Riverside Shingle Style Cottage


This shingle style cottage occupies the site of an abandoned chicken farm on the banks of the Rappahannock River leading to the Chesapeake Bay. The couple sought a compact, efficient home with three bedrooms and an office overlooking the river, while at the same time large enough to comfortably accommodate their children and grandchildren during weekend visits.
The spacious, east-facing porch is an outdoor living room that spills its bluestone steps literally onto the broad, grassy slope leading to the water’s edge.
Custom-milled trim, profiles and wainscot recall the character of the wooden boats that once plied the Chesapeake Bay.
The leaded glass windows of the upper cabinets and the scalloped brackets make this simple kitchen special.
A neoclassical portico faces the path leading to the boat dock for the couple’s son’s sailboat.
With native wide plank, quarter sawn white oak floors, tall ceilings that invite the light in, and the openness of a single space that encompasses all the public activities from the kitchen to the welcoming hearth of the fireplace, this modest cottage captures the character of a gracious coastal home of 19th century seafarers in an area of less than 3,000 square feet. Like a well-crafted yacht, it’s delight lies in the appreciation of the care and detailing that comes with the efficient use of every inch of space.
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