Connecticut Summer 2016

Connecticut

Celebrating Fine Design, Architecture, and Building

Subtle Chic

Luxe yet livable homes welcome family and friends in carefree style.

SUMMER 2016

Display until October 17, 2016

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In This Issue

summer 2016 Volume 7, Issue 3

98

88

78

featured Homes

78

88

A fearless city couple moves to Westport and takes on the renovation of a circa-1832 home with both family and a nod to history in mind.

A thorough revamping that includes a new addition sends a 1950s New Canaan house into middle age with a fresh new outlook.

Farmhouse Chic

Text by Maria L aPiana Photography by John Gould Bessler Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent

Forever Young

Text by Megan Fulweiler Photography by Tria Giovan Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent

98

Weekends in the Country

A designer’s own Litchfield County getaway pays homage to its farming roots with a modern interpretation of the nineteenth-century homestead that once stood there.

Text by Dan Shaw Photography by Laura Moss Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent

Special Focus

108

Kitchens: Open for Business

Three kitchens go from miniature to magnificent, thanks to the talents of three Connecticut designers.

BY Paula M. Bodah

On the cover: Like the rest of designer Marisa Bistany Perkins’s home, the kitchen is a personalityfilled homage to the old farmhouse that once stood on the Litchfield County property.

Photograph by Laura Moss. To see more of this home, turn to page 98. summer 2016 New England Home Connecticut 11

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In This Issue

117 38 32 Art, Design, History, Landscape 16 | From the Editor 26 | Artistry: Personal Attention A prolific Woodbury artist creates soulful, purposeful, and mindful sculptures that seem otherworldly at first, but deeply familiar at last.

By Allegra Muzzillo

32 | In Our Backyard: Art for Architecture Ornament from Kent Bloomer’s New Haven studio makes buildings more beautiful. BY Debra Judge Silber

26

38 | Outside Interest: Where the Wild Things Are Two Connecticut landscape architects show that respecting nature yields gardens that are equal parts beautiful and environmentally friendly. Just ask the birds, bees, and butterflies.

Text by Megan Margulies

People, Places, Events, Products 117 | Perspectives Tableware for summer dining alfresco; Mike Alidadi of Apadana Fine Rugs on the art of maintaining high-quality carpets; designer Jill Kalman imagines a crisp, colorful guest room; three must-read new design books.

124 | Design Life Our candid camera snaps recent gatherings that celebrate architecture and design.

130 | Trade Notes New and noteworthy happenings in the Connecticut design business.

BY PAULA M. BODAH

132 | Calendar of Events

BY LYNDA SIMONTON

134 126

43 Special Marketing Section: Inspired Renovations

134 | New in the Showrooms Unique, beautiful, and now appearing in Connecticut shops and showrooms. BY LYNDA SIMONTON 138 | Resources A guide to the professionals and products featured in this issue.

140 | Advertiser Index 144 | Sketch Pad A Greenwich garden gazebo inspired by a brick pavilion at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.

12 New England Home Connecticut summer 2016

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From the Editor

And The Living Is Easy

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—Kyle Hoepner

Find more at

nehomemag.com + Our editors and a fascinating lineup of guest blog­gers share beautiful photography, design ideas, and advice every week on the New England Home Design Blog + The site also features ongoing content updates, where you’ll encounter house tours, interviews and commentary, before-and-after stories, and other special items for lovers of great home design + Sign up for our Design Discoveries editorial ­e-newsletter and get weekly updates on luxury home style, including the latest products, upcoming events and green ideas /////

For subscriptions call (800) 765-1225 or visit nehomemag.com See additional great content at:

Hornick/Rivlin Studio

es, George Gershwin’s inimitable song from Porgy and Bess is an obvious reference this time of year. But few would argue that DuBose Heyward’s lyrics didn’t capture something essential about the voluptuous lethargy of hot weather. And a certain lack of ambition when temperatures are up and leaves are lush on the trees is something we can all take the time to relish.

The thought of Connecticut in general tends to have pastoral overtones for me, and this season maximizes the mellow, rural aspects of the state, when its rolling green hills and shaded, fern-filled dells really come into their own.

Despite sternly Puritan origins and the early development of trade and industry, there’s something somehow gentlemanly or baronial about the feel of the place, compared with the more hardscrabble farms of northern New England. To my mind, at least, Connecticut is per-

haps the closest New England ever actually gets to the bucolic landscapes of old England.

In keeping with this relaxed theme, our three feature stories discuss older houses that have been updated in easygoing, not too formal or historicizing fashion. (In one case, actually, the construction is all new— but it essentially just recreates and expands on the home that was there before.) The owners and designers of these dwellings have, knowingly or not, conformed to an echt-Yankee sensibility, evoking the aura of properties that have comfortably served the needs of their inhabitants for generations, with all of the expanding, rebuilding, refitting, and gradual tailoring that that entails.

Easy summer, for us, also means that it can be a good time to highlight reader favorites, and kitchens are certainly a perennial favorite. Connecticut is blessed with an abundance of talent when it comes to the design of kitchens and baths, whether we’re talking about gifted professionals working in the context of a whole house or any of the fine firms that specialize particularly in those rooms. For our coverage here, we’ve focused on three quite different spaces fashioned by Connecticut designers for the use of clients with quite different requirements and styles of living—a particularly interesting exercise, since the basic equipment and purpose of the spaces are so similar, yet the fruits of the design process are so beautifully diverse.

In addition, we survey a selection of the newest, most stylish products and resources for dressing up your kitchens and baths (page 134), plus some finds to help you set a smart summer table (page 117). Perhaps, this summer, we can help make your living, cooking, and eating more chic and easy.

16 New England Home Connecticut Summer 2016

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Editor-in-Chief Kyle Hoepner khoepner@nehomemag.com Homes Editor Stacy Kunstel skunstel@nehomemag.com Senior Editor Paula M. Bodah pbodah@nehomemag.com Creative Director Robert Lesser rlesser@nehomemag.com Digital Content Director Lynda Simonton lsimonton@nehomemag.com Managing and Copy Editor Susan Kron skron@nehomemag.com Contributing Editors Cheryl and Jeffrey Katz candjkatz@nehomemag.com Karin Lidbeck Brent klidbeck@nehomemag.com Louis Postel lpostel@nehomemag.com

r o b e r t

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Robert Bruce Dean, AIA

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Contributing Writers Regina Cole, Caroline Cunningham, Megan Fulweiler, Lisa E. Harrison, Maria LaPiana, Charles Monagan, Allegra Muzzillo, Dan Shaw, Debra Judge Silber, Kris Wilton Contributing Photographers Robert Benson, John Gould Bessler, Bruce Buck, Tria Giovan, John Gruen, Laura Moss, Michael Partenio /////

Editorial Submissions Designers, architects, builders, and homeowners are invited to submit projects for editorial consideration. For information about submitting projects, e-mail ­edit@nehomemag.com.

Letters to the Editor We’d love to hear from you! Write to us at the above address, fax us at (617) 663-6377, or e-mail us at ­letters@ nehomemag.com.

Upcoming Events Are you planning an event that we can feature in our Calendar of Events? E-mail information to calendar@ nehomemag.com, or mail to Calendar Editor, New England Home, 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302, Boston, MA 02118.

Parties We welcome photographs from design- or architecture-related parties.

Send high-resolution photos with information about the party and the people pictured to lsimonton@nehomemag.com.

20 New England Home Connecticut Summer 2016

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INTERIOR

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Publisher Kathy Bush-Dutton kbushdutton@nehomemag.com Associate Publisher, New England Home Connecticut Roberta Thomas Mancuso rmancuso@nehomemag.com

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Executive Sales Manager Jill Korff jkorff@nehomemag.com Sales Managers Kim Sansoucy ksansoucy@nehomemag.com Robin Schubel rschubel@nehomemag.com David Simone dsimone@nehomemag.com Marketing Designer Jared Ainscough jainscough@nehomemag.com Production Manager Glenn Sadin gsadin@nehomemag.com Sales and Marketing Coordinator/Office Manager Tess Woods twoods@nehomemag.com /////

Subscriptions To subscribe to New England Home ($19.95 for one year) or for customer service, call (800) 765-1225 or visit our website, nehomemag.com.

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Advertising Information To receive information about advertising in New England Home, please contact us at (800) 609-5154, ext. 713, or info@nehomemag.com.

Editorial and Advertising Office 530 Harrison Ave., Suite 302 Boston, MA 02118 (617) 938-3991 (800) 609-5154 /////

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Soft Echoes, Contemplation Vessel #85 (2007), 13″H × 18″W, high-fired ceramic and celadon glaze; Song of the Falls, standing stone sculpture Water’s Scrin #5 (2009), 80″H, high-fired ceramic, steel base with crushed stone; Reveries Altar Contemplation Vessel (2008), 11″H × 17″W, silicon bronze.

ARTISTRY

Personal Attention A prolific Woodbury artist creates soulful, purposeful, and mindful sculptures that seem otherworldly at first, but deeply familiar at last. ///////////

A

nn Mallory can’t imagine a life without clay. There’s a photo of her, age eight, sitting under her family’s lemon tree making adobe-mud pies and enjoying every minute of it. “I really loved sticking my hands into that soft, squishy medium,” Mallory recalls. By high school, the Southern California native had developed a deep appreciation for clay’s finished form, too. At summer art class in a space that’s now the Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, she remembers running her hands over an exterior wall.

“I noticed the smoothness of the ceramic openwork tiling,” she says. “It evoked a real ­sensuousness.”

During that time, Mallory’s “personal sunrise” (a term she lovingly uses to describe an artistic awakening in her young life) came once she

was given access to a neighbor’s old kick wheel. She had been frustrated by the rigidity of hard clay. But as she practiced on the wheel, the clay became wetter, softer, more pliant. Since then, she has used only the softest clays— and has cultivated a huge, ever-evolving body of

ceramic sculpture that spans nearly forty years.

Mallory has worked under the tutelage of several of the ceramic art world’s heaviest hitters, including Susan Peterson at the University of Southern California in 1969, Marguerite and Frans Wildenhain after she graduated from Stanford in 1971, and Bruce and Phyllis Murray during a period when she lived in Vermont in the mid-1970s.

But it was a six-week intensive exchange program in Tokyo in 1980, where Mallory absorbed technique from masters of the Eastern style, that changed everything.

In fact, she had always been enamored with Asian artwork—her father, a codebreaker in World War II, collected woodblock prints and ivory carvings that had pride of place in Mallory’s

Rich Pomerantz (3)

By Allegra Muzzillo

26 New England Home Connecticut Summer 2016

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childhood home. “I liked the simplicity of Japanese forms and their glazes, too,” she says.

“Asian ceramics just make my heart sing a bit more than European forms.”

When observed as a whole, Mallory’s body of work exists on a timeless, otherworldly plane that’s both sensual in form and tactility and chaste in meaning and function. The unique forms seem vaguely familiar, too, and range from small, globular, hollowedout, wire-wrapped clay entities she calls Bundles to totem-like four- and five-foot vertical Standing Stones composed of separate cube-like shapes mounted on welded steel bases. Mallory blends all her own glazes, composed of a measured

mix of silica (which determines the sheen of each piece) and naturally occurring oxides (for pigment), and often uses sifted fireplace ash for added texture and color, begetting yet another “very Asian sensibility,” she says.

Her Contemplation Vessels, for example, are sculptural, boulder-like objects whose tops hold shallow indentations and openings for water to trickle into and sit.

They look ancient, as though they’ve been carved by eons’ worth of running streams.

Here, the artist uses both Eastern throwing traditions (which favor hand work and wooden tools) and European techniques (employing metal ribbing and tools for a tighter, more compressed result) to create shape inside her forms.

Mallory makes use of other materials, as well. When clients worried the vessels weren’t durable enough to live outdoors, she began casting the containers in bronze via lost-wax technique. She

Rich Pomerantz (6)

Artistry

28 New England Home Connecticut Summer 2016

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BELOW: The artist in 2013 in her studio. FACING PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Casings #19

(2004), 35½″H × 17″ W, high-fired ceramic; Casing #7 (2002), 19½″H × 6½″ W, ceramic; Memory Stone #4 (2014), 46½″H, high-fired ceramic; Bundle #279 (2013), 9½″H × 5″ W, high-fired porcelain and aged copper wire; Patient Rhythms, standing stone sculpture Water’s Scrin #1 (2007), 78″H, high-fired ceramic, steel base with crushed stone; Contemplation Vessel #58 (2005), 6½″H × 19½″W, ceramic.

also uses unexpected, everyday materials like crumpled newspapers inside paper bags and upholstery foam remnants onto which she hand-applies rolled-out slabs of clay to help her asymmetrical Standing Stones stand and her breathy, comforting, cocoon-like Casings rise and take shape.

In her studio, a space she calls her “personal temple,” Mallory’s process flourishes. The vast, high-ceilinged room closely resembles a state-of-the-art gallery or museum, down to its white-plaster walls, strategically placed banks of windows, and LED track lights. This is where Mallory begins with the seed of an idea, and then sketches two-dimensional penciland-paper drawings and small, threedimensional studies in clay. Her current work includes Contemplation Vessels that take on more angular, rugged, less refined forms, as well as a new series of freestanding vertical sculptures of tile and iron.

