The yearning for authenticity spans continents and crosses cultures. It has settled gracefully into an understated property on the Eastern Shore’s Chester River. A spirit of humility prevails in this single-story take on a Chesapeake farmhouse, its vertical siding stained an earthy shade of brown that fades purposefully into the 100-plus-acre site. The project “was always intended to be a small-scale, comfortable second home that our clients could run away to from the city,” explains architect Cathy Purple Cherry. “They wanted this building to blend into the landscape.” A New York City power c ..read more

A well-designed outbuilding can be a place for recreation and respite at home, in any season. On the following pages, four chic retreats—each with its own personality and style—offer inspiration for creating the perfect perch in your own backyard. Modern Barn When asked to design a large guest house on a Wye River property in Queenstown, Maryland, Kimmel Studio Architects tapped into the rural vernacular of the Chesapeake Bay region. Principal Devin Kimmel envisioned a barn-like structure “that would harmonize with the landscape and history of the Eastern Shore,” he notes. “We wanted a modern ..read more

A well-designed outbuilding can be a place for recreation and respite at home, in any season. On the following pages, four chic retreats—each with its own personality and style—offer inspiration for creating the perfect perch in your own backyard. Modern Barn When asked to design a large guest house on a Wye River property in Queenstown, Maryland, Kimmel Studio Architects tapped into the rural vernacular of the Chesapeake Bay region. Principal Devin Kimmel envisioned a barn-like structure “that would harmonize with the landscape and history of the Eastern Shore,” he notes. “We wanted a modern ..read more

It’s often the natural order of events for empty nesters to jettison a larger family home for a smaller, more manageable roost when the kids go to college. Not so for one Charlottesville couple. “Most people at this stage shrink their footprint,” the wife acknowledges. “We went in the opposite direction—we want to draw them back with their families someday.” For the pair—he’s a biotech investor and she’s a retired investment banker—staying put in their Blue Springs Farm neighborhood was key, as they loved their home’s breathtaking setting. The lot, a 26-acre parcel cocooned by the forest on on ..read more

Sponsored by the Maryland Building Industry Association, the 2023 Montgomery County Custom Builder Awards recognize the work of custom-home builders and architects for outstanding design and workmanship. Selected by a diverse team of judges, winners were announced on September 21st during a celebration at The Home Depot Design Center in Rockville. A full list appears below, with photos of a number of award-winning projects pictured above. Accessory Dwelling Unit FineCraft Contractors, Inc. Architecture: Thomson & Cooke Architects. Custom Contemporary Home, 3,000–4,000 square feet The Block ..read more

Sponsored by the Maryland Building Industry Association, the 2023 Montgomery County Custom Builder Awards recognize the work of custom-home builders and architects for outstanding design and workmanship. Selected by a diverse team of judges, winners were announced on September 21st during a celebration at The Home Depot Design Center in Rockville. A full list appears below, with photos of a number of award-winning projects pictured above. Accessory Dwelling Unit FineCraft Contractors, Inc. Architecture: Thomson & Cooke Architects. Custom Contemporary Home, 3,000–4,000 square feet The Block ..read more

The yearning for authenticity spans continents and crosses cultures. It has settled gracefully into an understated property on the Eastern Shore’s Chester River. A spirit of humility prevails in this single-story take on a Chesapeake farmhouse, its vertical siding stained an earthy shade of brown that fades purposefully into the 100-plus-acre site. The project “was always intended to be a small-scale, comfortable second home that our clients could run away to from the city,” explains architect Cathy Purple Cherry. “They wanted this building to blend into the landscape.” A New York City power c ..read more

It’s often the natural order of events for empty nesters to jettison a larger family home for a smaller, more manageable roost when the kids go to college. Not so for one Charlottesville couple. “Most people at this stage shrink their footprint,” the wife acknowledges. “We went in the opposite direction—we want to draw them back with their families someday.” For the pair—he’s a biotech investor and she’s a retired investment banker—staying put in their Blue Springs Farm neighborhood was key, as they loved their home’s breathtaking setting. The lot, a 26-acre parcel cocooned by the forest on on ..read more

After traveling a mile through the woods, the car arrives at a berm blanketed in mountain mint. A concrete tunnel in the slope leads to a weathered metal door. It swings open and visitors emerge into the light. Suddenly a modern refuge unfolds revealing a confluence of earth, water and sky. If the entry is a bit out of the ordinary, that’s because this is no ordinary house. Pushing the concepts of threshold and boundary, openness and protection, it accentuates the magnitude of a setting where the Potomac River converges with the Chesapeake Bay. It all started when a DC-based executive acquired ..read more

Vintage row houses, those quintessentially Washington dwellings, can hide all manner of surprises. Case in point: a circa-1900 dwelling near Dupont Circle whose classic, red-brick façade conceals streamlined interiors ingeniously reimagined by modernist architect Robert Gurney. The homeowner, a longtime client who works in finance, first considered the four-story, 2,332-square-foot house as an investment opportunity. However, she changed her mind on seeing it. “I grew up in New York,” she says, “so it was always sort of a fantasy to own a brownstone. I figure this is the closest I’m going to g ..read more