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This story is not just about a dramatic waterfront renovation. It is also about the creation of a home where emotions take on visible forms, with love of family expressed through its architecture, building and design.
Here’s how it began. Lily and Joe Vallario, recently married, each have three children from previous marriages. The home they hoped to purchase had to be big enough to not only house but also embrace both families, including six young adults. Each child would have their own room thoughtfully decorated. They envisioned a kitchen big enough for all to gather for family breakfasts and a great room generous and welcoming .
Their initial hunt for a special piece of land to build upon led them to a home upon a quiet knoll at the end of Cove Road on South River. The moment Lily opened the door, her heart soared, “I just love it! It’s ugly. We can create it however we want. I saw it immediately.” Hidden behind the entrance were two completely separate homes—two staircases, kitchens, living spaces. It was dark with lots of little windows and closed off rooms. For most, this may have been a deterrence, but not for the Vallarios. They saw an opportunity to fuse two homes into one. The two homes mirrored, in a sense, their unique solitary journeys. Its renovation pointed towards transformation, good times, and spectacular views.
With 180 degrees of waterfront, the first step was to capture the natural light and sweeping water vistas. Removing the second-floor master bedroom entirely, as well as several interior walls, and replacing myriad windows with three walls of glass, instantly opened-up the home, breathing in new life. “The most exciting and ambitious part was taking the second floor out and seeing the light,” says Joe. This one change required substantial structural engineering to support the steep rooflines necessary for a grand cathedral ceiling.
Mindful of ambiance and the connection between indoors and outdoors common to contemporary design, Lily created a canopy of lights within the great room. The cathedral ceilings, studded with dimmable recessed lights, elicit a feeling of lounging under the stars. The interplay of light throughout reflects the different moods of the day, generating a harmonious rhythm between nature and home.
Lily’s aesthetic is defined by a clean, minimalist design woven with rich earth tones and textures, which she refers to as “Warm Contemporary.” Her collection of luxurious, elegant furnishings in room after room reflects what is important to her—inviting a feeling of comfort, beauty, and stability.
Lily’s oldest, Sophia Chedrauy, remarks, “Everyone enjoys being here. It’s beautiful. It could have been a ‘Look and don’t touch house’,” instead it’s welcoming and livable.” The kitchen and family rooms particularly illustrate this design style.
Fit for a serious chef with Viking stove, Thermador wine cooler and granite island, this kitchen rivals any decorator showcase. At Compass Stone and Tile Studio in Annapolis, she found a stunning backsplash that shimmers with velvety chocolate and caramel swirl tiles. When the light is just right, they come alive and glisten, contrasting dramatically with dark wood cabinetry and chandeliers crafted of glass and chrome.
The family room is appointed with sleek custom cabinetry that, crafted by Geoffrey Neuman, frames perfectly the portrait gas fireplace enhanced by Saul Lopez’ marble-like porcelain surround. The mahogany beams’ simple lines and the creamy, beige leather couch fuse sophistication with comfort.
Equally important to the project was the exterior. When Lily contacted Spire Architecture to help with this phase, they had no idea of the adventure ahead. The couple gave Spire creative carte blanche. “They shared a few ideas and trusted us,” says Spire partner Craig Martin. With the modern contemporary focus and a desire to give as much attention to the street side as the waterfront, Spire presented a dramatic design. Their renderings revealed a cathedral-like portico that spanned two stories. “We suggested a stucco and stone exterior trimmed with dark brown oversized fascia boards to frame the home and hid the down spouts to create clean lines,” explains Rick McCallum from Spire. The dark trim rises up from the ground tracing the gable roof lines.
Builder Albert Procopio of Procopio Family Homes notes that hiding the gutters was challenging. “The house has no exposed gutters, we had to figure out how to get the water off the roof,” he says. Just as the architects wished, he solved the problem by hiding them within the roof and inside the exterior walls. Another stand-out feature is the custom front door, which measures 4’ x 8’ and pivots in either direction, he explains. The grand portico framing the door is composed of tongue and groove Ipe, an exotic Brazilian hardwood.
The mahogany and glass portico invites you to enter the home. “It stands out like a jewel box on the point,” explains Kurt Shepard, referring to the dramatic crest of land overlooking the river and South River Bridge.
The family affectionately calls their home Cove, a name that references its physical location and more. In a nautical sense, a cove is formed by land masses that enclose a sheltered bay, a circle of calm in which to anchor. Cove’s soaring dome-like space and flowing interior reveal uplifting design, the heart-centered home envisioned by Lily and Joe. Situated on a cove and grounded in family, here is a haven beyond troubled waters.
ARCHITECTURE: SPIRE Architecture, spirearch.com, Annapolis, Maryland | CUSTOM BUILDER: Procopio Homes, procopiofamilyhomes.com, Annapolis, Maryland | KITCHEN BACKSPLASH: Compass Stone & Tile Studio, cst-studio.com, Annapolis, Maryland | EXTERIOR STUCCO: Robey, Inc., robeyinc.com, Frederick, Maryland | EXTERIOR STONE: Craftmark Stone Veneers, LLC, La Plata, Maryland | LANDSCAPE: Ciminelli’s Landscape Service, ciminellislandscape.com, Bowie, Maryland
Annapolis Home Magazine
Vol. 11, No. 4 2020