These works will undoubtedly jibe with her past and future ones, as each piece seems to share a murmuring, age-old dialogue. “I always knew I could grow old doing this and still wouldn’t do it all,” Mallory says. “I’m still learning every time I open a kiln—and I like that very much.” •

portrait by Bryan Kenney

editor’s note: Ann Mallory is represented in ­ onnecticut by Argazzi Art, Lakeville, (860) 435C 8222, argazziart.com. To see more of her work, visit a­ nnmallory.com.

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LEFT AND BOTTOM: Made of hand-cast silicon bronze, the stringer of this residential staircase features jumbled shapes that reference marine life surrounding its Guilford location. Similar curves on the pierced risers form overlapping arcs that recall the geometric ornament of architect Louis Sullivan. BELOW: Two icons of the West—the Pony Express and the sandhill crane—are epitomized in Bloomer’s design for Nebraska’s Great Platte River Road Archway Monument.

in our backyard

Art for Architecture Ornament from Kent Bloomer’s New Haven studio makes buildings more beautiful. ///////////

T

ucked inside a brick factory complex in New Haven, Kent Bloomer’s studio exhibits the mix of casual disarray and studious intensity typical of a college art workshop. Scattered about the lofty space are metal stools and waste bins, hand tools, power cords, bottles of glue, and scraps of wood. Models of current projects, rendered in chipboard, wood, and clay, rest on sturdy tables, each an iteration toward the goal of making ordinary architecture extraordinary.

“We do hand sketches and build models for everything,” explains Bloomer, who oversees the eponymous studio dedicated

to architectural ornament. “It’s a process of discovery, and it can take time.”

It also leaves behind in the workshop a landscape of past projects: a prototype of a capital for a tennis facility blooms from a ceiling support; a delicate web of lattice clings to a wall. The full-size realizations of these models, reproduced in stone, aluminum, bronze, or steel, dot the country, where they make the experience of walking into libraries, schools, or homes an artistic encounter.

The studio’s award-winning installations include a leafy trellis that scales a wall at Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C., seven massive

sculptures adorning the roof of Chicago’s Howard Washington Library, and a magnificent set of aluminum stallions leaping through feathered wings atop the Great Platte River Road Archway near Kearney, Nebraska. Not all of the studio’s work is large-scale, however—New Haven in particular is the beneficiary of a number of smaller projects that include graceful lampposts illuminating the Yale University campus, and leafy archways and intricate gates at city schools. On a still smaller scale, the studio’s private commissions include a painted mahogany lattice that adorns the side of a pavilion on a Long Island estate, and a staircase in a Guilford

Clockwise from top left: David Lamb; Courtesy of Kent Bloomer studio (2)

By Debra Judge Silber

32 New England Home Connecticut summer 2016

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home encrusted with bronze forms patterned after marine life in the nearby salt marsh.

Large and small, the studio’s work recalls a time when a molded cornice or embellished frieze was as much a part of architecture as windows and doors. It reflects Bloomer’s personal response to the bland modernism that became the rule in the 1950s, when he capped a degree in physics with another in architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (he went on to study sculpture at Yale, where he now teaches). He tells of a professor who displayed a photograph of Louis Sullivan’s 1899 Carson, Pirie, Scott Building in Chicago, then instructed students to ignore the building’s elaborate ironwork to focus on “what’s really important”— the unadorned structure above. Bloomer could not. “The ornament is what brings everything together,” he says. “It can be part of a building, just as a building can be part of a city.” Ornament’s ability to link

structures to the larger world, Bloomer says, “was an epiphany for me.”

This contextual aspect separates what Bloomer defines as ornament from what others might dismiss as decoration.

Ornament, he explains, ties a structure to the world around it. Decoration, like the word decorum, is rooted in symbols of taste and social propriety. It may seem an academic distinction, but it matters to Bloomer, whose experience designing

ornament is surpassed only by his years studying, writing, and teaching about it.

In Bloomer’s designs, that natural context frequently takes the shape of leaves—or abstractions of leaves. Birds are common in Bloomer’s work as well, as in the seagull shapes that resolve, Escher-like, across a trellis he designed for a New Haven middle school. But not all of the studio’s references to nature are so easily read. It’s unlikely a casual stroller passing

From left: Allen Lott; Courtesy of Kent Bloomer studio (4)

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FACING PAGE: The natural forms that dominate the

studio’s work are exemplified in the leafy trees designed for a Long Island estate (left) and the “Avian Trellis” (right) created for New Haven’s Fair Haven Middle School. ABOVE: The studio’s work encompasses major projects, such as terminal ornamentation at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. (left), as well as smaller installations, such as pathway lighting at Yale University (right). LEFT: Bloomer at work on a model.

the gate at Yale’s Chemistry Research building would recognize the cubic lattice, tetrahedrons, and cast-bronze peptides

that spell out Yale and Chem in molecular language worked into the design.

Bloomer starts the design process with hand sketches, then collaborates with William Jelley, a fabricator and sculptor, and Ioana Barac, a visual designer and architect, to resolve the details of each

project using the three-dimensional models. Once final prototypes are complete, the design is reproduced in metal or stone by a select group of fabricators, welders, and foundries, most of them in Connecticut.

While the studio’s large public projects take years to develop and carry price tags of more than $1 million, Bloomer will consider residential projects in the $25,000 to $30,000 range. “The difference between large public projects and those for the home are largely matters of scale,” he says.

Bloomer wants to make all of the buildings we inhabit more beautiful. “Strippeddown design has enjoyed the last fiftyplus years,” he says. “There is a deep sense of loss today in the cultural and visual quality of the built environment.”

It’s something his studio is working to change, one leaf at a time. • Kent Bloomer Studio

New Haven (203) 562-7559 bloomerstudio.com

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Coldwell Banker Previews international

GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT Shingle & Stone home with magnificent Christopher Peacock kitchen & baths, heated onyx/marble floors, antique barn beams. Fabulous game rooms plus pool, court & gazebos. $9,750,000

RYE, NEW YORK Endless waterfront luxury in a spectacular 15 room estate with pool on magnificent Milton Point overlooking idyllic harbor. Close to schools, private clubs and marina. $8,250,000

WESTON, CONNECTICUT Masterful re-interpretation of timeless Victorian architecture by Dinyar Wadia w/ fourteen rooms, geothermal/solar energy. Twenty-two acres w/barn, 55’ pool & cottage. $7,595,000

Tamar Lurie, Sales Associate C. 203.536.6953

Michele C. Flood, Associate Real Estate Broker C. 914.420.6468 | O. 914.967.0059

David Weber, KMS Partners, Sales Associate C. 203.451.7888

SCARSDALE, NEW YORK Magnificent Greenacres Estate home. Pretty views of George Field Park. Premium finishes. Timeless scale of rooms including legal finished basement plus carriage house. $5,800,000

SCARSDALE, NEW YORK Grand, elegant Murray Hill home with striking fireplaces, stained glass, tiger oak paneling; meticulously updated. Beautiful property has pool, spa, outdoor kitchen & cabana. $4,900,000

GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT Sweeping stone walls, a pond, & nearly an acre of grounds set the scene for this renovated in-town energy efficient home with grand rooms, stunning kitchen & 5 bedrooms. $2,875,000

Kathy Coleman, Associate Real Estate Broker C. 914.953.7562 | O. 914.723.3340

Carolyn Kay, Real Estate Salesperson C. 914.522.3705 | O. 914.723.3340

Cynthia DeRiemer, Sales Associate C. 203.918.1523

DANBURY, CONNECTICUT Architecturally designed waterfront home. Incredible panoramic lake views, stone patios, 2 boat dock and cabana. Open floor plan & custom mill work. 70 miles from NYC. $2,649,900

SCARSDALE, NEW YORK Classic Stone & Shingle Colonial in Quaker Ridge.

Thirteen rooms, media, gym, playroom, six bedrooms on beautiful, expansive, manicured yard w/ pool/spa & mature trees. $2,495,000

GUILFORD, CONNECTICUT Waterview Contemporary, set on 6.64 private acres, open floor plan, 11 rooms, 5 bedrooms. 3rd level office with private deck. Pool, hot tub, art studio.

Easy train, 75 mi to NYC. $1,997,000

Beverly Fairchild, Associate Broker C. 203.948.6786

Ilana Nowick, Real Estate Salesperson C. 914.841.8073 | O. 914.967.0059

Joe Piscitelli, Sales Associate C. 203.982.3511

COLDWELLBANKERHOMES.COM Africa North America Central America South America Asia Australia Caribbean Europe Middle East South Pacific ©2016 Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Previews International, the Coldwell Banker Previews International logo and “Dedicated to Luxury Real Estate” are registered and unregistered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 87398 5/16

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DEROSA B U I L D E R S Greenwich, CT 06830 | (203) 769-1804

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outside interest

Where the Wild Things Are Two Connecticut landscape architects show that respecting nature yields gardens that are equal parts beautiful and environmentally friendly.

Just ask the birds, bees, and butterflies. ///////////

T

he classic dream of homeownership usually includes a perfect lawn. But perfection is in the eye of the beholder, and for some people, the traditional swath of ­velvety, weed-free, green grass isn’t quite it. Landscape architects Geoffrey Middeleer, of Middeleer Land Design in Bethel, and Katherine Kamen, of Huelster Design Studio in Westport, count themselves among those who believe there’s much beauty to be found in letting nature go a little wild.

The manicured lawn, these pros say, can come with hefty environmental downfalls, including using lots of water to keep grass green, and spreading herbicides, fertilizers, and pesticides to keep dandelions, clover, and other so-called imperfections at bay.

“Most of those products are petroleum-based,” says Middleer, noting that summer showers can send chemicals into the waterways, causing algae blooms that take oxygen out of the water and kill fish.

Above: For clients in Wilton, Geoffrey Middeleer

transformed an adjoining lot into a scenic natural meadow, complete with a viewing pavilion by FaesySmith Architects. Right: Native plantings in a “rain garden” by Katherine Kamen of Huelster Design Studio include Joe Pye weed, iris, goldenrod, switchgrass, and white hibiscus.

“For me,” he says, “a lawn is much more interesting when it has violets, dandelions, and clover.”

Kamen believes that changing homeowners’ attitudes about large, green

lawns is the challenge. “The quest for the perfect lawn—green, weedless, and insect-free—should no longer be a status symbol,” she says.

For clients in Wilton who had purchased the empty lot next to their home, Middeleer suggested transforming the new space into a meadow. A variety of colorful wildflowers provide almost year-round beauty, and the fact that the meadow doesn’t need mowing or watering means the environment benefits, too. The meadow makes a wild contrast to the tidier, more traditional parts of the homeowners’ land. “It was about creating an area of the property that was more natural and less manicured,” says M ­ iddeleer.

Around the edge of the property, Middeleer left a few of the original boulders, and

Top: Courtesy of Middeleer Land Design; Bottom: Courtesy of Huelster Design Studio

By Megan Margulies

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Space is the breath of art.

-Frank Lloyd Wright

212 840 0004 203 966 6696 MasteraArchitects.com

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outside interest

through the plant and can make pollen or nectar lethal,” Kamen says.

One property Kamen designed in Westport borders remnant woodlands and tidal stream wetlands. In an effort to work with the local ecology and offer a myriad of species diversity and beauty, Kamen chose a majority of native plants. Her design included an oak tree for its ability to support moths and butterflies, and goldenrod to attract beneficial insects such as bees.

At another Westport home, the existing gardens held a number of non-native plantings, including some ornamental grasses the homeowners wanted to keep. provided a screen from neighbors with eastern hemlocks, birches, and bayberry.

“We also built a little walkway that allows you to enjoy the plantings, but doesn’t distract from the minimalism of the landscape,” he says.

Using a wide variety of plants native to New England creates a healthier environment for local insects and animals.

Native plants stand a better chance of staying hardy without pesticides than do non-native species. “Many pesticides are non-specific and kill all insects; others, like systemic pesticides, work their way

Left, Top and bottom: Courtesy of Middeleer Land Design (2); Other Photos: Courtesy of Huelster Design Studio (4)

top and bottom left: Original boulders subtly enhanced by native plantings make an understated transition from lawn to woods for one Middeleer Land Design client in New Canaan. On the same property, a gravel drive and parking area provide textural contrast to modern structures by the late Alan Goldberg.

Center left: For this garden, Katherine Kamen mixed native and non-native species to beautifully wild effect. Right: Some of the creatures that will flock to such eco-friendly landscapes include (top to bottom) the giant swallowtail, honey bees, and monarch butterfly caterpillars.

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editor’s note: For information about these professionals, see page 138.

“Goats”, cast bronze and welded-fabricated copper

“Goat & Kids,” cast bronze and welded-fabricated copper n

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DiTarando sculptor 860 871 7635 www.ditarando.com

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“Goats”, cast bronze andwelded welded-fabricated copper “Rooster”, weathervane, fabricated copper

We all love looking at and listening to birds, but one of Kamen’s clients also wanted to create a refuge for little mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Because the property is located in a mostly dry, open landscape, Kamen created three “rain gardens” to catch and hold site runoff, making the gardens more welcoming to wildlife. Beautiful plantings, like native viburnum, with its crisp, white petals, make the people as happy as the butterflies the plants attract.

Designing a landscape plan that makes the most of rainwater is a smart idea, Middeleer concurs. For a New Canaan home, he eschewed an asphalt driveway, creating a paved gravel drive instead. The permeable surface lets water get absorbed back into the soil, and has the added benefit of adding attractive texture as a foil to the home’s sleek architecture.

