39 minute read
STATUS REPORT
Arden’s co-owners and founders Laura Jayson and Jill Brody at the coffee bar.
ARDEN’S
158 Royawton Ave., Norwalk; @ardensrowayton; ardensrowayton.com
buzz STATUS REPORT
by julee kaplan photography by lacy kiernan carroll
COASTAL VIBES
ARDEN’S BRINGS FRESH FOOD AND COMMUNITY CONNECTION TO ROWAYTON
Walking into the buzzing Arden’s café in Rowayton on a hot summer afternoon, you would never have guessed that its co-founder Jill Brody, didn’t have a wealth of experience in the restaurant business.
Switching gears from a storied career in the technology field, Brody was determined to take a leap of faith to open what we now know as the most adorable coastal café in the area. Her idea was sparked as a Rowayton resident who says she often had to leave town for a great cup of coffee or a casual lunch. She wanted to have that close to home, so she did it herself.
Sure, the food is really really good, but the vibe inside this charming little place is what it’s all about. It’s a place that brings this little seaside community together in a casual, easygoing atmosphere that just makes you want to stay a while. Brody and her good friend, neighbor and business partner Laura Jayson may not know who you are when you walk in, but they will personally do whatever they can to make you feel at home.
Brody likes to think of her café as her own living room—comfortable, welcoming—a place that she spends a lot of time in and you should too. Got work to do? Take a seat and grab the Wifi password. You’ll need it, there’s no service in here otherwise. The place is small, but there’s still plenty of tables, chairs and some counter stools at the coffee bar too.
Jayson, who does have a career behind her as a consultant and pastry chef, has her hands in
Arden’s seasonal corn salad with avocado and tomato with an order of toast with fresh peaches and prosciutto.
clockwise, from above:
Photographer Lacy Kiernan Carroll’s son, Peter is all smiles; co-founder Laura Jayson; a croissant from Flour, Water, Salt in Darien paired with a matcha latte; a latte made with locally sourced Ilse coffee; turkish eggs are a hit on the perfectly curated Arden’s menu; co-founder Jill Brody brings fresh blooms into the shop; chef Moises Aguilar joined Arden’s from the South End Group.
clockwise, from above: Laura Jayson’s blueberry puff pastry makes an appearance at the cafe; a crowded morning at Arden’s; fresh pastries from Flour Water Salt are delivered daily; fresh juices are made in-house daily.
—jill brody, co-founder
a lot of what happens in that tiny little kitchen at Arden’s. Pre-Covid she ran her own seasonal little bakeshop in Rowayton called Flea. Now she can bring her talents to Arden’s, making some of the best baked goods we’ve tried. Hint: you’ll likely never find a more delicious key lime pie or blueberry puff pastry.
And the food. The food at Arden’s is super fresh and full of flavor, but also simple and not at all complicated. There’s a range of toasts made on Flour, Water, Salt’s signature sourdough. Try the prosciutto, fig, burrata and basil toast for that savory/sweet treat. There are salads made from greens gathered from Millstone Farm in Wilton (they get the eggs there, too). We loved the kale, gem lettuce, radicchio, avocado and spiced chickpea salad. There’s yogurt parfaits made in-house with Vim Foods granola, a gluten free granola made locally by Elizabeth Dale, a recent Darien High School graduate.
The sandwiches are all a major flavor win—the skirt steak, heirloom tomato, pickled red onions and black garlic aioli sandwich really satisfies a hungry appetite and the BLT-A (A for avocado) is light and so so fresh. But, if you’re really looking for a special treat, go for the grilled baby artichokes, cannellini beans with aioli, garlic chips and a squeeze of lemon. The flavors in this dish are nothing short of incredible.
Don’t leave before shopping the shelves, too. Brody and Jayson curated some of their favorite things to sell in the shop—some locally made, some not. There’s Zab’s hot sauce from Los Angeles, that Vim Foods granola and some Millstone Farm honey, amongst other goodies.
Brody has lots of ideas to bring the community together in her little café. In summer she launched Thursdays Arden’s After Hours, where customers are invited to come in for a “supper club”—a four-course chef’s choice meal and live music. It’s BYOB, too. Those events sold out so quickly that Brody knows that people are looking for these new experiences.
