shoreline splendor

Before architect Cathy Cherry even begins to describe a recent sweeping project of hers—a stately Georgian-style country estate on 152 waterfront acres on Maryland’s Eastern Shore—she is compelled to talk about her client, David Williams: “He loves the built environment and reading books about it, he loves classical details, his thinking is tactile and compositional,” says Cherry, founder and owner of Purple Cherry Architects. “If he had picked a different career path, it would have likely been in architecture.”

Williams, whose dream for this property, called Northwest Point Farm, started 20 years before Cherry stepped into the picture, envisioned a weekend retreat for his family, including his wife Kathryn, five children, an ever-growing number of grandchildren, and numerous friends. “When we started meeting with David to put the site plan together, we initially discussed the main house, guest cottage, and entertaining barn, but as discussions progressed, more structures came onboard, and grander ideas for the property were fleshed out,” says Cherry, who enumerates the additional structures—pool house, art studio—and a supporting cast that includes a garage, carriage house, sheep shed, and boat house.

The estate encompasses 44,000 square feet and ten separate buildings, yet navigating among them is not unwieldy. It was important to Cherry that the various structures relate to each other in the landscape and create a walkable experience. Invoking the convenience factor, she contends that structures will be used less frequently if they are too far apart. “Through experience,” she says, “I have found that an average of 100 feet between buildings and about 400 feet from one far side of the layout to the other is ideal.”

This idea of an easy conversation among buildings is based on more than just the distance between them. It also takes into account the importance of cohesion in the materials and repeating design motifs in the architecture. “You want everything to present beautifully as a whole,” asserts Cherry, adding that exterior elements she employed in more than one instance included eyebrow dormers, sunlit cupolas, handmade Cushwa oversized brick, custom shutters, native fieldstone, and white cedar shake zinc-coated copper roofs.

The 24,000-square-foot main home’s facade is a study of the beauty of symmetry. From the inviting front porch under a classic columned portico, one enters through the mahogany front door into a large central hallway or core, which extends to the rear of the house. Standing in the long entry hall, you can see through a balcony to the end of both sides of the house and up to the third floor. The formal symmetry of the home’s exterior and layout is balanced by its personal, welcoming interiors.

Interior transoms appear repeatedly, along with v-groove on many walls and ceilings. Using an interior window to connect an inner room with the outside is a favorite architectural device of Cherry’s. “I really like using interior windows because it allows for elongating spaces, transferring natural light, and connecting two rooms but still providing privacy,” she explains, referring to a guest bedroom, for example, where one can sit in the inner core having coffee at the elevated banquette and see through the room out to the water. “I like making those connections.”

When it came to designing the kitchen, no indulgence was spared, and in fact, there is a second, back kitchen or butler’s pantry, which, Cherry explains, “is all about keeping a lot of the mess out of the main kitchen.” The house manager’s former career as a professional caterer and the fact that Williams loves to cook together guided the selection of the Wolf 48-inch Dual Fuel Range with six burners and an 11-inch griddle. There are two islands, one in a heavy work area that includes a prep sink and a Wolf 24-inch Microwave Drawer, and another with a generous amount of storage space and a custom zinc top often used for serving. Rounding out the suite of appliances is a Sub-Zero 48-inch Refrigerator.

“We, as architects, will guide people in their choice of appliances,” says Cherry. “Our clients tend to be the ones who know what they cook with, know what they like, and design what they want. Then we talk about sizes, scale, etc.”

Inspired by the owner's grandfather, who had an art gallery in Baltimore, the airy art studio features vintage adjustable stools around a table reminiscent of a classic architect’s drafting table. Above it, copper and brass pendant lights add authenticity, while modern elements make the space even more functional and enjoyable.

A double-height ceiling in the bar called for layered lighting solutions, while horizontal V-groove wood panels on the walls and bar’s base and a series of padded stools add to the convivial atmosphere. Another gathering spot is the multi-use barn, which appeals to sports-minded guests and family members. Options for indoor fun include pickleball, basketball, tabletop shuffleboard, and ping-pong in the upstairs loft area.

“For David, every room was not necessarily about its function or why it was created; it was all about the opportunity to create these jewel boxes,” says Cherry, adding that each thing “to me is a little painting.” This vision and talent of both the owner and the architect resulted in a truly magnificent masterpiece.