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January 2008
Valentine SoireĂŠ Fund-raiser for War Vets
Monthly
Bringing Home Baby? Preparing The Nursery
Historic Gem Graces Redding Village Green
Construction Queen Not In Name Only
Home of the Month Downtown ... almost New Canaan
The Darien Times The Ridgefield Press The Weston Forum The Lewisboro Ledger
David Ames
Greenwich Post New Canaan Advertiser The Wilton Bulletin The Redding Pilot
Vol. XII, Number 1
A Hersam Acorn Special Section
The
HOME Monthly
FEATURES Bringing home baby? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7 Walk this way . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 Purple reign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-21 Historic gem graces village green . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31 Construction Queen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32-33 ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38-39 DEPARTMENTS Homebodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Home Moaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-9 Cookbook Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11 Away from Home. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Racking One’s Brain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Shopping with Fran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17 Home of the Month. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23 Interior Insights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-25 Window on Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Into the Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-37 Cover: Home of the Month in New Canaan.
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January 2008
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
January 2008
â–
HOMEBODIES â–
A bun in the ovens by G. Lisa Sullivan It was mid-November when I got the call. “Hey, Lisa, it’s me. Guess what ... they’re here! The twins arrived yesterday afternoon!� my 40-something neighbor Sandra cried joyfully at the other end of the telephone. “Are you kidding?� I replied. “Isn’t it a little early? You weren’t expecting them for a couple more weeks. How do they look? Did everything go OK?� “Oh, they’re just beautiful, and everything went fine. I can’t wait for you to see them. When can you come over?� I hesitated a moment, a twinge of envy coiling in the pit of my stomach. Here I was, 42 years old, with a beautiful one of my own at home, and suddenly and unexpectedly I was jealous of my friend. I’d always been perfectly content with my lot in life, or so I’d thought, but now, in light of Sandra’s news, I realized that maybe I hadn’t been so happy after all ... maybe I wanted what Sandra had. I wasn’t getting any younger, either. You never know what the future holds, and I could practically feel the sands of time slipping through my fingers, which anxiously wrestled with the telephone cord while Sandra waited for my response. Call me selfish, but now that my neighbor had her new bundles of joy, I wasn’t sure I was up to visiting. “Maybe I’ll stop over in a few days, when things are more settled down over there,� I told her. “I wouldn’t want to be a bother, or get in the way.� “Oh, no, you have to come,� Sandra said. “I can’t wait to show off the new arrivals!� We were talking, of course, about Sandra’s new double ovens, the delivery that had come a few weeks ahead of schedule. The baby she was in fact expecting was due sometime in the middle of December, but, for the moment, I was more interested in her new appliances.
Kitchen Envy
I’d hate for anyone to think I wasn’t grateful for what I have. I really, truly appreciate what life has given me. I love my family and my friends, and so far we’ve been fairly healthy (you don’t have anything if you don’t have your health, right?). We have a perfectly nice house in a perfectly nice neighborhood. I really like my car, a serviceable Toyota, and we vacation in Rhode Island, my favorite place in the whole world, every summer. There’s not much for which I’m lacking, I honestly believe. When it comes to my kitchen, however, I have to admit I’m a bit of a Greedy Gus. If I didn’t like to cook and we never entertained, I don’t think I could so easily justify my avarice. After all, look at the many celebrities and entrepreneurs and socialites who have huge kitchens with center islands, granite countertops, walk-in pantries, and top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art appliances, and never even use them! Do they really need stainless-steel Viking ranges and Thermador warming drawers and Sub-Zero side-by-side double refrigerators and whisper-quiet Bosch dishwashers and Wolf double ovens if they’re always going out to dinner? Or if their personal chefs and housekeepers and assistants are the only ones who ever actually touch them? If I had even a fraction of these goodies in my kitchen, you can be sure that I’d be using them, with relish. See Homebodies page 41
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Bringing home baby? PREPARING THE NURSERY by Kristan Zimmer Ah, the sweet charm of a baby’s nursery: Little booties, tiny clothes, playful teddy bears, diapers, bottles, blankets, and more teddy bears, more clothes, more furniture, and people keep sending you more new things for your new baby, and suddenly baby’s nursery seems more like a storage closet that cries. New moms, rest easy. You just need a course in Nursery 101.
When Ellen Reed moved from her Mt. Kisco home to a new house in Greenwich, her son Owen was six months old. “The place was a wreck,” Ellen said. Even before moving she said she didn’t feel organized, because she hadn’t taken maternity leave, working till the baby was born. “I was so tired – dealing with hormones, dealing with emotional changes and stress. You can’t ever be prepared enough. There was a lot going on with my own state of mind,” Ellen said. Enter Vera Kessler, founder of Nursery 101, a business she began after having baby Jeremy. Vera helps new moms get organized at home, so when the baby arrives, there is a nursery that is not only functional but attractive. “My baby is definitely my inspiration,” said Vera, when asked why she started her business. When Jeremy was born, she was the first one of her friends to have a baby, and had a family that wasn’t close by to help. She said the more she talked to other women, the more she realized, she wasn’t alone. Hired Help
Kristan Zimmer
From what new moms are saying, it’s all the rage to hire someone to help get baby and mom settled in at home. “You never feel like you’re ready,” said Stephanie Zaccario of Stamford, describing the feelings of a first-time parent. “Things are flying through your mind – did I remember this or that?” Stephanie, co-founder of a Greenwich networking group for new moms, said she has heard from many that they, too, wanted professional help. Stephanie hired a baby nurse, who was recommended by a friend, for her daughter Georgia. For two weeks after the baby was born, her nurse was available 23 hours a Vera Kessler got the inspiration to start a business helping first-time moms set up nurseries after day, and helped her with tips on everything from how to clean the baby bottles she her son Jeremy was born. to how to juggle the baby and all the gear. Her nurse also checked in with her before the baby came home and six months after. Through Nursery 101, Vera offers services before the baby is born or after, depending on what moms request. Possibilities include cleaning the nursery with all organic or non-toxic cleaning products, deciding where to put all the baby’s things for optimal use, advising new parents on Susan D Drake ckd what to register for before the baby Phone: 203-981-8018 shower, and actually registering them for it if they would like her to. “I target essentials first,” Vera said. “Hamper and diapers should be within easy access to the changing area. After that, I go through all the clothes and Elegant Design and Cabinetry for Kitchens, Butlers Pantries, make sure the crib is best situated.” Then she surveys what space is left – BA Interior Design Media Rooms, Libraries, Master suite/lux dressing areas. Certified Kitchen Designer clients with apartments are her biggest Serving CT and NY since 1987 www.ross-drakedesign.com challenge, since often there isn’t much.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
January 2008
Stephanie’s nurse advised her not to use the baby monitor with video screen in her bedroom. Stephanie found when it was on she couldn’t fall asleep because she kept watching it. The nurse also advised her to move the crib to the wall abutting her bedroom instead of near the window, saying that drafts and noise from outside might keep the baby awake. “Moms are getting a lot of help today,” Vera said, “either from a baby nurse, a nanny or family friend. They aren’t doing it all alone anymore. I think it’s a good thing; it’s very difficult. With Nursery 101, my goal is to help women ease their transition into motherhood,” which is different for each person. ■
This nursery shows how baby’s room may be arranged to provide maximum functionality and attractiveness.
Although Ellen wasn’t tight on space, she did have a challenge in deciding what to put where. Although the nursery is smaller in the new house, there is a playroom. Vera worked with Ellen to determine what to keep in the nursery and what to keep in the playroom. “I knew where things were, and everything had a home that made sense, unlike it was before,” Ellen said. For most new moms, one sentiment seems to be the same: Having family and friends to turn to is great, but with technology and medicine changing at such a rapid pace, many moms want to talk to someone who is up on current trends instead of getting advice from loved ones. When the baby-boom generation was raising children, many moms still used cloth diapers. Even a few years ago, many moms were giving children cough medicine, but today there is a major push to forgo cold remedies for children younger than 6 years old. “In five years, things have changed so much,” Stephanie said. “I hadn’t even heard of baby nurses before.” She said another advantage to hiring an expert is that parents, grandparents, other relatives, and friends get to enjoy just the fun parts of having a new baby. “It was more relaxing for my parents to come visit,” she added.
Ellen Reed of Greenwich called on Vera to help prepare baby Owen’s nursery after she moved from Mt. Kisco to Greenwich.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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HOME I MOANER ■
The age of raisin by Ben Guerrero Each New Year’s Day, Melissa and I have a tradition of writing down a list of resolutions for the year. While we compile our lists, we review the ones we wrote in the previous years. Now and then, we actually accomplish some goals, and, together, we check off the successes and evaluate those reccurring topics that are overlooked, forgotten or just plain ignored. Sometimes, those items that show up on the “undone” side turn out to no longer have application, or, more likely, we simply scrawl the unresolved items on the new list and see what happens over the next 365 days. Weight loss is always a perennial favorite that never seems to lose importance on my list, nor do I ever come close to resolving the issue. I was, however, reinspired during the recent holiday festivities, whilst shoveling the 875th jumbo shrimp into my mouth, to stop eating this year. It may have been the inch-and-a-half of roast beef or the 16th trip to the dessert table that pushed me over the edge, but there was a moment, a few hours before the ball dropped on New Year’s eve, that my eyes began to close up simply because my face had absorbed so much excess blubber that there was just no more storage space. If I had any will power, and I do not, I would be extremely careful about what I eat. I have, over the years demonstrated the ability to both lose weight and gain it. I have been around long enough to know exactly the foods that fatten me up and those that don’t.
