Tour the recent top-down renovation of a sprawling Shippan Point Colonial that launched an interior design business.
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above:
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Academic instruction and sports camps for students in Pre Kindergarten through Grade 12.
bwick.org/summer
HSS, the world’s #1 in orthopedics according to Newsweek, collaborates with Stamford Health to provide quick access to advanced care in Connecticut for back and neck conditions. The HSS Spine Center with Stamford Health offers appointment availability within 72 hours, and our dedicated Care Navigator will create a personalized care plan for each patient’s journey. Now you can get back to moving better, and doing what you love, sooner. Learn more at HSS.edu/StamfordHealth
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Hello, friends. I'm thrilled and honored to introduce myself as the new editor-in-chief of Stamford magazine.
A little bit about me: I love cities. I love how people move about them fast and spirited. I love that cities are vibrant and eclectic, and how there is so much unfinished business full of possibility. I have a twin love—saltwater. I grew up spending magical summers on Long Island Sound, knowing how lucky I was to have it nearby. I love the taste of salt on my skin; the smell of low tide; the way I feel on a beach, a boat, a dock at any time of a blue-sky day.
So, when my husband insisted we move from Manhattan nine years ago following the birth of our son, he researched and reviewed. Stamford, he suggested, a city on the Sound, and he was spot on. We love it here.
A little more about me: I've spent my career covering pleasure—food, drink, art, travel, fashion—for magazines, books, newspapers and digital publications. To blend my love for this community with my editorial experience and storytelling passion is a dream.
As we shake off the last of winter and welcome the buds of spring, we look outside
and in for the renewal that marks the season.
In this issue, my first, Tom Connor invites us all to spend time in gardens that grow wild with colorful, controlled chaos, and to take a dip in swimming holes built for socializing.
Scott Thomas reports on the state of real estate, delivering housing trends and expert insight on navigating the post-pandemic local market.
Suzanne Gannon tours the Shippan Point home of Jill Kirk, whose Instagram account, @verplankavedesign, documents her renovation of said colonial and helped catapult the design business she previously described as a hobby into a full-time enterprise.
There's more, too, and much more to come. Please drop me a line to say hi, introduce yourself, and tell me what you'd like to see in these pages. I'd love to hear from you as we continue Stamford magazine's tradition of celebrating the people and places that make our city so special.
Cheers to new beginings!
Norwalk Hospital, part of Nuvance Health, is the only hospital in Connecticut to receive the America’s Top 50 Best Hospitals award from Healthgrades. Norwalk Hospital has been consistently ranked for top quality by Healthgrades for the last seven 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. Norwalk Hospital is proud to be recognized among the top 1% in the nation, because quality of care matters. And, what matters most to you, matters to us.
“The whole house looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa”
As Water Rat said to Mole in "The Wind in the Willows": “Believe me, my young friend, there is nothing— absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats…or with boats. In or out of ’em, it doesn’t matter.”
Houses, too. People renovate them, decorate them, knock them down and build them up. Today more than ever—and bigger than ever.
Here are some examples, starting with my husband.
Jack’s first job out of college in 1949 was with Gunnison Homes, a pioneer in prefab houses kept very busy mass-producing them for returning G.I.s. Part of his duties was training crews, like the unseasoned construction workers putting up their first prefab when it was trucked in to Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania. But coming back from lunch that day, he found that they’d somehow failed to plumb the first panel, so the whole house looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The front door opened with a crash, and it took the muscles of Hercules to close it.
Another time Jack accompanied his boss to the home of an irate woman who flipped down her baby’s diaper to expose a rather red rear end. The boss promptly announced: “Oh, waffle bottom!” Again. The furnace was in a crawl space under the living room floor, and apparently the toddler had sat down on the hot wrought-iron grate.
I think Jack was happy to end up in publishing.
Old Greenwich resident Marge Curtis recalls when she and Bob wanted a skylight in their bathroom ceiling. So they hired a carpenter who was cutting away with his buzz saw when she heard him say, “Uh-oh!” Uh-oh is right. He had carved a hole way too big for the skylight. Later they learned he was on drugs.
Janet Kirwan hired some college students from a reputable firm to paint her house while
she was on vacation. Upon return, she found the job half done and a note on the front door reading: “Sorry. My girlfriend and I decided to go to the Bahamas.”
On another occasion Janet got a bill for replacing shingles on her slate roof, and though a few needed help, she’d never hired anybody to do it. Mowing the lawn while listening to music on his headphones, her teenaged son had noticed some guys on the roof but had failed to mention it. As it turned out, they were meant to be at the house next door.
And Netty Schieferdecker said: “Did you ever hear about the time I took a shower with my electrician?” While redoing a bathroom, she’d asked him to step into the shower stall so she could show him some connection she was concerned about. His belt hooked on the handle that turned on the water, and they were both drenched.
Then there was the crew of Irishmen working on her house. Netty, who was born in the Netherlands, couldn’t understand a word they were saying, “but, of course, I have an accent, too,” she admits. In any case, she came home from shopping and found one of them fast asleep in a chair in the master bedroom—in just his underwear. While she was out, he’d decided to take a swim in their pool.
But one story says it all about today’s times. A nice builder I know was working on a house in Riverside when a nosey neighbor started asking him all kind of questions—like where he was putting the boundary stakes, etc. The next thing he knew, he looked up to see a drone buzzing over the property. Apparently not satisfied with his answers, Nosey Neighbor had sent it to check things out.
Ah, me. We all have colorful tales from the home front, especially in Fairfield County where real estate is king.
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Where life meets style.
In the quiet corners of tony Fairfield County, poverty hides its face—impacting tens of thousands of individuals and families who struggle in the shadows. Amidst this backdrop, Person to Person (P2P) stands as a beacon of hope and a steadfast support system for our most vulnerable neighbors. Through a comprehensive range of services, including providing healthy food, clothing, housing assistance and pathways to economic empowerment, the organization has been instrumental in transforming lives and fostering stability for more than 28,000 people annually.
“The existence of poverty in our own backyard has very real consequences for those directly affected, but also for all of us,” says Nancy Coughlin, CEO of Person to Person. “At the core of its mission, Person to Person embodies the spirit of community, offering a lifeline to those in need.”
Sixty percent of P2P’s clientele comes from Stamford, which amounted to 16,684 residents last year. The organization maintains three full-time food pantries in Darien, Norwalk and Stamford. Of the 2.6 million meals they’ve served over the years, 58 percent have been to residents here. Emergency financial aid,
including rent support and security deposits, is also vital to their clients.
Efforts to feed the hungry, prevent homelessness and help families create a sense of security is more urgent than ever. “The compounding effects of pandemic-related debt, particularly medical debt, alongside high housing costs and inflation, have left families scrambling to put food on the table,” Coughlin says. “Children deprived of access to nutritious food suffer academically, socially and physically.”
According to Coughlin, 12 percent of people in Fairfield County are food insecure, including 26,200 children. As public assistance has declined over the years, private organizations have stepped up. Today, P2P alone relies on hundreds of volunteers donating 75,000 hours of service each year.
“There are many reasons we all should care about ending poverty,” says Coughlin. “It is the greatest social determinant of health, and there are very real costs to society associated with an unhealthy population that lacks access to nutritious foods. It puts stress on our
educators, our social services and our justice system.”
In order to continue the important work of fostering a more stable, resilient and prosperous community at large, Person to Person is hosting its third annual spring fundraiser, Rock N’ Raise, on April 4 at The Loading Dock. The event promises to be a fun evening featuring live music by The Nerds, auction, paddle raise and an overview of P2P’s mission-driven programs, which includes the launch of a second mobile food pantry and the expansion of its Financial
Opportunity Center.
“Freeing people from poverty will allow them to reach their full potential,” says Coughlin. “And we need people to reach their full potential—to be artists and astronomers, entrepreneurs and inventors. We need all the smart minds we have to be focused on solving the world’s problems, and in order to have that, we need to solve the problem of poverty.”
To buy tickets for Rock N’ Raise and to learn more about Person to Person, visit p2phelps.org
P2P’s initiatives— including camperships for more than 300 Stamford Public Schools students and scholarships for nearly 100 first-generation learners in 2023—empower young people to aspire to greater heights, fostering future leaders and create lasting memories. AITE graduate and current UCONN junior, Katerine Gonzalez embodies the impact of these programs. At the P2P luncheon in October she shared her experience as a client.
“I am extremely grateful to Person to Person for being there for my family for the past 18 years,” says Gonzalez. “From shopping at their clothing center to being in their campership program and eventually receiving a scholarship, their generosity not only helps alleviate the financial burden, but also empowers me to focus on my academic career and future aspirations. Their belief in me has pushed me to become a better person and have confidence in my abilities to persevere.”
If drinking an elixir of bone broth, dehydrated pig blood, and celery juice while cold plunging in 39-degree spring and sea water could potentially extend your life, would you try it?
Chances are, you would, because the pursuit of longevity has become mainstream, with the global market expected to reach $183 billion by 2028.
But what if it was as easy as, say, living in Connecticut?
That’s what NowPatient’s newest index—inspired by the 2023 Netflix series "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones"—suggests, as it aims to predict the next ten states to become Blue Zones.
Blue Zones are where some of the world’s oldest people live, characterized by lower chronic disease and significantly longer life expectancies. Currently, there are five Blue Zones globally, located in Italy, Greece, Japan, Costa Rica and Loma Linda, California.
According to the index, Connecticut is the eighth most likely state to become the next Blue Zone.
So we asked an expert for his take.
“We have to remember that Blue Zones are something researchers have been looking at for years, but the man who popularized it wasn’t a researcher, but a journalist,” says Andrew Garritson, vice president of education at the Nutritional Coaching Institute and founder of Argentum, a quality information control organization.
