The HOME Monthly North/South Edition by HAN Network

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Shop online @ www.safaviehhome.com �� October 2008

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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FEATURES Heating with wood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 An award-winning blend of old and new . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Putting heart and soul into everyday items. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Luxury meets sustainability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Have your lawn and water it, too . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Eliminate debt - how to do it . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34-35 Shattering to nerves and nature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 House beautiful . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40-41 Polishing houses coast to coast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50-51 DEPARTMENTS Window on Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Racking One’s Brain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 Home Moaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23 Into the Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27 Home of the Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29 Interior Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Homebodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Cover: Home of the Month in New Canaan.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

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WINDOW I ON I REAL I ESTATE ■

Waiting for a buyer? Spruce up, pare down ... then relax and enjoy by Jane K. Dove With homes often taking longer to sell these days, owners are paying more attention to getting them in pristine condition to attract demanding buyers. Many find that once the minor repairs and general sprucing up are done, they love the results so much they wonder why they waited so long. “Relax and enjoy” is the advice offered by real estate pros. “Once you have the place in tip-top, sparkling condition, you may feel a sense of ease and new satisfaction with your space that enables you to enjoy it to the fullest until the right buyer comes along,” says Peggy Marconi, a Realtor with Keller-Williams Real Estate of Ridgefield. Peggy says many of her recommendations not only attract buyers but make sellers very happy with their “new” homes. “A lot of these tips are simple and inexpensive but can yield great results on both ends.”

my clients tell me they feel a sense of relief and peace when all of that ‘stuff ’ is gone. Clutter can create stress, and people don’t even realize it.” Once you have de-cluttered you can see your space in a new light. “Without breaking the bank, you can add fresh coats of paint in selected rooms, refurbish hardwood floors with new products that make them look like new; discard or shampoo wall-towall carpets, and wash your windows,” she says. Attending to kitchens and baths is also very important,” Peggy says. “Once again, de-clutter and do a serious cleaning. With everything off the counters, think in terms of a couple of fresh plants or a bowl of fruit instead of a hodgepodge of assorted appliances.” See Window on Real Estate page 25

Simple Fixes

Getting rid of clutter tops Peggy’s to-do-list. “Pack it up, put it away, sell it, or give it away,” she says. “It’s good for the soul and the spirit to live clutter-free. Many of ��

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October 2008

The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Heating with wood REDUCE COST, INCREASE BEAUTY by Priscilla Whitley If you’re thinking of heating your home with a wood stove, the important thing to remember is “to burn wood responsibly,” Niels Wittus said. Sound advice from a man who’s been in the business of selling European contemporary wood-burning stoves and fireplaces for 30 years, and is now designingthem. “As a tree grows, it absorbs carbon dioxide,” Niels explained. “When you burn wood, it expels carbon dioxide. The problem is that with a traditional open-faced fireplace, too much carbon dioxide is returned to the air, but in well-designed wood-burning stoves, only a small amount is released. “A standard fireplace is 10% efficient; 90% of the carbon dioxide goes up the flue. However, with a high-efficiency stove, you can get 65% to 70% efficiency from the same log. Logs that burn up every 10 to 15 minutes in a traditional fireplace will now take anywhere from three to five hours to burn.” Simply stated, a well-built wood-burning stove or fireplace may be the answer to reducing fuel costs as winter approaches. Wittus, Fire by Design, has been in Pound Ridge, N.Y., for the past nine years. Owned by the knowledgeable and affable Niels Wittus, who’s been in the business since 1978, along with his wife, Alyce, the shop has a wide range of stylish stoves and fireplaces (EPA certified) for any homeowner’s needs.

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Efficiency And Style

Homeowners are increasingly concerned about the environment and their reliance on energy sources that increase pollution, yet they don’t want to sacrifice style for efficiency. Here’s where these beautiful fireplaces come into play; they can fit into any style

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Niels takes time to inform his customers about the variety of fireplaces (do not confuse them with the traditional brick or fieldstone fireplaces found in most houses), stoves, outdoor grills, and accessories. And then there’s his depth of knowledge about the environment and the benefits of these particular designs. “In the early 1980s,” he explained, “the EPA started to realize that wood-burning smoke is not good for you, so they put into effect pretty tough standards for woodburning stoves. As you burn a log, it radiates flame with heat, but you also have the carbon dioxide gas that gets released. In a standard open fireplace, all that gas goes up through the chimney. In our units, that gas also burns – you actually have two fires. You have a fire below in the firebox, and at the top you have baffle plates, which turn the smoke in a circular motion so all the unburned gas gets burned a second time before it leaves the unit. Today, you shouldn’t see any significant amount of smoke coming out of these units because of their efficiency, and that is an EPA regulation.”

The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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of home, whether it’s an antique farmhouse or a glass contemporary. Knowledgeable designers are all about mixing and matching the old with the new. That is why these contemporary fireplaces are ideal – they blend so well with a variety of designs. Some are free-standing and others can be built as inserts for an existing fireplace. There are models that provide an oven on the top – think pizza cooked over a wood flame, or the aroma of fresh-baked bread. They can be tall or wide, round or pyramid-shaped. Some are made of luxurious soapstone and others with the sleek, classic look of stainless steel. “We have many different designs from a variety of designers and manufacturers,” Niels said, walking around his showroom, stepping over his sleeping dog, August. “If you look at furniture or automobile designs from Europe, you see the trend that has developed. It all tends to be streamlined. See Heating with wood page 42

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�� Niels Wittus is an excellent guide to choosing the best fireplace or stove for any room in your home.

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�� The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

An award-winning blend of old and new by Lois Alcosser

The history of this antique home dates back to the 18th Century and the Obadiah Seely Jr. family.

Exteriors

In one of the most beautiful locations in New Canaan, on a serene, stately property of more than three acres, 605 Ponus Ridge Road has been called “a one-of-akind Connecticut classic,” and indeed it is. It’s a house with a pedigree, and just this year it received a Historic Preservation Award citation as an example of architectural purity, which was maintained throughout the additions of space and comfort that make it a charming modern home. In granting the award to the owners, Lucia and Matthew Zachowski, there was abundant praise for their vision and tenacity in allowing the integrity of the structure to be retained, while providing every possible feature that today’s homeowner demands. The history of 605 Ponus Ridge Road dates back to the 18th Century, when Obadiah Seely Jr. built for his family a center-chimney colonial, with a centered front door facing the road. Through the years, changes and improvements made the home larger and more luxurious. By eliminating the central chimney and creating a central hall, it was transformed from Colonial to Federal, with authentic architectural details: a sunburst panel above the front door, and elegant moldings and paneling, creating a distinguished, aristocratic structure. In 1991, the house was purchased by the Zachowskis, a young couple who loved the idea of living in a historic context but who also envisioned a home that contained the best examples of comfort and convenience through contemporary

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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October 2008

technology. When they were about to become parents, they embarked on a truly visionary expansion, which would seamlessly blend the old with the new. Entering the house through the main side entrance, there is a covered porch, for year-round outdoor relaxation. Once you are inside, the entry hall delivers an instant feeling of warm nostalgia, though there is nothing old-fashioned about the height of the ceilings or the brightness of the interior. Strolling through the parlor, living room and dining room, a visitor is aware of how subtle and tasteful is the blending of the old and the new, of history and contemporary details, right down to the floorboards, crown and baseboard moldings, and a stunning Federal-period mantel, which was positioned to form the centerpiece of the new wing. There are country views everywhere, and it’s apparent why the house is included in the New Canaan Garden Tour. Flowering trees are planted throughout the property, and new gardens designed by Lucia herself blend into the natural landscape. Everything reflects the essence of good taste, nothing overdone or out of keeping with an aura of splendid, state-of-the-art quality. And then, the kitchen! Compared to the splashy, flashy, trendy kitchens that go in and out of fashion, this is an instantly welcoming haven that is nourishment for the senses. With cream-colored walls and cabinetry, and a generous hardwood-topped dining island, it is both a carefully calibrated workplace and a sunny, windowed expression of hospitality. The carpentry, hardware and overall design create the atmosphere of a traditional family kitchen, while the Aga range, Sub-Zero appliances and generous dimensions fulfill the most demanding culinary requirements. One can readily imagine friendly conversations, enticing tastings and the well-planned pleasures of food preparation. The idea was to create a “period” feel, combined with all the conveniences anyone could need. Right off the kitchen, arched casement windows fill one wall of the breakfast room, a place destined to be a family favorite for lunch and supper. It overlooks the beautifully landscaped, ozone-filtered Gunite heated pool and pool house. Protected

Authentic architectural details, such as the elegant molding and paneling, blend well with the updated amenities.

by a canopy of woods on three sides, it is a seductive private setting for peaceful relaxation. Continuing the plan to accommodate future needs, below the breakfast room is a media room, office and bathroom, which could almost be a separate apartment with its separate entrance. It is certainly a wonderful play space. Upstairs, by way of a graceful, spindle staircase, are the spacious master bedroom and bath and three additional bedrooms, two with their own bathrooms. See Award-winning page 54

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October 2008

The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Putting heart and soul into everyday items by Jeannette Ross

When the Westchester Craft Show returns for its 15th year on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Oct. 17-19, at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, two Connecticut craftspeople will be among those returning. Patricia Burling of Willow Weave in Monroe will show her hand-woven rugs and throws and Thomas Throop of Black Creek Designs in New Canaan will display his handmade furniture. In addition to more than 115 craft artists at the juried show, the Westchester Craft Show is one of 60 venues to be featured in All Fired Up! A Celebration of Clay in Westchester. This series of exhibitions, panel discussions, workshops, and classes is intended to deepen public appreciation of the depth and breadth of ceramic arts. As part of this project, the craft show will host several lectures by nationally recognized ceramic artists. Willow Weave