By considering the surrounding architecture along with the ecological impact—whether by using native plantings, making use of original boulders, or allowing the dandelions and clover to peek through the blades of grass—Middeleer’s and Kamen’s designs enhance the homes they surround, while treading lightly on the land. •

ANIMAL ART

“Goat,” cast bronze welded-fabricated copper “Goats”, castand bronze and welded-fabricated copper

Kamen left some of her clients’ favorites plants, then interwove native species to give birds and insects a reason to visit. “You don’t have to have all native plants,” she says, “but if you add native species you add to the diversity.”

“Herons,” welded-fabricated copper

Kamen left some of her clients’ favorites, then interwove native species to give birds and insects a reason to visit. “You don’t have to have all native plants,” she says, “but if you add native species you add to the diversity.” Tufted hairgrass, prairie dropseed, switchgrass, and other indigenous grasses, along with colorful perennials including black-eyed Susans, asters, and Echinacea (purple coneflower) increased the biodiversity. “There was one insect that hadn’t been there before that showed up as soon as we added the native plants,” Kamen says. “That’s one of the things that made this job site exciting.”

GARDEN ELEMENTS

GARDEN ELEMENTS GARDEN ELEMENTS

DiTarando DiTarando DiTarando sculptor 860 871 7635

sculptor 871 7635 www.860 ditarando .com www.ditarando .com sculptor 860 871 7635 www.ditarando.com

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Douglas VanderHorn Architects

Builder of Extraordinary Custom Homes

SIGNIFICANT HOMES LLC

203.966.5700 | www.significanthomesllc.com Winner of 12 HOBI awards in the last 3 years.

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The Challenge:

The Elements:

The Goal:

Create a garden room that can be enjoyed by residents as well as passersby in a picturesque shoreline community. The primary outdoor space is located in the front yard of a corner lot with heavy pedestrian traffic.

A stepping stone path meanders through the four-season garden, connecting the street and adjacent dock with the front porch. A sitting area beneath the shade of mature maples provides views of both the gardens and the waterfront.

An ever-changing palette of plants provides seasonal interest, with floral displays in pastel hues from early April until midNovember. Spring begins with a blend of tulips, drifts of roses and hydrangea fill the summer months, and evergreen shrubs provide winter interest.

a u st i n G an i m an d E va C h i amu l era

Austin Ganim Landscape Design, LLC (203) 333-2003 austinganimlandscapedesign.com

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The Starting Point:

The Challenge:

The Elements:

Interior designer Elisa Billings’s clients purchased a New Haven home built in 1912 that needed a complete renovation to match the young family’s lifestyle.

Wanting a timeless kitchen with a purposeful and efficient design, Elisa partnered with Kyong Agapiou of Bender to create the layout and supply the plumbing and cabinetry.

Kyong’s design included closing the fireplace to create space for hidden spice racks and the range. She opened the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, providing functional counter space and additional seating, as well as space for a dual wine and beverage cooler and a bar sink. For additional cabinetry near the window, Kyong reduced the depth of the wall cabinet, allowing storage to run the length of the wall.

Wanting a bold focal point, the client imported a French Lacanche Cluny range in Griotte with brass trim. This piece complements the stone enamel finish of the Plain and Fancy cabinetry and the unlacquered brass on the Barber Wilsons kitchen and bar faucets provided by Bender. The warm white backsplash and classic honed Carrara marble countertops set a clean and bright tone for this sophisticated, yet fun, transitional kitchen.

Ky ong A gapio u , A S ID , C KD , C A P S

335 East Street New Haven, CT 06511 (203) 787-4288 bendershowrooms.com

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Photo credit: Jim Fiora Stylist: Elisa Billings Architect: Anthony Law Builder: John F. Murphy Construction Co.

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The Backstory:

The Elements:

The Results:

The owners of this lovely Westbrook oceanfront vacation home were among the many residents left with badly damaged properties in the wake of Hurricane Irene.

Having invested 25 years in their home, the owners decided to restore and preserve this important family gathering place for generations to come.

Connecticut Stone advised the homeowners to replace the existing damaged wood siding with ThinStone™, a natural stone veneer. ThinStone™ preserves the home and offers durable protection from future storms. Because it is lightweight, it can be applied to the existing structure.

Connecticut Stone also installed a patio and outdoor kitchen with matching ThinStone™, providing a space for the family to entertain and celebrate together.

Connecticut Stone made this house feel like a home again. The elegant stone veneer gives the home a beautiful look and provides peace of mind, because it will stand up to the harsh outdoor elements of ever-changing New England weather for years to come.

Ty ra D e l l a croce

Connecticut Stone Supplies 138 Woodmont Road Milford, CT 06460 (203) 882-1000 connecticutstone.com

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The Goal: A Greenwich homeowner charged Davenport Contracting and the design team of Lydia Marks and Lisa Frantz, of Marks & Frantz, to update a classic colonial. Marks & Frantz is best known for designing the sets of the Sex and the City movie and sequel. Davenport built “the set” that Marks & Frantz infused with their trademark highvoltage glamour paired with family-friendly functionality.

The Result: We achieved a seamless flow downstairs by raising the sunken family room to the same level as the adjoining kitchen and living room. We reconfigured the mudroom and outfitted it with new cabinetry. By removing an outdated bar, we made room for a new, larger kitchen space with better access to the dining room. The open kitchen design has new cabinetry, fittings, appliances, and lighting, plus marble tops that make for a splendid cooking and gathering area for family and friends.

Upstairs, new life was breathed into individual rooms. The master bath became a soothing, contemporary retreat. Bedrooms took on new vitality. A contemporary family moved into a home that reflects their taste and lifestyle.

Davenport Contracting, Inc. 78 Harvard Avenue Stamford, CT 06902 (203) 324-6308 davenportcontracting.com

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The Goal:

The Design:

The Elements:

To complement the original early-1800s colonial home, the client requested that we reconfigure a large antique barn to accommodate their expanding entertaining needs.

The impressive expanse of the barn’s interior allowed for a great room, whose open plan provides ample space for sitting and dining areas. A massive stone fireplace anchors the space along with large arch-top windows on either side.

The opposite end of the great room opens onto the kitchen and custom-designed wet bar; a balcony above the kitchen houses a sleeping loft for guests.

Douglas Vanderhorn

31 East Elm Street Greenwich, CT 06830 (203) 622-7000 vanderhornarchitects.com

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The Garage (this page): The clients had added to their home over the years but still needed a garage and an attractive arrival space. The challenge was to add these elements without overwhelming the farmhouse scale of the existing residence. We connected a stable-inspired three-car garage to the house with a breezeway, keeping the rooflines as low as possible to respect the scale of the property and to provide a unified edge to the new gravel and granite arrival courtyard.

S i lv i a F. E rs ki n e A I A , A SL A

The Family Room (facing page top):

The Pergola (facing page bottom):

The client wanted a new family room and an in-law space. The challenge was to add these elements in a manner that respected the integrity and scale of the existing residence. We connected the addition to the original house at the kitchen with a breezeway that also serves as a secondary in-law entrance. The position of the new family room functions well in the flow of both interior and exterior spaces.

The challenge was to open up the outdoor spaces for entertaining and family activities. We repositioned the garage closer to the street and connected it to the house with a breezeway. We sculpted the landscape into a series of garden terraces, incorporating a pool and pool house. A long pergola provides a pedestrian entrance from the driveway and shields the garden spaces from the street.

Erskine Associates LLC PO Box 998, Georgetown, CT 06829-0998 (203) 762-9017 erskineassoc.com

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The Goal:

The Challenge:

The Design Summary:

Create a swimming pool that is chemical free and organic. It is critical that it match the natural habitat, that it have a low carbon footprint, and that it be a viable and sustainable alternative to a traditional swimming pool.

The project challenge was to convert a derelict man-made pond with a natural swimming pool on an estate off Taunton Hill, Connecticut. BioNova® Natural pools filter water through the use of plants rather than chemicals, creating clean water.

The technology has been used in Europe for decades, but the idea has only just started to catch on here in the U.S. Freddy’s Landscape, in conjunction with Artemis Landscape Architects, performed research on design/construction for this pool.

The final design was a rectangular pool with a “beach entry,” a gently gliding slope that falls to more than nine feet at the deepest section of the pool. At the far end is the regeneration zone, which filters out the impurities from the water the way nature intended. The family has nicknamed the pool “Lily Pond.”

F re d d y M iraballes

Freddy’s Landscape BioNova® Natural Swimming Pools 40 Belmont Street Fairfield, CT 06824 (203) 855-7854 freddyslandscape.com

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Downsize:

What Size?

Perfect Size:

Downsize without sacrifice. One of the latest challenges these days is families downsizing from a larger home to a much smaller space, often closer to the town center. How to create adequate work, storage, and entertaining areas? This kitchen shows a successful strategy for creating a functional and enticing kitchen to replace a much larger one in a previous home.

This design incorporates two islands, which do double duty for entertaining as well as prep space for cooking. A stunning pantry with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors of back-painted glass are a visual design statement and conceal enormous storage space. Another element that does triple duty is the breakfast/coffee/wet bar that is out of the main work zone. With a second sink, under-counter beverage refrigerator, and space for the coffee maker and toaster, this creates a fourth work area in this highly functional kitchen.

Innovative design with more efficiency, accessibility, and versatility are keys in this new day and age. Open to the family room and dining area, the kitchen is the literal heart of the home. Nothing has been sacrificed and, in fact, the function, style, and efficiency are greatly improved from the owners’ previous larger house.

Come and see how we can “put you in the Front Row too!”

M ATT G I A R D I NA

Front Row Kitchens, Inc. 117 New Canaan Avenue Norwalk, CT 06850 (203) 849-0302 frontrowkitchens.com

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The Challenge (this page):

The Goal (facing page):

Create a showcase wine cellar in a leak prone space under an exterior terrace and porch. Significant technical challenges were overcome to provide a clean, dry, and conditioned space for the wine collection. Mechanical elements were hidden behind a stone-clad hidden door giving the room a seamless appearance.

An inspired client and Maurice Clarke Builders, Inc. provided the collaboration to make this project a success.

Transform a tired, poorly built, ranch house with views of Long Island Sound into a bright, contemporary residence great for entertaining. The strategy included a wall of glass in the living room and a new ceiling open to the rafters. A pyramidal skylight opening deep inside punctuates the kitchen as the center of activity. Partitioned spaces were opened, creating better flow and the feeling of larger space. A new entrance portico, along with new windows, siding, trim, and simplified roof lines completes the transformation.

HUELSTER DESIGN STUDIO

Ke v i n Hu elster

Huelster Design Studio, LLC 38 Compo Rd. N. Westport, CT 06880 (203) 227-5334 huelsterdesign.com

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The Goal:

The Challenge:

The goal for this client was to take the kitchen (which the prior homeowner had renovated) and make it modern and cohesive in style without removing all the existing cabinetry.

The prior owner must have renovated in stages, so the resulting kitchen looked pieced together. The island was dark and overbearing to the space, and none of the cabinets around the perimeter matched in color, style, or hardware.

j a n hi lt z

21 Bridge Square Westport, CT 06880 (203) 331-5578 janhiltzinteriorsllc.com

The Design Summary (facing page): We gave the outdated kitchen a facelift by painting all the cabinets a uniform color.

We chose hardware that was more contemporary, added a new backsplash, and replaced the center island to coordinate with the existing cabinets. The result is the look of an entirely new kitchen without the cost or disruption of gutting the old one.

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Key Challenges (this page):

The Goal (facing page, top):

Key Challenges (facing page, bottom):

Design a home that is bright and airy, casual and open, but energy efficient.

Integrate one Visit spouse’s us atrequirement for a strong traditional and the other the Lillianhouse August spouse’s requirement for a Builder/Architectmodern flair!

Evaluate all possible solutions to the Showcase, challenges inApril terms27-29 of sustainable design, respecting the wetlands and the topography, and using materials that are or can be reclaimed.

The clients wanted to keep the charm and scale of this classic 1940s house that had been added on to multiple times. The new design includes a master suite, home office, three-car garage, mudroom, screened porch, and family room. Updating and adding on to this classic allowed the new design to keep the scale and proportions of the original house, while staying within a budget and on schedule.

Constrained by the placement of the original house as well as the surrounding wetlands, we chose to keep just the foundation, and cantilever the new space.

There is a fast-moving river that runs along the base of the hill that the house sits on.

Cantilevering the spaces into the trees gives the effect of living in a tree house. As you walk to the “edge” at the rear of the house, you overlook the river.

JMKA

17 Kings Highway North Westport, CT 06880 203.222.1222

architects

60 Main Street Westport, CT 06880 www.jmkarchitects.com •

(203) 222-1222 • jmkarchitects.com A-List Finalist HOBI Award Winner 3 time Innovation and Design Award

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North Street Greenwich, CT 06830 203.698.8888

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The Goal: Install a picturesque cedar roof that would weather the elements for many years while adding warmth and character to the home.

The design needed to complement both the home’s architecture and the property’s stunning setting.

The Challenge: There is more to roofing than many people realize. When selecting contractors, homeowners often go to the lowest bidder in order to save money.

In a competitive environment, there are many companies that are willing to cut corners in order to get the business.