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In spite of all the benefits of having a super-huge brain, well connected to my frontal lobes where reason is contained, I just can’t seem to do the simple math. Yummy, fatty food multiplied by 50 years equals a colorful obituary. So I am giving up eating this year. I figure, what the hell? I have eaten pretty much everything in large portions all my life. So like booze, tobacco, rock concerts and bungee jumping, all things in which I no longer indulge, why continue risking my life by eating? After all, as a trained medical professional, completely desensitized to human suffering due to many long nights tending to sick and dying patients in today’s MRSA-ridden health-care system, the one thing all of these poor souls have in common is that every one of them has, at least until recently, eaten food habitually. Our culture, dysfunctional as it is, insists on slender waists and willowy limbs, in spite of the fact that during a recent foray into the local mall, I noticed that the face of America has a double chin. So, in keeping with my desire to be different, I’ve decided that by transforming my spherical self into a magazine jeans model, I will actually be setting myself apart from the rest of my flabby fellow Americans. This is all well and good except for one thing: Oatmeal-raisin cookies are really good. As an American raised on cookies, cakes and pies, I have sampled multiple varieties of each. There was a time, dungarees rolled up over Keds, that every home in America had these treats laid out as after-school snacks for the Leave It To Beaver generation. You didn’t know it at the time, but, as a budding sociologist, you could size up a stay-athome mom’s dedication by what was laid out on the willowware plate on the back table. Good moms would have oven-warm homemade treats and a cool glass of milk lying in wait, while others might have a sleeve of Fig Newtons and a 7-Up at the ready. My piano teacher, who lived in a former tuberculosis sanitarium, always had made-fromscratch chocolate cake in her kitchen. There’s a real mom for you. It’s these sepia-toned memories of yesteryear that have trained my sweet tooth, have given me adult onset diabetes and have planted the seed for the superiority of oatmealraisin cookies in my mind.
The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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only took a few days to figure out that unlike booze, cigarettes, rock concerts and bungee jumping, food is a bad habit you cannot live without. I know how to do this, why is it so hard? Steady big fellah, maybe next year I can add “Gain 10 pounds” to my annual list. That’d be a first. In lieu of flowers, send oatmeal-raisin cookies to ben.guerrero@sbcglobal.net. ■
Ben Guerrero
But when the dust of the cold war settled on our collective lack of social consciousness and the entire world was suddenly allergic to peanut butter, I found my cynical, older self favoring oatmeal-raisin cookies above all others (hold on, did someone mention Fig Newtons?). Not that I eat oatmeal-raisin cookies all that often. I succumb to their allure now and then. My search for sustenance sometimes forces my chubby hand. My logic is that, according to Wilfred Brimley, oatmeal is good for me and it lowers cholesterol. Raisins, meanwhile, are made from grapes, and grapes are fruit and I don’t eat enough fruit, so oatmeal-raisin cookies are health food. Among the millions of cookie selections available, I seldom find a bad oatmeal raisin cookie. Now and then some well-meaning confectioner will think they are upping the ante by tossing chocolate chips into the mix. Don’t get me wrong, chocolate chips have their moments, they say chocolate is actually good for you, but they do not belong in an oatmeal raisin cookies. Can you imagine the Tollhouse crowd finding raisins in their cookies? I rest my case. As far as the oatmeal-raisin cookie, I prefer the chewy variety, and, for some reason, the larger the diameter the better. The crunchy ones tend to disappoint somehow, though I’ll eat as many of them as you can put in front of me. Melissa is a peanut butter cookie person, although I have seen her turn them down based on sheer strength of dietary conviction. For that alone I throw myself at her feet, for I am not worthy. We went into Grand Central Terminal over the holidays to shop the gift boutiques and to have a couple of dozen bivalves at the Oyster Bar. At the food court, which is worth the price of the Metro North ticket, I felt a bit blah, in need of some nourishment. While Melissa read the ingredients on a jar of imported cornichons, I ordered up an oatmeal-raisin cookie from a gorgeous stack at a nearby bakery. The surly clerk, in an olive drab toque, tonged the six-inch disc into a white paper bag and took $2.25 from my pocket. The cookie was perfect, buttery and memorable, an excellent appetizer for the 12 droopy Wellfleets we were about to slurp down in the basement. The cookie was so good, in fact, that Melissa had to get one for herself, scoring a victory for those of us who lack the strength of conviction to otherwise resist. But I’ll have to avoid the food court, and the oyster bar and Starbucks (which has a passable cookie selection) in favor of my New Year’s resolution to never eat again. I will taste only in my memories, the chewy goodness, sometimes warm from the oven, tasty, yummy and potentially deadly. It’s been a couple of weeks, I am not sure how it’s going. I have had a handful of plain raisins and the other day, a warm bowl of oatmeal on a frosty Sunday morning. It
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COOKBOOK I REVIEW ■
‘When everything is too much ...’ by Susan Miller Bittman, Bittman, 24/7, he’s everywhere – with travel and weekly food columns cum videos, various cookbooks, and the new How to Cook Everything Vegetarian (John Wiley & Sons, $35). Admittedly, Mark Bittman is outstanding in the field and knows how to teach and inspire cooks at any level of experience. But do we need yet another behemoth with more than 1,000 recipes? This giant tome would be better if more focused and one-third its heft. It’s really most appropriate for vegetarians who want a comprehensive how-to cookbook without meat, poultry or fish. For those readers, this EverythingVegetarian has, well, everything: the basics, charts galore
THE SIMPLEST BEAN BURGERS “This is the way to go when you want a burger and have neither the time nor the inclination to fuss. When made with chickpeas, they’re golden brown and lovely; with black beans, much darker; with red, somewhere in between. Lentils give you a slightly grainy texture.” – Mark Bittman 2 cups well-cooked white, black, or red beans, chickpeas or lentils, or one 14-ounce can, drained 1 medium onion, quartered 1/2 cup rolled oats (preferably not instant) 1 tablespoon chili powder or spice mix of your choice Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 egg Bean-cooking liquid, stock, or other liquid (wine, cream, milk, water, ketchup, etc.) if necessary Extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, as needed Combine the beans, onion, oats, chili powder, salt, pepper, and egg in a food processor and pulse until chunky but not puréed, adding a little liquid if necessary (this is unlikely but not impossible) to produce a moist but not wet mixture. Let the mixture rest for a few minutes if time allows. With wet hands, shape into whatever size patties you want and again let rest for a few minutes if time allows. (You can make the burger mixture or even shape the burgers up to a day or so in advance. Just cover tightly and refrigerate, then bring everything back to room temperature before cooking.) Film the bottom of a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet with oil and turn the heat to medium. A minute later, add the patties. Cook until nicely browned on one side, about 5 minutes; turn carefully and cook on the other side until firm and browned. Serve on buns with the usual burger fixings. Or cool and refrigerate or freeze for later use. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Time: 20 minutes with cooked beans. excerpted from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman, © 2007, John Wiley & Sons
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
January 2008
(20), ingredient information, techniques (basically what you find in a good general cookbook), with expanded sections on grains, vegetables, beans, soy products, and sauces. There are even enough options for vegans. For the occasional vegetarian, however, it’s redundant. His previous How to Cook Everything and other cookbooks have more than enough meatless choices for pastas, pizzas, vegetables, or soups, and many other recipes have vegetarian variations. Breads, salads and desserts are almost always vegetarian, so, again, superfluous here. Most interesting and useful is the section on vegetarian main courses, featuring tofu, miso, veggie burgers, and tempeh. Kudos to the author for not using frozen “nuke and serve” meals or highly processed ingredients, such as textured vegetable protein. He wisely sticks to traditional foods. The section on sea vegetables is a plus for every reader. Sidebars of interest include one on umami, that elusive “meaty” fifth taste prevalent in aged Parmesan, mushrooms and sea vegetables. There is so much information, so many tips and techniques that he is almost trying too hard to show that, yes, vegetarian cooking can be delicious and easy. Even the jacket cover is a politically correct green. Bittman is master of myriad variations on a master recipe, such as a tomato sauce, mayonnaise and chili pastes. I thought I’d never want one more tomato recipe, but Grilled Tomatoes and Scrambled Eggs Chinese Style is a real keeper. Vegetarian Asian sauces are welcome, as is a substitute for Worcestershire and that ubiquitous fish sauce.
ATTENTION BRIDES! SALE OF SAMPLE GOWNS On Sunday, Jan. 20, prospective brides from across the state will converge at the Burr Homestead, 739 Old Post Road in Fairfield, where the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County (JLEFC) will hold its second annual Designer Bridal Gown Sample Sale. The fund-raising event will be open to the public from 10 to 4. Bridal salons in Connecticut that specialize in designer bridal apparel will be represented. Among the well-known salons participating will be the Plumed Serpent of Westport and the White Dress of Clinton. Bridal apparel by such top designers as Monique Lhuillier, Anne Barge, Paloma Blanca, Melissa Sweet, Lazaro, Romona Keveza, and many others will be available. The gowns and dresses are store samples that have never been worn. Most of the gowns will be discounted by 40% to 80% of the full retail price. Fifty percent of sale proceeds will be donated to the Bridgeport Childcare Center Project, an 11,000-square-foot nonprofit child care facility in the south end of Bridgeport, which the JLEFC will build in conjunction with the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA. January 2008
The facility, designed to serve families in need, will provide quality, easily accessible child care and early childhood education programs that will improve the lives of more than 100 pre-K children each year, and enable their parents to obtain and retain gainful employment. Together, the JLEFC and YMCA will serve as active participants in the development of the facility, including its fund-raising activities. The JLEFC is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Communities represented by the JLEFC include Bridgeport, Easton, Fairfield, Monroe, Newtown, Redding, Shelton, Southport, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, and Westport. For additional information on the bridal show, JLEFC, or volunteer opportunities, visit jlefc.org or call 203-259-9995. Snow date is the following Sunday, Jan. 27.