Ceramics is not what Pat Burling is all about. She is well known for her brightly colored and boldly designed hand-woven wool rugs, as well as her sumptuous mohair throws. The rugs can be used on the floor or as eye-catching wall hangings. “My work is about color and graphic design,” said Pat, who has been weaving for 30 years. She works in her home studio where she has three looms, creating rugs in a style called Ripsmatta. Thomas Throop’s furniture is noted for its functional yet elegant design in a diversity of wood. Looking at one of her rugs it’s easy to appreciate the artistic talent, but the physical effort involved is deceptive. It can take several days to get the loom ready for a project before she can even start weaving. Because she is too petite to sit while weaving she stands in order to get enough leverage for the strong pull it takes on the loom to make all the rows nice and tight. As a result, Pat weaves about 30 inches a day. The rest of her time is devoted to meeting with or talking on the phone with clients, answering e-mails, designing new projects, and performing all the other tasks associated with any business. Pat’s rugs are made of 100% wool that is light-fast, color-fast, stain-resistant, and mothproof. “I work with 48 yarns to the inch,” Pat said, explaining how the loom was set up. “I can play with the colors. I can pick them up and put them down with my hands.” The result is that each row is subtly different no matter how many or how few individual colors WILLIAM F. VERRILL she is working with. Depending on the pattern, some rugs are the same on both sides, some are different. In either case, FINE WOODWORKING - FROM DESIGN TO INSTALLATION they can be reversed. Using earthy, jewel-toned colors, Pat’s 30 YEARS OF LOCAL EXPERIENCE - BY APPOINTMENT - 203-761-9109 rugs are highly textured with thick and

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

thin cylindrical ridges. She describes them as having a moresque, painterly effect, in essence, pointillism with yarn. However you portray them, they caught the eye of the editors of Genetics in Medicine magazine, who recognized the similarity of Pat’s designs and a DNA microarray. She and her rugs will be on the cover of the November issue. Rugs may be ordered hemmed or with an ample fringe at the ends. They can be woven in a single panel up to 72 inches wide and any length. Any wider than that and panels can be stitched together, with the seam showing like a braid. It is very attractive and adds to the design.

Pat’s choice of using wool only is both aesthetic and practical. Her rugs are extremely durable – the one in her entryway is 28 years old and has been through three children, a dog, a cat, and countless visitors – and organic in design. “I’m not a synthetic person,” she said. Pat comes from an artistic family. Her mother is an accomplished painter and her granddaughter exhibits the same talent. Pat knew the fine arts were not for her, but she was intrigued by weaving and is self-taught. In the 1970s, when she and her husband lived in North Carolina, Pat became friends with a weaver – although her technique was completely different – and she became Pat’s mentor. “She showed me how to really see, how to shut out the peripherals,” Pat said. She took the plunge to buy a loom, selling her family-room furniture, her husband’s country music collection, and the bathroom mirrors to do so. It has been a journey of discovery ever since. Pat’s work is very personal and rooted in nature and her personal surroundings. “I look at the bark of trees, flowers, shells, whatever’s out there,” she said. She even names her works based on her inspiration. They include Coral Reef, Hermitage, Ribbons of Light, and Olive Groves. The same is true of her throws, which are woven of textured mohair, wool, silk, and rayon and finished with a generous fringe. One, in shades of green, is called Peaceful Garden. Another, Bookbindings, was inspired by a box of her father’s books. “I looked at them, at the spines in the box and then at the end papers,” she said. As if all this were not enough, Pat also makes site-specific wall pieces that are padded, three-dimensional geometric forms on which she creates linear designs. They are mixed media architectural works that combine a variety of textiles and fibers. See Westchester Craft Show page 14

Patricia Burley is well known for brightly colored, boldly designed hand-woven woolen rugs.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

WINDERMERE ON THE LAKE

Luxury meets sustainability by Jane K. Dove

With lovely meadows, stone walls, carefully preserved mature trees, a tranquil lake and pond, and 50 forested acres devoted to open space, the 74-acre Windermere on the Lake luxury-home development in the historic Long Ridge area of North Stamford captures the traditional look and feel of an English countryside. The site’s tranquility is a combination of the developer’s carefully conceived and executed plan, complemented by the English Arts & Crafts architectural style of the 24 homes. Wherever the eye rests at Windermere on the Lake, a beautiful vista presents itself. And integral to the plan is a thoroughly eco-friendly approach, recognized recently with the prestigious LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The LEED certification, developed by the United States Green Building Council, sets the gold standard for sustainable land use and “green” home technologies across America. Windermere’s 8,000-square-foot Cumbria model is the first in Fairfield County to receive certification. See Windermere page 16

Beauty and serenity combine with a focus on ecology to make Windermere a special community development.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Westchester Craft Show continued from page 11

lines are spare and there is not a lot of ornamentation. Embellishment comes from the color and grain of the wood and the way it is shaped. “Each element has to have a purpose,” he said. “That’s a philosophy that runs through a lot of cultures. Design,” he continued, “is about solving problems, workMost of Pat’s work is custom, although she sells her throws through galleries across the country. Locally, she is showing rugs at the Ironwood Gallery in ing within constraints, and creating a form that fills functional and philosophical Ridgefield. She will also have work for sale at the craft show. For details on how the desires.” Those forms may take the shape of dining tables or boardroom tables, ordering process works and pricing information, visit her Web site at patriciaburling. graceful bedside tables, writing desks or power desks, cabinetry, benches, and more. com. She can also be reached at 203-268-4794. The wood Tom uses varies. Although he uses a lot of western walnut, he also uses rosewood, mahogany and some species that are not widely known. “Wood has real Black Creek Designs character and a real depth to it,” he said. “The object is to bring out the fulfillment Although his work could not be more different from Pat Burling’s, Thomas that’s in the material. Oregon walnut is different from California walnut, and eastern Throop’s furniture designs are no less personal. Talking with him about his work walnut is different still.” Tom did not start out as a craftsman. In fact, he received a degree in economics quickly moves from the practical to the philosophical, and it is clear that in his mind a table is not just a table. All his work marries form and materials. The result is a from Connecticut College. “I love reading about economics,” he said, “but I decided piece – be it a table, desk, bed or display case – that is functional yet elegant. His I didn’t want to pursue it as a career.” He discovered his passion while restoring a house in upstate New York with his brother. In the late 80s, as the U.S. economy was sinking, Tom decided it would be a good time for some formal training, �� so he enrolled in a program in England �� with furniture maker John Makepeace. He returned to the U.S. in 1993, and �� lived in a few places before setting up his �� studio in his native New Canaan. “The great thing about what I do is I �� do everything,” he said of his one-man operation. Eighty percent of his work is �� commissioned, with the remaining 20 ��4��4�� percent for sale at craft shows and gal�� leries. Locally, he shows at the Ironwood �� Gallery in Ridgefield. At the Westchester �� Show he will have two console �� Craft tables, one of birds-eye maple and �� mahogany and the other of cherry and

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DETAILS The Westchester Craft Show will feature more than 115 of the country’s leading craft artists exhibiting items made of hand-blown glass, porcelain and precious metals, ceramics, wearable art in the form of jewelry, leather handbags, and clothing, handcrafted furniture, and woodturned vessels. Hours: 10 to 6 Fri. and Sat., Oct. 17-18; 11 to 5 Sun., Oct. 19. Admission: $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens. Westchester County Center is at the intersection of Rtes. 119 and 100 at the Bronx River Parkway. For more information, call Crafts America, 203-254-0486, or the Center, 914-995-4050, or visit craftsamericashows.com.

The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

amboyna burl, a coffee table of sapele and paduak, a round side table, and a music stand. Designing a piece, he said, is all about connecting with the client. “It’s more about who they are,” he said, “how a piece will be used. If possible, he will visit clients’ homes to see their environment to discern what kind of person they are. “I have good observation skills and good design skills, and I’m a good listener,” he said. From the preliminary drawings through the construction process, “what’s exciting is the fulfillment of an idea.” While his work is elegant, Tom fully expects his pieces to be used. “I hope people have a real dialogue with the pieces I do for them,” he said. “That’s what’s great about making a desk; it’s so personal. The whole point is to get the soul of the object I put into it.” For information, Tom Throop (pronounced Troop) can be reached at 203966-5798 or visit online at blackcreekdesigns.com. ■

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Windermere continued from page 12 A New Approach

“We wanted to create something different, with historic character,” says Mark Hallett Robbins, president of the residential division of National Realty & Development Corp. “We also wanted to take a thoroughly eco-friendly approach, starting with the site and following through with the homes.” Mr. Robbins says his company took stock of the expansive site and the opportunities it created, and then moved on to the design and placement of the houses, always keeping in mind an environmentally sustainable approach. “We are very pleased with the result, and believe we have created a prototype that demonstrates you can combine luxury with sustainability and the preservation of open space,” he says.