“By nature, his job is to capture attention. So when we see one of the Power 9 criteria for a Blue Zone being ‘Wine at 5’, we should be skeptical,” he says.
Research is pretty well established around alcohol consumption being associated with all-cause mortality, he adds, so to claim that ‘moderate drinkers outlive non-drinkers’ is misleading.
“It’s correlation, not causation,” he says. “That said, everything is a trade-off. Moderate alcohol consumption can be the mechanism indicating that a community is more socially fulfilled—and social fulfillment and belonging has been shown to increase longevity.”
“So the physical trade-off of alcohol consumption can be offset by the social benefits that come from the environment it’s consumed in,” says Garritson.
In the new index citing Connecticut as a promising Blue Zone candidate, researchers looked at mental health, diet, exercise, religion, plant-based diets, sleep and life expectancy.
When asked for his take, Garritson largely agreed with the criteria observed to increase longevity. “It’s not necessarily about religion ... per se,” says Garritson. “Religion might be the mechanism that shows you're plugged into a social community.”
He adds that recent research showed that there was decreased all-cause mortality with a plant-based diet, but notes that people who follow
plant-based diets can be at higher risk of nutrient deficiencies, which can lead to sickness.
“The key is to eat complete sources of protein in a plant-based diet, which requires a more mindful food selection,” he says.
So, does Connecticut have a shot at becoming the next Blue Zone? Yes, but the criteria for getting there might need a bit of a deeper dive.
WHEN IT COMES TO DIRECT, NO-NONSENSE, SCIENCE-BASED FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES, ANDREW GARRITSON DRILLS IT DOWN TO THESE FIVE HABITS:
Having a strong sense of purpose Strength training 3 to 5 times per week
Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep
Drinking at least half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day
Managing obesity
Andrew Garritson has helped more than 2,000 people lose 40,000+ pounds of fat, gain 4,600+ pounds of lean body mass, and eliminate 100+ medications You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
Since its opening in November, Pickleball America has been acing its promise of nonstop fun and play. It’s also been serving up interior design elements that’ll make you want to “dink” and “drop” in for more. Led by PBA cofounder Jay Waldner, co-owner of the Long Island-based office furniture dealer Waldner’s Business Environments, the decor blends a Brooklyn-chic vibe with sustainable design through an exciting mix of found and built objects.
“Transforming your average tennis facility into a bubble of play isn’t just about hitting a ball back and forth. It’s about cultivating an environment where every player is encouraged not just to compete, but also to stay, unwind and savor the moments,” says Waldner.
Throughout the facility, the old finds new life in an eco-conscious mindful take on lounging. A 19th-century tobacco sifter found at Mongers Market in Bridgeport repurposed as a planter is in good company with leftbehind relics from the former Sak’s Fifth Avenue space, like rolling sweater display tables repurposed as front desks. Pieces crafted
by Waldner himself, commonly referred to as “Jay the Builder” by his friends and colleagues, add to the eclectic mix.
“The Brooklyn vibe of the space is fun and unique,” says Waldner. “Rarely will you see a sports racquet club with barn board and metal-corrugated walls. Vintage materials and furniture create a sense of being transported back to another time, which takes the person out of the standard box we all live in.”
Waldner decked out the newest space within the space—a nostalgic Hi-Fi vinyl listening lounge along a back wall—with “homey warm” finishes for a comforting, nostalgic embrace. The play of history and sustainability is as exciting as any on the court.
“A storm brought down a tree in Wilton last summer,” he says. “We cut it into 2-inch-thick live edge slabs, dried them for three weeks in a kiln, and transported them to our Port Chester woodworking shop in my pick-up truck. The tops, finished in five sections from the same tree, showcase a continuous grain pattern across 50-plus feet of counter space.”
Waldner’s take is also reflected in his
left: Salvaged furniture at Pickleball America gets a new lease on life as paddle racks. middle: A mural by artist Sandro Figueroa Garcia, known as Sen2, makes for an Insta-worthy moment with assistant pro Pernille Halbro. right: Industrial-chic lounge areas are perfect for a group hang. below: Upcycled objects like a tobacco sifter-asplanter punctuate the space and vintage metal milk crates serve as a magazine rack.store-bought furniture choices—relying on brands such as Steelcase, RH, Davis and Coalesse, recognized for their commitment to sustainability. Pickleball America’s eco-consciousness goes beyond its chic appointments. The venue prioritizes a clean environment perfect for being on your A-game. It includes various features such as an LED dimmable lighting setup, an advanced HVAC system designed for high efficiency, HEPA air filters and a Central HVAC Pro-Biotic Room Purifier by BETTERAIR for superior air-quality control.
Spring ushers in a series of dynamic events at Pickleball America, including March Madness showdowns, STEAM classes hosted by Snapology, chess tournaments hosted by DIG, birthday parties and a slew of fundraisers for local charities.
“We see this as a multifunctional venue,” says Waldner. “Whether it’s for pickleball games, hosting a flea market or even a wedding, we’ve designed it with adaptability in mind. Everything can be easily moved, allowing us to create a highly flexible space. All the furniture is mobile, from bleachers to reception desks, even the pickle poles and nets, enabling us to transform it into a versatile blank canvas.”
The ever-adapting “sportstainment” center now offers a babysitting area for parent players and a coworking space as well. Future plans include a crossbow archery range, axe throwing, fowling (a football-bowling mashup), electronic darts, as well as ping
Partygoers played on and off the court to celebrate Pickleball America’s launch in November
pong and pool tourneys. Looks like Pickleball America isn’t just for pickleball anymore.
To keep up with it all, visit their website pickleballamerica.us
The
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Leland Avellino, the former pit boss at Stamford’s Dinosaur Barbecue, bought a smoker when the restaurant closed during the pandemic. A barbecue trailer and wood-fired grill allows him to bring his deep experience and irresistible aromas almost anywhere.
Food trucks deliver unfussy fun to spring’s outdoor celebrations.
With guests free to sample dishes in between cocktails and conversation however they like, a gathering flows just right. These Stamford standouts—a mix of new and tried-and-true—offer menus ranging from contemporary barbecue to healthful Mediterranean for parties big and small. Bespoke options from custom dishes to service style are plentiful. Book today to get your May and June parties on the road to tasty fun. by elizabeth keyser
stamfordmag.com
“We’re mobile and can fit in a parking space,” he says. He responds to clients’ wishes for events large or small, from arriving with truck and trailer plus staff and a full-service bar to a pared-down drop of smash burgers and pulled pork sandwiches.
Avellino’s fare is distinguished by high-quality meats (prime beef brisket, Berkshire pork), homemade rubs, sauces (Korean, KC classic, ginger soy caramel) and years of experience. Catering menus usually include three to four meats, two to three sides, such as pit beans, coleslaw, cornbread and mac ‘n' cheese. The staff baker makes coconut custard and banana cream pies for a sweet finale. avellinofamilybbq.com
Mediterranean with a healthand-wellness focus set against a backbone of classic technique is the specialty of Beyond the Salt. Chef-owner Samad Mickens, a graduate of the Village Kitchen Incubator mentorship program, has cooked in many restaurants, including Tarry Lodge in Port Chester and New Haven. He can talk up the benefits of an ancient grain like farro, the base of his (pun intended) “Pharaoh’s Salad,” with authority. The menu favorite also features sweet juicy grapes, crunchy fennel and creamy
goat cheese.
His spring catering menu stars a mega mezze spread and also grilled lamb chops over roasted tomatoes and green beans. The uber-popular herb-filled falafel is wrapped in a pita with homemade tahini and tzatziki, with fresh cucumber, onions and tomatoes. Burgers are made with Wagu beef because of its omega-3 fats. Fries are hand cut. He’s catered for groups of ten to crowds of hundreds. Though he started cooking to make his mother happy, today he cooks to “exceed customers’ expectations.” gobeyondthesalt.com
Coalhouse Pizza has been a mainstay in Bulls Head for hand-crafted Neapolitan-style pizza and craft beers since 2008. Owner Gerard Robertson expanded into events with a food truck and trailer, bbq smoker, and mobile bar that can cater small to large groups for an array of parties, corporate happy hours (high-topped tables, umbrellas and lawn games) sports team celebrations
and weddings. The truck and trailer catering menus of piping hot handmade pizzas, Caesar salads and soft drinks can be upgraded with one of six themed menus of mains and sides: Italian, Texas-style BBQ, American, Mexican, Seafood or Sliders. Coalhouse offers beer, wine and canned cocktails or a premium full bar served from a restored horse trailer. Bartenders and servers are available. coalhousepizza.com
Julian’s NY Hot Dogs specializes in Sabrett’s franks, the ones you get at a ball game in the City. “I wanted to bring that to Connecticut," says Dominic Telesco, co-owner with his wife Kristin Keeler. Named for their son, the truck is a welcome sight for hungry partiers at Stamford’s bars. For more than 15 years it’s been regularly stationed downtown. For catered events,
Julian’s NY Hot Dogs has an all American menu that they’ll tailor to a customer’s wishes. “You just want burgers and dogs, we can give you burgers and dogs,” says Telesco. With the fixings. Or you can expand the menu to Philly cheese steaks and customerfavorite chili. The truck is outfitted with a fryer, flat-top grill and even a waffle maker for best-seller Belgian waffle cheese burgers.
@julians_ny_hotdogs
Soul Food is at the heart of Lovely Louise food truck, a tribute to Chef Renee Brown’s mother, Melba Louise Green, whose generosity inspired Brown’s. She’s been catering since 2006, but started the mobile unit in April 2023.
