TMG - Bohl Architects

July 11, 2023

Celia Pearson

Celia Pearson has photographed many buildings designed by Bohl Architects. To fully understand the beauty of the space, architecture must be experienced. It’s not an easy task to capture the character of a building in a photograph, but Celia manages to do it. Her images don’t just show you what the house looks like, but they give you an idea of how it could feel in the space. Every Bohl home is intimate because we design each area of the home with intention. There is no detail left behind and Celia shows appreciation for those details through her photographs. Thank you, Celia!

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July 11, 2023

How Moldings Enhance Your Home

History of Moldings

The original purpose of moldings dates from prehistoric times when moldings were used as structural elements to bind together or connect surfaces. The Ancient Greeks took moldings to a higher level by visually dividing spaces using crown molding designs based upon geometric shapes of an ellipse, hyperbola, and parabola. The Romans based their molding designs on circles and today we still use their quarter-round and half-round moldings. During the Italian Renaissance of the 1400’s, Greek and Roman molding designs were revived and illustrated in pattern books to provide exact dimensions of these features for builders to use in construction.

Types of Molding

Moldings are used to enhance the intersections of floors, walls and ceilings. Baseboards along floors, wainscot along walls, window and door frames on walls and cornices at ceilings incorporate the elegant profiles and ornamental details of a molding’s surface that is designed with recesses and reliefs, with the primary importance of the type of shadow it will cast.

King George III gave his name to the Georgian style of architecture that featured elaborate moldings. The living room in the Thornton Estate in Kent County, Maryland, includes many types of moldings. There are layers of elaborate crown molding, egg and dart, and dentil profiles that incorporated the window headers. The space also includes chair rail and baseboard, as well as the Chippendale mantel with a pineapple motif, the symbol of hospitality. An unusual detail is the reeded trim (vertical half round shapes) for the windows that interrupts the chair rail and extends to the top of the baseboard. This detail makes the room seem taller in height. These moldings and ceiling medallions of plaster were crafted by hand, since the invention of large machines for planning wood that led to mass production of moldings did not occur until the second phase of the Industrial Revolution.

Moldings Today

Fast forward to 1969, when molded polyurethane moldings were introduced. Unlike wood, this material resists decay, insect infestation, and water damage and requires little maintenance. Since polyurethane moldings are not a natural material like wood, they cannot be stained. King George III might not approve, but modern house designs have little or no moldings or trim to maintain a minimalist look.

Case Studies

For the Hudson Valley Farmhouse project, Bohl Architects created a minimalist look by minimizing the use of baseboard molding. The kitchen and dining area has no interior molding around the windows and doors. At the windows, the drywall turns the corner of the window jambs to end at the window frame, which accentuates the rhythm of the windows and frames the landscape. When you have large windows such as these, replacing moldings with pops of color can add architectural character to the space.

For an addition to an 1840 Gothic Revival style house, Bohl Architects specified moldings including baseboard, paneling under the windows, crown, layered molding around doors and cased openings and wrapped beams with additional crown molding to intersect the ceiling for a coffered look. The light olive color ties this addition to the original part of the nearly 200-year-old home, which was recently featured in Veranda Magazine.

There are many ways to add ornamentation to your space and moldings are a great option. Whether you prefer traditional moldings or minimal moldings for your new home or renovation, we can collaborate with you to create your individual look!

Trust The Experts At Bohl Architects

Bohl Architects is a nationally recognized architecture and interior design firm specializing in custom residential design and historic preservation projects.

The interior spaces of our homes dramatically capture views of the landscape and develop an effortless connection of inside and outside. We take you on a journey of architectural exploration, leaving you not only with a home that is entirely attuned to your needs and wants, but with a better understanding of how our collaboration with you brought the space to life.

We love what we do, but the final product is only successful if you love what we do. Call us at 410.263.2200 – we’re excited to hear about your unique project.

June 27, 2023

Quote from Van Morrison

“Every performance is different. That is the beauty of it.” – Van Morrison

An artist may be playing the exact same set list as the night before, but the performance is completely different because it’s a new audience, a new venue, a new moment in time. If every performance was the same, life would be quite mundane – for both the performer and the audience. Just like a concert, designing a home is a performance. The architecture performance is a bit longer (by a couple months or even years…) but nonetheless a performance. It’s the process of taking a client’s vision in their mind and bringing it into the physical; ideally in a way that exceeds their expectations. Working with a variety of residential clients who have their own unique property and vision for their space – THAT is the beauty of it. We can even think of life as a performance. Each day different. Each day a new opportunity to create. Think about the performances in your life – the daily ones and the bigger performances that may take months or years. It’s all a process and we can choose to find beauty along the way.

