Text: Sherry Moeller
Photo: Stacy Zarin Goldberg
Just as interior designer Stephanie Bradshaw, her partner Brett Bernard, and their son, Dallas, were deciding whether to stay in Maryland or move to Colorado, a friend took them on a four-wheeler tour of a one-and-one-half-acre hilltop property in Sparks Glencoe, a suburb of Baltimore, Maryland. With miles of trails and hundreds of wooded acres bordering the lot, they were sold on the setting and made an offer within a week. “We brought the mountains to us,” Bradshaw says.
The designer always loved the idea of naming homes, mostly inspired by the book Anne of Green Gables that she read as a young girl. For her home, it took hours of walking and running on the property before coming up with Wild Pines, named for the evergreens that surround them. “The name feels natural, grounded, sturdy, yet adventurous,” she says, just what she wanted for her son as he grew up there. “We want Dallas to have fond memories of this house.”
Nature inspires Bradshaw in every project she designs by first considering the outdoor views. “All the textures, colors, and art need to feel like they’re not fighting with nature,” she says. This is especially true in their great room, which is the epicenter of the home. “I wanted a feeling of being in a tree house in the great room,” says Bradshaw. With the best sunset vistas from the windows that climb the 25-foot-tall ceiling, the great room is a spectacular moment in the house because of what’s outside. “The room has a gorgeous golden hour glow with a little whisper of movement,” adds Bradshaw.
While Bernard was mostly concerned about the infrastructure and construction of the home as the builder, the couple discussed the traffic patterns and functionality as well, so that it fit their long-term needs. “The flow is important to us,” Bradshaw says, as equally as important as the aesthetic. The dwelling is essentially three buildings that form a horseshoe shape with a garden in the back. Hallways lead to each wing of the house, connecting the various levels. “I really wanted there to be a progression, not revealing all the information about the spaces at once,” Bradshaw says. There’s a hint of what’s to come from room to room with archways framing openings from east to west and then squared-off door frames going north to south.
In the kitchen, the designer chose sophisticated Aspen pendants by Aerin Lauder to not only elevate the space, but also because of the mountain influence the name implies. The textural backsplash is inspired by her love of fashion and to keep the palette clean and calming. In the breakfast nook where the family eats their evening meals, glass was made for the tabletop so that artwork and cards can be placed under it and rotated out seasonally.
A peek around the corner reveals the dining room with a wallpaper mural depicting a hillside scene. This multifunctional room opens to the back patio, providing space for both dining and lounging. Another mural, which features galloping horses, decorates the daylit lower-level family room that includes a playroom for Dallas—his preferred hangout.
Bradshaw’s design studio is above the garage, while the primary suite is on the opposite side in another wing. The primary bedroom is painted in soothing Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore, while the colorful closet showcases her love of fashion, traveling, and vintage finds.
While a favorite space is the garden, Bradshaw is especially drawn to how the home feels one with the lot. “I love how the garden and house, and all the colors and tones flow together,” the designer says. “Our house feels restful, peaceful, and a little soulful.”
