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Weston Designer Show House Oct. 6 through Nov. 1

One Personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clutter ... Treasure Hunt At Townline

No Detail Too Small For Kitchen Renovation Duo

Landscaping Entrepreneur Doing What Comes Naturally

A Hersam Acorn Special Section Greenwich Post New Canaan Advertiser The Wilton Bulletin The Redding Pilot

The Darien Times The Ridgefield Press The Weston Forum The Lewisboro Ledger

Home of the Month in Redding. Bryan Haeffele photo.

Pastoral Delight Redding

Vol. XIII, Number 10

Home of the Month

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October 2009

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

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INTO I THE I GARDEN ■

Attention dahlia lovers! by Donna Clark October is the month to get physical again. The weather is cool and it’s time to move compost into the garden and clean up some of the dead foliage. This is also the best time to divide most perennials. The rule I use is: It is safe to divide or move perennials that bloomed in the spring and early summer, and all other perennials except for shallow-rooted plants. The latest news on the late blight is that the spores will not winter over in

Donna Clark

Dahlia Sherwood’s Peach is an heirloom plant from 1944.

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

October 2009

the soil in our climate. Self-sowed plants that appear in 2010 must be weeded out as they could have the fungus on them. There is also a problem with clothing, tomato stakes, etc., so you should obtain a fact sheet from the UConn Extension Office at 207-3262. There are some really good dahlias this year. Karma Corona, Karma Sangria and Karma Fuchsiana were three that we used in the gardens. The Karma series of dahlias is from Verwer Brothers of Holland, and was developed for extraordinarily strong stems and almost iridescent colors. The height is between three and four feet, but this year we have some that are over five feet tall. We supported them with wooden stakes, and they are standing tall. A good source for dahlias is k.van Bourgondien & Sons Inc. at 1-800-5529996. I found an antique dahlia at Select Seeds (selectseeds.com or 800-6840395). It is called Sherwood’s Peach, and is four feet tall with large dinnerplate-size blooms in shades of peach. This is an heirloom from 1944, and I really love it. I have a good method for keeping dahlias through the winter. After they have been blackened by frost, carefully dig them out and cut the stem, leaving about four inches. Next hose them down to remove all dirt. Let them dry in the garage for a few days. With your pruner, very carefully cut each tuber from the main clump, being sure to get a piece of the stem. You should be able to see a

small bud forming on the stem end. Each tuber needs a bud to produce flowers the next year. Trim any long roots and extra stem. I let them dry for a few more days. Then with permanent ink, I label them with a code number and keep a separate list of the names that correspond to the number. In a plastic container, put a layer of perlite, then a layer of dahlias, then another layer of perlite, then dahlias, ending with a layer of perlite (almost like making lasagna). Snap on the airtight cover and store in a dark, cool space. I check them every few weeks to make sure there is no mold. If there is a little mold, remove that dahlia and keep the cover off a few days to dry them out. You could buy new tubers each year, but there is a real sense of accomplishment when you can save them. This year I discovered a new cucumber at our local produce store. I had already purchased seeds for my usual seedless cucumber, Jade Burpless, from Johnny’s Seed, and they had been planted. With the wet weather, I picked only See Into the Garden page 29

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October 2009

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

RECESSION BOOSTS SELF-RELIANCE

Build your own chicken coop by Fran Sikorski

Andrea Plona

Chickens come in a variety of colors, as do their eggs.

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As I approached the home of my daughter Andrea and her husband, Kevin Plona, in Barrington, N.H., I heard a sing-song “chick, chick, chick-eee, chick, chick chick-eee” repeated over and over by my seven-year-old grandson, Cameron, who was calling their soon-to-be-laying hens back to the chicken coop for the night, where a double-safety check would be made against predators – foxes, coyotes, raccoons, hawks. It was time to put two Golden Laced Wyandottes, two Araucanas, three Buff Orpingtons and one Golden Speckled Hamburg to bed, and batten down the hatches. A little extra work if the chickens have been roaming free-range before bedtime, but the rewards will be great once the hens start producing organic eggs. As families combat the recession, chicken coops dot the landscape in New Hampshire, along with abundant organic vegetable gardens. They are reviving the tradition of self-reliance by producing their own healthy, nourishing food.

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In order to cut food costs, homesteading has returned to New England, and families are spending more time together enjoying morning-fresh eggs and the tasty benefits of large organic gardens. Andrea and her family began readying a coop for their chickens, which were shipped from a hatchery last spring. They arrived like little balls of yellow fluff that eventually turned to colors of an artist’s palette.

The first plan was to build a coop from the ground up, which was abandoned when the cost of the building supplies was added up. Instead, Andrea found a shed on sale that could be modified to include a run, nesting space, light for winter warmth and to stimulate the laying process. Andrea’s mother-in-law, Suzanne, who has been in the building business, spent a weekend with them to consult on modifications and see the project through. Coops are built to accommodate the number of chickens occupying them. A dog house with modifications would be adequate for three to four chickens, according to Andrea’s friend Amy, who has now added ducks and rabbits, having begun with chickens, the entry level for homesteading. Two years ago she purchased doors for $15 apiece and built a chicken coop. Laying stages for hens are from six months to a year and a half. Roosters are not necessary to produce eggs, and are used mainly for breeding purposes, according to Andrea. See Chicken coop page 15

�� Andrea Plona

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Raising chickens is part of a homesteading trend for families.

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TREASURE HUNT

One man’s (or woman’s) clutter ... by G. Lisa Sullivan

Townline Treasures has an eclectic collection of antiques, collectibles and home furnishings.

