In the Swim

from New England Home July-August 2023

Le Fleuriste

Sensational homes with beautiful backyard pools.

BY MARIA LAPIANA

Rock Show

Welcome to the Gilded Age. This circa-1898 summer cottage in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, is authentic and updated for modern living. The classic stone and cedar Shingle-style home with ocean views has been impeccably maintained inside and out. It sits on more than an acre of manicured lawns and gorgeous hydrangea. The nine-bedroom home is grand, but not in a fussy way, says listing agent Donna Simmons. “The house is warm and welcoming with a refined casualness,” she explains. “It feels like a respite from the outside world.” That’s thanks in part to the captivating pool area, a natural extension of the lushly landscaped yard. Designed to look like an elaborate swimming hole, the pool (with a grotto and two waterfalls) is surrounded by rock outcroppings and a bluestone patio with a spa and an outdoor kitchen. While many period details remain, the eat-in kitchen and butler’s pantry underwent a total renovation in 2019. The interiors are open and awash in gray and white. A distinctive feature of the home, says Simmons, is the seventy-six-foot-long three-season porch. And the location can’t be beat. It’s close to the white-sand East Beach, downtown Watch Hill, and the iconic Ocean House.

9 BEDROOMS

8 FULL BATHS

3 PARTIAL BATHS

4,879 SQ. FT. 1.25 ACRES $11,995,000

6 BEDROOMS

6 FULL BATHS

2 PARTIAL BATHS

17,067 SQ. FT.

12.6 ACRES $38,000,000

Prairie Home Companion

This gracious home on 12.6 acres in Weston, Massachusetts, has a presence. Inspired by the work of Frank Lloyd Wright, the 17,000-square-foot beauty is stately, yet fresh and contemporary.

Catalano Architects in Boston designed the Prairie-style home, and Waltham’s KVC Builders constructed it; the home was completed in 2011. “It’s timeless, a ‘passion build,’ ” says listing agent Amy Mizner. Inside are wide-open, streamlined spaces featuring walls and floors clad in limestone and complementary woods. The primary bedroom suite has a sitting room, luxurious marble bath, and balcony with uninterrupted views of the nearby hills. The indoor/outdoor connection is palpable: several spaces open completely to the limestone patio, there are heated courtyards— and oh-so-many windows. “There’s really good flow, but defined spaces, too. They used reclaimed wood and integrated materials whenever possible,” says Mizner. The lower level is all about rest, relaxation, and fun. It includes a spa and sauna, massage room, wine room, game room, and fitness center. A special getaway (and Mizner’s favorite place) is called “El Grotto.” It’s a lounge that serves as a pool house, with folding glass walls that open onto the pool area adjacent to the house and surrounded by a canopy of trees. The infinity pool and spa share the open space with sculptural walls and ornamental grasses.

CONTACT: Amy Mizner, Gibson Sotheby's International Realty, Weston, Mass., sothebysrealty. com, 617-851-4909

Cape Escape

A 4,000-square-foot home with seven bedrooms isn’t typically described as cozy, but that adjective suits this circa-1910 residence in Osterville, Massachusetts. Its seamlessly updated rooms have a relaxed, comfortable feel to them, and its custom details are intact, including French doors, polished wood floors, and simple-butwell-crafted millwork. Listing agent Diane Boudreau is especially fond of the porches: “The wraparound porch is perfect for entertaining or simply enjoying the ocean breezes,” she says. “It overlooks a lovely perennial garden and leads to the pool and patio area.” The sleeping porch on the second level is a retreat with its slip of an ocean view. The home sits on just under an acre, steps away from the historic Wianno Club. Its style is a bit of a hybrid, but with clapboard siding, a mansard roof in front, and multiple bracketed porches, it has Second Empire notes. The back of the house is decidedly less decorative, serving as a foil for the home’s dazzling outdoor living space. That slice of paradise features a forty-five-foot, heated saltwater pool surrounded by granite, a covered patio, a beverage bar with stools (both in and out of the water), a commercial-grade kitchen, and a TV. A spa sits under a pergola, and a firepit invites guests to linger outdoors after sundown. Bonus: in 2017, the homeowners replaced the house’s windows, kitchen appliances, HVAC system, electrical panels, and septic system.