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HOMEA Hersam Acorn Special Section

Jan/Feb 2010

Greenwich Post • The Darien Times • New Canaan Advertiser • The Ridgefield Press • The Wilton Bulletin • The Weston Forum • The Redding Pilot • The Lewisboro Ledger

A ‘Fauxward’ Thinking ArtistSpecialist In Decorative Arts

Home Energy SavingsTried &True, Something New

Award Winning RestorationPreserves Hotel’s Character

Living Green In DarienTradition, High Tech Blend

2 HOME, a Hersam Acorn special section, Ridgefield, Conn. January 2010

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John Ruddy loves history and architec-ture, so it’s not surprising he relished the opportunity to restore the Hotel Chesterfield in Shippan Point in Stamford to its original state of elegance and beauty.

John has been in the construction business since he was a teenager working alongside his father, and he recently started his own build-ing and restoration company, specializing in fine home renovation.

“Construction is in my blood, and I am especially interested in the historic preserva-tion of buildings. I enjoy restoration so much that I focus on that end of the construction business,” John said.

The Chesterfield, now a luxurious bou-tique hotel – the first of its kind in Stamford – was originally built in the 1860s by Benjamin Scofield. John was in charge of restoring the entire hotel, top to bottom. The Chesterfield now boasts nine guest rooms, a gallery, two dining rooms and two parlors, in addition to a massage room and a small exercise room on the bottom level.

“One of the chief priorities in the restora-tion was to make sure that all the significant architectural details from the original struc-ture were kept. Restore instead of tear down is my motto. The Hotel Chesterfield now combines the best of both Old World charm

AWARD WINNING RESTORATION

Builder’s dedicationshines through

by Isabelle Ghaneh

Builder John Ruddy designed and built these handsome panels.

photos courtesy of Cynthia Brow

n Studio

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and 21st-Century amenities. The sprinkler system, the plumbing and heating are all state of the art,” John said.

John likes to work green, and he restored the building with the environment in mind. “The radiators have been restored, but the heating system is modern and in keep-ing with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building principles,” John said.

John uses products that are not harmful to the environment or toxic to his workers. “All the paint-removal products we used were green, and no harsh chemicals were involved,” he said.

The restoration took two years, from the planning stages to its completion. “It was a long process. In this project we did not have to restore just one door, we did the entire structure. It took a lot of time to restore the balusters and rails on the wraparound veranda. It was an important aspect to keep the porch as it was originally. The floor is mahogany, with all new wood,” John said.

John has his own carpenters, painters and craftsmen on board for all his projects. “You get better quality work that way, and I have more control over the project. For the electri-cal and plumbing, I hire outside contractors,

but they still answer to me,” John said. John is the person to call no matter what goes wrong on a job and he oversees the entire project from the smallest to the largest detail.

John said his biggest challenges in the restoration of the hotel “were the structural

issues no one sees now. I had to change the layout since the original had 15 bedrooms, which were made into nine large and com-fortable guest rooms, each with its own bath-room. I added lots of steel beams in brackets in all key structural areas. I also added steel

from the basement to the third floor in the center of the building.”

John was responsible for the interior design of the hotel as well. He decided to use Fine Paints of Europe in the glossy finish of Brilliant for the paneling, which he designed and built himself. He chose all the wallpaper to match the paneling and designed and built the crown moldings.

He chose hunter-green carpeting, which can be seen throughout the entry way and up the stairs to the second and third floors. The hardwood next to the carpeting throughout the hotel is Brazilian cherry. He also built and designed the mahogany fireplace mantels.

“I designed the stained-glass window near the check-in station, which depicts a pri-vate beach down the street,” he said, “and I designed another stained-glass window that is in one of the second-floor bathrooms. I used the motif of wisteria in this window, to tie in to the wisteria that grows on the property.”

John interviewed several stained-glass companies to find the one he felt could do the best job. The company took John’s sketches and produced works of art. In fact,

After a complete restoration, The Hotel Chesterfield is resplendent once again.

See John Ruddy page 19

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No one likes the process of moving. It is that much harder when the person leaving one home for another is elderly, and family members are unable to help as much as they might like. That’s where Lynda Crowley and Whitney DiMinno come in.

They are the women behind Sort & Settle, a senior-move manage-ment company. Their goal? “We make moving easier and add fun to the process,” says their publicity flyer. Meeting them, it’s not hard to see how they succeed.

“We do what a daughter would do,” Lynda said, explaining how she and Whitney, who is her niece, take care of their clients. Services include creating a move plan, sorting through belongings, recom-mending movers, overseeing packing and unpacking, and helping clients settle in. The two women have been in business three years

Making mom’s move a little easier

by Jeannette Ross

Whitney DiMinno and Lynda Crowley, right, make moving as easy and fun as possible for senior citizens.

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and specialize in making a senior citizen’s move from one home to another not only less traumatic but as pleasurable as pos-sible.

It’s not always easy and the challenges range from moving an older person from the large, comfortable home in which they raised their family to a small condo or apartment in an assisted-living facility to moving someone who has already down-sized into assisted living or perhaps an in-law apartment. Sometimes family mem-bers are closely involved and sometimes they are far away. Sometimes there are no family members to call on.