Sadly, due to poor installation, this ends up costing homeowners more money in the long run when roof repairs are required. Landmark Exteriors holds itself to a higher standard and will not compromise workmanship for cost. It has established a company protocol that prevents premature roof failures.

The Advantages: At Landmark Exteriors we pride ourselves on building the best or nothing. We use only skilled labor and quality materials, carefully considering which shingles and nails should be used for each installation.

Each roof is custom planned, taking into account key technical and design applications. This ensures that roofs are long-lasting and durable against the elements.

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I N S P I R E D:

Landmark Exteriors Inc. 18 Sheehan Ave. Norwalk, CT 06854 (203) 838-3838 landmarkexteriors.com

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The Goal (facing page): The goal of the original 1950s garrisonstyle colonial was to maintain the footprint of the original house but reimagine the overall style and design. By designing and creating an addition on the front of the home and adding on to the second floor, the architect was able to transform the outdated house to a Federal-style home that is both sophisticated and classical.

The Goal (this page):

The Must-Haves (facing page): The family of six was looking to transform their dated and undersized house to a fivebedroom house to meet the needs of their busy family.

The goal of this residence was to completely modernize a dilapidated structure that faced the ocean in the front and the country club golf course in the back.

While maintaining the original character of the house, the architect expanded and reconfigured the second story to create bedrooms with balconies that overlook the ocean and provide an inviting atmosphere for the family’s summer vacation.

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27 Pine Street, Suite 500 New Canaan, CT 06840 (203) 296-4669 mrdarchitect.com

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The Goal:

The Challenge:

The Summary:

The goal of the project was to create a large new addition to a historic 1900s Georgian colonial. The owners wanted to maintain and restore the proportions and feel of the original house while adding significant modern amenities for a family of five, such as a large family room, kitchen, master suite, and two-car garage.

The major challenge was the location of the original house on the lot as well as the steep sloping grade from the front to the back of the house. This created challenges in terms of where to add onto the house while being sensitive to the original structure, and how the house and addition would ultimately connect to the exterior yard and patios. Tight zoning restrictions on height and coverage were also a major factor.

The project involved carefully restoring and renovating the exterior of the original house while updating the interior with modern conveniences and design. A large living room, master bedroom, and garage addition was created in a way that showcases and respects the original house.

The addition was dropped below the first floor of the house and the rear yard raised to allow for a greater connection between new living space and the yard.

Michael Smith Architects 41 North Main Street Suite 101 Norwalk, CT 06854 (203) 563-0553 michaelsmitharchitects.com

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The Starting Point: The wish list: a list of dreams.

The Goal: The word “renovate” means to restore to life, vigor, and activity. To renovate a home is to bring it a new life filled with beauty, warmth, activity, function, and love.

The Challenge: The key to renovating is to add to or remodel an existing home by keeping what is best and removing what does not work.

The goal is to make the final project seem as though it has always been there.

The Design Summary: The job—and the joy—is to fulfill the clients’ wishes beyond their dreams, by creating unimagined spaces while designing within the confines of the existing home.

Patr i c i a m . m i l ler

Patricia M. Miller Residential Design LLC. 318 Good Hill Road Weston, CT 06883 (203) 227-7333 pmmarch.com

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The Goal (this page):

The Goal (facing page top):

The Goal (facing page bottom):

The young couple who inherited a traditional Cape Cod–style house wanted a modern floor plan that took advantage of the beach views.

Cardello delivered by incorporating large expanses of glass to let the landscape in.

This Greenwich waterfront project won the 2013 A-List Award for “Historical Home Renovation.” Originally built in 1898, the house deserved a historically correct restoration, so Cardello’s team reused original millwork, then hand-built new millwork to match. Cardello appreciated the opportunity to build and expand on the strengths of the house.

The nondescript colonial was transformed into an eye-catching home while providing the client a new master suite and an enlarged kitchen/family room that practically shouts “comfortable living.”

Attention to architectural detail gave the new facade the curb appeal the family was looking to achieve.

Robert a . C ar d ello

Robert A. Cardello Architects 97 Washington Street South Norwalk, CT 06854 (203) 853-2524 cardelloarchitects.com

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The Goal:

The Must-Haves:

The Elements:

To create a home that fits within the quaint village of Southport. In a town with traditionally historic homes, it was important that the house blend seamlessly into its neighborhood. Building a Greek Revival farmhouse proved to be the perfect solution.

Great flow makes this 5,500-plus-squarefoot home feel cozy and comfortable.

This house easily transitions from everyday living to a more formal space. It’s family friendly and elegant at the same time.

Lots of light, a thoughtfully chosen color palette, hand-picked lighting for each room, several species of new and reclaimed wood, plus added touches like an additional first-floor master suite, a gym, a theater, and a playroom.

Southport, Connecticut (203) 256-8335 southportconstruction.com

F r a n k F esti n i

TotalCare of Wilton & New Canaan (203) 210-7080 tcwilton.com

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A fearless city couple moves to Westport and takes on the renovation of a circa-1832 home with both family and a nod to history in mind.

Farmhouse Chic Text by Maria LaPiana Photography by John Gould Bessler Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent 78  New England Home Connecticut  Summer 2016

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The homeowners were living in Brooklyn, New York, and had never heard of Westport until they started looking for a home for their growing family. They were sold after one look at this iconic farmhouse on lovingly tended, parklike grounds.

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE:

The property offered the whole country package, including the farmhouse with its classic colonial facade, a reclaimed barn with a breezeway attachment, a striking fountain at the center of the backyard patio, and a cozy deck off the breakfast area (the new owners added the pergola).

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ABOVE: New windows with transoms let the sun

wash the living room, and wide-plank white oak floors were laid throughout the house in a renovation that honors the original but has a fresh feel. RIGHT: A hand-painted chest custom made in Thailand serves as a bar.

The path from Brooklyn, New York, to Westport is more direct than you might think—at least it was for Keith and Jennifer Sun Driscoll.

Project Team

Ann Sellars Lathrop, Sellars Lathrop Architects Sara Jordan builder: Bill Towle, Signature Home Remodeling Architecture:

Interior design:

Three years ago, the parents of two little girls (with a baby on the way) were living peaceably in a historic Brooklyn neighborhood, in a charming brownstone they’d renovated themselves, when they decided they needed more space. That, and the prospect of paying private-school tuition for three kids, says Jennifer, sent them packing.

They house-hunted in New Jersey, Westchester, and Long Island, but weren’t thinking about Connecticut. “It just seemed so far away, and we didn’t know anyone who lived there,” says Jennifer. They’d never even heard of Westport until a colleague invited them to visit. “We were blown away by their home,” Jennifer remembers, but more than that,

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she and Keith found the Westport landscape, the beaches, and the community positively disarming.

The move was something of a blur. Within ten days they had put the Brooklyn house on the market, signing the contract the same day that they brought their baby boy home from the hospital. They spent one marathon day looking at properties, then came upon a farmhouse in the historic Greens Farms neighborhood of Westport, and fell in love—even though they both knew it needed work.

Two things sealed the deal: the outstanding barn addition the previous owners had found in Vermont, dismantled, and reconstructed on the site, and the yard, nurtured for thirty-three years by the master gardener who had lived there. Upon seeing the yard for the first time, the Driscolls’ older daughter asked, “Is this a park?”

The couple called in a trio of professionals to help them bring into being the family home they imagined: architect Ann Sellars Lathrop, builder Bill Towle Summer 2016 New England Home Connecticut 83

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of Signature Home Remodeling, and interior designer Sara Jordan.

The historic home, built circa 1832, was appealing in many ways—and within commuting distance to New York City, where Jennifer works in finance— but, recalls Sellars Lathrop, “it was outdated and inefficient for a twenty-first-century lifestyle.” The solution: a two-part renovation project. “The first step was to make the first-floor living areas suitable for two working professionals and three children,” says the architect.

The second—a year or so later, they reasoned— would be the addition of a second-story master suite.

Towle, no stranger to extensive renovations, remembers thinking the home had a lot of potential, but truthfully didn’t expect the second-story project would ever see the light of day. “I’d say that 90 percent of the people who say they’re going to do another phase end up not doing it,” he says.

It all happened in short order, however. As the need for structural improvements was discovered, the project not only grew, it picked up speed. “Who knew,” says Jennifer, “that a simple remodel would end up being a full-blown restoration?”

The rear of the house was mostly gutted; walls were removed and steel beams added to create a more open plan (and to support future second-story roof loads).

The team agreed to enhance views of the garden and natural light by adding transom windows throughout. “Remember, we came from a dark brownstone,” says Jennifer. The architect ticks off the rest: new insulation, windows, and doors; an all-new kitchen; new wall and floor finishes; built-in storage; reclaimed ceiling beams; a new mudroom area; and improved access to the garage below. Outside, the rear roof deck was rebuilt and a pergola added.

The Driscolls were on a roll. As soon as the downstairs paint was dry, they embarked on phase two.

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The master suite was expanded to include an almost complete gut renovation of the second floor, says Sellars Lathrop. They reconfigured bedrooms and opened the attic to create soaring beamed ceilings.

Most of the couple’s decisions were made with respect for history melded with a modern sensibility.

“The house has a historic designation, but we didn’t want it to be an 1830s house again,” says Keith, an artist and entrepreneur. “In every architectural detail we changed we gave a nod to the original—but with fresh, modern charm.”

They felt it was important to incorporate authentic materials. For example, they laid down beautiful wide-plank white oak floors throughout the house and opted for a natural finish. The first-floor beams came from an old pickle factory in Springfield, Massachusetts. They had kitchen cabinets custom made by a husband and wife team from Southbury. They chose two-inch quartzite for the counters because it

Comfortable, durable seating was of paramount importance to the homeowners, who have three young children. Interior designer Sara Jordan made sure that her family-friendly choices in the dining room (facing page) and kitchen (above) were in sync with the breakfast table and chairs (above left) that moved in with the family.

“In every architectural detail we changed we gave a nod to the original—but with fresh, modern charm,” says Keith.

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Because Jennifer commutes for three hours every day, she needed a haven at home.

“I wanted the master suite to be spa-like,” she says.

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looks like marble but is more durable and easier to care for. They opted for simple fixtures that helped the kitchen retain a farmhouse feel.

Interior designer Sara Jordan was involved from the start, recommending materials and finishes, even as she advised the couple on how to furnish their new home. “They wanted family-friendly, comfortable rooms with custom touches,” says Jordan. “We went with good lighting, well-scaled classic furnishings, and custom soft goods to add personality. The couple’s original art and books added soul.”

Because Jennifer commutes for three hours every day, she needed a haven at home. “I wanted the master suite to be spa-like,” she says, and it is. It’s simple, elegant, and calming: a sitting room with a white slip-covered sofa, lots of pillows and throws. A few steps up sits the sheltering, upholstered bed and an heirloom wing chair. Keith’s paintings hang on the walls. “The sofa is from Mitchell Gold, and the chandelier over the bed is from Pottery Barn,” says Jordan, “a perfect example of how we combined high and low.”

What didn’t they skimp on? “Anything that people touch,” says Keith, pointing to vintage-inspired faceted glass doorknobs.

Says Jordan: “The entire home was a careful walk between traditional and modern. Jennifer and Keith were wonderful to work with, always mixing and blending in an artful way. I like to say they brought a little bit of Brooklyn to Connecticut.” • Resources For more information about this home, see page 138.

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The master suite blends an urban sensibility with a warm country feel. Keeping it neutral was an important part of the design strategy.

FACING PAGE, TOP: The children’s bedrooms (above center and right) illustrate the casual comfort vibe that the homeowners and designer were going for. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: The master bath offers luxurious serenity.

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forever A thorough revamping that includes a new addition sends a 1950s New Canaan house into middle age with a fresh new outlook.

Text by Megan Fulweiler Photography by Tria Giovan Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent

young

+++++ +++++ ++ Containers filled with seasonal plants, ++ ++ along with boxwood and red-twig dogwood, soften the home’s front entrance and add charm to the spacious driveway court.

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very owner brings fresh ideas to a house. Walls are demolished, stairs are rerouted, and grand rooms appear where before there were none. Anything is possible, and the possibilities are never-ending. But as marvelous as these revisions can be, they can also leave a nest feeling slightly disjointed and inefficient for the next inhabitants. Everyone, after all, arrives with his or her own vision for how to create a livable, harmonious home.

This New Canaan house built in the 1950s is a prime example. Its classic facade is the kind that sparks thoughts of beaming faces gathered around a

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+++++ +++++ ++ ABOVE AND LEFT: Architect Louise Brooks and her ++ clients kept the stately columns and eye-catching ++

stairs with their charming lighthouse newel post designed by Robert Cardello Architects of Norwalk for the previous owners. FAR LEFT: Kathi Blinn’s black and white painting Jammin and Teodora Guererra’s Blue Mist raise the living room’s interest level.

So does the designer’s astute layering of blues.

Project Team

Louise Brooks, Brooks & Falotico Associates Builder: L & L Builders Interior Design: Lynn Morgan, Lynn Morgan Design Landscape Design: Jennifer Anderson, Jennifer Anderson Design & Development Architecture:

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+++++ +++++ ++ RIGHT: The family room holds all the accoutrements ++ necessary for relaxing, including an oversize coffee ++

table to handle dinner on trays as well as games.

BELOW: The comfortable furnishings afford plenty of room for lounging, but everyone’s favorite spot is the cozy window seat. Watery-colored glass accessories are subtle nods to the shore. FACING PAGE: The owner’s chandelier and dining table took on new stature when designer Lynn Morgan added the shapely upholstered chairs.

