New England Home Connecticut

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Connecticut Celebrating Fine Design, Architecture, and Building

Personal Statements A High-Style Meeting of Minds French Flourishes in a Yankee Farmhouse Compact Coastal Chic

PLUS: BOLD BASKETS, A FAIRFIELD GARDEN RETREAT, AND GLIMMERING FINDS FOR EVERY ROOM Spring 2014

SPRING 2014

Display until July 14, 2014

NEHOMEMAG.COM

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In This Issue

Spring 2014 Volume 5, Issue 2

74

90 82

featured homes 74 A Home of Her Own A talented client and her architect transform a lackluster ranch into a camera-ready space for the next phase of her life. TEXT BY STACY KUNSTEL PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA MOSS PRODUCED BY KARIN LIDBECK BRENT

82 Continental Drift

90 Chic at the Shore

98 Gothic Novel

Inside a classic New England farmhouse, a clean aesthetic and plenty of French accents create an aura of timeless elegance.

A beach getaway offers all the casual comfort a family needs without sacrificing the metropolitan sophistication everyone wants.

A sweet brick cottage for one becomes a grand home for two without losing an ounce of its charm.

TEXT BY MEGAN FULWEILER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN GRUEN PRODUCED BY STACY KUNSTEL

TEXT BY MARIA LAPIANA PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN GOULD BESSLER ⁄ ⁄ PRODUCED BY STACY KUNSTEL

TEXT BY DAN SHAW PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT BENSON ⁄ ⁄ PRODUCED BY KARIN LIDBECK BRENT

On the cover: Carrara marble, Belgian limestone, and cabinetry designed to resemble Welsh cupboards give this spacious Farmington kitchen good looks to match its efficient layout. Photograph by Robert Benson. To see more of this home, turn to page 98. spring 2014  New England Home Connecticut 15

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In This Issue

24

36 30

departments 24 Artistry: Beyond Baskets For Ridgefield artist Kari Lonning, weaving rattan is all about exploring structure, color, and technique. Beautiful vessels, sculptures, and wall pieces are the happy result. BY CHARLES MONAGAN 30 Outside Interest: Out of the Woods A homeowner’s imagination turns a tangle of trees into a European-inspired, multilevel garden of glorious blooms. TEXT BY MARIA LAPIANA // PHOTOGRAPHY BY STACY BASS

36 In Our Backyard: The Finisher’s Touch The traditional techniques and timeless motifs employed by decorative painter Kevin Cross will always have a place in interior design. BY ALLEGRA MUZZILLO

126

111 Perspectives A bit of sparkle for the home, courtesy of three Connecticut designers. Edited by Catie Parrish

118 Design Life Our candid camera snaps recent gatherings that celebrate architecture and design. 122 Trade Notes New and noteworthy happenings in the Connecticut design business. By Paula M. Bodah

Special Marketing Section: Fine Landscape & Outdoor Living Design 47

126 New in the Showrooms Unique, beautiful, and now appearing in Connecticut shops and showrooms. By Catie Parrish

132 Resources A guide to the professionals and products in this issue’s features. 134 Advertiser Index 136 Sketch Pad Paul Guzzetta of iH Design Studio turns his designer’s eye to outdoor furniture, with results that are anything but ordinary.

16  New England Home Connecticut  spring 2014

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traditional s g Ru t a h T contemporary a e k Ma e m o H

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Comfort. In extra measure. d e s i g n. r e n o v a t e. b u i l d. A great home renovation expands your comfort zone. You love your home enough to invest in it. Country Club Homes will make sure that investment pays off for years to come. We’ve been enhancing the look and feel of distinctive homes in Fairfield County since the 1950s. With Country Club Homes, you can have it all. High-end construction at a reasonable price. Outstanding designs. And an easier renovation experience, from drawings to completion. Call us when you are thinking of renovating, building, or designing a new home. There’s comfort in knowing you’ll be working with the best.

Editor-in-Chief Kyle Hoepner khoepner@nehomemag.com Homes Editor Stacy Kunstel skunstel@nehomemag.com Senior Editor Paula M. Bodah pbodah@nehomemag.com Art Director Robert Lesser rlesser@nehomemag.com Online and Market Editor Lynda Simonton lsimonton@nehomemag.com Managing and Copy Editor Susan Kron skron@nehomemag.com Contributing Editors Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz candjkatz@nehomemag.com Karin Lidbeck Brent klidbeck@nehomemag.com Catie Parrish edit@nehomemag.com Louis Postel lpostel@nehomemag.com Contributing Writers Regina Cole, Caroline Cunningham, Megan Fulweiler, Maria LaPiana, Charles Monagan, Allegra Muzzillo, Dan Shaw, Kris Wilton Contributing Photographers Robert Benson, John Gould Bessler, Bruce Buck, Tria Giovan, John Gruen, Laura Moss, Michael Partenio, Nat Rea /////

Subscriptions  To subscribe to New England Home Connecticut ($15.95 for one year) or for customer service, call (800) 765-1225 or visit our website, nehomemag.com. Editorial and Advertising Office 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302 Boston, MA 02118 (617) 938-3991 (800) 609-5154 Editorial Submissions  Designers, architects, builders and homeowners are invited to submit projects for editorial consideration. For information about submitting projects, email ­edit@nehomemag.com. Letters to the Editor  We’d love to hear from you! Write to us at the above address, fax us at (617) 663-6377 or email us at ­letters@ nehomemag.com.

c o u n t r y c lu b h o m e s, I n c., 4 62 D a n b u r y r o a D, W I lt o n, c t 0 6 8 97 203 .762 .0 550 | c o u n t r y c lu b h o m e s I n c .c o m

Upcoming Events  Are you planning an event that we can feature in our Calendar of Events? Email information to calendar@nehomemag. com, or mail to Calendar Editor, New England Home, 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302, Boston, MA 02118. Parties  We welcome photographs from design- or architecture-related parties. Send high-resolution photos with information about the party and the people pictured to lsimonton@ nehomemag.com.

18  New England Home Connecticut  SPRING 2014

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Publisher Kathy Bush-Dutton kbushdutton@nehomemag.com Associate Publisher, New England Home Connecticut Roberta Thomas Mancuso rmancuso@nehomemag.com Sales Managers Jill Korff jkorff@nehomemag.com Kim Sansoucy ksansoucy@nehomemag.com Robin Schubel rschubel@nehomemag.com David Simone dsimone@nehomemag.com Marketing Designer Jared Ainscough jainscough@nehomemag.com Production Manager Glenn Sadin gsadin@nehomemag.com Marketing and Administrative Manager Kate Koch kkoch@nehomemag.com

r o b e r t

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Robert Bruce Dean, AIA

111 Cherry Street, New Canaan, CT 06840

(203) 966-8333

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Advertising Information  To receive information about advertising in New England Home Connecticut, please contact us at (800) 6095154, ext. 713, or info@nehomemag.com. Editorial and Advertising Office 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302 Boston, MA 02118 (617) 938-3991 (800) 609-5154 /////

NCI Corporate Offices 2 Sun Court NW, Suite 300 Norcross, GA 30092 (800) 643-1176 Home Design Division President Adam Japko Vice President, Sales & Marketing Holly Paige Scott Production Managers Shannon McKelvey, Judson Tillery Circulation Manager Kurt Coey Newsstand Manager Bob Moenster

President/CFO Gerry Parker Senior Vice President Adam Japko Senior Vice President, Finance & Administration Diana Young Group Vice President, Interactive Stuart Richens 20  New England Home Connecticut  SPRING 2014

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Amy Dolego

ARTISTRY

Beyond Baskets For Ridgefield artist Kari Lonning, weaving rattan is all about exploring structure, color, and technique. Beautiful vessels, sculptures, and wall pieces are the happy result. ///////////

By Charles Monagan

I

n her youth, Kari Lonning searched hungrily for a happy home in the world of crafts. She tried her talented hand at ceramics, jewelry

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making, stained glass, silversmithing, blacksmithing, woodworking, quilting, pottery, and textile weaving. All were good but not perfect. And then—to the lasting gratitude of just about everyone—she found her true love: weaving with rattan, also known as basket weaving. Lonning made the fateful switch almost forty years ago, while she was still in her early twenties, not long after selling a woven fabric piece to the Smithsonian Institution. She had, in effect, reached the top of the mountain—only to find the pay up there left something to be desired. While she had learned to live on very

little (rainbows counted for a lot), clearing $120 for a piece that had taken a week or more to make simply was not going to cut it. She looked for inspiration elsewhere and found it in a pursuit and passion that has sustained her right up to the present day. “It wasn’t the baskets themselves that interested me especially,” she says. “It was the building of the weaving that I loved: the strucClockwise from top right: Spools of colorful rattan

at the ready. Protecting Wide Open Spaces (2008), 12″H × 14½″W, double-walled construction with marbles woven into the structure. Sage and Adobe Pinwheel (2013), 17¾″ × 2½″D. Wavy Top (2011), 20″H × 15″W.

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Artistry

Amy Dolego

LEFT: Little Hairy Pots (2014), 6″H × 6½″W. Below left: Square with Green Windows (2012), 4¾″H × 7″W, doublewalled construction with marbles woven into the structure. Below: The artist at work in her Ridgefield studio. FACING PAGE: Lights on Water (2009), 21″H × 15″W.

“Young people for some reason aren’t making things, and yet when they see something of mine, they say, ‘Wow! That’s a basket?’ They’re excited. I want to nurture that excitement.” ture, color, and techniques. I call it the architecture.” That interest in structure and space goes back to her very earliest days, growing up in Suffield. “When people in the neighborhood would make piles of leaves in the fall, I saw them differently. I ran through them and then tried to turn them into rooms and doorways,” she remembers. “And when we made things with clay in school, other kids made ashtrays. I made houses.” Lonning’s creative urge eventually car-

ried her through a summer residency at the legendary Brookfield Craft Center and then undergraduate studies at Syracuse University, where she was admitted as a future silversmith and ended up majoring in ceramics and textiles. As she made her way to rattan, the influences and inspirations piled up. First among many has always been the world just outside her door. “I’m drawn to nature because nature doesn’t get it wrong,” she says. “For instance, I tend to work with shades of gray, muted, but

maybe with a splash or streak of color. But nature makes red and yellow work. How does it do that? I draw inspiration from that.” Other influences have included everything from her Norwegian heritage to the work of the Scottish architect, designer, and painter Charles Rennie Mackintosh. But the past is only a part of it. Her current obsession is Instagram, the photo-sharing app, which allows her to see someone’s image of, say, a rusting corrugated metal roof in Norway and think,

26  New England Home Connecticut  spring 2014

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Experts in Weather Protection and Sun Control Protecting your home on the outside, for peace of mind inside. “Those are exactly the same colors as a basket I just made.” “I’m an Instagram junkie!” she admits. Lonning takes her own photos as well, almost every time she goes out to walk her sheepdog, Emma. (Her cat, Kitt, sometimes will join them.) Firing up her iPad, she shares one of a small patch of road just outside her front door. It’s a winter road—black, pitted, with salt and water marks and a vertical border of snow. Somehow it looks like art. “I just looked down and there it was,” she says. Will she use it? “Who knows? It gets filed away up here,” she says, pointing to her head. On her worktable today is a small basket, half done, that will turn into what she calls “a little hairy pot.” Next to it are neat piles of the rattan she’s using, separated by color. An adjacent room in her Ridgefield home is crammed with supplies, her inventory, and other pieces— baskets as well as standing sculptures and wall sculptures—in progress. Lonning’s enthusiasm is undimmed by time. A goal right now is to draw young people into her world through various forms of social media. “You never see thirty-year-olds at crafts fairs,” she says. “Young people for some reason aren’t making things, and yet when they see something of mine, they say, ‘Wow! That’s a basket?’ They’re excited. I want to nurture that excitement however I can. I’ve worked hard to be this old. Now it’s time to share.” •

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visit karilonning.com spring 2014  New England Home Connecticut 27

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Outside Interest Outside Interest

Out of the Woods A homeowner’s imagination turns a tangle of trees into a European-inspired, multilevel garden of glorious blooms. ///////////

Text by Maria LaPiana Photography by Stacy Bass

W

hen the owners of this Fairfield property moved in, they couldn’t see the gardens for all the trees. “You’d walk out the back door, down one little step, and you were in the yard. And the yard was all woods,” remembers the wife. The property, with its thicket of ash trees, had never even been cleared for a patio, much less cultivated for a garden. “The trees were in decline and too close together,” she says. “If we had a high wind, they’d fall down.” Gradually, the land was cleared and the homeowner began picturing the gardens

she would plant there. They would be beautiful, she thought. Formal. Refined, not showy. Once the house had been renovated and its curb appeal kicked up a notch, thanks to a lush blanket of transplanted

pachysandra surrounding a vernal pond in front, it was time to make her vision for the rest of the yard a reality. “I had gardened in every house we lived in, but this was a lot more property,” she says. “It was a wonderful, clean slate. But I know you can’t just put down a few little plants and expect it to look right,” she says. “That’s one of the reasons we went to Scott Jamison.” Jamison, owner of Oliver Nurseries in Fairfield, was pleased to work on the

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: A view of a neatly planted

parterre and spiral evergreens from the backyard patio. One of the homeowner’s many pink roses. Deep purple clematis climbs a sturdy trellis. An antique armillary against a background of Annabel hydrangeas. 30  New England Home Connecticut  spring 2014

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A desire for order, texture, and varying forms informed the selection of flowers and the European-inspired parterre design. A “secret garden” sits beyond the upper garden’s hedges. A dense evergreen screen offers privacy. FACING PAGE: The homeowner favors a soft palette that includes pink hydrangeas.

