Hot House: Palmer & Landin home in Guilford with classic details - Baltimore Fishbowl

101 Wendover Road, Guilford, Baltimore

Hot House: Elegant Palmer & Lamdin house in Guilford. 6 bedrooms/6 baths. 6,300 square feet. Asking price: $1.28 million

What: Please excuse my extreme affection for the architects, Palmer & Lamdin, but when any house designed by the duo comes on the market, I can guarantee that it’s going to be a Hot House! The houses they designed in Roland Park, Homeland and Guilford, among other places, range from gracious to curious, all with interesting details that elevate the architecture.

This house at 101 Wendover Road was built in 1929, at the height of construction in Guilford. It is one of their more traditional-style homes, alternately described as Charleston-style, French Regency or Colonial Revival. Regardless, the classic style holds its own after nearly a century.

As you enter from the bluestone patio and through the double doors, you come into a black-and-white checked marble floor, with beautiful millwork details on the walls and a sweeping staircase with a wrought-iron railing.

From there, you will find the beautiful living room with its elaborate fireplace with carved marble surround and numerous French doors leading to the gardens. Or head the dining room with its arched inset display cases and then into the recently upgraded gourmet kitchen. Or head to the cozy library/home office where you can curl up with a good book or catch up on your emails. Adjoining that is the former garage which has been converted to a family room, complete with ceiling beams and a fireplace.

The bedrooms and baths in this house range from sumptuous and luxurious to cozy and intimate. The smaller ones were most likely the servants’ quarters, but they still have the details expected in a house like this one.

The grounds are filled with mature plantings including flowering bushes, old-growth trees, a private garden and beautiful lawns. A swimming pool, just off the blue-stone patio which extends the length of the house provides a perfect backdrop for any party. There is on-site parking with a private “motor court” which will hold several cars.

Where: This house is on the south-east corner of Wendover Road and St. Paul Street, with the entrance off of Wendover. It’s a short trip down St. Paul to downtown, or up St. Paul to
Towson. The shops and restaurants in Charles Village are just a few blocks to the south, and the Guilford Association is active in hosting events for the neighborhood.

Final Appraisal: The updates on this house are very sympathetic to the architects’ original intentions. For example, Palmer & Lamdin’s signature casement windows have been converted to double-hung windows, cleverly designed to maintain the casement look that was originally intended, but so much more practical. This house would be perfect for a busy family who have lots of activities and need some space. The listing for the house is here.

P.S. For a deep dive on the architects, Palmer & Lamdin, please join me on Oct. 5 at 5 p.m for a presentation in conjunction with the Baltimore Architecture Foundation and Architecture Month or as we call it, Arch-tober. Details to follow.

Meg Fielding writes the local interior design and lifestyle blog Pigtown Design and is the past president of the Baltimore Architectural Foundation. She enjoys dual citizenship with the US and the UK.