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There are many reasons why people travel from all over the state to visit Litchfield County, as well as its surrounding cities and towns – unparalleled shopping, antiques stores, restaurants, historic inns, bucolic landscapes, rolling hills and covered bridges are just a few of the attractions that draw day and weekend trippers to this unique region of Connecticut. Now there is yet another reason to make the trip: Townline Treasures, an Oakville-based home-furnishings resale studio. “We’re conveniently located on the town line between Waterbury and Oakville/Watertown,” company co-owner Maureen Garceau explains, “at the gateway to Litchfield County, in an historic old factory building from the 1800s known locally as the Pin Shop. There are so many wonderful attractions in this part of Connecticut, and people come from all over to experience what the Northwest corner has to offer, and we’re one stop along the way.” As part of its business, Townline Treasures has embraced the green movement, with its eclectic collection of antiques, collectibles, home furnishings and décor, according to Maureen, whose husband and business partner, Steve, a Watertown native and resident, has made a career out of finding diamonds in the rough, so

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“The Bright Yellow Building” October 2009

to speak, as he works with clients to declutter their homes, usually at no monetary cost to the homeowner. “Maureen and I started this business less than a year ago as an experiment in buying and selling on eBay,” Steve recalls. “By placing newspaper ads for free clean-out services, and offering my service in return for people’s unwanted items, we were able to target potential clients in Fairfield, Litchfield, Hartford and New Haven counties ... homeowners who were downsizing or who had inherited an estate, or who were in the process of selling or simply just decluttering and had items they didn’t want to deal with.” Great Expectations

Steve, who has a background in manufacturing and engineering and is also a carpenter by trade, begins by visiting the client’s home and perusing the pieces that are to be sorted and/or discarded. “My parents took me to estate sales and tag sales when I was a kid, and consequently I grew up surrounded with ‘gems’ they found at those places,” he recounts. “I have to make sure there is some furniture or collectible that I can eventually resell in order to justify my cost in time and effort.” Once Steve knows he can turn a profit, he returns with a truck and begins the clean-out process. Most of his clean-outs take one or two days, although a few have required a week. “There’s generally no money changing hands,” he says, “but occasionally a

job will become much bigger than we originally planned, and the client will pay for a dump fee.” For Maureen, every clean-out offers potential Christmas morning excitement, with Steve often calling her from the road to describe his “finds.” “Steve has a passion for quality and the eye to recognize it when he sees it,” she explains. “I really didn’t know what we’d get when we started the business, but we have found some beautiful pieces of furniture, glassware, china, artwork and lighting, and even a few antiques,” he says, “although I have yet to unearth a Picasso in someone’s attic!” Steve begins by sorting the items into keep, recycle, donate to Goodwill, or dump. Those things he keeps, he repairs himself, spending a portion of each week refinishing, sanding, restaining, painting or varnishing (the rest of the week is spent on the road, visiting potential clients). Certain jobs, however, like veneers or replating, he will outsource to other professionals. See Treasure hunt page 14

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HOME Vol.XIII, 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 • 44,000 copies published monthly • 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 Copyright 2009, Hersam Acorn Newspapers, LLC

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

October 2009

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The ghosts of Halloween past by Polly Tafrate

Ding-dong! “Trick or treat, give us something good to eat,” are words that will be heard by many this Halloween. Because so few kids come to our suburban country house today, we always invite them inside. “Tell me about your costume,” I’ll say. “I’m a homeless person,” says one. “I’m a gypsy,” says another, clanging her bracelets as she dips both hands into the bowl of candy bars. WHAT? Imagine how shocked we’d be today to greet these politically incorrect trick or treaters. But back in the late forties and early fifties, these were some of our favorite costumes. Well, the names weren’t quite the same. For a few years I was a bum or hobo smearing charcoal over my face and hands. Another year I was a gypsy with a long plastic cigarette holder dangling from my lips, which would keep getting tangled in my necklaces. One year my younger

brother was an Indian complete with feathers and war paint. Another Halloween he was a cowboy with a cap gun hanging from his holster. When he fired it, people jumped. When I was really young, my mother insisted my older sister and I wear the same costume from year to year. She’d buy these at the Five & Ten, never seeing the need for a new one. My sister was a witch for three consecutive years. Luckily, her costume got so trashed that it never was handed down to me. As we grew older, we’d assemble our costumes from stuff we found around the house the week before Halloween -- a pair of father’s old pants from the rag bag, costume jewelry from our mother’s bureau and treasures found in her sewing basket. We’d meet our friends on the street before tearing through the neighborhood. Our parents never came with us; why would they? They needed to stay home to give out the candy. No one had a flashlight – there just weren’t enough hands for that – but the small city we lived in had street lights that helped somewhat. In one hand we held a brown paper grocery bag for the loot, and the other hand held a milk-carton-sized box to collect pennies for UNICEF.

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

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October 2009

We’d go to almost every house in the neighborhood, whether we knew them or not. Street talk told us of the “good” houses. “They give out apples,” meant skip that one. “They give nickels.” We’d make a beeline for that house even if it was on the next block. “They give homemade cookies with orange icing, but you’re supposed to take them from the tray and eat them there.” Hmmm ... not enough hands. “They invite you into the house to ooh and aah at your costumes.” Nope, takes too much time. “Candy apples over there.” “Too gooey, and we don’t have enough hands to hold them.” “They’re wrapped in waxed paper,” Oh yeah! “Race you there!” Our house was popular as we gave out full-size boxes of Cracker Jacks. Cartons of them would be stacked in the kitchen the week before Halloween. Many homes gave out candy bars, but they were the full-size ones. Today’s cheaper “fun” size didn’t exist. Some houses gave out loose candies wrapped in paper napkins and tied with ribbon. At the end of the night, when it was time to sort our candy, we’d empty this loose stuff into Mother’s mixing bowls. Our personal favorite was candy-corn, which we called chicken feed, followed by Hershey kisses. The weather on Halloween was often cold, and our parents made us wear coats over our costumes. It was the one time I wished we lived in an apartment building. We got used to hearing people say, “Open your coat so we can see your costume.” Today’s custom of squirting shaving cream on cars and houses didn’t exit. I’m pretty sure that this waited until aerosol cans were invented. To us, shaving cream was something your father put on his face with a brush before shaving every morning. Nor did anyone have eggs or toilet paper. A few smashed pumpkins on the

