The Lloyd Home
When Morty Lloyd found a stately brick home located right on a local runway, it was love at first flight. Not only did this traditional house come with a hangar, which is now home to his Cirrus SR22, it also offered the perfect backdrop to pay homage to his family’s storied past that spans generations.
By Christina Cannon / Photography by Philip Slowiak
After walking up a flight of brick stairs, guests find themselves in Morty and Joyce Lloyd’s foyer. Serving as the threshold to the spacious entryway, the front door, which features an elegant stained-glass transom window, sets the stage for the craftsmanship found throughout the rest of the home.
Rich wooden crown molding matches the door and another thin band that wraps the room. A signed photograph of Orville and Wilbur Wright hangs to the right of the front door and offers visitors a taste of aviation relics to come.
High-sheen hardwood floors carry guests through a wide arched doorway and into the Lloyds’ dining room, where even more history comes alive.
“Our dining room table is pretty special to me. It was my mother’s, and when she passed away two years ago, it needed a new home,” explains Morty. “We weren’t sure if it would fit, but after we measured our dining room, we found it was the exact same dimensions as my mother’s.”
Now, the same three-quarters-of-a-century-old table that Morty remembers sitting around as a child hosts everything from card and board games with grandchildren to Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. Six Queen Anne chairs surround the table and complement the wooden trim that encircles the room.
The elegance provided by the room’s tray ceiling is elevated with a silver set that also belonged to Morty’s mother. The heirloom piece rests atop a buffet table placed along a wall, while the opposite side of the room features a china cabinet that houses a set of congressional wine glasses.
Morty’s mother, Marilyn Lloyd, who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 20 years, is further represented in this room with several pieces of artwork depicting the nation’s capital.
Adjacent to the dining room is the Lloyds’ great room and kitchen. With wooden beams that run along each side of the living space, this room provides a nod to the lodge style that the duo is so fond of.
“I think one thing that really impressed me the first time I saw this home was how good its bones were,” says Morty. “This home is just well-built, and everywhere you turn there are examples of the quality, detailed craftsmanship – especially when it comes to the woodwork – that make this house special.”
Morty and Joyce Lloyd
The living room features two cream-colored leather sofas that are paired with a red armchair and matching ottoman – another family heirloom. The cozy seating arrangement encircles a round coffee table topped with magazines and a marble solitaire board, while a fire burns just to the left.
“We definitely have more of a traditional style, but we still wanted our home to feel warm,” explains Joyce. “We have elements here and there that might be more contemporary or country or whatever, but at the end of the day, we just wanted to add in some personal touches for a cozy home that has a story to tell.”
One such story emerges through a painting situated at the far end of the living room.
“Out of all of the memorabilia and aviation keepsakes I own, this might be one of my favorites. These are my uncle’s wings from when he fought in World War II,” explains Morty. “He was shot down while flying over the coast of Denmark. He parachuted out and was picked up by a German rescue boat and was a prisoner of war for the remainder of the war. My mom passed his wings down to me, and I looked for years to find some artwork when I finally came across this piece. This was his sister squadron and is pretty typical of what a mission like the one where he was shot down would have looked like.”
Providing a bit of separation between the living room and kitchen is a grand piano that belonged to Joyce’s mom. A friend who plays the piano professionally is a hit at many of the Lloyds’ parties and get-togethers.
Just steps away from the living area is the home’s kitchen. A large L-shaped center island can seat seven, and a chic swirl found in the island’s granite countertop marries both warm and cool tones. Solid surface perimeter countertops work to keep the space bright amidst the cherry wood cabinetry, which is topped with a series of Longaberger baskets.
To the side of the kitchen is a quaint breakfast nook, which is a prime place for enjoying a cup of coffee while watching planes scurry down the runway.
On the other side of the main floor is the Lloyds’ master suite. This spacious room repeats the trim work seen throughout the home, and a tiled fireplace surrounded by detailed woodwork mimics the one in the great room.
A double tray ceiling provides a touch of grandeur, and a series of tabletop lamps are paired with a row of recessed lighting to illuminate the openness of the bedroom.
Stepping through a sliding door grants guests access to the master bathroom, which takes a much different tone from the rest of the house. Warm woods give way to stone-filled tiles for a natural and relaxing aesthetic. A footless freestanding tub is tucked neatly into a corner, while a rain shower steps away offers up another area of reprieve.
A furniture-style vanity features dual sinks that are separated with a tower that works to keep clutter out of sight. The medium gray color of the cabinetry mirrors the nuances found in the tile and is further complemented by the Illusion gray walls.
Just around the corner from the master suite is the study. Here, the Lloyds’ passion for aviation is entwined with even more family treasures in a stylish representation of the ornate woodwork that is a core offering of this home.
Books on everything aeronautics line the shelves of the custom built-ins, while a workspace is situated just in front of a bay window.
“This room also reminds me a lot of my mom,” says Morty. “This is her chair from when she was elected to Congress, so that’s pretty neat. The desk and credenza are also from her – she had them shipped to the states from a congressional trip to Pakistan.”
Traveling back down the hallway, which is lined with photographs of aviation greats such as Paul Tibbets and Chuck Yeager, visitors can make their way outside and to the Lloyds’ hangar, where even more nostalgia awaits.
A restored set of airstairs takes guests to the hangar floor and reminds both Morty and Joyce, a retired flight attendant, of the trips that were commonplace in the early decades of their lives. Today, the commercial airliners and private jets of their past have been traded for a Cirrus SR22 that allows them to continue nurturing their passion for flight.
“I’ve always wanted to live in a flying community, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve always thought it would be so cool to just have the airplane in the backyard,” says Morty. “That, paired with a house that is classic and transcends time, has been a dream come true.” CS