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June 27, 2023

The Modern Beach House

The beach is the ever-changing boundary of land and ocean, offering a mesmerizing view across the waves to the distant horizon.

From the time the first settlers arrived on the shores of the New World’s Atlantic Ocean, coastal homeowners have tried to tame nature’s elements. Water that varies from still to stormy, tides that erode the dunes and the aftereffects of hurricanes that destroy homes in its path.

Still, the lure of the sea is irresistible, and we continue to dream of owning a Modern Beach House. Continue reading to discover the key elements and design features of a modern beach house that seamlessly blend with its coastal surroundings and provide a comfortable, yet sophisticated living space.

Modern Beach House Views

Views of the water vary from morning fog to the sparkling surface created by the high noon sun as it dances over the water, to the still night’s dark blanket of water illuminated by a full moon. Next to the tranquil view of the endless horizon, who can resist the sound of waves breaking and rolling onto the beach? The soothing sound instills a sense of calm, and the wave break freshens the air as it sends cooling breezes. It is no surprise that insomniacs love recordings of ocean sounds, no matter how far they live from the coast.

Choosing a Knowledgeable Team to Build a Modern Beach House

Before embarking on the journey of building a modern beach house, the homeowner mustn’t look over the complexities of building along the water. To make sure the process goes smoothly, you must have a knowledgeable team that has experience navigating the intricacies of the shoreline.

When working on a waterfront property, an architect is required to design more in-depth site plans and submit for distinct grading and building permits. During the contractor selection process, it’s key to make sure that the engineers and builders are aware of additional site work that may be necessary before construction, as well as how to deal with any foreseeable complications. While choosing a solid team applies to every building, it’s especially important for those on the beach.

Modern Beach House Exterior Challenges

Modern Beach Houses come with unique challenges. Many sites are long and narrow, to maximize the number of ocean front lots, so providing every room with ocean views and balanced sunlight is not easy. Plus, window placement is critical for privacy from close neighbors.

Corrosive salt air requires careful consideration of a beach house’s exterior materials and hardware that resist mildew, rot, termites, and high winds. Materials such as concrete, cementitious siding, anodized, powder coated (available in many colors) or pultruded aluminum door and window frames, marine grade stainless steel door hardware, and metal roofing are all appropriate choices. The latter also has the additional benefit of reflecting the sun, which could lower AC cost, if light colors are selected.

Modern Beach House Design

Modern Beach House design is a blend of the clean lines and sleek minimalism of modern architecture with informal interiors inspired by the beach setting. Imagine light, airy volumes framed by white walls to reflect the sunlight and sisal or gray-washed engineered wood flooring, walls of windows that combine large picture windows and operable units to maximize the sights of the ocean and the sound of waves breaking over the sand.

Think casual furnishings, easy care fabrics of lightweight cotton and linen, natural materials, splashes of all shades of blue in furnishings and pillows, accessories of mirrors framed in seashells and accents of found beach treasures such as shells and driftwood.

When you step through the front door of your Modern Beach House, you can’t help but exhale and leave the work week behind as you toss off your city shoes and slip into clogs for a walk on the beach.

Chesapeake Bay Modern Beach House Design by Bohl Architects

Our team at Bohl Architects carefully considered these factors above for Bembe Beach. The special microclimate of a gently sloping site with a sandy beach along the Chesapeake Bay. The Owners are avid sailors with young children who sought a beachfront lot to launch their boat for weeklong sojourns on the Bay.

The Owner, Elina Donaldson, is an Interior Designer of Simplicity by Elina and is known for creating bright functional spaces with a strong connection with nature. Bohl Architects incorporated her preference for clean lines, natural elements and shapes in the materials and products for the house. Full height sliding doors and window planes make the open plan living-dining-kitchen a seamless indoor outdoor space.

In response to the coastal site’s challenging environment, Bohl Architects selected a rain screen exterior cladding system with monolithic fiber cement panels to withstand salt spray, sun exposure, high humidity and airborne debris and hurricane force winds. The house’s rectangular footprint is offset with one side of the front elevation clad in gray fiber cement panels, and the other side clad in horizontal teak boards that will weather over time. The reveals to the black rainscreen membrane create a grid onto the two wall planes that are joined together like interlocking puzzle pieces. At the front elevation, windows and doors are thoughtfully set into the wall grid.