Suggested menus include a vegan Chinese Banquet and a Valentine Dinner that relies on cheese and eggs. In fact, there’s a considerable reliance on butter, eggs and cheese, such as an artery-clogging quiche. Choose instead the wonderful falafel with six variations, and learn why falafel is different from bean fritters. Lentils and Potatoes with homemade curry powder is another nice main dish. The author said that writing this book has changed his way of eating. That’s hard to swallow when he celebrates offal in a recent food column. But if you can forgo offal and want to try excellent meatless mains, there are plenty of ideas for anyone, and it’s a real candy store for vegetarians. ■
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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AWAY I FROM I HOME ■
Nature centers bring cheer to winter’s doldrums by Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell Brutal cold. Frosty terrain. Winter warriors – squelch the cabin fever! First, inch into the long underwear, affix layers, finish attire with a coat and muffler. Next, set the boots in motion and lay tracks to one of the many nature centers in Connecticut. Generally, the mission at these non-profit organizations is environmental – education, awareness, preservation, conservation, and advocacy, particularly in relation to our own backyards. The experience is pure fun for day-trippers of all ages. Encounter some of New England’s best outdoor “living” murals, complete with hundreds of well-marked trails. But, wait a minute, this is mid-winter – skeletal trees, dull and barren landscapes, enough to make perambulators yawn. What true naturalists know, however, is that during the “dead time” of the season, the natural world unfolds opportunities galore from bird watching to seal encounters. Yes, now is the time to observe harbor seals in Long Island Sound. Stacy Lytwyn Maxwell photos
Meigs Point Nature Center in Madison is a showcase of coastline fauna and flora.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
January 2008
“Did you know there are seals out there?” ask many of the visitors to Meigs Point Nature Center at Hammonasset Beach in Madison – Connecticut’s largest public beach that draws more than one million people annually. To the staff, harbor seal sightings, which totaled seven upon a recent visit, are old news. The announcement, “The seals are back,” had already been posted by the center’s door. “They just sun themselves on our rocks, and they’ve been doing that for years,” said Russ Miller, director of the nature center. New Haven’s Lighthouse Point Park is another one of the mammals favored spots, he said. Although most populous from November through March, seals are year-round neigh-
bors. In addition to harbor seals, you might also see ice seals, hooded seals and harp seals. “Mystic (aquarium personnel) isn’t exactly sure why more seals are showing up in Long Island Sound – probably relates to the shrinking of the ice cap – but you would think that they would be going farther north instead of farther south,” Russ said, adding, “They can survive in much colder temperatures than we get here.” Day-trippers, of course, need not fret about the reasons behind the phenomenon; they just need to bring binoculars. Also, check for low tide when See Away from Home page 28
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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RACKING I ONE’S I BRAIN ■
Life lists now on nation’s to-do list by Tim Murphy Brambleberry wants to visit Stonehenge, meet Oprah, and drink eight glasses of water every day for a month. Teagreenlove wants to hug the Dalai Lama, sing in a band, and have six kids. Yasoccer wants to go a day without talking, float in the Dead Sea, and drink Chinese oolong tea with a side of smoked salmon and cacao sprinkles. Disparate in ambition, the three have one thing in common: They’ve posted their goals online at Superviva.com, one of several popular social-networking Web sites devoted to life lists. These lists, which serve as motivational itineraries for the remainder of one’s life, currently register somewhere between hot fad and cultural phenomenon on the nation’s self-actualizing odometer. Author Patricia Schultz’s 1,000 Places to See Before You Die was so popular that she and her publisher (Workman) now look prescient for taking out a trademark on the title template. That move, combined with the strong sales of the book, helps explain the rash of similar, if oddly numbered, follow-ups: 1,001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, 1,001 Albums You Must Hear Before Pillows s Slipcover
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You Die, and even 1,001 Buildings You Must See Before You Die. The band Three Dog Night once sang about one being the loneliest number; if they reform, they can change that to 1,002. Magazines and television news shows have also compiled life lists for readers and viewers, and the movie The Bucket List (in theaters now) stars Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson as two cancer patients who vow to spend their final months doing everything they wished they had done. Kiss a beautiful girl? Check. Drive a pair of Shelby Cobras? Check. Ride Harleys on the Great Wall of China? Check. Make a really mediocre movie? Check. At Superviva.com and 43things.com, visitors can sign up for free and then enter their customized life lists, getting feedback and encouragement from others who have already accomplished similar goals. Many items are generic leftovers from the suddenly passé New Year’s resolution lists, such as losing weight, falling in love and learning a new language – all among the top 10 on 43things. com’s compilation chart. Done properly, however, a life list is supposed to expound on those mundane resolution vows by adding depth and specificity. Saying you want to travel more is bland. Saying you want to meditate at the Zen Garden in Kyoto is perfect. Conventional wisdom (there is no Harris interactive poll yet) holds that the popularity of life lists stems from the surge in baby boomers reaching their 50s
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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and 60s. This makes sense. Placing a generation enamored with introspection and achievement closer to mortality is bound to produce intense soul-searching, not to mention a spike in river trips down the Yangtze. But spend some time on one of the life-lists Web sites and a strange alternative theory emerges: Many of the posters are college-age and younger. Some of the people who want to drink wine at a Parisian café are not yet old enough to drink. Justin Zackham, the 37-year-old screenwriter of The Bucket List, told The New York Times that it’s younger people who find life lists appealing, saying that baby boomers are too career focused to seek great experiences. “We grew up as a generation questioning all that,” Zackham told The Times. “People do more lists now because they are actually thinking outside the typical progression of what life is supposed to be like.” From a self-help perspective, some experts say, a life list can be a productive way of finding out what really motivates someone. “Making a list of everything you want to do in your life gives you an exciting and fulfilling direction: Your life list is your map,” writes Susan Whipple, a certified professional life coach, on Superviva.com. “No experienced sailor would take to the high seas without a clear destination and a charted course. Your life list reminds you of where you are going, and all the interesting places you will visit along the way.” That said, the list needs to be focused and the goals reachable. Those who can’t stay on key through Happy Birthday might struggle to star one day in Aida at the Met. But some life-listers are anything but restrained.
In addition to being quiet, floating in the Dead Sea and sipping Chinese oolong tea, Yasoccer wants to make a gingerbread house, become a published travel writer, dive in every ocean, and have six-pack abs. In fact there are 626 goals to accomplish on her online list. Among those is to stop procrastinating, currently number 431 on the list. She may want to move that one up a little. ■
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The Joyful Organizer REQUESTS YOUR QUESTIONS Can’t find your keys? Can’t see the dining-room table because it is buried under clutter? Running late for school ... again? You are not alone! Fact: Average Americans spend one third of their free time looking for items they know they own but cannot find. Stop the cycle of disorganization and make 2008 the year you take back your life. Professional organizer Bonnie Dewkett, owner of The Joyful Organizer, will answer your questions about home organization. Send them to info@thejoyfulorganizer.com. All questions will be answered, and your question may be featured in an upcoming column in The Home Monthly. If you have too much stuff, too little space, messy kids, or you close off rooms when guests come over, Bonnie can help. We look forward to hearing from you.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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SHOPPING I WITH I FRAN ■
Starting the New Year with a healthy you by Fran Sikorski After putting together Thanksgiving, Christmas and welcoming 2008 within a month’s time, we all need and deserve pampering – more than less recommended – to re-energize ourselves and get the old zip back. With the opening of more spas and gyms in Fairfield County, all ages have choices in treatments to alleviate stress and get much-needed exercise. Suggestions for beauty and balance this month are the Wilton Nail Spa for pedicures, face and body massage treatments, 239 Danbury Rd., 203-762-1SPA or 7623SPA; and Avance Esthetiques, Sand Hill Plaza in Newtown, 203-270-8911, where services include rejuvenating facials, anti-stress, collagen and VitaCura treatments, Bindi herbed body treatments, therapeutic body massage, and a half day of beauty that includes a skin polishing/exfoliating treatment, manicure and pedicure and light snack. The remedy for children who have been video couch potatoes during the holidays is a visit to Kids in Motion Gymnastics, 70 Pine St., in New Canaan, 203966-4135, where there are award-winning parent and child gymnastics classes for beginner, intermediate, advanced, and competitive students. To get your exercise by dancing, enroll in Hot Shoes Dance, 123 West Lane, Ridgefield, 203-431-6414 where classes are offered in jazz, tap, hip hop, and ballet, and you can try a class for free. There’s also a new Arthur Murray Dance Studio in Greenwich at 6 Lewis St., 203-983-5546. It’s a great place for about-to-be-married couples to perfect their first dance together after the ceremony.
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If you enjoy the privacy of a spa in your own home, Charles F. NeJame Pools, 358 Main St. in Danbury, 203-743-1234, has many styles to choose from, and there are seasonal sales. NeJame Pools is an authorized Saratoga Spa dealer. In-home services are available from area spas. A new law beginning Jan. 1 requires licenses for massage therapists. A visit to this tea- and coffee-supply house and gift shop will offer many surprises and Simpson & Vail Inc. keep you busy longer than you expected. 3 Quarry Road Founded in 1904 in the South Street section Brookfield, 203-775-0240 of Manhattan by coffee merchant Augustus 9 to 5:30 Monday to Friday Saturday (Sept. to June) 10 to 4 M. Walbridge, who named the business after himself. It continued to grow, change hands, and was known as Simpson & Vail (after the last owners) when purchased in 1978 by Jim and Joan Harron, who added food products and tea accessories in addition to expanding the tea and coffee lines. The Harrons moved the business from Park Place in New York City to a 1920 remodeled barn in Pleasantvile, N.Y., in 1982, and two of the four Harron children, Cyndi and Jim Jr., joined the company full time in 1990. Since the business continued to grow in size and scope, in 1996, the Harrons purchased property in Brookfield, adjacent to a quarry, and moved not only the business office and showroom but built a home there as well. The quarry with its
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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Simpson & Vail, a teahouse with coffee and gifts.
bold granite face and evergreens scattered along the cliffs, which reflect in the water below, creates a feeling of peace and harmony with nature. The showroom displays bins of the finest teas and blended herbal tisanes, including decaffeinated teas, from around the world, and a limited number of new-estate teas, in addition to a variety of coffees. New and in step with the times are caffeinefree yoga teas. Daily samples of teas are offered. The gift shop features an assortment of teapots, tea glassware, coffee and tea gift baskets, teatime accessories, tea cozies, stationery, Block Island scone mix, almond pound cake, Bellows House shortbread, Spanish honey, cocoa, children’s tea sets and more. During warmer weather, enjoy your sample of tea outdoors while admiring the restful quarry scene.