street sent shivers of worry down our spines. Would our pumpkin still be winking at us when it was time to go home at 9? There were a few Halloween parties, but no one ever wore their costumes, saving the surprise for Halloween night. The fact that we didn’t really inspect our friend’s costumes then, didn’t seem to concern us – it wasn’t the costumes, it was the candy. The party at Brownies was always dumb. “The games were stupid,” I’d tell my mother when she picked me up at the Girl Scout House. “And there were no prizes.” More vivid in my mind are the parties my sister and I hosted the weekend before Halloween. We’d lead the neighborhood kids down a crooked staircase into a small and dusty storage room in our cellar. Once everyone was seated in a circle on the cement floor, we’d pull the chain on the overhead light and our spook house would begin. We’d pass around witchy body parts – a rubber glove stuffed with sand (hand), peeled grapes (eyes), dried spaghetti (bones), wet string mop (hair), cold cooked noodles ( guts). No one was fooled, but it was great fun. We skipped the bobbing for apples in a tub since my sister didn’t want to get her hair wet. Instead we had a few silly games like marshmallow on a string, Pin the Tail on the Witch and charades. Fresh cider and Dugan’s donuts signaled the end of the party. Halloween was one magical night, and we had to wait a whole year for it to come around again. That’s a far cry from Halloween today, which has evolved into a season of its own, with school and town parades, parties and best-costume contests, all of which is definitely exciting. Do you suppose Halloween will be so changed when today’s kids are parents that they’ll reminisce about their ghosts of Halloween past? ■

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October 2009

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HAMILTON’S LANDSCAPING

Doing what comes naturally by Janis Gibson

Andrew Hamilton Reiss

Crumbling front steps began a landscaping adventure with Andy Reiss.

When Elizabeth Massa of Redding found herself sprawled on her front steps after tripping on broken concrete last spring, she and her husband, Stephen, knew they could no longer put off the repairs that had long needed to be done. They called Hamilton’s Landscaping LLC, the business of Andrew Hamilton Reiss in Wilton, whose work they had long admired while passing a home in Georgetown. Six years previously, they had written down the name and phone number from a sign out front. They called the contractor, who came to the house and discussed doing the porch and steps. He also suggested giving a more natural shape to their front walk, which they liked but never acted on. When Andy arrived at the Massas’ home, he realized he had been there before and mentally noted the record-long callback, wondering if this time would be any different. It certainly was. In addition to the front porch and steps, Liz and Steve also wanted ideas from Andy about their back porch, or actually the lack of one. When the couple purchased the home 10 years ago, the wooden deck, which was several feet off the ground, was iffy. After a particularly bad storm several years ago, it looked wobbly, and when Steve �� kicked a support, the whole thing collapsed. After its removal, the couple

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

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Janis Gibson

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What appears natural is hand-made.

October 2009

was left with what they jokingly called a “suicide door,” which was blocked from inside. There was also a retaining wall at the back of the driveway that made entry into the backyard awkward and uninviting. Consequently, the yard was rarely used. After walking the property with Andy and getting his ideas, then listening to his subsequent presentation, Liz and Steve realized it was exactly what they wanted. “He had such a creative approach,” said Liz. “It became clear that it was a whole project, that it didn’t make sense to do only part of it.” They worked collaboratively, tweaking the design as the project evolved. The wooded property is on a mild incline, with a curved driveway. Andy pointed out the natural flow from the parking area to the front door, as well as shortcuts people would take to walk to the street or from the driveway to the door. So he suggested a walkway with breaks across the front lawn. “We knew he was right as we never walked on the walk,” Liz said with a laugh, “and our UPS guy thanked us for the new design.” Andy’s approach to landscaping is to “make the setting look as natural as possible, as if the house had been built around what was there rather than the other way around.” He uses natural materials and creates paths where and how “people would walk organically, which are naturally occurring, not forced.” He also likes to use stone in its natural form, piecing it together rather than using a hammer and chisel to make it fit. The result is a look similar to old stone walls often found in woods. All the stone used at the Massas’, other than the walkways, came from the property. In creating his designs, Andy considers the four seasons. “How will it look during the winter with snow? How will the hardscape look in each season as nature moves around it?”

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He also reuses and recycles materials whenever possible, and he’s a big fan of recycled rebar, which he shapes into sculptures and supports. The Massas’ eightyear-old daughter, Catie, had a favorite tree with a funky growth, which had to be cut down. So Andy repurposed it as a sculptural post in the backyard, lit from below at night. The flagstones of the former walkway now serve as part of the landing on the new front porch. The retaining wall by the driveway was removed, and the backyard recontoured to create a space for a water feature and a pathway to the back door. Rather than building a new deck, Andy created a small stone porch with a storage cave below. Using recycled rebar, he created a sculptural support for an angled copper roof with skylight. By removing the gutter from that portion of the house, the copper roof captures water coming off the house to create a waterfall in warm weather and icicles in the cold. “It is all about motion,” he said. A fieldstone cutout near the bottom of the back steps accommodates a grill. Alongside the path, the ground has been prepared for a stone terrace, and a stone structure that is a water feature facing the side yard and driveway has a fireplace on the opposite side. It is here that Andy’s artistry in working with stone is on greatest display. The fireplace stones are stacked in such a way to create a natural chimney, as well as openings through which a fire can be seen from the driveway. On all sides of the structure are contours and shapes that create spots for plantings or to hold a glass, dish or platter. The exposed foundation of the See Hamilton’s Landscaping page 33

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

Treasure hunt continued from page 9 A Place for Everything

In order to merchandise their inventory, the couple decided to lease a large space in which to make the repairs and display the pieces they had collected. “We leased a charming 3,000 sq. ft. space in a 100-year-old pin factory here in Oakville, right on the Litchfield line, and, with help from my father, completely renovated it, with chestnut floors and beams and track lighting,” says Steve. A portion of the studio/showroom is used for repairs, while most of the space showcases the items for sale. “There are 62 other vendors in this renovated factory, ranging from artists and artisans to photographers and a kayak shop,” Steve explains. “We get customers from all over.” There are currently 500 different items in Steve and Maureen’s showroom, which is open Thursday 11 to 7, Friday 11 to 6, Saturday 11 to 5 and Sunday 10 to 2, according to Maureen, a Prospect, Conn. native who has a background in retail and who helps manage the showroom. “We carry everything from yesteryear to today,” she says, “including chairs, tables, hutches, dining room sets, vanities, headboards and footboards, upholstered furniture, frames, mirrors, books, bureaus, dressers, sideboards, buffets and full sets of china. My ultimate goal is to have our patrons leave with a smile and a treasure.”