At the dramatic waterside rear elevation, the grid changes to three stories of structural framing infilled with large panes of glass. Projections of decks with glass rails at the second floor and the third floor’s sunroom with floor to ceiling glass walls reach out to the Bay. At twilight, when the house is illuminated from within, the walls become prisms of glass.

The compact floor plan evokes the Maryland historic center hall plan with the circulation element of stairs that rise along the side wall of the first floor to become a bedroom “bridge” to the second floor‘s three bedrooms. The staircase then changes to two separate single runs, one up to the box bay sunroom and another up to the top bridge between the third floor office and family room.

With the “service” areas at the front and the primary rooms at the rear, each level of the plan is organized for views of the Bay that range from a flat plane of still water to stormy top caps.

Simplicity by Elina evokes the beach setting with the stained concrete floor finish on the main floor, the blue waves of the rug, and the sleek modern bar stools paired with the Scandinavian dining table and chairs. The kitchen cabinetry is a modern grid of stone blue panels and wood open shelving.

Bohl Architects has over 47 years of experience designing beach homes in styles ranging from modern to Craftsman. Our team is grateful to work on spectacular waterfront projects with amazing clients, and Bembe Beach is one of them. Now that summer is here, contact us to fulfill your dream of a house on the beach!

June 14, 2023

From Eyebrow Arched Window to Treehouse

One of Bohl Architects’ favorite window styles is an arched design, whether the windows are shaped like a low eyebrow or a wide-open eyebrow with a gracefully curved header. Eyebrow windows originated during medieval times on cottages with thatched roofs as a way to break up the expanse of steep roof planes. The most famous ones appeared in the city of Sibiu in Transylvania in the 15th century.

Word spread among the townspeople that the sinister windows, which resembled eyes, were designed to frighten passers-by. Their actual purpose was far less nefarious, for they had an important purpose to provide both sunlight and ventilation for the attics under the steeply pitched roofs. Today, the eyebrow windows are one of Sibiu’s greatest tourist attractions.

The heavy lidded look of the Romanian windows later became “eyes wide open” windows featured in houses during the English Arts & Crafts movement and also in the mid-19th century by Architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the father of the American Shingle Style.

These distinctive window shapes were featured in the Craftsman bungalows and English cottages that were popular architectural styles in the United States in the 1920’s and 1930’s. During this period, Architect William Draper Brinkloe incorporated this design element in several cottages that were built on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

From the interior, the graceful curvature of the window’s dormer roof over the multi-paned triple window enhances this sitting area off a primary suite.

Eyebrow or arched topped windows are not limited to residences-who doesn’t wish they had a tree house like the Swiss Family Robinson, of Disney fame? Bohl Architects channeled this memory from childhood in our design of a tree house that incorporates a French casement double unit window with an arched dormer.

Throughout history, a folly was built on estates for decoration or for aesthetic pleasure in the landscape-think the folly in the remake of “Pride and Prejudice” when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett were caught in the rain and sought shelter in a folly. The “folly” treehouse Bohl Architects designed is part of a project for which we have been both architect and steward for two consecutive clients over the last twenty years. The property is a magnificent working farm containing a century old main house and multiple outbuildings. The Corsica River runs along the length of the farm and the architecture, with all its various pieces and parts, is seamlessly integrated into the landscape.

Our clients were fearless in their trust in our direction and asked us to create a tree house in honor of the arrival of their first grandchild. Bohl Architects design nestles intimately in a mature walnut tree that was strategically chosen for its distance far enough away from the main house to encourage feelings of adventure or retreat. The design is a simple platform accessed by a ladder and a hatch up to two spaces, separated by a French casement that has a dual function as window and door. The spaces are topped by a thatch roof, which helps camouflage its placement in the tree and reflects the Anglo/Craftsman roots of the surrounding buildings. The design offers just enough shelter to not feel enclosed or stifled by the humid environment of Maryland summers and elevated enough to catch the cooling breezes to encourage hours of imagination in an idyllic escape to the outdoors for a beloved grandchild.

Check out the 3-D video below for a sneak preview to see how this design has evolved and stay tuned to see the finished tree house that will delight the Owners’ grandchildren and children of all ages!