Mr. Robbins says his company selected the classic Arts and Crafts style, which had its origins in England in the late 1800s, because it wanted to offer something different from the mostly Colonial-style luxury homes that abound in the area. “The Arts and Crafts movement was a reaction against the formal architecture of the Victorian era,” he said. “Its practitioners took a different approach to design, incorporating more casual and rustic elements. England’s Lake District saw many Arts and Crafts houses constructed during that period and on through the turn of the century.” The homes, which are large and luxurious, are a creative interpretation of the Arts and Crafts style. Enhancing the English-village concept, they feature private country gardens, patios and walkways created by famed English landscape architect Simon Johnson, and they are grouped to take advantage of shared vistas and harmonizing architectural features. Mr. Robbins is committed to fulfilling his company’s vision of the project. “We wanted to create houses that embrace the land and help sustain it,” he says. “Using the topography of the site to the best possible advantage was essential, and we are intent

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

on preserving natural habitats. The lake and the pond on the property were enlarged, deepened and enhanced to attract a variety of species and promote biodiversity.” Arts And Crafts Living

The homes were designed by Roger Bartels of Bartels-Pagliaro Architects of Norwalk, an award-winning firm known for its successful adaptation of the Arts and Crafts style. The homes feature four styles named after locales in England’s Lake District: Cumbria, Durham, Lancashire, and Westmoreland. They have four to six bedrooms and three-car garages, and are priced from $2.9 million. Designs were inspired by C.F.A. Voysey, a leading architect of the Arts and Crafts movement in England. His approach emphasizes graceful forms, fine craftsmanship and sweeping, continuous roof lines that complement the landscape and one another. All of the homes feature Christopher Peacock kitchens, baths and cabinetry throughout, Wolf and Sub-Zero appliances, hand-cut stone and tile in kitchens and baths, hardwood oak-plank floors, masonry fireplaces, and natural cedar-shingle roofs. Interior options include wine cellars, home theaters, custom libraries, elevators, and exercise rooms. Exterior options include landmark towers, outdoor cooking and entertainment areas, and walkout basements. Interior designer Karen Houghton is availSee Windermere page 43

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�� The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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RACKING I ONE’S I BRAIN ■

Staycations play second fiddle to the real thing by Tim Murphy

VIVONA

It wasn’t much to look at really. A one-floor cottage, royal blue with white shutters, three smallish bedrooms dressed in layers of wood, a tiny kitchen with a bench for a table, a living room with a creaky television, and a leaning shed in the backyard that stored old clamming rakes and appeared to be one strong gust away from toppling over. There was no telephone, and the only shower was located outside, clumsily situated along the back of the building. Still, when you walked through the cottage and got to the generously sized screened-in porch, the smell of salt water and the gentle crunch of wind-blown sand under your feet, any architectural flaws faded. Beyond the porch door was a small front yard and then, straight ahead, what looked inviting enough to serve as heaven’s layout double: a calm expanse of beautiful, limitless water that went by the unassuming name of Peconic Bay. For most of the 1970s, my family and I spent at least two weeks every summer at that cottage, nestled in the hamlet of Aqueboque, N.Y., on the North Fork of Long

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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Island, about a half hour from the Hamptons. My mom had worked with a woman who owned the place, and she rented it to us for a decent price when her own family became too busy to spend the entire summer there. My aunt, uncle and cousin usually rented the cottage for the two weeks right after us, and my younger sister, my mom and I would sometimes stay with them for another week when my dad returned to work in Connecticut, driving back the next weekend to pick us up. My grandparents had it better than anyone. Thanks to the benefits of retirement and healthy relationships with their children, they usually stayed all four weeks, rent-free. I thought about those trips a few months ago while reading about staycations, the new hip term for staying home. Faced with a sluggish economy and rising prices for gas and plane tickets, many families were opting to forego summer vacations in 2008, choosing to spend their time off at home, perhaps taking a road trip or two. From a financial perspective, it made sense. When times are tough, you do what you have to do, trim what you have to trim. But from the perspective of childhood, blurrier by the day, I was glad that staycations didn’t exist in the 1970s, or at least that my parents hadn’t heard of them at the time. It was 30 years this summer since our final trip to Aqueboque in 1978. The owner was in poor health by then, and her son decided not to rent the place anymore. I don’t remember any of us being terribly upset that we weren’t going back, although

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

RECYCLED RAINWATER

Have your lawn and water it, too by Jeannette Ross Over and over again we hear how bad lawns are for the environment because they are thirsty, thirsty, thirsty. But let’s face it, we Northeasterners love our lawns, and we love them thick and lush. Then comes a drought or a long dry spell, watering restrictions are imposed for homes on public water, shallow wells can run low or dry, lawns get brown, and homeowners frown. Can we have our lawns – and gardens as well – keep them green, and help the environment by reducing pollutants carried away by storm-water runoff? The answer, in many cases, is yes, with a rainwater-recovery system. The concept is simple. Rainwater is captured from rooftops via a system of gutters and leaders that divert it to an underground system outfitted with a pump and a spigot. The system can also be positioned under a driveway – or a parking lot for commercial sites – to capture runoff from impermeable surfaces. “There are new systems to collect rainwater for gardening purposes instead of using drinking water,” said Jeff Duncan, owner of Duncan’s Gardening and Landscaping. “Instead of siphoning it into drainage systems, we can contain it, pump it out and recycle it into plantings. Rainwater is better for plants than

treated tap water,” he added, because rain contains micronutrients. “Rain that falls during a lightning storm is rich in nitrogen.” How much water are we talking about? During a storm that drops one inch of rain, a house that measures 40 feet by 20 feet will have 500 gallons of water coming off the roof, Jeff said. A lot of that will run down a driveway, more will run into the street if the ground is rock hard or saturated and can’t absorb it all. From the street, it might run directly into streams and rivers or through storm drains that eventually empty into waterways that flow into the ocean with all the pollutants the water has picked up along the way. Sometimes, runoff will spill onto a neighbor’s property, prompting some sort of remediation. The rainwater-recovery systems Jeff installs are underground cisterns. They can be underground holding tanks that collect excess rainwater and slowly release it back into the earth, or they can be outfitted with a pump to recirculate it for reuse. Installation of the system involves digging a big hole. For a 1,000-gallon cistern, the hole would have to be eight to ten feet square, although the shape can be altered. It is then lined with thick rubber sheeting. The chamber is created with

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

a frame of interlocking, reinforced plastic cubes. The cubes are strong enough to shoulder the weight of a driveway or parking lot. The system is topped off with gravel and dirt. The top of the system sits about 18 inches beneath the surface. When rain hits the roof it flows into a gutter and down the leader into a smaller cistern outfitted with a flush filter. It then flows through a pipe into the main cistern, from which it is pumped back to the surface and can be accessed through a tap. A smaller cistern nearby will collect any overflow and leach it back into the ground. Costs vary depending on a homeowner’s needs, the site, and excavation, but Jeff said most residential units cost in the neighborhood of $4,000 to $7,000. Larger or multiple systems, say for a golf course or commercial site with large paved areas, are available. The benefit to people on public water is lower water bills. Those with private wells, Jeff said, should ask themselves these questions. How good is my well? Can I shower and water my lawn at the same time? Is my well shallow? The downside to the system is that it is not 100% foolproof. In times of extremely dry weather, it would be possible to use up all the stored water.

With less than one percent of the Earth’s water available for drinking, Jeff said, he believes these systems will become more popular in the near future. “These systems help disperse pollutants rather than blowing them out through our storm drains and rivers,” he said. “Everything we can do to filter runoff before it gets to our rivers and wetlands, the better it is. “I believe it will become a huge problem in the next 10 to 20 years. Until we’re starving or thirsty, we don’t do anything,” he said. “Are we going to start now or be lazy?” For more information, Jeff can be reached at 203-268-2368 or 203-807-1358. ■

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Box 1019 Ridgefield, Conn 06877 203-438-6544 October 2008

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HOME Vol.XII, Number 10 is a special section to: Greenwich Post, The Darien Times, New Canaan Advertiser, The Ridgefield Press, The Wilton Bulletin, The Redding Pilot and The Weston Forum in Connecticut, and The Lewisboro Ledger in New York • Jackie Perry, editor Jessica Perlinski, designer • Thomas B. Nash, publisher • For advertising information, call 203-438-6544 • For information on editorial submissions, call 203-894-3380 E-mail: home@acorn-online.com • Extra copies are available free at the Hersam Acorn office, 16 Bailey Avenue, Ridgefield, Conn. (behind the town hall)

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

HOME I MOANER ■

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Saws and hammers For Bill Belden by Ben Guerrero Well, I’m a nurse now. Perhaps the oldest new nurse in the county. I started working, about a month ago, at a well-manicured psychiatric hospital. I am scheduled to work the vampire shift: 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. three nights a week. This will take some getting used to. It is fall now. I am checking my wool clothing for moth holes, as I fluff my pillow these chilly mornings. It has been an interesting summer. After a once-in-a lifetime vacation abroad, which will undoubtedly be delineated here eventually, we did the following things simultaneously. While holding down a full-time job, caring for elderly parents and an elderly cat, Melissa wrote a proposal