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Steve Garceau’s “finds” are often found during clean-out services he provides to homeowners.

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Today, Steve and Maureen, who have four sons ranging in age from 7 to 18, have continued that tradition, and their own home, which Steve built himself, is filled with treasures they have discovered along the way. “Every item we sell is a conversation piece,” Steve says, “with most items better made than anything you can buy today ... they have already proven their test of time, and each piece already has its own story.” For more information, call 860-417-2858 or 232-2505, or visit yourtownlinetreasures.com. ■

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

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October 2009

Chicken coop continued from page 7 When the laying period subsides, some owners use the chickens for meat, and others, who don’t want to part with their chickens, continue to feed and enjoy them. “It will be interesting to see what people do with their chickens when they are not producing,” said Amy. By eight weeks, the eight Plona chickens were moved into their new home, and every day look forward to a freerange outing in the backyard. The insulation, ventilation, lighting, nesting perches, litter collection and protection from the elements and other animals were all completed. Soon there will be pastel-colored eggs every morning. Other benefits are food scraps recycled to feed the chickens and high quality fertilizer for the garden.

Things to know: No fancy tools are required to build a chicken coop. There are many plans to choose from on the Internet, and you can save money by building your own by using recycled materials that are cheaper and environmentally friendly. Be wary of cheap materials that will cost you more money in the long run. Andrea and Kevin, novices of the neighborhood chickencoop planners, are now sharing information with other friends to encourage them to start their own homesteading projects. They are also looking forward to the day the first eggs appear in the nesting boxes, and to who will be the first gatherer of eggs. The frying pan and buttered toast will be waiting inside. For more information on raising chickens and building chicken coops, go to backyardchickens.com. ■

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October 2009

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

DISCOUNT BEDDING & FURNITURE WAREHOUSE

Good deals, great service by Isabelle Ghaneh

If owner Chris LaForte doesn’t have the style you’re looking for, there are many catalogs available.

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Sleep in peace when you shop at Discount Bedding & Furniture Warehouse. Everyone today is worried about the economy, and even those of us who have plenty of money in our piggy banks want to save money by shopping for bargains. Saving a bundle on your bedding and furniture can certainly help you drift off to slumber land! Good deals are Chris LaForte’s stock in trade. As owner of Discount Bedding, he has made customer service his trademark. Chris’s brother Peter, an accountant, worked as a consultant for the previous owners, who owned the business for 10 years. When they expressed an interest in retiring, he mentioned it to Chris, who decided to take up the challenge and run his own business, a dream he’d had for a long time. “I’ve always wanted to be my own boss, and this retail store seemed like an ideal fit for me,” said Chris, who has been involved in sales and marketing for most of his adult life. He and his brother grew up in New Canaan, but Chris moved out of the area after college, going to live and work in Vermont and Massachusetts. He returned in 2002 and began to look around for a business opportunity, particularly one that would make good use of his sales experience. “Discount Bedding fit the bill, and I’ve been the proud owner for almost four years now. Customer service is my main selling point. I enjoy people contact, and I feel good knowing I’m not gouging my customers. I work with the customer to ensure he or she gets the best possible deal, and I offer immediate deliveries of our items,” Chris said. Chris offers a wide variety of merchandise for bedrooms, dining rooms and living rooms. His wares run from mattresses to futons, dinette sets, area rugs, lamps, mirrors, sofas, loveseats and recliners. A few beanbags sit outside the store, which is much larger than it appears. “Customers are often surprised at how big the store is once they walk to the back,” Chris said. “I have a lot of merchandise here on display, and I have quite a lot of cata-

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

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A wide range of furniture and accessories of high quality at a low price are hallmarks of the company.

logs for the customers to choose from if they don’t see the furniture pieces they are interested in.” Chris has items to fit most any budget. His overhead isn’t high, so he can pass the savings along to the customer. “Dollar for dollar I do better than any other retail furniture store in the area. Mattresses are one of my big sellers. I offer 40% less on my mattresses. I work with Restopedic, and they provide me with a great product. The two owners of Restopedic worked for over 20 years in a well-known name-brand mattress company, and they decided to use their knowledge and expertise to manufacture a mattress that would save the customer a lot of money, without cutting out quality. They have a phenomenal product in mattresses, and I can pass along the savings to my customers. It’s a win-win situation for everyone. My most expensive double-sided, queen-size mattress is $899, and it has a 20-year warranty,” Chris said. The mattresses are all two-sided so they can be flipped for a longer life and to prevent sagging. He also offers a large selection of youth furniture, from bunk beds to dressers. “A customer isn’t going to want to spend a fortune on youth furniture, since children’s tastes will change over the years as they go from child to tween to teen,” Chris said. There is a large selection of colorful beanbags, and many youth bedroom pieces to chose from. There are futon bunk beds, trundle and day beds. College students often pop in to buy furniture for their dorm rooms, and the futons are a big seller, particularly with 20-somethings who are starting out on their own. In the front showroom, there is a lovely grandfather clock and a recliner opposite, looking so comfy it’s hard to resist plunking down in it. There are many styles of sofas and loveseats, from leather to micro suede. If Chris doesn’t have the style the customer wants, catalogs are readily available. Chris is happy to spend time working with customers to be sure they find the right piece. Area rugs and lamps are on display throughout the store, and Chris has many dinette sets, along with quite a few bar and kitchen stools. The store sells a lot of them, since many homes in Fairfield County have large eat-in kitchens and breakfast bars are a part of the décor. “I offer high quality for a low price,” Chris said. “Currently, one of my three- piece table sets goes for $199, which includes a cocktail table and two end tables.” Discount Bedding is conveniently located at 4 New Canaan Avenue in Norwalk, right off Exit 2 on the Merritt 7 connector. Hours at Discount Bedding are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday 10 to 6; Tuesday and Thursday 10 to 7; Sunday 12 to 5; 845-7979; discountbeddingfurniture.com. ■ October 2009

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Pastoral Delight

LOCATION: Bucolic Redding offers a perfect setting f outstanding home. PROPERTY: More than nine gently rolling acres offer a sity of activities, with a porch, patio, pool, spa, pond, tr house and space for horses. HOUSE: A Nantucket-style home with European flair a living room with fireplace, dining room, family room, gourmet eat-in kitchen and bedroom on the first floor. second floor is the master bedroom and three more bed There are four full baths. GARAGE: Three-car, attached. PRICE:$1,639,000. REALTY: William Pitt Sotheby. Agent: Roni Agress, 438-9531. Photography: Bryan Haeffele.

