Home of the Week: It's what's in the house that makes it a home

On so many levels, it's nice when a "Home of the Week" homeowner can tell some of their story themselves. On that note, here we go … .

"I have been reading the 'Home of the Week' article for years and years - I have finally wanted to include our home," Jennifer May of Annapolis wrote in an e-mail.

"We live in a small community in the city of Annapolis," Ms. May continued. "Our neighborhood is Harness Creek Overlook, a Koch Homes community that is eight years old; we moved in January 2000 and were the third house completed in the new community."

Once the house was found, that's when the real work began, according to Ms. May's e-mail.

"My husband, Doug, and I have transformed our home into an oasis," wrote Ms. May, who works in early childhood intervention for the Anne Arundel County school system. "From May until October we have a beautiful backyard, pool, deck, flowers, palm tree. … From the front of our home you would never know what is behind our unassuming, Colonial house. Many people have come into our home and said, 'I had NO IDEA this was back here.' "

Indeed, the backyard is impressive. A beautiful pool sits amid the greenery, which includes mature trees that surround the yard and afford privacy. There's nothing better than natural landscaping that does double duty, providing both aesthetics and functionality.

A basketball net in the pool gives a clue to the two other occupants of the house: Ms. May's sons, Chase and Bryant Sturn, who are attending local colleges and living at home for the time being.

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The home itself is a four-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot Colonial with a portico entry. In the foyer, aside the staircase, a small table fulfills an important mission: It holds Ms. May's family Bible, a book with a long history.

With family entries going back to the 19th century, it's quite a sight.

"I update it," Ms. May said. "I'm the keeper of the Bible now - births and deaths, and then it's going to Bryant."

Off the left side of the foyer, the formal living room has an informal and comfortable feel, with the same oak flooring that's found throughout the first floor. The ivory-colored upholstered furniture is accented with blue throw pillows, and an Oriental rug in reds and blues ties it all together.

"Those chairs - they've been in my family since I was born, and it's the original upholstery," Ms. May said of the two chairs positioned by the front window.

A collection of antique books and family photos are found throughout the room, giving this space an even more pleasurable ease to it.

"This is a picture of my mom posing next to a Studebaker," Mr. May said, pointing to a framed publicity shot. "I grew up in South Bend, Ind., which was home of the Studebaker."

Toward the back of the house, the living room opens to the formal dining room, which overlooks that beautiful oasis.

"I just love this view," Ms. May said.

A brass, colonial-style chandelier hangs from a ceiling medallion, and a polished wood dining table is accompanied by Windsor chairs. On the walls, earth tones are incorporated with toile-patterned paper and paint separated by a white chair rail molding. A lace swag window treatment adds to the colonial styling without detracting from the view.

"I had a great decorator - Details (of Design) over on Forest Drive," Ms. May offered.

Off the right of the foyer, Mr. May's office is done in taupe and navy, separated again by a white chair rail molding. It has a Navy feel, and rightly so, for this information technology consultant in the pharmaceutical industry is a former naval officer.

"I'm a graduate of the Naval Academy," Mr. May said. "I've lived in this area for most of my life - I feel like I've been here to see the change in the town from 1962 until now, which is amazing."

A wooden elephant sits majestically, protecting the office - a reminder of his days aboard a Navy ship.

"This elephant is a teak elephant that was given to me by some people in Thailand," Mr. May explained. "I allowed them to sell Cokes on the fantail of the ship, so when we left, I found this in my stateroom."

Heading toward the rear of the house, the kitchen opens to the formal dining room on the one side and a den on the other.

The kitchen features a center island with a flat cooktop. It's a large space with an abundance of cabinets, which, having two young men living here, can't be bad thing.

In the den, a large quilt hangs on the wall.

"That coverlet is my father's grandmother's, and it's dated 1867," Mr. May said. "As the oldest son, this passed down to me and it will go to my oldest son eventually."

A floor-to-ceiling red-brick fireplace takes center stage in this room, and it looks like the perfect space to take in a football game on a cold winter day.

Upstairs, the master bedroom is dominated by a huge master bathroom suite. A large corner tub is positioned under windows overlooking the backyard.

"We were like, 'This bathroom is ridiculously big,' " Ms. May said with a laugh. "We wished they had made the bedrooms bigger."

Nevertheless, the bedroom is still a nice size. Walls in sage green are a nice complement to the dark wood furniture, which includes a handsome wooden secretary and matching chair in the corner.

"It was mine when I was little," Ms. May explained. "I used to do my homework on that with that chair."

Chase's and Bryan's rooms are both done in blue and taupe, and both look amazingly clean, considering it was relatively early in the morning, at least for two college-age guys.

"This morning, they were like, 'Mom, you're crazy,' " Ms. May said with a smirk, explaining how she woke them up with the noise of a vacuum.

As for the community, it sounds like a storybook neighborhood - that is, if you like togetherness. There's a chili cook-off; a book club; a Bunco group; a poker club; golf outings; evenings in which everyone gathers at one house for cocktails, then breaks into smaller groups at different homes for dinner; and numerous other neighborly activities.

Regardless of the accoutrements and activities, it's a wonderful thing when a couple has not only made a home for themselves and their family, but has also been able to incorporate much of their personal histories within it. That's what makes a house a home, and what makes this home the "Home of the Week."

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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.