Renovated McLay Retreat Perfect for Entertaining

Renovating a dark, 1970s-era outdated home into a warm, friendly, beautifully updated home both inside and out, can be daunting. But it can be done with a lot of “blood, sweat and tears,” according to home owner Stefanie McLay.

Andy and Stefanie McLay moved to the Severna Park area to be closer to family and for the excellent school district. They purchased their home located on a quiet street surrounded by the Chartwell community back in 1997.

Two major renovations and several additions and updates later, they have created a warm, inviting home that’s perfect for entertaining both indoors and out.

In July of 2008 with an expanded family including two young boys, Jack, 11, and Ben, 9, plus two large dogs; a St. Bernard named Murphy and a Golden Retriever named Oakley, they decided to bump out their living space to include an expanded gourmet kitchen and a master bedroom and bath.

After interviewing three architects and based on their builder Dan Koehne (of Dan Koehne Contracting, Annapolis, MD) recommendation, they chose local Severna Park Architect Jeff Gallahar.

When you first approach the home, you already feel welcomed onto the beautiful stoned porch with its columns and bright white porch rockers and colorful cushions. Flanked on either side of the entry are several decorative potted plants. 

I was greeted by their beautiful dog, Oakley who loves to follow you around the house so as to keep you company. Upon entry into the house, you notice the unique curved staircase.

Off to the left is the dining area which used to be the old kitchen. Off to the right is a brown coffee colored office with built-in bookshelves. Across from the office is a powder room, renovated in 1998, with a metallic silver/green paint highlighting the textured walls. The original bathroom had yellow fixtures, a yellow Formica counter top and a crazy 70s style black and white cartoon wallpaper (see pictures.)

The open floor plan boasts a gourmet kitchen with all the amenities: six burner gas stove top, warming drawer, self close drawers, color washed cabinets with glass top cabinets and lighting, stainless steel refrigerator, and a huge two tiered kitchen island perfect for entertaining and dining.

This was the second time they renovated the kitchen, the first one being back in 1998 shortly after they moved in. This time with the help of kitchen designer Tina Robinson, Mrs. McLay was able to realize the kitchen of her dreams. Mrs. McLay who loves to entertain and cook added that “Tina was the right fit for me, our personalities clicked and that is important when you are working so closely with someone on such an important project. She thought like a mom and understood my wants and needs in my kitchen.”

The majority of the cabinets are a French country creme colored wash while the kitchen island cabinets are in a chocolate brown color to add interest. The cabinet pulls and knobs look like old Italian handles but are strong and sturdy.

The tumbled travertine back splash adds warmth. Recently, with the help of her sister-in-law, Melissa McLay of Melissa McLay Interiors, they added a fun baroque bronze reflective tile to highlight the stainless steel draft and stove area, adding that extra “wow” factor.

A built in wine/martini bar with two wine glass front refrigerators. The black, grey and silver colored granite counter top matches the dark cabinets with glass front doors.

The adjacent family room has a warm color palette including, dark espresso custom entertainment cabinets, creme colored walls, a stone fireplace and no details spared - beautiful white coffered ceilings.

The furniture, curtains, pillows and décor follow the warm color palette including buttery leather couches, which even the family golden retriever, Oakley enjoys (see picture).

The glass-slider doors lead you from the kitchen/family room into a sizable sun room with another dining area and L-shaped couch to hang out and enjoy the beautiful backyard oasis.

They recently converted the screen windows into year round casement windows. A flat panel TV hangs off to one side, so as not to miss any of the NFL, PGA or other action while sitting out on the back porch.

The back sun room leads to the quintessential backyard retreat perfect for entertaining. A beautiful free-formed pool with a diving rock/waterfall, a stone fireplace/chimney and a backyard basketball court/grilling area.

Several lounging chairs and a table and chair set as well as a couch and chair seating area surround the pool and fireplace for maximum seating.

The gray stonework made of tumbled pavers and hillside landscape with several flowering crepe myrtle trees, shrubs and bushes complete the outdoor living space.

When asked if there were any surprises or things that did not work out or anything she would do differently,  Mrs. McLay said “Honestly things went amazingly smooth.” When asked what she most enjoyed about her home she said “My kitchen, sun room and backyard. It is our little slice of heaven in Severna Park.”

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