Stamford - March/April 2025

SECRET GARDENS

Top tips for secluded retreats

SPRING’S BOUNTY

The freshest fashion finds this season

MARCH/APRIL 2025 $6.95

THE REAL ESTATE ISSUE

Meet the Tastemakers

Say hello to six home design stars and their standout spaces

Naïka André, Michelle Barone, Nicky James, Mary Burr, Ryan Salvatore, Sarah Ponden at Mongers Market

Create Where

You Belong

GREAT ROOMS

Six local interior designers and architects share standout spaces. by mary kate hogan

THE STATE OF REAL ESTATE

Agents report on housing trends and the Stamford market. by scott thomas

70 GARDENS OF SOLITUDE AND SOLACE

Secret gardens, custom vegetable patches and luxe moments punctuate wellappointed backyards across Fairfield County. by tom

connor

A “secret” community garden at Mill River Park; former Stamford Advocate digs go on the market; the new Cohen Abilis Advancement Center

SHOP

Fresh spring fashion DO

The Community Mindfulness Project; Sparklicious in Darien; family-friendly events EAT

Europa Balkan Market; Lazy Sister in Norwalk; Hemma Kitchen delivery

The Barns in Greenwich; green goods; Year of the Snake décor

naïka andré, michelle barone, nicky james, mary burr, ryan salvatore, sarah ponden at mongers market

photography by kyle norton

Connecticut’s

only hospital in the top 1%. Again.

Norwalk Hospital, part of Nuvance Health, is the only hospital in Connecticut to receive the America’s Top 50 Best Hospitals award from Healthgrades, two years in a row. This means that you and your family have access to nationally-ranked care, right in your community where you live and work. Because quality of care matters, so that you can be there for the moments that matter most.

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For over 100 years, Cummings & Lockwood has been building meaningful and lasting relationships with our private clients, their family offices, businesses and charitable entities, serving as trusted advisors throughout their lifetimes and providing sophisticated legal counsel at every important stage of their lives.

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For a private consultation, please contact one of our attorneys by visiting our website at www.cl-law.com.

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CELEBRATE YOUR WEDDING

We welcome wedding announcements together with candid photographs. Weddings should have a current Stamford family connection and must be submitted within three months of the wedding day. Regretfully, we are unable to run every wedding submitted.

vol. 16 | no. 2 | march/april 2025

editorial

editorial director

Cristin Marandino–cristin.marandino@moffly.com

editor-in-chief

Melinda Anderson–melinda.anderson@moffly.com

contributing editors

Megan Gagnon–editor, athome

Elizabeth Hole–editor, custom publishing

Eileen Murphy–editor, new canaan • darien • rowayton

Samantha Yanks—editor, westport • weston • wilton

copy editors

Liz Britten, David Podgurski

contributing writers

Liz Barron, Tom Connor, Beth Cooney Fitzpatrick, Hannah Deely, Mary Kate Hogan, Elizabeth Hole, Stefanie Horn, Elizabeth Keyser, Scott Thomas

editorial advisory board

Harry Day, PJ Kennedy, Jamie Krug, Michael Marchetti, Arthur Selkowitz, Jami Sherwood, Lou Ursone

art

senior art director

Garvin Burke–garvin.burke@moffly.com

production director

Tim Carr–tim.carr@moffly.com

assistant art director

Lisa Marie Servidio–Lisa.Servidio@moffly.com

senior photographer Bob Capazzo

digital media

digital marketing manager

Rachel MacDonald–rachel.macdonald@moffly.com

digital assistants

Lloyd Gabi–lloyd.gabi@moffly.com

Jeffrey Garay–jeffrey.garay@moffly.com

marketing

executive marketing director

Kristina Herman–kristina.herman@moffly.com

Calendar@Moffly.com Editor@StamfordMag.com Weddings@StamfordMag.com

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STAMFORD GREENWICH WEST HARTFORD NAPLES BONITA SPRINGS PALM BEACH GARDENS

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editor’s letter

A FRESH START

Afavorite game of mine when I lived in Manhattan was to guess the price of properties featured in the real estate section of The New York Times. My husband John would read listings to me, and I’d put my obsessively gathered knowledge of home prices to the test. I was dead-on probably 99% of the time.

Since living here, I’ve pored over the local market, hitting reload on Zillow throughout the week. I can usually call a sale price within a negligible margin of error. The practice gives me the same vicarious thrill that fantasy football offers millions of sports fanatics.

So you’ll undestand why our Real Estate issue is a particular pleasure for me to assign and edit.

In his report, Scott Thomas delivers an of-the-moment Stamford market snapshot, highlighting housing trends and the (continued) rise of rentals around town.

For his annual essay exploring the toniest gardens in the county, Tom Connor gives us passage to hidden haute spaces that provide a beautiful backdrop for mindful reflection.

Mary Kate Hogan introduces us to six stellar interior designers and architects with ties to Stamford through their favorite rooms and go-to sources. It’s the kind of eye candy that gets me dreaming of springtime projects to breathe new life into my own space. The bright green velvet sofa Naïka André built the look of a client’s Brooklyn townhouse around is just the sort of crisp take my home is ripe for.

There’s more inspiration in these pages, too—from in-season fashion trends to got-to-go happenings, and from fab new shops to the best grab-a-bite spots.

Cheers to a spring refresh!

Melinda.Anderson@moffly.com

Mongers Market manager Mary Karl and owner John Hiden made us feel at home for our cover shoot in the sprawling Bridgeport former factory-turnedtreasure-trove of salvaged and vintage furniture, lighting, clothing and more.

Opening Night Party Restaurant Week

Tuesday, April 1

6:00-8:30PM

Tony’s at the J House

Tickets: $95 Early Bird Sale

(Limited tickets available. $125 regular price)

Mon, March 31 – Sun, April 6

founder’s page

“No, you can’t play the drums because we’d get evicted,” my mother told me. “Besides, you’re a girl.”

OF HOUSES AND HIGH RISES

It’s spring. The real estate market is waking up, young people are moving up, old people are scaling down, but I’m staying put.

I’d always wanted to live in a house, and I’ve lived in mine in Riverside for 63 years. But until I was 23 and married Jack, I was a cliff dweller in Cleveland. My mother grew up in an apartment there, too. Real city people, us. When she was five, she disappeared one day, and my frantic grandmother found her sitting on the curb on Ford Drive eating onion sandwiches with the ditch diggers. She was never much of a cook but ’til the day she died, but she could make a mean onion sandwich.

On the second floor of a tall building in the Moreland Courts complex on Shaker Boulevard, our apartment 2B had lots of windows—a great source of entertainment for us kids. We used to put apple slices on the sill of the bay window in the living room for Sammy the Squirrel, who turned out to be a Susie because she pulled the fur from her chest to line a nest for her babies—a high-rise nature lesson. When I was 10, we celebrated the end of The War by hanging out of those windows and banging on pots and pans. At 17 when I was leaving the building on a first date with a major heartthrob, my mother threw all my dirty laundry out that window onto the front path at our feet—a high-rise lesson to clean up my room.

Using Dad’s huge Navy binoculars, my brothers and I could see what the people in the studio apartments across the way were having for dinner—and then some.

One time when we were roaming lowerlevel rooftops peeking in windows, we came face to face with the superintendent, of all people. Of course, Mr. Van Fossen called Mother and told her to get her reindeer off

his roof. Little did they know that our favorite sport was climbing around fire escapes and balancing on ledges nine stories high.

Elevators were great for quick escapes after gumming the doorbells of old grumps who wouldn’t give us Halloween candy. We knew how to stop them between floors, and there was a little phone in there so we could annoy the apartment operator if we got bored. We could even work the freight elevator with its big crank handle.

Do country kids have as much fun?

Noise was always an issue. “No, you can’t play the drums because we’d get evicted,” my mother told me. “Besides, you’re a girl.” When I had friends over after a prom, she’d make us promise to keep the noise level down and leave a light on in the library. (We chose the bulb inside the Capehart record player with the lid closed.) Eventually the apartment phone would ring and the operator reported: “Donna, there’s been a complaint. You’ve got to turn down the music or send your friends home.” It took us forever to realize that the spoilsport was actually my mother in her bed calling the Moreland Courts switchboard to silence us.

My father kept saying that after The War we’d buy a house. All my classmates had them, complete with grass; Alexandra Rigg’s lawn was a lovely yellow carpet of dandelions. But that never happened. He liked to call the garage to bring his car around; my mother liked to call for wall washers; and the Rapid Transit ran right past our door so I could ride it to school.

But many summers, we’d pack up and move out to The Country Club for a month—Dad’s idea of vacation, where he could be close to work but still play golf. Well, it was sort of a house, I guess. And no upkeep!

UNCOMMON GROUNDS

The community garden in MILL RIVER PARK—lovingly tended to by dedicated locals—is a gem hidden in plain sight

by elizabeth keyser

Neighbors call it their “secret garden.” But this busy downtown Stamford secret, a 12-yeartestament to hard work and volunteerism in the pursuit of horticultural beauty, is actually a public garden—a space with a collection of plants established

and maintained for the enjoyment and education of visitors. All are welcome.

“The Main Street Garden is truly a gem within Mill River Park—a mini-botanical garden that overflows with love and care,” says Nette Compton, President and CEO of Mill River Park, “It

offers a moment of beauty and discovery for visitors of all ages, drawing people in with its vibrant colors, unique plantings and peaceful atmosphere.”

Fronting Main Street and backing Mill River Park, the half-acre was part-tree nursery, part-storage area during the

development of Mill River Park. Then volunteer gardener Laura Godown was asked to help clean it up and create a public garden. So began the process of Godown and a team of volunteers clearing, digging, transplanting, prepping soil, building beds and planting trees, shrubs and perennials, to

above: In spring, cherry trees grown from the originals gifted to the city in 1957 blossom above a bed of daffodils, iris and columbine.

create what Main Street Garden

Founder and self-proclaimed “longest-living volunteer”

Godown modestly describes as “a strong three-season public garden, a seasonal progression of beautiful moments.”

In spring, cherry tree blossoms burst forth. They were grown from the originals gifted to the city in 1957 by Junzo Nojima as a thank-you to the community for support after his restaurant was vandalized following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Beneath the trees, a succession of bulbs bloom. In October, the cherry tree leaves turn bright red, and beneath them salmon-hued Korean chrysanthemum blooms. Throughout the season, sunny beds beckon bees with peonies and iris in spring and sedum and Japanese iris in fall.

