A Hammer Drill Quick Tip (and That Time I Felt Like an Idiot)

Rooms With a View: Southern Exposure

Views of Easton’s scenic Peach Blossom Creek first attracted a couple looking to build a bay-area vacation home. Working with architect Scott L. Rand on the traditional abode, they specified a first-floor master suite with easy outdoor access and “maximum water views,” says Rand. French doors spill out onto a stone patio; transoms above the windows and doors ensure plenty of natural light.

The bedroom’s sitting area boasts a direct-vent gas fireplace between walls of windows. Designer Chris Gefucia kept the furniture and fabrics simple, so as not to compete with the vista. “The room faces due south,” says Rand. “So it gets beautiful afternoon sun.”

Architecture: Scott L. Rand, AIA, Scott Rand Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Interior Design: Chris Gefucia, Toronto, Canada. Contractor: West & Callahan, Inc., Easton, Maryland. Photography: Scott L. Rand.

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Rooms With a View: Ripple Effect

Called upon to design a modern Annapolis home with views of the South River, Katalin Farnady sought to create a seamless dialog between the interiors and architecture and the landscape and water beyond. “Designing a house with large glass surfaces embracing a boundless water view allows lots of natural light and reflection to reach the interior,” she says. While her clients requested a “light, modern” look, she offset the almost all-white furnishings with the warm wood of the floors and the SieMatic cabinetry. Black accents add contrast and drama and a black-and-white rug evoking a ripple effect in water ties it all together.

Interior Design: Katalin Farnady, Allied Member ASID, Farnady Interiors, Annapolis, Maryland. Architecture: Chip Bohl, Bohl Architects, Annapolis, Maryland. Builder: Lundberg Builders, Stevensville, Maryland. 

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Rooms With a View: Horizon Line

“I grew up on the Eastern Shore,” says architect David Jameson. “One of the amazing things there is the way the horizon plays an important role in every space.”

Jameson had this fact in mind when he was designing a 22,000-square-foot vacation residence on Hooper’s Island near Maryland’s Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. The design—a series of cabins—includes “the lodge,” a separate structure from which the owners can enjoy views of the Honga River. “The room celebrates elemental architecture as it connects to the water and horizon,” Jameson says. Natural building materials include poured-concrete floors and vertical-grain Douglas fir walls. Lead-coated copper clads the structures beyond the windows, which help frame the view.

Architecture: David Jameson, FAIA, David Jameson Architect, Washington, DC. 

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Shore Style: Illuminating the Bay

In a tech-savvy world where GPS has made paper maps obsolete, Joseph Tarella has found a way to keep cartography alive. The New York-based artist renders East Coast geography by hand, using ink and watercolor to create elegantly detailed pieces. Also an architect, Tarella began drawing maps more than 20 years ago for an urban design firm, returning to the craft as a hobby. “I’m fascinated by the ever-changing aspect of where the water meets the land,” he explains. Though he researches and often visits each location, Tarella points out, “my work is not about way-finding.”

The artist’s latest creation spotlights the Chesapeake Bay. “I’ve illuminated how the bay changes over its length, including major seaports, great rivers and an elaborate network of roads and rails,” Tarella says. His limited-edition maps, available in sizes up to 40 by 60 inches, range from $30 to $700. coastalartmaps.com

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Shore Style: Inside Out

Window walls—sliding glass systems that completely open a room to the outdoors—add a sense of drama to any home on the water. Not only do they provide uninterrupted views, but they also seamlessly expand living spaces onto decks, terraces and more.

As architect Leo Wilson of Annapolis-based Hammond Wilson says, “Being able to open up a wall and literally bring the outdoors in adds a new level of flexibility to otherwise conventional spaces.” He advises consumers selecting a window wall to “look for products that have a solid feel and operate smoothly.” He also recommends visiting a project where a system has been installed to get a sense of how it performs. Following are a few of the latest options:

KITCHEN TRANSITION  This new product designed for kitchens is available as a folding or single-track sliding system. It combines windows that can be installed above countertops (pictured) and door panels; the windows and doors can be opened and operated independently or together. nanawall.com

ULTIMATE MULTI-SLIDE DOOR An automated control system is now available on Marvin Windows and Doors’ four Ultimate Multi-Slide Door configurations—both pocket and stacked—and in sizes up to 47 feet wide. Users can open and close the panels via a wall switch or remote. marvin.com

SLIDE & STACK GLASS WALLS  When installed in an exterior application, this handle-operated system includes a thermally enhanced frame with a barrier preventing temperature transfer year-round. The walls incorporate a wide range of glass types, including energy-efficient LowE glazing. solarinnovations.com

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Shore Style: Fresh Catch

TILE TIME  Koi Fish is a delicate, hand-cut addition to Sara Baldwin’s Delft Collection of mosaics for New Ravenna. Shown in Lapis Lazuli, Iolite and Covelite, with an Absolute White glass background. Price on request. newravenna.com

SUR LA TABLE  A vibrant fish motif distinguishes the Sardina collection of earthenware dishes from Anthropologie, which are dishwasher- and microwave-safe. Prices start at $12 for a small plate. anthropologie.com

TIP THE SCALES  Jonathan Adler’s playful Fish Scales Shower Curtain is printed on cotton-duck canvas with grosgrain borders on top and bottom. Coordinating bath towels are available. $68. jonathanadler.com

WINSOME WALLPAPER  The Acquario pattern in Cole & Son’s Fornasetti II wallpaper series combines a soft, washed background with whimsical fish in neutral, charcoal and shades of deep-sea blue (pictured). $296 per roll. cole-and-son.com

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