An opening in the hedge, under a canopy of white hydrangea, acts as an entry to an alcove designed as a place for contemplation. many-splendored gardens his client envisioned. But first there were some practical matters to address, not the least of which was a high water table. “It was a sloping, wet, wooded space,” Jamison recalls. The property backs up to another house, so it needed screening, and a way to get from the backyard to an upper garden. The meandering yard needed structure and form, so fencing was in order. The homeowner chose chain-link to keep the deer out, in green so that it would disappear. Next, she hired Anthony Manca of Bethel to build a stone wall inside the perimeter, as well as steps leading to the upper garden.

The screening trifecta was complete when Jamison planted a dense hedge of Elegantissima, a soft, full arborvitae, all along the stone wall. The house sits a little more than halfway back on a four-acre site, a third of which is devoted to the gardens. A wide walkway of slate leads from the backyard patio through the lower garden to a pavilion at the edge of the property. There, twin pergolas invite climbers and offer shade. A walk from the midpoint of the path across the lawn

and up a set of stone steps leads to the upper garden. Although a parterre of eight squares had already been configured in the lower garden when Jamison arrived, he simplified the design, making it four squares

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instead, defined by manicured American boxwoods. The plentiful beds in both levels are abundant with hostas and perennials, roses and Sedum autumn gold; trellises support deep violet Jackmanii clematis, while masses of Annabel hydrangeas seem to show up everywhere. The palette throughout is soft, mostly shades of pink, purple, and white. “I don’t like hard colors, like reds or oranges,” the homeowner explains. When asked if she has a favorite plant or flower, she says she loves “the whole of it,” then confesses that she’s especially fond of the upper garden because

it reminds her of Italy. Here, vying for attention with a hornbeam allée that leads to a vegetable garden, annuals are planted in and around an outsize ebony urn that stands sentry in the center of a circular bed. A small opening in the hedge, nearly hidden under a canopy of white hydrangea, acts as an entry to an alcove designed as a place for private contemplation. The homeowner placed a treasured antique gate at the entrance and a bench inside, and named the secret spot in memory of her son. As she envisioned, the gardens are ­formal, but decidedly not stuffy. “I wanted them to feel romantic, kind of like you’re transported someplace else when you’re here, someplace very calm and soothing,” she says. And they’re pretty close to perfect. “I have friends who are always transplanting, taking something out, putting something new in,” she says. “We really feel like we’re in this place where everything is doing well, so we don’t have any plans to change it. I like everything we have.” •

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Resources For more information about this project, see page 132. spring 2014  New England Home Connecticut 33

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In Our Backyard

The Finisher’s Touch The traditional techniques and timeless motifs employed by decorative painter Kevin Cross will always have a place in interior design. ///////////

By Allegra Muzzillo

K

evin Cross isn’t a native New Englander, but this part of the country is exactly where he belongs—among the glorious examples of period furniture and antiques that he has come to know and love. Growing up in a small town in northern California, Cross, who is fiftynine, says, “There wasn’t really much out West in the way of antiques back

then. Here, they’re everywhere—in nearly every home, every museum.” As a college music major, Cross took a summer job refinishing woodwork on boats at a San Francisco Bay marina. “I realized how much I liked working with my hands, and doing something besides playing music,” he says. In 1977, a move to New York City further fostered a growing fascination with the world of antiques. For several years, Cross worked for small antiques dealers. “I learned how to refinish by trial and error,” he says about his jobs, which mainly involved “re-gluing joints, removing scratches, and applying French polish.” At the now-defunct Regency Restorations company in Manhattan, Cross was exposed to fine antique furniture, learning CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: An antique demilune was

the inspiration for this faux-marble-topped version. A model for a wall panel painted to look like a seventeenth-century Japanned screen; Cross later painted a series of full-sized versions to panel an entire room for a client. A painted, cane-seated bench in the 1790–1840 Baltimore style is embellished with painted and gilded designs in a neoclassical motif. 36  New England Home Connecticut  SPRING 2014

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wakefield design center

PhOTO: Paul JOhnSOn

To The Trade Only

652 Glenbrook Road, Stamford, CT 06906 T: (203) 358-0818 F: (203) 602-7738 E: info@wakefielddesigncenter.com www.wakefielddesigncenter.com full page.indd 1

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In Our Backyard

hours stripping, varnishing, and polishing the mahogany, rosewood, and satinwood pieces. When painted furniture became popular, Cross says, “no one had any experience with it. We didn’t have the Internet then, and there weren’t many books on the subject, either.” With much practice (and avid study through a magnifying glass), he was eventually able to mimic the refinishing techniques by working on a variety of pieces. Victorian, Mission, and Art Deco furniture all passed through his hands. But he was most enamored with English furniture—from the Queen Anne period into the Regency era—and spent FROM TOP: A painted demilune tabletop, copied

from an inlaid-marble English tabletop of the late eighteenth century. A painted top created as an alternate top for the demilune at right, based on an early nineteenth-century design. FACING PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT: A copy of an English Regency chair with a faux-rosewood surface. The top of a small American “works table”—used by women to hold sewing, writing, and embroidery supplies—from the Federal period.

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traditional motifs down to the exact colors. After spending a decade fully immersed in furniture refinishing and painting, Cross opened his own New York City–based restoration company, Kevin Cross Studio, in 1987. He employed a team of talented woodworkers who crafted furniture he designed. Since moving his company to Redding, in 1994, he has outsourced that aspect of the business, but still offers custom furniture design and restoration services, in addition to decorative painting. Cross has built a large library of books, auction catalogs, and photographs of furniture, which he keeps at the ready to help him when clients come calling. When someone approaches him with a kernel of an idea—“Can you paint me something Swedish?”—he turns to his archives for inspiration. As for technique, the artist credits his uncanny achievements to his use of original tools, such as quill painter’s brushes (made of squirrel

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hair) commonly used by artisans in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. “Whenever I successfully match or duplicate something, it is invariably because I’ve used the same materials,” he says. In late 2001, Cross teamed up with local artist Dianna Nelson, who is now his partner in business and in life. Nelson is responsible for the studio’s graphic design and gilding elements, and is currently

heading up a new commission for a landscape mural to be painted on canvas and installed much like wallpaper. “Now clients are starting to realize their walls can look just like the furniture we offer,” Cross says. It’s a field the studio is moving into gradually, to adapt to the changing times. Cross acknowledges that for the past ten years or so, the antiques trade has been “suffering from the encroachments of modernism,” due in large part to the changing economy, as well as a trend away from formality in interior design. But while certain parts of the antiques business languish, others, especially traditional decorative painting on walls, thrive. “It still appeals to younger generations,” Cross says. He feels that design motifs taken from furniture become more accessible once divorced of their original context.

Question the longevity of such a specialized trade in the hyper-technical modern world, and Cross cites only his own predilection to preserve tradition. “I’m a history buff,” he says. “It just makes me feel better to know, to feel, to conceive, and to believe that I’m connected in some way to everybody who came before me.” • Kevin Cross Studio Redding (203) 938-9818 kevincrossstudio.com

www.tiefenthaler.com 203-857-0055

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Global is the Difference

NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT Hidden behind custom designed iron gates, this spectacular estate spans 7.25 acres of privacy. The luxurious 15,000+/- sq ft home was custom built to the highest standards. $8,800,000

GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT Gated 6-acre estate with 14,400 sq. ft. exquisitely renovated in 2010 with 7 bedrooms, wine cellar, cinema, high-tech security, 2 pools, pool house, & lighted tennis court. $8,500,000

WESTPORT, CONNECTICUT Timeless estate on 5 manicured acres with 19 rooms, 10 ft. ceilings, 6 fireplaces, chef's kitchen, home theater, wine room and so much more. $8,295,000

Arlene Bubbico | C. 203.984.2327

Monica Webster | C. 203.952.5226

Emily Gordon | C. 203.451.6432

GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT Spectacular 6+ acre property captures the enchantment of a romantic European country estate amid its spacious rooms, well-equipped gourmet kitchen and 4 en suite bedrooms. $5,495,000

GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT Superb 10,600+ sq. ft. Georgian stone manor on 1 private acre boasts European charm throughout, featuring gated community, 5 en-suite bedrooms & English Pub room. $4,850,000

GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT This sophisticated gem on 2 private acres offers intricately detailed millwork, 4 fireplaces, cathedral ceilinged family room and heated pool with spa. $3,300,000

Maureen Crumbine & Jeffrey Crumbine C. 203.912.9107 | C 203.832.2263

Maureen Crumbine & Jeffrey Crumbine C. 203.912.9107 | C 203.832.2263

Maureen Crumbine & Jeffrey Crumbine C. 203.912.9107 | C 203.832.2263

LYME, CONNECTICUT Twelve majestic acres with age-old trees, pond, meadows, three barns, pool & tennis. Landmark “Raymond Farm” blends modern luxuries, timeless quality, period details. $1,995,000

EASTON, CONNECTICUT Stately Colonial showcases elegance throughout. Featuring dramatic grand rooms, exquisite millwork, walls of windows, gourmet kitchen, 5 luxurious bedrooms. $1,749,000

OLD LYME, CONNECTICUT Custom home showcases beautiful millwork, wonderful floor plan; gourmet kitchen, elegant dining room, bluestone patios, along with dock and tennis amenities. $1,625,000

Maureen Nelson | C. 860.227.9222

Laurie Crouse & Lori Printz C. 203.984.8154 | C. 203.216.5185

Susie Kelly | C. 860.389.5615

Africa North America Central America South America Asia Australia Caribbean Europe Middle East South Pacific

©2014 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International, the Coldwell Banker Previews International logo and “Dedicated to Luxury Real Estate” are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.

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Runtal Family of Heating Products Runtal offers an array of radiator designs

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Runtal Showroom in Haverhill, MA

PA N EL R AD IATO RS

for hot water, steam and electric heating systems.

The Fine Art of Radiators 187 Neck Road, PO Box 8278 Ward Hill, MA 01835 (Haverhill) Tel: 800-526-2621

For more information or a dealer near you, please call 1-800-526-2621 or visit us online at: www.runtalnorthamerica.com.


By Invitation only

New England Home Connecticut’s networking events bring the design community together

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Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design A renovated plumbing business in Greenwich made for an impressive new interior design studio for Amy Aidinis Hirsch, and on January 30, New England Home Connecticut welcomed clients and the local design community to see the beautiful transformation firsthand. From impeccably organized fabric samples to design notes pinned to the walls, Hirsch’s passion for her business was evident and set the tone for the evening. As guests explored the studio and networked, they were also treated to delicious hors d’oeuvres, desserts, and beverages from Caperberry Events & Catering.

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Phil Nelson

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(1) Amy Aidinis Hirsch of Amy Aidinis Hirsch Interior Design with New England Home Connecticut’s Roberta Mancuso, David Hurwitt of Emme, and Jeff Kaufman of JMKA Architects (2) New England Home’s Stacy Kunstel and Kyle Hoepner flank Laird Tolan and Sandra Morgan of Sandra Morgan Interiors (3) Bill Charney and Nicole Charney of Advanced Home Audio with Doreen Joslow of Scofield Lighting (4) Elizabeth Ethridge McGann of Rinfret, Ltd., with Lauren Cooke of Holly Hunt and Christine Griffiths of Granoff Architects

(5) Beth Eaton-Koch of Davenport Contracting, Inc., with Michael Yedowitz of Wainscot Solutions, Inc., and Melanie Lowe of Total Care of Wilton (6) Susan Bijleveld of Finished in Fabric with Peggy Kebabian of Kebabian’s (7) Joseph Aldrich of The Cypress Group with Kathleen Morrone of Morrone Studio Indesign (8) Suzanne Blum of Waterworks with Charles Hilton of Charles Hilton Architects (9) New England Home’s Stacy Kunstel with Dinyar Wadia of Wadia Associates

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Redefining Value

132 Water Street

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South Norwalk

203-831-9000

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DANIEL CONLON ARCHITECTS Daniel Conlon AIA LEED AP PO Box 418 Georgetown, CT 06829 (203) 544 7988 www.dconlonarchitects.com

G L O BA L C H IC 203.221.2411 | WESTPORT W W W. O L G A A D L E R I N T E R I O R S . C O M by appointment only

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Design. Install. Delight.

VA Solutions Construction Group

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Roxbury, CT

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860 354 9289

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New French Normandy Residence

Continuing a 25 Year Tradition of Fine Architectural Design in Greenwich 170 MASON STREET GREENWICH, CT

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Fine Landscape Outdoor Living Design

GAULT STONE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Aqua Pool & Patio, Inc.