“I have a passion for soul food,” she says. Menu mainstays include fried chicken, mac ‘n' cheese, sweet potatoes and corn bread. Her BBQ baby back ribs and chopped BBQ sliders are party favorites. The chef comes equipped with a smoker and a fryer and on the healthier
side, she bakes chicken and salmon. Another favorite is the grilled spicy Jamaican jerk chicken, which can be paired with rice and peas, and collard greens. Chef Brown is happy to accommodate seasonal requests for fried okra or stewed lima beans. Desserts are also homemade—the most popular are sweet potato pie and banana pudding. Brown caters many parties for the city of Stamford, local institutions and private events for up to 300 people. “I’m a community person,” she says. lovelylouisefoods.com
OUT & ABOUT • A STAMFORD MAGAZINE AND STAMFORD MOMS PARTNERSHIP
Downtown Stamford goes green for the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade on Saturday, March 2 at noon. The Irish-American Cultural Society of Stamford named Stamford Health CEO Kathleen A. Silard this year’s grand marshal. She’ll lead the way for steppers, pipers and more. Make these ice cream sandwiches ahead of time for a post-parade playdate. stamfordstpatricksday parade.com
ingredients
• Packaged sugar
• cookie dough
• Green food coloring
• Lucky Charms
• Vanilla ice cream
preparation
step 1
Put the pre-made cookie dough in a bowl and add green food coloring. Add as much as you
need until the whole batch is green.
step 2
Bake the sugar cookies per the instructions on the wrapper.
step 3
Let the cookies cool completely.
step 4
Take soft vanilla ice cream and scoop it on to the bottom side of one cookie.
step 5
It’s not hard to find an egg hunt this season. Here are two worth tracking down. The Glow in the Dark Painting and Egg Hunt at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center on Friday, March 29 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., features a craft to kick off a Wheels in the Woods trail search for luminescent treasures. stamfordmuseum.org
Wake up for another round at the Stamford Moms Egg Hunt Saturday, March 30 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Long Ridge Fire Co. The event features face painting, food, fire truck rides and even a visit from the big guy Bunny himself. stamfordmoms.com
Head to the Palace for a brand-new live show starring everyone’s favorite Heeler in “Bluey’s Big Play.” Two shows on Tuesday, April 16 at 6 p.m., and Wednesday, April 17 at 2 p.m., feature big, beautiful puppets bringing an original story and score to life. Tickets range from $39 to $114 (for the VIP experience). palacestamford.org
Join Stamford Moms at Third Place by Half Full Brewery on Sunday, April 28 from 10 p.m. to 2 p.m., for our Mommy & Me Shopping Day presented by SkinLab by NicholsMD. Kids have plenty of fun activities to keep them occupied as you get your spring season’s worth of gift buying done all the while supporting local businesses like Auburn Jewelry and Weekend Glow Candles over great coffee and company. stamfordmoms.com
Place another cookie on top and place Lucky Charms in the ice cream around the entire edge. stamfordmag.com
can’t-miss
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Illume Fertility is thrilled to announce the addition of Barry Witt, M.D. to our award-winning team of board-certified reproductive endocrinologists serving Westchester and Fairfield Counties.
Dr. Witt joins with more than 30 years of expertise where he has helped thousands of Connecticut and New York-based individuals and couples to achieve their goals. His decision to join Illume Fertility was propelled by the practice’s commitment to patient experience and advancing inclusive fertility and family-building care in the community.
To schedule a consultation with Dr. Witt, call toll-free (866) 755-4856 or visit illumefertility.com/dr-witt.
Dr. Witt was outstanding.
He was always very clear and never left any questions unanswered. He was direct and to the point, but always with a comforting, warm smile.
He is the reason my dream of having a family is now a reality.
“
With Spring on the horizon, there’s no better time to expand your reading list. And these five titles are sure to delight — AN A-LIST CELEBRITY MEMOIR, A HAUNTING coming-of-age story, a debut novel about self-(re)discovery, a hopeful tale for “terrible” people, and an examination of lifelong friendship.
by emily liebert
MY NAME IS BARBRA BY BARBRA STREISAND
Barbra Streisand is a living legend. She’s won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards and has one of the most distinctive voices in music. With the film Yentl, she became the first woman to write, produce, direct and star in a major motion picture. Now, in her breathtaking memoir, she shares her full story—from growing up in Brooklyn and her performances in New York nightclubs to her stunning turn in Funny Girl on-stage, and a litany of unsurpassed accolades. In her honest and charismatic way, she details early struggles to become an actress, her turn to singing, her direction of The Prince of Tides, her political advocacy, friendships with Marlon Brando and Madeleine Albright, and her marriage to James Brolin.
Rosie Macalister has strived for years to assimilate with her wealthy Yale equestrian teammates. Yet upon her return from her junior year abroad with newfound confidence, she’s surprised to find a mysterious intruder in her group: Annelise Tattinger. Annelise, a gifted tarot card reader and excellent rider is unlike anyone Rosie has known before. But when one of their friends notices money disappearing from her bank account, Annelise’s character comes into question, and the girls turn against each other, with devastating consequences. It’s not until Rosie graduates and takes a job at a Manhattan hedge fund that she unearths Annelise’s true identity and how she landed in their elite Yale set. Is it too late for Rosie to right past wrongs?
BLANK BY ZIBBY OWENS
At 40-ish, Pippa Jones is a former literary sensation. After the sophomore book she was almost done writing has to be discarded— because it shares a plot and title with another superstar author’s— Pippa has serious writer’s block and spends months staring at a blank page. When she finds out she only has five days to finish (rather, start) her new manuscript, Pippa has a brilliant idea. OK, fine, her twelve-year-old son pitched it as a joke. But, still, she’ll see it through and take the literary world by storm! Only, when Pippa’s publisher gets involved, a series of unexpected plot twists arise. As Pippa races against time, she discovers more about her career, marriage, family, friends and herself than she ever could have imagined.
ver worry that you’re a terrible person? Then this book—filled with quirky humor and heart—is for you. Enid, the main character, is obsessed with space. Her biggest phobia is bald men. And when she’s not listening to her favorite true crime podcasts, she’s serially dating women from dating apps. Oh, and she’s also trying to forge a new relationship with her estranged half-sisters after the death of her absent father. When she unintentionally dives into her first serious romance, Enid starts to think that someone is following her, and paranoia spikes. Is something seriously wrong with her, she wonders? The beauty of this page-turner is that it demonstrates the power of revealing secret shames, the most human parts of us all.
BYE, BABY BY CAROLA LOVERING
C assie Barnwell’s infant daughter is missing, and her lifelong friend, Billie West—who lives one floor below in their New York apartment building—is the first to hear her panicked screams. Though when Billie looks into her own arms, she sees Cassie’s baby and remembers, with a jerk of terror, that she’s responsible for the kidnapping. Once indelibly connected by their secrets, Cassie and Billie are no longer as close as they used to be. Cassie, a burgeoning lifestyle influencer, is a mother, married to an affluent man. She’s desperate to leave her past behind, including Billie, who knows the worst thing Cassie has ever done. Told in alternating perspectives, Bye, Baby confronts the ways friendships change and the lingering echoes of childhood trauma.
We sure are by kim-marie
gallowayIf Wes Anderson attempted to capture classic New England, with its shingled cottages, wild beaches and bracing ocean breezes, he’d film at Chatham Bars Inn.
The Inn opened its doors in 1914 as a hunting lodge for discerning Bostonians. Even then, it appealed to the luxury market, offering swanky new amenities such as saltwater baths and steam heat. Over a century and many renovations later, Chatham Bars Inn is still the place to stay on Cape Cod. Returning guests may say it is the Cape.
From Henry Ford to Bruno Mars, this little dot on the map where the Mayflower first landed has seen its share of the rich and fabulous. Today, guests make the journey to the edge of the eastern seaboard for many reasons: a classic summer vacation, a weekend of sport fishing on one of the Inn's boats, whale watching, daytrips to Nantucket, a recent Robert Burns’ supper or for upcoming Wellness Weekends in partnership with Canyon Ranch.
A vacation on the Cape has been a summer rite of passage for generations. But we could argue that Chatham Bars Inn is a year-round destination. From January through March, the Inn invites travelers to “activate their winter” with wine tasting and mixology classes, iPhone photography, astronomy, line dancing and an art series.
There's a room to suit every vacationer, from multigenerational families to romance-seeking couples. Book a suite or two in an Ocean View cottage and load in all the grandkids. Heck, bring the dog—the hotel is pet-friendly. The suites have separate bedrooms with sofa beds in the living room. Families looking for even more space can rent the stand-alone Kettledrum House, which sleeps ten.
Want to leave the kids behind? Book one
of the twelve spa suites (conveniently located just above the spa). Each has a private in-room wood sauna, oversized hydrotherapy tub, steam shower and cozy fireplace. Indulge in spa treatments ranging from CBD massages to oxygen facials. No children are allowed, so it’s not your fault the kids had to stay home.
The Inn is only a ten-minute walk from downtown Chatham. But why walk if you can borrow one of the classic bikes with wicker baskets for hauling swag bought at the famous Black Dog t-shirt shop in town? And, thanks to a new partnership, guests also have access to Lexus vehicles, which are on loan for a few hours so you sightsee or book for over-sand excursions.
You’ll want to stay on the property for dinner. The award-winning STARS restaurant has the only ocean view of any eatery in Chatham. It’s the definition of classic New England, with Norman Rockwell's “Spirit of America” hanging over the fireplace. The menu keeps it local with Cape Cod oysters, American Waygu and produce from the Inn’s farm. In summertime, the Beachhouse Grill is the place to be. Chilled lobster rolls and refreshing cocktails are a must. Guests can also book a clambake on the private beach. And if your crew has a lucky day of fishing on one of the Inn’s boats, bring in the catch and the chef will prepare it for your dinner.