Labels identify plants to teach and inspire visitors about the species, many of them rare and donated by experienced gardeners. In the deep shade bed, Solomon’s seal, hostas, ferns, astilbe, epimedium and eight varieties of rare columbine contrast textures and shapes.

“One of the most delightful aspects is how the garden evolves through the seasons—there’s always something new to see,

a volunteer at the esteemed New York Botanical Garden, where she worked with “spectacular gardeners,” including Judy Payne, director of NYBG’s Rock Garden and Native Plant Garden. She learned by looking, listening, doing and visiting a lot of gardens. Her favorites are NYBG and the Untermeyer Gardens in Yonkers, NY.

whether it’s the first spring blooms, summer’s lush greenery or the warm hues of autumn,” says Compton.

Twelve years ago, “It was a mess,” Godown says. Rather than start with a grand design, she adapted to the garden as it evolved, adding shade beds as the cherry trees grew. “Opportunities present themselves and we try to take advantage of them,” she says. Gardening, like the weather, is unpredictable. “It’s humbling. One year you have a great mass of flowers and the next year they are gone,” she says.

Godown learned her craft as

Tending to them is never complete. “Planting is the easy part; it’s the maintenance that takes work.” For real—part of a public garden’s mandate is upkeep. Godown works with a dedicated team of five volunteers, all retired, who gather once a week. Within two and a half hours, they weed all the beds.

Students from UConn (there’s a

None of this would be possible without Laura and her incredible volunteers. Their diligence, passion and care are evident in every corner of the garden.

Nette Compton

dorm across the street) have been good for morning pre-class grunt work. Corporate folks wanting to get their hands dirty volunteer after hours and weekends. Godown enjoys teaching volunteers about the plants and the conditions in which and treatment they need to flourish. Before they leave, Godown gathers volunteers for a walk through the garden to see what they’ve accomplished. Although she has a well-oiled machine, Godown welcomes new volunteers. “If you have a heartbeat, I’ll find something for you to do,” she says.

“None of this would be possible without Laura and her incredible volunteers,” says Compton, “Their diligence, passion and care are evident in every corner of the garden. They’ve created a space that not only enhances the park but also fosters a sense of community. The world could use more people like them— dedicated individuals who make a difference through their hard work and care.”

Godown loves how neighbors use the garden. It has become a place for walks, solitary reflection or an outing for special needs kids. Friends have hosted potluck dinners and last spring Main Street Garden hosted its first wedding. Seems like the secret is getting out.

Main Street Garden is open April through November. To book an event, contact parties @millriverpark.org

LAURA GODOWN

above: Foliage and flowers in salmon and rust star in the fall. right: Last spring, Main Street Garden hosted its first wedding. below: Variegated hostas contrast with ferns in the shade garden.

The neo-Classical, ItalianRenaissance style structure with its intricate and striking limestone façade, dates back to 1838. It became home to the daily newspaper’s downtown offices and printing presses in 1898. Its distinctive features even got it cast in the Academy Awardnominated 1947 crime thriller Boomerang

Now, the iconic landmark is looking for a new role. Magnotta says its current owners have moved on to other interests. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, plans were in the works to develop the space as a co-working site, but demand for such use has declined, motivating the pivot to sell.

Inside Scoop

The former home of the Stamford Advocate is MAKING NEWS AGAIN

by beth cooney fitzpatrick

When the former 258 Atlantic Street offices of the Stamford Advocate hit the market late last year for $3.5 million, so did a storied piece of local journalism history.

“On the inside, you wouldn’t

really be able to tell a lot about its past anymore,” says Jon Magnotta, the Outlook Realty broker listing agent for the property, which most recently was a private art gallery. “But it is a very cool building with a really interesting history.”

“It is a building that lends itself to being a large, open office setting and is ideal for a single tenant,” Magnotta says. To that end, the design firm MKDA was hired to develop a cityapproved plan to reimagine the space for a potential buyer. The 15,000-square-foot building is being marketed as a “white box,” Magnotta explains, meaning a new owner would take on the interior build out.

The potential sale stirs up inevitable nostalgia about the building’s newsroom heyday.

“It was a place with a lot of character and a lot of characters inside,” recalls Jerry Zezima, a nationally syndicated humor

columnist who got a job working in his hometown newsroom as a copy boy in 1976. He remembers the Atlantic Street newsroom as one filled with tabacco smoke and the constant clanking of typewriters and the place from which he was frequently dispatched “to grab the editors’ coffee or something to eat at the greasy spoon down the street.”

After being promoted to reporter, Zezima witnessed

“It was a place with a lot of character and a lot of characters inside.”

JERRY ZEZIMA nationally syndicated humor columnist

above: The storied home of the Stamford Advocate at 258 Atlantic Street, two doors down from Bobby V’s Restaurant & Sports Bar, is on the market.

above: Proposed renderings by MKDA Stamford for the conversion of the building at 258 Atlantic Street

some of the Advocate’s history firsthand. “I sat next to (former reporter) Tony Dolan, and was there the day he won his Pulitzer Prize,” Zezima recalls of the Advocate’s 1978 investigative series on municipal corruption. He was also on hand for the paper’s 1981 departure from Atlantic Street to a gleaming new building at 75 Tresser Boulevard that directly faced the Stamford Government Center. The move happened after the Advocate was sold by longtime local owners the Gillespie family to the Times Mirror Company, which commissioned a headquarters reflective of the city’s evolution as home to many corporate headquarters.

There have been more changes to the media and city landscape since then. The

newspaper was bought and sold by the Tribune Company (which bought Times Mirror in 2000) to current owners, Hearst Connecticut Media Group, which rents its Stamford news bureau at 1088 Washington Boulevard. The former Tresser Boulevard headquarters now houses luxury apartments

As for the former Atlantic Street digs, Magnotta imagines the building repurposed yet again. (At press time, it remained on the market.) “We think it needs a very special tenant,” he says.

Besides its noteworthy façade, Magnotta says selling points include a statement-making vertical opening to a glass rooftop and a commodity especially rare downtown: “It comes with 36 of its own designated parking spaces.”

GREAT START

This year, Stamford native Jerry Zezima celebrates his 40th anniversary as an award-winning, nationally syndicated humor columnist. His weekly Tribune News Service column, which launched at the Advocate in 1985, now appears in 600 newspapers. Zezima has also authored seven humor books, including his latest, The Good Humor Man: Tales of Life, Laughter and, for Dessert, Ice Cream

Inspired as a kid by the writings of old-school syndicated newspaper humorists Erma Bombeck and Art Buchwald, Zezima marvels that his career took him from Advocate copy boy on to gigs that included police reporter, sports writer, various editing roles and the chance to offer his zany take on his everyday experiences to a national audience in a really pun-y way. “I didn’t even write for my college or high school papers,” he says. He credits a former Advocate city editor, the late Roland Blaise, with taking a chance on him when he walked into 258 Atlantic Street looking for work. Despite his sparse resume, Blaise offered Zezima the writing, editing and current events test he gave to job prospects. Zezima (mostly) aced it. He admits to “just winging” the answers to questions that stumped him with random witticisms. “(Blaise) later told me that creativity in my answers to the things I didn’t know is what got me the job and for that, I am forever grateful,” Zezima says. “I always say the Advocate gave me a chance, a job and a career. And it all began when I walked into that building on Atlantic Street.”

top and bottom: What a first floor cafe could look like and a concept for the 3rd floor open work area as imagined by MKDA Stamford.

above: An October 1997 Jerry Zezima column in the Stamford Advocate’s living section

Room to Grow

With support from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation, ABILIS expands to meet community needs

by beth cooney fitzpatrick

Abilis, which offers a variety of engaging programs to Fairfield County adults and children with developmental disabilities, had long stretched the limits of its headquarters in the Glenville section of Greenwich. As its offerings expanded to benefit the growing needs of the hundreds of local residents it serves, the tight squeeze often tested its team’s creative space juggling skills. “We were renting spaces all over Fairfield County for this party and that event,” says Amy Montimurro, the nonprofit’s CEO and president. “There were daily conversations about space. We had staff with no offices who walked around with these big Tupperware-like containers to go from one program to the next.”

Thanks to the generous support of a $3.7 million grant from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation, Abilis can take “find more space” off its to-do list.

Late last year, Abilis began settling into an expansive and modern second home on Stamford’s West Side. The new Cohen Abilis Advancement Center, at 78 Harvard Ave., has provided the nonprofit with an additional 28,000 square feet of vibrant and welcoming space. While the Glenville headquarters remains an essential part of its operations, the new center—which opened a few months ahead of schedule—will give Abilis the additional room it needs for vocational training, fitness programs and popular events like its regular Bingo nights. “We used to max out at 25 people for bingo,” Montimurro says during a recent center tour. “The other night we had 65 people come in and it was no problem.”

The center features lots of necessary operational space, including conference rooms, private and open office setups, along with a beautifully appointed commercial kitchen and classrooms ideal for vocational

training. In keeping with its community needs, each space has been carefully outfitted for maximum accessibility. The proximity of the Harvard Avenue location to Interstate 95 is an added bonus for program participants, who come from throughout Fairfield County.

“This support has been so meaningful, not just for today but for the future of this organization,” Montimurro says. “The Cohen Foundation not only gave us the ability and room to breathe, they did it in a way that just makes it all really special.”

clockwise from above: The flex office space, activity room and kitchen at the new Cohen Abilis Advancement Center at 78 Harvard Avenue

FEB 18 - MAR 8 MAR 25 - APR 12

by Karen

Zacarías

directed by JoAnn M. Hunter

An outrageous comedy about culture clash and bad behavior.

The Next Generation of Dance, under the artistic direction of Francesca Harper.

by Paul Slade Smith directed by Mark Shanahan adapted from Ferenc Molnár’s“Play at the Castle.”