Peter’s Home & Garden 874 Federal Road Brookfield, 203-775-5627 Open every day from 9 to 5
You never know what you’re going to find at Peter’s Home & Garden shop. It is not a discount destination but “the price is right.” The large shop was a Christmas fairyland before the holidays and is now being groomed See Shopping with Fran page 40
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
17
Walk this way TIPS MAKE WINTER WALKING LESS FOREBODING by Tim Murphy It’s an unexpected sinking feeling that most of us in the Northeast can relate to at this time of year. One minute you’re up, the next you’re down. On the ground, that is. Normally an uncomplicated motor skill, walking takes on a far more complicated, dangerous nature during winter months when patches of ice and slippery snow await the unsuspecting foot like a batch of hidden banana peels. Fortunately, the majority of slips and falls result in nothing more than momentary shock and embarrassment. But some tumbles are more severe, requiring emergency room visits and causing sprains, broken bones and concussions, especially for those 65 and older. Outside of moving to Arizona, there is another foolproof solution: Hibernation. But even with global warming, that is still too much cabin fever for the average human who wasn’t raised by bears. Besides, life gets in the way. There are driveways to be shoveled, mailboxes to be reached, groceries to be bought, jobs to be worked, friends and family to be visited, pets to be walked. Staying in might work for a night, just not a season. But spending one afternoon indoors, parked in front of the computer, is worthwhile. Perform a few electronic searches and you’ll come away with enough winter-
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walking tips and advice to snicker the next time a meteorologist warns of heavy snow, freezing rain or sleet. Many pedestrian wipeouts can be avoided by remembering a simple rule: The shoes you wear when it’s 80 and sunny are not the ones you should be wearing when it’s 30 and snowing. Traction is crucial, which means keeping shoes with plastic and leather soles in the closet. Just like snow tires, you want something that grips the road – or in this case, the sidewalk. Waterproof walking or hiking shoes or boots work well, and there’s always the option of adding extra traction with Stabilicers, YakTrax or Ice Walker slip-on cleats, which dig into ice to provide better footing. Searching out well-shoveled, ice-free walkways is always preferable, just not always possible. When you do have to walk on ice or slippery snow, some mechanical adjustments can help. These include taking shorter steps or shuffling the feet, slightly bending the knees, walking flat-footed with the center of gravity over the feet, walking at a slower pace, and keeping hands out of pockets and free to help with balance. Visualizing failure is also helpful. By being prepared for a fall, you can react quicker if it happens. The goal is to tuck and roll rather than stick an arm out to break the fall. Other recurring tips include: Planning ahead and giving yourself time to reach a destination, using handrails when available, using extra care when entering and exiting vehicles and using the vehicle for support, avoiding shortcuts and sticking to designated walkways, making sure that approaching vehicles have come to a stop before stepping off curbs, and walking against traffic and as close to the curb as possible whenever sidewalks and walkways are impassable and you have to walk in the street.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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And that sunburst-orange scarf you swore you’d never wear? Might come in handy. Wearing a brightly colored item or reflective gear is a good idea, just in case you do wind up having to walk in the street. Those who enjoy longer walks as part of an exercise regimen can retreat to malls and treadmills once winter arrives. Or not. Parks, bike paths, high-school tracks, and even quiet residential streets are among the outdoor alternatives for walkers, who can burn more calories and get extra stability by using walking or trekking poles. Two more tips: Start the walk into the wind to finish with it at your back, and make sure to bring water. Yes, the body sweats in winter, too. But no matter how prepared you are, there are times when staying inside makes the most sense during winter. Those occasions include blizzards, wind-chill factors below zero and NFL playoff games. Otherwise, go out and get some fresh air. It will do you good. Exposure to direct sunlight readjusts brain chemicals and changes your mood, and walking is among the simplest ways to lose weight and improve circulation, mobility and balance. As long as you stay upright. ■
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We are right in the heart of the Carolina Lowcountry, 40 minutes north of Savannah, 90 minutes south of Charleston. The property is so spectacular, back in 1991 Arnold Palmer was reluctant to put a golf course on it. Nature gets top priority here -over one-third of the island is a nature preserve maintained by four full-time naturalists. Palmer did do the course and it is considered
his best. All the other amenities that make us competitive with any other development are in place. And the island is far from being overly developed. Fewer than 400 property owners share 3,000-acres of maritime forest and 3,500-acres of marshland. Spring Island is the first of its kind. And it appears to be the last of its kind. For a grand look at all we have to offer, click on our website.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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Purple reign by G. Lisa Sullivan
When my husband and I first moved into our circa 1960s split-level home, it truly looked like something right out of the Brady Bunch ... Day-Glo orange shag carpets, brown-paneled walls, a small, dark kitchen, and groovy (i.e., outdated) bathroom tile. While I actually liked the soft, lemony yellow (my favorite color) guest bathroom tile, I literally had to turn the other cheek on our turquoise master bath. Each time I entered, I expected to find Jan Brady trying to erase her freckles with lemon juice or Greg and Marcia fighting over toothpaste. Shortly after we moved in, I decided to subtly ignore the turquoise tile, and had a flowered patterned wallpaper installed on the wall space above the tile. Eventually I got used to the turquoise hue, and 10 years later, when the bathroom needed a minor face lift, I simply replaced the wallpaper with white paint and some new brushed-nickel lighting fixtures. Today, we’re still living with the turquoise, and every once in a while I get it in my head to redo the bathroom. Wouldn’t it look great with white subway tile, or porcelain bead-board instead? When I really think about living through a costly, messy renovation, however, I decide to turn the other cheek again, and think of some new way to live with the original tile. House Of Style
Debra Geller and Deb Ryan rose to the challenge and created a unique bathroom for a designer show house.
The same could be said for Debra Geller, owner of Debra Geller Interior Design in Pound Ridge, the mastermind behind one of the rooms at The Chimneys Designer ShowHouse, which was held last fall in Bridgeport. The elegant 15,000-square-foot Georgian mansion, which was built in 1929 with 10 impressive chimneys (hence the name), includes 11 bedrooms, 8 full and 2 half baths, 11 fireplaces, formal
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
Liotta Studios is a Green company... Doing what we can to help the environment. January 2008
living and dining rooms, staff quarters, a six-car garage, in-ground pool, pool house, a fountain, and a tennis court. And in case you’re interested, it’s for sale. “Another designer asked me to participate in the show-house project, which was located in Bridgeport’s beautiful and historic St. Mary’s By The Sea enclave, and I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity to showcase my work, as well as transform an otherwise outdated space into a glamorous haven,” recalls Debra, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an interior designer with 15 years’ experience. The space in question, a small master bath with vintage purple tile and pale yellow fixtures, might have proven too challenging to some, but Debra embraced the project immediately. “I visualized the space as soon as I walked in the bathroom door,” Debra explains, “and although the purple tile could have been an obstacle, I decided to use it as a springboard for the rest of the bathroom design.” A Team Effort
Working with decorative painter Deb Ryan, owner of Deb Ryan Designs in Greenwich, Debra designed and executed her plan in a month’s time, visiting The Chimneys first in August and completing the space in time for the ShowHouse opening in late September. “My inspiration for the master bathroom was old Hollywood style,” Debra says. “I wanted to bring the glamour back to the master bath, a place where the day begins and ends, and where a chance for renewal and transformation presents itself.” She also wanted to show visitors, including potential buyers, that original vintage materials can be maintained, reused and incorporated into a design scheme. Consequently, the designer chose to play up the dark, rich purple tile and pale yellow fixtures. “It just takes creativity and imagination,” she explains. “ I specified an antique silver-leaf Venetian plaster for the walls, with butterflies, a symbol of rebirth, sprinkled throughout.” She also used crystal sconces and lights, an armoire closet with mirror-front drawers and hand-made yellow glass knobs, a chaise lounge with a luxurious velvet throw, a custom silk rug, and crystal-beaded silk window treatments to complement and dress up the space. “The ceiling was painted to look like a tent going into the clouds, and with
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butterflies flying in the faux skylight, which we mimicked from the light fixture in the foyer,” Debra says. An Artist à la Michelangelo
Deb, who has been painting and creating for eight years and whose client list includes the Richards and Mitchells specialty stores, the Delamar Hotel, and numerous local restaurants and private homes, including the local residence of a royal family, collaborated with Debra to layer plaster and silver metallic paints and to paint silver-on-silver butterflies with 3-D shadowing. Deb, who had previously worked with Debra on a number of projects, painted the trim in three different colors to complement the tile, and she primed the ceiling and then painted it with a trompe l’oeil skylight with “broken glass,” allowing the butterflies to fly out to the sky above. “It was a challenge to paint such detail above my head in 90° heat,” she says, “but I love a challenge, and when all was said and done, it was worth it! The purple tile looked beautiful juxtaposed against the plastered, metallic walls and ‘fabric’ sky and skylight.” From Nov. 1 through the end of December, Deb puts decorative painting on the back burner to operate a holiday decoration business, with clients that include Neiman See Purple reign page 26
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
21
Downtown ... almost LOCATION: A short distance from the center of New Canaan, this home is close to schools, train, shopping, and recreation. PROPERTY: The .25-acre in-town lot offers attractive landscaping, a terrace and minimal upkeep. HOUSE: Large, bright, well-proportioned rooms are perfect for family living and entertaining. Custom-designed, distinctive millwork appears throughout, and the marble and stone fireplaces are impressive. There is a living room with fireplace and coffered ceiling; a dining room, paneled, with butler’s pantry; a family room with fireplace, coffered ceiling and built-ins; a chef ’s kitchen with island and pantry; a breakfast room; a mud room; and two half baths. Upstairs (there are front and rear staircases) there are five bedrooms; the master has a fireplace, bath and walk-in closet. There are three more baths, all with hand-glazed wall tile, and three more walk-in closets. A 1,300-square-foot basement offers space for a home theater, wine cellar and exercise room. GARAGE: Two-car attached. PRICE: $2,695,000. REALTY: Prudential CT. Agent: Jocie Jandovitz, 203-247-1870. Photography: David Ames.