Chatham Bars Inn recently received the prestigious Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award, reserved for the most luxurious properties worldwide—only 360 hotels boast this accomplishment.
If you’re looking for a winter escape, the room rates are tempting, starting at $356 per night in the Main Inn and running to just over $1,000 per night for the Presidential Suite. Starting rates will climb by the July 4th weekend to $1,200 per night. Be sure to check out the events calendar for upcoming art series, line dancing and mixology classes. chathambarsinn.com
When flooring expert Robert Rackear was asked to contribute to the annual charity design event Rooms With a View in Southport last November, he used the opportunity to prove a point. “When designers have a small space to work with, they automatically think big planks are not appropriate. But I believe size matters. I always say use the largest possible.”
Rackear, who owns Lux Flrs on Glenbrook Road, had been recruited by the principals at Stamford Modern in Westport to provide flooring for the company’s compact exhibit space at the Southport Congregational Church. He brought in planks of engineered European white oak manufactured by Riva in Spain— each sized 8-feet long by 10-inches wide—and stacked them in the booth that was just 8-feet wide by 6-feet deep. “The wood was a beautiful
Totally Floored
At his recently opened showroom LUX FLRS, Robert Rackear preaches wide planks, rich tones and lush materials for your homeby jennifer clarke portrait by katharine calderwood interior photos by venera alexandrova
natural color called Crystal. A good portion of the display was covered by rugs, but the flooring still got plenty of attention,” he says.
Rackear, a Miami native who was in the fashion industry and tech space before starting his own home design business, shares his flooring philosophy and knowledge at his 3,000-squarefoot showroom, which opened in June 2023. There, he sells direct to the trade. “I’m proud of the showroom. Its scale allows me to present and demonstrate the benefits of a variety of premium brands.”
In one section, Rackear has what he calls a “custom corner” occupied by planks sized 11feet, 6-inches tall by 18-inches wide. “That’s my flex,” he says. “The boards are displayed this way to demonstrate the variation in materials. When you buy flooring, you are buying tonality. That’s easier to see when the boards are large. You don’t leave my showroom with a postagestamp-size sample, thinking you know the color of the floor. Here, you can stand in front of it.”
Most of his woods are engineered; he rarely sells solid material. “That’s where the industry is going,” he says. “I’m proud of the education and
service I provide on that front. And, of course, I’ll always encourage my clients to buy the longest and widest boards they can afford.”
A number of brands are from manufacturers of high-end flooring that espouse ethical processes, including Riva, Three Trees and Mafi. Rackear prefers engineered finishes because they can be repaired and managed efficiently. “They’re pricier upfront, but they’re more serviceable in the long run,” he says. “Most of my customers need flooring for new construction and remodels. These are high-end homes, and the owners want better-than-average quality.”
says. “It’s also important to understand the vari-
Rackear says he also spends a lot of time talking with clients about the types of finishes that are appropriate for specific climates. “Some of my customers have more than one home. So, it’s important to educate them about swings in humidity, and how that can impact a floor,” he says. “It’s also important to understand the various finishing processes and to select a material that works in the area where you live.”
He’s at the ready to discuss big, beautiful floors for your home—just be sure to have your designer call for an appointment first.
The world’s wealthiest families aren’t scurrying around in March and April looking for their tax forms. They’ve got people for that. And if the family’s balance sheet tops $100 million, they probably have an entire Family Office, which includes dedicated financial advisers, tax pros, trust and estate attorneys, and insurance advisers.
Eliot Bassin, a Certified Public Accountant who works with high-
net-worth clients in Fairfield County and beyond, calls this supporting cast “the Core Four,” and he believes that every family, regardless of their level of wealth, can benefit from a similar group of pros.
In a Family Office or MultiFamily Office, professionals unite around a family’s articulated goals. Financial advisers manage investments, CPAs handle tax planning, trust and estate attorneys safeguard assets over the long term, insurance advisers protect it all. This effort doesn’t come cheap. Maintaining a Family Office can cost $1 million or more each year.
“It’s an integrated approach to planning,” integration being the key to its success, says Bassin, a Certified Public Accountant and partner with FML CPAs in Stamford.
While many folks here in lower Fairfield County, regardless of their net worth, do enlist help from financial advisers, CPAs, attorneys and the like, many do so only when
a service is needed, such as calling a CPA at tax time, or meeting an estate attorney when making out a will.
In the process, the family’s financial undertakings tend to “be less integrated,” Bassin says. “By waiting until they actually have to make a change, they might be missing out on opportunities along the way.”
He suggests a cohesive, collective, proactive effort to assemble your team of trusted professionals, “before you anticipate the need.” In other words, pick up the phone or the mouse and introduce your various advisers to each other.
How you structure a business or your real estate holdings or your investment accounts today, will significantly affect how you might transfer that wealth to the next generation. It might not seem pressing or even relevant now, but if your ventures prove successful and lucrative (and more complex), your decisions today are critical.
Bassin willingly connects with his
clients’ advisers along the way. “It’s one way that we get to understand clients and to know what they’re trying to accomplish. I have a client right now whose financial adviser I speak with once every three or four weeks.” Together they stay on top of impending issues; for example, discussing capital gains options like gifting and gift-tax exemptions well before the year’s end.
Getting your team on the same page can be a challenge if you don’t actually know what you and your family are trying to accomplish. Begin by determining your goals, values and challenges, then you and your Core Four can work toward integrating a strategy. While you could navigate this effort by yourself, “sometimes it’s hard to piece things together,” Bassin says. Your team members, though, deal with issues like this each day; they can educate you so that you won’t make a rash decision. “They can get you to think about things you might not think about on your own,” Bassin says.
A local couple came to CPA Eliot Basin with a noble wish: to sell their $1.5 million home to their children, to finance the mortgage themselves, and to forgive a substantial portion of their kids’ loan. What was the best way to proceed?
Basin gathered two other members of the couple’s team—their financial adviser and their trust and estate attorney—and got to work. Together, the group analyzed the couple’s investments and retirement accounts, helped determine how much the pair needed in annual cash flow to live on comfortably, ascertained the amount of principal and interest they could gift to their kids without exceeding gift tax exemptions, spelled out what would happen if they were to die still owning the house, and more. In the process, they removed the house from the couple’s estate so that they wouldn’t exceed Connecticut’s $13.61 million cap.
Please
For
Pacific House has been responding to the needs of men and young adults struggling with homelessness in Fairfield County for nearly 40 years. Started as a men’s shelter in Stamford, the organization has grown to include emergency shelter, services and supportive housing. The Tate family of New Canaan was honored at a packed annual gala at the Loading Dock in October that raised $340,000. Chris Tate, who recently served as board chairman, first worked with the organization at 16 serving meals at the shelter with his youth group. “Pacific House has been a part of my life for over 30 years and I’ve seen some amazing growth. It has been a privilege to be a part of it,” said Tate. The Stamford Rotary Trust Fund was also honored as the 2023 Housing Champion in recognition of their $1 million grant for a new 39-unit housing development that will offer counselors, support services and office space. pacifichouse.org
PHOTOGRAPHS BY KATHERINE NUNEZ PHOTOGRAPHY
For nearly two decades, Moffly Media’s Light a Fire Awards have celebrated the unsung heroes in our community who go above and beyond to help those in need. This year, actor/director James Naughton once again hosted the evening, bringing his wit and grace to the stage of the Westport Country Playhouse. The sponsors that made the event possible were Karl Chevrolet, Coastal Bridge Advisors and Cummings & Lockwood. Honorees represented the incredible work of longstanding nonprofits like the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Fairfield County Community Foundation, as well as grassroots organizations, including The Undies Project, The Loved Movement and Greenwich Point Conservancy. Each of them reminds us that one person can indeed make a difference.
Hundreds of local folks turned out to Greenwich Point for the eighteenth annual Walk/Run for Abilis. Celebrity fitness guru and choreographer Billy Blanks Jr. was the master of ceremonies and warmed up the crowd with some fun dance moves. The Dance Pointe troupe wowed the crowd, and Carnival for a Cause joined the fun with face painting and a balloon artist. The funds raised will support programs for more than 800 individuals with disabilities and their families living throughout Lower Fairfield County. abilis.us
1 Silvester Pecora, Christopher Cavin, Julia Catterick 2 Young ladies warming up and stretching it out 3 Haley Dionis, Sarah Bernann, Cassidy Bonney 4 The starting line 5 The Flower Petals Adaptive Dance Company team 6 Amy Montimurro, Billy Blanks Jr. 7 Theo Brown, Vinny Annunzita 8 Jenny
Patchen, Mike Custar, Dina Urso 9 Victoria
Byron, Tina Kramer
10 Krista and Carter
Taylor 11 Joe and Jill Kelly
Cecily Strong is best known as a standout former Saturday Night Live cast member, but prior to finding success in the entertainment industry, Cecily worked for Planned Parenthood.
Emmy-winning comedian, writer, television personality and last year’s featured speaker Samantha Bee returns to the luncheon to facilitate this exciting conversation!
Join us for an evening of food and festivities to benefit the Ferguson Library at the Main Library, DiMattia Building, Bedford and Broad Streets, Stamford.
Honoring Steven Frederick and Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky, LLP for their longstanding service to the library and the Stamford community.
Tickets are $175/sponsorships available. Reserve at fergusonlibrary.org or call 203 351-8251.