Production Supporter: Cherie Flom Quain

MAY 1 MAY 3 MAY 19 TWO PERFORMANCES! Recommended for ages Pre-K through 3 A

Photo credit: Anne Fishbein

Photo credit: Nir Arieli

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KNITS

SPARKLE

BOHO

BLING

PLAIDS

S P R I N G

Our eye-opening guide to the season’s budding trends

AWA K E N I N G

by HANNAH DEELY

Get that pre-summer sparkle with these flashy favorites brandon maxwell

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SEQUIN STUNNERS

1 ganni Velvet Sequin Blouse, $375; ganni.com // 2 asha by ashley mccormick Glitter Clutch, $225, Greenwich; ashabyadm.com // 3 michael kors collection Sequined Pleated Shorts, $1,890, Greenwich; saks.com // 4 jimmy choo Mesh Slingback Pumps with Paillettes, $1,175; jimmychoo.com // 5 maje Sequin Embellished Jeans, $445; us.maje.com // 6 tory burch Full-length Sequin Skirt, $1.498, Greenwich; toryburch.com // 7 stella mccartney Falabella Tiny Crystal Cage Tote Bag, $2,550, stellamccartney.com

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PEACE, LOVE AND BOHO

The trend we all adore, with a ’70s flare

1 farm rio Short Sleeve Cotton Romper, $210, Norwalk; nordstrom.com // 2 ba&sh Leather Fringe Adjustable Strap Bag, $395, Greenwich; ba-sh.com // 3 we the free Floral Embroidered Jeans, $228; Westport; freepeople.com // 4 miu miu

Oversized Metal Frame Sunglasses, $517, Greenwich; sunglasshut.com // 5 veronica beard Amelia Shirt, $468 and Wide-Leg Jeans, $598, Greenwich; veronicabeard .com // 6 la double j Crepe de Shine Sylph Dress, $1,290, Westport; shop. mitchellstores.com // 7 ulla johnson Esti Clog in Sierra Python, $625; ullajohnson.com

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Let the sun shine through with the newest knotty trend

1 prada Large Crochet Tote Bag, $2,050, Greenwich; saks.com // 2 rails Knit Hazel Top, $168, Old Greenwich and Westport; thefredshop. com // 3 escvdo Musa Maxi Dress, $1,300; escvdo.com // 4 staud Vienna Sweater $395 and Wolfgang Skirt, $295, Norwalk; bloomingdales.com // 5 ba&sh Striped Farfaela Sweater, $275, Darien dariensportshop.com // 6 sandro Crochet Top $445 and Knit Trousers $395; us.sandro-paris.com

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The official pattern of spring ? We think so!

1 loeffler randall Deanie Blue Gingham Tote, $175; loefflerrandall.com // 2 rebecca taylor Gingham Twill Embroidered Bustier Tank $390, Trouser $450, Norwalk; nordstrom.com // 3 staud Katie Gingham Midi-Dress; $225, Greenwich; saks.com // 4 burberry Mews Check Slide Sandal $790, Norwalk; nordstrom. com // 5 sunshine tienda Paulina Gingham Palm Hat, $129; sunshinetienda.com // 6 rosie assoulin Draped Stretch-Cotton Midi Skirt, $1,195; modaoperandi.com

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Our hand-picked arrangement of this season’s most stunning jewelry

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1 pomellato Rose Gold Iconica Diamond Ring, $5,500, Greenwich; betteridge.com // 2 mastoloni 14k Yellow Gold Freshwater Pearl and Diamond Charm Necklace, $750, Fairfield; hcreidjewelers.com // 3 verdura 18K Yellow Gold and Amethyst Whisk Ring, $14,500 Greenwich; famillegreenwich.com // 4 pasquale bruni 18K Rose Gold Lunar Garden Green Agate & White Moonstone Diamond Pavé Flower Ring, $2,800, Greenwich; manfredijewels. com // 5 peter suchy jewelers Diamond and Yellow Gold Pendant Necklace, $2,240, Stamford; petersuchyjewelers.com // 6 vintage hermes by steven fox jewelrs $59,850, Greenwich; stevenfoxjewelry.com // 7 shreve, crump & low Pavé Cut Diamond Leaf Dangle Earrings, $9,100, Greenwich; shrevecrumpandlow.com // 8 jl rocks 14K Yellow Gold Blue Topaz Tower Earrings, $2,200, Westport and Greenwich; jlrocks.com // 9 ondyn Voyage Diamond Cuff Bracelet, $5,000, Westport; lbgreen.com // 10 russ hollander master goldsmith Cushion-Cut Diamond and Sapphire Ring, $38,600, Stamford; 203-363-2200

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THOUGHT LEADERS

HOW MEDITATION LED A GROUP OF FOUR FROM NEW CANAAN TO CREATE A COMMUNITY OF MINDFULNESS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL.

by liz barron

he founders of the nonprofit Community Mindfulness Project (CMP) may have met by chance, but certainly not without

New Canaan residents Will Heins and Nick Seaver got to know each other in 2009 at one of the first-ever Mindfulness in Education conferences. Soon after the pair began meditating together along with Nick’s wife, Michelle Seaver, and fellow enthusiast Erika Long, who Heins knew from their work together in education advocacy.

“We had each experienced the

profound benefits of meditation and began a regular practice together with others in the community, and valued the strength that comes from that,” says Michelle.

The positive results of mindfulness practice are plentiful: stress reduction, improved mood and immune system function, clearer thinking, less chronic pain, lower heart rate and blood pressure.

As the group continued to meet, “we were inspired to make mindfulness training accessible to more vulnerable communities,”

Michelle says.

CMP was officially born in 2014. More than ten years later, the org offers trainings to address burnout and trauma and hosts public meditation sessions to residents throughout the county.

With the assistance of other non-profit partners, CMP has helped fill the gap between the demand for and supply of mental health support through school instruction, library programs, workshops and online sessions. To date, CMP has served more than 40,000 across the county.

“As an antidote to the mental health crisis, mindfulness training enables us to both connect with ourselves and others to cultivate healthier hearts and minds,” says Michelle.

"I feel unbelievably lucky to sit in circles with people from all walks of life, and watch them start out curious, and learn new information about how their brain and nervous system work,” says Long. “Then [they] get to experience how meditation and mindfulness can help them lead healthy, joyful lives. I wish everyone could witness those moments!”

The Community Mindfulness Project seeks to bring the extensive benefits of meditation to underserved communities across Fairfield County.

ALL THAT GLITTERS

SPARKLICIOUS, A CRAFTING STUDIO IN DARIEN , CATERS TO ANYONE WHO IS LOOKING TO SHINE by liz barron

Growing up with a mother who owned a children’s party center, Fairfield County native Kristin McGuinness was seemingly bound to find passion rooted in creativity. McGuinness and her sister Alyssa Genovese had been planning parties for years, but dreamed of owning a space where they could host events, classes and parties. That dream came to fruition when the duo opened their first brick and mortar studio Sparklicious in Mount Kisco—followed later by a second one in Rye and a third in Darien opened last summer.

PIVOTING TOWARD SUCCESS

Having opened their Mount Kisco location at the beginning of the Covid pandemic, the sisters had to find creative ways to maintain and serve their loyal customer base. Things like outdoor driveway events and Sparkle Club Subscriptions (monthly projects and crafts sent to customers through the mail) kept the business afloat during that challenging time. As storefronts began to reopen, the sisters got back to business and were eventually able to successfully launch the two additional locations. The Darien Commons studio opened its doors in June of 2024. “Our neighbors and the community have been super welcoming,” says McGuinness. “We have loved getting to know the Darien kids."

OPTIONS GALORE

Sparklicious offers a variety of activities. Guests can make soap, lotions, lip gloss, jewelry and slime. There are also crafts like pottery and board painting. “The beauty of Sparklicious is that every party is different, you can come back and have a totally different experience from your last,” McGuinness says. “There is truly something for everyone—adults, girls, boys, all ages.” The sisters are always adding seasonal offerings to their menu so there is something new each time customers return.

CREATIVE CLASSES

Classes at the Darien location began at the end of January. “Fashion for Beginners” is an after-school option for third- through sixth-graders. Kids have the opportunity to sketch, learn how to create patterns and sew using upcycled materials.

A “DIY Sparkle Club” is a favorite for children in kindergarten through third grade. Participants can make their own keychains, water bottles, tee shirts, totes and more.

The studio is open daily for crafting and boutique drop-ins.

A WINNING COMBINATION

McGuinness and Genovese bring different strengths to their business venture. “I would say I am more an ‘ideas’ person than an artist,” says McGuinness. “I have my master’s degree in psychology and education, which definitely helps when working with children.” Her sister has a different set of equally important skills that makes them such great partners. “Alyssa was a nursery schoolteacher and is super outgoing and energetic,” explains McGuinness. They complement each other in different ways, but both clearly take after their mother.

SHINING BEYOND SPARKLICIOUS

McGuinness’ oldest daughter Ella, 15, was born with a rare bone marrow disorder called Severe Congenital Neutropenia. In an effort to raise awareness and grow support for research, McGuinness started a nonprofit when she was born. “We find that giving back to the community is very important,” she says. “We are a big part of the Princess Ball in Fairfield County that supports many local charities because giving back to our community is very important to us and we love to help children.”

“the

sparklicious is that

is different. you can

beauty of

every party

come back and have a totally different experience from your last”

sparklicious co-owner kristin mcguinness

SPRING TO LIFE

No. 1 PRESS YOUR LUCK

Get your green on! The Stamford St. Patrick’s Day Parade is set for Saturday, March 1 at 2 p.m. downtown. The rain-or-shine parade is the largest in Fairfield County, with more than 80 organizations on the march, from bagpipers to Irish dancers, and police officers to sports teams.

No. 3

HOP TO IT

The Easter Bunny is back at Stamford Town Center in early April. Stop by Bunny Meadow in the Grand Court for pictures and more. Details on Bunny’s big welcome party are at stamfordmoms. com.

No. 2 TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!