For more than forty-three years of continuous operation, Aqua Pool & Patio, Inc., has been enhancing finer homes throughout southern New England with its unique, customdesigned, in-ground Gunite swimming pools. Using our outdoor living room design concept, the staff at Aqua Pool can create special designs for customers’ homes, which accurately reflect their individual lifestyles. Aqua Pool provides a hand-crafted addition to the home produced by trained and experienced artisans and craftsmen. While traditional methods and values are important in Aqua’s familyowned business, the company also embraces the advantages of modern technology. Aqua encourages the incorporation of in-floor automatic pool cleaning systems to reduce owner

maintenance time to a minimum. It also recommends electronic controls for pool functions and water-feature controls. The ability for customers to control their complete pool environments from inside their hot spas is convenient. The ability to exercise this control from in the home or even from the car is amazing. From stone-covered natural pools tucked away in the woods to classical designs adjacent to the home, Aqua’s designers can fulfill all your wishes. Aqua Pool also can provide Gunite pool renovations. From a simple coping or tile replacement to a complete pool refurbishing, Aqua can give pools a refreshing new look. With the addition of new, upgraded mechanical equipment, Aqua can create the feeling of a brand-new pool.

For pool owners with very busy schedules, Aqua also offers pool service, maintenance, and repairs. It can provide annual services, including spring openings, weekly cleanings, and service and fall closings. In addition, the company offers vacation pool-sitting or repairs as needed.

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Austin Ganim Landscape Design, LLC

Austin Ganim Landscape Design offers a full range of design, installation, and maintenance services for properties of all sizes and styles. Our staff includes landscape designers, horticulturalists and a licensed landscape architect. Influenced by our backgrounds in horticulture, garden design, historic preservation and landscape architecture as well as hands-on experience, our designs create a seamless transition between the home and garden. Whether renovating an existing landscape or starting from scratch our design-build team assists clients

through the entire process. After the initial meeting at your property to discuss the scope of work, we determine the appropriate type of services; develop a landscape plan customized to your needs and site conditions; review material selections; and provide an estimate. We can assist with project phasing and value engineering to help you achieve your desired results. Once the scope of work has been finalized our skilled crews will install your landscape and hardscape in a timely manner, with the utmost of professionalism. After installation, proper

maintenance by trained professionals who understand not only the appropriate pruning techniques for the specific plant material at your home but also the desired style is essential to the garden’s success. AGLD offers a variety of lawn and landscape maintenance services to keep your property looking its best; our goal is to create timeless landscapes that our clients are pleased with not only at completion but for years to come.

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Austin Ganim Landscape Design, LLC Austin Ganim & Eva Chiamulera, ASLA, PLA 320 Kings Highway Cutoff FairďŹ eld, CT 06824 (203) 333-2003 austinganimlandscapedesign.com Special Advertising Section 51

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens

As the popularity of outdoor living continues to grow, the current trend is focused on designing customized exterior spaces to create an environment for entertaining in a style that is comfortable. Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens responds favorably to today’s design requirements. Not only does the company offer an extensive line of stainless-steel cabinetry to accommodate any challenging layout, but it also provides grills and specialty cooking appliances to develop fully functional kitchens for outdoor living spaces. Additional trends in outdoor living include creating multiple outdoor gathering areas for casual entertaining, an emphasis on color to enhance the

outdoor room’s décor, and cabinetry solutions to create convenient storage in exterior living spaces. Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens features a multitude of custom design options, including a selection of door styles offered in designer colors, faux wood grain powder coat finishes, and textured metal panels that can be used to create the perfect signature look. Part of the enjoyment of outdoor entertaining is food preparation, and with this trend, kitchen foodprep stations have gained popularity. Specialized cooking appliances have also become key components for outdoor kitchens as hosts expand their outdoor menus beyond the grill. Casual cooks are increasing their

options by including pizza ovens, power burners, and ceramic smoker grills, as well as entertaining and support appliances like bartender centers, ice makers, and refrigerators. Designs often incorporate lifestyle products such as pergolas and patio heating which add value to the overall investment, as they extend the season and provide a comfortable environment. Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens provide a complete design solution for homeowners to coordinate their outdoor furnishings with a fully customized kitchen. The kitchen still remains the center for casual entertaining...only today the kitchen has moved outdoors.

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One Grand Street Wallingford, CT 06492 (855) 839-5063 brownjordanoutdoorkitchens.com Special Advertising Section 53

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Casa Outdoor Boston

In a continuing effort to meet the needs of interior designers and architects in New England, Casa Design expands again to include a brand-new outdoor showroom. Casa Outdoor is located in SOWA just across the courtyard from our existing showroom at 450 Harrison Avenue in Boston. Featuring brands like Royal Botania, Extremis, Kettal, Missoni, and many other designer outdoor furniture lines. Providing a wide range of styles that can cater to any needs whether a traditional garden, modern courtyard, or commercial projects. Casa Outdoor works closely with New England landscape architectural firms, interior designers, and architects to find the solution to their project needs.

The showroom features Roda collection, representing wellknown European designers such as Rodolfo Dordoni and Lievore Altherr Molina Studio. Network sofa from Roda is conveyed by oversize dimensions and the natural richness of teak. The frame turns into a perfect shelf to hold the accessories of rest and relaxation. The HARP lounge chairs are the perfect complement with soft touches of wrapped cord blending into the natural surroundings. Also from Spain, Kettal’s Bitta is characterized by a combination of aluminum frames, seats of braided polyester, and comfortable cushions with teak and stone for the table tops— all completely weatherproof material.

Discover the finest collections of furniture, fabrics, rugs, lighting, fireplaces, accessories, and ideas that will help you integrate the best modern design into your outdoor living space.

Casa Outdoor Boston 450 Harrison Ave Boston, MA 02118 (617) 955-9377 casaoutdoorboston.com

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Erskine Middeleer Associates LLC

Erskine Middeleer Associates LLC is an award-winning, full-service design firm based in Redding, Connecticut, specializing in architecture, landscape architecture, site planning, and interiors. Principals Silvia Erskine and Geoffrey Middeleer are committed to a holistic approach to design through the careful integration of architectural and landscape form. Involved from the earliest consultations through the final stages of construction, they create designs which meld the visions of their clients with the historical, regional, and natural contexts of each site. The firm has completed numerous residential projects, including new homes, additions, and extensive architectural

and landscape renovations. The firm’s residential landscape work includes a wide range of project types, from shoreline sites to eighteenth-century farm properties. Each project, regardless of size, is approached with the same commitment to site stewardship and creative detailing, with special emphasis on quality materials and year-round interest. The natural characteristics of the site and the architecture of the home inform the design of each garden and particular attention is paid to enhancing a sense of place through thoughtful artistic intervention. Plants, stone, water, and light are combined to create timeless, elegant spaces.

The firm’s landscape portfolio also includes municipal and institutional projects. In 2012, the firm won an American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Honor Award for the landscape design of Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve in Westport. Previously, they received an ASLA Merit Award for the design of the Lower School courtyards at Green Farms Academy in Westport. Since 2004, they have designed several projects for the campus of Convent of the Sacred Heart in Greenwich.

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Š Barry A. Hyman, 2014

Erskine Middeleer Associates LLC PO Box 998 Georgetown, CT 06829-0998 p.(203) 762-9017 | f. (203) 762-9018 erskinemiddeleer.com Special Advertising Section 57

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Freddy’s Landscape Company

Freddy’s Landscape Company has been making outdoor spaces more beautiful for over twenty years. The company has earned a reputation throughout Fairfield County for quality landscape installation and maintenance— planting and tending to the “softscape” around the home. Freddy’s Landscape is also known for creating outdoor living spaces complemented with custom-designed fireplaces, cooking and dining areas. To complete the perfect entertainment setting, they build fences, masonry walls, and driveways; install outdoor lighting, and create arbors, pergolas, and gazebos. Principal Freddy Miraballes, or one of his professional designers, personally meets with each client at

their home to discuss the scope of their transformation and begin designing the outdoor environment to achieve each family’s vision. Recently, Freddy’s Landscape has further expanded its offerings to include a very exclusive type of swimming pool—BioNova® all natural swimming pools. After years of building custom swimming pools, Freddy’s Landscape is now the only company in Connecticut licensed to build these beautiful and unique waterscapes and has just completed their second BioNova® pool in this area. These swimming pools are 100 percent organic and have been widely accepted in Europe as the ideal standard. Because the water

is filtered using plants and organic filtration systems, not chemicals, these pools are completely safe for the entire family. BioNova® pools can be custom designed to meet any client’s preference, from pond-like designs that blend into the surrounding natural environment to sleek modern silhouettes. Existing pools can also be retrofitted to become chemical free.

Freddy’s Landscape Company 40 Belmont Street | Fairfield, CT 06824 (203) 855-7854 freddyslandscape.com

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DESIGNED BY ARTEMIS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Gault Stone

Whether you need a rock wall to enhance your property, a firepit to warm your patio, a built-in barbeque to accentuate your outdoor space, a meandering walkway through your yard and gardens, a stone deck for your swimming pool, or decorative landscape pebbles to spruce up your driveway or walkway, Gault Stone has one of the largest stone selections for you to explore in either of our Fairfield County brick and stone showrooms. Our expert sales staff will help lead you down the right path, literally. We have hired the best professionals to help you every step of the way, from the incubation stages of a project through completion. Our staff is known for unparalleled customer service, and

because each of our professionals has previous experience in the field, they are well-equipped to answer any questions, or even to act as a consultant. Now you can turn to the same professionals you have come to rely on for stone and masonry supplies for all of your fabrication needs. In our state-of-the-art 15,000-square-foot facility, we are able to turn projects around with superior quality, on time, and on budget. No matter the stone, from standard materials to exotic ones, we can bring your ideas to life. Gault Stone Fabrication is where twenty-firstcentury technology meets the artistry of old-world stone craftsmanship. What’s more, Gault Stone has a proven history of being the premier

choice for homeowners and contractors alike. Our materials have been used in thousands of projects throughout Fairfield and Westchester counties; it’s no wonder that our business and homeowner clients keep coming back time and time again, and it is this heritage that has become synonymous with trust for more than 150 years.

11 Ferry Lane West | PO Box 2030 Westport, CT 06880 (203) 227-5181 1 Paul Street | Bethel, CT 06801 (203) 790-9023 gaultstone.com

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Homefront Farmers

There’s nothing like homegrown food—juicy tomatoes, earthy beets, crisp just-picked lettuce or kale, sweet luscious berries, or tree-ripened fruit. If that sounds good to you but you’re not sure how to make it happen, Homefront Farmers can help. The company provides garden design, construction, and maintenance services to clients throughout Fairfield County and beyond. Says company founder, John Carlson, “Our mission is to help people produce their own food organically. For some that means building a beautiful garden that they are proud to have in their yard. For others it means providing planning and maintenance

services to help them get more out of their existing garden.” Homefront Farmers’ scope goes well beyond vegetables. Their berry program offers not only mainstays like blueberries and raspberries, but also more unusual plants like gooseberries and honeyberries. Their fruit tree management program helps people grow apples, peaches, and pears, as well as paw paw and serviceberry. They even offer beekeeping services from hive setup to honey extraction. “There are so many wonderful, tasty, and healthy foods that can be grown or raised right at home,” adds Carlson. “Whether you are looking for ‘seed to harvest’ service or just a helping hand

to get you started, we are here to help. So join the homegrown movement— the rewards are endless.”

(203) 470-3655 HIC 0635987 homefrontfarmers.com

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Huelster Design Studio, LLC

Huelster Design Studio, LLC offers full-service design expertise encompassing the total residential environment, from architectural and landscape design to custom-designed cabinetry and furniture. For more than two decades our studio has created distinctive new homes and landscapes from Connecticut to California. Understanding the unique qualities of each site is our strength. We create landscapes that enhance the positive aspects while helping to restore the ecological integrity of native environments. Our designs promote a diversity of plant material which support beneficial insects and wildlife. Landscapes are designed to complement the buildings, delivering

seasonal beauty and dramatic vistas. We strive for a harmonious relationship between structures and site as well as the efficient use of space. Traditional methods and materials are integrated with new technologies, resulting in dependable, state-of-the-art dwellings. We utilize environmentally responsible materials and methods to design energy-efficient homes and sustainable landscapes. Our talented professionals bring enthusiasm and experience to each project: Principal Kevin Huelster, AIA, Landscape Architect Katherine Kamen, ASLA, and Architect Jane Gitlin, AIA offer a unique set of additional skills including woodworking, fine art, and writing to

their professional abilities. Drawing upon their extensive knowledge of construction, architectural history, horticulture, and joinery, each design project is evaluated and explored to maximize the experiential and aesthetic qualities of the total environment. We view our relationship with our clients as partners in design. The character and style of each completed project resolves the particular set of desires, challenges, and circumstances posed by the client and site. The result are projects that marry our skills and talents with the ideals and spirit of our clients.

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HUELSTER DESIGN STUDIO Huelster Design Studio, LLC 38 Compo Road North Westport, CT 06880 (203) 227-5334 huelsterdesign.com Special Advertising Section 65

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

“Making a Positive Difference” is the foundation upon which The LaurelRock Company has built its reputation for over 35 years. Their exceptional landscape design/build and maintenance services have made a positive impact on more than 1,000 of the area’s most stunning residential properties. This philosophy earned the company three national awards in 2013 from the Professional Landcare Network (PLANET): The Sustainable Company Award, followed by both Grand and Judge’s Awards for landscape maintenance on a 12-acre residence in Wilton, Connecticut. LaurelRock’s positive influence extends beyond its client base, as the company gives back to local communities in many ways including volunteering in nonprofit organizations,

maintaining the “Gateway Gardens” in downtown Westport, and supporting Near & Far Aid and many other charities that benefit those in need. In 2013, Landscape Management Magazine recognized LaurelRock as one of the nations’s Top 150 Green Industry Companies. As a sustainably minded company, they promote green walls, live roofs, and stormwater management in their extensive line of design/build services. LaurelRock’s landscape architects have a proven record of working with town wetland and conservation departments to find sustainable solutions that are respectful of both their client’s wishes and the municipality’s requirements. LaurelRock also encourages smart irrigation systems and organically based lawn care programs.