SPONSORS TO DATE
MORRISON
Friends of the Ferguson Library
DU BOIS
George Family
Pitney Bowes
Wofsey, Rosen, Kweskin & Kuriansky, LLP
LAHIRI
Judith Block
Ellen Bromley & Thomas Gizicki
Garden Homes Management
Herbert and Sarah M. Gibor
Charitable Foundation
Leon N. Lapine Charitable Residuary Trust
Silver Golub & Teitell
BALDWIN
Abate & Abate, LLC
Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey
Andrea & David Cohen
Connecticut Public
First County Bank
KPMG
Stamford Health
The Ashforth Company/ A.P. Construction
STEINBECK
Brad & Nancy Benjamin
Jane Carlin & Benjamin Gifford
Susan DiMattia
Ed & Sue Greenberg
Randie Katz & Larry Cryer
Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home
Juanita T. James
Deborah & Robert Neiman
Robinson & Cole
Ann Sexton
Louise Stern
Eileen Swerdlick
The Dilenschneider Group
The Rich Foundation
UConn Stamford
USI Consulting Group/Hooker & Holcombe
ALVAREZ
Bloka Literary Society
Maureen & Michael Cacace
Linda Cremin
Susan & Paul Duarte
Philip Farin & Carolyn Nadel
Garfunkel Wild
Emily & Sam Gordon
Joe & Linda Milano
Alex & Ricki Miller
Stephen Perry & Susan Toliver
Prince Law Group
Arthur & Betsey Selkowitz
Mary Sommer & Jay Sandak
IN-KIND SPONSOR
MBA Graphics
MEDIA PARTNERS
Hey Stamford
Stamford Magazine/ Moffly Media–Exclusive Magazine Sponsor
The Ferguson Award created by Russ Hollander, Master Goldsmith
Megan Vigliotti met both her future husband—and dog—at the same moment during the summer of 2020 at Bradford’s Grill & Tavern. Josh Fisher and his puppy, Brew, were visiting from Philadelphia and a mutual friend sat them with Megan. The two (three!) hit it off and dated long distance until Josh moved to Stamford in the spring of 2022. He proposed at one of Megan’s favorite places to spend time—the Harbor Point Boardwalk.
The rain made way for a perfect fall day just in time for the couple to exchange vows at the Country Club of Darien in October 2023. Dear family friend Monsignor Robert Weiss— who also married Megan’s parents—and Cantor Laura Stein officiated the interfaith ceremony. Following the nuptials, guests never seemed to leave the packed dance floor.
The bride, her parents, Andrea and Michael Vigliotti, and her grandparents were all born and raised in Stamford. She graduated from Westhill High School and received her undergraduate degree from Fairfield University. She is a learning design specialist at Indeed.
The groom, son of Sandra and Mark Fisher of Churchville, PA, earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Temple University. He is a financial analyst at Pernod Ricard.
Form meets family in the Instagram-worthy renovation of a 1917 Colonial that launched the interior design business of Shippan Point resident Jill Kirk
by suzanne gannon by andrea carson
At the dead end of Shippan Avenue, on the vast expanse of Long Island Sound, one finds the abundant, ever-changing light that has seeped into the visual vocabulary of interior designer Jill Kirk who has made the photo-ready 'hood her home. Ebullient rays from the sun might be busy making the water dance like flirty, shiny fish; rays refracted by transitory clouds may turn the water into shards of mercury glass; or a low-hanging fog might suggest what it feels like to be trapped inside a cozy woolen sock. Nature’s palette and its rhythm—the fine-tuned economy of the seasons and what they yield—are all the designer seems to need.
Paint swatch by paint swatch, tile sample by tile sample, Kirk has honed a style that one might call radical naturalism, both for its interpretation of exterior surroundings and for its intuition about how the inhabitants of a space will move about—and with how little stuff they will need in order to do so.
In December of 2020, deep in the Covid doldrums, Kirk and her husband, Haddon, bought this dignified fixer-upper, a 1917 Colonial Revival by architect Aymar Embury II. Since their 2014 arrival in Stamford, they had lived only a few blocks away, and having been wooed by the enclave’s foliage, the beachfront, the wide, pedestrian-friendly streets, and the posse of kids on scooters whose ages matched those of their own boys, they decided to stay. The house, designed for an aunt, was the first residential building by Embury, the renowned
"The last thing I wanted was a stuffy living room we didn’t use,” says Kirk. Behold the Ping-Pong Room. For its unapologetic service to the family’s lifestyle, the room may have won architect Aymar Embury’s approval.
Taking cues from her family’s twin penchants for music and sport, Kirk ordered a custom maple pingpong table, hung their guitars, and drenched the walls and ceiling in the color of her dreams, literally. below right: Matching the adjacent mantel, plaster benches double as firewood cubbies.
photography
On most weekends, Kirk's husband, Haddon, a North Carolinian, dons a toque to feed the family biscuits and gravy for breakfast and braised meats for dinner.
"Any other night of the week," she says, "I'm the one boiling the pasta."
and versatile designer of the Whitestone, Triborough, and Henry Hudson bridges as well as the Central Park Zoo, Hofstra University and several buildings on the Princeton University campus. Only three families had lived here before the Kirks; in January of 2022, they became the fourth.
“The house hadn’t been touched up, and I needed a project,” says the designer, who for the prior 12 years had occasionally renovated or furnished single rooms and whole homes for friends and clients.
Just before closing on the 7,000-squarefoot triple-decker that is centered on a level acre, but long before living in it, Kirk established a command post on Instagram (@verplankavedesign) where she garners hundreds of likes for self-deprecating quips about her own maddening meticulosity, snaps of her boys in matching gingham pajamas and surveys that poll her followers on brick sizes and shapes. She also gushes praise for @theexpert, a live video platform where, when experiencing
decision-fatigue about a trim or a cabinet pull, she seeks affirmation from leading designers. “They help me stop overthinking things.”
Other essentials include Facebook Marketplace for furniture and decor, and Facebook Groups where she has gathered tips not only on design implementation but also, perhaps more important, on the fundamentals of running a business.
As her journey progressed on, followers began sending messages with increasing frequency. She fielded requests for paint recommendations and shopping tips. She launched a $350–per room mood-board business in which a client who DMs her for recommendations receives a furniture plan, images and resources. Soon enough, she went from the occasional client of years past to the slate she manages now. Verplank Ave Design was born.
Kirk jokes that she bought the house because of the staircase, a butterfly configuration that lends the first floor its statement-making
In a pantry that's out of sight, Kirk hides all things she'd rather not see. She installed shelves to accomodate a judiciously chosen assortment of wares.
To anchor the aesthetic in the natural world, Kirk chose a deeply veined porcelain for the countertops and backsplash and unlacquered brass for hardware and fixtures.
From the ping-pong room on one end of the house to the kitchen on the other, one feature of the sprawling Colonial is the open, unobstructed sightline. Mingling tones and textures that flow naturally from space to space was essential.
left: When choosing paintings and other wall hangings, Kirk waits for inspiration and urges her clients to do the same. She is also willing to create her own. Drawn to its unusual oval shape, she acquired this floral study at a consignment shop. She taped up the flowers she liked, painted over the rest, and then peeled the tape to reveal a trio of voluptuous blooms. It hangs like a puncutation mark between two windows.
right: “I trust my gut instincts on random things,” says Kirk. One such item is the sideboard she purchased from Facebook Marketplace while on a flight between Charleston and New York. “I’m an anxious flyer so this was a good distraction.” In accommodating her motherin-law’s china, the piece has proven Kirk’s intuition to be on the money. The WinstonSalem print that perfectly pairs with it was gifted by her own mom.
For her dining room, Kirk chose a table and chairs that would not only comfortably accommodate her own family of five but also her mom and her sister’s family who live nearby. “They’re always here,” she says.
The Whiskey Room, as Kirk calls it, is her happy concession to the man who went along for the Verplank Ave Design ride without a peep. The wet bar was at the heart of a girls' party she threw in December in honor of Taylor Swift’s birthday. She proved her pours are strong and her hardwood floors are built for dancing.
above: While lifting it from his car, Kirk's husband cracked the original stone of the coffee table. She replaced the topper with a rust-colored remnant from Tristone Marble & Granite.
left: A photo of the home as it stood in 1919 sits in an ever-changing still-life with family heirlooms, books and bottles of booze. The vibe of the room is cozy cabin meets Manhattan townhouse. far left: Kirk filled the room with objects imbued with meaning for her husband, like the tennis trophy trays won 40 years apart by him and his father. The cigar is his addition.
Though the entry and its butterfly staircase may have been the feature that sold Kirk on the house, she could not have anticipated the vitriol that arose online when, in bringing the staircase up to code, she offloaded the 10-inches-too-short balusters to an architectural salvage outfit. When the reseller put them online, preservation ideologues uninformed of the danger they posed to the toddler of the house, expressed outrage. Some day, Kirk
symmetry—and which brings to mind a future promposal. But it did not meet current code. After replacing “mismatched” details with appropriately scaled custom balusters she painted them the color of wrought iron. The staircase has featured prominently on her feed.
Kirk adheres to the aforementioned pragmatism in the design of her own home, i.e., how will she use the space every day after dinner guests have left and the household returns to its routine. It helps that she has put her sons, ages two, seven, and nine, through a take-no-prisoners style clean-up-after-yourself bootcamp that leaves a homework nook devoid of any trace of Chromebooks or crayons, a kitchen free of stray Cheerios, and bedrooms tidy because her sons fluff their own pillows and tuck in their duvets, nary a Lego in sight.
Ornamentation seems frowned upon yet the sensibility of the spartan space manages to be familiar and warm. Here and there she hangs a
large abstract, a small landscape in an antique frame she loves, or a still life with the lighting style of a Vermeer.
Kirk’s reimagining of her home’s original living room is a choice illustration of how she eschews formality. Having foreseen a destiny of stuffy neglect for said space, she converted it into a ping-pong arena—her husband is an avid tennis player—and added musical accompaniments, including a drum kit, guitars, keyboard and a piano, used in impromptu concerts by the Mach 5, her sons' band.