Orchestra Lumos presents “Toy Story in Concert” featuring a film screening accompanied by Oscar-and Grammywinning composer Randy Newman’s score performed live at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 30 Tickets start at $25. palacestamford.org

March and April spark joy after the cold winter months. We can’t wait to get out and celebrate all the season has to offer with these FAMILY-FRIENDLY EVENTS by stefanie horn

No. 4

LEAD THE CHASE

We are egg-static for the fourth annual Stamford Moms Egg Hunt, which features a visit from the Easter Bunny, a bubble dance party, face-painting, food, fire truck rides and more. Festivities kick off at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 13 at Long Ridge Fire Co. Tickets available at stamfordmoms.com

No. 6 IN BLOOM

No. 5 SHOP LOCAL

Bring the kids for fun activities while you get your mother’s/father’s/ graduation day gift buying done over a coffee or a cocktail, while supporting local businesses at the Stamford Moms Mommy & Me Shopping Day 10 a.m.-2p.m. on Sunday, April 27 at Third Place

Step into a world of wonder as the cherry blossoms take center stage at Mill River Park in April. Enjoy a walk, bring the kids’ bikes or scooters, pack a picnic lunch and enjoy the oasis at the center of our city. Sneak a peek at the peak of the season on Insta @millriverpark

Stefanie Horn, Stamford mom of three and head of Stamford Moms, shares some of her favorite things to do—from seasonal activities to can’t-miss events. Follow @stamfordmoms on Instagram, sign up for the newsletter and check out the calendar for more family-friendly activities at stamfordmoms.com.

SPONSORS

Honoring Eileen H Rosner for her longstanding service to the library and the Stamford community.

Tickets are $200/sponsorships available. Reserve at fergusonlibrary.org or call 203 351-8251.

and

Feasts from the East

EUROPA BALKAN FOOD MARKET

brings the flavors of the Adriatic, Mediterranean and Black seas to Stamford

by elizabeth keyser // photography by garvin burke

When you walk into Europa Balkan Food Market, the first thing to do is ask for a coffee or espresso. At a few dollars a cup, this rich fragrant brew must be the best deal in town, but, more than that, it’s a ritual that adapts old world hospitality to American take-out, a welcoming gesture from owner Adi Memeti, who opened Stamford’s first Balkans Market in September.

This bright, clean, wellordered grocery provided instant community and flavors of home for Stamford residents with ties

to the Balkans. The mountainous land ("Balkan" is Turkish for mountain range) between the Adriatic, Mediterranean and Black seas is home to Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Turkey, Albania and Greece.

Customers come to Europa Balkan Food Market to pick up rich and tangy Bulgarian yogurt; aged goat and sheep milk cheese; suxhuk (dry beef sausage); and burek (savory meat and cheese pastries). They buy pickled

clockwise: Europa Balkan Market owner Adi Memeti welcomes customers with his signature espresso at hand. Varieties of regional staple ajvar abound. An array of sausages, including popular dry beef and smoked, line a refrigerator. Gift baskets for hostesses offer plenty of items to sample.

cabbage leaves to make sarma (stuffed cabbage), and white beans, smoked sausages and paprika to make soup. They scan the frozen case for ready-to-bake pide, the boat-shaped, meat- or cheese-filled pastries. Customers leave the shop with boxes of fresh baked honey-soaked baklava and tolumba, Turkish fried dough

The one common dish across this large geographic area is ajvar (pronounced “eye-var”). “It is popular in all the Balkans,” says Memeti, “Everyone says theirs is the best.”

Ajvar is a spread of roasted wood-fired peppers, eggplant,

and a little garlic, blended into a condiment that can be spread on crackers, or eaten with grilled cevapi, fingersized ground beef sausages. For breakfast, ajvar and tomatoes are a base for cooking eggs, or spread over feta on a piece of bread. Ajvar is always on the table as part of a spread.

For all the claims of which country produces the very best ajvar, Europa features the gourmet Amëz brand.

Memeti, who has lived in Stamford for 20 years, wants to teach newbies about Balkan cuisine and culture. The roots

of the cooking are ancient; preparing food over a wood fire is at its heart. Preserving, pickling and fermenting are also essential.

Exploring Balkan cuisine at home can begin with breakfast if you are shopping at Europa Balkan Food Market. No matter what you might have seen on social media, Balkan breakfasts delight those who like to gather with friends to sip strong coffee or tea, and nibble on a selection of warm puffy bread, cheese, smoked sausage, slices of fresh cucumber and tomatoes, olives and pickled

vegetables. Add some savory pastries and don’t forget the ajvar!

Balkan Cuisine Around Town

The popular downtown Albanian and Kosovan restaurant Çka Ka Qëllu, which is decorated like a village tavern and serves sarma stuffed with veal and rice, fasul, white beans with sausage, and mixed grill platters is a Stamford magazine favorite. Tave kosi will intrigue the adventurous: lamb and rice in tangy yogurt custard is baked in a clay pot.

clockwise from top: Rich and tangy Bulgarian yogurt is worth the visit. All things pickled shine on shelves and on the table. Regional chocolates are also a sweet reminder of home, and the warm shop is a welcoming spot to explore. The many teas on offer are stars in Balkan breakfasts.

Classic With A Twist

Upscale Chinese has entered the conversation in SONO. The experience at the new laid-back luxe Chinese-American Lazy Sister kicks off with the most solid branding we’ve seen in a while and occupies the space that used to be Enchanted Szechuan, the beloved neighborhood Chinese dining restaurant on Washington Avenue.

The Lazy Sister team worked with the owners, who closed because they are moving back to China, to help train their back of house team and hired some of Enchanted Szechuan’s former kitchen staff to honor taking over their space. They even have a section on the menu

labeled “Enchanted Szechuan Favorites” to pay further homage to it.

Maxwell Weiss, owner and lead operator of Lazy Sister, was born and raised in Greenwich, and currently owns Hōseki, the six seat hidden sushi omakase counter counter at Saks Fifth Avenue’s Vault. He also spearheads Ten Homakase, a sushi events business.

As for newbie Lucky Sister, think really great Chinese food in an elevated atmosphere with fabulously fun and kitschy branding. From the merchandise wall to the powder room lined in photos with classic Chinese food moments in film to a selfie spot, the design takes center

stage. The name itself, Lazy Sister, is an ode to his two siblings and to encourage diners to “get lazy” and let him and his team take care of all the guests who come through.

The intimate dining room has 50 seats (yes, they do takeout, too) serving a variety of Chinese classics ranging from Shanghainese, Cantonese, Szechuan and Chinese-American dishes. Some highlights include Soup Dumplings, Scallion Pancakes with Beef, Mapo Tofu, and Moo Shu Pork. We also loved their new take on classics like fortune cookie soft serve.

Lazy Sister, 120 Washington Street, Norwalk

INSIDE MAXWELL WEISS’ NEW BRILLIANTLY BRANDED CHINESE HOT SPOT LAZY SISTER . by samantha yanks

left: The Dan Dan Noodles right: Seating at Lazy Sister PHOTOS

clockwise from top left: The bar at Lazy Sister; General Tso's chicken; Maxwell Weiss, owner and lead operator of Lazy Sister; fortune cookie soft serve

SUSTAINABLY SOURCED

WONDERING WHAT TO MAKE FOR DINNER? CHEF MOLLY HEALEY’S HEMMA KITCHEN HAS THE ANSWER, DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO YOUR DOOR. by samantha yanks

above: Molly Healey, chef and owner of Hemma Kitchen

Local meal delivery service Hemma Kitchen is dedicated to helping busy locals nourish their bodies effectively. Believing that food is the best medicine, Hemma Kitchen emphasizes using the finest ingredients sourced from nearby farms. This commitment to clean, high-quality ingredients offers clients peace of mind, knowing they are providing their families with nutritious meals crafted by Westport native and busy mom chef Molly Healey.

Creating everything from scratch is undeniably time-consuming, and many people simply do not have that kind of time. Solutionoriented Healey aims to empower her clients to enjoy the benefits of homemade meals even if they cannot prepare them themselves.

Hemma Kitchen’s beautiful, scratch-made meals are carefully packed in sustainable packaging and delivered safely to homes each week, making it easy to stock the fridge and simplify meal planning. This thoughtful approach to preparation makes family time more precious and enjoyable.

The no-subscription required weekly delivery service releases new menus every Thursday morning at 9 a.m. Order cutoff is Sunday at 5 p.m. for Tuesday evening delivery across Fairfield county. hemmakitchen.com

Apple oats and muffins

Kale salad

A wide variety of healthful options keeps dinner tasty and interesting.

Clockwise from right: salmon burgers with coconut tzatziki; coconut braised beef with avocado sauce and jasmine rice' butternut squash soup; massaged kale salad; Italian meatloaf; chili.

TIME CAPSULE home

WE GO TREASURE

Looking to feather your nest with one-ofa-kind finds and pieces that stand the test of time? Interior designer and antiques dealer

Ali Mahon can be your guide at The Barns, a by-appointment shopping experience on the grounds of her 1804 home. Inside the two beautifully restored red barns on the property, she is showcasing her collections, which include American, Swedish, French, Spanish and Italian furnishings, art and accessories, whatever catches her eye.

“I buy what I love,” says Mahon, who is a Greenwich native. Coming from a long line of collectors and following in her mother’s footsteps as an antiques dealer, she has a track record of acquiring pieces with history. “I love the objects. I love the pieces of the puzzle and, to me, interior design is like the whole puzzle coming together.”

Now she’s helping clients and homeowners to source those pieces with provenance, finds that will give their spaces character and make them memorable.

“The best homes come from taking your time, layering, having stories, having heirlooms, the things that were your parents’, or the little things that your kids remember,” she says. “It’s so much more meaningful and gives the home personality.”

Though some people associate antiques with older people, Mahon says there’s a new audience for pieces that are recycled and repurposed. Young couples moving up from the city are taking an interest in a more collected look

HUNTING WITH ALI MAHON AT THE BARNS by mary kate hogan

left: One of the many charming vignettes you’ll find at The Barns: a barn star, contemporary still life painting by Thad Hayes and an early American fish trade sign flanked by wicker chairs and newly upholstered x-benches in Quadrille fabric right: Ali Mahon takes a seat amidst her treasures

“THE BEST HOMES COME FROM TAKING YOUR TIME, LAYERING, HAVING STORIES, HAVING HEIRLOOMS, THE THINGS THAT WERE YOUR PARENTS’, OR THE LITTLE THINGS THAT YOUR KIDS REMEMBER.”

— ALI MAHON

and pieces built to last, rather than starkly modern or “fast” furniture that wears out quickly. Mahon likes to refresh some older pieces, she says, pointing to a pair of Chinese Chippendale armchairs she sourced from the Greenwich estate of the late designer Mario Buatta, with cushions she covered in a contemporary Sanderson fabric.

