While other builders covered exposed brick, replaced original wood floors, and hid ceiling beams, Charleene Doverspike did the opposite.
A complete renovation by Charleene’s Houses in 2014, 611 S Ellwood Ave is a rowhome restoration that blends old Baltimore charm with modern updates. The original floors were bleached to brighten the home from the ground up. The living room beams were exposed, and track lighting was added. Drywall layers were removed to reveal and restore both the interior brick and exterior red brick. Today, that original brick winds its way through the living level, upstairs into the hallway, and down the basement stairwell.
A four-bedroom, three-bathroom home, this home is beautifully updated while still boasting the charming details expected of old bmore character. Classic Baltimore, it’s a Canton home that feels anything but usual.
Step inside to an oversized front window with custom walnut shutters that fill the 13.5 ft wide living room with natural light. Look up, and you’ll see the exposed original beams. Look down, and you’ll see the original hardwood floors, lightened and brightened for a more modern aesthetic. A mini mudroom, recently added at the base of the stairs, is a small but smart organization hack you’ll wonder how you lived without.
Beyond the living room is an open dining space wrapped in grasscloth wallpaper that easily accommodates a table for eight.
Step through to the bright, classically functional kitchen, featuring white shaker cabinetry on both sides, honed stone countertops, stainless steel appliances, reclaimed wood shelving, and custom tilework above and below the cabinets.
Throughout, Restoration Hardware light fixtures and solid wood, glass-paneled doors further signal high-quality construction. Even the staircases shine with custom-tiled risers, another example of the deliberate way the current owners infused charm throughout.
Upstairs, find three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The middle bedroom is outfitted as a dressing room, featuring a custom closet system, a built-in dressing table/desk, and more grasscloth wallpaper. The space was thoughtfully designed to easily repurpose as a bedroom, nursery, or office, should these be more useful to the next owner. Clerestory windows, a clever detail found in Charleene’s designs, bring natural light into the room while maintaining privacy.
Charming pocket doors, custom cabinetry, and thoughtfully selected finishes are a few of the high-end features in all three full bathrooms.
Prepare to be wow’d downstairs. The basement was completely dug out to create 7.5-foot ceilings. The added height makes the lower level a livable space, unlike a typical Baltimore basement. Today, find a fourth bedroom/office with plantation shutters, another full bathroom, a large gym/recreation space, fitness flooring, and wall-mounted mirrors. Brand-new LVP flooring and an expanded laundry room are recent basement updates that are both beautiful and functional.
Finally, when in Canton, the parking pad and rooftop deck are crowd pleasers in their own right. Added behind the parking pad, a gated, fenced-in storage area provides external storage for bikes, strollers, sports equipment, etc. On the roof, a meticulously maintained roof deck extends the living space to the outdoors.. an urban luxury!
The current owners have carefully added on to what the original renovation started. Their improvements include but are not limited to custom window treatments in every room, wallpaper, tilework, a mini mudroom, laundry room expansion, french drain, and fresh paint everywhere.
This is not a house trying to conceal its history as an old Baltimore rowhome. Instead, the brick, the beams, the hardwoods, the quirks, and the history are all still here… celebrated through a happy second life!