Thanksgiving table (there were, in fact, fortytwo present for last fall’s feast). And, indeed, the ambience couldn’t be more welcoming. To the wife’s great joy, the rooms are flooded with light.

In the morning, she explains, “I have coffee on a sunlit window seat. Sunsets occur in the family room’s largest window, which faces west. The whole room is bathed in orange.”

It wasn’t always this way, however: the window seat came with the new kitchen. And the climactic evening shows are a bonus; not too long ago, there was no family room where the parents and their three children could relax. The soaring space sits in the life-enhancing addition that architectural designer Louise Brooks, principal of Brooks & Falotico, devised as part of a major renovation.

Thanks to Brooks’s clever and functional design, the 1,200-square-foot add-on (which also includes mud and laundry rooms as well as an office) looks like it’s been there forever. On the home’s front side, the addition provides a picturesque entry porch with a bluestone floor.

Nearby, there’s a pull-off framed with pert coneshaped boxwood. “It’s a handy spot where the wife parks to unload groceries,” says landscape designer Jennifer Anderson, who collaborated with Brooks

to make sure the addition tucks quietly into its ­surroundings. Travel around the corner of the house and the addition reveals a lower level with a fourbay garage.

Rather than tackle everything at once, the owners added their stamp in stages. Steady improvements during their tenure have included everything from a pool and pool house (another skillful Brooks and Anderson collaboration) to a handsome master bath. A master suite is in the works now. The latest revamping, however, was the most significant in

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that other rewards came along with the stellar family room, including a kids’ bath, a media room, a second staircase to ease traffic, a pantry, and, most important, a new kitchen. The last contains dual counters to protect the cook’s workspace no matter how big the crowd (thus, last autumn’s banner holiday turn out).

Interior designer Lynn Morgan’s smart updating of colors, fabrics, and furnishings also plays a big role in today’s congenial vibe. For a family who loves the water, a palette of blue and white evokes salt air. Morgan holds the over-cute seashore look at bay, however, conjuring instead casual elegance. “We didn’t want beachy,” says the wife. “We were thinking of that feeling of being dressed up and walking barefoot on the beach.”

To that point, the family room’s jaw-dropping chandelier from Liza Sherman is posh, but not fussy.

The hand-blown cobalt-blue shades stand in sharp relief against the white shiplap ceiling. Clustered about the stone hearth, there’s a bevy of inviting furnishings clad in durable fabrics that three teenagers and pets needn’t worry about. Blue is the thread that links the rooms, but taking a cue from the moody ocean, Morgan smartly varies the hues: the sofas are

covered in a strong navy chenille from Duralee, for example, while the dining room chairs wear a soft green/blue Kravet Ultrasuede.

Stools by Palecek in the gleaming kitchen (which occupies basically the same location as the original

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+++++ +++++ ++ The breakfast area’s transparent ++ globes are a fun contrast with the ++

expanding table and tailored chairs.

FACING PAGE, TOP: Two fully equipped marble-topped islands double the cook’s work space. faCING PAGE, BOTTOM: The lacquered bar is a boon for entertaining. “I think it just sings, ‘Come over and have a drink,’ ” says Morgan.

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+++++ +++++ ++ TOP: The addition fits right in, while boosting the ++ home’s functionality with an entry and porch adjacent ++

to the brand-new kitchen. RIGHT: The stellar pool house and pool gave new beauty and function to what was once just lawn. BELOW: A well-edited selection of books, prints, and mementoes fill the library’s shelves.

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The pool and pool house are a collaboration between Brooks and landscape designer Jennifer Anderson. cooking area) are also dressed in bold navy. Their nailhead trim speaks to the polished nickel pendants above the islands and zinc strapping on the custom hood. The top-notch, navy-lacquered bar sports a zinc countertop. West Elm globes sail aloft in the breakfast area. Even the cabinets dazzle. “That design just seemed right, and I liked the look,” says Brooks modestly of the glass doors with their stylish “X” detail.

These days, if the kids have commandeered the family room for TV, the adults head to the cozy library. Conducive to reading, this “winter room,” as the designer refers to it, is also ideal for entertaining.

Morgan elevated the space from vintage to chic by faux-painting the bookshelves to mimic limed oak. “It was an easy fix, but a huge transformation,” she says.

Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams sectionals strewn with back-soothing pillows promote conversation, and there’s also a popular billiard table.

Cosmetic touches stepped up the dining room as well. Morgan reshuffled the contents of the owners’ eighteenth-century chinoiserie cabinet and introduced a stash of snowy Crate and Barrel plates to brighten the shelves. Silver trays lend light to the dark table. And for color and a precious bit of history, there’s a framed petit point by the wife’s eighty-year-old grandmother. Incredibly, she worked freehand, copying favorite paintings onto linen.

This one—a Matisse, according to a notation on the back—took her 146 hours to complete.

Across the hall, just past the main staircase with its lighthouse-like newel post, is the airy living room.

Pale walls, comfortable custom furnishings, and some astute editing further a clean, crisp spirit. Twin X- base benches are covered in a traditional China Seas pattern that has, as the designer says, “an Old World quality.” Yet, there’s nothing Old World about the Lucite coffee table or the stunning art, which hails from New Canaan’s Sorelle Gallery.

In the end, modernized without losing its character, the gracious house has become the perfect sum of its parts. “I love how it all ties together now and feels like one,” the wife agrees happily. • Resources For more information about this home, see page 138. summer 2016 New England Home Connecticut 97

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In the lounge area that connects the great room to the barn room, an iron and rope chandelier by Solaria hangs above two leather chairs from Privet House. FACING PAGE: An antique dry sink is used as a bar in the barn room.

The collection of vintage photographs of Native Americans belonged to homeowner and designer Marisa Bistany Perkins’s mother-in-law.

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Weekends In The Country Text by Dan Shaw Photography by Laura Moss Produced by Karin Lidbeck Brent

A designer’s own Litchfield County getaway pays homage to its roots with a modern interpretation of the old farmhouse that once stood there. summer 2016 New England Home Connecticut 99

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t’s only an hour’s drive from Marisa Bistany Perkins’s house in lower Fairfield County to her weekend home in a rural town in Litchfield County, but every Friday night when she and her family arrive it feels like they’re on vacation. Located on twenty acres that once held a dairy and horse farm, the side-hall Greek Revival is a reinterpretation of the original nineteenth-century homestead that was dilapidated beyond repair when Perkins and her husband first saw it six years ago.

“It was severely neglected,” she recalls. “We actually let the fire department burn it down for practice.”

The house they built doesn’t look new at all. “The front is a replica of the original,” she says, explaining that they modified it by adding on a barn room on one end and a mudroom, porch, and garage on the other. “Everyone who sees it is sure it’s an old house.”

Perkins designed it as an antidote to frantic suburban life, not only for her husband and two children, seven-year-old Levi and eight-year-old Hannah, but also for their friends who visit for the weekend. “We wanted it to feel like an inn, so people would feel like Project Team Architectural and interior design: Marisa Bistany Perkins, M West Designs Builder: Dan Dumais, Custom Home Building

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The stone fireplace is a focal point of the barn room, where vintage club chairs upholstered in Pendleton’s blanket-weight San Miguel fabric invite relaxing. FACING PAGE, TOP: Plants and folk art are displayed on shelves from Restoration Hardware. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: The center section of the newly built Greek Revival is a copy of the nineteenth-century house that once stood on the property.

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Color, pattern, and texture create drama in the dining room, where the ceiling wears a watery-blue, high-gloss paint and the walls are covered in a printed paper from Cowtan & Tout.

FACING PAGE, TOP: Stools from Restoration Hardware line up at the kitchen island, which has a top of Pietra del Cardoso sandstone. Perkins mirrored the cabinet panels to reflect the views of the other side of the room. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: A Gucci scarf framed like a piece of art came from Perkins’s childhood home.

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“I

worked at a large design firm in Greenwich for six years before going out on my own, and my mentor taught me about being eclectic and using pattern on pattern,” says Perkins. they were really away,” she says. “Sometimes we have five families visit at once.”

Perkins, who runs M West Designs (without a website, she boasts, because she gets “all my clients by word of mouth”), did the floor plans and elevations for the five-bedroom house herself.

The heart of the house is a vast yet cozy great room that her husband was instrumental in fine-tuning.

A financier who is press shy, he’s an outdoorsman with a rugged aesthetic and an obsessive streak. He oversaw the installation of the antique barn-board ceilings from Canada, telling the contractor which side of the planks to face down, and he micromanaged the laying of the stone for the fireplace.

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W

hen the children’s friends come for a sleepover, they stay on the third floor. “We call it the bunk room—it sort of feels like camp,” Perkins says.

This, she explains, is the quiet spot where she and her husband like to have morning coffee together.

Although the house is determinedly casual, with no formal living room, Perkins wanted a formal dining room by the front door. The room reflects her background in traditional decorating with a twist. “I worked at a large design firm in Greenwich for six years before going out on my own, and my mentor taught me about being eclectic and using pattern on pattern,” she explains. The well-bred room has a handsome table of tiger maple with turned legs made by her brother-in-law. She has to reflect the sunset views out the French doors across the sloping lawn to the gently rolling hills in the distance.

A corridor with large windows and skylights (what she describes as an enclosed breezeway) connects the great room to a large den that she calls the barn room. It can be closed off from the rest of the house by sliding barn doors with their original hardware that she bought for $100 at an antique store in Pound Ridge. The doors set the tone for the room, which is furnished in a hybrid Adirondack/Rocky Mountain style.

With a big stone fireplace that incorporates granite from the original house’s foundation, the barn room has a “rustic outdoorsy feeling,” she says. There are big leather sofas with orange fabric cushions and vintage armchairs upholstered in Pendleton fabric.

Perkins turned a massive antique butcher’s chopping block into a coffee table by cutting down the legs.

What gives the room its soul are the collections of Native American art and artifacts that belonged to her mother-in-law and that sit on Restoration Hardware wood-and-metal shelves that look custom made for the space.

The corridor connector holds two sumptuous leather chairs Perkins bought at Privet House, the superbly curated home store in nearby New Preston.

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In the bunk room, a Pottery Barn Kids light fixture hangs above one of six mismatched antique beds dressed with vintage quilts and Pendleton blankets.

FACING PAGE, TOP: In the master bedroom, Lola, one of Perkins’s five dogs, rests on a bed with a headboard that Perkins designed and upholstered in Ralph Lauren Home fabric. A lamp by Currey & Company is paired with an antique drop leaf table used as a nightstand. FACING PAGE, BOTTOM: In the children’s bedroom, a pinwheel made of vintage banners hangs above a tole lamp.

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Kingsley-Bate furniture cozies up to the pool house fireplace. FACING PAGE, LEFT: Designer and homeowner Marisa Bistany Perkins. FACING PAGE, RIGHT: Perkins worked with Connecticut Post & Beam to design the barn-like pool house with rough-sawn siding and a tin roof. It has a small kitchen, bathroom, outdoor shower, and a stone fireplace.

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he house is all about freedom to play and roam. “When my kids come here they literally don’t go inside,” Perkins says. surrounded it with wooden chairs with purple leather seats and end chairs upholstered in a scenic Cowtan & Tout fabric. The floor plan allows her to bring in a connecting second table for large groups at Thanksgiving and Christmas, transforming the foyer into an extension of the dining room.

By the staircase leading to the second and third floors, there’s a cabinet of curiosities set into a wall with doors made from old windows. It’s full of things found on her property: animal skulls, an old ax, springs, a honeycomb with a bee on it. “The kids love to explore and bring these things up,” she says.

When the children’s friends come for a sleepover, they stay on the third floor in a dormitory with six mismatched Early American mahogany beds dressed with Pendleton blankets and antique patchwork quilts. “We call it the bunk room—it sort of feels like camp,” Perkins says.

The architecture and interior design are only half the story. While Perkins is proud that they did not cut down any trees, because the property had already been cleared when it was a working farm, the

landscape was tweaked by her brother-in-law, who is a golf-course designer. “We have trails so we can hike from our property to Mount Tom, and my husband, who is a big fly fisherman, has access to the Bantam River that runs through our property,” Perkins says.

As she guides a visitor across the lawn and down to the swimming pool, she notes that the steps are made from stones that were part of the original house’s foundation. The pool house, a custom barn from Connecticut Post & Beam, has a tin roof, fireplace, bathroom, and a kitchen separated from the seating area by a pass-through such as you’d find at a beach club snack bar. There is also an outdoor kitchen with a massive grill and a pizza oven.

Ultimately, the house is all about freedom to play and roam. “When my kids come here they literally don’t go inside,” Perkins says. “My husband is usually covered in dirt.”

That her vision for a family retreat was fully realized continually astonishes her. “I pinch myself that this is my house.” • Resources For more information about this home, see page 138. summer 2016 New England Home Connecticut 107

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Special Focus: kitchens

Open For Business Three kitchens go from miniature to magnificent, thanks to the talents of three Connecticut designers. By Paula M. Bodah 108  New England Home Connecticut  summer 2016

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Designer: Jan Hiltz,

Jan Hiltz Interiors Builder: Robert Liesegang,

Liesegang Building and Remodeling Photography: Michael Partenio Producer: Stacy Kunstel

Tall Order Jan Hiltz laughs when she recalls the initial state of this Darien kitchen.