The Barns bring together a wide range of collectibles, from Italian brass urns, trade signs, weathervanes and game boards to a circa-1860 American painted cupboard and 1770 Gustavian Medallion-back armchairs finished in Colefax & Fowler fabric. Mahon has a keen eye for repurposing older pieces, like an antique wooden barrel top that has such an interesting grain and texture, it works well as wall art.

Mahon’s well-edited collection balances old with the nearly new, featuring handsome rattan chairs from 2019 alongside a painted Danish table from 1790. “I love the mix,” she says. For example, “mixing true contemporary art with the old. That’s how you make it not look stuffy.” In addition to in-person shopping at The Barns, there’s also an online shop and Mahon’s frequently updated Instagram. If she doesn’t have it, Mahon is open to wish lists and hunting for specific items. “If there’s something you want, I can find it.” thebarnsbyalimahon.com

top to bottom: A one-of-a kind Rebekah Miles lamp, a Nantucket basket and vintage sign • An early-American architectural louvered fan over an Italian ceramic fruit bowl, a pair of cast stone cherubs, a child’s Windor chair from Sotheby’s and a Jose Reyes Nantucket Basket Purse • Mahon with her trusty sidekick, Decker

above: A pair of 18th-century Gustavian chairs, French Jespe pottery, a portrait found on Nantucket and a pair of 19th-century French stools with vintage Scalamandre Leopard fabric below: A monumental 19th-century Swedish Dala Horse and a Peter Hunt dowry chest sitting upon a Neoclassical table from Denmark—surrounded by early American weathervanes and folk art such as carnival targets

Going Green

by megan gagnon

REGINA ANDREW

Polly chandelier; $1,150. Chloe Winston Lighting Design, Norwalk; chloewinstonlighting.com 1

Jeno dining chair; $398. France & Son, New York; franceandson.com 2

JOHN ROBSHAW

Atulya moss duvet set; starting at $545. Fig Linens and Home, Westport; figlinensandhome.com 3

JOON LOLOI

Rosamund sofa in luster olive velvet; $3,299. joonloloi.com 5

WORLDS AWAY Fortune three drawer side table; $2,280. Beehive, Fairfield; thebeehive fairfield.com 7 SUNPAN

“our kelp green is one of our most popular colors and the crisp shapes of the campina desk— made in our rhode island factory—are a perfect canvas.”

—jonathan glatt, ceo & creative director, o&g studio 4

BREVILLE

Barista Express Impress espresso machine in olive tapenade; $799.95. Crate & Barrel, Westport; crateandbarrel.com

Charmers

LET THESE SERPENTS SLITHER INTO YOUR YEAR-OF-THE-SNAKE DESIGN PLAN

by megan gagnon

“our serpent wallcovering captures the hypnotic allure of these mysterious creatures, a motif that currently resonates across fashion and home accessories. with this design, we aimed to create something edgy that embodies drama, mystique and glamour, resulting in a look that feels both fresh and exciting.” 7 8 3 4 5 6 1

1 L’OBJET

Snake magnifying glass; $65 for small size. Hoagland’s Greenwich; hoaglands.com

2 SCHUMACHER

Giove fabric in Agate & Onyx; to the trade. schumacher.com

3 CURREY & COMPANY

Serpent brass accent table; $570. Trovare Home Design, Greenwich; trovarehomedesign.com

4 LABORATORIO PARAVICINI

Serpi ceramic dinner plates; $705 for set of six. abask.com

5 WEST ELM

Serpent doormat; $29. Westport; westelm.com

6 ANTHROPOLOGIE

Hand-tufted Marwa rug; starting at $88. Westport; anthropologie.com

7 PHILLIP JEFFRIES

Serpent wallcovering in Mystic Hiss on pewter gilded metallic leaf; to the trade. phillipjeffries.com

8 CB2

Black snake fireplace andirons; $179 for set of two. cb2.com

—tara van lunen, director of design, phillip jeffries

RESOURCE FAIR 2025

MEET FLOWCODE, THE NEXT GENERATION OF QR CODES

Go ahead, try it out. Point your phone’s camera at the Flowcode to scan.

people&PLACES

From the Heart

Spreading awareness about sudden cardiac arrest, Lucky Mother and In a Heartbeat joined forces to celebrate Melissa Fay’s “Second Birthday” and to raise money for emergency training and medical devices. Fay survived a sudden cardiac arrest two years ago. After quick-thinking locals saved her life, Fay’s friends were inspired to help others. Guests enjoyed light bites and drinks at Third Place by Half Full Brewery, while trying their luck during a raffle and silent auction. Proceeds help provide free CPR training and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to public spaces. lucky-mother. com and inaheartbeat.org »

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAYVON SMITH / SHADOW MEDIA

1 Diane and Vince Porpora, Kaitlyn McNabb, Conor McCarthy, George Iadarola 2 In A Heartbeat Founder and President Mike Papale, Conor McCarthy, Kaitlyn McNabb, George Iadarola 3 Sarah Swanberg, Vanessa Fedele, Patricia Caminiti, Melissa Fay, Carolyn Kagan 4 Sarah Swanberg, Melissa Fay, Ashley Hutchinson, Mike Papale 5

The Elevate Physical Therapy team, including: Joshua Figueroa, Jake Courtman, Brendan Martin, Pamela Fioretti, Krystina Koziel, Shannon Huzina, Rachel Swenson 6 Becky Balsy, Annie Nardi, Alyssa Scala 7 Melissa Fay, Eva Saint 8 Ashley Hutchinson, Josh Figueroa, Ana Williams

LUCKY MOTHER AND IN A HEARTBEAT / Third Place

Local Heroes

The Light A Fire Awards recognize local leaders who make our towns a better place. With the theme A Celebration of Giving, Moffly Media’s 17th annual event saluted volunteers “who give selflessly to support causes near and far.” Honorees are nominated by the community, and the final 10 award winners are selected for their stellar work. The winners were feted during a cocktail reception at Westport Country Playhouse, followed by an awards ceremony hosted by actor and director James Naughton. The goal of Light a Fire Foundation Inc. is to “inspire greater volunteerism in the community.” mofflylifestylemedia.com/lightafire

LIGHT A FIRE AWARDS / Westport Country Playhouse

1 Light A Fire honorees with event emcee James Naughton, Jonathan Moffly and Samantha Yanks 2 Ann and Keating Hagmann 3 Stephanie Dunn Ashley, Andrew Amill, Abigail and Lauren Walsh 4 David, Deb and Nate Checketts, Dionna Carlson 5 Amir and Ahmad Mickens, Betsy Toussaint 6 Adam Vengrow, Andi Sklar 7 James Naughton, Marie Rocha 8 Eileen Murphy, Venera Alexandrova, Samantha Yanks, Megan Gagnon, Melinda Anderson 9 Sheryl Braun, Nora Campbell 10 Kim Forcier, Jonathan Moffly, Victoria Whitcomb, Michael Kazakewich, Jeffrey Kalapos 11 Versha Munshi-South, Melinda Anderson

12 Sydney, Nicole and Larry Heath 13 Amanda Castellano, Andre Sawyers 14 Gazi Adiguzel, Catherine and Canan Erol 15 Gabriella Mays, Donna Moffly, Kristina Herman

16 Leo Karl, Marianna Sarkisova 17 Dede Thompson Bartlett, Jim Bartlett 18 Jalynn and Edith Presley 19 Dayna Checketts 20 Amir, Ahmad, Karimah, Samad and Linda Mickens

21 Desserts from Gabriele’s of Westport

GReAt

by

six top interior designers and architects with ties to Stamford share their favorite spaces and the elements that make them shine. From smart furnishings to chic paint shades, here’s a primer of pro advice for your own stylish homes.

Michelle Barone, Nicky James, Naïka André

ROOMS

by

shot on location at MONGERS

furnishings available at Mongers Market: Salvaged wood doors, from $100 at Boiler Room booth; Metal factory stools, from $35 at Boiler Room booth; Transom window, $325 at Boiler Room booth; Nuevo “Tivat” black metal floor lamp, $475 at Word of Mouth booth; Red vintage Saarinen for Knoll executive chair, $425 at Word of Mouth booth.

Sarah Ponden, Ryan Salvatore, Mary Burr

MARY KATE HOGAN

portraits by KYLE NORTON

MARKET

BUrr

sAlvAtore Architects

PRO SNAPSHOT

An award-winning, full-service firm, Burr Salvatore is a partnership of architects who met at the Yale School of Architecture: Mary Burr and Ryan Salvatore, who both spent the early years of their careers at the legendary firm Robert E.M. Stern in Manhattan. The husbandand-wife team works on both ground-up construction and renovations of scale.

“We really like hands-on clients,” Burr says.

“Many of our best projects have resulted when clients are heavily invested in the process.” burrsalvatore.com

ROOM WE LOVE

This family room in a traditional waterfront colonial affords its owners incredible views of Long Island Sound and Manhattan with a design that emphasizes the great outdoors.

“It’s really more about what’s outside—the fabulous view of the New York City skyline—than what’s inside,” Burr says.

To play up the view, the team chose expansive windows and doors and opted for lighter touches on the detailing. This helps “to blur the boundary between inside and outside and to bring the waterfront site inside the house,” she says.

In harmony with the location, the team played on themes from maritime architecture with brass tie rods on the exposed trusses and two mirrored port holes “to pull the eye up into the dynamic ceiling.”

To play up the view, the team chose expansive windows and doors and opted for lighter touches on the detailing.

GO-TO SOURCES

For the post-andbeam structure and the floor, the team sourced a lightly white-washed fir.

“There’s a wonderful warmth to it that lends an amazing degree of coziness to what is otherwise a big space,” says Burr. The light fixture is a classic lantern by noguchi and the field stone for the fireplace was supplied by stone farm in Monroe, a great place to pick up reclaimed material.

above: Noguchi lanterns below top: Samples from Stone Farm below bottom: White-washed fir post-and-beam

APRO SNAPSHOT

With nearly 20 years of experience with interiors, Sarah Ponden handles design projects of all sizes, supported by her sister who tends to the business side of the firm. Originally from Pennsylvania and previously based in Stamford for five years, Ponden still works on projects here as well as throughout Fairfield and Westchester counties, New York City and the Hamptons. Describing her style, she says, “I’m more on the modern end with lots of layers and mixing and matching, high and low.” sarahpondeninteriors.com

ROOM WE LOVE

t this new build in Harrison, New York, Ponden was able to create a home completely tailored to her clients, a young couple who were moving up from Manhattan and starting a family.