Artist Brian Kaspr in the living room of the Rowayton home he made into his canvas using various spray paints and a fire extinguisher, filled with paint.
HERE TODAY, GONE TOMORROW
NORWALK-BASED ARTIST BRIAN KASPR GIVES A ROWAYTON HOME THE SEND-OFF IT DESERVES
by julee kaplan
There’s something about a house that’s about to be demolished that local artist Brian Kaspr can’t wait to get his hands on. And, this time, he did something truly magical in Rowayton.
“Nothing lasts forever and I love creating something in an uncommon space just like this,” Kaspr explains on a sweltering August afternoon, just after completing his work on 14 McKinley Avenue, a home set to be demolished just days later. “There’s something so interesting to me about this kind of work. It’s a painting, but it’s also a sculpture that I’ve been able
Kaspr painted most of the interior rooms, as seen here: a bright green and pink upstairs bedroom, dark blue and black living room and a stairwell. Before the house was schedulled to be demolished a day after we send our pages to the printer, Kaspr saved pieces of his works by cutting into walls and tearing down doors.
to catch in a moment while it’s still here.”
Kaspr has done this twice before in Darien. On one of the homes he had one full day to paint his heart out before demo began the following day. The other home was demolished through the building of the Corbin District, which is still in construction. For this Rowayton home, Kaspr had four days to create—offering the time he needed to have a go on the interior space as well. This was the first time he’s been able to do an interior and the results were truly inspiring.
“It’s like walking into a 3D painting,” he says showcasing his bright, colorful creation. The outside, which is mostly sprayed pink (bushes included) with accents of green and blue, was quite the conversation piece in the small seaside village. “I love when I see people in the neighborhood literally stop in their tracks when they see it.”
To make an even bigger impact with this home, Kaspr decided to give it a charitable spin, asking people who came to see it for an optional donation that would go to creating a mural at Camp Kita, a summer bereavement camp in Maine devoted to children who are survivors of a loved one’s suicide. Kaspr had a goal of $10,000 and ended up raising almost $20,000 for the camp. Now, he will be able to create that mural and give a hefty donation to the camp in the process.
Just days before the Rowayton home was demolished, Kaspr went in and tore apart some pieces of his work—a wall here, a door there— which will eventually hang in an art show he’s planning in New York City in November. There, his works will be for sale, and he will plan to make more donations to Camp Kita. Next up, Kaspr hopes to make more connections with builders and homeowners in the area to do additional projects like the Rowayton one.
shop
produced by janel alexander
BLACK DAY-NIGHT
CROPPED JACKETS EXTREME KNITS SUITED-UP
It’s high time to FALL IN LOVE with the best of this season’s style!
TORY BURCH
1
PRADA
Re-Edition 2000 Sequined Nylon Mini Bag, $2,250; modaoperandi.com After a summer of color, black is back! The fall season sees a shift to urban-chic black, interspersed with sequins and shine, becoming the perfect backdrop for that one good pop. Bring on the black! BLACK is BACK DAY
BROCHU WALKER
Fiera Vegan Leather Pant, $398, Westport; brochuwalker.com
5
Black for daytime is a great way to easily pull together a look. Mix like a pro by incorporating textures like knit, leather and shine with grounding elements like matte fabrics and easy footwear.
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AISLING CAMPS
Blanket Stitch Bolero Cardigan, $795, and tank, $285; kirnazabette.com NIKE
Dunk Low Sneakers, $251; farfetch.com 3
4
NILI LOTAN
Short puffer coat, $1,650, Darien Sport Shop; dariensport.com
1
J.CREW
Collared Belted City Dress in Wool, $268, Greenwich, New Canaan, Westport; jcrew.com
2
DES PHEMMES
PVC Jacket, $440; modaoperandi.com
NIGHT
The LBD gets a kick of sophistication with updated accessories and textures. Finish with one less-thanexpected contrast accessory to stand out from the crowd!