H o m e
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INTERIOR I INSIGHTS ■
Color is the root of great design by Terri Reilly Let’s talk paint color. I love color, the whole pie of color – from shades of white snow to the deepest aubergine, and all the hues between the crusts. Not too long ago, color was for the wealthy only, and the majority of people saw their environment mostly in “grays.” Not until the 1950s did science enable us to produce more paint colors; now we have over 16,000,000! However, let’s not overwhelm ourselves. We’re going to investigate a fraction of that. My favorite line of paint is Farrow and Ball, which is an England-based company. The quality and intensity of their colors are unbeatable, but the number of colors is limited. However, I have used their paint on many projects. I recently designed an English-style kitchen using a Cowtan & Tout (also an English company) linen floral with a charming check for the window treatments. The icing on the cake was Farrow & Ball’s Teresa Green (I have an affection for the name as it is also mine, and spelled the same way). Most important, though, my client was delighted with the color. This special green pulled the whole room together and made it cozy and comfortable.
A before shot shows a pleasant but not arresting living room.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
www.newenglandartisansdesign.com
Fax: 203.298.9051 January 2008
In preparation for an open house, and as a lure for potential buyers I took a 10,000-square-foot home and created a beautiful and inviting atmosphere with a symphony of Farrow & Ball colors. The color combinations superbly complemented the home’s turn-of-century design. The two-story foyer, a sophisticated entrance in Farrow and Ball’s Archive, moved on to Joa’s White in the main hallway. The sunken living room was finished in rich Powder Blue, which was stunning to experience as you continued down the hallway. The kitchen was delicious in Cooking Apple Green, and the eating alcove complemented it in Straw, which has a beautiful gold tone. Although many colors were used, there was an easy flow throughout the home. If you have a whole interior to paint, the easiest approach is to use a blueprint and place paint chips in each room. Then you will have an overview of what blends well and what does not. Using this system, you can easily change colors by selecting different swatches. As we all know, paint color can alter any room immediately, creating a huge impact or a calm Zen feeling. Therefore, when you’ve decided on a color, paint swatches on a wall and watch them as the sun moves throughout the day. By doing this, you will be able to see if the color really works within the space. There are various factors to be considered before filling a space with color. • What is the room’s function? • Is there architectural detail? • Are there large pieces of furniture? • What time of day will it be used the most? • How much natural light is there? • What fabrics will be used to set the color tone? The answers will help you decide on the ideal colors for your rooms. So enjoy looking at the myriad of paint colors, have fun with the selection and, “Happy painting!”
January 2008
Terri Reilly is an allied member of the American Society of Interior Designers. Her firm, TR Design, is in Ridgefield; 203-994-4366; e-mail, terri@TRDesignASID. com; Web site: trdesignasid.com. ■
After, Farrow and Ball’s Ballroom Blue is a perfect example of how color impacts a space.
The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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Purple reign continued from page 21 Marcus, a famous local sports figure and restaurants such as Acqua, Terra, Sole, and Mediterraneo. Winter Wonderland
Deb estimates that 75% of her work is painting, while the remaining 25% she devotes to holiday projects. “I love doing the holiday decorations,” she says, “which can include anything from putting up lights and wreaths to purchasing and installing an entire houseful of decorations, and then taking them down and packing them up. It all depends on what the client wants.” Come Jan. 1, however, Deb returns to her first love, painting. “Deb Ryan has been wonderful to work with,” says Debra, “offering invaluable input and achieving anything I asked of her. We even managed to make the purple tile look like it was part of the overall design scheme, which, in fact, it was. When visitors and the other show-house interior designers asked me how it was to work with the purple tile, I told them that there’s almost always a way to work with existing materials, and, in this particular case, it was challenging yet really fun.” For further information, contact Debra Geller, Debra Geller Interior Design, 914-5224811, or Deb Ryan, decorative artist, 914-494-8052. ■
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
January 2008
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WINDOW I ON I REAL I ESTATE ■
‘New’ shouldn’t excuse skipping a home inspection by Jane K. Dove Most people buying a newly constructed home are not that concerned about possible defects. After all, the home must pass an inspection by the town building department, and they are also getting a warranty from the builder. So why worry? Bill Hirsch, president of Total Home Inspection of New Canaan, says even with the town code inspections and a builder’s guarantee, there are plenty of defects that can go unnoticed. “New home buyers are well advised to spend the $600 to $750 it takes to get a new home inspection and safeguard their $1-million-and-up investment,” he says. Mr. Hirsch is a member of the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) and past president of its Coastal Connecticut chapter. ASHI members are all skilled in
The
HOME
new-home inspections and have extensive knowledge of building standards and codes, along with formal training in their field. Code May Not Be Enough
Mr. Hirsch says relying on the town to say your new home is perfect can sometimes lead to problems. That’s because town building-code inspections are designed to insure that the new home complies with the basic rules and regulations in that particular municipality and may not “go the extra mile” to insure the home is truly defect-free. See Window on Real Estate page 42
WILLIAM F. VERRILL
CABINETMAKER
Monthly
FINE INTERIOR WOODWORKING
Vol.XII, Number 1 is a special section to: Greenwich Post, The Darien Times, New Canaan Advertiser, The Ridgefield Press, The Wilton Bulletin, The Redding Pilot and The Weston Forum in Connecticut, and The Lewisboro Ledger in New York • 52,000 copies published monthly • Jackie Perry, editor Jessica Perlinski, designer • Thomas B. Nash, publisher • For advertising information, call 203-438-6544 • For information on editorial submissions, call 203-894-3380 E-mail: home@acorn-online.com • Extra copies are available free at the Hersam Acorn office, 16 Bailey Avenue, Ridgefield, Conn. (behind the town hall)
FROM DESIGN TO INSTALLATION KITCHENS, LIBRARIES, FAMILY ROOMS 25 YEARS OF LOCAL EXPERIENCE
Copyright 2008, Hersam Acorn Newspapers, LLC
Box 1019 Ridgefield, Conn 06877 203-438-6544 January 2008
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
27
Away from Home continued from page 13 the craggy rocks provide inviting seal hammocks. A handicapped-accessible trail behind the nature center leads to a newly constructed observation deck for optimal viewing. The platform is one of numerous four-season features at Hammonasset, which has a two-mile shoreline and 900 acres of salt marshes and trails. The Friends of Hammonasset, a not-for-profit volunteer organization, plays a significant role in the park’s improvements. “The biggest reason people come to this park in the winter is the birding. There are a lot of arctic birds. We do walks throughout the winter,” Russ said. “It’s also a really good time of year to go beach combing; you find a lot more shells. There are fewer people, and winter storms wash a lot of things up.” No matter how cold it is outside, the nature center, renovated in 2004, is always heated. Visitors can peruse three rooms of exhibits. Most noteworthy are the live reptiles and amphibians, which include the northern copperhead snake, one of Connecticut’s most venomous snakes, safely tucked inside a glass tank. There are also mounted species of indigenous wildlife, such as a black bear, which bring the outdoors indoors. A saltwater touch-tank, home to critters like a lobster and giant spider crab, further capture the imagination. Russ doesn’t care if he has a crowd of four or 70, he’ll use any excuse to demonstrate his snake, turtle and reptile programs. Southward back to Fairfield County, about an hour from Madison, Westport’s Earthplace, The Nature Discovery Center (accredited by The American Association of Museums), has witnessed countless changes since it opened in 1959. Its dedication to the environment and wildlife rehabilitation, however, has remained its cornerstone. Here, instead of salt marshes, you’ll find woods. Like Madison’s nature center, nothing, whether the easy walking trails or modern equipped playground, is off-limits in the winter.
“We have over 60 acres, so we do have wildlife on our property. We also have birdfeeders outside so people can sit and watch them,” said Margaret Ardwin, the center’s director. Roaming neighbors include deer, turkeys and hawks. Winter’s snowy ground is a carpet of wonder. “A lot of kids just love looking for prints in the snow,” she said. Outdoors are the Connecticut birds of prey – “live animal ambassadors” – two bald eagles, a peregrine falcon, red-tailed hawks and several types
Little explorers have plenty of hands-on experience at the Earthplace in Westport.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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of owls. Indoors at the center, you’ll find wildlife and domestic animals. Most of the residents cannot be released due to injuries. Curiosity seekers will enjoy wildlife dioramas that display a variety of Connecticut’s ecosystems. The exhibit of local small animals at the Smilow Family Foundation Ecology Resource Lab will further pique your interest with a toad, tarantula, Madagascar hissing cockroach, giant millipede and “seethrough” beehive. The center is known for its chockfull calendar of events, and Margaret elaborated. “Once a month we do a family program. In February, it’s going to be hobby day. We’re trying to get people thinking about hobbies so they can bust up the cabin fever.” The cure-all for wintertime blues? Trek the state’s “green” route that nature centers unfold all year long. ■
MEIGS POINT NATURE CENTER Hammonasset Beach, 1 mile south of Exit 62 from I-95. 203-245-8743; e-mail, info@hammonasset.org. www.friendsofhammonasset.org. Winter Hours: November to March, Wednesday through Saturday, and most Sundays 10 to 4. Donations accepted. A SAMPLING OF EVENTS Saturday, Feb. 2 Winter’s Eve Walk at 6 A guided walk to look for stars, owls & other creatures. If possible, call to confirm your attendance, 203-245-8743. All ages welcome. Bring a flashlight.