“Every tile, every detail, every inch was custom,” she says of the whole project and her favorite space, the dining room. “I wanted it to be comfortable and family-friendly but still really chic. It’s sophisticated and moody but you could have a daytime party there.”

Key details include the wallpaper from romo's black edition, which mimics a watercolor, flocked with metallic texture. A study in highs and lows, the room features a light fixture from west elm and a mirror from cb2 that looks like it could be Holly Hunt. “It feels so good because we really understand each other,” she says. “We sourced some things and they found some things and it all gelled perfectly. That relationship shows.”

“I wanted it to be comfortable and family-friendly but still really chic. It’s sophisticated and moody but you could have a daytime party there.”

GO-TO SOURCES

For a dining room, Ponden suggests starting with the table and chandelier first. The carpet, the bottom layer, comes last. Here, the dining chairs are from arhaus; “I love a chair that has so many style points,” she says. The single-slab table is from rh and the sideboard is by john richards

left: Romo's Black Edition wallpapers right: CB2 mirror below: Arhaus dining chairs

MAdison Hudson Design

PRO SNAPSHOT

This boutique firm owned by Michelle Barone, whose background spans retail fashion to visual merchandising, is named for her two children's middle names. Barone is the principal designer, working with a team of three other creative, talented women. Though her designs evolve with every client, she says, “I have my own personal style, a mix of modern and traditional.

“It’s always better to have a nod to the past. It has to have a balance.”

Her firm takes a budget-friendly approach and has the ability to design a single room. Clients can hire MHD to make design recommendations only and purchase the furniture and accessories themselves or have the company handle the whole process through to install. madisonhudsondesign.com

ROOM WE LOVE

For this New Canaan house, Barone and her team were tasked with finishing an adjoining sunroom and living room. “The house is in a beautiful setting, and we wanted to keep the sunroom with its plentiful windows relatively neutral so that our clients can feel almost as if they are sitting outdoors,” says Barone, who layered textures of boucle, wood, stone, metal and greenery to pull the room together. By contrast, the living room called for a deep color for a “cozy but elegant feeling,” a rich charcoal hue called Hopper Head by farrow & ball. Textural fabrics and touches of greenery create a soothing place to relax by the fire.

“The house is in a beautiful setting and we wanted to keep the sunroom with its plentiful windows relatively neutral so that our clients can feel almost as if they are sitting outdoors.”

GO-TO SOURCES

“We try to shop local and use womenowned businesses,” says Barone, whose picks include bespoke floors in Norwalk, artist katy garry of Pelham and diane browne of browne & co in Darien. For some clients, MHD will do a “quick zhuzh at the end of the project,” sourcing accessories and finishing touches from Browne & Co. Clients can then decide what they want to keep. “It’s a way to try before you buy,” she says.

clockwise from above: Hopper Head by Farrow & Ball; Browne & Co in Darien; samples from Bespoke Floors in Norwalk.

left: The New Canaan living room was conceived together with adjoining sunroom. (below)

Nicky JAmes Interior Design

PRO SNAPSHOT

Growing up as the son of a craftsman, Nicky Cuppari wandered around job sites and envisioned unique spaces from an early age. After studying at NYU, he has spent the past 12 years working in art and design, helping many clients in Stamford and beyond. He helps to “uncover the essence” of people and bring that to life through furniture, lighting, color and décor while always keeping functionality in mind. “I hate designing rooms that are just pretty rooms,” he says. “They should be enjoyed and lived in.”

nicky-james.com

FROOM

WE LOVE

or his own home in Shippan, James completely transformed a 1970’s spec house, gut-renovating the first floor. His favorite room in the house is a sitting room that’s connected to the kitchen. “I wanted to go for a cozy, ultramodern look,” he says of the space, which is an ideal spot to sit and have cocktails or just relax. The sofa is a “throwback from the ’60s” and the art is personal: He noticed the graffiti on the side of a building while walking in Spain and decided to take a photograph. A year later, while working on his house, he remembered the image and decided it would make a cool print.

“I wanted to go for a cozy, ultramodern look.”

GO-TO SOURCES

Creating an eclectic, one-of-a-kind mix for his sitting room, James picked up the coffee table at mongers market in Bridgeport. The sofa was a flea-market find that he covered in a snakeskin-textured leather. Metal sconces from Denmark were purchased from 1st dibs

above: James found his coffee table at Monger’s Market in Bridgeport.

above: Snakeskin leather samples for the sofa.

NJA Interiors

PRO SNAPSHOT

Anative of Stamford, Naï ka

André of NJA Interiors, has been designing for thirteen years and launched her own firm six years ago. “I love working with busy families who don’t have the time to create a space that functions for them,” says André. Her personal style blends vibrant colors, textures and art, and draws inspiration from travel—whether her own or the client’s. She is also known for mixing high and low sources and tracking down pieces with personality. njainteriors.com

IROOM WE LOVE

n this Brooklyn townhouse, home to a multigenerational family, André was hired to create a lower-level family room that’s comfortable for lounging yet versatile enough for entertaining. “[The client] and her husband had such fun and bright personalities, and I wanted the design to reflect that,” André says. At the heart of the space is a sofa covered in an emerald green velvet that’s easy to clean.

“People who want these color sofas seem to find me,” she says with a laugh.

The adjacent furnishings are multifunctional: a coffee table with storage, an ottoman that doubles as a drinks table (with tray on top), a colorful woven basket that acts as 3D art as well as a place to stash blankets. The art ranges from framed pieces by artists discovered on etsy to a feather juju hat, a ceremonial piece from cameroon, handmade by an African artist.

“[The client] and her husband had such fun and bright personalities and I wanted the design to reflect that.”

GO-TO SOURCES

“We love chloe winston lighting design in Norwalk,” André says. “They have great indoor-outdoor fixtures.” She likes to use jaipur rugs, many from India, and selects some accessories such as pillows and art from etsy. In addition to her trade connections, André is partial to a good bargain and found the floor and table lamps for this family room at homegoods

left: Jaipur rugs right: Etsy art

The showroom at Chloe Winston Lighting Design.

THE STATE OF REAL ESTATE 2025

Housing Trends & the Stamford Market

BY SCOTT THOMAS

this photo: Listed by Joseph Barbieri of Sotheby’s International Realty, the property at 140 Wallacks Drive on storied 3.5-acre Caritas Island (previously called Greenway Island) is offered for $7.495 million. The main house, accessible by a gated causeway, has 12 bedrooms and 10 baths. bottom left and right: Nearly 1,000 apartments opened in Stamford in 2024, including units at The One Atlantic and The Asher.

Real estate is an industry driven by numbers. Whether it’s the cost of a home, interest rates, or managing family budgets, purchasing a house comes down to arithmetic. In most cases, it’s a matter of getting the money together for a down payment, managing the mortgage payment and taxes, and balancing living expenses. Good thing smartphones are equipped with calculators.

Over the past few years, however, the Stamford real estate community has been impacted by a figure rarely discussed over bites of burgers at the family dinner table. Inventory—notably, the lack of homes available for purchase—continues to play a key role in the city’s housing market. Would-be homeowners continue to be frustrated in their quest simply because they cannot find properties for sale.

“There are a couple of factors,” says Jodi

Boxer of Keller Williams. “One, there is a high demand despite higher interest rates. Two, there is a very low supply. So many sellers are locked into low interest rates. It will cost them a lot of money to move to a house with a different mortgage rate. People are electing not to sell, and some are even holding on to their homes as investment properties.”

The city’s supply-and-demand conundrum has dragged on since the pandemic threw the market into a tizzy in 2020. Home prices continue to rise—the median sale price for a Stamford home rose 8% year after year by the end of the third quarter, according to statistics from William Pitt Sotheby’s—but inventory is short. According to Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), inventory in the region that includes Stamford, Bridgeport and Norwalk has declined by more than 5,000 units since 2017.

“I’ve never seen this kind of market before,” says Staci Zampa, a founding agent of Compass with more than two decades of experience. “I am hoping this is the year it comes to an end.”

Shaking Loose

The most critical aspect in freeing up inventory is likely to be a decline in interest rates. While they have declined slightly in recent years, many homeowners locked in at rates well below current market standards. Further de-escalation could propel significant movement.

“If interest rates go down, that would be a big help,” says Barbara Hickey of William Pitt Sotheby’s. “Some homeowners have an interest rate in the low threes. You’re not touching that mortgage. How many people are out there with those low interest rates? Even if they want a bigger house, it might not be worth it to move.”

Inventory could also increase if businesses start to require employees to return to the office. In the wake of COVID-19, many companies permitted employees to work from home. Now, however, some want employees back in the office, even if it’s on a hybrid basis.

above: Barbara Hickey sold this five-bedroom home with a saltwater Gunite pool at 29 Happy Hill Road in North Stamford for $1 million in August.

“It captures what it means to live in Northern France but right in New York City’s backyard. The house is an art piece, and we approached it like we were selling a rare gem or an auction house item.”

susan vanech

Luxe Lots

“La Gentilhommiere,” a stately limestone residence at the end of a long-gated driveway on Riverbank Road in North Stamford, evokes the romance of the French countryside. The fivebedroom, five-bath house on 3.54 acres spans nearly 7,000 square feet. Susan Vanech, a founding member of Compass, sold the property for $6.8 million and worked with co-marketing partner Barnes International to reach international buyers.

Vanech said she sold the home, which was built in 2001, to a couple who have multiple properties worldwide but were seeking a residence away from the hustle and bustle of New York City.

“The house today would cost $15 million to build,” Vanech says. “I think what makes it unique is, aside from being an authentic chateau, it captures what it means to live in Northern France but right in New York City’s backyard. The house is an art piece, and we approached it like we were selling a rare gem or an auction house item.”