“When you came in the side door, you walked into the side of a refrigerator,” she says. “Once you got around that, you bumped into the island. The kitchen was the size of a postage stamp.” Someone had once put in high ceilings to add a sense of space, but all they seemed to accomplish was to throw the scale off. Hiltz’s first step was to remove the wall between the kitchen and the dining room to open the space. She brought the high ceiling into scale by installing a tall cement range hood with bronze strapping and unifying the wall with a gray subway tile backsplash that extends all the way up. Because the only upper cabinets are the two that flank the hood, Hiltz designed cabinets in the dining area for both storage and good looks. Their antique etched-mirror doors give the space a hint of formality while cleverly hiding pantry goods and small appliances. And throughout the space, a quiet palette lends an airy feel while textures—bamboo window shades, a sisal rug, zebra-print velvet chair cushions, and the delicate Bruna chandelier from Made Goods—offer plenty of interest. summer 2016 New England Home Connecticut 109

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A Family Affair The family that occupies this Ridgefield home enjoys cooking and baking. Alas, a tiny kitchen made it tough for the parents and their two young sons to satisfy their culinary creativity together. Designer Molly Hirsch solved the problem by poaching from an adjacent small family room and screened porch. The spacious new kitchen has work zones aplenty, from the long counters of honed brown granite to the maple top of the island. The cabinets, by Deane, wear a warm Benjamin Moore color called Brandon Beige, while darker earth tones accent the

island base and window frames. The wife loved the Ann Sacks tile chosen for the backsplash, but was worried that it might be a bit too much.

“She made color copies and pasted them up,” Hirsch says. “The tile is a big statement for sure, and this process made her feel comfortable with it.” Iron-finished Arctic Pear chandeliers from Ochre add a touch of glamour, “but aren’t at all froufrou,” Hirch says. Pressed-glass bowl pendants from Tom Dixon illuminate the sink without disrupting the view of the backyard and the nature preserve beyond.

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Special Focus: kitchens

Designer: Molly Hirsch, Molly

Hirsch Interiors Builder: Michael Trolle and Jeff

Girvalo, BPC Green Builders Photography: Michael Partenio Producer: Stacy Kunstel

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Special Focus: kitchens

A Chef’s Dream Billy Grant was a bit like the cobbler whose children go barefoot. The award-winning chef owns a handful of popular Connecticut restaurants and a catering business, yet his own home kitchen was woefully inadequate, according to designer Kellie Burke. His 1920s West Hartford home, in a style Burke calls “cottage Tudor,” had many rooms, and all of them were small. “It felt like a little dollhouse,” Burke says. She took down walls in the kitchen, dining room, a bathroom, pantry, and mudroom to create a space any chef would love. Open distressed-wood shelves supported by antique iron fencing keep equipment in easy reach and suit the European farmhouse look Grant wanted. The metal cabinet island is inspired by industrial baking racks, while the white subway tile walls recall the classic working restaurant kitchens in which Grant honed his craft. Metal barstools at one end of the marble-topped island offer a spot for friends to keep the chef company while he cooks. The industrial and European farmhouse tones blend beautifully at the dining end of the space, where the sun shines through cafe curtains made of French linen kitchen towels onto a reclaimed-wood table and metal chairs.

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Designer: Kellie Burke, Kellie

Burke Interiors Builder: Michael Delissio Jr.,

Sunrise Homes Photography: James R. Salomon

Resources For information about the professionals, see page 138.

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Perspectives Connecticut design considered from every angle

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Beach Scene: Layer a summer table in the soft hues of the beach, then add a mix of textures and you have the perfect base for dining alfresco. edited by Lynda Simonton

1. Hen House palm-mineral-gray printed cloth dinner napkin Maggie’s of Madison, Madison, (203) 318- 8883, maggiesofmadison.com 2. Tangerine serving platter by Le Cadeaux Terston, Kent, (860) 927-1255, terston.com 3. Milano melamine glassware in teal The Shops at Saybrook Country Barn, Old Saybrook, (860) 388-0891, saybrookcountrybarn.com 4. ​Sabre Tortoise place setting​ LCRwestport, Westport, (203) 221-8131, lcrwestport.com 5. Whitewashed rattan hurricane Serena & Lily, Westport, (203) 635-8000, serenaandlily.com 6. Marble & Wood Serving Board Terrain, Westport, (203) 226-2750, shopterrain.com Summer 2016 New England Home Connecticut 117

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Perspectives

Is there a rule of thumb for how often a rug should be cleaned?

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Five Questions

Rugs need to be cleaned once a year or, at minimum, every two years by professional rug cleaners. In the old days, we just washed the rugs. But with new technology, such as digital microscopes, we can inspect rug fibers and ensure their health. New, computerized cleaning processes let us look deep inside the fabric to find chemicals or toxins and remove them. For example, we can remove lanolin from old rugs and make them softer and less prone to drying and cracking. We can also fireproof and stain-proof rugs or coat them to shield them against harmful bacteria and fading. This helps prevent allergies, asthma, and other respiratory diseases.

Do rugs have a natural lifespan? When is a rug beyond repair?

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What are the hallmarks of an heirloom quality rug, one that is worth maintaining over time?

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Quality is important. This includes everything from the intensity of the weave to the clarity of the pattern and design to the quality of the wool. For example, the finer and softer the wool is, the higher quality the carpet. Fine antique rugs that are 100 or 150 years old will still have that beautiful patina they had when they were made. Rarity can make a carpet special, too. We have sold thousands of antique rugs, and when a special piece comes along we recognize it immediately.

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Any recent examples?

Customers brought in a rug for cleaning that their parents had given them. It was beautiful and had verses of Persian poetry woven into it. The owners knew it was old, but were amazed when we told them it was made in the 1870s to 1880s, and was of museum quality. It was worth around $150,000, so it made sense to put money into it to clean and restore it. They initially wanted to store it away, but I told them it would be a shame not to display it. A rug like that is worth preserving for the future.

Apadana Fine Rugs, Norwalk, (203) 299-1760, apadanafinerugs.com

What should we look for when buying an artisanal rug and what can we expect to pay?

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In general, for a room-sized antique rug you should expect to pay $10,000 to $15,000 or more. For a new, high-quality rug anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000.

You have to look for the condition: the knot count, quality of the wool, and the dye. I recommend not buying anything overseas. You don’t get the best quality rugs in the bazaars and shops abroad, because the best carpets are exported by the major companies in India, Pakistan, and Turkey to the U.S. and Europe. Not that many great rugs end up in markets abroad; most are lower quality, mass produced for the tourist market. Most people end up paying too much for mediocre products when they buy on vacation. •

Laura Moss

Mike Alidadi, owner of Apadana Fine Rugs, offers suggestions about what to look for when buying, maintaining, and repairing fine carpets and rugs. INTERVIEW BY ROBERT KIENER

As long as you protect your rugs, they can last hundreds of years. If they are protected properly they could last forever.

People have brought us rugs that have been neglected—not washed for years, cracked, full of holes—so restoring them would cost more than the rug is worth.

With, say, a nineteenth-century carpet that is in horrible shape, we usually recommend having it cut into runners or pillow or cushion covers. One of the beauties of rugs is that they can be repurposed and recycled.

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Westwood Flooring & Design Center 643 Danbury Road (Next to Calico) Wilton, CT (203) 762-6300

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Perspectives

Style Scheme Jill Kalman shows us how to create a crisp and colorful guest room to welcome summer visitors.

Calliope Lantern from Coleen and Company “With its glossy turquoise finish, this lantern takes something traditional and makes it unexpected.

I love the happy coastal feel it brings to the room.”

Coleen & Company, (310) 606-2050, coleenandcompany.com

Harbor Cane Bed “This bed is light and airy, giving it a nice summery feel. It is also very versatile, and will work with a change in bedding choices down the road.”

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Serena & Lily, Westport, (203) 635-8000, serenaandlily.com

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Webster Side Tables

Bedding (A) Pillow: Frond by John Robshaw. (B) Sheets: Jade stitching by John Robshaw.

Fig Linens, Westport, (203) 227-8669, figlinens.com

“Guest rooms are often short on space, so nesting tables are a smart choice.

You can always pull out the second table when you need an extra surface.”

Serena & Lily

(C) Duvet cover: Sigourney by Quadrille in Inca Gold.

Available through Bella Interiors

Home, Greenwich, (203) 629-8121, sandramorganinteriors.com

Bella Interiors, Westport, (203) 645-1561, bella-interiors.com

Kalman Headshot: Melani Lust

End of Day, Madaket, by Rachel Volpone “I was instantly drawn to this abstract painting by Rachel Volpone, of Ridgefield. Its palette is rich with layers of color.” Sandra Morgan

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www.donnerkitchens.com

203-966-0160

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6/14/16 4:39 PM

Perspectives

Bookshelf

Recent reads in the world of design Reviews bY Paula m. Bodah

Rescuing Eden: Preserving America’s Historic Gardens New England is well represented in Rescuing Eden: Preserving America’s Historic Gardens. The hardcover Taylor book, with 200-plus pages of lush photography by Curtice Taylor, is a celebration of a rich tradition of landscape design in the U.S. and of the dedicated stalwarts who have worked to recover threatened gardens all around the country. Caroline Seebohm’s text delves into the history of each garden and describes the often heroic efforts that led into their restoration. Seven New England gardens are among the thirty showcased, and these run the design gamut from the formal SaintGaudens National Historic Site in Cornish, New Hampshire, to the exuberant Blithewold Gardens in Bristol, Rhode Island, from the Giverny-inspired Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut, to the mossy glory of the Charles Richards Garden on Great Wass Island, Maine. All the gardens— large or small, urban or rural, simple or lavish, calming or energizing—have in common their historical and horticultural importance and their many years of providing pleasure to those lucky enough to gaze upon them.

Rescuing Eden: Preserving America’s Historic Gardens, $50, The Monacelli Press, monacelli.com

Past Present: Living with Heirlooms and Antiques Antiques—whether inherited or purchased—are, in the words of author Susan Sully, “silent storytellers, recounting narratives we know by Sully heart as well as mysteries we will never fathom.” As such, we value them—revere them, even—but incorporating them in our lives can be problematic. We may treasure Aunt Edna’s silver tea set, but have no idea where it fits in our contemporary Boston apartment or our transitional suburban house. In Past Present: Living with Heirlooms and Antiques, Sully addresses that dilemma by offering examples of homes of every style around the country that blend old and new in ways that are often surprising and always successful. Among a handful of New England houses, the book includes a Connecticut home with a kitchen that mixes vintage French textiles, art deco chairs, a pressed-tin ceiling, and modern industrial pendant lamps to brilliant effect. Pages of rooms decorated by antiques collectors and dealers as well as interior designers offer a multitude of ideas for creating traditioninspired interiors that breathe life into treasured old things.

Past Present: Living with Heirlooms and Antiques, $45, The Monacelli Press, monacelli.com

The Art of Classical Details II: An Ideal Collaboration Phillip James Dodd opens his new book, The Art of Classical Details II: An Ideal Collaboration, with a reference to America’s most famous fictional and real-life architects, Howard Roark (of Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead) and Frank Lloyd Wright.

Dodd Dodd, an architect based in Greenwich, Connecticut, notes that Roark and Wright exemplified the idea of the architect as lone genius, god-like designer of every aspect of the houses his clients should feel privileged to live in.

The most successful homes, however, are the product of what Dodd says is an all-too-rare collaboration between architect, builder, and interior and landscape designers, and his book celebrates those alliances. The photographs of some of the finest examples of contemporary classical architecture around the United States and in England that fill this hefty book delight the eyes. But this is more than a fine piece of “real estate porn.” A series of insightful essays by design professionals, including a good handful from here in New England, makes this a good read, too.

The Art of Classical Details II: An Ideal Collaboration, $70, Images, imagespublishing.com 122 New England Home Connecticut Summer 2016

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DANIEL CONLON ARCHITECTS

Tallman Segerson Builders

Daniel Conlon AIA LEED AP 203.544.7988 Redding, CT

tallmansegerson.com I (203) 254-1971

www.dconlonarchitects.com

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6/14/16 3/15/16 4:40 4:24 PM

Design Life

Out and about in celebration of design and architecture in Connecticut

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Connecticut Networking Event

New England Home Connecticut partnered with Gault Energy & Stone to host the magazine’s 2016 Spring Networking Event.

On a gorgeous night in April, the Connecticut design community gathered at Gault’s newly renovated headquarters and enjoyed delicious food and drink.

A great time was had by all, and the raffle winner took home a beautiful granite birdbath.

