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By Kymberly Taylor
Exterior Photography by Jennifer Hughes
Interior Photography by Tim Lee
Like butterflies drawn to flowers, we are programmed to seek out and drink in the view of every waterfront home we visit. But, in this shingle-style home located on a majestic ridge on the north side of the Severn, there is no water to see, at least not at first. “You don’t see the water right away. What you do see is art. We wanted it to be a mystery, more of a journey,” note the homeowners, who chose to settle in the Ferry Farms neighborhood of Annapolis after retiring from demanding jobs. A former Exxon executive and retired corporate lawyer, they hired Myers Greene Architects to design their residence, Lynbrook of Annapolis to build it, and Catherine Lowe to assist with its interior design. This professional trio collaborated to ensure that the view, when it did appear, was striking and surprising.
Before conceiving a plan, Vincent Greene lived with the clients for a few days in their hometown of Houston, Texas. They traveled about the city, pointing out the things they liked, including a historic house with a grand foyer owned by a friend. Importantly, he observed the art collection they’d cultivated over years of traveling abroad and five years living in East Asia.
Because they valued charm and tradition, the architects designed an expressive shingle-style home that would blend seamlessly into the Ferry Point neighborhood, which is characterized by statuesque traditional homes, many of which were constructed before World War II. “We drew inspiration from the shingle-style homes of the area, particularly the older neighborhoods to the north in Baltimore, like Roland Park. Many of the components on the exterior, such as wall flares and curved roof shapes, are prevalent on these older homes and add to the overall character. Cedar shingles on the roof will weather with time,” says Greene’s partner, David C. Myers Jr., AIA.
The home’s generous front door opens not to water but to a curved foyer with a majestic winding stair, vaulted ceiling, and a wall of art. The foyer has a secret closet on the first floor, one of Lynbrook’s signature moves. The sides of the foyer are composed of exquisitely detailed individual panels built with cope-and-stick joinery in a woodshop set up in the basement. They were shaped into a grand curve using a boat-building technique that involves laminating the wood so it can bend, explains Bryan Beauchemin, senior vice president and co-founder of Lynbrook of Annapolis. To the right of the foyer is a cozy sitting room with a gilded antique mirror made in Baltimore in the mid-1800s. One travels through a hall to a formal dining room, with a generous table centered by a three-tiered chandelier with real candles. To the right, a small hallway leads to an unusual vestibule built to display a large statue of Buddha. Beauchemin points out the special groin vault ceiling where two barrel vaults intersect at 90-degree angles. Another hallway leads to a back staircase, with bedrooms on the second floor and open space on the third.
As you progress through this 6,000-square-foot home, formality dissolves into a casual spaciousness. The water-facing façade reveals the vista we crave. Straight across glittering waters is the United States Naval Academy, close enough to observe its footbridge, satellite, and intersecting paths. As the Naval Academy’s sailing team dashes through whitecaps and a crabber heads home in a classic Deadrise, time seems to shift from 9-5 to river-time. The couple compares their home’s split personality to a mullet, a hairstyle popular in the 1990s characterized by shorter hair on the top and sides, with a long ponytail in the back. “We started referring to this as the ‘mullet house’: business in the front and party in the back,” laughs the couple.
The back half of the house is ready for entertaining on an intimate scale, where the family room with a stone fireplace flows seamlessly into the kitchen. Coffered ceilings combined with substantial custom moldings and well-appointed appliances reveal a high level of finish, lending this home an unconscious grace. Yet, nothing is overwhelming. This discipline is intentional; the homeowners did not want a cavernous home but one that was “cozy and full of light.”
A screened-in porch on the east end of the house opens to a pool and summerhouse with a gabled roof, which has a shower for changing. On the west end of the home is a luxurious office with a classic Eames lounge chair. The predominant palette is soft and serene, composed of creams, whites, greys, and blues. Because the couple owns many antiques and brought most of their furniture from their previous home, they needed consultation rather than “a full do-over,” they explained.
The floorplan complements the couple’s daily rhythms and connects them to their art and other favorite things. “As you walk through the house, each turn lends itself to a new and unique experience. Whether it’s a particular piece of art or a distinctive view across the Severn River, there is a richness to the experience of walking through that feels very personal and intimate,” notes Myers. Indeed, as one roams through the first floor, one blue and creamy white gives way to another, appearing and disappearing with a pleasing fluid synchronicity. One is reminded of water ballet and the ease of its dancers. From its airy second-story primary bedroom to its screened-in porch and its mindful floorplan, this home seems choreographed to embrace the family within, the ever-dancing river, its shifting seasonal light, and the nourishing view.
BUILDER: Lynbrook of Annapolis
ARCHITECTURE: Myers Greene Architects
LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Scapes, Inc.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Catherine M. Lowe, ASID, Interior Planning & Design
Tile: Compass Studio Tile & Flooring; JBR Tile & Stone
Kitchen Countertops: Atlas Stone Fabricators
Additional Countertops: In Home Stone
Kitchen Cabinets: Reazor’s Custom Woodworking
Windows & Exterior Doors: LePage Millwork supplied by TW Perry
© Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 16, No. 5 2025