Home of the Week:The cottage by the Severn

On the outskirts, peacefully overlooking the Severn River, a small cottage was built in 1928. It may have been used as a girls camp and a house, but there's no question as to its location - high enough off the river to weather storms, but close enough to enjoy the beauty, activities and all that comes with waterfront living.

Several decades later, along came a husband and wife and their two young boys - him, a landscape architect; her, a specialist in turning normal living spaces into extraordinary rooms, both inside and out.

This is the story of the Quayle family and their beloved waterfront cottage. In this day and age of big homes, the Quayles stayed in their small one and cherished it. They still do.

"It worked - we're into the whole mindset of less is more," Mary Quayle said.

On approaching the cottage, the first observation is the landscaping. It's extraordinary without pretension. This isn't what you'd call a prim and proper English garden, but a beautiful testament of knowing what to put where so it doesn't look like it was put there purposely - it looks natural, in keeping with the cottage and its surroundings.

View sllide show

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The house itself looks Nantucket style, with cedar shingle siding and stone foundation.

Just beyond the property, the road that leads to the Quayles' house keeps meandering past their home toward the water, but from the house you wouldn't know it. The tall, gently swaying sea grasses completely block the view of the road, leaving the panorama of Severn River and Ringgold Cove intact.

"It's all community property - we are really lucky," Ms. Quayle said.

"It's kind of cool - you never see the road," added her husband, Hal Quayle.

When they found the home on an open house tour 17 years ago, it was the overgrown and out of control landscaping that almost drove the family away from it. Even with an expert in their ranks, a lot of work needed means more than a lot of work needed.

"I was not sold on it in the beginning because I'm married to a landscape architect and it was frightening," Ms. Quayle said.

But there was something about it. So, with their sons, Britton and Landon, ages 2 and 4 at the time, they moved into the little cottage, which needed as much work inside as out.

Ms. Quayle laughs as she remembers having two young sons and a mess of a renovation going on, including stripped floors.

"We had to go out and buy Velcro sneakers," she said. "You couldn't get out of bed unless you had shoes on."

"We added a screened porch and opened it all up," Mr. Quayle explained. "It was very boxy and dated."

Now, there's nothing boxy or dated about what the family refers to as their Maine-style cottage.

Upon entering the front door, you find yourself in a dining room with a square wooden table surrounded by four lattice iron chairs, each painted teal with that shabby chic, weathered "Maine" look. Hardwood flooring runs the entirety of the 1,300-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home.

Separating the dining space and den is a floor-to-ceiling natural stone fireplace, open to both rooms. Upon the mantel rests what appears to be an old, arched window painted in lively colors - the perfect complement to the grey stone behind it.

The kitchen, located at the rear of the home but open to the dining room and den, is a sunny, colorful spot with Caribbean blue walls atop stark white tiles, terra cotta tile flooring, white cabinetry, an additional dining table and a large window overlooking a woodsy backyard. A tile backsplash painted with tropical fish, blue and green sea glass vases on the windowsills and a few other colorful accessories give the feeling of being in the Florida Keys - not a bad feeling to have, especially when in the kitchen, whipping up some margaritas or seviche.

The den on the other side of that handsome fireplace offers a great spot to take in the water view, a crackling fire, or some television. A brightly colored, floral couch looks perfectly at home in the room with tropical-inspired paintings hanging on the yellow walls.

Yellows and blues are definitely recurring colors throughout the home and are well suited to a waterside Maine or Caribbean-style cottage.

"Lots of color," Ms. Quayle said. "We're not afraid of color, that's for sure."

The master bedroom is on the front of the home and takes full advantage of the view to the beautifully landscaped side yard with the Severn just beyond. With sea green walls, stark white trim, white linens and a tropical fish painting incorporating the exact same wall color, it truly is the perfect retreat. The painting sits atop a fireplace surround and mantel, though there's no fireplace - a design element that not only works, but works well.

The wood plank flooring has been painted the same color as the walls.

"We painted the floor," Ms. Quayle said. "It's a really inexpensive way to have fun with your floors, if you're bold enough to do it."

As for that tropical theme and those American Northeast accessories that keep popping up, there's reason for that.

"We go to the Caribbean - Tortola and Jost Van Dyke - and we're in love with Maine," Ms. Quayle said.

Down a narrow hall beyond the kitchen are the boys' rooms, though one son is already away at college. Mom has declared these spaces off limits to the media, and that works perfectly fine with this not-always-intrepid reporter.

The bathroom, that's a different story. The family welcomes people - and yes, even the media - into the boys' bathroom, which just doesn't seem to make sense.

It's beautiful: a seashell motif, an antique scale, everything in its place and - the surprise of all surprises - the toilet seat is down. Huh?

There's the explanation: A urinal sits, or rather stands, against the wall.

"That is the best thing that was ever invented for women," Ms. Quayle said. "They don't use the toilet - it stays clean. It's fabulous."

Even the men agreed.

"This came in handy with three boys in the house," Mr. Quayle added. River rock on the floor of the shower is another nifty design element and offers a pretty cool advantage.

"It massages your feet when you're in there - it's really nice," Ms. Quayle explained.

The final room in the home or outside the home (or both, depending how you look at it) is the glass-enclosed porch. Yes, it's covered, but you honestly wouldn't know you're inside, because it just feels like an outdoor space. Of course, that was the idea.

A fireplace on the far wall translates into year-round enjoyment of this space, and a weathered wood, farmhouse-style table provides ample room for entertaining. The theme found throughout the rest of the home continues here with a Caribbean blue ceiling and a wave pattern border atop the walls.

Beautiful hydrangeas are in full bloom right outside the door and a sailboat can be seen making its way upriver. Who would ever want to leave this place?

"It has the best of both worlds - you have the woods and a spectacular view of the water," Ms. Quayle said.

As if that's not enough reason to stick around, here's another one: "We get killer sunsets," Mr. Quayle said.

Donna L. Cole is a freelance writer living in the Annapolis area. If you'd like your home considered for "Home of the Week," e-mail her at writerdle@aol.com.