e
nglish in its inception but heartily American in its
outcome, Blake and Angie Cordish’s Maryland home
is both refined and gregarious—the Audrey Hepburn
of Baltimore estates.
Built in the early 1900s, the Colonial Revival house sits amid
rolling hills in a bucolic setting that brings to mind the stately homes
of England’s lush countryside. To restore what was perfect about the
house while giving it an updated spin, Blake and Angie turned to
acclaimed architectural and design firm McAlpine, their partner in
work on previous residences.
“Angie and Blake were inspired by the great hotels of London,”
designer Ray Booth says. “The concept was of this being an English
country house in influence yet more relaxed in its posture.”
The extraordinary setting was a guiding force. From the front
door, one’s eyes are drawn immediately through the entry to French
doors that frame the pastoral setting beyond. In fact, the commodious
entry may have been a little too open. “It almost gave away too much
too quickly,” Booth says. “We added two-story sheers to frame the
opening. It’s like a punctuation mark on a sentence. It slows you
down—gives you a moment to stop, appreciate, and then move on.”Conservatory A gateleg table and sundry seating options form a carefree
furniture arrangement, intentionally unaligned with the architecture of the
room. The slipcovered “Paige” sofa is by Kerry Joyce for Dessin Fournir.
Entry A tufted sofa from Ferrell Mittman anchors a sitting area in the sizable
space. Preceding pages Angie Cordish strolls with her daughter. Cascading
sheers were installed in the entry for visual impact. The whimsical wing
chair is from Madeline Stuart.98 THSeptember/October 2019