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Phil Nelson

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(1) New England Home’s Roberta Thomas Mancuso and Jim Donaher of Gault Energy & Stone (2) Contributing writer Debra Judge Silber with New England Home’s Kathy Bush-Dutton and Stacy Kunstel (3) David Spaidal and Nina Spaidal of Nicoud and Spaidal with Jay Hart of Gault Energy (4) Hans Van der Meulen of Landmark Exteriors and Jim Fenton of Gault Stone (5) Chris Domagala of Gault Stone, Diane Devore of Devore Associates, and Bill Cribari of Gault Stone (6) Matt Sullivan and Kristen Sullivan of Gatehouse Partners (7) Jennifer Hermsen, Gary Chase, and Cynthia Vengrow of Vita Design Group (8) Stephanie Rapp of Stephanie Rapp Interiors and Joe Marotta of Advanced Home Audio (9) Ann Sellars Lathrop and Howard Lathrop of Sellars Lathrop Architects with Andra Vebell of Homefront Farmers (10) Robert Dean of Robert Dean Architects, Susan Harrington of Fromental, New England Home’s Stacy Kunstel, and Ted Bohnen of Higgins Real Estate (11) John Kebabian of Kebabian’s Rugs, Jeff Kaufman of JMKA Architects, and Howard Lathrop of Sellars Lathrop Architects (12) Peter Deane of Deane, Bill Charney of Advanced Home Audio, and Anthony DeRosa of DeRosa Builders (13) Sharon Willis of Country Club Homes and New England Home’s Stacy Kunstel (14) Mike Chappa of Gault Energy & Stone and Lora Mazurak of Shoreline Painting & Drywall 124 New England Home Connecticut summer 2016

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Design Life

Serena & Lily opened its flagship Serena &

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Lily Design Shop

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(1) Selectman Jim Marpe did the ribbon-cutting honors (2) Lily Kanter and Serena Dugan, co-founders of Serena & Lily (3) Raymond Schneider and Kevin Isbell (4) Lori Greeley, Allyson McGrath, and Lily Kanter (5) Champagne bubbles (6) Serena Dugan, Sam Allen, and Jill John (7) Anne Hardy and Betsy Barron (8) The design shop program (9) Jill John and Lily Kanter (10) A kitchen-themed corner of the shop (11) Lily Kanter, David Waldman, Jim Marpe, and Serena Dugan (12) Kendall Zoppa (13) Party guests chat and mingle

LPDM Fine Art Consulting held a book

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signing to celebrate the publication of owner Lauren Della Monica’s new book, Bodies of Work—­ Contemporary Figurative Painting, at Privet House in New Preston.

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Caroline O’Kane and Lydia Cullen

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Monica signing her book, Bodies of Work—Contemporary Figurative Painting (2) Steven Kalur and Claudia Kalur (3) Privet House proprietor Suzanne Cassano and Lauren Della Monica

Stacy Kunstel

at the restored KemperGunn House in Westport and welcomed the design community with open arms. Features of the new store include a gorgeous swatch wall featuring more than 300 tiles, original art installations, and more than 150 rotating art displays.

Guests enjoyed a ribboncutting ceremony and festive cocktails, and the first fifty guests received a $100 shopping spree.

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3/17/16 5:31 1:41 PM 6/15/16

Design Life

New England Home’s Stacy Kunstel moderated a panel of local professionals at the Westport

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Historical Society as they

discussed “Keeping Design New and Original.”

Attendees asked questions and enjoyed hearing the ideas of designers, builders, and architects for bringing both originality and quality into the design process.

The Wakefield Design Center welcomed a handful of spectacular speakers to its To the Trade Only Market Day. On an afternoon in early May, a lineup of design professionals shared thoughts on the latest trends and products. Among the presenters were Alex Papachristidis, who talked about “The Age of Elegance,” and Alessandra Branca and New England Home’s Stacy Kunstel, whose talk was entitled “The New Living Room.”

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(1) An audience view of

the panel presentation (2) Linda Fay and

New England Home’s Roberta Thomas Mancuso (3) Justin Quinn and Judy Martin (4) Lynn Garelick, Stacy Kunstel, and Jan Hiltz (5) Kathryn Herman and Josh Kebabian

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(1) Alex Papachristidis signing a copy of his book for Susan Harrington (2) Liz King and Jennifer Fitzpatrick (3) Kathleen

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Bivona, Shirley Mitchell, and Kara Lehrer (4) Libby Langdon and Denise McGaha were also among the engaging presenters for the day (5) George Snead with Alessandra Branca (6) Speaker Michael Schleuse with Beth Kannan (7) Liz King with her Linen Shop display

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and Remodelers Association hosted its annual membership meeting at Bender’s new state-of-theart showroom, where members drank signature cocktails and celebrated another year as a community.

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(1) Joanne

Carroll and Nina Bender (2) Joe Marotta, Buddy Ontra, and Susan Flechner (3) Karen Bradbury, Gina Calabro, and Stephanie Rapp

all photos by David Sloane

The Home Builders

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6/14/16 4:42 PM

Trade Notes

New and noteworthy happenings in the Connecticut design business

AT THE STAMFORD WATERSIDE DESIGN DISTRICT (FROM LEFT): DESIGNER CANDICE OLSON AT THE KRAVET SHOWROOM, A DEMONSTRATION AT THE J.D. STARON SHOWROOM, JOHN ROBSHAW TALKS WITH A RAPT AUDIENCE

side Design District

will be a power player in the field of home design.

The district, made up of a collection of shops on or near Stamford’s Fairfield Avenue that specialize in high-end products for the home, held its inaugural Market Day in early June.

The full day of events included an appearance by fabric designer John Robshaw, who was at the Duralee showroom to introduce his new furniture collection, and designer Candice Olson, who previewed her latest collection for Kravet. Other showrooms, including Dedar, Schwartz Design Showroom, J.D. Staron, Stark, Fordham Marble, AWK Design Antiques, and SWC Office Furniture, opened their doors to welcome guests for cocktails, refreshments, and stellar browsing. Stamford, stamfordwatersidedesigndistrict.com, facebook.com/StamfordWatersideDD » Don’t adjust your eyes: this is what the photographer wants you to see. The photo, entitled It’s About To Go Down, is from the Blur series from Allyson Monson Photography. After putting her studies in textiles, merchandising,

It’s About to Go Down

and interior design to work in a more conventional way, Monson took a hiatus from design and discovered that photography gives her the chance to explore her love for light, color, texture, and movement in a new way, offering her unique perspective on ordinary suburban and urban life. Redding, (203) 470-4793, allysonmonson photography.com

» As someone who lives and works in

Durham (population 7,388 at the last census count), Lisa Davenport considers herself a small-town sort of person.

So when she decided to open a second interior design office in the Sunshine State, the southwest Florida town of Bonita Springs—whose tagline is “Small town charm, big bright future”— seemed a perfect choice. When Davenport is up north, new project manager Trish Davenport DiMungo will

hold down the southern fort. Durham, (860) 316-5718, lisadavenportdesigns. com » Congratulations to Charles Hilton Architects for being honored with the

Greenwich Chamber of Commerce’s 2016 Corporate Leadership Award. The Chamber gives the award each year, as part of its Town Hero Awards Program, to a business that has a history of community involvement.

Charles Hilton and his team’s contributions are many, including the hilton September 11 Memorial in Cos Cob Park, designed in collaboration with landscape architects Doyle Herman Design Associates.

Greenwich, (203) 489-3800, hilton architects.com » What’s in a name? For Oak

& Velvet, formerly Sew-Fine, the new name better reflects the company’s mission, which— far beyond its well-deserved reputation for upholstery services—includes creating fine home furnishings. The robust wood and the sumptuous fabric represent the high quality and the sense of luxury

Top: Images courtesy of the showrooms (3); hilton Portrait: Nicholas Rotondi

» If it’s true that there is strength in numbers, the new Stamford Water-

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the buttery-soft sofa shown here.

in the pieces crafted by local artisans in Oak & Velvet’s Middletown factory in the revitalized Remington Rand building, and displayed in the spacious upstairs showroom.

Middletown, (860) 347-2300, oakand velvet.com

South Norwalk, (203) 9523309, crivellari. com/home-en

Oak & Velvet

» The beautiful, and beautifully crafted, furniture from the Italian company ­Crivellari can now be found in the firm’s first East Coast showroom, on the eighth floor of the Norwalk building at 50 Washington Place, known as SoNo Place.

The new space is as good-looking as the company’s luxury leather furniture, like

» Husband and wife design pros Steven Kalur and Claudia Kalur have joined forces in business as well as in life with their new design studio that combines the creative efforts of his F+H Architectural Design & Consulting, and her CFK Interiors. The new space is open “by appointment only . . . or happenstance,” says the sign on the door of the New Preston studio, offering a sort of one-stop-shopping opportunity for homeowners seeking both architectural and interior design help.

New Preston, (860) 7335151, fharchitecture.com; (860) 733-5252, cfkinteriors.com

Crivellari

» Beautiful interior design and fine art are made to go together, and the Sorelle Gallery proves it by including designer vignettes that dovetail with the work in the gallery’s exhibits. In conjunction with a recent exhibit of colorful paintings, aptly titled Vivid, designer Stephanie

RAPP’S VIGNETTE AT SORELLE GALlERY

Rapp fashioned a vignette called Purple

Obsession, inspired by Julia Contacessi’s painting Whirlwind. Director Miranda Girard says the gallery will continue its program of inviting designers to create vignettes when the fall season begins.

New Canaan, (203) 920-1900, sorelle gallery.com; Weston, (203) 216-5835 stephanierappinteriors.com. •

By Paula M. Bodah

LUXURIOUS LINENS F O R B E D , B AT H & TA B L E EXCEPTIONAL HOME ACCESSORIES BESPOKE CUSTOM FA B R I C AT I O N S

21 ELM STREET NEW CANAAN, CONNECTICUT 203.972.0433

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calendar This photography exhibit features 40 images from three noted photographers who created groundbreaking works based on scientific studies. The photographs changed the way we look at science, and even influenced new technologies and teachings. The Bruce Museum, Greenwich, (203) 869-0376, brucemuseum.org

AUGUST Art and Industry in Early America: Rhode Island Furniture, 1650–1830

August 19, 2016–January 8 The Yale University Art Gallery will feature an exemplary collection of Rhode Island furniture from the Colonial and Federal time periods. More than 130 objects from museums, private collections, and historical societies showcase major stylistic innovations from our smallest state. Yale University Art Gallery, (203) 432-0600, artgallery. yale.edu Philip Leslie Hale’s The Crimson Rambler (circa 1908), on view in The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920, at the Florence Griswold Museum

july The Artist’s Garden American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920

Through September 18 The exhibit, organized by the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, tells the story of impressionism and the growing popularity of gardening as a recreational pursuit. Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, (860) 434-5542, florence griswoldmuseum.org 5th Biennial FootPrint Exhibition

Through August 28 This international competition for fineart prints features prints that measure exactly one square foot. The Center for Contemporary Printmaking, Norwalk, (203) 899-7999, contemprints.org American Waters A Marine Art Exhibition

Through August 26 This juried, themed art exhibit features work that highlights life at sea. The works will include ship portraits, fishing

scenes, and seascapes. Lyme Art Association, Old Lyme, (860) 434-7802, lymeart association.org 66th Annual Art of the Northeast

July 9–August 20 Begun in 1949 as the “New England Exhibition,” the competition was founded by Silvermine Guild members Miriam Brody and Revington Arthur to showcase the art of the region. Over the years, the exhibit has presented works by emerging and lesser-known artists, giving them a platform to reach a larger audience than ever before. The winner receives a generous cash prize and a solo exhibition at Silvermine Arts Center.

New Canaan, (203) 966-9700, silvermineart.org Ganim’s Garden Center & Florist’s Ladies Night

July 14 Ganim’s Garden Center & Florist will host its annual Ladies Night. There will be a plant sale, shopping with local vendors, wine tasting, and treats from favorite local food trucks. Be sure to stop in at the greenhouse area and check out the raffle items. Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Mikey’s Way Foundation.

6 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Free, but preregistration is required. Fairfield, (203) 3335662, ganimsgardencenter.com Science and Motion: The Photographic Studies of Eadweard Muybridge, Berenice Abbott and Harold Edgerton

Nicholas Fox: Working Cats, oil on panel

July 16–October 16

Roseland Cottage

Afternoon Tea at Roseland Cottage

August 25 Afternoon tea at Roseland Cottage with Miss Constance was a highly anticipated event from the 1930s into the 1960s.

You can recreate a bit of history and enjoy a civilized repast at this special event at Henry Bowen’s summer retreat.

Woodstock, 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m., reservation required. (800) 928-4074, historicnewengland.org

SEPTEMBER Hollister House Garden Study Weekend

September 10–11 Hollister House and the Garden Conservancy will host the annual Garden Study symposium at the Heritage Hotel in Salisbury. On Saturday, attendees will enjoy a series of lectures given by thought leaders in the gardening world, including Arne Maynard, David Culp, Page Dickey, and more. Admission includes lunch and wraps up with cocktails and early buying at a sale of rare and unusual plants at the Hollister House Garden in Washington. Sunday events include the Hollister House plant sale and the opportunity to tour four gardens

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as part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days. Saturday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Early-bird registration prior to July 15 is $180 and $195 thereafter. Washington, (860) 868-2200, hollisterhousegarden.org

Garden Conservancy Open Days Lockwood-Mathews Mansion

Annual Old-Fashioned Flea Market

September 18 The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum will hold its annual OldFashioned Flea Market on the museum grounds. There will be music, mini-tours of the mansion, and a popular collectibles sale. All proceeds will benefit the museum. Noon–4 p.m. Admission is free.

Norwalk, (203) 838-9799, lockwood mathewsmansion.com Edited by Lynda Simonton

The Garden Conservancy’s mission is to preserve exceptional gardens across the United States so the public can enjoy and learn from them. Open Days give people a chance to support the organization and see some of the country’s most beautiful private gardens. The following Open Days are scheduled for this summer: July 16 July 23 Kentford Farm Multiple Stonington locations, New Haven County

July 30, August 28, and September 11 Multiple locations, Litchfield County

August 13 and September 18 Multiple locations, Fairfield County

August 27 The Garden of George Trecina Meriden

For details and locations, go to gardenconservancy.org/opendays

Editor’s note: Events are subject to change. Please

confirm details with event organizer prior to your visit.

