House Tour: Avondale — A 250-Year-Old Waterfront Estate on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
There’s a hush the moment you turn down the lane to Avondale, a waterfront estate in Maryland. Designer Jess Weeth and architect Charles Goebel reimagined this Georgian Colonial with one clear promise: romance and restraint. Nothing shouts; everything is thoughtful. Over more than two centuries, the home has grown to roughly 10,000 square feet across multiple buildings; this refresh lets the old soul shine while inviting in modern family life.
Arrival
The approach is simple and sure of itself: clipped greens, limewashed brick, and lanterns with that perfect hint of verdigris. It’s a reminder that the easiest way to say “welcome” is often the quietest—choose one beautiful finish and repeat it from curb to threshold. If you’re dreaming up your own entry, think gravel or shell underfoot, weathered planters by the door, and hardware that will patina with time.
Entry Hall
Step inside and you feel the calm immediately. Creamy plaster walls (they glow at dusk) soften the sweep of an iron-railed staircase, while a single chandelier—verdigris again—hangs like a piece of jewelry. One generous light beats a cluster every time; it keeps the moment sculptural. A small round table with a bowl of clippings is all the styling needed. If you’re updating an entry, try a plaster or limewash finish and let one statement fixture do the talking.
Library
This is the moody heart of the house: local brick, timber beams salvaged from a 19th-century church, and thick ship’s rope banding that quietly nods to the shoreline. A clean-lined desk and tailored lighting keep the texture front and center. To bring that feeling home, pair warm masonry (or a limewash) with black lanterns, add one rope detail—a wrapped lamp, a pull, even a tray—and finish the windows with deep green romans for soft, flattering light.
Living Room
Here, the walls hold a soft landscape mural, so even gray days feel like the garden is just beyond reach. The furnishings read collected: sculptural silhouettes alongside timeworn pieces with a gentle patina. If a full mural feels bold, try one oversized scenic print and build around it—slipcovered seating, tapestry-inspired pillows, and a branch clipped from the yard in a wide-mouthed vase. The mood lands elegant, never precious.
Kitchen
This kitchen is calm, hardworking, and a little bit dressy—exactly what you want in a family house that loves to host. Perimeter cabinets stay light and classic with small square brass knobs, while the island goes darker for contrast. Thick marble slabs run across the countertops and up the wall as a simple ledge shelf; a soft, glossy tile behind it keeps everything from feeling flat. The black range with brass details sits under a warm metal hood, so the whole cooking wall reads like one clean statement instead of lots of little parts.
Look closely at the details that make it feel finished: long brass pulls on the tall panels, a simple gooseneck faucet in unlacquered brass, glass-front corner cabinets for display, and that slim, linear chandelier over the island. Beyond the cooking zone, a second island faces a sunny window seat and breakfast area—two blue lanterns pull the eye toward the view and keep the palette consistent with the rest of the house. Natural wood doors into the pantry add a touch of texture without shouting.
If you’re borrowing ideas for your own space, commit to one metal (brass), one wood tone (dark island, light perimeter), and one stone story (marble or a marble-look quartz). Add a ledge shelf instead of heavy uppers, keep hardware small and refined, and tuck in everyday pieces—herb pots, a crock, a bowl of fruit—so it feels lived in, not staged.
Kitchen Bar
The bar is a little jewel box—lacquered blue cabinetry, small brass knobs that feel like earrings, and a mirrored backsplash that doubles the sparkle of glassware. It’s a great reminder that “custom” can be a single confident gesture: pick a color and commit. If you’re planning a bar or pantry, line the back in mirror for depth and light, and keep hardware delicate rather than bulky for a dressier finish.
Primary Bedroom
Calm is the brief. Tone-on-tone linens, relaxed drapery, and low, sculptural furniture let the view stay center stage. One patterned lumbar on a quiet bed is enough personality; a pair of small landscapes under picture lights adds intimacy without the fuss of a gallery wall. Add a simple bench at the foot and you’ve got that boutique-hotel practicality we all love.
Primary Bathroom
The bath keeps the same quiet rhythm as the rest of the house—stone that feels honest, classic fittings, and light that stays soft all day. The palette is layered but simple (creamy walls, veined marble, warm metal accents), so nothing competes with the calm. Storage is practical and pretty—wide drawers, a ledge or shallow shelf for daily things, and a spot for a small vase or candle so it never reads sterile. If you’re copying the look at home, choose one metal (brass or polished nickel), keep the counters and walls in the same stone family, and add texture with a linen shade or hand-woven rug. It’s elegant without trying too hard—exactly what a primary bath should feel like.
Let’s end the tour where everyone ends up anyway: outside by the water. It’s simple and low-key—the kind of spot that works for coffee in the morning and a quick nightcap later. No tricks; the view does the heavy lifting.
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Interior Design: Jess Weeth / Weeth Home
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Architecture: Charles Goebel
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Builder: Dewson Construction Co.
- Entry Chandelier: The Urban Electric Co.
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Library Desk: Lawson-Fenning
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Library Lighting: Visual Comfort
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Bar Lighting: Mark D. Sikes for Hudson Valley Lighting Group
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Bar Flooring: François & Co.
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Feature: Veranda — story by Lauren Wicks; photography by Keyanna Bowen (@eastandlane)
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