Ultimate Weekend Retreat CREATING A RIVERFRONT POOL HOUSE OASIS By Lisa J. Gotto | Photography by Stephen Buchanan hen husband and wife Tim Grisius and Charis Zuchowski of Chevy Chase think “vacation home,” they think “Annapolis.” Recently they, with the help of an Annapolis-based team of resources, added the crowning touch to their prized weekend property along the South River. The location of the home with its soothing river views sold the couple, but they knew they would need to put some work into the property. The interiors required some basic, mostly cosmetic updating and upgrading; the exteriors, while beautiful, were not particularly outdoor living-ready. “Their house had no covered screened-in porch/outdoor entertainment area,” says their architect, Cathy Purple Cherry of Purple Cherry Architects in Annapolis. Not to mention, the property did not have a pool, and with three children, 12 and younger, the Grisius family desperately wanted one. Retreating to Annapolis for weekend re-boots had been part of their lifestyle since marrying 13 years ago; the couple requiring downtime from his busy career in commercial real estate development and sales, and hers 64
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in medicine as a surgical physician’s assistant. (This is the second Annapolis-based weekend property for the couple. Their growing family facilitated selling the first in favor of the South River residence). Getting the desired pool, a pool house, and adjacent three-car garage was so critical, the couple said, that they had Purple Cherry come out and assess the property for that particular feasibility prior to purchasing. Once they got an affirmative professional opinion from her, they were ready to start signing—and digging. When it came to the digging, actual construction, and requisite landscaping, the couple was relieved to find that their architect was able to offer some sound referral advice for their further research and consideration. “Cathy has excellent connections with many, many contractors doing various aspects of building and those connections were terrific for us,” Grisius says. Zuchowski says they chose Bayview Builders of Annapolis for the actual pool house construction. “They were a pleasure to work with,” Zuchowski says.