Inspired by the Chateau de Givenchy-le-Noble, the home is a limestone masterpiece that seamlessly blends European elegance with modern comfort. The materials used to create this treasure are authentically French, including centuries-old beams, 18th-century parquet de Versailles floors, Remy Garnier hardware and a range from La Cornue, an ultrahigh-end manufacturer that was founded in Paris in 1908 by Albert Dupuy.

“The main residence’s four en-suite bedrooms are located on the arrival level of the home, in the tradition of many period manor homes,” Vanech says. “The public rooms are on the upper level.”

A guest house, pool and accompanying house with gas

fireplace, and surround sound home theater are also all located on the property.

“This was the perfect choice for the buyers,” Vanech says. “They have an international background, and they wanted something outside of the city to entertain and have privacy. From the research we’ve done, this is the highestprice sale of a Stamford home that’s not on the waterfront that we’ve ever seen. It’s an amazing property.”

One waterfront home that has garnered significant attention is the storied 3.5-acre Caritas Island (previously called Greenway Island) on Long Island Sound. Listed by Joseph Barbieri of Sotheby’s International Realty, the property at 140 Wallacks Drive is offered for $7.495 million. The compound is accessed by a gated causeway.

The stone main house was built in 1909 and includes 12 bedrooms and 10 baths. The property also includes a threebedroom stone guest cottage, and a six-car detached garage with two apartments for staff. Stunning waterside terraces, a lap

pool, greenhouse, pond, sandy beach and natural swimming cove are also included, along with a 200-foot pier that can accommodate a 75- to 150-foot boat. Wallacks Point juts out into Long Island Sound between the public beaches at Cummings Park and Cove Island Park.

“This is a unique property on an exquisite compound,” Barbieri says. “There are very few places where you can get your own causeway. In 115 years, this property has had just three owners. When I’m there I feel like I could be on Block Island. Wallacks Point is a beautiful community that’s off the beaten track.”

The luxury market in Stamford reflects the market as a whole. Low inventory continues to frustrate buyers, even with homes that are listed for several million dollars.

“The demand is good, and waterfront sales are strong,” Barbieri says. “We’ve had some significant off-market sales. The market is quite good for sellers, but finding quality inventory has been the challenge.”

above and below: The staircase and kitchen of La Gentlihommiere, the five-bedroom, five-bath stunner in North Stamford, which sold last year for $6.8 million.

“Virtually any centrally located parcel is being converted. There is a strong demand for rentals as we see by the 99% occupancy rate in virtually all of the rental communities.”

melodye colucci

Rentals on the Rise

It can be hard to find housing in Stamford, especially for younger people who are just starting their careers. There may be hope, however, as more condominiums and apartments become available over the next few years.

Nearly 1,000 apartments opened in Stamford in 2024, including units at The Asher and The One Atlantic. Another 395 are imminently on the way at 18 Dock. In 2025, the city should see another 1,000 apartments open for leasing.

Additionally, multiple plans were put forth last year to build more condos in Stamford, including one

in December that called for 56 units in 13 two-story townhouse structures off Top Gallant Road. The building was the former home of the Playtex Corporation.

Just a few days earlier, the Stamford Zoning Board approved 280 apartments on Broad Street in a building formerly occupied by the retail store Burlington, near the Ferguson Library.

F.D. Rich expects to break ground this year for the Broad Street Apartments, which will bring 200 rentals to market in 2026. Another new one on the horizon—though no date has been set for ground-breaking—is a 400-unit complex at Landmark Square. The 31-story high-rise will be the third tallest building in Stamford and is being developed by the Capelli Organization.

“Virtually any centrally located parcel is being converted,” says Melodye Colucci of Coldwell Banker. “There is a strong demand for rentals, as we see by the 99% occupancy rate in virtually all of the rental communities, and

condos have been in short supply for a while.”

Inventory has been distressingly tight for single-family homes in Stamford for several years, but the condo market has been even harder to navigate and due to the lower price point when compared to a single-family home, it makes “the American dream” of homeownership even harder to attain for those first-time buyers.

“A lot of people have their hands tied,” Colucci says. “Many people are asking ‘why pay rent when I could be paying a mortgage and paying myself back versus paying the landlord’s mortgage?’ but there’s just nothing for buyers to purchase. There is a lack of availability that makes it very difficult for young people. If some of these apartment rentals were to enter the market or be built for sale, they would sell like hotcakes and ease some of the housing tensions we are currently seeing.”

The rooftop pool at The Asher is one of many amenities at the rental property opened last year at 150 Broad Street.

The housing dilemma, however, can’t be discussed without growing concerns about quality of life. Traffic continues to jam city streets, and even a short drive can feel like an eternity.

“It can take 20 minutes to go two miles now,” Colucci said. “It’s almost absurd at this point. If we keep growing at the rate at which we’re growing, it’s going to be a complete nightmare.”

The River Bend Center had an office vacancy rate of around 65 percent last spring. Many businesses in the park in Springdale exited as employees moved to work-from-home roles. In September, the city voted to approve residential units at the 37-acre center. However, the decision is being challenged in a lawsuit filed in December by the Stamford Neighborhoods Coalition citing density and traffic concerns like the ones Colucci raises.

The broad choice of housing (when available) has always made Stamford’s real estate story dynamic, fluid and in a constant state of evolution. There is no expectation that will change in 2025.

There were a lot of buyers from New York City who were excited about moving to the suburbs,’’ says Melodye Colucci of Coldwell Banker. “But a lot of people went back. People forget about the fear that they had during Covid and went on to resume life as they knew it pre-Covid. Some found that they wanted to stay, but there are a lot of different scenarios for why people move. The question becomes: If I sell my house, where am I going to go?”

In one of Colucci’s transactions last year, her client returned to Montana after coming to Stamford for employment. “There’s a lot of sticker shock,” she says. “They thought it would be a great opportunity to move to Stamford, but it just wasn’t for them.”

Lots to Offer

Homes that do come on the market continue to get scooped up quickly. In many cases, sellers are still receiving multiple bids on their properties, though not as many as in previous years.

“Each home that we sold this year continued to go above asking,” Zampa says. “What was crucial this year was making sure that you priced the house correctly. Aspirational pricing hurt some sellers. We have real conversations with sellers about how we should price the home. We can be under the market, to the market

average, or seek aspirational pricing. But if you choose for the aspirational price, you’re going to be on the market much longer and you’re probably going to have to drop the price.”

The lack of inventory has not slowed demand. Stamford’s proximity to New York City, amenities and comparative pricing to communities in Westchester County and Long Island make the city an attractive choice for many people.

“It’s always been expensive,’’ Hickey says. “I don’t see that changing. People are drawn to Stamford due to its genuine diversity. More and more people are looking for that.”

Stamford also has broad housing diversity. The pricier pockets along Long Island Sound and North Stamford generate some eye-popping properties, while neighborhoods such as Springdale, Glenbrook, and Turn of River continue to appeal to families looking for nice areas with good schools.

Many of the buyers flocking to Stamford are coming from Westchester and New York City, where they can find lower taxes and more housing for the money. “We’re especially seeing empty nesters,” Hickey says. “If they had four acres in Westchester County, they might be paying close to $100,000 in taxes. At their age, they want to get away from that. They want to manage their assets the best way possible.”

Inflection Point

Predictions are difficult to make, especially with a fresh federal administration prone to unorthodox political wisdom. Sooner or later, however, most industry experts feel that Stamford real estate will settle back to equilibrium, and that 2025 could usher in that return to normalcy.

“Eventually, that pendulum has to swing back to a more balanced market,” Boxer says. “It might not swing to a buyers’ market, but prices have gone up so much that it must slow down. The market will eventually open up and it will help buyers make their move.”

As the housing market turns to spring, perhaps the most important concept for buyers and sellers to remember regarding Stamford real estate is that the city remains a coveted place to call home. The population has swelled by more than 16% since 2000 and is now the state’s second-largest city, trailing only Bridgeport. Stamford’s population is soaring with no let-up in sight.

“We’re seeing more inventory coming on,” Zampa says. “Buyers are coming in a little bit smarter and we’re seeing more activity with each listing. We’ve had limited inventory for a few years now, but I think this is the year it comes to an end.”

above: The kitchen at 92 Aspen Lane, which Zampa sold in May above asking price for $1.4 million after just two days on the market. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom home in North Stamford is nearly 7,000 square feet and has a pool on the property.

Gardens of Solitude and Solace

BESPOKE MEDITATIVE GREEN SPACES—

OFTEN SECLUDED FROM VIEW—ADORN THE BEST-APPOINTED PROPERTIES ACROSS FAIRFIELD COUNTY.

HERE, LOCAL LANDSCAPE EXPERTS SHARE HOW TO CREATE HIDDEN LUXE MOMENTS TO ENJOY ALL SEASON LONG.

by TOM CONNOR

Custom organic edible gardens are the specialty of Redding-based Homefront Farmers. above: Mark Hicks of Elise Design Group installed a slateroof, mahoganyand-granite gateway leading to a retreat on the grounds of a 15,400-square-foot manor house in New Canaan.

Following what, for some, has been a winter of our discontent, now is the spring of our contentment.

And perhaps more than ever, we are turning inward to our own backyards for solitude and solace. The natural pleasures of private spaces are healing and restorative.

“There’s always been a demand for privacy in Fairfield County—homeowners wanting to shut the outside world out when it comes to their property,” observes one Fairfield County landscaper. “But after this fall and winter, I think more people are viewing their yards as a sanctuary, with a definite increased sense of health and wellness.”

Residential yards possess the potential to be perfect places for recovering from the stresses of life in turbulent times. Simply stepping out the back screen door—the only screen permissible when solace is at stake—can itself be therapeutic: Birds and bees are the soundtrack, blossoming flowers the essential aromatherapy, fireflies and stars the lightshow.

There’s also a sense of safety in a yard with vertical green walls of evergreen hedges, fenced flower and vegetable gardens with seating for morning coffee or an evening glass of wine, and small, gated outdoor rooms for yoga, meditation or quiet conversation.

Numerous studies reveal that spending even brief amounts of time in nature can lower anxiety and stress, improve mood and cognition, and help with depression, post-traumatic stress and attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorders. Recent research has found that children who live near green spaces experience less depression and exhibit better emotional behavior.

Yet, this is Fairfield County, where elements

of classic design and custom comforts count. Accordingly, this spring, local landscape designers are showing us how to carve out islands of serenity and sanity from the chaos outside the garden walls—and they’re doing it with grace and in great style.