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10 rooms with a view by Isabelle Ghaneh

Spectacular scenery, serenity and a sense of space take precedence in this home’s picturesque setting.

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Living in New England offers many amenities, chief of which is the spectacular changing of the seasons. Right now we are in the midst of magnificent autumn, highlighted by the vibrant reds, greens and yellows of the changing of the leaves. Next will be the white winter landscape with twinkling snowflakes, followed by spring, bursting with colorful buds and then comes summer, with green trees and plants in full bloom. A home with a front row seat to view these glorious changes has an attribute that is priceless. Denise Gannalo, managing director of Exceptional Properties for William Raveis, knows that one of the chief selling points of this home at 599 North Wilton Road in New Canaan is its location by the John D. Milne Reservoir. A magnificent screened-in porch offers an up-close and personal view of the four seasons. It’s easy to imagine a winter evening watching the snowflakes dance across the reservoir as you sip a cup of mulled cider, or a still summer evening watching the fireflies flit around your back yard. Bill, the owner, said there are two swans that come back year after year to the reservoir, and large turtles are a year-round part of the landscape.

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

October 2009

“There is an enormous sense of space, privacy and tranquility at this home, thanks to the 525 feet of waterfront. You really have the full benefit of untouched open space,” Bill said. The large screened-in porch has a flagstone floor, as does the terrace, a perfect spot for barbecuing and entertaining. The traditional colonial was built in 1962, and Bill and his family have been the owners for the past 23 years. Now that his children are grown and gone, Bill is looking to downsize, passing on this treasure to new owners, who hopefully will enjoy it as much he and his family have. “This $1,250,000 home is a four-acre property in a four-acre zone, and the total square feet of the house is 3,684,” Denise said. “There are two floors with 10 largesized rooms, including five bedrooms and four full baths. There is also a fully finished and insulated lower level of 1,500 square feet. There is ample parking, with an attached two-car garage, and an additional structure of 1,000 square feet that could be turned into a four-car garage.” The multi-purpose structure is near the entrance of the driveway. At one time, Bill used it as an office, and it is heated and insulated. Before it was turned into an office, Bill used it to store a 29-foot sailboat with keel. The sparkling white eat-in kitchen has a butler’s pantry with sink, and down the hall is the fifth bedroom, which boasts a full bathroom. This space could be used “as a guest room, an in-law room or a nanny’s room,” Denise said. See 10 rooms page 32

A pair of swans returns each year, sheltered by the protected landscape surrounding the reservoir.

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

No detail is too small FOR THE RENOVATORS AT TRUE NORTH CABINETS by Jeannette Ross

Brian Urso

The cabinets on the left house an electrical dumb waiter that connects to the garage below.

Ken and Louise Pascal know what it is like to spend a lot of money and get little for it. In building their gracious New Canaan home in 2001, they paid a lot of money for goods and services that did not always meet their expectations. As professional people they were disappointed. A short time later, they were looking at second careers. Remembering the building process as a positive experience overall, they decided to go into renovations, specializing in kitchen design, specifically cabinetry, stone products, and tile. They formed True North Cabinets and SMC Stone. They consider themselves a boutique firm, working mostly by referral of friends and past clients. “We are busier than we’ve been in the past two years,” Ken said, although he acknowledged projects are smaller than they’ve used to be. Whereas most of the projects used to be in the $80,000 to $100,000 range for a cabinet order, they are now also working in a lower price range – $30,000 to $40,000 – and remaining competitive.

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With the help of a professional designer, Ken and Louise work with their clients on layout, construction, aesthetics, and a seemingly endless list of details, staying with the project from beginning to end and beyond, for as long as their client owns the kitchen. “If there’s a problem with a shelf five years down the road, I’m there,” Ken said.

“A lot of people think (when they are renovating a kitchen) they are shopping for cabinets,” Ken said. “What they eventually realize is they are shopping for an outcome. Our focus is on the outcome. How does the client feel about the space?” he said. “We spend a lot of time talking about that.” A beautiful and functional kitchen is more than just the sum of its parts. It is how those parts are chosen and put together. Probably the most distinctive aspect of the business is Ken’s encyclopedic knowledge of his product line and his attention to detail, from the positioning of switchplates and task lighting to the suitability of hardware. See True North page 30

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A kitchen that functions well puts the “dream” in dream kitchen.

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HOME I MOANER ■

Flour power by Ben Guerrero

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I am on a diet again. I am really good when I set my mind to it. Problem is that the minute I even start to fit into that pair of pants I have stowed somewhere back in the closet, I celebrate with a never-ending conga line of delicious food that I had so diligently resisted for months and months. So, in truth, I am pretty good at starting a diet, but I stink at staying on a diet. And take a note, kiddies, it gets harder as you get older. So with my increasing girth, the achy joints, sagging jowls, elevating blood sugar and the specter of mortality staring me in the face, I have dusted off the old diet book that was recommended to me many years ago by my dour doctor and joined the losing team. The diet book on my shelf is basically a Frenchman’s version of the Atkins plan: nix the carbs and lose the pounds. One slight deviation from the late, great Dr. Atkins prescription is that whole wheat bread, a carbohydrate, is allowed for breakfast. Not your basic grocery store whole wheat, mind you: My book insists on purely whole wheat flour, without a speck of enriched white flour. After scouring the ingredient labels in every grocery store in the county, I decided I was going to have to dust off my old bread pans and bake my own.

