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By Dylan Roche
Photography by Anice Hoachlander
The best laid plans often backfire. We have all been there. However, for Robert and Janice Vitale, disappointment led to a fresh opportunity. The couple bought a new home along the Miles River in St. Michaels back in 2020 and planned a renovation. However, as the project progressed, Michael Campbell of Winchester Construction determined the original builder-grade house had severe foundational problems, which would complicate the renovation work they had in mind. The solution? The Vitales decided to work with architect David Neumann to create an entirely new home, both unusual and practical.
“When you start over from scratch,” Campbell explains, “the homeowner is able to be much more involved and get more input on the design from the very beginning with the architect. They get exactly what they want; it can be very specific to their wants and needs.”
From the front, the new house’s design pays homage to colonial antecedents common to Tidewater homes as well as homes on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. From the back, where it faces the water, it favors the more casual shingle style. As Neumann says, it wouldn’t be considered purely one or the other.
The front of the house has a symmetrical five-window central block with an entry portico, and just beyond the front door is a formal entry hall, study, and dining room. But at the back end of the house, where tall windows look out over the pool deck, the bright green lawn, and the Miles River beyond, the connected living spaces of great room, kitchen, and breakfast nook have what Neumann describes as the “rambling quality” of shingle style. “What we wanted to do was create as much waterfront view as was possible from all of these living spaces,” he says.
The 38’ by 20’ great room with its beamed ceiling and bay windows flows seamlessly to the spacious kitchen, as well as to outdoor spaces like the porch and the gabled loggia. All of this makes it easy to entertain guests while preparing food and enjoying the view at the same time. “Janice is a very adventurous cook, and Robert is kind of a master of the grill, and they just had this idea of these outdoor living spaces,” Neumann explains. He notes it’s easy enough for hosts and guests to carry on a conversation, whether they’re sitting in the great room while Janice works in the kitchen, or they’re gathered in the loggia while Robert works the outdoor pizza oven.
These rambling spaces, as Neumann describes them, have more than just flow; they have consistent shapes that echo each other. The loggia has an archway that leads out to the fire pit and pizza oven, mirroring an archway with the same shape on the other side of the house, where the kitchen leads into the breakfast nook. All have sweeping views of the river. “Those things kind of go hand in hand in a playful arrangement of tugging and pulling and making these connections from indoor to outdoor,” Neumann says.
The Vitales’ love of entertaining influenced interior designer Tracy Morris, who wanted to make sure the furniture could withstand frequent interaction with guests, including those coming in from the pool deck. “You have to think practicality all the time,” she says, noting that the majority of the upholstery in the house is stain-resistant. She even describes some of the pieces as “bomb proof,” such as the bar stools in the kitchen.
Another significant influence for Morris was the water view. But every water view is unique, she points out, and Morris always starts a waterfront design by figuring out the exact tone of water she’ll be working with. “St. Michaels is not as bright blue as you would have in Florida, so we want to go with more muted colors and textures that let the water stand out,” she says.
For this home, she favored natural woods, as seen in the table in the entryway, and chunky natural fabrics, such as the upholstery on the chairs and sofa in the great room. As for color, she used many vibrant shades of blue. “They weren’t afraid of color, which I love,” she says. These brighten up the white walls. She chose Wind’s Breath from Benjamin Moore, with trim in White Dove, also from Benjamin Moore, and pale wide-plank oak floors. Nautical touches—such as the globe-like light fixtures hanging in the kitchen and brass hardware throughout—create the right atmosphere without ever feeling too obvious.
This striking home offers the best of both worlds, where Tidewater elegance meets shingle-style charm. The elegant blend of practicality and personality in both the architecture and interior design is what makes the house feel grounded and inviting, even when it is as grand and expansive as it is. From the open spaces to the fine attention to detail, it’s a home that begs to be enjoyed, where guests can feel welcome and the owners are in their element.
ARCHITECTURE: David E. Neumann, FAIA, Neumann Lewis Buchanan Architects | BUILDER: Michael Campbell, Winchester Construction Co. | LANDSCAPE DESIGN: Walnut Hill Landscape Company | INTERIOR DESIGN: Tracy Morris, Tracy Morris Design | POOL: Coastal Pools | ENGINEER: Janak Patel, PE, Mincin Patel Milano, Inc.
Entryway Glasswork: Theodore Ellison Designs
Entry Table: Century Furniture
Great Room Blue Chairs: Private Label Hickory, NC
Great Room Coffee Table: Bernhardt
Kitchen Pendants: Visual Comfort
© Annapolis Home Magzine
Vol. 16, No. 4 2025