BAY HOMES ~

BY DEVERON TIMBERLAKE
PHTOGRAPHS BY TONY GIAMMARINO

How an executive traded her office in a city high-rise
for a boathouse with a better view.

Laura Stoddard understands the world of frequent fliers. She travels internationally to meet with clients for her executive recruiting firm, and once worked in a Chicago office tower overlooking the city. But it was cold there and she found herself dreaming of sailing along the Chesapeake Bay, fitting in weekend getaways between business trips. “I always knew I wanted to come back to the Northern Neck,” she says, “and I looked for houses here for three years. I’m not exaggerating — it was fifteen minutes from when I saw this place that I told my agent to write up a contract.” What she envisioned was distinctly different than what she purchased five years ago.

The 1901 Victorian farmhouse, though charming, was ready for updating and expansion to take advantage of the 260- degree views of White House Creek. Underbrush and scrubby trees obscured some of the vistas, and Stoddard knew she’d want a professional-caliber kitchen and spacious master suite. She and her new husband, Daniel, set about renovating the house and opening up the property for an uninterrupted panorama of water, sky and sails.

Their own boats are tied at the end of a pier, just past the building where Stoddard now works. The place was once a workshop for a boatbuilder. Now it has board-and-batten walls, a flowered sofa, a little electric fireplace and signs with sayings like “A day on the river is worth a month in town.” Make no mistake, though. This is a working office, with highspeed Internet service, a full array of equipment, and, perched amid it all, a savvy businesswoman who plunged into self-employment under the aegis of a local waterbird. Blue Heron Executive Search and Consulting, Inc. is Laura Stoddard’s new firm. “At first I wasn’t sure what people would think of naming my business after a blue heron,” she says. “But the response has been great and people love knowing where I am. And because most of my work involves going to the client, I can be based here very easily. The commute home is a breeze.”

Literally. The breeze is almost constant. It gets so strong in wintertime that it once ripped the blades off a ceiling fan on the porch. But the Stoddards prepared by adding extra insulation beneath vinyl clapboard siding on the rambling house. Twenty new, insulated windows keep it tight, and a new roof ties together the old and new wings. A portico at the front establishes a classic approach, and a new, circular driveway returns the front door to the road. “They had a wonderful site and great views but the house didn’t take advantage of any of them,” architect Bill Prillaman says of the project. “As with all renovations, we started with the wish list – what’s the character of the space you want, and the characteristics. They’re often two different things. There needs to be sensitivity to trying to match the new with the old, not slavishly copying it, but trying to make the scale of the openings and the exterior materials blend with what was there, and upgrading where you can.”

“They had a unique situation,” Prillaman continues, “because the existing house was fifty feet from the water and the addition was allowed to be that distance too. It made sense to wrap the porch around the addition because you have three distinct views, and as the sun moves throughout the day, you have different uses for the space.” He designed a traditional lantern roofline for the kitchen addition, which gives the house added light and character. “It’s distinctive from the water,” Prillaman notes.

Laura and Dan Stoddard enjoy views from seven porches, including this addition to their century-old farmhouse.	Seven porches provide various seating and dining options. A pergola-covered side porch is shady and protected, with giant blue hydrangeas framing the view. An open porch off the master suite gives an almost tropical feel, reminiscent of the couple’s fondness for the island of Nevis, where they were married. The kitchen holds all the stainless steel appliances and granite countertops a serious cook could want, and Laura enjoys preparing fresh fish straight from the river or from a neighbor, seafood purveyor Captain Tom. Other meals might involve a boat ride to the Tides Inn or a spontaneous paella party with friends on the pier. Not to be outdone by his wife’s boathouse, Daniel Stoddard got a different kind of home office on the property. Using a precut kit from Country Carpenters, a company they located through the Internet, the Stoddards recently held a barn raising with friends. Then Daniel finished the structure’s roomy interior — a workshop and storage spaces are at ground level and his office is upstairs, illuminated by a large window overlooking the river. Though he works from home, Stoddard’s methods are disciplined and professional: He dresses up for work as though he’d greet a client, he keeps regular office hours, and at the end of the day, work is left in the office and home life begins. Daniel and Laura laugh about emailing and faxing each other from their offices, just yards apart but worlds away from conventional business places. It’s a partnership that works, at home, for both. And though the house is functional and lovely, there’s always more to accomplish. “My honey-do list,” Daniel drawls with his memorable South Carolina twang, “is a novel.” -------------------------------------------------------- Architect: Bill Prillaman, William Darwin Prillaman & Associates, P.C. AIA Builder: David Jones, Connemara General Contractors Flowers: Cynthia Naylor and Theresa Anderson, The Wild Bunch, Urbanna Photo Styling: Mona Dworkin
What once was a workshop for a boatbuilder is now an office illuminated by a large window overlooking the river.
Architect Bill Prillaman designed a traditional lantern roofline for the addition, which offers light and character.