The LaurelRock Company 969 Danbury Road Wilton, CT 06897 (203) 544-0062 laurelrock.com

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The LaurelRock Company

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Marvin Gardens

If you are interested in amassing a collection of interesting objects for your home and garden, you have found the creative partner at Marvin Gardens. Owner Amabel Chan constantly searches for elements that can be used indoors or outdoors. The design philosophy is whimsical, classical, and authentic while constantly flirting with risky and daring components, such as gigantic plastic red snails from the Cracking Art Group. Mindful of clients’ sustainability and budget concerns, Amabel seeks out long-lasting perennial plantings over annuals and container gardening versus large traditional landscaping. Individual containers punctuate areas surrounding the home and are designed to evoke the individual customer’s sense of style while being maintenance-free and drought-

tolerant. Interest is created from foliage texture and innovative design. A great honor and privilege, Marvin Gardens’ invitation from Galleria Ca’ d’Oro to participate in the Cracking Art Group’s REgeneration Art Project is evidence of bold and daring design. The REgeneration Art Project is an international sensation and global event. Amabel’s design and merchandising sensibility has expanded to Philadelphia where she has created a new pop-up shop at the Fairmount General Store. As Marvin Gardens continues to incorporate the unique and unexpected with antique, vintage, and modern production elements, intriguing and distinctive design is created. Shop at Marvin Gardens in Wilton, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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759 Danbury Road | Wilton, CT 06897 (203) 544-2020 marvingardensusa.com Special Advertising Section 69

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Morrone Studio Indesign

KELLNER PHOTOGRAPHY

Kathleen Morrone, a successful and poised interior designer, has worked on many challenging yet rewarding projects in partnership with architects, builders, and landscape designers throughout Connecticut. Her design studio, Morrone Studio Indesign, is an innovative and diversified fullservice design practice that includes high-end residential design, new construction and remodeling, outdoor living spaces, office design, and complete home site development. Kathleen is the only designer in the area that brings over 15 years of experience working with renowned haute couturiers from the demanding discipline of fashion design to the world of interiors. She is a practicing IDS professional and contractor with

18 years in the interior design and construction business. Kathleen is committed to a holistic approach in design. Her designs focus on architectural features, custom designed cabinetry and furniture, color, scale, and proportion by marrying the interior environment with the exterior setting. She utilizes environmentally responsible materials and methods, nature’s wisdom, organic paints, and natural products creating energy efficient dwellings. Combined with the latest in technology and green design, the result is a dependable, state-of-the-art dwelling. Drawing on her vast number of suppliers, sources, and skilled artisans, Kathleen, above all else, is energetic and persistent in making sure she

will create the best possible design for you. Caring about your project is her competitive advantage and it is an advantage that takes a lot of effort which will certainly emerge in the design of your home. Furthermore, how you feel about it is important to her.

Morrone Studio Indesign 189 Lantern Park Lane North Southbury, CT 06488 (203) 267-6209 morronestudioindesign.com

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Fine Landscape

Outdoor Living Design

Seventy Acres Landscape Architecture & Design

At Seventy Acres our first consideration is building collaborative relationships with our clients. Our priority is to listen to the needs and wishes for each individual project and bring together the best possible solutions through our unique, dynamic approach and refined aesthetics. We specialize in strong design that works with nature’s dynamic elements. We know the power of design and we understand the importance of respecting the environment. Our goal is to enhance the quality of our clients’ lifestyle, adding value to properties and creating connections with nature. If you have a project with new construction or exterior property enhancements this spring, we recommend getting started early.

Working with our landscape architects and designers from the onset of a project to help site a building, pool, terrace, or gardens will assure a great collaboration and a successful project. We design dynamic landscapes to maximize the use of your property. This makes each project unique and that is the power of design. Every property has a story… it begins with a vision.

SEVENTY ACRES LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN

Seventy Acres Landscape Architecture & Design Redding, CT 06896 (203)470-2742 seventyacres.com

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◗ The horizontal paneling, complementary gray grasscloth, pale upholstery, and vivid turquoise accessories give this home its beachycasual feel.

◗ Text by Stacy Kunstel ◗ Photography by Laura Moss ◗ Architecture: Michael Smith, Michael Smith Architects ◗ Builder: Country Club Homes ◗ Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent

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A Home oƒ Her Own

A talented client and her architect transform a lackluster ranch into a camera-ready space for the next phase of her life.

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Jane Beiles

◗ LEFT: Architect Michael Smith transformed a nondescript ranch into a charming and roomy cottage, complete with the front porch his client had always wanted. BELOW: A sectional sofa anchors the family room, where Smith reworked the existing cathedral ceiling, adding the simple trim. FACING PAGE: A rustic table from Parc Monceau looks right at home against the bold wall color choice the homeowner made.

“When a client tells you they’re going to do their own decorating...” architect Michael Smith pauses, perhaps ­thinking of past opportunities missed, his sentiments echoing those of architects the world over, “so often it’s just terrible. You never know what you’re going to get.” But any design professional would be delighted with the outcome of this Fairfield County project where the homeowner took on the role of decorator. In fact, Eileen Silva makes it look easy. Silva, recently divorced with three young children, needed a home to call her own. She was looking for something that would fit her budget, was within walking distance of school and town, and was near family. She found and closed on this particular home in a record thirty-six hours, wrapping up the deal before the scheduled open house. “The only downside was that it was listed ‘as is’ and it needed work,” says Silva. The threebedroom ranch still looked much like it did when it was built in the 1950s. Silva needed four bedrooms for her brood and hoped for a guest room as well, but to stay within her budget she had to keep the footprint the same. TotalCare, a division of the builder Country Club Homes in Wilton, had done some work on her previous house, and Country Club had also built her sister’s home. When she approached them about the project they introduced her to Smith, with whom they frequently collaborate. “It was a very nondescript ranch,” says Smith,

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◗ RIGHT: Original wood floors in the kitchen were sanded and stained. Nickel hardware complements the stainless-steel appliances and basket-chair barstools. BELOW: Limestone counters add interest to the simple white cabinetry with its mix of open and closed shelving. FACING PAGE: Metal chairs from Design Within Reach surround an intimate breakfast area in the kitchen.

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whose firm is also based in Wilton. “It wasn’t stylistic in one way or another. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t very excited.” Smith set about drawing, adding a second floor and reconfiguring the first floor according to Silva’s needs. “On the first floor we tried to use what the house had,” he says. “There was a nice footprint.” “Michael’s first drawing was perfect!” says Silva. “I wanted something cottagey, but no exposed ­rafters. I knew I wanted to use horizontal paneling. I envisioned it white and beachy and feminine,” she says—a departure from the brown, red, and gold color scheme and traditional decor of her previous home. A staircase was added near the front door, but there was no room for a foyer. Instead, visitors step into an intimate living room with a fireplace built into a wall of horizontally hung boards. The room sets the casual, cozy tone for the house. Silva added gray grasscloth behind the sofa to complement the paneling. Eve Hood, a friend who is an interior designer, helped her with some of her furniture choices, ordering the sofa and chairs from Lee Industries, a to-the-trade resource. Silva found the coffee table at Lillian August. The artwork, by Connecticut painter Kerri Rosenthal, was purchased through Pimlico in New Canaan. Not everything is new; the matching lamps and the rug came from Silva’s previous home. In the heart of the house sits the kitchen, where the biggest changes in floor plan occurred. Like most midcentury kitchens, it was dark and small. Smith removed walls to open it to the adjacent family room while closing it off from the living room. A built-in breakfast nook fills a sunny spot under a window, the island has seating for three so kids can watch or help Mom in the kitchen, and a peninsula separates the kitchen from the family room while providing additional counter space and storage.

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“I knew I wanted to use horizontal paneling. I envisioned it white and beachy and feminine,” says Silva.

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The walls of the daughter’s bedroom are covered in a cheetah-patterned wallpaper by National Geographic.

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Open shelves filled with simple white ceramics and a horizontal beadboard backsplash continue the beachy vibe. An existing vaulted ceiling in the adjacent family room opens up the back of the house into a spacious, sun-splashed space dressed in neutrals and illuminated at night by two oversize lanternstyle lights Silva found at Klaff’s. A linen sofa from Lillian August was the starting point for the room; then Hood helped Silva find a fabricator for the custom coffee table. “The splurge was the coffee table,” says Silva. “It’s wrapped in grasscloth and then there must be 100 layers of shellac on it because it’s indestructible! I balanced that with the West Elm rug because the kids will spill on it.” Only one choice Silva made resulted in a few wide eyes. “Everybody said I was nuts, even my sisters,” she says about the Farrow & Ball wall color she chose for the dining room. The hue in question, Brassica, resembles a light-colored eggplant, but provides a great backdrop for the black-and-white furnishings and curtains. Not to be outdone in the color department, however, Silva’s ten-year-old daughter has what can easily be described as the cheeriest room in the house. The walls of her bedroom, one of four Smith was able to include on the second floor, wear a blue, cheetahpatterned wallpaper by National Geographic. Another painting by Kerri Rosenthal, this one in acid colors, hangs above the bed. By contrast, Silva’s own bedroom is awash in creams and beiges with nary a color in sight. The bed’s nailhead trim is about as blingy as this room gets. The master bath is also simple, with plain wainscoting and a clean-lined tub. “I had a nice tub in my old house and never used it,” she says. “Looking back, it was such a waste! I intentionally kept the colors soft and dreamy in my bathroom, and I actually use my tub often. It’s my way to relax at the end of a long day.” Right from the front door, the home looks polished and finished, like the work of a professional. “I went into this project knowing I wanted a very simple and clean design and color palette,” says Silva. “If there ever was any anxiety, it was getting that to fit my budget. I splurged in places, skimped in others, and I even made some mistakes. But the way I look at it, I could always change things at some point if I needed to.” “This house is all about who she is,” says Smith in full approval. “Because of her involvement it became a jewel.”•

◗ LEFT: Quiet colors predominate in the master bedroom. The flying pig pillow was a gift from the homeowner’s sister. BELOW: A simple wainscot panel in the master bath keeps with the simplicity of the house. FACING PAGE: A painting by Kerri Rosenthal sets off the daughter’s already-colorful space.

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Continental

Drift Inside a classic New England farmhouse, a clean aesthetic and plenty of French accents create an aura of timeless elegance.

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The dining room table is crafted of reclaimed wood in the style of an Italian farm table. Never one to do the predictable thing, homeowner/ designer Anne-Laure Martyn treats an antique clock face like sculpture, rather than a wall piece. FACING PAGE: Confetti Cube pendants by Currey & Company grace the hall leading to the conservatory/breakfast room.

Laure Martyn, Cote Est Decor Æ Builder: John Williams, Harbor Property Development Æ Produced by Stacy Kunstel spring 2014  New England Home Connecticut 83

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So

many of us have a vision of the kind of house we’d like to build. It may be big or small, shingle or stucco, one level or turreted—the dream can take any shape. Then the planning begins, and reality sets in. Each decision seems to lead to a new set of questions, each choice opens (or closes) some other avenue. Before we know it, the original concept has morphed into something

far more elaborate or much more modest, but in any case quite different. That was never going to be the scenario for AnneLaure and Sean Martyn. They had definite ideas for the house they wanted to build on their New Canaan property, a lovely chunk of land ribboned with old stone walls. From France and Ireland, respectively, the couple, who have made the U.S. their home for the past decade, envisioned a cedar-roofed white farmhouse, perfectly in keeping with the New England vernacular. The interior architecture was to be modern and uncluttered, and the furnishings would incorporate reclaimed materials and salvaged architectural features. Anne-Laure, a designer who heads up her own firm, says her aim was “to create an atmosphere of timeless elegance.” Oh, and another thing: they wanted a memorable staircase, such as you’d find in a French country house. Fortunately, the Martyns’ collaborators, New Canaan architect Kevin Quinlan and builder

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Refurbished pieces like a French settee look right at home on the antique-finished oak floor of the sitting room. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Handsome dormers mark the children’s top-floor play area. The generous opening to the family room was designed to complement the grand old doors. As in the sitting room, reclaimed barn siding covers the walls in the adjacent bistro bar.

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John Williams of Harbor Property Development in Wilton, understood their vision. The splendid 5,500-square-foot home Quinlan designed and Williams built is spot-on. “If the triangular relationship of client, architect, and builder is good, you have a team that really works,” explains Quinlan. “Every

idea that’s brought forward is worth considering.” To prevent the house from looking too tall and colonial, Quinlan increased its horizontality by adding a wrap-around porch. In step with the Martyns’ wishes, the interior millwork is simple, with flat baseboards and no extraneous moldings. But then there’s the staircase—perfectly Parisian with custom-fabricated wrought-iron balustrades—winding its way from the entry hall to the finished attic. Additional drama and a strong sense of character are derived from the couple’s collected treasures. A pair of grand European courtyard doors frames the generous opening between the family room and hall, for example. A space adjoining the sitting room was included to showcase a stunning 1930s pewter bar discovered in a Paris flea market. Guests who pull up one of the fittingly distressed metal stools need only a glass of pastis to feel transported across the Atlantic. That sense of being somewhere unique takes over the moment the front door swings open. Reclaimed French-oak plank flooring and pale walls make for a luminous introduction. The eye is drawn down the hall to the conservatory, which also happens to be the breakfast area. A one-of-a-kind Italian chandelier from Lillian August casts a glow on a distressed zinc table ringed with vintage metal chairs. In contrast, a cache of contemporary stools stands at the marble-topped kitchen counter nearby. A gleaming, TOP, from LEFT: Anne-Laure designed the landscaping to mimic a French garden. Decorative ornaments centering the beds, boxwood, and roses are in tune with the home’s simple but stunning appearance. The rectangular pergola is a modern touch. Left: Reclaimed Chicago brick, sealed for easy cleaning, makes the mudroom child-friendly. FACING PAGE: An eye-catching “X” brings visual interest to the kitchen peninsula. Contemporary stools make an arresting juxtaposition with the old wood.