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October 2009

When I was a kid, I got into making bread. I think that probably one of the neighborhood hippy chicks had made a fresh loaf and I was attracted to the enticing allure of both. My sense-memory alarm clangs loudly with the taste of that first oven-fresh chunk, slathered with butter in a once familiar, fragrant kitchen. After that first taste, I was hooked. With my soon-to-be lifelong instant-gratification issues blaring loudly, it was just a matter of minutes before the family kitchen was a flurry of flying flour. My mother, a talented cook, was not especially keen on the wife/mother expectations thrust upon her by the “Mad Men” mores of the time. She gladly relinquished her kitchen to me; in fact she’d have resented the concept of the kitchen being designated as “hers.” So she was delighted to underwrite my bread-baking phase, and happy to lend her expertise. As much as I loved the idea of making fresh bread, I was completely unaware of the choreography involved in the process. There’s a thing about yeast and its properties and its sensitivities to temperature and ingredients. There are huge periods of waiting for stages of rising and something called “proofing” not to mention the fact that once all of the front-end stages are completed, there’s a matter of waiting for the baking piece and once it’s out of the oven, you have to wait a few minutes for the bread to cool down before it can be safely eaten without doing serious injury. So much for instant gratification.

While my memory seems to look back at what seemed like months of bread-baking experimentation, I suspect it was no longer than a week or two, but I am also sure it was something with which I was obsessed. During the bread-making epoch, I made white bread, French bread, rye bread, whole wheat bread, raisin bread, pumpernickel, rolls and virtually every recipe the Joy of Cooking offered. I always came back to plain old white bread because it was the most reactive to the yeast, wherein it dependably rose with gusto, while some of the others seemed to rise with indifference or worse, not at all, leaving me with fragrant inedible bricks. The white bread, God Bless America, was the most popular among my family of tasters. Somewhere, possibly in a landfill in New Hampshire, there may be remnants of the old family kitchen. Archaeologists, many centuries from now, painstakingly sifting through that landfill, will scratch their heads, write papers and give lectures See Home Moaner page 28

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RACKING I ONE’S I BRAIN ■

Together, all alone, thanks to technology by Tim Murphy Much research only confirms what we already know or at least intuit. If a 10-year study revealed that pinto beans were more carcinogenic than Camels, it might get our attention. Usually, though, findings provoke more of a ho-hum reaction, something along the lines of I could have told you that myself and saved you the time and money. Such is the case with a recently released study by the Annenberg Center for Digital Future at the University of Southern California, which reported 28% of Americans saying they were spending less time with household family members. That was a significant increase from 2006, when the number was 11%. The assumed culprit, of course, is technology. In the same study, 44% of the respondents said they were sometimes or often ignored by family members who spent too much time using the Internet.

Those results are anything but shocking. If the Brady Bunch were filming today, two of the kids in the opening rectangle would be on cell phones and Alice would be texting Sam the butcher. While everyone realizes times change, this emerging family dynamic – everyone in his or her own room and plugged into technology – does trigger some worrisome bells and whistles. Will interpersonal skills deteriorate? Will conversation eventually rise no higher that a series of witty one-liners? Will anyone be able to tell a good story – and even if they can, will anyone have the patience to listen? It doesn’t take an online search to find anecdotal evidence about the detrimental aspects of technology’s solitary bent. Last December alone, I heard from several different friends or relatives who all had the same holiday experience: They went to other

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families’ houses and encountered children who remained aloof by attending to cell phones and computers all day. And no, none of the gadgets in use were new gifts. Foreseeing any type of societal or cultural meltdown based on the habits of those 16 and under is always risky though. Way before there were text messages to send, teenagers already wanted little to do with adults or with what adults enjoyed. That’s a rite of passage, not decade-specific. Still, there is no denying the insular nature of most modern technology. Although critics believed television would subtract from family life, at least families could watch it together. And some social events, such as Super Bowl parties, are actually based around a shared TV experience. Not so with the Internet, which remains a highway primarily traveled alone. Yes, there is plenty of communication going on, just not as much of the face-to-face variety. It’s entirely possible for some family members to spend more time chatting online with others in distant lands than with the flesh and blood in the next room. No wonder, then, the stories of text messages replacing knocks on the bedroom door as the new wake-up call. With technology constantly one-upping itself, there is little reason to believe that future studies will show anything but a steady rise in the number of people saying they are spending less time with household family members. Previous breakthroughs (telephone, radio, television, VCRs) didn’t require much reinvesting; you bought a TV and stayed with it until the picture went horizontal or someone threw something through the screen during a football game. But that model is as outdated as a pay phone: Every few weeks now there is a new product or an updated version that consumers simply must have. South American countries are no longer fueling our latest addictions, Microsoft and Apple are. Those pining for a return to the days when families ate dinner together and then retired to the living room to spend more time en masse will have to hope for at least

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one of two things to happen: A slowdown in the number and quality of new gadgets and product upgrades and/or a technology backlash. It’s conceivable that at some point the pace of inventions and improvements might dwindle to more of a leak than a waterfall. Surely there must be a limit as to how many times the iPod and the Blackberry can be effectively redesigned, or how many applications are actually applicable. Besides, aren’t the folks at tech companies beyond due for their own collective version of writers’ block? Isn’t Steve Jobs ready for a second career in designer cupcakes? But even if the digital crew keeps mastering the universe, its advances could eventually be stymied by the same human trait that sunk the drive-in, the disco and the Doobie Brothers: Changing tastes. Perhaps people will get tired of so much faceless communication and search for something more substantial. Or maybe someone’s thumbs will detach from excessive texting and scare everyone straight. In the meantime, it may be time for a sequel. For his 1992 book, The Age of Missing Information, Bill McKibben recorded and watched an entire day’s worth of cable television (roughly 1,700 hours) and then contrasted the experience with 24 hours spent alone atop a mountain. McKibben or another writer might glean new insight by substituting the Internet for TV and revisiting the experiment. He or she will have to hurry though. Finding a mountaintop that doesn’t have cell service could soon be a challenge. ■

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

Home Moaner continued from page 25 about the layers of sturdy wheat-based cement and linoleum circa 1955 uncovered there. Fast forward three decades, Melissa and I are making whole-wheat bread in the test kitchens of Rusty Hinge Road. I have hit upon a fool-proof, all-wheat, batterstyle bread found in Fannie Farmer. It works well, smells terrific and tastes pretty good. With the Internet at our fingertips and about four feet of cook books on the pantry shelf, there is no visible end to the recipes available for the type of bread required by the French diet book my dour doc gave me. A wheat berry, rye and whole wheat recipe from last week is quite edible but a bit too dense. It toasts well, and it fills the house with an intoxicating aroma that cannot be described accurately except to say it smells like home. Particularly with a hefty dollop of fat-free ricotta cheese and a splash of that Korean hot sauce with the rooster on the bottle.

