Southern_Living_Christmas_at_home_2019

(^92) | SOUTHERN LIVING
Original 17th-century wood flooring
and ceiling beams give the old customs
house warmth and character. The
ladder leads to a guest room.
or Robert and Polly Wiedmaier, there’s nothing more traditional than
celebrating the holidays in their circa-1680 Maryland retreat. “When
we found it four years ago, we could tell it was very old, which
made it all the more charming,” Polly says. The couple discovered
the brick-clad home, a former customs house for the British, while searching
for a getaway a short drive from Washington, D.C., where Robert is the chef at
10 local restaurants, including his award-winning, French-inspired flagship,
Marcel’s. Robert, a longtime hunter and fisherman, fell in love with the
property’s 23 waterfront acres, directly on the Chesapeake. Polly was partial
to the home’s historic character and spacious living areas (from additions).
Holidays at the Wiedmaier house are rooted in the bounty of the Chesapeake.
Polly finds homegrown Christmas decorations in mag nolia and boxwood
branches—the perfect complement to antique holiday heirlooms. The Christ-
mas Day menu follows suit: Robert cooks whatever his land and coastline
provide, from oysters to Canada geese, prepared with seasonal flavors such as
cinnamon and black currants. One constant in the Wiedmaier home this
season is time spent taking in those stunning views. “Just being on the bay
when it’s snowing outside and a fire burning inside makes me happy,” says
Robert. “There’s no better way to spend a holiday.”