The Interior Designer’s source for showroom quality custom carpets and rugs at direct prices.

Gary Shafran, Principal Gary@lmcustomcarpets.com | 201-951-0980

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New in the Showrooms

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1. Seating for a Crowd Lillian August’s Armand banquette for Hickory White makes every meal feel like a visit to a chic bistro.

Lillian August Design Center, Norwalk, (855) 576-4144, lillianaugust.com

2. Here Is My Spout The Buono copper tea kettle from Crate & Barrel is so pretty, you’ll be happy to keep it out on your stovetop all the time. Westport, (203) 222-9500, and West Hartford, (860) 236-8900, crateandbarrel.com

3. Take a Seat Bill Sofield’s dapper Cocoon Bar Stool is a masterful mix of walnut, supple leather, and Danish cord weave.

DesignSourceCT, Hartford, (860) 951-3145, design sourcect.com

4. Diffusing the Situation Kalco’s Edgewater Bath lighting series shows you in the most flattering light.

Bender, various Connecticut locations, (800) 573-4288, benderplumbing.com

5. Uplifted Robern elevates the bathroom vanity to a whole new level of style with its Balletto collection. Best Plumbing, Stamford, (203) 975-9448, bestplg.com

6. Gold Standard Sexy Alno hardware with a new satin brass finish will add a golden touch to your kitchen or bath.

Klaffs, South Norwalk, (203) 866-1603, and Danbury, (203) 792-3903, klaffs.com

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New in the Showrooms

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FPO

5 1. Graphic Statement Kaza tiles from Walker Zanger marry the functionality of cement with hip 3-D design. Connecticut Stone & Supply, Milford, (203) 882 1000, and Stamford, (203) 967-2937, connecticutstone.com

2. Rock Solid Vano Quartzite is a stunning mix of whites and grays, with energetic veining bringing heightened interest to the stone.

Fordham Marble, Stamford, (203) 348-5088, fordhammarble.com

6 3. Fresh Start The morning rush just got a whole lot easier, thanks to this deluxe coffee center designed by Deane.

New Canaan, (203) 972-8836, deaneinc.com

4. Best of Both Worlds Vintage styling meets modern functionality in the DVX Victorian Collection. Frank Webb, various Connecticut locations, frankwebb.com

5. Top Chef AGA’s new professional series brings professional power and style to your kitchen.

Aitoro Appliances, Norwalk, (203) 847-2471, aitoro.com

6. Mirror, Mirror The Charles Mirror

by Bunny Williams for Mirror Image Home is the final touch to any well-appointed powder room.

Trovare Home Design, Cos Cob, (203) 869-5512, trovarehomedesign. com

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Jonathan Sloane

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Stamford, Connecticut

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www.FordhamMarble.com

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Special rate Fair tickets for New England Home readers Visit www.nhcrafts.org/tix and use promo code NEH16.

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Resources A guide to the products and professionals in this issue’s featured homes OUTSIDE INTEREST: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE PAGES 38–41 Landscape architects: Katherine Kamen, Huelster Design Studio, Westport, (203) 227-5334, huelsterdesign.com, and Geoffrey Middeleer, Middeleer Land Design, Bethel, (203) 856-3135, middlanddesign.com

FARMHOUSE CHIC PAGES 78–87 Architect: Ann Sellars Lathrop, Sellars Lathrop Architects, Westport, (203) 222-0229, sellarslathrop.com Interior designer: Sara Jordan Interiors, Westport, (917) 797-6937 Builder: Bill Towle, Signature Home Remodeling, Fairfield, (203) 667-0956, signaturehomeremodel. com First-floor ceiling beams: Armster Reclaimed Lumber, East Windsor, (203) 214-9705, armster.com Wood floors: New England Custom Floors, Westport (203) 227-2819, newenglandcustomfloors.com Page 81: Pergola from Walpole Woodworkers, walpolewoodworkers.com.

Pages 82–83: Sofa, coffee table, and chairs from Restoration Hardware, restorationhardware.com; throw, tray, and horns from White Birch Studio, whitebirchstudio.com; geometric pillow from Fig Linens, figlinens.com, with fabric by John Robshaw, johnrobshaw. com; bar tray from White Birch Studio; portraits

by Keith Driscoll, keithdriscoll.com.

Page 84: Carpet from Lillian August, lillianaugust.com; chandelier by Visual Comfort, visualcomfortlightinglights.com; vase from White Birch Studio, painting over fireplace by Marilyn Fiala, marilynfiala.com.

Page 85: Breakfast-area carpet by Dash & Albert, dashandalbert.annieselke.com; Darlana pendant light from Visual Comfort; window seat fabrics from Romo, romo.com, and Lee Jofa, leejofa. com; kitchen cabinets by South Britain Millwork, sbritmillwork.com; pendants over island by Simon Pearce, simonpearce.com; stools from Ballard Designs, ballarddesigns.com.

Page 86: Master bath vanity from Restoration Hardware; girl’s room window-seat pillows and plaid throw from Fig Linens; shutters from Budget Blinds, budgetblinds.com; boy’s room window shades by Harlequin, harlequin.uk.com. with trim from Samuel and Sons, samuelandsons.com.

Page 87: Master suite sectional from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, mgbwhome.com; pillow

fabrics from Schumacher, fschumacher.com, and Kravet, kravet.com; wing chair fabric from Kravet; tray from Fig Linens; railing by Ferrocraft, North Branford, (203) 484-2883.

FOREVER YOUNG PAGES 88–97 Architectural designer: Louise Brooks, Brooks & Falotico Associates, New Canaan, (203) 9668440, brooksandfalotico.com Interior designer: Lynn Morgan, Lynn Morgan Design, Rowayton, (203) 866-1940 Builder/renovation and addition: Paul Lima and Robert Lewandowski, L&L Builders, Bethel, (203) 794-1311 Builder/pool house: Mantz Construction, Westport, (203) 696-0323, mantzllc.com Landscape designer: Jennifer Anderson Design & Development, Wilton, (203) 834-9666, jenniferandersondesigns.com Pool installation: Signature Pools, Norwalk, (203) 8667665, signaturepoolsinc. com Pages 90–91: Custom sofa and club chairs

by Lynn Morgan Design, lynnmorgandesign.com, with Rose Tarlow Melrose House fabric, rosetarlow. com/textiles, and Robert Allen trim, robertallen. com; custom wing chair by Lynn Morgan Design with Perennials fabric, perennials.com; custom benches by Lynn Morgan Design with China Seas fabric from Quadrille, quadrillefabrics.com; custom window-treatments fabric by Robert Allen, robertallendesign.com; rug from Fibreworks, fibreworks.com; coffee table from Trovare Home, trovarehomedesign.com; stair and newel post architecture by Robert Cardello Architects, cardelloarchitects.com; cable-knit stair runner in parchment by Crescent, crescentcarpets.com.

Page 92: Custom chairs by Lynn Morgan Design with fabric by Kravet, kravet.com.

Page 93: Bell-shaped Egyptian hand-blown glass cobalt blue light fixture from Liza Sherman, lizashermanantiques.com; custom coffee table and chairs by Lynn Morgan Design with Perennials fabric; sofas by Lynn Morgan Design with fabric from Duralee, duralee.com; Sutton Place rug from Prestige Mills, prestigemills.com; window-seat library light from Circa lighting, circalighting.com; window-seat fabric from LuLu DK, luludk.com.

Page 94: Alton pendant light fixtures in polished nickel from Hudson Valley Lighting, hudsonvalleylighting.com; Portland stool from Palecek, palecek.com, with Montara Navy fabric

by Pindler, pindler.com; Lina pattern runner from Magdalena York, magdalenayorkcollection.com.

Page 95: Globe pendants by West Elm, westelm. com, through Teal Door Decor, tealdoordecor.com; window-seat fabric from Lulu DK; print pillow from HB Home, hbhome.com.

Page 96: Sectional from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, mgbwhome.com, with Perennials fabric; ottoman by Lynn Morgan Design with fabric by Kravet; pillows by Lynn Morgan Design with fabrics

by Cowtan & Tout, cowtan.com, and Osborne

& Little, osborneandlittle.com, and Holland & Sherry, hollandandsherry.com; Lulu rug by Stark, starkcarpet.com.

WEEKENDS IN THE COUNTRY PAGES 98–107 Interior designer: Marisa Bistany Perkins, M West Designs, Norwalk, mwestdesigns@optonline.net Builder: Dan Dumais, Custom Home Building, Simsbury, (860) 559-6305 Pool house designer: Connecticut Post & Beam, Winchester Center, (203) 534-8771, ctpostandbeam.com Page 98: Iron and rope chandelier by Solaria, solarialighting.com; leather chairs from Privet House, privethouse.com.

Page 100: Shelves from Restoration Hardware, restorationhardware.com.

Page 101: Vintage lounge chairs upholstered in San Miguel fabric from Pendleton, pendletonusa.com.

Page 102: Dining room ceiling paint from Fine Paints of Europe, finepaintsofeurope. com; wallcovering by Cowtan & Tout, cowtan. com; leather-seat dining chairs from Theodore Alexander, theodorealexander.com; end chairs upholstered in fabric by Cowtan & Tout.

Page 103: Kitchen stools from Restoration Hardware.

Page 104: Headboard designed by Marisa Bistany Perkins, upholstered in Ralph Lauren fabric, ralphlaurenhome.com; lamp from Currey & Company, curreycodealers.com.

Page 105: Hanging lights from Pottery Barn, potterybarn.com.

Pages 106–107: Outdoor furniture from Kingsley Bate, kingsley-bate.com.

SPECIAL FOCUS: KITCHENS OPEN FOR BUSINESS PAGES 108–113 Tall Order: Pages 108–109 Designer: Jan Hiltz, Jan Hiltz Interiors, Westport, (203) 557-4320, janhiltzintersllc.com Builder: Robert Liesegang, Liesegang Building and Remodeling, Ridgefield, (203) 438-4634, liesegangbuilding.com A Family Affair: Pages 110–111 Designer: Molly Hirsch, Molly Hirsch Interiors, Ridgefield, (203) 438-1070, mollyhirschinteriors.com Builder: Michael Trolle and Jeff Girvalo, BPC Green Builders, Wilton, (203) 563-9909, bpcgreenbuilders.com A Chef’s Dream: Pages 112–113 Designers: Kellie Burke, with interior design assistant Hayley Bryden, Kellie Burke Interiors, West Hartford, (860) 232-9128, kellieburke.com Builder: Michael Delissio Jr., Sunrise Homes, Glastonbury, (860) 306-2100 •

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Douglas VanderHorn Architects 52–53

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New England Home Connecticut, Summer 2016 © 2016 by New England Home Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted by written request only.

Editorial and advertising office: New England Home Magazine, LLC, 530 Harrison Ave, Ste 302, Boston, MA 02118, (617) 938-3991.

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state of the market

centration of antiques dealers. In four or five centers on the south side of the tracks, there is a huge collection of dealers. Each center has its own personality.”

The burgeoning antiques scene has brought other design businesses to the area, including Stark Carpets, Design Within Reach, and Lee Jofa. The abandoned industrial warehouses of Stamford and Norwalk have proved a boon to space-hungry businesses priced out of

the overheated New York and Boston real estate markets.

“Some have showroom areas that are open to the public, some are to the trade,” says Linda Ruderman, a Greenwich interior designer. “All are located in old warehouses.”

Location, location, location doesn’t just apply to selling real estate, it seems.

“We are in close proximity to both New York and Boston, where there are fewer

and fewer antiques shops,” says Geoffrey Walsky, owner of the Fairfield County Antique and Design Center, located in a 20,000-square-foot 1950s warehouse in Norwalk. “We represent seventy dealers, and we also have a contemporary art gallery, so we are a serious resource for dealers and designers.”

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Design ideas in the making

This little garden pavilion is one of several structures I created for a property in Greenwich.

The main house was a 1942 Georgian, which we renovated with a wing added on one side to restore the home’s symmetry; there are also a pool house, greenhouse, and doghouse as part of the ensemble.

During a visit to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s home in Virginia, my client had seen a little square brick pavilion housing a telescope, and that served as the inspiration for this octagonal one. Since he was in the satellite business, we decided to design the pavilion’s floor as if it were a reflection of the night sky in a pool of water. So I took a fifteenth-century woodcut of the constellations, overlaid it onto a map of the sky in different seasons as it appears from our area, and had it etched into the polished black granite floor with the stars picked out in gold leaf.

The gazebo’s exterior is in keeping with the style of the main house: red brick and white trim, rounded arches and pilasters with bases and capitals of molded brick, and a welcoming New England pineapple finial we had fabricated to crown a bell roof sheathed in fish-scale lead tiles. A fun note: since the lead sheets used for the tiles were an eighth of an inch thick, the roof ended up weighing about 10,000 pounds—so we had to add steel inside the brick columns to support it.

Charles Hilton, Charles Hilton Architects, Greenwich, (203) 489-3800, hiltonarchitects.com

Left: Woodruff- Brown Architectural Photography (2)

Sketch Pad

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