The diet seems to be working. The most-used notch on my belt no longer requires a struggle to reach. I am starving most of the day, but using the Frenchman’s diet, I can choose from a variety of specific snacks to fend off the cravings. And every morning, I look forward to a slice or two of delicious homemade bread for breakfast. Now, where are those pants? ben.guerrero@sbcglobal.net. ■

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

October 2009

Into the Garden continued from page 5 two cucumbers, and the vines bit the dust. I then thought I’d start a crop for fall, and researched those cukes I’d discovered. They are called Baby Persian “Green Fingers,” with a description of smooth, cute minis, crispy, tender and ready to eat at just three to five inches long. I obtained the seeds from Renee’s Garden Seeds at reneesgarden.com, and two weeks ago had my first cukes. Take my word for it, these are the best you can grow and eat. October is the time to buy bulbs for your garden. I don’t usually plant many daffodils, even though there are some really nice ones. The problem with daffodils is you can’t plant anything on top of them. They just take up space, and in order to really make a statement, you should plant about 10 bulbs so close together they are touching. If you can plant them among hosta or daylilies, that will work, and the yellowing foliage will be covered up through the summer.

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There is a new deer spray out. I’ve heard from a couple of sources, and have seen it with my own eyes – this one really works. It’s sprayed on just once a month. We have a couple of clients who are using the service provided by Redding Nursery (938-3297), and there has been no flower eating in areas with lots of deer. The nursery also has deer spray for winter protection of your shrubs. The window box that I do for D’Maggio Hair Design in Ridgefield has taken on a pastel look. Originally, I had the red Cuphea Totally Tempted and trailing blue petunias with Euphorbia, Penta Northern Lights and petunia Vista Silverberry. Well, the Cuphea died out in July, and there isn’t much left of the blue petunias. Unfortunately, the salon’s clients are so used to bright colors, they keep asking, Where is the color? In my opinion, this is a classy look and color isn’t everything. Questions or comments: donnaclark@ix.netcom.com. ■

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True North continued from page 23

Ken Pascal

A creative storage pullout places seasonings at your fingertips.

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As an example he explained, “Some refrigerators need an outlet on the top right, but most electricians will just put it near the floor.” If you don’t alert them beforehand, they will have to come back and do it over, which costs time and money. Think hardware is a minor issue? You won’t if you choose a floppy handle and over time it mars the surface of your cabinet. Use a bar handle that doesn’t fit your hand properly, and the oils from your skin will eventually wear away at the finish. Given the chance, Ken can wax philosophical at length about such things: as how much room a cabinet door has so that in humid weather if it swells it will still close properly, the comparative cost and durability of hinges, the best way to hide a seam between cabinets, and the accuracy of the edges on a granite countertop. “We deliver a high-end quality product at an attractive price with good service,” said Ken. Working only with a high-end cabinet line manufactured in Pennsylvania, Ken is able to keep prices reasonable by operating at a lower profit margin. He does this by working out of his home, which doubles as a show home. Instead of a showroom, clients may see a variety of styles of cabinetry and stone work in the home’s bathrooms, library, butler’s panty, and other rooms. This not only gives people a better idea of how finished pieces will look, it also allows them to see the size and scope of what they are buying. While Ken handles the cabinetry – including installation – and detail work, Louise specializes in the stone work. With a Parisian background and having studied art and design, she works with clients on the finishing touches.

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Anyone who has shopped for stone knows the choices in terms of type, color and finish can be overwhelming. “My duty is to educate my client,” she said, especially since some people may opt for appearance over function. In addition to having nearly 1,000 samples of tile at home, Louise will also accompany a client to a stone yard to look at slabs. She can also advise on manmade stone products, and stainless, glass, ceramic, and porcelain tiles and mosaics.

come into play. Where will the keys go? The mail? A purse? The phone? A message center? A calendar? Will there be a laptop? How about a charging station? A bulletin board? Where will the TV go? The homeowner who doesn’t have the time or inclination to sweat the details can leave it up to Ken and Louise, who have found their corporate background has been much to their advantage. “We are really very much like our clients,” Ken said. “People value our professionalism.” For information, visit truenorthcabinets.com or call 203-972-3921. ■

Creative Storage Solutions

A kitchen that looks good is one thing, but a kitchen that functions well is what puts the “dream” in dream kitchen. Part of that is squeezing as much storage as possible out of a defined space, and today’s kitchen products offer so many more options than even 10 years ago. Drawers, for example, are much more useful than cabinet roll-outs. As such, pot drawers are popular under range tops and in islands. The newer microwave/convection ovens can be stacked over a conventional oven to move more cooking power into one space. The lazy-Susan corner cabinet has been around for a while, but an improvement sends the cabinet doors to the back when the lazy susan is turned. Another corner solution, though it does waste some space, is pie-shaped drawers. On an upper line of cabinets, a corner can have open shelves that function as a niche, offering an attractive display space. The old work triangle, the basis for many a kitchen design, has morphed into work zones as kitchens have expanded in size. There are now food prep zones, cooking zones, even a beverage zone, as people add things like refrigerator drawers or second sinks to their islands or wall space. Small refrigerators dedicated to wines or other beverages – away from the cooking area – are popular. Desks are becoming standard in kitchens, sometimes big enough for two, so a parent can help a child with homework. Here again those all-important details

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A sparkling kitchen and dining area open onto the screened porch.

