floor plan layout works very well with one waterside primary ensuite and three other bedrooms, including another ensuite, and a hall bath at the front of the house for privacy. The hub of the house is the interconnected living room with a wood burning fireplace, the waterside sunroom-dining area and the kitchen.
The range of outdoor rooms from the covered main entry porch, the enclosed courtyard surrounded by the bedrooms, the waterside decks off both the primary bedroom and the sunroom offer landscape and/or water views. Who could ask for anything more?
For more information about this property, contact Janet Larson at Benson & Mangold Real Estate, 410-822-6665 (o), 410-310-1797 (c), or jlarson@bensonandmangold.com. For more pictures and pricing, visit www.shoremove.com , www.bensonandmangold.com “Equal Housing Opportunity”.
Photography by Janelle Stroop, 410-310-6838, janelle@thruthelensphotos.com