3
CHRISTIAN SIRIANO
Black Shimmer Side Ruched Long Sleeve Dress, $1,595, The Collective, Westport; christiansiriano.com
MACH & MACH
Sophie Embellished Satin Pumps, $1,275; net-a-porter.com TORY BURCH
Diamond Belt, $248, Greenwich; toryburch.com
4
6 5
SIMONE ROCHA
Micro Acrylic Beaded Heart Clutch, $975; modaopeandi.com
2
SAINT LAURENT
Glen Check Cropped Blazer, $2990, Greenwich; Saks.com ALTUZARRA
1
FRAME
Cropped Shearling Moto Jacket, $2,595, Greenwich; frame.com
CROPPED Leave this topper right by your front door so you are most likely to “grab and go” with it! Don’t keep your clothes as special— wear them!! STYLIST TIP 3
NILI LOTAN
Carole Shearling Short Coat, $2,795; nililotan.com
JACKETS
This season, layering is all about combining shorter shapes with other items that play with proportion. Pull these coats over an oversized sweater or pair with a baggy pant to give more visual interest to your separates!
NANUSHKA
Double Breasted Cropped Jacket, $900; farfetch.com 4
5
VINCE
Combo Collar Leather Jacket, $1,395, Greenwich, Westport; vince.com
1
ZADIG AND VOLTAIRE
Allany Wews Coat, $1,398, Greenwich; us.zadig-etvoltaire.com These knits get an extra lift when paired with unexpected bottoms, like leather or tulle! STYLIST TIP
KNITS
Interesting links are taking over your loungewear this season! Designers play with raw edges, cut outs and patchwork designs that are comfortable yet intriguing to the eye!
2
SEA NY
Agnes Sweater; $525. Sea-ny.com
MOLLY GODDARD
3
STELLA MCCARTNEY STELLA BY STELLA
3D Stripes Sweater, $1,395; modaoperandi.com
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GABRIELLA HEARST CLERGERIE
Hester Rafia Platform Sandals, $1,490; Greenwich; saks.com
4
STELLA MCCARTNEY STELLA BY STELLA
3D Stripes Wool Midi Skirt, $1,095; modaoperandi.com
LALIGNE
Patchwork Cable Sweater, $395,. Greenwich; lalignenyc.com
5
The true power of a suit comes in breaking it apart to multitask the items as separates.—the blazer as a fall layer, the pants with your favorite sweater. Soon you will see how the investment pays off and answers the dreaded wardrobe question: What do I wear today? STYLIST TIP
ALEX PERRY
Stretch Crepe Blazer, $2,000, and Pant, $1,000; modaoperandi.com
Tonal dressing made easy. Suits are back and a great way to transition from your summer dress rotation. Look for styles with textures and colors that fit your personal style and consider a three- piece variation!
CHRISTIAN SIRIANO
Matrix Blue Shimmer Blazer, $1,695, and Wide Leg Trouser, $895, The Collective, Westport; christiansiriano.com
5
2
FRAME
Di Cord Jacket, $698, and Pintuck Cord Trouser, $378. Greenwich; frame.com
3
NILI LOTAN
Carey Sweater in Chestnut, $750. nililototan.com
4
GOLDEN GOOSE
Grey/Black Prince of Wales Blazer; $760 and Jogger; $465 Greenwich Richards, Westport Mitchells. mitchellstores.com
6
VERONICA BEARD
Destry Dickie Jacket, $748, Bennet Vest, $448, and Montlake Pant, $428. Greenwich veronicabeard.com
MaisonMarché Style
SARAH EASLEY, founder and CEO of MaisonMarché, and Janel Alexander, our style editor, got together to discuss their favorite topic: Fashion!
Q: You host shopping events in clients’ homes. How do you find this approach different for customers? A: MaisonMarché creates shopping events for our hosts, who invite select groups of their friends to their homes. Everyone assembles at a familiar place, which I believe creates confidence and comfort that the clothes are relevant. I partner with more than seventy female-founded sustainable brands. Many are regional exclusives, so you won’t find these items in local stores or worn by your neighbors. The format of a curated experience for the host and her friends sets our shopping parties apart from walking into a department store, which can be overwhelming and less personal. We piloted the first shopping events at my house in New Canaan, but we have since branched to locations all over the country: Miami, Southern California, the Hamptons, Chicago, Richmond, Atlanta and Aspen.
