A new vernacular inspired home on Virginia’s Eastern shore is positioned on raised wood piles nestled within a forested landscape along the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. On approach, we intended for the house to be “settled” within this quiet and very rural landscape. To ameliorate the visual condition of a raised pile foundation, we’ve placed a stuccoed masonry wall in the foreground as a bearing wall for one side of the house and created a planted earthen berm to further soften its presence.

The opposite side of the house has full height windows and a northern exposure for ambient light, and provides panoramic views of Craddock Creek. Exterior materials are horizontal and vertical western red cedar ship-lap planks and metal roofing. The interior is light filled and finished in wide plank wood flooring, stone, white painted walls, and tall lofty ceilings evoking the feel of an old farmhouse, yet modern.

Design and Construction 2013-2014

Josh McCullar was the Design Architect during prior tenure with SMBW and collaborated with Interior Designer, Melinda Harvey. Photography is by Kip Dawkins.