for her master’s thesis. This was a Sisyphean task requiring full use of the dining room, the purchase of a new computer and frequent trips to Wesleyan at $4.75 a gallon. I studied for my nursing boards, a full-time feat, took them and sweated the 48 hours waiting for the results. This required hours of concentration, interlaced with working, of course. Having passed (phew!) I had to find a job. Oy! Did I mention that we had the house torn apart at the same time? Yep. The “bathroom project” began one Tuesday morning all of a sudden, some time in early mid-June and thousands of dollars ago. The project, requiring the complete renovation of our two crumbling, existing bathrooms, was to be swiftly completed by early August, which would give us the remaining summer to put the house back together again. OK, so we’re a little off schedule. When you start a new job, in a new field, it is inevitable that folks are going to ask you what you did before. Aimed in my direction, this question takes a good long while to answer. I tell them about my real estate adventures, my years in business, my creative endeavors. Polishing the mental résumé. I seldom mention the fact that I did a stint as a cabinetmaker. This is because I forget. I am a cabinetmaker, however, and a medium-to-lousy carpenter, and have �� always, historically, done my own handy home moaner hi-jinks here at the old �� splinter pile on Rusty Hinge Road. Plumbing, carpentry, tiling, electrical, plaster�� ing, shingling, painting, landscaping: I’ve done it all. But this time I didn’t want to lift a tool. I never finish a project and when I do, there is always something fundamentally messed-up with the results. So I called my old pal Elbow, the contractor, and he set me up with his crew, and the rest has been completely at arm’s length as far as I’m concerned. Elbow has a magnificent crew. They are neat and well-mannered and never bring a loud radio on the job. They are fabulous craftsmen. �� On the first day, he sent in Stan, who systematically ripped the old downstairs bathroom out. It was swiftly dispatched to the landfill, and in no time Stan was �� shoring up the crooked, wobbly walls and replacing the rotted floor joists. �� Moments later, Harmon, the plumber, �� was laying down pipes and drains and vents. In an instant, Wally, the elec�� trician, was pulling out miles of BX �� cabling, which had been dangerously and haphazardly connected during the Gerald Ford administration, and safely laying in new wiring that was less likely to cause electrocution while flushing the �� toilet.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

rrero Gue Ben

Then there is Leonardo. What can I say? To call Leo a carpenter is to call his namesake, da Vinci a doodler. Leo arrived one morning in a green minivan full of wonderful tools that he carried one-by-one through the gate and assembled in the back yard. Operating primarily with a pocket square and a tape measure, Leo proceeded to transform this dump into a wonderful place to live. There is more to being a carpenter than knowing how to cut off the end of a two-by-four. You have to think algebraically, geometrically, and far into the future. You have to be able to anticipate where everything is going to line up when you get to the last layer. You have to be able to anticipate where you are going to drive the nails. You have to know how long the nails will be. You have to think 17 steps ahead of yourself and be able to measure within your closest unit of tolerance. Things aren’t always measurable in sixteenths, as laid out on your average tape measure; sometimes measurements are a bit “heavy” or “light.” I have seen Leo cart a board up and down the stairs three times to shave off a paper thin slice to make it fit. And everything he is involved with is plumb, square and level. Which is, of course, how it should be. But an old, racked and twisted house like mine leans so far out of plumb you can actually see it tilt from the street. Leo occasionally has to be pulled away from a project. Like one of those altruistic TV medical-show interns clenching defibrillator paddles over a lifeless patient, he has to be told he has done all he could. We are close to the end now, I arrive home from work usually about the time that Harmon, Leo and sometimes a crew of white-clad painters arrive to begin their day. There is dust on everything and a fortune in plastic bins from Target, up in the attic, stuffed to overflowing with superfluous bric-a-brac. I come in exhausted, survey the previous day’s progress, write a few checks, stick a foam cork in each ear and crawl into bed to sleep for five hours. As I dream, tiles are glued to the bathroom walls and beautiful, over-priced chromium fixtures are screwed in place. Fresh layers of paint are brushed on to new walls, while Leo cuts perfect miters on �� the miles of pine trim. As a cabinetmaker, I have foreseen all �� this 17 steps ago when the first bucket of ugly was lugged down the stairs and out the door. It will be quiet soon, and the boys will be gone and we will have transformed this house into a palace. A rickety palace to be sure, but a man’s home is his castle. And the only tool I have held in my hand during this makeover has been my pen. Which, by the way, is mightier than the sword. ben.guerrero@sbcglobal.net. ■

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Racking One’s Brain continued from page 19

by a 20-foot-high concrete duck used as a roadside store, and never stop in. At night we would all watch television and have trouble sleeping when sunburn touched mattress. The routine was part of the charm. based on all the times those vacations have been remembered warmly through the It was a place where nothing bad happened, even when something really bad could have. years, it’s a surprise we didn’t resort to begging or pleading or cottage invasion. One day a neighbor asked if we would like to borrow his Sunfish sailboat, which Most of our vacations were filled doing things we’d done the year before. Each morning my dad would walk to a convenience store and buy several newspapers. looked like a canoe with a single sail attached. I was around 10 years old and couldn’t Then we’d look for horseshoe crabs near the shore, swim for a while in the bay, listen swim. Neither could my slightly older cousin who was visiting from Colorado. to baseball games on a radio on the porch, go to dinner at familiar restaurants, drive Not anticipating any mishaps, my cousin, my dad and I took to the water, unconcerned that there were no lifejackets on board. About 100 feet from shore, a blast of air hit the sail like a Joe Frazier �� hook and capsized the craft, sending �� us all overboard. There was a moment of intense panic until we came to the amazed realization that our feet were �� touching the bottom of the bay, low tide �� leaving the water barely waist high and �� letting us all walk to shore, dragging the �� Sunfish with us. �� Our relatives, who were watching the episode from chairs on the front lawn were visibly relieved. So, too, was the neighbor, although he never offered us �� use of the Sunfish again. �� It was a place where things that usually �� don’t work out did. A place you could �� return to as a 15-year-old, wondering if this was still going to be fun, spot an attractive girl riding a bicycle about a half mile from the cottage, and then find out �� that she and her family were now living �� next door. And she would turn out to be friendly, take you water skiing, and turn you on to bands you hadn’t heard before and might not have liked under any other circumstances. When my uncle said that parts of Long Island were known as God’s country, I was ready with the “Amen.” Several times over the years, my parents and I have watched the color slides �� and home movies they took during our trips to Aqueboque. A few minutes into the show it becomes obvious why those vacations are recalled with such fondness. They covered a time when everyone was healthy and happy and together. For at least two weeks every summer, we were bulletproof – the real world unable to reach us even by telephone. It makes me feel bad for those kids whose families had staycations this summer. They may have dreaded the thought of responding to their teacher’s request for an essay on what they did last summer, wondering how to make walking from the living room to the dining room sound exciting. I was fortunate to never have that problem. There was always plenty to write about. ■

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

Window on Real Estate continued from page 5 The same applies to bathrooms. “Fresh and clean tops the list, and treat yourself to some new towels and a shower curtain, if needed.” When it comes to windows, simple is best. “Take down complicated window treatments that reduce light and obscure a pleasant view, and replace them with something more simple, like a single valance,” she says. “Torn screens must go.” Peggy says these are only a few of the “fix-ups” for buyers that sellers can enjoy themselves. “The cleaner, the neater, the more open and more organized the better. Once my clients take this advice, they tend to see their homes in a new perspective and are happy to enjoy them until the right buyer comes along.”

you can come home to a sparkling clean, beautifully organized space, you simply feel better.” Annie agrees with Peggy that homeowners don’t have to spend a fortune. “What staging provides is a fresh eye and a new approach to your space and possessions,” she says. “We usually work with what our clients have and put away much, much more than we ever bring in.” Studies have shown that selling a home is one of life’s most stressful experiences. But if you settle happily into your newly refurbished and pared-down space, you may come through with a positive and peaceful attitude that will stand you in good stead while you wait. ■

Staging For Keeps

Annie Hill, an accredited staging professional with TR Designs of Ridgefield, says Peggy’s advice is right on target, and a skilled staging can take things a step further. “When we stage a home for a client, we want them to feel better about their space while they live there, in addition to focusing on attracting a buyer,” she says. Annie, who works with TR Designs owner and interior designer Terry Reilly, and interior designer Lori Bova, says they have found staging helps homeowners relax and really enjoy their space. “When you reorganize a place and improve the flow, you make the owners feel a lot better. And sometimes they like the results so much they decide not to sell. We had a home in Wilton where the owners took their house off the market once we had completed staging. They loved the results, didn’t really have to move, so they stayed and enjoyed what we had done.” Annie says TR Designs now does what they call “staging to live” as well as staging to move. “In both cases, we work with what our clients have,” she says. “We edit, clear away clutter and improve the flow while maintaining the personality of the home.” All successful staging revolves around what she calls editing space, says Annie. “Once the clutter is gone, you may want to move on to getting rid of and rearranging some pieces of furniture to create a more open feeling and better flow. Overstuffed rooms are not pleasing to anyone, buyer or seller. Neither are rooms without a defined use. Creating focal points for rooms is also very important.” Annie says once staging is complete, owners say they feel more peaceful and calm. “With today’s hectic lifestyles, people are busy and distracted,” she says. “If October 2008

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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INTO I THE I GARDEN ■

Off with their heads ... or maybe not by Donna Clark We’ve just finished the last deadheading of all our gardens (deadheading is cutting off the spent bloom). With all the rain we’ve been getting, the gardens are looking less than perfect. The hardest thing at this time of year is to go over the beds with a light touch – we are not going to get every last bit of brown out – this is the time of year to enjoy the garden from a distance.