“Why have another sitting room no one will use?” she says, gesturing toward the massive maple tennis table with an inlaid center line of black-walnut, which was made by a Canadian couple who drove it down from Ontario. In scale and silhouette, the table mirrors the spare plaster mantel Kirk designed to bring the fireplace up to code. Matching benches flank the fireplace, doubling as firewood cubbies.
Kirk set out to replicate the essence of a swanky hotel suite in her bedroom and accompanying bathroom. She wakes before the sun rises to check her email, Instagram and Facebook Marketplace. By 5:30 a.m. she is standing on her balcony, staring into the distance and gathering energy for a day's plans—per biohacking guru Andrew Huberman.
Kirk is trying her hand at growing an olive tree in her refined suite where walls are Off-White by Farrow & Ball.
above: Installed this winter, chocolate tile accenting the tub nook was the suite's final touch. below: The primary bedroom was built out as part of a construction project that added to the east side of the house.
above: Four-inch wide shiplap is the perfect, classic width, according to Kirk, who painted hers in Farrow & Ball's Purebeck Stone. Vanities from Restoration Hardware sit atop Belgian blonde limestone floors from Historic Decorative Material.
Paint selection was an odyssey. Ultimately, she landed on a color she had imagined all along; it approximates the gorgeous interior of a slot canyon in southern Utah.
“I’m making old homes work for young families,” says Kirk. “[A house] must [function] differently from how it did 110 years ago.”
Kirk speaks matter-of-factly of having no formal education in interior design. The harbinger to the DIY career in domestic aesthetics, she says, was the raft of unsupervised projects of her youth in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., where she and her sister were raised by their mom, a lobbyist, and where she attended a small girls-only school before studying fine art at Siena College. In fifth or sixth grade, she hung mosquito netting fit for a princess over her bed using glue and a stapler, and carved a flower shape into an apple, dipped it into mustard-colored paint, and used it as a stamp on two dressers, which she says were “very ugly.” Trips to Europe with her mom solidified her interest in architectural lines and the hues of cobblestone streets and terracotta tile.
Kirk is a person with ideas that keep her up at night, imagining how to replicate the richness of an earthen red or fiddling with a stencil for months only to abandon it to paint by hand. She is also one of confidence who knows when to delegate a drawing to a CAD-fluent contractor or when to decline a client whose aesthetic— or affect—is not a fit. As the punch list on her Shippan opus gets shorter, and the list of @verplankavedesign followers gets longer, odds are she will be bringing her talent and her intuition to an even wider audience.
Kirk prefers children's rooms to be less dinosaur-heavy and more neutrally focused. Knowing her kids' obsessions are whimsical and bound to change, Kirk eschews decor that is too age-specific. The result is an elevated design that evolves with them bit by bit.
left:
Kirk’s middle son is the one she says has inherited her creativity. His princely canopy evokes the mosquito netting she rigged in her own bedroom as an adolescent designer.
far left:
One of his early paintings hangs above his personal art table, which he keeps tidy as part of his nightly routine.
below:
Soon her youngest son will graduate to a bed, a furniture selection Kirk can't wait to make. The trim is painted in Treron by Farrow & Ball.
1 "Dynasty Silver" sample, Dorello Carpet // 2 "Sakana" indigo fabric, CW Stockwell // 3 "White Bay" sample, Dorello Carpet // 4 "Ash Grey" paint, Farrow & Ball // 5 Crossweave Roman shade sample in natural canvas, West Elm // 6 "After Midnight" paint, Benjamin Moore // 7 "Trernon" paint, Farrow & Ball // 8 "Yellow Ground" paint, Farrow & Ball
1 Belgian limestone, Historical Decorative Materials // 2 "Purebeck Stone" paint, Farrow & Ball // 3 "Off White" paint, Farrow & Ball //
4 Seashell jewelry dish, Arden's Coffee Shop // 5 "Bittersweet" backsplash sample, Tile of Lucca // 6 Antique brass metal swatch //
7 Belgian sheer lined in white, The Shade Store // 8 "Cat Isle" sample, Dorello Carpet
1 Honed porcelain, Walker Zanger // 2 "Mouse's Back" paint, Farrow & Ball // 3 "Oxford Stone" paint, Farrow & Ball // 4 "Sand" linen, The Shade Store // 5 "November Rain" paint, Benjamin Moore // 6 Grey wood stain, Bona // 7 Unlacquered brass knob, Rejuvenation // 8 Absolute black granite in trenched finish, Everest Marble // 9 Venetian plaster sample
KIRK'S LOCAL FAVORITES
Furniture on Consignment 1433 Post Rd. East, Westport 203-256-9930
Knock on Wood Antiques 345 Wilson Ave., Norwalk 203-899-8977
LA Home Store at the SoNo Collection 100 North Water St. South, Norwalk 475-755-9535
Stratford Antique Center 400 Honeyspot Rd., Stratford 203-378-7754
WEBSITES ON RELOAD blancmarineboutique.com elsiegreen.com etsy.com
by scott thomas
The Stamford real estate pendulum swung in perfect balance for most of the last five years of the past decade. Transactions frequently occurred smoothly, inventory remained consistent, and the city’s popularity grew. Between 2010 and 2020, the population increased by more than 10 percent and, by the end of the decade, more than 135,000 residents called Stamford home.
The global pandemic sparked a buying surge, but for most of 2021 and 2022, Stamford’s inventory of homes stayed mostly consistent with demand— and the pendulum remained steady. And then, in 2023, a lack of inventory coupled with surging interest rates disrupted Stamford’s real estate equilibrium, and the smooth-swinging pendant moved wildly in the direction of sellers .
Though demand remained strong, would-be buyers found fewer homes available for purchase. In many cases, they had to offer well above asking price. Even then, they needed luck. Offers flooded in, and some found themselves in bidding wars, frequently on the losing end. Many had to bid on 15-plus houses before they finally found a home. An entirely new dynamic came into play as realtors navigated buyers and sellers through appraisal gaps.
“Everything was difficult,’’ says Barbara Hickey of William Pitt, who has been selling homes in Stamford for more than two decades. “Sellers believed they could name their price, and then you’d get buyers who were flooding a listing and fighting each other to win the bid.”
The inventory hurdle was no small thing. At the end of 2020, Stamford saw 190 homes on the market and 941 transactions closed during the year. At the end of the third quarter 2023, inventory stood at 121 homes with just 402 transactions. The year-over-year number of transactions declined 34 percent through September, and dollar volume dropped 32 percent. The median sale price rose 5 percent, to $790,000. Meanwhile, the average days on the market stood around 50 days, a ridiculously low number.
“Since Covid, Stamford has just been an insane market,’’ says Staci Zampa of Compass. “I think it’s starting to regulate. The market
went up so quickly. I think we’ve seen the peak of weak inventory. If we get more inventory, and I think we will, I think we’ll see a more balanced market.”
Heading into the spring market for 2024, many variables will continue to influence market conditions. How it plays out is anyone’s guess.
“I’ll be watching rates,’’ says Vikktoria Cooper of Coldwell Banker. “If rates pull back a bit, it will encourage a return of those buyers who had to step back. An additional wave of buyers will also be making their way into the mix. Those who sold their homes and are renting will also come into the marketplace. In short, it could look like a tsunami. It will continue to be a seller’s market.”
The current Stamford real estate landscape can’t be analyzed without addressing the consequences of the pandemic. After a stable stretch, Stamford ushered in a whole new set of buyers. The table was set for the frenzy that occurred in '23.
“The pandemic drew people running hysterically out of the City, desperate for elbow room,’’ Hickey says. “The manner in which businesses are running changed everything. They no longer have to rent expensive office space and workers wanted to move to places
where they could find space. So now people can look to other communities to set up their homes. They don’t need to be tied to the railroad and it just continued to bring people out.”
But it wasn’t just the City from which more residents flocked to Stamford. Homeowners from Westchester County found they could get more house and pay less in property taxes by moving just a few miles. Former Long Island residents were drawn by the same reason. Young professionals also continued to move to Stamford. Even residents of some far-flung
“An additional wave of buyers will also be making their way into the mix. Those who sold their homes and are renting will also come into the marketplace. In short, it could look like a tsunami. It will continue to be a seller’s market.”
Vikktoria Cooper of Coldwell Banker
In January of 2023, Vikktoria Cooper met a couple anxious to enter the Stamford real estate market with a list of wants. The Coldwell Banker Associate Broker warned them straght away some concessions might be necessary.
“The market had raced past their pre-approval level at ludicrous speed,’’ says Cooper, recalling the movie “Spaceballs” with Mel Brooks. “It was the craziest market I’ve ever seen in my nearly 20 years of experience.”
Rising interest rates, limited inventory and strong demand frustrated many potential buyers. People who hesitated or tried to find the “perfect” match frequently found themselves shut out altogether.
“Toward the end of June, my firsttime homebuyers learned to forgo the updated kitchen and two baths for one in need of updates and with one bath,’’ Cooper says. “However, their epiphany came too late. The increase in rates eroded their buying power well below their pre-approval levels."
The couple switched focus to a condominium, but that market also dried up. “By the time they pulled in to see a condo, all that was left were the tire marks of the many buyers who had come before them,’’ she says.
When a property came on the market, Cooper and her clients dropped everything to see it. Still, they could not find the one.
The lessons learned should resonate with every homebuyer: Know how much you can afford, what you're willing to accept, and be able to move quickly.
“This is not your parents' market. Their experiences from 10-plus years ago does not make them real estate savants. The speed at which the markets have shifted is unmatched,” Cooper says.
Buyers should listen to professional advice. “Internet services do not have the answers, and crystal balls aren’t going to predict the many flavors of real estate.”