Make shopping fun:
A beautiful tablescape at a MaisonMarché fête • Host Katie Denton, Kristin Schockley and Sarah Easley • Sarah (r.) with friends at a Darien event
Q: Yes, the format of a personalized shop feels like a fabulous old-school experience that we don’t see much anymore. A: Exactly! In fact, for a childhood birthday, I went to a fancy department store in downtown Richmond, Virginia, with ten of my friends, and we all played bingo and had tea while a beautiful model walked around wearing the clothes. I inspired from a young age! MaisonMarché is an old-fashioned idea updated to a more modern way of shopping. Our guests can attend an event and leave with both unique items—from not just one brand, but many—and new fashion styling tricks. That, to me, feels like a luxury.
Q: I love the intimate experience you provide. It makes the whole thing feel like the best-kept secret that your friend let you in on. A: Being surrounded by your friends is just what we all want when we are shopping. To be able to get feedback from your most trusted group is a big part of what we are cultivating. Another part of the MaisonMarché concept is to not sell ten identical dresses within one community. This is actually built in because I feature small-batch, sustainable brands. So for those special pieces? You will not see others wearing them on Main Street.
Q: How do you think shopping and retail has changed since Covid? A: A big change is the availability of inventory at brick-and-mortar stores. The shelves are literally bare due to supply-chain challenges. Alternately, web shopping gives us too many choices. Unless you are a professional stylist or shopper, it’s hard to discern what products are right for you. So, the choices are minimal in one avenue and overwhelming in another.
Try it on: Reviewing options at a shopping event • Sarah Easley and fashion designer Sandra Weil • Sarah styling a guest
Q: Certainly the volume options for online shopping have really confused matters. There are too many choices out there, and it makes it confusing for individuals to shop from a personal point of view. A: Such a good point. Through what you do as a stylist and what I do at events, we are both looking to help people create their own signature style. A huge part of defining your style is trying a bunch of things on. Being in a comfortable home environment allows guests to try things that they might not have otherwise thought were for them. And a stylist can walk them through options that feel more personal to their body types and styles. Once clients feel good about what they purchased at one of our events, we gain their trust. I never tell people to buy something new for special occasions—wear something tried and true that you know works.
Q: Agreed 100 percent! I think many people think they can shop only when they have something big coming up, like a conference, a wedding or a big event. It’s better to have options already on hand that are versatile and can be leveraged for many events. A: What you get out of your closet, as you know, is also what you put into it. Remove the obstacles that get in the way of good style. So when you find those superior items, make sure to get rid of the things that are crowding them out. I have a lot of clothes—but I repeat and repeat certain items, and then let them go dormant—sort of uniform dressing. It’s another reason why I don’t subscribe to the highest luxury price points for everyday life. I don’t want people to baby their clothes. We end our transactions asking the guests, “What will be you wearing tomorrow?”
—SARAH EASLEY , MAISONMARCHÉ CEO AND FOUNDER Q: Tell me about your most prized possession in your own closet. A: Early on I learned to invest in the building blocks that you will keep in your closet for the long term and to know your body type and what suits you. One example: a perfect Rick Owens distressed leather jacket from his first collection in 1999. It never gets old. In fact, it only gets better, and it reflects my personal style.
Q: That sounds like it is a perfect reflection of you and your style. A: Yes, it speaks to who I am and my love of other creative outlets like music. Joan Jett is one of my style icons. Catherine Deneuve is another—I also have a perfect Parisian trench coat she inspired.
to see more: Explore more at the MaisonMarché website: maisonmarche.com.
above: Accessories and a selection of colorful garments at a host’s shopping event
do
by liz barron
MENOPAUSE. THERE’S NO AVOIDING IT.
DR. SHIEVA GHOFRANY CHATS ABOUT HOW WE CAN BEST MANAGE THE CHANGE
The word
Oh, we know. Menopause is the stage of life that many women do not look forward to. While it means an end to monthly periods, it also means that symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, hair loss could start happening. The good news is, there are ways to manage it all. We had a chat about the subject with Shieva Ghofrany, MD, a physician at Coastal OBGYN in Stamford and co-founder of tribecalledv.com, a site with the goal to increase knowledge and decrease anxiety about everything related to ob/gyn health.
What is perimenopause?