June 13, 2023

The Biltmore Estate

This “little mountain escape” and it’s 8,000 acres of land, was founded at the start of the Gilded Age by George Washington Vanderbilt II, who was the grandson of Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, a famous industrialist and philanthropist.

With the help of architect Richard Morris Hunt, George began the journey of building his summer home in 1889 and it was complete in 1895. At 175,000 square feet, the Biltmore Estate is deemed America’s Largest Home. 175,000 square feet? That’s more than four acres of floor space! The home has 250 rooms and 65 fireplaces. Bohl Architects has designed some large, luxurious homes, but the Biltmore Estate is next level…props to you, Richard. And props to landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. The thoughtful landscape design and the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains makes for an extremely peaceful stay.

At first the estate was just for the family, but in 1996 the Vanderbilt’s opened it up to the public so tourists could enjoy the beauty. Over the years, the estate has grown to include an inn and hotel accommodations for overnight stays, a winery, plenty of restaurants, event spaces and more. Although the property has evolved, the mission of preservation and sustainability has remained. It almost feels as if the estate was always a part of the landscape – which is something we greatly appreciate in architecture.

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June 13, 2023

What It Feels Like To Be A Building by Forrest Wilson

featured What It Feels Like To Be A Building Image

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be a building? To observe the monumental and mundane moments in the lives of different inhabitants over the years, or to experience different seasons and the weather each one brings. Come to think of it, buildings and people have quite a bit in common. Both experience the load of life.

It’s easy to take a building for granted or to grow frustrated at the broken elements. It’s just as easy to appreciate the structure for all it does and express gratitude for the shelter it provides. When we look at buildings the same way we see people, we begin to appreciate the little things. We start to see a story in those broken elements, and we question the best way to repair them and preserve a space, rather than destroy it.

The book “What It Feels Like To Be A Building” by Forrest Wilson provided us with thought. Forrest Wilson studied architectural sculpture at the California School of Fine Arts and went on to become professor emeritus of The Catholic University in Washington, D.C., a visiting professor at The Catholic University and the University of Maryland.

Teigen found this book when she was going through her family’s old belongings and decided to bring it to the office. Turns out, Forrest Wilson was Angela’s professor at Catholic. She said he was a very dynamic and captivating professor, with an incredible sense of humor. Sounds like our kinda guy.

Wilson did a lot in his lifetime and has written plenty books for children and adults on architecture, design, and building. This is one of our favorites.

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May 30, 2023

From Barn to Barndominium

Every year, the Oxford English Dictionary adds new words to reflect pop culture, slang, technical terms, etc. In 1989, a new word, “barndominium”, or “barndo” appeared. Connecticut developer Karl Nielsen coined the word “barndominium” to describe his intent of creating new communities planned around raising horses. He envisioned stables on the main floor surrounded by fenced paddocks for horses with living quarters above. Slowly, the idea of a home that had space for both animals and their humans began to evolve, although this concept was not really new.

Since pre-historic times, the word “transhumance” has been defined as herds of dairy cattle being moved from their winter homes in valleys to the upper Alpine areas during the warm months. The cattle feast on their daily diet of fresh grass, flowers, and water from pure mountain streams. At night, the cattle rest in a barn while the farmer sleeps in the loft after he makes cheese from the daily supply of milk.

While you may not be an equestrian or a dairy farmer, the idea of having space on the main floor for an RV, boat and/or cars, with living quarters above is appealing to many. This idea culminated in a segment of HGTV’s popular program “Fixer Upper,” that featured a 1980’s horse barn’s transformation into a family barndominium.

The “Fixer Upper” barn’s horse stalls had been converted into a garage and storage space and the upper loft was an apartment. The transformation began with turning the former center aisle of the horse barn into an indoor-outdoor room for family gatherings or entertaining. The remainder of the floor included a new staircase to the upper floor and two bedrooms and baths. The great thing about main floor bedrooms is that the doors can be incorporated into the design, instead of egress windows for emergency evacuation. The loft floor became a large kitchen and living room. After this HGTV segment, barndomania took off. Now there are both single story and two-story barndominiums all over the country.

One of them is a recently completed barndominium for Bohl Architects clients in the Hudson River Valley who caught the wave. They asked for our help in achieving their mother’s vision of a barndominium for herself on their property. The barndominium is sited at the crest of a hill with spectacular panoramic views of rolling hills against a backdrop of the Catskill Mountains, a landscape that has inspired painters since the Hudson River School American Art Movement began in the mid-19^th century.