Open Monday through Saturday, 9 to 5 and Sunday 1 to 4. The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission: $7, adults; children up to 12 & seniors, $5; admission to the grounds is free. A SAMPLING OF EVENTS Saturday, Jan. 19 Crow and Raven Day, 10 to 4 Get a close-up look at a live raven while learning about these interesting birds. There will be craft projects and stories all day long. Friday, Feb. 8 Dinner for the Critters, 6 to 8 A fundraiser to benefit the many animals at Earthplace. The evening begins with a pasta dinner followed by an animal program. Tickets, $15 per person. Saturday, Feb. 9 Hobby Day, 10 to 4 Try your hand at a little, really little, indoor garden. Make some simple jewelry. Draw cartoons. Make a scrapbook. Or consider outdoor hobbies like letterboxing or orienteering. How about beekeeping?
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January 2008
594 Main Ave • Norwalk • 203-847-0335 www.DORELLOCARPETS.COM • Corner of West Rocks Road & Rt 7 • Open 7 Days Late Night Thursday The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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Historic gem graces village green by Janis Gibson
Janis Gibson photos
Anyone who’s seen Redding’s scenic town green on Cross Highway cannot help but notice the imposing white home with its two-story square columns sitting catty-corner to the historic Congregational church. Partially obscured by towering pine trees, the circa 1750 Greek Revival home with Colonial Revival alterations seems like it should be on a Southern plantation rather than a small New England town green. After driving past it hundreds of times during the last dozen-plus years, it was a pleasure to walk inside and see if it’s as intriguing as the exterior. It is. There are columns in the living room, many delightful design details and modern amenities where you’d want them – a half-bath created from a corner of the large, light-filled family room with beamed cathedral ceiling. “There is interesting folklore associated with the house,” said Garner Lester, who has owned the two-and-a-half-story, 5,500-square-foot home with his wife, Pamela, since 1997. “The property belonged to Elizabeth Stamford, and the building started as a nice farmhouse, built in 1743. It was expanded in 1830 and again in 1925. It served for a time as a general store and post office as well as a home. The two-car garage was added in 1995. At one point there was a circular driveway under where the garage is now.” The property also had a barn, which burned down in the 1920s, as well as a silo. The original well is still in evidence, but covered. A beautiful exterior begets a beautiful interior in this vintage home in Redding.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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The original two-story house comprised what is today the living room, library, master bedroom and another bedroom with fireplace. The living room and library also have working fireplaces. The first addition included the dining room with fireplace, and the room above it, which was used for a birthing room. The Lesters incorporated it into the master bedroom suite. The kitchen was in a separate building, along with a work room and the carriage house. What is now the charming butler’s panty was later added to connect the two buildings. “A Dr. Johnson added the columns; it is said his wife was from the South and homesick, so he added them for her,” Garner said. “They apparently entertained lav-
ishly and the third floor, which now holds two bedrooms and a full bath, was previously an open ballroom, which would explain the raised platforms on either end.” And the towering pine trees on either side of the original front door that faces Cross Highway? “Bride and groom trees,” Garner explained. “When a couple got married, they planted one tree on either side of the front door as symbol of their union.” Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the home has been modified several times during its 260-plus-year history, and has been substantially updated during the last decade by the Lesters. Improvements included everything from a new roof and gutters to heating and air-conditioning units, to reconfiguring rooms and installing a new kitchen. The spacious country kitchen features a tile floor, maple cabinetry, white tile countertops and a large island with seating. “The house was dark and needed a lot of work when we bought it,” Garner said, “and our family – we had three daughters living with us – basically camped out in the library for the first six months. One of the first things we did was to open up the back wall of the family room – it had originally been a three-bay carriage house that a previous owner converted to the family room – to let in the light. It now has three sets of French doors and window panels in between.” The view to the back yard includes a 20-by-40-foot in-ground pool with bluestone decking and a patio and a pergola just beyond, plus extensive landscaping and perenSee Historic home page 34
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
31
Construction Queen NOT IN NAME ONLY by Pamela Brown Homeowners receive the royal treatment from Diane Slovak, self-proclaimed Construction Queen. “To me, being able to make a project enjoyable to the homeowner, and make the process smooth, effortless and completed in a timely manner is most important,” said Diane, owner of Innovative Concepts in Design in Weston. Since 1985, the award-winning professional design/build firm has specialized in custom residential construction, remodeling and additions in Fairfield County. It also offers faux finishes, landscape-lighting design and media room design. “Construction is such an invasion of privacy and property and totally changes your lifestyle for the time we’re doing the construction. I never gloss over the thought of it being easy,” said Diane. From conception to completion, she makes the process more manageable by providing personalized service in an approachable, client-friendly environment. “I demystify the process of construction. I’m there to be the ombudsman for the homeowner,” she said. Initially, clients receive a letter outlining the project. “I want them to understand the progression of work and the time it takes to get to certain points. I give them a schedule so they know the work is going to be done in a timely, cost-efficient manner.” During construction, Diane works closely with her clients to keep their lives as disturbance-free as possible. “I want them to know I’m thinking of them and their family. Whether it’s a custom home or remodel, my mission is to offer the highest quality service throughout the building process, and it continues after the project is done.” Diane completes a six-month follow-up and guarantees her firm’s work one year beyond the manufacturer’s warranty.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
DESIGN ASSOCIATES, INC. 60 CONNOLLY PARKWAY HAMDEN, CONNECTICUT 06514
January 2008
Despite multiple jobs, Diane visits every project a minimum of three times daily, inspecting and checking. She’s reachable 24/7. “I want people to realize there are professionals who take responsibility for the work they do. I’m honest, dependable and do quality work,” said Diane, a member of such industry organizations as the American Society of Interior Designers, Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Professional Women in Construction, and the Remodeling Contractors Association. Little details set her firm apart. “My crews wear surgical booties upon entering a home. I want my guys to respect my homeowners, because I tell them this is my house (during the project), and they must respect it as they would respect my house.” The all-inclusive firm includes a staff of architects, designers, master carpenters, masons, electricians, plumbers, and painters. Having a design background, Diane can work with clients to turn their ideas into reality. “We’re not going to do the standard, preconceived styles seen everywhere. I offer more inventive designs uniquely responsive to my clients’ needs. Whatever my clients can dream up, I can create,” Diane said. When Val Ricca of Monroe moved into her home, Diane conducted a walkthrough to determine work to be done. “I made sure I knew Diane’s background and was very confident in her capabilities to assist me in my new home. Whatever my question was, she was able to address, and she was right with her answer. She understands the architectural aspect as well as the issues with plumbing and electrical. I chose Diane for her experience in this area, her diligence, communication skills and pricing,” Val said. The firm completed numerous projects: indoor and outdoor electrical updates, plumbing repairs, cabinetry updates, power-washing, house painting, and porch refinishing. Val appreciated how Diane personally monitored her crew’s work, ensuring it was completed on time. “She didn’t just book the work order and walk away. She
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managed every work requirement to finalization and client satisfaction. She called daily to advise of schedule or any schedule changes, which were very minimal,” she said. The crew also met her expectations. “Diane’s team was polite, clean and knowledgeable. I would hire Diane and her team in a heartbeat. She made my move less stressful, and the quality of work was just great!” Diane’s made her mark in a male-dominated field. For several years, Innovative Concepts received five stars for high quality and value from The Franklin Report, an independent company using client responses to evaluate home services. “I’m proud to be one of the better respected women contractors,” she said, admitting she’s not your typical contractor. “I wear three-inch-high stilettos on my jobs, and I’ve been known to climb ladders in them. That’s me.” Construction wasn’t her initial career choice. “My background is pretty eclectic,” Diane said. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in veterinary science from Cornell University in New York and a doctorate in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer See Construction Queen page 35
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
33
Historic home continued from page 31 nial gardens. “Pam gets all the credit for the gorgeous gardens,” Garner said. “I just put things down where she tells me to.” Deer fencing protects the gardens, and there’s a charming gazebo to the rear of the two-and-a-half-acre property, which borders 17 acres of conservation land. The gracious home has been “lightened and brightened,” combining the best of the old and the new. There are 11 renovated rooms with nine-foot ceilings, various hardwood floors – narrow plank on the lower lever and wide plank in the bedrooms – and white-painted millwork throughout, the new kitchen, a screened-in porch in back (Dr.
Ornamenting the village green in Redding is this charming, elegant home that began as a farmhouse in 1743.
A welcoming family kitchen was created by the current owners.