The best way to define perimenopause is to start with menopause—which is defined as the moment where you have had 12 months with no period. The average age is 51 or 52 at this time. Up to 10+ years before menopause, you can have fluctuations in your hormone levels that are defined as perimenopause as your ovulation and the quality of ovulation changes. Rather than your cycle before perimenopause, which is typically very cyclic and predictable, the period of perimenopause is hallmarked as predictably unpredictable. For example, your hormonal changes will be all over the place. That said, it’s important to realize that this is a normal part of our bodies’ changes and not pathological.
What happens in your body that triggers "the change?"
When we are born, we have about 1 million eggs in our ovaries, and then once we get to puberty, that number has decreased to 300,000 to 400,000. While during each “cycle” we only release a single egg during ovulation, the process entails many of the eggs to essentially disintegrate. As we get to perimenopause, our hormones don’t necessarily continue with the nice predictability we discussed, meaning the quality of ovulation may be different and/or you will have cycles where you don’t ovulate at all because of the hormonal fluctuations. And once we reach the age at which our hormones have decreased so much that they cannot trigger the ovulation to occur at all for 12 straight months we are considered having “gone through menopause.”
What are some common symptoms?
Changes can include but are not limited to hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, weight changes especially often in the midsection, hair changes (more on your chin, less on your head), more ovulation pain and breast tenderness, period irregularities and less elastic skin. Perimenopause is very clearly what our bodies just go through naturally, though again, we do not just need to grin and bear it. Each person may experience any or all of the symptoms and that the knowledge of this coupled with the ability to improve the symptoms is where the magic lies.
How long do symptoms last?
It’s good to know that after menopause, the vasomotor symptoms may continue up to five or seven years but for most women they will eventually go away and can be managed with a variety of modalities, holistic and medical. On the other hand, the vaginal atrophy that causes pain with sex will progress more each year but can be dramatically improved with various lubricants, moisturizers and most importantly vaginal estrogen formulations.
Can I still get pregnant once I’ve entered perimenopause?
It’s important to note a few things, first being that even during perimenopause while you may or may not ovulate in any given cycle, you still may get pregnant so contraception is important if you do not want to have a baby. Second, it’s important to note that for each human, each week/ month/or year may offer different symptoms or no symptoms during perimenopause. Third, I encourage everyone to know that once they’ve passed perimenopause and become “menopausal” as they’ve finished the year without a period, they will often feel better as the fluctuations of the hormones are often what triggers the most concern.
Can your doctor do any sort of tests to confirm you're perimenopausal?
What can lead to much confusion is the thought that we can somehow test for and rule in or rule out perimenopause. Of course if someone outside of the expected age range (less than 38-40) and is missing their period or having significant hot flashes/sweats then a specific panel of hormone tests is important and warranted to ensure they are not in need of specific treatment (ie: for thyroid issues, abnormal prolactin hormone levels which can signify a pituitary issue or premature ovarian insufficiency/premature menopause). In women who are merely exhibiting milder symptoms (though let me highlight that they may still feel lousy!) and they are in their 40s, “checking their hormones” (specifically FSH/LH, estradiol/progesterone) is not of value and can actually confuse the picture. This is because the hallmark of perimenopause is that it is “predictably unpredictable” and this means the hormones can fluctuate day to day, week to week and month to month—so any given blood test is only a snapshot in the moment and doesn’t change the management. We know there are many providers who encourage lenwgthier/ more costly testing through blood/saliva or urine, aimed at “evaluating the whole month/cycle” to gain knowledge—but again once we understand that each month can and likely will fluctuate we understand that this is not of value.
by liz barron photography by venera alexandrova
Candy Land
A LOCAL MOM LAUNCHES A PIMPED-OUT CANDY SHOP ON WHEELS
Margaux Marena launched Candy Connection after she couldn't find the perfect dessert truck for her son's graduation party.
The only thing better than being a kid in a candy store is being a kid at your own house and having a truck of sweet treats that comes to you. Enter Candy Connection, a literal candy shop on wheels. The brainchild of Stamford mom Margaux Marena, the vibrantly neon-painted candy truck houses just about any and every sweet imaginable and is now available to book for parties and events.