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Ultra-

modern cable lighting threads between rustic, 300-year-old barn beams. Such skillful contrasting of old and new is one of Anne-Laure’s trademarks.

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Neutral

sculptural vent hood is flanked by tones dominate open shelves on steel brackets. And in the master ultra-modern cable lighting threads bedroom and bath, and again between rustic, 300-year-old barn there are numerous chic details. beams. Such skillful contrasting of old and new is one of Anne-Laure’s trademarks. That and an ability to raise the charm factor of every room—or every piece of furniture— that comes her way. The designer, who is also an accomplished furniture refinisher, has filled the house with beautiful pieces she has painstakingly transformed. The sitting room, for instance, holds one of her many successful projects: a reborn French provincial settee. “It’s a lengthy process,” she admits. “After sanding and painting the piece, I apply a wax patina using pigments I bring back from France.” The settee’s soft color speaks to the snowy hue of a prized antique Swedish pine desk sitting across the way. The mood is consistently harmonious. The palette shifts subtly in the dining room, where warm gray walls envelop a rustic farm table surrounded by a medley of colorful chairs, but the stylish spirit never wavers. Rather than hang an antique clock face on the wall, AnneLaure, with her usual flair, displays it like a standing sculpture, turning it into a notable work of art. Neutral tones dominate in the master bedroom and bath as well, but once again there are numerous chic details. The couple’s customupholstered bed sports playful Clients hoping to mimic the Martyns’ decor tour Union Jack pillows (“I hope my family doesn’t notice Anne-Laure’s studio over the three-bay garage, where them,” jokes Sean), while lacy-looking wrought-iron they can choose among a number of the designer’s sconces provide ambient light. Their adjoining bath stellar makeovers, from benches and chairs to is outfitted with Restoration Hardware cabinets ­mantelpieces. Guest quarters are also located up and—could there be any fixture more romantic?—a claw-foot tub. Still, true to the owners’ initial premise here, separated from the light-filled studio by a beefy barn door. of melding past and present, there’s also a modern With the approach of spring, the graveled patio glass-walled shower. and pergola come into use. Not just any outdoor The children’s lairs are as sophisticated as that of shelter, though, the rectangular pergola is bambootheir parents. But ten-year-old Ciara’s suite—a snug draped and wisteria-wrapped. “We wanted somenest that incorporates a sitting area and a private thing contemporary to go with the classical house,” bath—is far daintier than those of brothers Marius, says Anne-Laure. eight, and Gaspard, six. Her bed cozies up against a Not surprisingly, the spare shelter and the wall clad in barn-siding. “We didn’t want to overdo ­handsome building—just like the inside and outside the siding so we kept it to just one area,” Anne-Laure of this carefully conceived house—make a wondersays. For greater interest, the siding is installed ­ arriage. • ful m horizontally, too. A coverlet in a color reminiscent of a Gallica rose pops in a dash of girlie pink. Resources For more information about this home, see page 132.

A wall painted in Farrow & Ball’s London Clay sets off the master bedroom’s custom-upholstered bed. FACING PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A scalloped bed skirt from Blanc D’Ivoire and a Restoration Hardware coverlet are feminine touches in daughter Ciara’s room. Anne-Laure framed a set of antique keys in lieu of a painting for the master bath. Her studio is a trove of pieces she has meticulously refinished and upholstered.

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A variety of fine fabrics (Kravet, Brentano, Robert Allen, and Osborne & Little) coexist happily in a living room awash in tones of soft gray and silvery blue. Artwork, hand-blown glass pebble lamps by Porta Romana, and a few well-chosen beachy touches add a casual vibe.

ä Text by Maria L ­ aPiana ä Photography

by John Gould Bessler

ä Architecture: Robert A. Cardello ä Interior

A beach getaway offers all the casual comfort a family needs ­without sacrificing the metropolitan sophistication everyone wants.

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design: Kat Rosier, Hom Sanctuary ä Builder: Joe Filanowski, J&J C ­ ustom Builders ä Landscape design: Bruce Bennett, Kent Greenhouse and Gardens ä Produced by Stacy Kunstel

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The picturesque hamlet of Noroton Bay is both affluent and affable. In fact, it was the town’s close-knit feeling that made it the perfect place for a busy urban couple in search of a

weekend getaway. “Because we live in New York City, we wanted a sense of community on the weekends,” says the wife, perhaps seeking an echo of the way life was when she and her husband were growing up in Michigan. “We wanted a neighborhood where the houses are closely clustered, and we didn’t want a lot of traffic.” They also wanted a country house that didn’t feel “country” at all. It had to fit in from the street, but they wanted it polished, urbane. In sum, adds the wife, “It had to be serene and sophisticated.” Familiar with Connecticut’s Gold Coast and especially taken with the Darien area (where Noroton Bay sits), the couple decided to buy one of the enclave’s characteristically small, 80-by-100-foot lots and build new. Today the family, which includes two young children, is comfortably ensconced in the beachside community—and in their distinctly refined home. They stay at the house nearly every weekend and move up for the summer. By design, the home looks and feels like many of its neighbors, but on closer inspection it’s more than the sum of its parts. “This house stands out, not for its size or grandeur, but for the subtle surprises found in the architectural details,” says architect Robert A. Cardello of South Norwalk. It’s clad in stone and natural cedar shakes in the vernacular of the waterfront community. It has a defined outdoor entertaining space (with requisite barbecue and fireplace), and landscaping is minimal. Hiding in plain sight are those distinctive details: a stone water table that wraps around the house,

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A cluster of baubles hanging from the coffered ceiling and a console with scrollwork details elevate the dining room to what the homeowner calls the “most beautiful room in the house.” FACING PAGE, top: The exterior hews to the vernacular of its waterfront community. FACING PAGE, bottom: When illuminated, faceted glass fixtures cast pleasing patterns on the walls of the entry hall.

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The homeowners have a “Manhattan mind-set”— they understood how to live in smaller rooms and how to use space judiciously.

In the breakfast area, where the banquette is set in an oversize window, trellis-back chairs and a glass-topped table give the small space an open, airy feel. FACING PAGE, tOP: Every inch is maximized in the kitchen, where the work triangle is small, but materials like the velvet quartzite countertops and glass mosaic backsplash loom large. FACING PAGE, BOttOm: the sitting room takes a warmer and more colorful turn; in here, comfort comes first. 94 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut SPRING 2014

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deep bull-nose sills on the windows, a barrel-top dormer, and a southwest-facing window whose glass turns a corner, adding both light and interest. Among the architectural surprises found inside: coffered ceilings, detailed trim, and Lucite stair rails. Cardello’s biggest challenge was finding a place for everything on the couple’s wish list. They wanted four bedrooms, four baths, roomy public areas, and enough “away spaces” so that adults, children, and guests could all have privacy, if desired. “I like to say we had to fit ten pounds of stuff into a five-pound bag,” says Cardello. “We had to be smart about the spaces and configuration while at the same time conforming to local zoning and flood regulations.” And yet, because the homeowners have a “Manhattan mind-set,” they understood how to live in smaller rooms, why built-ins were needed, and, in general, how to use space judiciously.

At just under 3,000 square feet, the summer house features an open plan; most of the living space at ground level is dedicated to a kitchen/ living room, a den for getting away from it all, and a stunning dining room that the wife describes as “the most beautiful room in the house.” Visible immediately on entering, but separate from the busy traffic pattern, the dining room was designed as a special place: “It’s a reward to be there with friends and treat them to something special,” she says. Greenwich-based interior designer Kat Rosier had a hand in making the room so enchanting. Rosier came on board during construction and says her collaboration with Cardello and the homeowners was seamless. She instantly understood what the couple wanted in a sophisticated home at the shore. And she knew that a few carefully chosen finishes and custom furnishings—not too many, because the rooms are petite, after all—could make that a reality. Rosier describes her style as “classically hip,” which happens to suit these interiors quite well. The goal, says the designer, was “an open, airy, yet elegant look,” which she achieved with a beachy palette—predominantly silvery grays and blues—creative lighting, and deliberately placed accessories. “Gray and silver have always been my favorite SPRING 2014  New England Home Connecticut 95

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colors,” says Rosier. “There is something incredibly calming about gray. It is the perfect color in design, as it can be soft and feminine as well as strong and masculine, which provides a great balance.” The dining room is a case in point. Setting the mood for the rest of the house, Rosier installed a silver wallpaper and lacquered the ceiling a high-gloss blue. The cabinetry was painted light gray for contrast. The showstopper? “The bauble chandelier makes an unexpected statement, yet works with the classical table and chairs,” says Rosier. The designer planned the open family space (also in those favorite tones of hers) to be welcoming to children but sophisticated enough for nighttime entertaining. “The fabrics had to be durable, yet glamorous,” says Rosier, who designed the custom sofa, chairs, and ottomans. In the kitchen, velvet quartzite on the countertops blends in while giving the

space its own feel; a glass mosaic backsplash adds glimmer. The tucked-away sitting room departs a bit from the overall theme, in color as well as style. The space has to work pretty hard, as it serves as both a TV room and playroom for the children. There’s storage (in the oversized ottoman), and the palette is casual and neutral, with pops of orange. A patterned rug and pillows add a playful touch, while midcentury-modern lamps and end tables lend the room a stylish edge. Back to silvery grays and a captivating shade of lavender that wasn’t easy to come by, the master suite is a retreat in the truest sense. “When I first suggested we do a lavender bedroom, the husband wanted no part of it,” says Rosier. It took some doing, but she was finally able to convince him it would look cool, not froufrou. “The wall color we used has a subtle undertone of gray so it wasn›t as ‘girlie’ as he thought it would be,” she explains. “The white lacquered nightstands, Lucite bench, and shag rug give the room a Hollywood Regency feel.” Elegance accomplished. • Resources For more information about this home, see page 132.

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“When I first suggested we do a lavender bedroom, the husband wanted no part of it,” says Rosier. In time she convinced him it would look cool.

stone walls echo the water table that surrounds the house, defining a cozy patio; the sky-high fireplace adds drama, while hanging lanterns reflect the designer’s love of purposeful lighting. FACING PAGE: the master suite is a study in glam, with custom furnishings by designer Kat Rosier set against a subtle shade of lavender. SPRING 2014 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut 97

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+ Text by Dan Shaw + Photography by Robert Benson + Architecture: Thomas Soyster and Thomas Taylor, Soyster Taylor Design + Builder: United Construction & Engineering + Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent

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A sweet brick cottage for one becomes a grand home for two without losing an ounce of its charm.

The architects searched for antique bricks so that the new sections of the house would meld seamlessly with the original cottage. They embellished the rooflines with running dog scrollwork.

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T

wenty years ago,

a young Hartford surgeon bought a brick Arts and Crafts–style cottage on ten acres in a bucolic part of Farmington surrounded by traditional, white-clapboard New England colonials. “I grew up in Philadelphia, so I am drawn to brick and stone houses,” he says. “I loved the Gothic details that reminded me of my days at Princeton.” The two-bedroom home was the perfect bachelor pad. Eventually, though, he met and fell in love with a drama teacher at a nearby prep school, and with two now living in the house, it began to feel cramped, especially for entertaining. When the couple contacted Farmington architects Thomas Soyster and Thomas Taylor of Soyster Taylor Design, they merely wanted to expand their kitchen and add a formal dining room. But the proposed changes ABOVE: The back staircase is enclosed in a windowed

tower that lets the owners enjoy looking at the whimsical facade, including the new Gothic hood over the front door, right. FACING PAGE: The William Morris– style wallpaper in the hall is by Bradbury & Bradbury. A circa-1875 landscape of the Adirondacks by J.A. Hekking hangs above an eighteenth-century Philadelphia games table. Spring 2014 New eNglaNd Home CoNNeCtiCut 101

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LEFT: The living room ceilings were raised to accommodate the owners’ collection of eighteenth-century grandfather clocks. RIGHT: The architects designed the living room’s Gothic-style bookcases and the mantel with its inset quatrefoils.

had a domino effect, creating new expectations and possibilities that ultimately led to doubling the size of the house, which now looks like an exquisitely restored 1930s estate. “We did not want you to be able to tell what was old and what was new,” says Soyster, explaining how they searched for matching antique bricks for the facade, rebuilt the old chimneys to match the new ones, and topped the roof with tiles made of recycled tires that look like more-expensive, period slate. Taking their cue from the existing Gothic motifs, the architects carefully embellished the existing structure, adding a Gothic hood over the front door and running dog scrollwork along the rooflines. They punched out a ceiling to create a doubleheight, partially wood-paneled foyer and handsome staircase enhanced by vintagelooking Arts and Crafts wallpaper that the homeowners chose. The architects designed a dramatic, octagonal dining room that functions as a “knuckle space” that pivots to the new kitchen and conservatory wing.