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Donna Clark photos

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Trachelium Devotion Violet is a striking combination of deep-green leaves and intensely violet-blue flowers.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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Since I’ve been doing garden design and maintenance for more than 25 years, I’ve made my own rules about what to deadhead. Things have evolved over the years, and Pam and I try to upgrade those rules as we go along. Linda and Virginia have had several questions for us on what to deadhead, and they question why we do it the way we do. A good example would be Rudbeckia Goldsturm, which is not deadheaded but cut back at the end of the season. Heliopsis is deadheaded several times in late summer, and also cut back at the end of the season. My explanation is that Heliopsis has a repeat bloom and Rudbeckia Goldsturm does not. Just to confuse you more, there is Helenium Mardi Gras that we deadhead and Helenium Kanaria that we don’t. Mardi Gras deadheads turn a crisp brown that detracts from the rest of the blooms, while the seed head of Kanaria stays yellow, but with no petals left. I guess it sounds really confusing, but as a general rule, cut off the spent bloom on plants that rebloom and on the plants where it looks awful even if there is no rebloom. We usually leave the flowers on astilbe until they are really black before we cut them off. When cutting the spent flowers, be sure to cut the entire stem down to a leaf; if you leave the stem it will turn an ugly brown. October is the month for Sedum Autumn Joy to show off. I tried a new maintenance trick this year and it has really worked. In June, I cut the plant back by about four to six inches, and now it is blooming with smaller flower heads that hold themselves up with no stakes. They also look more like a flower and less like broccoli. In July, my gardens were open for the Garden Conservancy tour, and the plant that sparked the most comment was Trachelium Devotion Violet. It is an annual

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See Into the Garden page 32

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INTERIOR I INSIGHTS ■

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Going green by Ann Sample Lineberger

Durston Saylor

Most of us want to incorporate sustainable – aka “green” – products into our homes but aren’t sure where to start, and assume they will be prohibitively expensive. Sustainability expert and interior designer Trudy Dujardin, ASID, who is based in Westport, spends much of her time educating others about creating what she refers to as the holistic house. “When you buy non-toxic, you are helping the earth and your family,” she says. Ms. Dujardin feels strongly about the subject because she was exposed to pesticides as a young girl and other toxins while working as an interior designer. As a result, she struggled for years with “environmental illness.” “The average person doesn’t have time to study every product they buy for their home,” says Ms. Dujardin. “I look forward to the day you can walk into Home Depot and all products will be toxin-free.” In the meantime, she offers the following product suggestions and tips when building and decorating. Building Materials For structural elements, Dujardin chooses low-toxic building materials including steel-support beams rather than glue-laminated wooden beams – glues can contain formaldehyde. She prefers exterior-grade CDX plywood to interior-grade plywood for the sub flooring because it has less formaldehyde. Insulation To insulate the home, Ms. Dujardin likes a product called Bonded Logic (bondedlogic.com), which is cotton batting treated with boric acid (a natural subTrudy Dujardin, ASID, is known for the sustainable, healthy interiors she creates that are as beautiful stance that repels insects) in place of fiberglass insulation. “There is concern that as they are environmentally friendly. Fiberglass’s microscopic particulates may be carcinogenic and should be encapsulated to avoid exposure,” she says. Air Systems Air systems that keep air circulating are essential for a healthy home. (Since World War II, more than 70,000 chemicals have been introduced, and they are suspected in causing autoimmune diseases.) Ms. Dujardin’s home HVAC system has two filters: HEPA, which minimizes particulates such as mold, dander and pollen, and carbon filtration to eliminate Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and other gases. “Everything from desks to lamps to rugs emits VOC, and our bodies must filter them,” she says. Also, Ms. Dujardin recommends Honeywell’s Energy Recovery Ventilation, which, every 20 minutes, exchanges interior house air with outside air that is filtered and conditioned (heated or cooled) before it enters the home (yourhome.honeywell.com/Consumer/Cultures/en US/ �� Products/Ventilation/Energy+Efficient/ �� Default.htm). ��

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Into the Garden continued from page 27 that grows to two feet, with a flattened, dense terminal cluster of six-inch violet-blue flowers. The foliage is a dark green and holds up through the summer. It was at its best in July, but with frequent deadheading it is still blooming. Behind it I plant rocket white snapdragons to show off the dark blue color. Another annual I’m using in any garden that can stand a four- or five-foot plant is Salvia uliginosa. This salvia has clear sky-blue flowers that appear over willowy thin stems. Although it’s an annual, we’ve noticed that it comes back with self-sowed seeds the next summer. It’s hard to keep this plant staked in an upright position, so put it behind something it can hang over. I have it on the other side of a fence and tie it to the fence as well as bamboo stakes. Rudbeckia Indian Summer adds a sparkling golden color to a garden.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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October 2008

I think of Rudbeckia Indian Summer as a perennial, but most of the time it because they required less maintenance than flowers. I hope there are gardeners out comes back from seed. There are a lot of yellow daisy flowers out there, but this one there still willing to put in the work to include flowers. is the most striking. The flowers are large and more golden than yellow, and the Now for another donkey story. Blackie pushed over a post this summer, just plant has a height of around three feet. Years ago I took a bloom of this plant to a enough so that he thought he could step between the second and third rail and garden club horticultural show. The judge gave it honorable mention because it was get into the vegetable garden. Well, he got stuck, and while we were freeing him, not a pretty flower. I will always remember that comment and love this flower more he scraped his leg. A few days ago, when I went out in the morning to feed them, than ever. a second rail was completely down. The donkeys were still inside. I guess Blackie The moral of the story is: A flower garden is made up of all kinds of flowers, not learned his lesson, or I hope he did. Questions or comments: donnaclark@ix.netcom.com. ■ just the pretty ones. The ones that are most showy in the garden might look ugly in a flower arrangement. Pam, Linda, Virginia, and I made a day of it and went to Washington, Conn., for the Conservancy Day in Joe Rizzo, Proprietor - Country Road Associates LTD. “We’re the only makers of 19th September. The weather was perfect and Century style furniture to use we enjoyed some beautiful gardens. The 19th C. barnwood.” gardens all have wonderful bones, and I hate to suggest it, but we would have Shown here: FARM TABLE. Farm tables loved to put some of our colorful flowbring to mind families enjoying a bounty of good eating. That’s why we have ers in them. At one of the gardens, the adapted it for contemporary living or owner said they were focusing on shrubs

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�� The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Eliminate debt – how to do it by Don Caiati The so-called experts say, “Pay yourself first.” While some people may take this literally, I think what they’re really saying is, “After you’ve eliminated all your debt, then pay yourself.” Government studies show that 96% of Americans do not achieve financial freedom by the time they retire at age 65. Conventional wisdom wants you to pay yourself first, but it just doesn’t seem to work for most people. Here’s why.

C A R P E T I N G • N AT U R A L S T O N E

If you were to take a $2,000 credit card balance at 17.9% interest, it would cost you $6,827 to pay off over the 30-year-and-five-month payment plan your friendly credit card company has set up for you. That’s right, by paying the minimum monthly payment the bank offers you each month, you will pay nearly $5,000 in interest and about three times more than you originally borrowed. That’s worse than a 30-year mortgage. The “invest in your debt” strategy is to pay your bankers first and in the long run keep more of your money for yourself and your family. You can actually build two to three times more wealth by paying off debt before you start traditional

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October 2008

investing – even if it’s into an IRA, 401(k), 403(b), etc. The only exception might be a Roth IRA under certain circumstances. Give yourself a 46% raise by eliminating all your debts. The typical American family uses about 40% to 50% of its paycheck to service debts – mortgages, car loans, student loans, credit card, and so on. If you did not have these monthly payments, you could increase your monthly cash flow by the same amount without begging your boss for a raise. Take charge and give yourself a raise by eliminating this unnecessary and burdensome debt.

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Get Out Of Debt Now

According to the best-selling book The Millionaire Next Door, by Bill Danko and Tom Stanley, millionaires in our society do not have consumer debt as they’ve paid for their cars and homes and can afford an affluent lifestyle. The idea of using other people’s money is a new phenomenon of the last 30 or 40 years. My grandmother did not have credit-card debt, and she lived a lot less stressful life than most people do nowadays. In the old days, they had the audacity to pay cash for their cars (no leases), and some even paid cash for their homes, or, at most, had a five-year mortgage, not the 15-, 30- and 40-year or interest-only mortgages of today. I’m not an advocate of cutting up all your cards. How are you going to rent cars, reserve hotel rooms and buy stuff off the Internet without a credit card? It’s nearly impossible. So here’s my advice; cut up all but one or two. Now, don’t close the accounts, that will hurt your credit score. And don’t put all your energy into having a perfect credit score.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

LEAF BLOWERS

Shattering to nerves and nature by Jim Carr I love the sound of leaf blowers in the morning; it sounds like victory – victory over nature. My twist on the famous line from Apocalypse Now is satiric, of course. Complete mastery of nature is an illusion, often leading to unforeseen consequences, like destructive floods. Indeed, I, like many people, resent the quiet enjoyment of my

property being shattered by the cranking up of what is going to be a steady succession of leaf blowers during the day. Leaf blowers, originally used to clear leaves in the fall, are now routinely used each time a lawn service visits a property. When one finishes, another starts somewhere else. Because their high-pitched scream carries so far, the sound comes to us from a broad area. As a result, we are constantly assaulted by noise. Price Is Twofold

For what purpose and at what cost? The first cost is monetary. At least two-thirds of the cost of summer lawn service goes for leaf blowing. Homeowners can see for themselves. For every lawn mower operator, there will be at least two people operating leaf blowers. What are homeowners getting for their money? In summer, after several weeks of combing the lawn with leaf blowers, what is left to blow? Even if a stray leaf should find its way onto a lawn, the routine pass of the mower shreds it out of sight into the grass. The biggest cost, though, is environmental. It is not only the consumption of increasingly precious petroleum, but the pollution leaf blowers spew into the air. On a humid day, the stench can blanket an entire neighborhood. Far worse, however, is the environmental destruction they wreak through the removal of critically important organic matter from the ecosystem of the soil.