“I’m an all-or-nothing type of girl,” Marena says of her idea to launch the truck when planning her son Dylan’s eighth grade graduation party in early March. She had no problem finding plenty of options for food trucks, but dessert trucks (other than those with ice cream) was another story. She had a vision and wanted something fun and original and since she couldn’t seem to find what she was looking for, she did it herself. In April Marena purchased a black Chevrolet pickup truck and had it custom built into the super-fun candy party mobile it is today.
“The best part, hands down, are the smiles and excitement; the way the little kids' faces light up when they see the truck for the first
—margaux marena, owner
Marena plans to switch out her treats as new themes and holidays arise, She's also always on the lookout for new sweets to add to the mix.
CANDY CONNECTION
candyconnectionct.com follow along on Instagram at @candyconnectionct time is so special. The squeals as they run toward the truck will never get old,” says Marena.
The Candy Connection will travel all over the tri-state area for any private event, yearround. And with packages starting at 20 people, Marena can accommodate both large and small groups. With an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response thus far, Marena is psyched for the future of Candy Connection, with no shortage of ideas moving forward.
Marena plans on making seasonal changes throughout the year and celebrating holidays with sweetness. She’ll stock the truck with treats like peeps at Easter, chocolate and candy hearts at Valentine's Day and spooky treats at Halloween.
“I’d love old-school popcorn balls for Christmas, I have never met a theme I don’t like,” says Marena. “I have been doing candy buffets since my son turned one (he’s 14 now). The theme for his first birthday was “Dylan’s Candy Bar.” Also if you could see my pantry, it has always looked like a convenience/candy store. My pantry is famous to my kids’ friends.”
home
by malia mckinnon frame • photography by kate kinsley
In Full Bloom
THIS SPRING, THE NEW CANAAN CARES HOUSE TOUR DID IT AGAIN, USHERING IN WARMER WEATHER AND INSPIRING US WITH A VARIETY OF HOMES THAT ABSOLUTELY GLOWED
It’s safe to say the world is still an unpredictable place—just read the news headlines on any given day—but there’s also evidence that things are thriving again. When it came to planning the 29th annual Home Tour, the CARES team agreed it was another year that was difficult to characterize or describe. “We decided not to have an official theme because the world is still in such disarray,” explains CARES executive director Judy Phillips. Despite no official title, a common thread did emerge among the six featured homes: Expect the unexpected.
“This was a prominent feeling that came out of this tour, the idea that even though you might have a vision of what a typical New Canaan home is, when you walk in you are surprised by what’s behind the scenes,” she says. This thinking can be a reflection of our town’s families as well. “Some people think there’s a New Canaan stereotype of the perfect kids, parents and home, but in reality we all have our ‘things’ going on. While this tour is about pretty spaces, it ties together the importance of home and family to our community, and the tour sponsors’ and underwriters’ support show just how much our town values families and the work of CARES,” notes Phillips. Ready to be blown away? Have a look at three of this year’s beautifully serendipitous spaces.
Opening up the living room and dining room offered the homeowners a new entertaining experience.
modern family
This sophisticated home was built in the late 90s, and the current owners have completed several renovations perfecting the flow and design. One thing that had always bothered them, however, was the underuse of a large part of their downstairs living space. “The set-up of the formal dining and living rooms just weren’t conducive to our lifestyle, and we never used them,” explains the homeowner.
Designer Lin Moty of Lin Moty Interiors was called in to renovate and recreate this large area so it was more functional and family friendly.
“First and foremost, the couple wanted to open up the dining room and have more of an adult lounge area, including a beautiful bar,” explains Moty.
With the help of architect Matthew R. Dougherty and McCafferty Construction, they eliminated the wall between the former dining and living rooms, relocating the dining room to the front of the home and made the back space into the lounge and bar area.
“The dining room became one of our favorite parts of the project,” remembers Moty, who transformed the owner’s traditional dining table by lacquering it in light gray and covered the walls in a Philip Jeffries white “relief” wallpaper, offsetting the dark coffered ceiling. A set of dining chairs colorblocked with cream backs and dark gray velvet nailheadstudded seats and the clean, white fireplace that received a new mantel and simple marble surround evoke a serene, contemporary vibe. Just a few feet away the dramatic bar and lounge area provide a jaw-dropping contrast with a dark gray shiplap-sided bar topped with two inches of black brushed granite. Minimalist black cone-shaped pendants hang above, and brass hardware on storage cabinets for glassware reflect the gold in a set of barstools covered in white leather.