Although the house has become grand, it remains unpretentious because all the rooms are perfectly proportioned. “The owners had some very specific requirements and they were very handson,” says Taylor. “They needed high ceilings to accommodate their collection of seven eighteenth-century grandfather clocks. They were willing to spend the extra money for custom windows and solid doors, and they went onto eBay themselves to find appropriate period doorknobs and escutcheons.” The most important room was the kitchen. “When I get home after a day in the operating room, I unwind by cooking,” says the surgeon. The couple hired Nena Donovan Levine, a kitchen designer based in West Hartford, as a consultant to configure the new space to optimize the flow, storage, Spring 2014  New England Home Connecticut 103

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and utility. “I found out everything about how they like to work in the kitchen and entertain,” says Levine. “They knew they needed twenty-one to thirty linear feet for cookbooks, which I thought was too much and— look!—the shelves are full.” She handed off the specs to the architects, who chose thick Carrara marble for the island and big slabs of Belgian blue limestone for the floors, and designed cabinets that resemble antique Welsh cupboards to give the men plenty of room to display their collections of copper molds and cobalt-blue glass. “It’s a dramatic space because the theater teacher thinks of rooms as stage sets,” says Taylor.

The adjacent conservatory, which doubles as a mudroom entrance and breakfast room, has radiant-heat floors powered by a new geothermal system. (“It will pay for itself one day, but we will probably be long gone,” says the doctor, who notes how nice it is to walk shoeless on warm floors.) A Lutyens-style fireplace designed for indoor grilling holds two interior shelves for warming casseroles. With windows on three sides, the garden room is sunny all day long and offers a view of a small apple orchard, the distant hills, and the new dining room. “That you can enjoy the exterior from the interior is one of the unique aspects of this house,” says the surgeon.

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The octagonal dining room was designed intentionally as a walkthrough space from the living room to the kitchen and butler’s pantry (the old kitchen). “We didn’t want to have a room that we went into only on special occasions,” he says. The room has a fireplace and hand-stenciled walls, and the recessed lights embedded in the ceiling are masked by Gothic quatrefoils. The Gothic theme is repeated in the formal living room and cozy library. The architects raised the ceiling in the living room to accommodate the clocks, and designed a new mantel with more quatrefoils carved into it, which is flanked by Gothic-spireshaped bookshelves. The men chose the simple furnishings themselves,

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Kitchen designer Nena Donovan Levine tailored the layout to the way the owners work in the space. The cabinets and marbletopped island, inspired by Welsh furniture, showcase the couple’s cobalt glass and copper pots. FACING PAGE, TOP: Local artist Josa Weatherwax stenciled and painted the dining room’s celestial-blue walls. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: The original kitchen became an elegant butler’s pantry and bar.

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“I didn’t want people to come over and say, ‘What a lovely addition.’ I wanted them to say, ‘What a lovely house.’” ABOVE: A nineteenth-century

portrait of the owner’s greatgreat grandfather, a Philadelphia publisher, hangs over the fireplace in the library. ABOVE RIGHT: The Gothic woodwork in the two-story foyer looks as if it were original to the house. FACING PAGE: The conservatory acts as a breakfast room and an everyday entrance. Radiant heat beneath the brick floors keeps it cozy even on a snowy day.

making the architecture and views on three sides the focus of the room. While the living room is cool and serene, the library, with its vaulted ceiling, is cozy but airy. “We read the newspaper on Sunday morning in the living room, and we have cocktails in the evening in the library,” explains the drama teacher. The new downstairs addition provided a good excuse to build a new master suite above it. “The clients already had Stickleystyle furniture, which dictated American craftsman tiles around the fireplace,” says Taylor. The adjacent spa bathroom and walk-in closet are nearly as large as the bedroom. Inspired by the elegance of the baths at Old World London hotels like the Savoy, the architects designed a timeless bathroom with a freestanding soaking tub, a windowed toilet closet, and a windowed steam shower with heated seats and room for two.

The master bedroom leads to the teacher’s study, where he keeps his collection of vintage manual typewriters on the built-in bookcases. In the original plans, it was connected to the kitchen by a simple back staircase that morphed into a spectacular tower based on one the couple had seen in Scotland. Its windows allow the owners to gaze upon the front of the house as they go up and down the staircase. Although the house has become grand, it remains unpretentious because all the rooms are perfectly proportioned and have a dedicated purpose. The integrity of the design belies, yet honors, the original cottage. “I didn’t want people to come over and say, ‘What a lovely addition,’” says the surgeon. “I wanted them to say, ‘What a lovely house.’” Indeed, it was a successful operation. • Resources For more information about this home, see

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Connecticut designers share their favorite resources EDITED BY CATIE PARRISH

Perspectives Shimmer and Shine Wallcoverings DANISE TALBOT

Harlequin’s Trellis in Teal ///

“This paper is transitional and sophisticated, subtle and neutral at the same time. The aqua and metallic gold with sparkling beads will make any wall or room come alive. I also love the lattice design.” Harlequin, New York City, (212) 319-7220, harlequin.uk.com

JOLLEY FRANK CARMIÑA ROTH

Phillip Jeffries Metallic Paper Weave in Chromium ///

“I love this grasscloth wallpaper with a silver metallic ground. The bluish-gray grasscloth looks beautiful with a variety of fabrics, and the metallic ground gives it just the slightest hint of reflection.” Holly Hunt, New York City, (212) 755-6555, hollyhunt.com

Yesterday’s News in Herald by Innovations ///

“This wallcovering combines the best of two worlds. The subtle, sophisticated shimmer lends elegance and texture, while the environmentally conscious construction uses recycled newspaper and paperboard.” Innovations in Wallcoverings, New York City, (212) 308-1179, innovationsusa.com

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PERSPECTIVES

Shimmer and Shine Accessories

DANISE TALBOT

Moroccan Star Throw Pillow by Cloud9 Design ///

“I am attracted to this pillow because I love everything with a Moroccan influence. I also love this shade of orange, and the crystals give the pillow a sparkle that makes it truly special.” Through Danise Talbot Design, Westport, (203) 952-1112, danisetalbotdesign.com

JOLLEY FRANK

Ironware International’s Eden Chandelier ///

“There is a simplicity of organic lines that imparts an almost Scandinavian feeling to this beautiful chandelier. Eden brings a refreshing, airy quality that easily blends into either formal or informal environments.” John Rosselli & Associates, New York City, (212) 593-2060, johnrosselliassociates.com CARMIÑA ROTH

Infinity Rings DAVID CLUETT

/// Carmiña Roth works with clients in Connecticut, New York City, the Hamptons, and abroad. From New York apartments to sun-drenched vacation houses, she is dedicated to designing homes that “age gracefully.” Carmiña Roth Interiors, LLC, Greenwich, (203) 987-5961, carminarothinteriors.com

“These polished nickel and black rings are the perfect coffee table accent. I would use them on a tray or on top of a couple large books.” Trovare Home, Cos Cob, (203) 869-5512, trovarehomedesign.com

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INTERIORS, SPACE PLANNING, KITCHEN & BATH DESIGN 2 Old Stamford Road, New Canaan, CT T: 203.594.7875 F: 203.966.5514 www.morganharrisonhome.com 8.25x11.125_MHH_NEHad_090313.indd 1

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PERSPECTIVES

Shimmer and Shine Furniture

DANISE TALBOT

Bar Cabinet by Roberta Schilling

CARMIÑA ROTH

47 Table by Council

///

“This piece is fabulous and available in many light-reflective lacquered finishes. In bright orange, it’s a showstopper and focal point of any room. I also love to buy from a woman-owned business whenever I can.” Lillian August, Norwalk,

///

“The silver finish is very elegant but allows a hint of the natural wood to show through. It is the perfect accent table to use in a seating arrangement, especially when space is tight.” Design Within Reach,

(203) 847-3314, lillianaugust.com

Stamford, (203) 614-0787, dwr.com

JOLLEY FRANK

Norn Mirrored Buffet

SHERI MANSON

///

Trained in both fashion and interior design, Jolley Frank is known for her love of color, comfort, and detail. She strives to create interiors with an individualized aesthetic as well as lasting appeal and relevance. Jolley Frank Interiors, Stamford, (203) 588-9552, jolleyfrankinteriors.com

“The clean, rectangular lines are counterbalanced by the etched faux bois mirrored doors on this alluring piece. Easily paired with either traditional or contemporary dining tables, this buffet is a standout.” Jerry Pair & Associates, New York City, (212) 546-9001, jerrypair.com

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Andrew Nuzzi Architects, LLC | Photo: SteveRossi.net

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COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDING AND RESTORATION

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PERSPECTIVES

Shimmer and Shine Mirrors JOLLEY FRANK

Orientalist Series #53 ///

“I love finding interesting hand-carved frames and having them made into large mirrors. They bring light and drama to any space. This unique design is shown in a 12-karat white-gold finish applied over red gesso.” J. Pocker & Son, Greenwich, (203) 629-0811, jpocker.com

DANISE TALBOT

Halden Large Mirror by Arteriors ///

“I like the contrast between the espresso finish and the silvered-metal hand-cut pattern. It amplifies the drama quotient and reminds me of the yin and the yang of feng shui.” Arteriors Home Showroom, New York City, (646) 797-3620, arteriorshome.com CARMIÑA ROTH ALAN BARRY

Thano Mirror by Made Goods With a wide-ranging background in the decorative arts, Danise Talbot draws on influences such as the Directoire period and retro style, as well as feng shui principles, to help her clients achieve their design aspirations. Danise Talbot Design, Westport, (203) 952-1112, danisetalbotdesign.com

///

“The mini convex mirrors forming the frame are inspired by a Rajasthani palace. I recently used it in a windowless bathroom against lacquered darkturquoise walls—it really lights up the space.” Lillian August

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PURVEYORS of FINE LINENS for BED, BATH & TABLE Bespoke DESIGNS

CELEBRATING

40

YEARS!

21 ELM STREET | NEW CANAAN | CONNECTICUT 203.972.0433

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Design Life

Out and about in celebration of design and architecture in Connecticut

The folks at

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NuKitchens sure knew how to bring a bit of warmth to the chill of winter. A party at the newly renovated Norwalk showroom brought designers, builders, and architects together to network, get a look at the latest in gorgeous materials for the kitchen, and enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, all while listening to the beautiful music of pianist Chris Coogan.

(1) Chris Coogan and Joe Najmy (2) Brian McDonald and Rob Dean (3) Connie Cooper and Catherine Cleare (4) Rich Cannale, Rob Dean, and Scott Evarts (5) Chris Wright and Vonne Whittleton (6) Ross

Tiefenthaler and Rob Sanders (7) Mary Najmy, Gabriella Najmy, and Bruce Beinfield (8) Ross

More than fifty designers attended ASID CT’s Annual Town Hall Forum, held this year at the Fairfield Museum and History Center. Cocktail hour gave people a chance to catch up with one another, before enjoying a buffet dinner followed by a talk by Jen Bruno, of Hansgrohe, on “Creating the Custom Spa Shower Experience.”

Tiefenthaler and Joe Najmy

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ASID CT

(1) Jen Bruno and Jeff Sargent (2) Fred Harris and Lynn Garelick (3) Craig Smith and Christina Romann (4) Michael Cortigano,

Ann Fitzgerald, and Dan Murphy (5) Rachel Winston and Peggy Brenton (6) Donna Bonafide and Tina Pronovost (7) Kristine Kunkel and Aaron Danforth

Should your party be here? Send photographs or high-resolution images, with i­nformation about the event and the people in the ­photos, to New England Home, 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302, Boston, MA 02118, or email images and information to lsimonton@nehomemag.com. 118  New England Home Connecticut  spring 2014

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STEP INTO A WORLD OF

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Design Life Alexa Hampton Book Signing

The Wakefield Design Center, in Stamford, welcomed celebrated designer Alexa Hampton, hosting a signing party for the author and her new book, DECORATING IN DETAIL. Hampton, who has spent more than a decade on both Architectural Digest and House Beautiful’s lists of the top designers in the country, happily autographed copies of the book, which details her work on seven elegant homes from New York to Florida.

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(1) Sue Costanzo and Alexa Hampton (2) George Snead, Alexa Hampton, and Beth Dempsey (3) Joyce

Takiguchi and Alexa Hampton (4) Heidi Holzer, Linda Malichio, and Maria Sanders (5) Diane Hayden,

Brittany Anderson, and Connie Cooper (6) Stacy Bewkes, Alexa Hampton,

and New England Home’s Roberta Thomas Mancuso (7) Suzanne Eason, Alexa Hampton, and Catherine Cleare (8) Margie Bondy and Kathy Bivona 3

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What’s Wrong With This Room?

No matter how beautifully you’ve designed and decorated a room, if the temperature is never comfortable, your room will never be right and it will never be used. Emme solves this problem for you with a simple and ingenious addition to your heating and air conditioning system. Easily installed with existing systems or designed into new homes, Emme delivers the comfort you’ve always expected.

For more information visit www.GetEmme.com or call 1-800-396-0523.

