A new outlook
Couple retires to Eastport condo with modern design, memorable view
Bruce and Mary-Beth Phillips may be technically retired, but their decorating style is anything but tired. Standing in their two-story condo, one of the Tecumseh Condominiums in Eastport, Mary-Beth Phillips said, “We decided we didn’t want anything traditional.” And it’s not. From the street, the 1968 structure is a nondescript brick building. Step inside the lobby, and what looks like a large mural of a waterfront scene is actually the real thing, with Spa Creek and the Annapolis harbor seen through wide floor-to ceiling windows.
The Phillipses moved into their Eastport haven three years ago after spending a year on renovations and interior design. As condo residents, they have two docks and access to the building’s swimming pool.
As Bruce neared retirement from a 30-year career with McGraw Hill, the New Jersey couple spent three years
trying to decide where to spend their golden years. They looked in Burlington, Vt.; Portland, Maine; and other spots along the Eastern Seaboard.
Their search narrowed when they decided they didn’t need a big house that required a lot of maintenance and upkeep. Owners of a seven-bedroom Victorian-style home, they began the hunt for a condo with two bedrooms and two baths, ideally spread over two floors. The couple realized they’d have some major downsizing to do, and shed nearly all of their old possessions.
The condo they decided upon featured a loft-like second floor with half the square footage of the main floor and a 20-foot-high ceiling.
The Phillipses quickly decided they didn’t need all that open space created by the lofty ceiling when it could be better used as a room. So they worked with Catherine Purple Cherry, owner of Purple Cherry Architects, Andy Apter of Apter Remodeling and project manager Kevin McKibben to dramatically alter the condo’s floor plan. The open loft was converted to an addition on the second floor. The couple also tore out the original winding staircase and had one built that was more suited to their lifestyle as they age. The treads are wider than average, so climbers can place their entire foot on each tread. The risers are shorter, creating less of an angle for hips and knees and making for easier ascents and descents.
The eye-catching iron handrail, evocative of a Mondrian painting, was crafted at the forge of Frog Valley Artisans in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., by Mark Schwenk.
Lowering the ceiling on the first floor of their condo did not reduce the impact of the view.
“We love watching the ever-changing scene outside,” Mary-Beth Phillips said. “The Parade of Lights, the fireworks on New Year’s Eve and Independence Day, the concerts on City Dock at Susan Campbell Park. It’s everything we ever wanted, and more.”
A visitor entering the apartment walks down a short hallway. On the immediate left is a guest bedroom decorated in lemon yellow, white and black. The bed is pure white, topped with a black-and-white houndstooth-patterned roll pillow. The wallpaper behind it depicts a chic Manhattan party scene. A brushed steel chair across from the foot of the bed has a human form — arms are, literally, arms. On one wall is a collection of classic New Yorker magazine cartoons.
Farther on, the hallway opens up to a dining room on the right and a kitchen on the left.
In the dining room area, the couple planned to remove an all-white wooden cabinet. Instead, they ended up painting the cabinet a matte black and adding a corner unit. Across the hallway, the kitchen, sporting a new floor, counters and mosaic tiled backsplash, is a black-and-white checkerboard pattern.
An unusual knife block often elicits a laugh from visitors.
“It’s a fluid landscape, dynamic and ever-changing, a living waterfront. We love watching the old tall ships coming into the harbor. It’s the best view in Annapolis.” Mary-Beth Phillips
“It’s a gift from Bruce. It’s called ‘The Ex,’ ” Mary-Beth Phillips said of the dark steel human figurine pierced with several sharp knives.
Beyond the kitchen and dining area is the living room. A framed piece of art on one wall appears to be of a giant tree surrounded by flames or a raging windstorm. A closer look reveals it is a photograph — one taken several decades ago by Bruce’s father, Max Phillips. Shot from a height of 40,000 feet, the lens captured the spread of a Venezuelan river delta.
“All of our artwork has some personal connection,” Bruce said.
On the second floor, the couple added a skylight, providing more sunlight in their office area.
In the bedroom, they can recline in bed and view the scene floating by. The walls flanking the bed have shelves built in, eliminating the need for nightstands. The second floor also features a hidden walk-in closet and a roomy office area.
Bruce Phillips, now president of the Tecumseh’s board, said he and his wife had a lot of fun renovating the space, from gutting it to creating the new floor plan.
“We did a 180-degree change,” he said. “And the view? Sweet.”
“We never get bored,” Mary-Beth Phillips added. “It’s a fluid landscape, dynamic and ever-changing, a living waterfront. We love watching the old tall ships coming into the harbor. It’s the best view in Annapolis.”