The existing barn was a story and a half barn with a pitched roof with a one-story single slope shed roofed addition. The barndominium was reclad in corten steel that will weather over time.

At the elevation overlooking the valley and the mountains, Bohl Architects added an outdoor room that spans the full length of the house, with both open and screened areas. Fir tree trunks have a new life as columns for the porches, rooting the barndominium to its site.

The rectangular floor plan is divided into two bays. One is a free-span bay that is an open plan living-dining-kitchen area with panoramic views from the side full height window walls through the open and screened porches.

For total transparency and maximum views of the surrounding landscape, the framing of the exterior windows and doors echoes the framing of the porches. The sills of the windows rest on low walls, with a stained wood cap-perfect for art, sculpture, potted plants, books, or a perch for the family pet.

The other bay contains the entry hall with closets on one side and doors to the core area of bathroom, laundry and walk-in closet for the bedroom and one wall of the kitchen cabinetry.

The bedroom and a library are located at each side exterior wall, with full height windows and transoms. The library’s tall grid of millwork has a rail to accommodate a ladder to access upper shelves. Sliding doors that stretch in height to just under the ceiling plane connect each room to the open plan living-dining -kitchen area. Off the entry hall is a one-car garage and a carport.

The low maintenance interior design features stained concrete floors with radiant heat, wall and ceiling planes of drywall, simple baseboard and trimless doors.

Whether you are building your first home, planning a vacation space, or downsizing your family home, the barndominium concept has great appeal. With its main floor bedrooms and bath and second floor open plan living-dining-kitchen area, the design maximizes the views of your site’s unique features. Barndominums are one of the quickest growing trends in home styles across the United States. We hope our barndominium design inspires you to think about collaborating with Bohl Architects!

May 11, 2023

“The Old Home Place” by Patrick Dougherty

featured 0006 patirck doughtrey the old home

If you hadn’t noticed by now, we love the outdoors. And we admire those who do as well. We find that using the outside as inspiration makes each of our homes unique, in that it becomes an extension of the existing environment. Maintaining a focus on nature throughout the entire process of creating a building is both complex and simple. Living in a space that utilizes natural materials enhances our relationship with the land and brings us back to our roots. If we’re not living in a Bohl house, our next option might be a glamping experience in one of Patrick Dougherty’s stick sculptures.

Patrick Dougherty is a sculptor and visual environmental artist from the woodlands in North Carolina. He creates these huge organic installations out of twigs and saplings, pulling inspiration from the landscape, different cultures, birds’ nests, and various architectural elements. Each project is brought to life with the help of local volunteers. Much like the work of an architect, the sculptures are created out in the open which means the public can see the progress day by day. His work can be found around the world in parks, museums, campuses, and other places where the public can experience at their leisure. Overtime, the stick sculptures disintegrate and return to becoming one with the landscape. “The Old Home Place” is in our hometown of Annapolis, Maryland at Maryland Hall.

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May 11, 2023

Hotel Cala De Volpe

We recently came across an older article in Habitat Magazine that highlights this property and interviews the interior design agency behind the renovation of this space on the Costa Smeralda in Sardinia, Italy. The hotel was original designed by french architect Jacques Couelle, known for his sculpture-houses. This hotel is most definitely a work of art.

Bruno Moinard and Claire Betaille of Moinard Betaille interior design agency did an outstanding job reviving this place, while maintaining the soul of Jacques’ initial creation. The natural environment of Costa Smeralda is already luxury, and the hotel only enhances that. All the materials work in harmony with the coastal landscape, while the light in each space is warm and inviting. The building is living art.

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123 4

Celia Pearson

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How Moldings Enhance Your Home

History of Moldings

Types of Molding

Moldings Today

Case Studies

Trust The Experts At Bohl Architects

Quote from Van Morrison

Want to Keep Reading?

The Modern Beach House

Modern Beach House Views

Choosing a Knowledgeable Team to Build a Modern Beach House

Modern Beach House Exterior Challenges

Modern Beach House Design

Chesapeake Bay Modern Beach House Design by Bohl Architects

From Eyebrow Arched Window to Treehouse

The Biltmore Estate

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What It Feels Like To Be A Building by Forrest Wilson

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From Barn to Barndominium

“The Old Home Place” by Patrick Dougherty

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Hotel Cala De Volpe

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