A floor-to-ceiling wall of shelves backed in brass showcases a robust liquor collection. In the lounge area, two tete a tete benches and a pair of white swivel club chairs provide a comfortable place to relax.
“There’s a soft and edgy dichotomy going on between the dining room and bar/lounge so that this whole space feels subtle and dramatic all at the same time,” says Moty.
Big floor-to-ceiling windows lead out to a new outdoor area that was built with a wood burning cement fireplace and a neutral-hued sitting
clockwise from right: A full bar area between the kitchen and living room adds another gathering point. A comfortable dining space encourages guests to stay a while and modern lighting and accessories add warmth to the living space. A breakfast nook makes casual dining easy for this family.
— the homeowner
area. “We covered this space—which functions as a freestanding room— with a copper and metal roof including two skylights to keep it bright,” notes Moty. The underside of the wooden pitched roof is stained a soft weathered gray, and oversized light neutral porcelain tiles were used for the floor—as opposed to slate—to brighten and define the space. Robidoux Landscaping, who had completed the home’s pool and patio area years before, added a stepping stone pathway and raised flower beds between the old and new outdoor areas to visually unify the two.
Clean and modern, light and airy, this versatile indoor/outdoor space blends seamlessly into other existing parts of the home and offers a fun, resort-style atmosphere to host family gatherings as well as parties, watching sports and more.
palm beach chic
—lynn morgan,
lynn morgan design From the moment you set foot in this bright, cheerful home you feel a happy energy. The owners bought the house in 2018 after a twoyear search, and this Georgian colonial ticked every box including a functional open floor plan, big kitchen and family room and plenty of entertaining space. The wife worked with Lynn Morgan of Lynn Morgan Design on décor and furnishings and had a clear vision of what she wanted: a comfortable, stylish home that had lots of color and reminded her of Vero Beach, Florida where she grew up vacationing and where she got married.
“The minute this homeowner drove up in an SUV with a pink racing stripe I knew she wasn’t scared to take risks and that this was going to be a fun, colorful house,” remembers Morgan.
The designer and the owner chose a neutral canvas of super white high gloss throughout the home, interspersed with blues and pinks—the owner’s favorite color. The entryway sets a sunny tone for the rest of the house featuring a lacquered pink and blue trellis pattern on the floor, hand painted by artist Shelly Dunning. The color wave continues with the striking dining room which features a bold blue zebra wallpaper by Brunschwig & Fils and an unexpected fuchsia lacquered tray-style ceiling.
In the white kitchen, the floors are stained a dark walnut, and two-inch white quartz countertops and lucite and brass hardware make this sophisticated space shine. Two lanterns painted in hot pink hang over the island, and this same hue is used on the bead board backing of the glass kitchen cabinets. Acrylic Kartell ghost stools offer fun seating for an after-school snack or casual meal for the family’s three children.
“It was important for us to have pretty spaces that were also practical, given we are a busy family of five, six if you count our dog,” says the owner. Morgan and the owner made this goal a reality, inserting color where possible and choosing durable fabrics for the furnishings that withstand the wear and tear of a house with a young family.
An adjacent family room reveals a vibrant space
left and top: A pop of color in the entry sets the tone for this home. middle: Fun wallpapers are found throughout the home. bottom: Pops of pink in the clean, white kitchen make it practical but also fun.
where this crew watches Rangers games, enjoys winter fires and relaxes. Turquoise walls and bright blue sconces punctuate the room, along with two geometric prints by Wendy Concannon. The patio area and backyard are home to a Hamptons-style pool and where celebrations are hosted.
“We have a “doors are always open” policy at our house. Kids are here constantly during the summer swimming and lounging; it’s a fun place to be,” says the owner.
While pink is present in much of the home, the husband and kids chose different colors for their rooms. “The girls wanted nothing to do with pink. One wanted different shades of blue and the other chose turquoise and purple,” remembers the owner. Her husband’s study is covered in cool blue and moody brown tones, and their son opted for red and blue— an homage to the New York Rangers’ team colors—including a hand painted stripe around the room’s border.
