After relocating to Saint Michaels in retirement, the owners initiated this project with the purchase of the property immediately behind their primary residence. Seeking additional space to comfortably host their adult children during visits, as well as a dedicated studio for making art, the husband and wife envisioned a solution that would extend their home without disrupting the character of either property.
While maintaining their primary residence as their main dwelling, the newly acquired house was thoughtfully renovated and the fence separating the two properties removed, allowing the paired lots to function as a single, cohesive landscape. The second structure was reimagined as an outhouse—an independent yet closely connected retreat—creating a seamless transition between the two yards and reinforcing a sense of continuity between indoor and outdoor spaces.
The renovated outhouse now accommodates two private bedrooms and a shared bath, a fully functioning kitchen, an artist’s studio, and a wading pool designed for relaxed entertaining and family gatherings. By preserving separate street entrances for each building, the design balances privacy and autonomy for multiple generations, while still allowing the owners to move effortlessly between the main house and the outhouse, retreating to the pool and studio as an extension of daily life.
Photographer: Kate Wichlinksi