The perfect enhancement for the extraordinary home
Johnson added that and used it for sleeping in the summer), and an open porch in the front. The rooms on the lower level flow well for entertaining, while also offering nooks for privacy. On the second floor, two small bathrooms were merged into one larger room, and a laundry room was added; the laundry had previously been located in the butler’s pantry. The master bedroom was redesigned into a suite-style room with two closets; it has a staircase to the first level. The third-floor bathroom was rebuilt, and wainscoting and a closet were added to the one of the two bedrooms. The space over the garage has also been finished, creating office space for Garner and Pamela that could easily serve as a game or media room. The house is elegant and gracious, offering gathering places and private spaces. But now that their daughters are grown or away at school, Pam and Garner feel it is time to let someone else enjoy the house with all their renovations. For information, contact Garner at garner.lester@coldwellbanker.com, 203-240-1457 or 209-938-4037, or see 20crosshighway.com. ■
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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Construction Queen continued from page 33
dollars by sharing this knowledge,” she said. Diane loves her work. “I’m very happy. My girls tell me, ‘You do it all.’ That’s fine ... you can do it all. But remember, if you’re doing it all, do it all well.” That’s exactly what Diane does. To contact Diane Slovak, call 203-222-1319, e-mail her at dianeslovak@hotmail. com, or visit her Web site at www.theconstructionqueen.com. ■
Polytechnic Institute in New York. She A before and after project supwas a biomedical research scientist at ports Diane Slovak’s claim that her firm doesn’t do standard, George Washington Medical College in preconceived designs. What she Washington, D.C., and the Helen Hayes offers are more inventive designs, Hospital in New York. uniquely responsive to her clients’ “I’m a detail-oriented person,” said needs. ‘Whatever they can dream Diane who was determined to learn the up, I can create,’ she says. construction business after making mistakes in building her own home. She received an interior design degree from Berkeley College and became an in-house designer at a large Manhattan design firm. There she became enamored with the construction phase. “I realized I love the sticks. It’s like taking a lump of clay and transforming it into something magnificent.” Diane shares her expertise in numerous ways. For three seasons, she was the expert contractor on DIY network’s “Ten Things You Must Know,” and she was a consultant for Martha Stewart Living for a new Discovery Channel show. She’s been profiled in The New York Times and Connecticut Magazine, and will be featured in House and Garden. Currently, Diane writes a column for The Weston Forum. Despite a seven-day workweek, Diane makes time for pleasure. “I love to flamenco and salsa dance,” said Diane, the mother of two daughters, Hillary and Chloe, and a former fashion model. She’s an avid trapshooter and horsewoman, and an AKC judge for pointing-breed dogs. For four years she has been an instructor for the Bridgeport mounted police. After 22 years, Diane continues educating homeowners about the construction process. “I have a plethora of information, and I want to save my clients thousands of
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
35
INTO I THE I GARDEN ■
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When starting this column, my first thought was how nice it is to be writing about gardens at this time of year. As I looked through the garden pictures I had taken during the summer, while deciding which ones to write about, I must say it was very uplifting. My first choice is a perennial, Astilbe Superba. This astilbe will grow to three feet tall, which makes it so valuable in the partial-shade to full-sun garden. In full sun, you must be sure to water it in dry spells. I stake it to keep it absolutely upright. I think so much is lost when a plant isn’t standing upright when in bloom. The color is a vibrant pink, and the bloom time is July and August. This is such a vigorous grower it is called the Astilbe King in the catalogs. Next let’s talk about iris. Yes, they do have a short bloom time, but if you are going to pick only one, I would suggest you plant the Japanese. Siberian iris does bloom in June with the peonies and poppies as does the German iris, but if your garden isn’t really large, they take up space you could better use for perennials. One problem with the Siberian iris is floppy foliage. I have seen some gardeners even try to stake it. I usually trim back any foliage that crowds the surrounding plants and fluff the rest every few weeks. This iris, which eventually spreads out in a circle, is so vigorous that it requires an ax to transplant it. Another problem is it’s a nesting place for rabbits and voles. What a scare we get in the fall when cutting it back. We will be on our knees because it is so time-consuming, when out come the baby voles. You will hear screams better than any horror film. The Japanese iris has the best foliage – not too much, and it stays upright until you are ready to cut it back in the fall. The blooms will take your breath away. They make
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
200 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 203.762.0169
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excellent cut flowers, but you won’t want to cut any from your garden. They bloom in July and require full sun or partial shade. We usually see them planted near water gardens, streams or ponds because they can stand to have wet feet. But just as with the astilbe, they will do fine in your garden as long as you remember to water. The next plant isn’t really a perennial. It will reseed itself and keep coming back for years as long as you recognize the little seedlings and don’t weed them out. It’s called Malva Blue Fountain. The malvas are also called hollyhock mallows. I started this plant several years ago from seed and still get seedlings each spring. They are late to show themselves so you need to be patient. They grow quickly to five feet tall with several branches. I do stake this plant, but will let a few branches lean over the plants around them for a really nice effect. I have ordered this plant from a wholesale source for next year’s gardens. It is called Malva Mystic Merlin, and you can get seeds from Thompson & Morgan Seed Company, www.tmseeds.com. I just love snapdragons, and so I’m going to try one that is supposed to be a perennial. It’s called Debutante and is 24 inches tall with long spikes of raspberry pink on the outside with throats of white lightly brushed in yellow. I found this in the White Flower Farm catalog and could not resist. If you haven’t received your catalog, contact them at whiteflowerfarm.com, 1-800-503-9624. I’ve also ordered Pardancanda Sangria from White Flower Farm. This is a Blackberry lily, and Sangria has huge, rich, plum-purple flowers with three outer petals brushed in gold. It says it will winter in Zone 5 so I hope they are right. I’ve just finished my seed orders and will confess that this year I’ll go back and try some heirlooms again. There is a seed catalog called Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds at rareseeds.com. I have ordered Golden Wax bean and Contender bush bean. Okra Perkins Long Pod is also on my order. Many of you probably don’t like okra, but I find that stewing it with tomatoes makes a wonderful dish. I was pleased to see they also have Buttercup squash. There is no other squash that compares, but, unfortunately, the squash borer also loves this plant. I’ll try it anyway since you can’t get this in the stores anymore. BonBon (the variety now grown) just does not do it for me. You can’t talk heirlooms without including tomatoes. I have ordered a variety called Mama Leone. This is an old-time Italian paste tomato that was brought from Italy
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many years ago. I’ll still grow my favorite Roma, but let’s keep an open mind and try new (actually old) things. I have sculpted most of the clay statues in my garden. I took a class several years ago and loved it so much I continued for several years. I would work at the studio every Monday from December through March. Each year I would do a new sculpture for the garden. I’d probably still be there if my instructor had not retired. If you have an opportunity to make your own garden ornaments, take it. Not much new on the donkeys this month, but I have three crows as pets, also. They wait for me each morning to break the ice on the water container and put in fresh water. Yes, they sit on the fence and let me get so close I could touch them. Of course I don’t since I’m afraid of birds. Now make a resolution to get your hands in the dirt this year, and keep it. Questions or comments: donnaclark@ix.netcom.com. ■
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‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ FUND-RAISER FOR HOMELESS WAR VETS by Jane K. Dove
Katie Lauricella
“When my son was serving in the Army in Iraq, he always told me about the difficult time many war veterans have when they come home, including finding a place to live,� says Gold Star Mother and Wilton resident Shalini Madaras. “Our conversations sparked my interest in helping returning veterans, and when we lost Nicholas in 2006, I became even more determined to do what I could to lend my support.� One of the things Shalini is doing is planning a gala benefit for homeless veterans. The “Home Is Where The Heart Is� Valentine’s soiree is set for the evening of February 2. “I am working with a group that includes my fellow Realtor Nancy Pantoliano, interior designer Ernest Robbins, custom builder David R. Anspach, who has volunteered a magnificent new home at 116 Juniper Road in New Canaan for the event, and Connecticut Cottages and Gardens magazine,� she says. Tickets for the event, which will benefit HELP USA, are $150 each and VIP tickets are $250 each. HELP USA Programs Committee members are Amy McMillan Tambini, Joe Pantoliano, Shalini Madaras, Zach Alessi-Friedlander, Charles Grodin, Ernest Robbins and Nancy Sheppard-Pantoliano. Members not shown are Dennis and Joanie Franz, Chazz and Giannia Palminteri, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Philip Reeves, Marcia Gay Harden, Thaddeus Sheel, Daphne Zuniga, and David Mleczko.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
January 2008
and social services and is an enthusiastic supporter of HELP USA, a not-for-profit organization that sponsors the construction of residential complexes specifically for returning war veterans. HELP USA was founded by Andrew Cuomo in 1986. Since then, the organization has helped more than 150,000 homeless individuals regain their self-reliance and rebuild their lives. HELP USA has been recognized by Congress as a national model for innovating quality permanent and transitional housing for homeless veterans, and currently operates 25 residential communities across the country, including those in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Long Island in the New York metropolitan area, and in Philadelphia, Buffalo, Houston, and Las Vegas. HELP USA got its start in Las Vegas. It has now built a total of three housing developments there and is planning on adding more units, to be opened in late 2008. The organization has set a goal of adding 200 units of housing across the country each year. “We would love to see some housing for veterans built here in Connecticut,” says Shalini, “but our land prices are very high so that presents a problem.” The organization offers a comprehensive range of services for residents, including case management, mental-health referrals, health intervention, life-skills training, substance-abuse treatment, adult education, employment readiness and job development, housing readiness and placement assistance, and child and youth programs. “As more and more soldiers return home, many of them find themselves having a hard time fitting back into the world they left after the traumatic experiences they had in the war zone,” Shalini says. “Many come from lower-income or disadvantaged backgrounds and do not have a place to call home when they return. Or they may just have difficulty acclimating to life here and dealing with the complexities of everyday living, including finding housing.” Shalini says that although veterans make up 11% of the adult population, they are 30% of the nation’s homeless population. Post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and the stress of long tours in harsh conditions are major factors that lead veterans to homelessness. Lack of job skills is another problems. Despite the training they received in the military, many find they cannot turn their skills into gainful employment when they get back home. HELP USA offers both housing and the support services veterans need to get back on their feet, find employment and lead productive lives.
