Home of the Week: Dianne and Steven Flury

In order to visit the home of Dianne and Steven Flury in the community of Holly Hill Harbor in Edgewater, we must first go to France. Sort of.

Imagine, if you will, riding bikes through the French countryside.

After a while you begin to look over through the fields of fragrant lavender and start to notice the homes - the grand chateaus and maison after maison of pure French country elegance.

You pay attention to the architecture and it leaves such an impression on you, you bring it home.

And that's how this French chateau on Bear Neck Creek came to be, with a little help from the Internet and some great designers.

"There were two sets of designs - we found them online," said Steven, who with Dianne owns Crofton-based Atlantic Lighting and Irrigation. "One had the base part of the house, the other had the sunroom and the porch. We found the two, had them integrated, (and) applied our research to the exterior to get the authentic French country."

That was just the exterior, which certainly wows, but the interior carries the authenticity through and through, and does it amazingly well.

"That's where Gina came in," Steven said, referring to Annapolis-based interior designer Gina Fitzsimmons and the work she did on the home's interior spaces.

"She did an amazing job," said Dianne.

As for Gina, who owns Fitzsimmons Design, she too was happy with the results, her clients and the collaboration.

"I think it's fabulous," she said. "It couldn't be any better; it turned out beautifully."

As it happens, Dianne and Steven owned the house next door, and when their current lot came available they jumped at the chance.

"We love this neighborhood so much we would never leave," Steven said. "We moved in in March - we started last July; it was eight months."

Fortunately, a construction assistant is on-site for our visit. That would be Dianne and Steven's godson, 5-year-old Dylan Sjolie.

"He was a big helper when we built the house," Steven said. "All the contractors knew him."

Dylan was specific on what he liked best about building the house.

"When I hammered," he said.

He then turned his attention to a game of fetch with Tanner, the Flurys' yellow Lab.The 6,200-square-foot home with five bedrooms sits on half an acre. The exterior is done in stone, stucco and brick, with carriage-style garage doors. Details like the arched windows, French-style shutters and two upper windows with small patios featuring gracefully curved balusters add provincial flair.

Just to the right of the foyer is the home's formal dining room, done in green.

What's underfoot is an interesting story.

"Quarter-sewn, white oak floor," Steven said. "What's down here (on the first floor) is an engineered floor because of the heat under it. On the second floor is the real quarter-sewn white oak."

Heat under it?

"We had hydronic heat in the floors next door and we liked it, so we did it here also," Steven explained.

"Larry Beers of Beers Flooring in Annapolis came up with great ideas for the hardwood flooring in our home," Dianne added. "He took the extra time to find just the right hardwood flooring to be used in our radiant floors. The flooring also helped create the country feel we were going for."

Beers is yet another example of the Flurys' use of local companies whenever possible.

"We tried to incorporate people that we have worked with before, either through business, personal friends and friends from our church," Dianne said. "We felt that they gave us that extra personal touch. Our builder, Janet Wright of Bay Builders of Annapolis, played an important part in making all this happen."

To the left of the foyer, a master bedroom suite - one of two in the home - is occupied by Dianne's mother.

"In combining two households under one roof, the issue usually is privacy," Dianne said. "Incorporating two master bedrooms on separate sides of the home achieved just that. We are fortunate to be able to have my 98-year-old mother with us."

Heading toward the middle of the home, we enter into the open great room and kitchen area.

Dominated by what Dianne referred to as "the wall," the great room features an enormous wall with stone fireplace; open beams, some of which act as shelves; and built-in cabinetry done in maple.

The woodwork, built and installed by Pennsylvania-based Phoenix Woodworking, is tres magnifique.

"We wanted to create an Old World look with distressed finishes that would be enhanced with lighting," Dianne explained.

The kitchen was guided by kitchen designer Kerrie Treat with Cabinet Discounters in Annapolis, who also helped Dianne and Steven with their other home.

"We are really, really pleased with what she did next door and we were elated here, too," Dianne said.

The kitchen features light cabinetry and counters, contrasted with a darker island and a fabulous faux finished hood with inlaid tiles.

"I love the corbels," Dianne said of the feature found on the island. "I wanted the island to be large enough to seat eight."

But that's not her favorite kitchen feature.

"My favorite piece in the kitchen is the hand-carved stone sink," Dianne said.

Just beyond this room is the sunroom. Like the porch on the opposite side, it features a ceiling done in Douglas fir.

Upstairs finds four bedrooms with plenty of room for homeowners and guests.

The opulent damask window treatments in the master bedroom and the bed covering were recent additions. When Dianne's friend found out she was being featured as a "Home of the Week," she insisted upon doing them.

"Friends give that extra personal touch by making things happen - even when you don't ask it of them," Dianne said.

A finished basement with exercise room, billiards room and full spa, including steam room, completes the home.

"We feel very blessed," Dianne said. "A lot of people will say, 'You've built your dream house.' I don't think of it like that - I feel it as a house more than we ever dreamed of."

Donna L. Cole is a freelance writer living in the Annapolis area. If you'd like your home considered for "Home of the Week" (we'd like to feature smaller homes, condos and townhouses, too), please contact her at writerdle@aol.com.