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October 2008

Healthy soil is full of life. In the natural world, soil organisms, ranging in size from bacteria to earthworms, maintain soil fertility by decomposing organic matter (the remains of dead plants) into humus, the perfect plant food. Grass deprived of organic matter starves. Of course, one can fertilize, but this only delays the deterioration of the lawn because the lack of organic matter deprives the lawn of the critically important soil-conditioning properties of humus. Value Of Humus

Humus creates a porous, open structure for the soil. This porosity allows life-sustaining oxygen to reach the roots of the grass. Deprived of humus, the soil compacts, the roots suffocate, and the grass starts dying. No amount of fertilizer can reverse this. Soil organisms, too, need oxygen as well as organic matter for food. Compacted, organicmatter-deprived soil cannot support the life within it that is the base of the ecological food chain: no organic matter, no earthworms, no robins. Humus also has critically important moisture-control properties. It absorbs up to 10 times its weight in moisture. With healthy soil in a hard rain, the water easily penetrates the porous soil, and is soaked up by the humus, which later releases this moisture to the soil as it dries out. Excess water not soaked up by humus has easy passage down into the groundwater. This moisture regulation is of great importance for all of us.

Studies have shown that most rainwater runs off compacted soil. One can easily see this by comparing an area of compacted soil with a healthy, porous one in a heavy rain. This may be difficult because most landscaped properties are leaf blown. You may have to use an unmanaged natural area. If it has a stream running through, all the better. In even the heaviest rain, the stream water will remain clear, meaning no runoff. Development is blamed for the increasing runoff that is contributing to ever more serious floods. Indeed, development is implicated, but the compaction of landscape soils caused by leaf blowers is also a significant contributor because landscaped properties cover such a large area. Toll On Health

And what about our health? High-decibel noise can cause cardiovascular problems, hearing loss and mental stress. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health guidelines allow a maximum daily exposure of eight hours at 85 decibels. However, the effect on human health doubles for every three-decibel increase. Leaf See Leaf blowers page 38 o t Selecti n rges ves a L ’s to nty as S Cou and G d l Fairfie Wood of

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Leaf blowers continued from page 37 blower emissions start at about 100 decibels, and go up from there. This means maximum safe exposure is 15 minutes or less. Those who prefer the quiet of the suburbs to the noise of cities should know that, according to a national survey reported to the Acoustical Society of America, average noise levels in the suburbs (56 decibels) are now closing in on those of urban areas (59 decibels). Another hazard is things in the soil that are safe in the soil, but not if blown into the air we breathe. These include bacteria and funguses, alive or their remains, viruses and pollen. Some of these can trigger the growing problems of allergies and asthma, and who knows what else. I have spoken to parents of young children about this, and they often say they bring their children inside during leaf blowing. Unfortunately, this does not solve the problem. Leaf blowers blast an aerosol of fine particles into the air that then settle all around the property (and other properties downwind). Subsequently

when we are outside, air movement exposes us to this aerosol. Even opening and closing car doors causes exposure. What are we doing to ourselves? At some point we must decide that enough is enough. But what can we do about it? We can start with Mahatma Gandhi’s principle that “we each must be the change that we want to see in the world.” We as individuals cannot control society. However, we can control what happens on our properties. We can make ourselves a good example by banning leaf blowers, as I have done. (There are time-honored – and efficient – methods for managing leaves without leaf blowers, even on large properties.) We can also try gentle persuasion with our friends and neighbors. Jim Carr manages residential properties ecologically, which involves the creation and maintenance of landscapes and organic flower, vegetable and herb gardens. He teaches organic gardening and ecological landscaping classes for both homeowners and professionals at horticultural institutions in the metro area. For more information, e-mail jimcarr3@verizon.net. ■

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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October 2008

Interior Insights continued from page 30 Paint Choose the brand Best Paint, which is water-based latex that contains no biocides (used to kill mold), pesticides or preservatives. Its drawback is that it has shorter shelf life than other paints, so try to buy just what you need. Other paints Ms. Dujardin likes are Aura (from Benjamin Moore) and Miller Paint (bestpaintco. com; myperfectcolor.com/v/vspfiles/; benjamin-moore-aura-paint-faqs.asp; millerpaint.com). Wallpaper Ms. Dujardin avoids vinyl wall papers and suggests looking for hand-printed wall papers that are made from paper. Stark offers some. She also likes grass cloth, but since many versions are imported, she worries about the chemicals used in their

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production. Instead, Ms. Dujardin hires artists to paint faux grass cloths. www. starkwallcovering.com/collections.htm Floor Finishes For floor finishes, Ms. Dujardin raves about StreetShoe made by basic Coatings. “People question its durability, but it’s being applied to gym floors and has been See Interior Insights page 44

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House beautiful by G. Lisa Sullivan

G. Lisa Sullivan

Decorating a dollhouse is just like decorating a real house, only on a much smaller scale.

The summer before my senior year in college, I decided to spend my vacation living on campus, in a rather dilapidated coed fraternity, complete with sticky beercoated floors and lumpy old couches. My college friend, Donna Laskey, had also chosen to live on campus during that summer. She, however, had had the good sense to procure a much sought-after campus dorm room, where she lived in an immaculate, beautifully decorated space. It even smelled nice, thanks to some thoughtfully placed potpourri. My first thought upon seeing Donna’s “summer place” was, “Boy, Donna’s dorm room is nicer than most apartments!” My second thought was, “Why didn’t I decide to live in the dorm, too?” Following graduation, I moved into a small townhouse with one roommate, typical of most post-college graduates. My apartment was comfortable, but it definitely screamed, “Recent college grad!” Donna, not surprisingly, moved into a charming older apartment, and proceeded to decorate it with her usual flair. Antiques and reproduction pieces, English style fabrics and meticulously chosen accessories reflected Donna’s love of fine things, a trait she had inherited from her mother.

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October 2008

The Good Life

“My mom has been in the antiques business for almost 40 years,” explains Donna, a Massachusetts native who relocated to Fairfield County shortly after graduating from college with a business degree. “On weekends, I would help her search for antiques, and I worked with her at many of her shows.” Like her mother, Donna always found herself drawn to pretty English antiques, chintz and floral fabrics and English country-style accessories, such as mirrors and gold and crystal chandeliers. “I spend most of my time working,” says Donna, whose career in the field of marketing and financial software sales keeps her extremely busy, “so when the day is done, I like to surround myself with the things that make me most happy and comfortable.” Today, Donna showcases her favorite pieces in the beautiful home she shares with her husband, Ricky, and their two adorable Cavalier King Charles spaniels. Donna’s collection of blue-and-white transferware, Staffordshire figurines, happy blue, pink and white fabrics, and the prevalent Cavalier dog motif make their home a veritable showplace. While Donna has presumably finished decorating her house, she has turned her attention — and her exquisite taste — to another project: restoration of a large 1920s three-story, rear-opening colonial-style dollhouse that she purchased seven years ago. “Decorating a dollhouse is similar to decorating a real house, except on a much smaller scale,” Donna explains. “If you love to decorate, restoring a dollhouse is a really wonderful hobby.” While the structure of the house was sound, the aesthetics needed attention. The period wallpaper had aged, and the wooden floors needed to be refinished. Doors and windows also needed updating. Initially, Donna would decorate the exterior of the house according to season and holiday, using wreaths and window boxes to convey Christmas and Easter. Earlier this year, however, she felt the time was right to address the interior of the house. “First, I had to decide what scale I wanted to work on, as there are many scales from which to choose,” she explains. “I prefer 1:12 scale, which translates into one inch on the model equals 12 inches, or one foot, in the real world. For example, a five-inch doll would equal

See Dollhouse page 46

G. Lisa Sullivan

Rooms For Improvement

a five-foot person. A collector could go as small as 1:144, which would result in extremely tiny miniatures, many requiring long tweezers and magnifying glasses with which to work.” For Donna, the restoration began not with furnishings but with dolls. “I began looking for period dolls, primarily circa 1900 bisque-head German dolls,” she recalls. Donna started talking to retailers of dollhouse miniatures, and quickly learned that there was a huge network, or subculture, of specialization. “One artisan makes

Furnishings, dolls and clothing display the owner’s love of the decorative Edwardian period.

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The detail of each tiny item is enchanting.

October 2008

The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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Heating with wood

continued from page 7

“Many of our products are handmade. They incorporate ceramic tiles and each one is glazed individually. They are a piece of warm furniture, not only a stove. And most of the units are designed to be taken apart and moved along with you. It doesn’t get any better.” To enjoy the fire and flame is to slow down time. The warmth and style of these fireplaces adds a decided spark to any room. And for those who worry about ash deposits, don’t. Because these products burn so much cleaner, and since they’re enclosed, the residue is minimal, far less than that of the traditional fireplace. The company’s helpful staff will find the stove or fireplace ideal for each customer, and the installer, who is knowledgeable about each unit, will often be able to install it within a day. Outside the shop is an inviting display of unique grills and garden decorations, all meant to be used with a flame. A particularly intriguing piece is made of Cor-Ten steel, to which copper has been added. Over time, it oxidizes to a rich patina, giving it the appearance of a vintage artwork. They’re decidedly unique pieces to ornament a garden. Niels will provide his customers with everything they need to protect, not pollute, the environment. So dread not the coming of winter and the fuel bills which accompany it, for there are alternatives coming to the fore that make this moment one of invention and creativity. For more information on heating with wood, seasoning and stacking, visit woodheat.org. ■

SIDEBAR

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Wittus, Fire by Design 40 Westchester Ave. Pound Ridge, N.Y. 914-764-5679 Open Monday to Friday from 10 to 5, Saturday by appointment. There are many catalogs to browse, which can be downloaded from the comprehensive Web site, wittus.com. October 2008

Windermere continued from page 17 able to assist homeowners in customizing their homes. The homes all make good use of large multi-paned windows that admit ample light and embrace soothing vistas of fields, water and forest from every room. Outside, the English gardens are created in consultation with each homeowner. Optional plans allow for more elaborate gardens and swimming pools. Stone walls, built from stones on the property, blend with their surroundings and delineate common and private space. Homeowners can enjoy added leisure time because the gated Windermere is a maintenance-free community. It offers an array of lifestyle amenities, including an outdoor swimming pool, tennis court and clubhouse with fitness center. Homeowners can also explore the property’s extensive walking trails, canoe on the lake or fish from a floating dock Eco-friendly features include geothermal heating and cooling systems, high-performance windows and insulation, heat-recovery ventilation systems, and extensive use of sustainable building materials, including Forestry Stewardship Council certified flooring. Outside, Windermere has an ongoing habitat-management and restoration-protection plan to ensure lifelong preservation of the property. Twenty-five acres have been donated to the Stamford Land Conservation Trust, the largest gift in the organization’s history. An additional 25 acres have been retained as permanent open space.