As of press time the couple is still renting but at the ready for when the right home comes available.
Western states migrated East. Stamford’s vast cultural and recreational opportunities, along with good schools, value and proximity to the City for occasional forays drew unparalleled interest.
With so many people anxious to call Stamford home, inventory dwindled rapidly. The number of available homes has declined every quarter since 2021.
“We still don’t have any condos,” Zampa says. “We have a lot of rental properties. There are so many rental properties now I can’t even name them all. I’d like to see more condos and fewer rentals. That means people are putting roots down. We don’t have that entry level condo.”
Of course, sellers benefit from the reduced inventory. But buyers can still get the home they adore if they have the puzzle pieces in place
before entering the market.
“The first thing buyers need to do is surround themselves with a team,’’ Zampa says. “Talk to the bank and find out what you can afford and what you want to pay. Then go look for a house in that price range.”
Buyers could also wait for more favorable interest rates or continue to pay rent. One alternative is to seek out an adjustable mortgage instead of a fixed rate. The gamble in waiting, of course, is that prices could move higher. And so could interest rates.
“You have to do the analysis,’’ Hickey says. “We all know prices and interest rates can’t go up forever. You really have to ask yourself what you can afford. Patience is the best possible course and cool heads must prevail.”
Looking just outside of Stamford was a shortlived alternative for many buyers. The masses quickly moved into Norwalk, driving those price points higher. With no relief in sight, many buyers dug their talons into rentals and prepared for the next round of inventory in 2024.
“Patience is the best possible course and cool heads must prevail.”
Barbara Hickey of William Pitt
frustrated buyers
Stamford has wrestled with housing affordability for decades. Politicians have tried multiple initiatives to mitigate the crisis, but those solutions usually involve rental properties.
“Cash is king. A lot of buyers are losing to all cash. When you’re working with lenders, there are so many things that can go wrong along the way.”
Barbara Hickey of William Pitt
Potential buyers faced terrible conditions in Stamford in 2023, and many walked away frustrated and upset.
Escalating interest rates certainly impacted the market. The difference between a 3 percent interest rate and a 7 percent interest rate on a 30-year fixed loan of about $500,000 is about $1,200 a month. Interest rates stayed steadily below 4 percent for most of the past ten years, and experts warned people that the low interest rates would not last forever.
They were right. Rates have swelled considerably since 2020. The Federal Reserve Board raised the interest rate 11 times between March 2022 and October 2023. Rates at the end of 2023 were the highest they have been in nearly 20 years. The Federal Reserve Board’s attempt to wrestle down inflation has been met with a collective yawn.
Moreover, cash buyers frequently came and purchased many of the homes. Sellers preferred cash transactions, as there are fewer hurdles to navigate during the closing process.
“Cash is king,’’ Hickey says. “A lot of buyers are losing to all cash. When you’re working with lenders, there are so many things that can go wrong along the way.”
Some have circled the wagons and pulled resources from family and friends and entered the market as cash buyers in hopes of wooing a seller’s favor.
Sellers also recognize they have the advantage. Zampa says “aspirational pricing” cooled toward the second half of the year, but there are still some buyers who are setting very high bars.
Even in this market, sellers have to be cautious about overpricing their homes. “If you’re a seller, you are still wise to properly prepare your home for the market, properly present to the market and accurately price it,’’
Hickey says. “Go away for the first weekend and let me manage the stampede of people coming through the house. Within a week, we could be discussing several offers. Buyers want homes, but they are not completely foolish.”
Concerns about what inspections might turn up and appraisal gaps tempered "as-is" purchases during last quarter of 2023. Pricing strategy became very important.
“You have to be on point with your pricing,’’ Zampa says. “The best thing for a seller to do is to get their house on the market and if it’s priced too low, people will bid it up.”
A reduction in interest rates could start to shake the market loose. There are other signs, however, that could indicate the Stamford real estate pendulum is swinging back to a steady state.
Additional inventory will be one key figure. The other statistic real estate agents will watch is Days on Market. If that ticks upward in the spring, that will demonstrate that equilibrium is returning to the marketplace.
Certainly, that’s the goal for 2024. “I think it’s the first full year where we’ll see a normal market again,’’ Zampa says. “It’s all going to depend what the Feds do. And we’re already seeing signs of more inventory.”
That would certainly be welcome news, because the past few years have been extraordinarily complex. “It’s been a real challenge,’’ Hickey says. “Buyers and sellers need to work with agents who are on the top of the game and on their toes. That’s still the best way to get things done.”
Penn Johnson has been around the real estate block. As a 36-year industry veteran, the president of Stamford Mortgage knows how to help first-time buyers navigate a complex market.
Johnson advocates finding the right lending partner before starting your home search. “It’s a mistake to start looking at properties before you have your budget set,’’ Johnson says. “You might be looking too high—or too low.”
While interest rates have climbed dramatically, Johnson believes it’s a mistake for potential home buyers to focus on rates. The most important number, he says, is monthly payment.
“Figure out how much you can put down and what size payment you are comfortable with and go from there,’’ he says. “It’s all about finding the right house that fits your budget. Don’t try to time the market, because you never know what interest rates are going to do. You can’t predict mortgage rates.”
Mortgage rates jumped dramatically in 2023 as the Federal Reserve Board hiked them multiple times in an attempt to cool surging inflation. While fixed rates approached 8 percent, adjustable rates might be a better option for some buyers.
“Now that rates have gone up, about a third of our buyers are taking adjustable rate mortgages,’’ Johnson says. “It can be fixed for five to seven years before you’re subject to a rate adjustment. During that time you might be able to refinance.”
“I think it’s the first full year where we’ll see a normal market again. It’s all going to depend what the Feds do. And we’re already seeing signs of more inventory. ”
Staci Zampa of Compass
While the real estate landscape might have changed—homes in Stamford are on the market for less than two months, on average—the buying process has not. People still need to get their finances in order, get prequalified and be ready to move.
"Most sellers are going to ask for a letter from a lender that you’re qualified before they even negotiate,’’ Johnson says.
He says well-prepared buyers will eventually find the right home. “I tell my clients to be prepared and be patient. Stay at it, know your numbers, and move quickly when you see a home that fits the bill.”
by tom connor
This spring, as native and ornamental grasses continue to replace demanding lawns, borders of pollinator plants and islands of wildly colorful fl owers are signaling all creatures—including us—back to nature. Here, local landscape experts share just how our gardens grow in 2024.
ne of the great natural pleasures of spending time outside on warm spring and summer evenings is listening to the free outdoor concerts performed by the All-Star, All-Insect, All-Night Orchestra. This gardening season, as members of the rhythm section—the tree crickets and land crickets, the cicadas and katydids—magically
appear, the big band promises to crank up the volume and be in full swing for the first time in decades.
That’s because all across Fairfield County, many of the top landscape architects and designers have been preaching best practices to an increasingly committed congregation of environmentally conscious homeowners.
While buffalo grass and other native and ornamental grasses are kicking Kentucky blue and fescue off golfclub-like lawns (or at least out of sections of them), pollinator plants and brightly colored flowers are attracting birds, bees, butterflies and other creatures by the kabillions.
At the same time, paradoxically, something of a return to order and formality is underway, and why not? There’s a hard, clean look to arborvitae walls and boxwood borders, precisely edged garden islands and shrubs sharply pruned into statuesque topiary. They’re complementing both modern houses and formal mansions but also providing a kind of architectural structure for disorderly rows of perennials and annuals.
Which is not to say the backyard is no longer the place to chill after long, hot, summer days. Popular this year are plunge pools—small, shallow respites to soothe and restore sore bodies.
From Greenwich to Westport homeowners are heeding the call of the wild, staying true to tradition and taking care of themselves as well as their garden companions.
For decades Fairfield County homeowners have been obsessed with golf course–quality grounds. Blame can be laid on Thomas Jefferson, whose Monticello estate boasted one of the earliest American manicured lawns. Since he set that style, cultivated grasses have dominated suburban yards as well.
In the past few years, however, a number of local landscape designers have convinced customers to go native instead.
Wesley Stout Design Associates, a New Canaan landscape design firm, has installed native and ornamental grasses both at the residential and the commercial level for environmental reasons: “It’s staggering the amount of water bluegrass turf grasses require,” founder Wes Stout says. “It takes a full swimming pool to water a typical yard for a week!”
For a large commercial property in the area, the firm removed every blade of traditional turf grass and replaced it with species like Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), a prairie grass admired for its cool-hued color during the summer months and reddish-bronze tones in autumn. (“Skipper” butterflies like it, to boot.) It demands little watering, thereby aiding local reservoirs, and though it can grow up to three feet high by fall, lawns planted in the grass need to be cut back just several times a season.
Other designers confirm the trend’s rise. Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses in Greenwich has reported an uptick in orders for native seeds and plantings as well as perennial meadow garden material.
“People are using their spaces differently,” notes Maggie Bridge, a partner in the family firm that has been on the same North Street parcel since King George I of England bestowed it as a land grant in the 1600s. “Where traditionally you would see a giant lawn, we're now starting to see more requests for wildflower meadows and pollinator gardens.”
(Pollinators are plants that attract insects which, in turn, transfer pollen from one plant to another. Here in the Northeast, they include milkweed, sunflowers and wildflowers, sweet alyssum, black-eyed Susans and some zinnias and verbena, as well as many herbs.)
At the Chelsea Flower Show in London last May, Sandy Lindh of English Gardens & Designs in Greenwich took note of a turn toward the rewilding of formal English gardens and a more naturalistic approach to landscape design. Back in Greenwich, she found her customers requesting the same. Last year, her company installed some half-dozen pollinator gardens in addition to open meadows of wildflowers.