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Trade Notes

New and noteworthy happenings in the Connecticut design business

by paula M. Bodah

As an interior designer whose background includes a decade in the estates and appraisals department at Christie’s, Andrea Cross has developed a true eye for quality to match her broad knowledge of historical styles and construction methods. That makes her uniquely suited for her current passion—her new shop, AXEL INTERIORS. Cross and her husband turned an old gas station into a chic boutique filled with a lively mix of both classic and modern furniture, accessories, and fine art. Norwalk, (203) 299-3155, axelinteriors.com

Milton Cohn might not recognize the company he founded back in 1928 to import leather boxes, ceramics, and other decorative pieces from Italy. Today Decorative Crafts has grown to offer a beautiful line of lighting from Italy as well as handcrafted furniture from both Italy and the Far East. What Cohn certainly would recognize is the insistence on enlisting the best artisans to ensure the finest quality. And we imagine he’d notice the family resemblance in Matt Cohn, the great-grandson who, as the firm’s new vice president, has brought the fourth generation of Cohns into the business. Greenwich, (203) 531-

Courtesy of Artemis Landscape Architects

1500, d ­ ecorativecrafts.com

Congratulations to the Connecticut firms that took home Merit Awards from the 2013 INTERNA-

Austin Ganim

TIONAL LANDSCAPE DESIGN AWARDS. The program, from the

Association of Professional Landscape Designers, recognized Austin Ganim for Planting Design for a Westport home. Doyle Herman Design Associates was recognized for Holistic Integration for revamping the lawn and gardens of a Greenwich home, while Glen Gate Company took home awards for Garden Pool Space at a Wilton dwelling and Small Gardens Design at a Greenwich property.

Courtesy of APLD

Cohn

Doyle Herman Design Associates

Fairfield, (203) 333-2003, austinganimlandscapedesign.com; Greenwich, (203) 869-2900, dhda.com; Wilton, (203) 762-2000, glengatecompany.com

For ARTEMIS

LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS,

a labor of love was rewarded with a Merit Award from the Connecticut Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects. When ironworker Kevin Kennedy was seriously injured while working on the new Freedom Tower at Ground Zero in Manhattan, the TV show George to the Rescue agreed to finish the major home-improvement project he’d started before the accident. Working pro bono, Artemis designed the outdoor area, consulting Kennedy and his physical therapist to create a refuge where Kennedy and his family can enjoy outdoor togetherness. The space includes a raised bed so Kennedy can comfortably garden and a therapeutic spa to aid in his rehabilitation. Bridgeport,

A lot of things have changed in the window treatment business since Joe Annunziato started Town & Country Window Designs thirty years ago. The company’s newest venture: the launch of ALL SYSTEMS GO, an in-house subsidiary that specializes in the increasingly popular motorized shades and other window treatments. The firm has also taken on a big project with the announcement that the Greenwich School District has chosen Town & Country to install some 3,000 shades in fifteen schools. Greenwich, (203) 531-0307, allsystemsgoct.com

(203) 683-1808, artemisla.com keep in touch Help us keep our fingers on the pulse of Connecticut’s design community. Send your news to pbodah@nehomemag.com. 122  New England Home Connecticut  Spring 2014

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CYRILLA HOME & DESIGN ATELIER 135 WASHINGTON STREET SOUTH NORWALK, CT 06854 203.939.9222 ~ INFO@CYRILLAHOME.COM

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Professional Stone Driveways

FIRST IMPRESSIONS BEGIN AT THE CURB

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driftwood elm and solid bronze

JEFFSODERBERGH.COM C R A F T I N G T H E F I N E S T H A RV E S T TA B L E S F O R 2 4 Y E A R S Seasonal showroom opens May 1st Lower gallery below Karol Richardson | 11 West Main St., Wellfleet, MA 02667 custom made sustainable furnishings year round studio ph (401)845-9087


New in the Showrooms

Unique, beautiful, and now appearing in Connecticut’s shops and showrooms

Good Libations Stock your spirits in style with the Lawson Bar from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. Behind the intricately detailed mirrored doors is a jackpot of adjustable shelves to cradle every bottle in your collection. Greenwich, (203) 661-4480, mgbwhome.com

Twinkle, Twinkle See the light! For sleek lighting that sparkles, Élan presents the crystal-encrusted Allos LED chandelier. You can find it at Connecticut Lighting Centers. Locations in Hartford, (860) 249-7631, and Southington, (860) 621-7585, ctlighting.com

Pink Perfection What could be lovelier in a lady’s boudoir than the Regent Bench from Jonathan Adler? Place it at the end of your bed as a sort of plush punctuation mark. Locations in Westport, (203) 221-4547, and Greenwich, (203) 622-1476, jonathanadler.com

Refined Find Give your grand foyer instant fashion with the Blake Table, a member of Safavieh’s new Marble Madness line. A smooth slab of marble sits atop a fabulously curvaceous foundation for a piece that’s pure sophistication. Locations in Danbury, (203) 790-7200, and Stamford, (203) 327-4800, safaviehhome.com

Magic Carpet Crocodile, a new, reptilianinspired carpet pattern from Mark Inc., combines two strong hand-knotted fibers: hemp and silk from Nepal. Create a one-ofa-kind result with a custom color for the silk. Stamford, (203) 8610110, markinccarpets.com

Sweet Dreams An exaggerated scalloped edge brings whimsy to Julia B.’s Calais bedding line. The couturequality cotton percale linens can be monogrammed. Greenwich, (203) 329-8248, juliab.com 126  New England Home Connecticut  spring 2014

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Open your door to Livable Luxury

21 Bridge Square, Westport, CT 06880 t: 203.331.5578 f: 203.557.4321 jan@janhiltzinteriorsllc.com www.janhiltzinteriorsllc.com

www.robertmsherwood.com

203.798.1547

Robert Sherwood Landscape Architect

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New in the Showrooms

Glitter Bomb With a brass head and stem rising from a block of Carrara marble, this starburst topiary at Montage resembles a two-foot dandelion (albeit a very luxe one). Westport, (203) 349-5859, montagemodern.com

Looking Glass Customers so love the inlaid glass top of the Newhart Console from Charleston Forge that Sheridan Select plans to add it as an option for other table styles. Meanwhile, this one can be customized to any size and finish. Wilton, (203) 7622888, sheridaninteriors.com

Blue Heaven This folksy Moroccan Olive pattern is one of several new textile designs from Elizabeth Eakins. Made of 100 percent linen, it’s currently offered in just one color, of-themoment indigo. South Norwalk, (203) 831-9347, elizabetheakins.com

Distinctive Dishes Bring authentic Italian craftsmanship to your table with Fortunata’s Casa Mia collection, available at Terston. Each sublimely spring-colored piece is handmade, giving it a unique look and feel. Kent, (860) 927-1255, terston.com

In Fine Feather Turn a blank wall from blah to breathtaking by displaying this feather headdress from Cameroon. Imagine a cluster grouping for even greater impact. Shop for it at Pergola. New Preston, (860) 868-4769, pergolahome.com

Divine Discovery On a recent trip to Europe, the owner of Bungalow stumbled upon a pair of antique Chinese trunks and—lucky us!—snatched them up. We can’t think of a cooler way to add something old to a room. Westport, (203) 227-4406, bungalowdecor.com

—Catie Parrish 128  New England Home Connecticut  spring 2014

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The Signature is Unmistakable

Eco-Elegant interiors by Dujardin Design. Creating rooms as crisp and natural as the ocean breeze that inspires them. Trudy Dujardin, ASID, LEED Accredited Professional +ID + C

508.228.1120 Nantucket, MA. | 203.838.8100 Westport, CT. | dujardindesign.com

Custom Homes Renovations Estate Care WESTPORT, CT

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203-227-4134

www.wrightbuild.com

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Save the Date May 1, 2014 Thomas O'Brien

New England Home Connecticut and Wakefield Design Center present

To The Trade Only Market Day Featuring the latest trends in home furnishings, new product introductions, book signings, and more including:

Alexis Audette

12:30 – 1:30 pm AERO: BEGINNING TO NOW A personal history of my design studio and store Presented by Thomas O’Brien, designer Followed by book signing and light fare 2:00 – 2:45 pm MEET US IN OUR FLOATING WORLD Explore Beacon Hill Silks Presented by Alexis Audette, design director, Beacon Hill

Kerri Rosenthal

3:00 – 3:45 pm BUILDING YOUR DESIGN BUSINESS ONLINE Houzz, Pinterest, Blogs Panel: Kerri Rosenthal, Tiffany Eastman, Jennifer Mehditash Moderator: Stacey Kunstel – editor, stylist, designer

Tiffany Eastman

4:00 – 4:45 pm THE ARTFUL EYE: INSPIRED TRIM FOR THE MODERN HOME Presented by designer Lori Weitzner for Samuel & Sons Designer Collections-Passementerie 5:00 – 5:45pm THOM FILICIA: DEFINING AMERICANISM From interior design to product lines Q&A w/ Stacey Bewkes of Quintessence blog and Thom Filicia, designer American Beauty book signing and wine reception to follow 1:00 – 5:00 pm DESIGNER PORTFOLIO REVIEW Bring two of your favorite projects and have New England Home’s editor review them for possible consideration in an upcoming issue. Presented by Karin Lidbeck Brent, contributing editor at New England Home

Jennifer Mehditash

Lori Weitzner

Wakefield Design Center 652 Glenbrook Road Stamford, CT Stacey Bewkes

RSVP to: info@wakefielddesigncenter.com For more information, please contact 203.358.0818 or visit www.wakefielddesigncenter.com

Presented by

Thom Filicia

WINE AND HORS D’OEUVRES PROVIDED BY


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Thank you to our presenting sponsors Closest & Storage Concepts is an organization and storage products company servicing thousands of satisfied customers by designing, manufacturing and installing custom closet and storage organization systems for residential, retail and commercial applications. Our professionally trained storage system designers and space planning consultants will measure the space, perform a detailed needs analysis and make recommendations for maximizing the space. They will then create a custom design that utilizes space as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. Our skilled craftsmen custom manufacture our systems to exact specifications in our own state-of-the-art facility, thereby assuring quality control, and our team of professional installers will carefully remove any existing systems and flawlessly construct your new organization system. Closet & Storage Concepts uses only the finest quality materials to create our storage solutions which are constructed with thermally-fused ¾” melamine laminate finish in a variety of colors and textures and strong, durable components that will last a lifetime.

Closet & Storage Concepts 356 Ely Avenue in | Norwalk, CT www.closetandstorageconcepts.com

Drawing inspiration from my background in jewelry design, we are capable of creating an unlimited variety of finishes, including gilding, glazing, venetian plaster, marmorino plasters, antiquing, eglomoise, faux stone, wood graining, cerusing and lacquer. In addition, we design finishes with gold, aluminum, copper leaf and abalone shell. Our custom finishes for walls, ceiling and trim are designed to complete the room.

Heidi Holzer 18 Church Street | Redding, CT (203) 544-9471 | f. (203) 544-9583 hholzer@heidiholzer.com www.heidiholzer.com

Front Row Kitchens is a full-service, family-owned business, and we will be celebrating our 30th anniversary next year. Visit our showroom to see why so many clients have chosen Front Row Kitchens for their cabinet needs. Exceptional space planning and kitchen design, cultivated from years of experience, yields exceptional results.

Front Row Kitchens 117 New Canaan Avenue | Norwalk, CT (203) 849-0302 www.frontrowkitchens.com

A purveyor of luxury linens and home furnishings since 1974, The Linen Shop offers exceptional quality, unparalleled choice and personalized service. And as specialists in custom linens, The Linen Shop is a destination for a devoted clientele of designers and architects. Join our Designer Trade Program and enjoy the many benefits we offer. We look forward to the opportunity to serve your unique design needs from our vast collection of custom styles, fabrics, embroideries, and finishes. Please contact us at thelinenshopinfo@aol.com for further information about our To the Trade Program benefits. The Linen Shop 21 Elm Street | New Canaan, CT (203) 972-0433

New from Beacon Hill—Modern motifs merge with historical concepts in Floating World and Silk Jacquard & Embroideries, two new collections from Beacon Hill inspired by the late 19th-century French artistic movement that encompassed both Japonisme and Chinoiserie, Floating World updates vintage documents to the 21st century by enlarging patterns to a grand, highly stylized scale, making them both opulent and relevant to today’s interiors. Silk Jacquard & Embroideries employs smaller motifs that can be used in supporting roles to Floating World’s bold focal fabrics. Both collections are made exclusively for Beacon Hill at the world’s finest silk mills.