Mr. Robbins says he believes many buyers are now looking for something that is architecturally off the beaten path and also eco-friendly. “Windermere on the Lake links the two concepts,” he says. “Our homes are beautiful, spacious and still highly sensitive to the environment. Buyers will be making a solid investment in cuttingedge green technology that will stand them in good stead in the future.” The “village” approach to the development is also something different. “Buyers are used to large homes placed near the center of their property and removed from their neighbors,” he said. “At Windermere, you have plenty of privacy but are not totally isolated because we have placed the homes in visual and spatial harmony with one another.” Mr. Robbins says he hopes the approach will help residents make connections and nurture a spirit of community. “We are eager to meet buyers who understand what Windermere is all about,” Mr. Robbins says. “We are confident we have produced a superior development that offers something very special to those that want a tranquil and luxurious lifestyle that also embraces preservation of the environment.” For information on Windermere on the Lake, 191 Erskine Road, Stamford, call 203322-0055 or visit windermereonthelake.com. ■

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Creating A Neighborhood

Mr. Robbins says he hopes prospective buyers will embrace the concept of Windermere on the Lake. “We know that this may seem like a different approach to building luxury homes,” he said. “With so many prospective buyers attuned to the basically rectangular Colonial-style architecture that dominates this part of Fairfield County, these Arts and Crafts homes are definitely a departure from the ordinary.”

�� Distinctive architecture is a hallmark.

October 2008

��•�� The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Interior Insights continued from page 39 around for nearly 20 years,” she says. “I have it in my home, and it’s durable (basiccoatings.com/asp/homeowners/prod_streetshoe.asp).”

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Wood When building cabinetry, choose a hard, solid wood such as birch or maple, or when you need to use medium density fiberboard (MDF) buy Sierra Pine’s Medite II to avoid formaldehyde (sierrapine.com). Rugs and Alternatives to Rugs Ms. Dujardin likes neutral-colored Earthweave area rugs because they are made with chemical-free wool. “Dyes have chemicals in them,” she says. “To add pattern and interest to the Earthweave rugs, I combine them by bordering one with another” (earthweave.com/). Since rugs are traps for dust and dander, she limits them. To create the warmth and pattern rugs provide, she chooses alternative effects such as painted faux area rugs and inserting tiles within wood floors. Furniture Although formaldehyde is present in many finishes, interior particle board and foam, Ms. Dujardin does buy new furniture. “It’s not a perfect world yet and many

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�� October 2008

non-toxic furnishings are not readily available,” she says. For clients who are chemically sensitive, Ms. Dujardin often has pieces custom-made from solid wood and upholstered pieces made from solid wood and organic cotton and wool batting. She also likes antiques but cautions against mold. True antiques (pieces over 100 years old) will have off-gassed or evaporated the toxins in their finishes. Those with original beeswax or shellac finishes are ideal because those finishes are non-toxic. Mattresses For mattresses, Ms. Dujardin likes the products from Vivetique. Their mattresses are made from pure-grown American wool and organic cotton. Natural latex can be added for extra comfort. For added protection, she covers them in a mattress sack called barrier cloth (vivetique.com). Fabric DesignTex is Ms. Dujardin’s current favorite fabric. DesignTex fabrics are made from natural fibers and non-toxic dyes. She also likes the fabrics and fur-

wooden shutters that were finished in a water-based, low-toxic spray and easy to dust,” she says. Finally, Ms. Dujardin wants to warn against using pesticides in yards. Not only are children and adults exposed to them, but they will also track them into the house. She also suggested buying non-toxic, fragrance-free cleaning products to protect your family and those who clean your home. Contact Trudy Dujardin, ASID, Dujardin Design Associates, at 203-838-8100; trudydujardin@yahoo.com; dujardindesign.com. Ann Sample Lineberger is the author of New Spaces, Old World Charm (McGrawHill, 2004). She lives with her family in Wilton; sampleline@aol.com. ■

Durston Saylor

In her dining room, she had shutters installed to limit allergy-causing dust and dander.

niture from Q Collection, including its line for infants and children. “Baby and children’s rooms should be the most free of harmful pollutants,” she says, and she strongly opposes fabrics treated with Scotch-Guard or flame- and soil-retardants. “Buy pure cotton fabrics,” says Ms. Dujardin. “If you worry about the pieces not being soil-retardant, buy extra fabric to use if and when the cushions need to be recovered” (designtex.com; qcollection.com; qcollectionjunior.com). Bedding For bedding, Ms. Dujardin likes Coyuchi organic sheets. She also likes 100% cotton sheets such as the luxurious Italian versions. Before using them, she washes them repeatedly with baking soda to remove pesticide (residuescoyuchi.com/). Window Treatments Ms. Dujardin works with fabrics from the aforementioned companies or opts for shutters. “To avoid dust collecting on fabric valances and treatments, I prefer

October 2008

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Dollhouse continued from page 41 needlepoint rugs, another handmade miniature porcelain and china, yet another Edwardian hats and bonnets,” she says. “The list goes on and on.” While the Internet is useful for finding dollhouse shows, many miniature collectors rely on trade magazines and word of mouth to find whatever it is they’re looking for. Fantastic Journey

After building a collection of dolls, Donna turned to the furnishings. “I’ve found three great local resources for the house,” Donna says, “including Eileen Godfrey Miniatures in Pound Ridge, N.Y., Mirabella Miniatures in Fairfield and Whimsies in Greenwich.”

In recent months, the dollhouse restoration has become a family affair, with Donna’s parents traveling from Massachusetts to help, and even Donna’s husband putting time into the project. With plastic tarps and blue painter’s tape covering the exterior, the project resembles an actual remodeling job. Once Donna and her family have refinished the floors and removed the wallpaper, she plans to send the house out for electrification, and to have Edwardian period wallpaper installed. “My favorite rooms feature Edwardian vignettes, with the living room and parlor decorated in purple and green, with my favorite accessories, like Edwardian-period sun hats, shoes and parasols, miniature reproduction paintings, dolls and, of course, my Cavaliers,” she says. “My goal is to have the house electrified by Christmastime, so we can light up the miniature Christmas tree.” For information on dollhouse restoration, contact Donna at deedeemailbox@yahoo.com; Eileen Godfrey Miniatures, 914-764-1950; Mirabella Miniatures, 203-373-1975; and Whimsies, 203-629-8024. ■

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October 2008

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

HOMEBODIES ■

■

Steeling home by G. Lisa Sullivan If your husband is anything like mine, he’s probably appropriated one entire room in your home for himself. In our case, it’s the family room. Before we moved to our current residence in 1996, my husband spent the majority of his downtime in our townhouse living room, which he’d “decorated” (and I use the term loosely) himself before I ever entered the picture. Resembling a typical 1980s bachelor pad, the space encompassed the following: a big, black Naugahyde couch, an oversize wooden coffee table, an uncomfortable wood rocker, a lamp that looked like a volcano, the circa 1970s color television console he’d acquired from his childhood home, an often-used fireplace, and the pièce de résistance — a hideous upholstered recliner, from

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which my beloved flicked his way through various sports channels, imbibed an occasional a beer or two and indulged in an evening nap. While we were living in the townhouse, I’d attempted to gradually improve the living room aesthetics, replacing an old window shade with a new wooden blind and adding some big plants. I found it nearly impossible, however, to sell my husband on a total renovation. It wasn’t until we decided to sell the place that he agreed to at least repaint and recarpet, and I finally convinced him to replace the couch with one that my parents had offered to give us from their living room. See Homebodies page 52

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Eliminate debt continued from page 35 Whether you have a 700 or 800 score is not as important to your financial wellbeing as being debt free. Eliminate your debt and you will have a great credit score no matter what. Also, I don’t think that debt is bad either. I don’t even think debt is good. It just is. True Financial Freedom

To achieve true financial freedom, have a system that you stick to methodically, month in and month out. Invest those extra funds into your debt before putting money into traditional investments, stocks, etc. Do this by making extra payments on your smallest balance first. Do this easily by using the funds that you are currently putting into traditional investments. When you have the first debt paid off, put all the money you had been investing into your first debt into the next smallest debt. Continue this debt elimination process until you have successfully eliminated all your debts except your mortgage. Don Caiati is a managing partner with Caiati Financial Services LLC in Westport. He can be reached at 203-227-7794, or by e-mail at don@caiati.com. ■

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Polishing houses COAST TO COAST by Janis Gibson Kim Browning likes buying and updating houses – a lot. To date, she has owned 22 of them, the most recent an antique in Redding. She has that eye for finding the diamond in the rough and the skill to act as general contractor and decorator to polish up the property, resulting in a gem. A fifth generation Californian who grew up in Laguna Beach, she decided several years ago that after 22 years in Carmel, during which time she renovated 16 houses – and lived in one she had built for eight years – she was ready for a significant change. “I wanted to experience four seasons, among other things,” she said. After doing some research, she headed East to check out the Hudson Valley and parts of Connecticut. “I had been slow and cautious before coming out here, and looked for a year before making the commitment to relocate,” she said. “I was working with a Realtor friend who now lives in New York state, but had owned houses in Wilton. As I refined my search, looking for a sophisticated town that still had a rural feel, Redding quickly got on the radar,” she said. She felt herself drawn particularly to New England antiques, and focused her search on an old house. Distantly related to the mayor of San Francisco and from a long line of San Francisco-based architects, Kim bought her first house in 1973, while attending Humboldt State College in Eureka. “I fell in love with a little Victorian, on which I was able to assume the $29,000 mortgage. My payments were $330 per month,” she laughed, “which seemed like a lot as a student, but I fixed it up, and three years later the market had started to take off and I sold it for $90,000. I thought, I could do this ...”