10 rooms continued from page 21

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

The family room has a picture window to enjoy the reservoir views, contributing to the spaciousness of its already large dimensions, 17x16 feet. Windows are abundant on the first floor, and the living room has a large picture window and window seat, perfect for sitting down with a good book, especially when the fireplace is in use on a chilly evening. “The rooms are exceptionally large,” Bill said, “particularly the four bedrooms on the second floor, two of which have full baths. We have really enjoyed a sense of space here.” The finished space in the lower level could be developed in many ways since it’s insulated. Currently there is a laundry room, a rec room, a small gym and a half bath. “A home theater could easily be put in ... at one time it was a home office,” Denise said. Bill has his workshop in the lower level, and there is a lot of storage space. He installed built-in cabinets in the storage areas, and there are many closets. “Bill is a meticulous owner, and he has maintained this property with tremendous attention to all the details,” Denise said. “It really is in spectacular condition.” “This house has good bones,” Bill said. The school bus stops at the driveway, and elementary students go to the East School in the New Canaan school system, known as one of the best in the state of Connecticut. Older children will attend Saxe Middle School and New Canaan High. The taxes are $14,466 for the most recent year. The property is just four miles to the New Canaan train station, located in the center of New Canaan, so if you want to commute to the city or hop on a train to see the latest exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum, you won’t have that long a drive. New Canaan has a very energetic downtown area, complete with a movie theater and many stores and eateries. This affluent town boasts many amenities, including Waveny Park. Waveny offers a number of trails for both walkers and bikers, along with a pool and an enclosed area just for dogs and their owners. When you come to the end of a busy day, awaiting you could be this secluded oasis of peace, quiet and beauty in the midst of the lovely countryside. Denise Gannalo is at William Raveis Real Estate, 4 Elm Street New Canaan, 9664444, newcanaanhomes.blogspot.com. ■ October 2009

Hamilton’s Landscaping continued from page 13

Andrew Hamilton Reiss

house now has a stacked-stone façade to better blend in with the rest of the stone work. Recycled wire and rebar were used to give shape to the water feature’s catch basin, which is encased in concrete and covered with stone. In keeping it natural, Andy has stacked some stones inside to help out any creature that may fall in while getting a drink. “I enjoy the creativity of this work,” said Andy, “and this type of design, which draws people to it, encourages them to make greater use of their properties, to spend more time outside.” The Massas agreed with this philosophy. “Even with the ongoing construction, we have used our yard more this summer than we had all the previous summers combined. We love being out here every chance we get.” As for those front steps, “They are now easy and graceful,” said Liz. Hamilton’s also creates unique indoor and outdoor furniture, as well as indoor spaces. For more information on Hamilton’s Landscaping LLC, call 203-544-7447 or visit HamiltonReiss.com. ■

Ever creative, Andy chose stones found during construction to create a unique fireplace.

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Timing it perfectly by Lois Alcosser Lois Alcosser

Clockmaker Gordon Sweeney repairs and build clocks, and he makes house calls, too.

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From his hilltop backyard, Gordon Sweeney has an amazing view of Norwalk and the Long Island Sound, one of the reasons he bought his house on Outlook Drive, which he remodeled himself. In the basement, the original stone walls are the perfect background for his clockmaker workshop. Born and raised in Connecticut, Gordon went to the Bulova School of Watch Making in Iowa, right from college. He finished a five-year program in 16 months, and was offered a full scholarship to a watch-making school in Switzerland. He was chosen out of 370 applicants. He calls it “a natural fit.” “There were only six of us in the school. Each and every machine was the best money could buy, and a master craftsman was always standing behind you. Watch making has always been a male profession. Women have finer muscles in their hands – they’re actually better at it – but the field has been male-dominated.”

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He started with a small shop in Greenwich, fixing watches and clocks, but over time, the clocks won. “I didn’t like it that I couldn’t do anything to repair the clock cases, and had to send a beautiful clock back to its owners with a missing finial or a loose door. So I became a cabinetmaker, and now I’m able to repair whatever’s needed. “Cabinetmaking was a lovely experience. Clockmaking is very sedentary. It has a zen-like quality. You have to relax completely. We all have a natural tremble, and the only way you can make that go away is to be very calm, remove the world around you. I liked cabinetmaking because I was using my body a lot.” Gordon has made clocks from scratch, and when the clocks he repairs have missing parts that aren’t available anymore, he makes them. He also makes house calls. “It lets me put my customers’ minds at ease. I tell them this is what it needs, this is what I’m going to do, this is the price, and they can see what I’m doing in the comfort of their own homes. One of the joys of this business is the people you meet. There’s that bond between us, and there’s trust that I’m actually going to do what I say I’m going to do.” Did he want to fix things as a boy? “Just the opposite. I didn’t have the usual mechanical aspirations. I had no interest in taking things apart. My thrill was drawing, not horses and trees, but gears and wheels.” “Being a clockmaker has become a rarity. Digital timekeeping has taken over. The Swiss invented the quartz movement and sold it to the Japanese. There’s virtually no maintenance, all you have to know is how to change a battery. They’re extremely accurate and durable, but mechanical clocks have a soul. Quartz clocks have nothing – no personality, no eccentricities.” For style and grace, his favorite clock is a Vienna Regulator, a pendulum clock that’s rectangular, rather flat and hangs on the wall. The sides and front are glass, so you can see the movement. Of course, grandfather clocks are special. They can last forever because they lead a very sedentary life. “In the olden days, clocks were a sign of wealth. If you could afford a good clock, you were doing well, and you’d put it on the mantelpiece where it could be seen and heard.” Gordon has a grandmother clock on the top of his desk. “I inherited it from my grandmother. It’s an Elliot from England. She had two good clocks – the Elliot and a banjo clock. Everyone thought the banjo clock was authentic, but it turned out to be a replica.”

Your Yard, Garden

The number of gears affects how often a mechanical clock must be wound. “My Elliot clock is an eight-day clock, but I wind it every seven days so it never stops. It’s as accurate as a quartz. Mechanical clocks have to be maintained. They’re machines that need to be oiled. Most people don’t think of a clock as a machine like they do a car. They tend to run it until it stops.” “About half of clockmaking you can do with your eyes closed. It’s about what it sounds like. I listen to the squeaks and groans and I can tell what’s wrong. As often as not, my ears are my eyes.” Gordon Sweeney is at 3 Outlook Drive, Norwalk; 857-0807. ■

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