The Robert Allen Group 11 West 42nd Street | New York, NY (212) 282-9814 www.robertallendesign.com


Resources A guide to the products and professionals in this issue’s featured homes OUTSIDE INTEREST: OUT OF THE WOODS PAGES 30–33 Landscape design: Scott Jamison, Oliver Nurseries, Fairfield, (203) 254-2303, olivernurseries.com Stone mason: Anthony Manca Mason Contractors, Bethel, (203) 778-2615 A HOME OF HER OWN PAGES 74–81 Architect: Michael Smith, Michael Smith Architects, Wilton, (203) 563-0553, michaelsmitharchitects.com Builder: Country Club Homes, Wilton, (203) 7620550, countryclubhomesinc.com Pages 74–75: Light Pewter wall color from Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com; grasscloth wall covering by Phillip Jeffries, phillipjeffries. com; artwork on mantel and over sofa by Kerri Rosenthal through Pimlico, pimlicohome. com; lamps from Design Solutions, dsnewcanaan. com; rug from Tufenkian Carpets, tufenkian. com; coffee table from Lillian August, lillianaugust.com; pink Greek key pillows from Trina Turk, trinaturk.com, and silver pillows from Callisto Home, callistohome.com, both through Lillian August; sofa and chairs from Lee Industries, leeindustries.com; woven metal side tables from Horchow, horchow.com; sconces from Klaff’s, klaffs.com. Page 76: Chairs and drapes from Ballard Designs, ballarddesigns.com; dining table from Parc Monceau, parcmonceauwestport.com; chandelier from West Elm, westelm.com; Brassica wall color by Farrow & Ball, us.farrow-ball.com; Pale Oak trim color by Benjamin Moore; antique mirror from Odesmith & Richards, odesmithandrichards.com. Page 77: Lanterns from Klaff’s; rug from West Elm, pink pillows from Lillian August; metal cocktail table from Horchow. Pages 78–79: Banquette chairs and island barstools from Design Within Reach, dwr.com; table from Parc Monceau; GE Monogram range, monogram.com; lights from Klaff’s; pillows on banquette by John Robshaw, johnrobshaw.com, through The Linen Shop, the-linen-shop.com. Page 80: Wallpaper from National Geographic through Home Depot, homedepot.com; nightstands, comforter, and chandelier from Pottery Barn Teen, pbteen.com. Page 81: Love seat from Ballard Designs; zebra pillows from The Linen Shop; elephant from Serena & Lily, serenaandlily.com; pig pillow from Folly

Design Elements, darienfollydesignelements.com; tub from Klaff’s. CONTINENTAL DRIFT PAGES 82–89 Architect: Kevin Quinlan, Kevin Quinlan Architecture, Wilton, (203) 210-5050, kevinquinlanarchitecture.com Interior designer: Anne-Laure Martyn, Cote Est Decor, New Canaan, (203) 505-2895, coteestdecor.com Builder: John Williams, Harbor Property Development, Wilton, (203) 984-7330 Kitchen design: True North Cabinets, New Canaan, (866) 377-6914, truenorthcabinets.net Stonework/masonry/hardscaping: Stone Driveways of New England, Wallingford, (203) 294-1846, stonedriveway.com Page 82: Distressed zinc table, burlap settee, and vintage metal chairs through Cote Est Decor; chandelier from Lillian August, lillianaugust.com; staircase by Hardwood Design, hardwoodesign. com. Page 83: Italian farm table from Lillian August; clock, lighting globes, and reupholstered chairs through Cote Est Decor; library patina refinished by Cote Est Decor. Pages 84–85: European courtyard doors from Lillian August; 1900 oak and pewter bar through Cote Est Decor; weathered zinc lighting from Anthropologie, anthropologie.com; bar stools from Lillian August; sitting room settee, cushions, decorative elements, weathered barn siding, and beams all through Cote Est Decor. Page 86: Iron ornaments from Garden Iron, gardeniron.com; plant installation by L&L EverGreen, llevergreen.com, and Putnam Landscaping, putnamlandscaping. com; reclaimed Chicago brick in mudroom from Vintage Brick Salvage, bricksalvage.com; coatrack through Cote Est Decor. Page 87: Countertop and tiles from Stepping Stones Marble & Granite, classicstones.com; cabinets by True North Cabinets; stainless-steel countertop by Focal Metals, focalmetals.com; counter stools from Dovecote, dovecote-westport. com. Page 88: Cabinets and mirrors from Restoration Hardware, restorationhardware.com; quilt and bed skirt from Blanc d’Ivoire, blancdivoire.com; duvet cover from Restoration Hardware; furniture and distressed mantel through Cote Est Decor. Page 89: Upholstered bed and Union Jack pillows from Cote Est Decor; wall sconces from Blanc d’Ivoire. CHIC AT THE SHORE PAGES 90–97 Architect: Robert Cardello, Robert A. Cardello Architects, South Norwalk, (203) 853-2524,

cardelloarchitects.com Interior designer: Kat Rosier, Hōm Sanctuary, Greenwich, (203) 8694549 Builder: Joe Filanowski Jr., J&J Custom Builders, Milford, (203) 876-0051, jjcustombuilders.com Landscape design: Bruce Bennett, Kent Greenhouse and Gardens, Kent, (860) 480-0091, kentgreenhouse.com Interior millwork: Custom Furniture and Design, Litchfield, (860) 567-3519, customfurnitureanddesign.com Drapery and upholstery workroom: Top of the Line, Stamford, (203) 348-0000 Audio/video design/installation: Smart Home & Theater, Milford, (203) 659-4734, audiovideoct. com Pages 90–91: Sofa designed by Kat Rosier, with fabric by Kravet, kravet.com; pillow fabric from Osborne & Little, osborneandlittle.com; chairs designed by Kat Rosier with chair fabric by Brentano, brentanofabrics.com, from Pollack, pollackassociates.com; side tables designed by Kat Rosier, fabricated by Michael Sean, michaelsean. com; ottomans designed by Kat Rosier with fabric by Robert Allen, robertallendesign.com; lamps by Porta Romana, portaromana.co.uk; art by Beth Weintraub through A. Rudin, arudin. com; rug by Apadana, apadanathecollection. com; drapery fabric by Larsen, larsenfabrics.com; Summer Shower wall color by Benjamin Moore, benjaminmoore.com. Pages 92–93: Hutch by Robert Cardello Architects; table by Holly Hunt, hollyhunt. com; chairs from Artistic Frame, artisticframe. com; chair from Design Tex, designtex.com; custom wallpaper from Surfaces by David Bonk, surfacesbydavidbonk.com; drapery fabric from Koplavitch & Zimmer through DesignSourceCT, designsourcect.com. Page 95: Kitchen cabinetry by Robert A. Cardello Architects; backsplash from Greenwich Tile and Marble, greenwichtileandmarble.com; velvet quartzite countertops from Millennium Stone, millenniumstoneltd.com; lighting by Juliska, juliska. com; sitting room sofa and ottoman designed by Kat Rosier with fabric by Kravet; rug from Apadana; window fabric by Zoffany from Makeda Plains, zoffany.com; pillow fabric by Robert Allen; Lighthouse Landing wall color by Benjamin Moore. Page 96: Bed designed by Kat Rosier, with Kravet fabric; rug from Turabian & Sariyan, turabianandsariyan.com; nightstands by Powell & Bonnell, powellandbonnell.com, from Dennis Miller, dennismiller.com; drapery fabric from Beacon Hill, beaconhilldesign.com; Lucite bench designed by Kat Rosier; Heaven paint color by Benjamin Moore. GOTHIC NOVEL PAGES 98–107 Architects: Thomas Soyster and Thomas Taylor,

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Soyster Taylor Design, Farmington, (860) 6761201, soystertaylordesign.com Kitchen design consultation: Nena Donovan Levine, West Hartford, (860) 559-9170, ndesigncommunications.com Builder: United Construction & Engineering, Torrington, (860) 489-7273, uce-gc.com Page 100: Clementina wallpaper from Bradbury & Bradbury, bradbury.com, installed by Peter W. Hurlbut, Winsted, (860) 379-5472; English Ceiling Light from Circa Lighting, circalighting. com; flooring by Joe Monda, Jo-DE Ceramic Tile, Goshen, (860) 491-3241; console from Farmington Antiques Show, farmingtonantiquesweekend. com; chairs from Litchfield County Auctions, litchfieldcountyauctions. com. Page 103: Rug from J Namnoun Oriental Rug Gallery, jnamnoun. com; white side table from Ballard Designs, ballarddesigns.com; blue chairs, settee, and footstool upholstered by Imperial Decorating & Upholstery, imperialdecorating.com; art over fireplace from Cooley Gallery, cooleygallery.com. Page 104: Hand-stenciling on walls by Josa Weatherwax, josastudios.com; blue wall color by Farrow & Ball, farrow-ball.com; rug from J Namnoun Oriental Rug Gallery; chandelier from Old Lights On, oldlightson.com; art above fireplace from Cooley Gallery; fireplace surround from Atelier Jouvance, ajstoneworks.com. Page 105: Benson Pendant light fixtures over island from Restoration Hardware, restorationhardware.com; lights over sink and sconces from Circa Lighting; cobalt blue vase on island from Midsummer Nights, midsummernightschatham.com; countertops from O&G Industries, ogind.com; flooring from Eccologie, eccologie.com, installed by Joe Monda, Jo-DE Ceramic Tile; island and cabinets designed by Soyster Taylor Design, fabricated by Provident Millworks, Winsted, (860) 238-4056; custom hood designed by Soyster Taylor Design, fabricated by J F Graney Metal Design, graneymetaldesign.com. Page 106: Restoration of table and restoration and re-caning of chairs by Romulo Chanduvi, Chanduvi Studios, East Hartford, (860) 282-9215; griddle pans from Worden Select Objects, Burr Oak, Mich., (269) 489-5311; fireplace surround designed by Soyster Taylor Design, fabricated by O&G Industries. Page 107: Rug restored by J Namnoun Oriental Rug Gallery; leather chairs and sofa from Restoration Hardware; throw pillows from Imperial Decorating & Upholstery; barley-twist kindling tub

JONATHAN WALLEN PHOTOGRAPHY

from Griswold Street Antiques, Glastonbury, (860)

15 River Road, Suite 225 | Wilton, CT

657-2885; hallway Haberdasher’s Single Sconce

203.761.9943 | www.berkshireconstruction.com

from Circa Lighting; woodwork designed by Soyster Taylor Design, fabricated and installed by C J P Woodworks, Winsted, (860) 379-3235. •

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Ad Index

Fairfield County Antique and Design Center  22

Olson Development  8–9

A helpful resource for finding the advertisers featured in this issue

Festivities  124

Rinfret Design Limited  19

Finished in Fabric, LLC  135

Robert Cardello Architects  35

Fox Hill Builders  21

Robert Dean Architects  20

Freddy’s Landscape Company  58–59

Robert Sherwood Landscape Design  127

Front Row Kitchens  29

Runtal North America  41

Gary McBournie  12

S&W Building and Remodeling  135

Gault Stone and Energy  60–61

Sarah Blank Design Studio  14

Heidi Holzer Design and Decorative Work  25

Seventy Acres Landscape Architecture and Design  72–73

A&J Custom Draperies and Shades  123 Amy Aidinis Hirsch  2–3 Aqua Pool & Patio, Inc.  48–49 Artemis Landscape Architects  22 Austin Ganim Landscape Design, LLC  50–51 Axel Interiors  38 Back Bay Shutter Co., Inc.  23 Berkshire Wilton Partners  133

Homefront Farmers  62–63

Shade & Shutter Systems, Inc.  27

Huelster Design Studio, LLC  64–65

Sharon McCormick Design LLC  6–7

InnerSpace Electronics  119

Shope Reno Wharton  1

J. Namnoun Oriental Rug Gallery  inside front cover

Tiefenthaler, Inc.  39

Jan Hiltz Interiors  127

The Ultimate Bath Store  28 Upstate Door  119

Closet and Storage Concepts  110

Jeff Soderbergh Custom Made Sustainable Furnishings  125

Coldwell Banker Previews International  40

Kebabian’s  17

Wakefield Design Center  37, 130–131

Connie Giuliani, Inc.  33

Klaff’s  back cover

Woodmeister Master Builders  109

Construction Management Group  115

The LaurelRock Company  66–67

Wright Building Company  129

Country Club Homes  18

The Linen Shop  117

Yankee Stone Driveways  124

Cyrilla Home and Design Atelier  123

Mar Silver Design  10–11

Daniel Conlon Architects  44

Marianne Donahue Interiors  108

Brown Jordan Outdoor Kitchens  52–53 Casa Design  54–55 Charles Hilton Architects  46

Decorative Crafts  inside back cover

Marvin Gardens  68–69

Devore Associates  120

Michael Smith Architects  31

Douglas VanderHorn Architects  13

Morgan Harrison Home  113

The Drawing Room  4–5

Morrone Studio Indesign  70–71

Dujardin Design Associates, Inc.  129

Mr. Showerdoor  34

Emme  121

NuKitchens  43

Erskine Middeleer Associates  56–57

Olga Adler Interiors  44

VA Solutions Construction Group  45

/////// New England Home Connecticut, Spring 2014 © 2014 by Network Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted by written request only. Editorial and advertising office: New ­England Home, 530 Harrison Avenue, Suite 302, Boston, MA 02118, (617) 938–3991, (800) 609–5154. Corporate office: Network Communications, Inc., 2 Sun Court NW, Suite 300, Norcross, GA 30092, (678) 346–9300.

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I’ve been working on several designs for outdoor furniture lately. Here are two I think are especially interesting. Table/Bench: This was designed to fill the need for a flexible piece of outdoor furniture that could act as a buffet serving

area when necessary and serve as functional seating when not in use as a table. We selected teak and powder-coated steel as the materials, to withstand the elements. Add a very simple flip-and-slide mechanism, and the challenge was met. Bar Table: This bar table was designed for a pergola made of heavy timber beams and fieldstone. The idea for the base was to resemble one of the structure’s large beams cut up randomly with a chainsaw and then reassembled in a floating pattern. We produced this piece using a polished stainless-steel base and cylinder to hold the (quite large) chunks of teak wood, and then topped it off with Absolute Black granite suitable for outdoor use. Paul Guzzetta, iH Design Studio, Stamford, (203) 969-7227, ihdesignstudio.com

136  New England Home Connecticut  Spring 2014

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