THE RECOVERY ROOM

In the Greenfield Hill section of Fairfield, and working with Sandy Hook landscape designer Brook Clark, James Philbin of JP Philbin Landscapes & Nursery is creating what the homeowners are calling their “Recovery Room,” a wide, open area behind a magnificent party barn for family members and friends.

Whether the homeowners are seeking to recover from partying in the barn or from the tumultuous previous year in politics and public life isn’t known, but either way, health and welfare appear to be the objective.

“It could be the result of a post-pandemic mindset,” Philbin says. “But there also seems to be this uptick in demand for outdoor

above: Hidden garden moments, often accessible through gated entrances, offer respite throughout the Gold Coast. opposite: A secluded Silvermine sanctuary by Elise Design Group provides beautiful refuge from a long day at work.

saunas and spas.”

When completed sometime this summer, the Recovery Room is to feature a pool and separate, spacious patio, possibly under a pergola, with adjacent cold plunge pool and hot tub—a trend in requests for dual, polaropposite pools that’s being reported by other landscapers.

SECRET GARDENS

In Westport’s Compo Beach area meanwhile, Philbin and Clark teamed up to create a kind of oasis of privacy and serenity in the lower corner of a large property that itself is hidden from public view behind walls of tall arborvitae hedge. Even in the yard, one might not know the 20-foot-by-40-foot secret space is even there. That’s because of the “blind entry”—a narrow gap in one section of the surrounding five-foot-high hedge wall that’s hidden from view by an outer, overlapping hedge wall.

“What we’re trying to do is to create the

“There’s always been a demand for privacy in Fairfield County— homeowners wanting to shut the outside world out when it comes to their property.”

illusion of seeing the end of the property,” says Clark. “Guests can see hedge, but only the family knows there’s a secret garden inside!”

The hedge is Schwoebel upright holly, which has small, glossy, dark green leaves, is compact, deer-resistant and easy to maintain.

The interior of the 20-foot-by-40-foot space is covered in no-mow grass or eco-lawn—a drought-tolerant, low-maintenance fine fescue that can, but doesn’t have to be, mowed.

Still in progress with a projected finish date of sometime this summer, plans include the creation of a 10-foot-by-10-foot patio with bistro table and lights—small lights hanging from stainless steel wire strung across metal poles—of the kind found in open-air festivals in Italy.

Even mansions need small, private, outdoor retreats—and maybe more so than more intimate homes. For a former Wall Street investment banker in a 15,400-square-foot English manor in north New Canaan, Mark Hicks of Elise Design Group offset

“Most people want their garden to be like a salad ... they want lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers.”

Miranda Gould Client Operations Manager

from top clockwise: Homefront Farmers designs, constructs and maintains bespoke vegetable gardens for clients who want the best in yard-to-table dining. From early season greens through August’s star tomatoes, homeowners enjoy the freshest and most delish bounty.

the formality of the granite-paved entrance courtyard and imposing brick and stone façade with a handsome path around the right side of the house that meanders like a slowmoving stream to an unknown destination.

Past an airy woodland garden where Laurel and rose dance around lichen-covered rocks, Hicks constructed a high, slate-roof, mahogany and granite gateway that suggests an Easter rite of passage.

“To be interesting,” Hicks says, “there has to be a sense of separation—a threshold you have to cross over and a portal you have to pass through to get to the other side.”

What lies there is a small retreat in the form of a semicircular patio with a table and chairs hidden from neighbors’ views behind an ivy-clinging stone wall. It’s the perfect place for the owner—who now divides his time

between teaching and writing—to think and read, and hold quiet conversations.

THE BACKYARD SALAD BAR

Being able to step out the back door and pick enough greens and legumes for a fresh salad every night—from early spring well into the middle of autumn—is not only physically healthy but emotionally and psychologically rejuvenating.

Now in its 20th year, Homestead Farmers custom-builds handsome fenced edible plots so that homeowners can do just that, and more.

The company constructs bespoke herb and vegetable gardens in raised beds fully enclosed in frames and posts of aromatic, rot-resistant cedar, with fine wire netting to keep hungry critters out. Graveled paths thread the beds for

easy weeding and harvesting, often with space in the center for seating.

Every season, some weekend gardeners ask for trendy produce like blue potatoes or purple carrots. But the majority of customers look to Homefront Farmers for mainstay salad ingredients.

“Most people want their garden to be like a salad,” says Miranda Gould, Client Operations Manager for the Redding-based company.

“You know, they want lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers. Week after week after week, we are growing lettuces all summer long.”

While vegetables constitute the main course, so to speak, for most clients, Homestead Farmers mixes in other flora for practicality as well as aesthetics.

“Generally speaking, we try to integrate a lot of flowers in with the veggies because

above: This backyard produce aisle by Homefront Farmers includes an exterior “window box” bed for pollinator plants to attract welcomed bees and hummingbirds and natural deterrents like garlic to scare off unwelcomed visitors like deer and destructive insects.

above: Beautifully shaped boxwood focal points take center stage in well-appointed gardens throughout the Gold Coast. below: Topiary, the art of shaping shrubbery, dates to the Middle Ages.

they bring in a whole bunch of wildlife like hummingbirds and bees,” says Gould. “You’ll get more vegetables when you have more pollinators in the garden, but I also think that when you walk into or sit in a garden, it can be a meditative experience, bordering on the spiritual!”

THE SHAPE OF PRIVACY AND TASTE

Evergreen hedges for privacy screens as well as courtyard and garden enclosures come in a variety of species—boxwood, holly, arborvitae, yew—each with its attributes. Many county residents delight in keeping them a cut above.

Sharpened pruning shears in the hands of experienced craftsmen and craftswomen can turn the geometry of ordinary shrubbery into the alchemy of topiary, the art of trimming and sculpting evergreens into classical forms and fantastical shapes. The practice dates to the Middle Ages; Levens Hall Topiary Garden in northwest England, where some examples are more than 300 years old, was installed by King James II’s gardener in 1695.

A beautifully shaped boxwood or yew can also serve as a focal point in a yard or the centerpiece of an outdoor “room.” Whatever its purpose, though, the sight of topiary on a residential property immediately suggests luxury, sophistication, taste and style.

Some of the finest examples of topiary can be found in Greenwich, where stately, formal homes are perhaps the most fitting canvases for classical topiary forms.

Sandy Lindh, founder of English Gardens and Design in Riverside, leads tours to famous and unique gardens in the British and French countrysides. But back home in Riverside, her team designs, installs and maintains elegant English-style gardens throughout Fairfield County that frequently include topiary.

One client of Lindh’s with a large house and separate guest cottage in backcountry Greenwich asked her to give the outbuilding the look of an English cottage with small boxwood knot gardens on either side of a graveled path to the door. Popular in the British Isles in the 1600s, knot gardens are low boxwood arranged in intertwining geometric patterns with herbs or flowers planted in the spaces between the hedges. Here, when tulips run their course in the early spring, annuals are planted for the summer.

On a 30-plus-acre estate in New Canaan, Lindh’s team spends a week each season pruning, reshaping and maintaining a topiary

“We do all our topiary by hand, because if you do it with a hedge trimmer it’ll shred the leaves and they’ll turn brown. It just takes time, and that’s fine.”

Sandy Lindh founder of English Gardens and Design

garden that’s been in place for many years. They use several types of pruning shears, including long-handled shears she brings back from England that allow her and team members to lean over plantings and shape them into diamonds, orbs, peacocks, doves, lollipops and pom-poms among other traditional forms dating back centuries.

“We do all our topiary by hand,” she says, “because if you do it with a hedge trimmer it’ll shred the leaves and they’ll turn brown.” The tools are sharpened and sterilized (to avoid cross-contamination of blight) for a clean, hard look. “It just takes time,” she adds, “and that’s fine.”

Elsewhere, more playful topiary can lighten even dreary days. Back on Greenfield Hill, the late Candy Raveis took the five-plus-acre hilltop property on which she grew up and, with husband Bill Raveis, transformed it into a showcase of border gardens, courtyards, orchards and topiary tableaux.

In one section, high boxwood hedges were sculpted into oversized armchairs—King and Queen chairs for the couple—that look comfortable enough to sit on. Beside them is a soft-looking boxwood in the shape of an oversized bunny, one of Candy’s favorite animals, and for centuries a European favorite. On warm evenings after work, the two would take glasses of champagne out to the setting and, seated on less-amusing but more practical chairs, talk about their respective days.

Outside the home’s conservatory, with views of the shimmering waters of Long Island Sound in the distance, lower boxwood was crafted into a sailboat with a bear at the helm. And why not? Beyond delighting the Raveis grandchildren, bears setting out to sea might be the perfect antidote to times that try men’s—and women’s—souls.

“If you have a garden and a library,” Cicero wrote, “you have everything you need.”

So, let’s take a favorite book out into the Secret Garden, or into the outdoor Recovery Room, or into the middle of the Living Salad Garden, and leave the lawn and disorder of the outside world outside.

above: Hand-sheared geometric and whimsical creations give shape to posh pathways.

Cocktails & Dinner Live & Silent Auctions

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To learn more about tickets & sponsorships

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SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 2025 | RIVERSIDE YACHT CLUB

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To purchase tickets, sponsorships and journal acknowledgments, please visit scan the QR Code or visit redcross.org/mnynball

PUPPY LOVE

Since founding Lucky Dog Refuge in 2020, mother-and-daughter team Maria and Kirstin Mende have rescued, rehabbed and rehomed nearly 1,000 pooches (and the occasional cat) looking for their forever families. The Harbor Point organization provides high-needs pups—abandoned, injured, sick—with expert vet care, top training and loads of love. The result? Happy, healthy hounds ready for their human besties. Three fab females currently capturing our hearts are goofball-girlie Bryce, independent-lady Dallas and smarty-pants Splash. On March 17, the nonprofit marks its fifth anniversary. A benefit celebration at New York Comedy Club Stamford is slated for March 23. We’ll be there sporting new LDR merch fresh for spring. luckydogrefuge.com

Send us your Stamford snaps to editor@stamfordmag.com for a chance to win $100. Please write photo submission in the subject line.

photographs by geoff tischman and yennifer salazar

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