Whether you’re upstairs or down, art plays an important role. Works from New Canaan’s Jean Jacobs and TONK galleries and other pieces by Berkley Matthews, Westport artist Kerri Rosenthal and Gray Malin are just a few of the pieces that grace the walls. Other features like strategically placed transoms throughout the downstairs that let in natural light, shiplapped mudroom walls, and funky Chinese dragon wallpaper in one of the powder rooms make this home a true standout.
The homeowner loves happy colors and strong durable fabrics for her family of five. Almost every room in the home offers strong pops of pink as seen here in the dining and living rooms.
above: JerMar Designs worked with the homeowners to make the poolhouse design modern but fun and unexpected. below: A full kitchen allows the homeowners flexibility to entertain their guests with year-round celebrations.
majestic manor
The main part of this colonial revival home was built in 2012 with the goal of “making it look like an older house that had been renovated to the standards of other stately homes on the street,” explains architect Ralph Mackin. In 2018, the homeowners bought the adjoining property and fused the two plots together allowing them space to complete more structures on the sprawling land. Since then, they’d dreamed of building a poolhouse and a greenhouse/potting shed for the husband who is an avid gardener. During Covid, they dialed in their former team of Mackin and H&Y Construction and tapped Jeanne Collins of JerMar Designs to help with the interiors.
“We all agreed that the poolhouse needed to be in keeping with the main home and look like it had been there all along to compliment the two
The impressive landscape of this home includes a sprawling pool with lots of entertaining spaces for dining and relaxing, a greenhouse and various garden spaces.
—ralph mackin, architect
orchards and beautiful pool and hardscape areas previously designed by Janice Parker,” explains Mackin. To that end, the team paid careful attention to every detail, including using the same gray and beige Connecticut fieldstone as the main home, setting brick headers over the exterior windows to make it look like those of a carriage house, and exposing rusticated wood timbers that look like reclaimed wood in the dramatic cathedral ceiling. “We made deliberate choices on style and materials as a nod to features an older building might have. Even though this structure is new we wanted it to feel like it was repurposed,” adds Mackin.
For the interiors, the homeowners wanted to go fun, modern and unpredictable. “This was designed to be very different from a typical poolhouse. It’s a year-round space that need to function that way and be versatile enough for a guest house, adult and kids’ parties, and hosting the holidays,” explains Collins. Because the family’s main home interiors are classic and traditional, the owners wanted this space bold and artsy. “We settled on a color palette of orange and blue for pillows, window treatments and custom chairs to compliment the super-white walls, light colored wide plank wooden floors and white furniture. “It’s such a relaxing space, but so inviting as well. Every time I walk through the door I feel like I’m on vacation,” says the owner.
Collins covered all the furnishings in either indoor/outdoor or performance-treated fabrics so any spills could be easily cleaned. She chose two comfortable extra deep Kravet white sofas and a pair of chairs for ample seating, and a built-in custom dining banquette designed by Mackin and built by H&Y is perfect for meals. A thin LED sphere chandelier from Lightology is hung over the table with clear wires so it almost disappears.
“Almost every piece of furniture is custom except for the Bernhardt white media unit that is textured to look like rose petals,” adds Collins, who designed a round, cerused blue double nesting coffee table to echo the blue in the carpet and the grayish blue of the airy ceiling beams. An oversized globe pendant hanging from the vaulted ceiling resembles the sun and makes a dramatic statement. In addition to a full kitchen with lacquered navy cabinets, the first floor has a full laundry room and a bathroom with a steam shower, and the second floor includes a bedroom, full bath and an office. On the patio, Serena & Lily sofas, a coffee table and hightop offer many options for seating and overlook the pool area punctuated by a stainless steel firebowl from firefeatures.com, the homeowner’s favorite accessory.
A working greenhouse and garden shed was also built during this time with wood and a stone foundation, imitating the stone from the main garage.
“It’s a potting shed-style building, quaint yet durable, using materials like unfinished wood and a brick floor. The husband loves using it to winterize plants and in the spring he uses it to start his seeding,” notes Mackin.
