Riverfront Family Estate

This eight-acre property is located at Maryland’s Eastern Shore on the Tred Avon River. The owners envisioned a place where their extended family could convene. The scope for Richardson & Associates included the entry sequence; reworking the existing pool, which required navigating environmental regulations; and reconfiguring the pool terrace. Tidy, maintained garden spaces and borders surround the main house, detached garage, and parking circle and become looser with grasses and wildflowers and ultimately a pine forest at the edges of the property.

The new drive with entry gates leads to a planted circle and parking in front of the house. An allée of crepe myrtle defines a walkway from the front garden to the pool and terrace. The river is in view through a Mahogany arch on axis. At the edge of the pool, bronze birds—a sculpture by a local artist—appear to be in flight. Along the way towards the river, the allée passes an enclosed rose garden with a lovely garden shed. Box parterres and a perennial edge organize the geometry of the garden and raised planting beds at the rear are specifically for cut flowers. The library of the home overlooks this garden, which makes it the owners’ favorite room in the house. Bluestone and cobbles are used throughout the property; the chipped bluestone offers a different color and texture than that of the ubiquitous clam and oyster shell typically used in this waterfront community. 

At the rear, overlooking the river and 300-foot dock, an enormous heritage tree was preserved lending the estate a sense of history and permeance. Southern Magnolia, Dogwood, red bud and arbor vitae offer focal points among the layers of vegetation. Pavers, chipped bluestone, cobbles, and hidden pathways with stepping stones are a foil among the abundant plantings. 

  • Interiors: Coastal Haven Design, LLC
  • General Contractor: Horizon Builders, Inc.
  • Landscape Contractor: Planted Earth
  • Photographer: Frazier Springfield
A two-story white brick house with a dark shingled roof and a wooden front door. A curved gravel driveway leads to the entrance, surrounded by landscaped gardens and a lawn in front of a dense treeline.
A stone stepping-stone path leads through a lush garden to a white brick house. The path is bordered by green shrubs, small trees, and two landscape lights.
A modern home with white painted brick siding and a dark brown wooden garage door. Tall ornamental grasses and shrubs grow in the foreground, with dark gutters running along the roofline.
A white brick building with a dark shingled roof stands beside a gravel driveway. A stone path leads through a green lawn toward the water, where a small boat is visible in the distance.
A white brick house with a dark gabled roof sits next to a manicured lawn and garden. In the background, a detached garage with two arched wooden doors is nestled among tall trees.
A white brick garage with dark arched windows and wooden doors sits next to a landscaped garden. A gravel driveway leads to the garage, framed by small trees, manicured shrubs, and low-voltage path lights.
A white gazebo with a dark roof stands in a lush garden next to a wood fence and ornamental grasses. A white two-story house with a dormer roof is visible in the background among tall trees.
A small, white garden shed with a gray roof sits at the end of a gravel path. The path is lined with symmetrical boxwood shrubs and raised garden beds containing flowering plants, all set against a backdrop of tall green trees.
A small white garden house with a dark door stands at the end of a gravel path. The path is lined with manicured hedges, shrubs, and flowers, all enclosed by a wooden fence with tall trees in the background.
A stone path leads to a wooden arched gate opening into a garden with a small white building at the center. The garden is enclosed by a low wooden fence and surrounded by lush green trees and shrubs.
A small, light-colored garden house with a hip roof sits behind a wooden fence. The property is surrounded by a line of manicured hedges and tall trees, with a large green lawn in the foreground.
A gravel path leads through a garden with manicured shrubs toward a white brick carriage house. A wooden arch frames the entrance to the path, which is lined by green trees and flowering bushes.
A manicured garden features rectangular gravel paths framed by low boxwood hedges and tall, flowering white hydrangea bushes. In the background, a wooden fence separates the garden from a dense line of lush green trees.
A stone path leads between green trees and bushes toward a lake. The path passes the side of a building and opens onto a view of the water.
A gravel path leads through a garden toward a wooden fence and a small white building by the water. An American flag flies on a pole next to a tree behind the fence.
A fenced garden sits between a small pool house and a stone cottage near a large lake. A detached garage is on the left, and an American flag flies near the water.
A large, white brick house with a dark roof and black-framed windows sits on a grassy lawn. The home features a prominent two-story arched window, a second-story balcony with railings, and a tall brick chimney.
A white brick house with a dark gabled roof sits beside a field of tall, golden ornamental grasses. A small window is visible on the side of the house, surrounded by green landscaping and trees.
A gravel path leads through a corridor of trees toward a stone archway overlooking a lake. A covered patio structure sits to the right, and the distant shoreline is visible through the arch.
A waterfront backyard features a stone patio with a pool and an outdoor kitchen pavilion near the water. A central lawn path separates the pool area from a paved garden space surrounded by mature trees and lush landscaping.
A swimming pool sits on a patio next to an outdoor bar and a large body of water. The deck features multiple seating areas with wood chairs, tables, and blue cushions, with an American flag flying nearby.
A rectangular swimming pool sits on a stone patio next to an outdoor kitchen and covered seating area. Several lounge chairs face the water, where an American flag flies near the shoreline.
An infinity pool overlooking a wide river with a long wooden pier extending into the water. Patio chairs sit on a stone deck beside the pool, and a metal sculpture stands in a garden bed nearby.
Three lounge chairs sit on a poolside patio overlooking a calm body of water. An American flag on a tall pole flies to the right, near a boat docked in the distance.
A backyard swimming pool area with outdoor lounge furniture on a stone patio. A multi-story white house stands to the left, with large trees and a calm body of water in the background.
A white house and a smaller secondary building sit on a manicured lawn along a riverbank. A tall, dense forest serves as a backdrop behind the structures.

0 of 0