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“We talk a lot about the politics of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we talk very little about what happens to these kids then they return home,” Shalini says. “When I heard about HELP USA, I decided that I was going to do what I could to help raise money to support their very important cause.” Shalini said many of the veterans the program helps are very young, in their midtwenties and even younger. “In addition to not being able to find housing or a job, many suffer from additional problems such as physical disabilities, mental illness, substance abuse, and alcoholism,” she says. HELP USA addresses these problems.” Gala Evening
Shalini and Nancy are hoping that the special setting for their benefit will attract interest from prospective supporters. “This spectacular new luxury home, with 7,500 square feet of living space on two acres, has a rich architectural design and beautifully landscaped surroundings,” Shalini says. “We are very grateful to David Anspach for offering the residence as the perfect venue to raise funds for our cause.” Shalini says the group has already attracted some major sponsors, including Lillian August and Dom Perignon. Many celebrities from the world of television, film and music will be in attendance. “But in addition to having a good time and supporting a worthy cause, I hope the evening will start a real dialogue about the plight of returning veterans and encourage more people to join with us in our efforts to help them over the long term,” Shalini says. “We need to talk about their problems and not forget them when they return home after having bravely served so we can enjoy our lives here in beautiful surroundings with peace and safety.” Shalini says her son’s old Army battalion has already left for another tour in Iraq. “It is a tour of long hours, both day and night, under extremely stressful and harsh conditions,” she said. “I truly believe these fine young men deserve more than just partisan political discourse when they return home.” Shalini, Nancy and their committee members are still actively seeking sponsors and donors for the Feb. 2 event. “We have several levels of sponsorship and are looking for goods and services for our silent auction,” Shalini says. “We hope it will become an annual fund-raiser for this very important cause.” For information on the “Home Is Where The Heart Is” Valentine’s soiree, visit www. helpusa.org/homeiswheretheheartis, or call 203-761-4979. For information on veterans housing programs, visit www.helpusa.org. ■
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39
Shopping with Fran continued from page 17 into settings of indoor and outdoor furniture and home accessories, which change with the seasons. Owner Peter Robidoux has been providing decorative surprises for 13 years, in addition to specialty gourmet foods for entertaining. Samples are provided. You’ll find patio furniture, rugs, wall art, clocks, basketry, picnic supplies, gardening products, plants, and, again, a few surprises. If you need assistance, it’s prompt and efficient.
Fran Sikorski
Just Her Style opened Dec. 8, just in time for Christmas shopping. It is owned by Pat Just Her Style Markstaller of Bethel and features clothing for 7 P.T. Barnum Square, Bethel, 203-797-9579 juniors, women and plus sizes, from hats to 10 to 8 Monday to Thursday shoes and everything in between. 10 to 9 Saturday With 14 years of experience in retail man10 to 5 Sunday agement, Pat had planned to open her own shop when her children were older. She and her husband, Erick, have four children: Gary, 25; Rhiann, 23; Keri, 20; and Jesse, 11. “I wanted to have a shop in Bethel, and one that would feature merchandise at affordable prices,” said Pat, as she showed me the latest styles in jackets, dresses, lingerie, pajamas, purses, coats, shoes, and boots. “The young set likes bright colors, and enjoys the Babygirl T-shirts that are so popular. Casual to dressy, trendy to conservative, I’ve got everyone covered,” Pat said. Have a shopping tip? E-mail it to frananjoes@aol.com. ■
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
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Homebodies continued from page 5 One Is The Loneliest Number
Ever since we moved into our house 12 years ago, I’ve wanted a double oven. We simply don’t have the space in our kitchen, however, and I’ve always managed to make do with the one oven we have. We’d have to remove an entire section of cabinets – upper and lower – to accommodate a set of double ovens, and then I’d have even less storage space. If Jessica Simpson, Donald Trump or Paris Hilton (these three probably don’t do nearly as much cooking and baking as I do) were to visit my home, they’d find me scrambling for counter space, rearranging the items in my crowded cabinets and wracking my brain to come up with a way to cook two different dishes at two different temperatures in my one oven. Just once, I’d like to have the chance to spread out my cooking and baking supplies while I’m working, or maybe roll out a piecrust that didn’t hang over the edge of my counter. In my dreams, I’m baking an apple pie and roasting a turkey in two separate ovens at the very same time! Photo Op
When I finally did make it to Sandra’s to see the new arrivals, I couldn’t help but gasp with admiration. Two gleaming white double ovens now served as the focal point to her kitchen. Like any good friend, I oohed and aahed over the beauty of the twins. Before I left, Sandra and I discussed the upcoming Christmas holidays. She and her husband already had two beautiful children, and the new arrival was only weeks away. “Are you going to wait until the baby gets here to take pictures for your holiday cards?” I asked. “That’s what I’m planning, but I don’t know if we’ll actually be able to find time to take a group shot once the baby’s born,” she replied. “Why don’t you forget the kids, and take a picture of your new double ovens for your holiday cards?” I suggested. “That way, you’ll have the photos out of the way, and family and friends on your mailing list can see how beautiful the ‘twins’ are for themselves!” ■ January 2008
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“The town inspects during the different stages of a home-building project, starting with the foundation and moving on to the other structural elements as the project moves ahead: framing, electrical, plumbing, the roof, and so on,� Mr. Hirsch says. “The final inspection by the building department should net a certificate of occupancy, which, in effect, says the house meets the town building-code requirements and is fit for occupancy.� But, Mr. Hirsch says, a certificate of occupancy might not be all it seems to be. “For example, I once did an inspection on a brand new house and found main support beams not properly installed on the foundation wall in the basement,� he says. “The beams were 20 feet apart instead of the required eight feet apart. But the builder had a certificate of occupancy even though an entire section of the house could have collapsed at some point. If the owners had not done an inspection, they would have moved in without the problem being corrected.� Builders’ Warranties
Mr. Hirsch says a good real estate agent will often suggest a new home inspection to prospective buyers, even though a certificate of occupancy and a builder’s warranty are in place. “By law, buyers of new homes get a standard one-year warranty against defects,� he said. “But chances of defects vary dramatically from builder to builder and from house to house, even in this area where we see many luxury homes using good quality design and materials. Buyers tend to make assumptions about the construction quality of new homes, especially if they are at the luxury end of the market.� In the end, Mr. Hirsch says, builders want to turn a profit on their project, especially in today’s soft housing market. “It’s unfortunate, but sometimes people just don’t do what they should do,� Mr. Hirsch says. “If they can use a lesser product to save money, they sometimes will. For example, you may think a piece of wood is a piece of wood, but that’s far from the case. The difference in the quality and price of all the wood used to build a house can make a big difference in the builder’s profit margin.�
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
January 2008
Uncovering Problems
Mr. Hirsch says that when he inspects a new house, he always takes into account the fact that it has not been lived in and none of the systems have stood up to years of daily living. “Everything is new and beautiful, but it has never actually been used,” he says. “I do things like running the dishwasher, a shower or two, and the washing machine simultaneously. I fill every one of the tubs to make sure the drains are all properly connected and the overflow drains work. Water can do tremendous damage, and the consequences can be dire. During my inspections, I have found many cases of improperly installed and connected plumbing.” Mr. Hirsch also checks for other areas where water could be a problem. “I look at the gutter installation, the positioning of the leaders and the grading around the house,” he said. “I go into the basement and look at the foundation for signs of water entry. If the builder has installed a quality sump pump, that’s great because it shows he wants to protect his customer against future problems.” Moving on to electrical systems, Mr. Hirsch will remove wall panels to inspect wiring. “Unfortunately, some builders do take short cuts in this area, like installing an undersized breaker or wiring that is at code but not sufficient for the usage it will get when the owners move in.” Although he inspects all systems with an eye to a higher standard than code, he often finds defects. Fortunately, most of them can be remedied with relative ease.
“Builders do not want to kill the deal and will almost always correct the situation,” he says. “And it’s much easier to do the needed work before the house is occupied than to discover a defect after you have moved in, or, in the worse case, after your 12month warranty has expired.” Mr. Hirsch says that despite the reasonable price of new-home inspections, only about 10% of new home buyers do them. “I think a new-home inspection is a very economical safeguard against trouble down the road,” he says. “Buyers of a new home in this area are spending $1 million and up, so there is no point to being penny wise and dollar foolish. You should protect your investment, know exactly what you are buying and save time, trouble and money down the road.” ■
INVESTMENT TIPS Women are earning and spending more than ever before, but whether they are stay-at-home moms or working outside the home, women are taking greater responsibility for their investments. On Thursday, Feb. 14, between 12 and 2, treat yourself to a delectable lunch in the banquet-size dining room of an enchanting shingle-style estate by R.R. Builders, the 2007 HOBI Builder of the Year. What’s more, learn the latest tips on investing from financial powerhouse Beth Cutler of UBS Financial Services in Greenwich. According to a study by Digital Look, women who play the stock market outperform men. In 2007, women investors eked out another year of gains, but getting there was anything but boring. On Feb. 14, pamper yourself in the luxurious setting of this exceptional 11,500square-foot home at 58 Parker’s Glen in New Canaan, and gain some practical investment knowledge that will help you and your family in the new year. Please RSVP to Arlene Tahmin in Greenwich at 203-862-2143 or e-mail beth.cutler@ubs.com. ■ January 2008
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43
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dining rooms
home electronics
accent furnishings
living rooms
Virtually everything for your home. Except the retail markup.
appliances
floor coverings
Discover how easy it is to decorate and furnish your entire home with thousands of brand-name products from more than 700 top manufacturers kitchen
home accessories & wall décor
and their authorized suppliers,
window treatments
without paying retail markup.*
infant & youth
fireplace accessories
bath
bedrooms
Fairfield County office furniture & electronics
recreational equipment
For more than 36 years, DirectBuy members have enjoyed the convenience and savings of buying virtually everything for their homes—directly from manufacturers and their authorized suppliers. Discover for yourself a whole new way of shopping for your home. Visit our showroom today. *Shipping and handling fees may apply.
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The HOME Monthly, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn.
lawn, garden & patio
Daily Open Houses by appointment only No dealers please
Call 1-800-823-2491 today or visit directbuy.com for your FREE Insider’s Guide to Buying Direct and Visitor’s Pass to the DirectBuy showroom near you. V151
January 2008