While in Eureka, she also became enchanted with the Carson Mansion, a threestory, 18-room house built by lumber magnate William Carson in 1884-85. The ornate, primarily Queen Anne-style Victorian is one of the most written-about and photographed houses in California. “I was stunned to find out it was designed by my great-grandfather and his brother (Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom); my grandmother never told me – she didn’t like Victorian design.” When Kim purchased her 10-room, nearly 3,000-square-foot circa 1725 house in Redding, it had been in the same family for nearly 70 years. She was told that it is the second oldest house in Redding, which was part of Fairfield at the time of its construction. Local historian Daniel Cruson calls the Fox Run Road house “an excellent, and rare, example of the typical story-and-a-half home built in the 1700s. This is the type of farmhouse people commonly lived in, and because the houses were common, little attempt was made to preserve them, and most architectural historians overlook them.” He also noted that many of today’s antique saltboxes were not built as saltboxes, but were originally story-and-a-halfs, whose additions were intended to give them the appearance of saltboxes. A look in the cellar and attic can reveal a lot about when a house was constructed, he said, pointing to the saw marks on an attic beam which were long, indicating

This circa 1725 house in Redding had been in the same family for nearly 70 years.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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October 2008

hand tools rather than circular ones, which became common later on. The beams in the basement of this house were also little more than tree trunks in some places, and occasional pieces of bark were still evident nearly 300 years later! In the dining room, he said the fireplace lintel was “fantastic,” but not original to the house. Noting its size and shape he said, “The fireplace was done in the dimensional design of Count Rumford,” which would place it around 1800. Upon further inspection he said, “I suspect, however, that the fireplace was rebuilt using the original stones.” When Kim acquired the house, it was in need of updating and some TLC. “I think the bathrooms had last been updated in the 1970s,” she said. “I worked within the constraints of the existing house, which includes a 1906 expansion that necessitates a step-up on the second floor, to accommodate a higher ceiling on the first floor.” What had been an upstairs playroom in the addition, she converted to the master bedroom, which also features a large walk-in closet. The bathrooms were fully remodeled. “We found some interesting framing when we gutted the bathrooms,” she said. The kitchen was upgraded, adding a custom island with a honed-granite surface, and the countertops were replaced with slab stone. The Sub-Zero refrigerator and professional gas stove were already in place. Kim also repainted every surface, inside and out. On the floors of the foyer and dining room, she painted diagonal stripes, a lively design choice. Kim tackled the outdoors with the same enthusiasm and detail she’d shown inside, fencing about an acre of the 3.4-acre property to keep her dog in and the deer out, restacking some of the existing stone walls and creating tiers in other areas. Kim is a passionate gardener, and it was the constraints of the local weather on gardening that got her to rethinking her relocation. “I knew there would be See Polishing houses page 53

The house is a rare example of a story-and-a-half home according to local historian Daniel Cruson.

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�� The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

Homebodies continued from page 48 Dream House When we decided to buy a house, one of my husband’s only requests was that the home include a family room, with a fireplace, for him. “I just want a room where I can have my brothers over to watch the Steelers’ games,” he said. At that point, I would have agreed to anything, so happy was I to be leaving the bachelor pad behind. “Of course, Honey, whatever you say,” I replied. One of the houses we looked at, a raised ranch, featured a beautiful family room on the lower level, complete with a big brick fireplace, raised hearth and dark paneled walls. I knew the second we walked in that my husband was imagining himself in his recliner, in front of a crackling fire, the leaves changing on the trees outside the windows, and a Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl game on TV. He and his brothers, who would be settled comfortably into my parents’ couch, would be cheering the Steelers on to certain victory.

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I’m pretty sure he’s never regretted our decision to purchase the splitlevel home instead, where I’ve happily ensconced him in the cozy (i.e., “small”) lower-level family room complete with, well, four walls and a floor. Unfortunately for him, there are no dark paneled walls, and the only fireplace is upstairs in the living room, which I’ve appropriated for myself and any guests who don’t require ESPN and NFL Sunday Ticket. My husband can get out of his recliner to look upstairs at the fireplace any time he wants, so I’m sure he’s content. We eventually replaced the ugly recliner and cumbersome coffee table, but the 70s TV is still alive and kicking, and the hard rocking chair does come in handy when he decides to invite more guests than his brothers for the games. Voodoo Woman I don’t know if all football fans (or is it fanatics?) are alike, but my husband is somewhat superstitious when it comes to his Pittsburgh Steelers. “Honey, do you want me to put this shirt in the laundry?” I asked one chilly January Sunday a few years ago. “I don’t think it’s been washed in weeks!” “No! Please don’t!” he said, and it dawned on me that this wasn’t just an ordinary shirt, but rather his “lucky” shirt, which he’d been wearing since the Steelers first made the playoffs that season. Apparently, he would be wearing it until they clinched the Super bowl, after which it would get up and walk away on its own. Then, in January 1997 (my husband actually remembers the date), a year or two after we’d moved into the house, I committed what many football addicts would consider the crime of the century: I decided to paint the basement, which was a few steps down from the family room. How would this constitute a crime? Well, unfortunately for the Steelers, my painting project happened to coincide with a pivotal football game. “Sweetie, why don’t you wait to paint until the playoffs are over, and I’ll be happy to help you,” my husband offered. “This way you won’t have to do all the work by yourself. I could even paint the basement myself!” See Homebodies page 55

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008

Polishing houses continued from page 51 winter, maybe three months, but I didn’t realize how frosts and chills shorten the gardening season – you really only have from May to maybe November,” she said. “I love Redding and the people I’ve met here. Neighbors stopped over to introduce themselves and brought brownies or cookies when I moved in, and the women of the Redding Garden Club really made me feel welcome, plus I love what they are doing at New Pond Farm,” she said. “But when I went back for a visit last Christmas, I was surprised at how homesick I felt.” She returned for another visit in February, intending to find a small place to winter in and to rent out while she spent summers in Redding. But she was struck

by how “everything was green, flowers were growing everywhere, and I thought about the snow back in Connecticut. Then I stumbled upon this great house in Sonoma while visiting friends ...” So now Kim is putting the finishing touches on her 23rd house – “an almost new house, built in 2004,” she said, in preparation for her return to the Sunshine State, leaving behind an antique, polished gem for someone else to enjoy. For more information, view 14foxrunroad.com or contact Ginny Beasely at William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, 203-482-4938 or gbeasley@wpsir.com. ■

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Award-winning continued from page 9 A visit to this house is a necessity because a list of specifications, such as 10 rooms, four bedrooms, four baths and two half baths, clapboard, stone exterior, detached two-car garage, two working fireplaces with period mantels surrounded by Delft tile, and central air conditioning, isn’t sufficient to portray its exceptional qualities. 605 Ponus Ridge Road is not just a home, but a remarkable achievement. The location, in one of New Canaan’s most desirable neighborhoods, is a short drive to the railroad station and within walking distance of New Canaan Country School. This is a house whose charm and traditional elegance, combined with unlimited access to contemporary improvements, make it truly unique. The house is still furnished with the owner’s period furniture, but it’s the kind of house that can inspire many different treatments, color schemes and decorating choices. The house reflects the visionary, perfectionist image of its owners, who have given it a beautifully lived-in ambiance to welcome its next family. Visit its Web site at 605ponusridge.com. ■ With its many windows, the breakfast room is bound to be a family favorite.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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Homebodies continued from page 52

Story Ideas Welcome

I should have known he had an ulterior motive. “I’ve already prepped the whole room, and I really want to get it done,” I said. “Don’t worry ... I won’t get in your way!” Sure enough, the Steelers lost that day, and my dejected husband attributed the loss to my painting. “Don’t you see?” he tried to explain. “You changed the aura, or the karma, or whatever it is surrounding the game by painting while it was on. That hadn’t happened on any of the previous weeks, so I’m sure your painting project affected the outcome of the game. It was bad luck!” I don’t think he was really serious, but nevertheless, I try to stay out of the way when a Steelers playoff game is on. And you can be sure I’ll never start a painting project during a Steelers playoff game again. ■

If you have an interesting home construction or renovation story, or know someone who does, we’d love to hear about it. E-mail Jackie Perry at:

home@acorn-online.com

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.

October 2008