“I think [homeowners] are beginning to realize that we need to make space for nature and that having pollinator-friendly flower beds with no chemicals is the way to go,” Lindh says. This spring she’s encouraging clients to reduce their lawn footage and expand their blooming plots.
Other options exist, however unnaturally. For the father of three very active young boys, who was tired of patching the back lawn, Lindh tore it up and, in its place, laid a quarter-acre of Astroturf. It’s not beneficial for the bees— or some say even the knees. Yet it’s so lowmaintenance that perhaps we’ll see the rise of these truly “no mow” yards in the coming years?
In keeping with some landscape designers’ preference for electric leaf blowers and the “No Noise” ordinance that went into effect in the state last October, these wild lawnsubstitutes are, in effect, silencing commercial mowers to combat noise. They’re also helping reduce air pollution since big, multi-wing, gaspowered rigs operate outside of EPA emissions regulations.
“People are using their spaces differently. We're now starting to see more requests for wildflower meadows and pollinator gardens.”
Maggie Bridge,Sam Bridge Nursery
right and below: Native grasses and gardens planted like full-of-life meadows are taking up space alongside—and sometimes even replacing— traditional manicured lawns.
below: Insectattracting pollinators are all abuzz for spring and summer.
& Greenhouses in Greenwich
PHOTOGRAPHY: GRASSES AND POOL BY NEIL LANDINO; BEES AND WILD FLOWERS © ALEKSANDRSTOCK.ADOBE.COM
“The appeal is socialization. With the heater on in cooler weather, you can get in there and wallow with your friends all year round."
Sandy Lindh, English Gardens & Designs in Greenwich
this page: Posh pools boast sun shelves, heating units for winter and plunge options for cold immersion therapy. opposite: Flowers are the ultimate accessory in well-appointed vegetable gardens.
During the peak summer season, according to Stout, “the commercial lawn mower that’s going around your two-acre yard every week is the equivalent of something like 18 automobiles on the road.”
Like him, Heather O’Neill of Second Nature Landscape Design in Norwalk encourages clients to incorporate native grasses, pollinators and other thoughtful plantings on their properties. But she’s also keenly aware of Fairfield County sensibilities.
“Replacing a lawn either in part or whole with native and ornamental grasses is great on paper, but a lot of homeowners want green grass that looks like a putting green,” she says. “We're trying to do the best of both worlds.”
O’Neill also adds that native seed and plants can be more expensive than non-natives and remains skeptical of any immediate widespread adoption of battery-powered leaf blowers due to their perceived inefficiency compared to their gas or electric counterparts.
But on one thing homeowners throughout the county have needed no convincing—filling their properties with tons of flowers. Maybe it’s the lingering gloom hangover of the pandemic driving the trend, but bold, bright colors are widely believed to bring joy and signal hope. If that’s the case, we’re in for a joyous, hopeful gardening season.
Late last fall, O’Neill’s crew planted thousands of bulbs on a three-acre property in backcountry Greenwich to appease the owner’s seemingly insatiable desire for continuous color.
From earliest spring to late in the fall, the property is lined with blooming borders, even down to the edge of a pond, and dotted with blossoming islands. The plantings have enticed legions of insects, amphibians and reptiles to feel at home, as well as at least one bald eagle O’Neill spotted on one of her regular visits to the property.
“Honeybees are swarming over the flowers,” she says, “and there are tons of fish and frogs and more snakes than I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s as if St. Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland and they came to Greenwich!”
Flowers are also being mixed into vegetable gardens, bringing visual sustenance to the dinner table.
At Homefront Farmers in Redding, towering sunflowers line the edges of the handsome raised and fenced gardens the company constructs for clients. “We’ve always grown
a lot of native plants that we intermix into our vegetable gardens, but more people are asking for them today,” says Miranda Gould, Homefront’s director of client operations.
Dahlias, the large-headed, showy members of the family of flowers that includes sunflowers, chrysanthemums and zinnias, are the prima donnas of the gardens the company creates. Blooming in late-summer and well into the fall, the blooms come in a range of sizes— “Café au Lait,” the Queen of the tubers, is a dinnerplate dahlia that can grow to ten inches in diameter!—and a prism-full of colors.
Dahlias have become so much in demand that orders for them are crashing supplier websites and blowing up availability to a degree perhaps not seen since tulip mania in 17thcentury Holland.
All the while, swimming pools continue to be in high demand, with landscape designers scrambling to line up contractors who’ve been
booked for as long as a year in advance of construction. Driving demand has been a trend toward viewing them anew.
“Pools have become more for pleasure than just for swimming and diving,” says Roger Haggerty of Haggerty Pools in Norwalk. “We're doing a lot of shallower pools. Diving boards have pretty much become obsolete.”
Adapting to the latest trend, Haggerty is building sun shelves in the shallowest ends of existing traditional pools for sitting and chatting. And, along with other pool companies, they’re installing a whole other kind of hole in the ground for serious runners and athletes as well as for the owners of small properties. In what sounds like the opposite of entertainment, Soake plunge pools typically range between seven and 15 feet long and are equipped not only with heaters but also with chiller units that can plunge water temperatures to as low as 37 degrees. Cold-water immersion is believed to help muscles recover quickly from strenuous exercise, heat and stress—and fast.
“We’ve always grown a lot of native plants that we intermix into our vegetable gardens, but more people are asking for them today.“
Miranda Gould, Homefront Farmers in Redding
Because they don’t overwhelm a backyard in the way traditional pools can, plunges can be tucked into a corner of a property, leaving space for gardens. They range from a third to half the cost of a standard swimming pool and can convert to hot tubs at the end of summer for year-round use.
“The appeal is socialization,” observes Lindh. “With the heater on in cooler weather, you can get in there and wallow with friends all year round!”
For all the talk of wild meadows and explosions of color, Fairfield County is still home to some of the most exquisite examples of formal, classical architecture in New England, and on a grand scale. Landscape designers here are as attuned to gardens that reflect these places as they are to horticultural trends.
As such, reports of the demise of boxwood, prompted perhaps by a blight in recent years,
has been clearly exaggerated (with a nod to Hartford’s Mark Twain).
Sandy Lindh uses sharpened, finely crafted British pruning shears to handcut evergreen shrubs and trees towards a range of goals: screen properties from neighbors; frame gardens overflowing with flowers; maintain allees of hornbeam and linden trees; and shape boxwood into stunning topiary.
When well-maintained, borders and walls of these evergreens provide a sense of tradition and dignity befitting the grand mansions and estate homes that dot Fairfield County’s Gold Coast and backcountry. They work to marry the wild and the tamed, giving large properties a sense of enclosure and focus.
As with other landscape designers working the grounds of formal homes, Lindh favors boxwood-lined gardens close to the main entrances and around foundations.
“For big mansions in backcountry Greenwich, you might have topiary hedging leading the way
to the main entrance,” she says. “They don’t have to be boxwood—they can be hornbeam or linden trees–to lead the eye to a courtyard or fountain or formal garden in front.”
Behind stately homes like these, Lindh also creates topiary courtyards that can be more whimsical, with boxwood shaped into spirals, balls or animals.
And yet boxwood borders and boundaries also fit more contemporary abodes, too. For its clients in modern farmhouse-style houses, Putnam Landscape Associates, a design and high-end property maintenance firm in Weston, installs boxwoods to deliver clean lines and define uncluttered flower beds.
“It’s not necessarily an English garden effect,” says Grant Putnam, who cofounded the company while still in high school, “but more of a modern design with fewer elements than in the past.”
In many cases, that calls for tiers of boxwoods to add structure and accentuate the architecture of a contemporary house. “There’s nothing like boxwood to achieve those ends,” Putnam says. “It’s a timeless plant.”
Showcased within boxwood borders this spring are perennial cultivars that have been bred to bloom more than once a season and to maintain staying power. “The new cultivars of plants, like hydrangeas, are superior genetically to past versions,” says Putnam. “They’re real bloomers, rather than once-and-done, that rebloom later in the season.”
Other plants popular at Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouses in Greenwich this season include the European hornbeam (carpinus betulus), a short-trunk tree than can be planted close together and pruned like a hedge.
“Hornbeams’ sleek lines look great outside modern homes but they also work in English gardens and in traditional spaces,” says Maggie Bridge.
With a little luck and a stretch of good weather, the bulbs planted last fall are emerging from the warming earth and the new pollinator plants are sprouting light-green leaves. We’ve brought back out the patio furniture and stacked the firepit with seasoned or kiln-dried hardwood.
Listen! The opening act of the outdoor concert season, The Fabulous Spring Peepers, is warming up. Now, after a winter spent mainly indoors, let’s gather family and friends outside to take in all that nature has to offer.
“For big mansions in backcountry Greenwich, you might have topiary hedging leading the way to the main entrance. They don’t have to be boxwood—they can be hornbeams or linden trees—to lead the eye to a courtyard or fountain or formal garden in front.”
Sandy Lindh, English Gardens & Designs in Greenwich
Stamford High School and CT Grizzlies star lacrosse player Madison Sweeney saw her years of hard work pay off when Division One colleges came calling her junior year. The attacker officially signed with UCONN on November 8 and joined fellow SHS athletic recruits for a schoolwide recognition celebration in February.
“At first, I thought, ‘no way’ did I want to stay so close to home. But when they called me, I felt an immediate connection. On a visit, I was super
impressed. It felt like home to me. I got excited to rep Stamford and stay in Connecticut. I stopped looking at other schools and committed,” Sweeney says.
The future Husky is excited to play at the next level, and see where the sport she loves takes her. For now, though, the two-time team captain is looking forward to wrapping up her high school career with a strong senior season, hoping to kill it at both the FCIAC and State level. “I want to prove that we have the talent and skill to hang with the top programs.”