Their biggest job tends to be helping the older person or couple go through their belongings and decide what to keep and what to part with. “The goal is to bring the familiar,” Whitney said. Sometimes that goal can be daunting, as in the case of one woman who wanted to take her 400 paintings from a large three-bedroom home to a much smaller two-bedroom condo. With the help of their tape measure and creativity “we were able to bring most of it,” Lynda said.

In other cases it’s a question of how much furniture a can person bring. In these instances, Lynda and Whitney will

visit the new space and take measure-ments. They will also pay attention to details such as the number and location of phone jacks and outlets. Then they measure the client’s furniture and lay it all out on a paper grid so their clients can see what will fit and what won’t. In the new space they will even take yarn or paint-ers’ tape and lay out the floor plan. This is especially helpful to the movers. “We are careful to leave space for walkers and wheelchairs,” Lynda said.

Those kinds of issues are cleared up during the free, one-hour consultation the women offer new clients. Based on

that meeting, they will present an estimate of what they think the project will cost. “We will customize our menu of services to meet the needs and budgets of our cli-ents,” Lynda said. They will bill either on a project basis or hourly basis depending on what services are needed.

In one case a client handed them the keys to his house while he went to Florida for the winter, leaving Lynda and Whitney to prepare his house for sale. In anoth-er case, they helped a couple move to

See Sort & Settle page 8

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California, taking care of things only on this end. And in yet another case, they took over only on moving day, while a client’s children took her out for the after-noon, bringing her to her new home only after everything had been moved and she could comfortably settle in.

Both women are members of the National Association of Senior Move Managers (nasmm.org) and earned certi-fication as relocation and transition spe-cialists. “Our certification was specific to seniors,” Whitney said. The program cov-ered issues such as memory impairment, dementia, ethical issues, how to do a site visit, and training as to who is the client. As to that last issue, Whitney and Lynda said that whether they are hired by the senior or their adult children or someone else, their first priority is the mental and physical well-being of the senior who is moving.

Their business, which takes them throughout much of Fairfield County, northern Westchester, and Putnam County, comes from a number of sources. Some referrals are word of mouth, some come from geriatric case managers, elderlaw attorneys, and real estate agents who have sold a senior’s home. Out-of-town relatives tend to find Sort & Settle online.

About half the moves Lynda and Whitney help with are precipitated by a health crisis. In some cases, there is not a lot of time to make the move, but if time is not of the essence, the women said a lead time of six months means things can go smoothly at a leisurely pace. Less than two months’ notice means things will have to move much more quickly. In all cases, families should have a new home picked out. For those who are having trouble

locating something suitable, Lynda and Whitney recommend A Place for Mom (aplaceformom.com), a free resource for finding senior housing. There are repre-sentatives in Norwalk and Chappaqua.

Both Lynda and Whitney have personal experience in moving others and detail-oriented planning. Lynda, who lives in Goldens Bridge, moved her mother four times, and then her aunt. She watched friends who had no help struggle. That’s what gave her the idea for the business. Professionally, she first was a vet tech, which helps with peoples’ pets, then a legal secretary. She raised her children and now is a licensed EMT.

Whitney, who lives in Brewster, worked for six years as director of Events Services at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan. At Sort & Settle, she carries over her expertise in scheduling, budgeting, logistics, and attention to detail.

While Lynda and Whitney could move anyone, they chose to work specifical-ly with seniors. Whitney said they view working with seniors as a privilege. “We love to hear their stories,” she said. Lynda said she likes to tell them, “You’re an amaz-ing generation. You saved the world and you’ve saved a lot of stuff.”

Their clients are appreciative. One gentleman sent them the following note: “Over a lifetime of moves, I have never had a more satisfying result than Sort & Settle has provided. Bravo!”

“We love what we do,” Lynda said. “We really like it. It’s very rewarding to know you’ve helped somebody and left them better off.”

For information, visit online at sortnsettle.com; e-mail [email protected] or call 1-845-279-0989. ■

Sort & Settle continued from page 7

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�� Box 1019, Ridgefield CT 06877

203-438-6544

Copyright 2010, Hersam Acorn Newspapers, LLC

Jackie Perry, editorJessica Perlinski, designer

•Thomas B. Nash, publisher

•For advertising information

call 203-438-6544JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2010 VOL XIV, ISSUE 1

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

HOMECover: Hotel Chesterfield. Bryan Haeffele photo.


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Just what is the difference between being green and sustainable? What is a home’s envelope? What does it mean to be LEED-certified? The greening of our world is here and there’s lots to learn. Norwalk Community College has just launched courses to help students get green-collar jobs.

Neil Hauck, architect, and Ryan Salvatore, builder, of Nassau Interests, both in Darien, are just putting the finishing touches on a home at 49 Mansfield Avenue, Darien, which shows every sign of being one of the first LEED-certified homes in Fairfield County. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) has requirements that cover every aspect of energy – saving, water conserving, environmentally protective con-struction.

Looking at the house, it has the style of a traditional New England farmhouse, which fits right into the neighborhood. But that’s really where the comparison ends, because 49 Mansfield incorporates energy-saving elements from start to finish. Neil Hauck explains, “It starts with site selec-tion. The house is within walking distance of Darien town center, the railroad, two bus lines and school. The one-third acre lot was previously developed, so there was no loss of trees. Inside, the floor plan, appliances, lighting and temperature controls work with natural daylight to monitor thermal comfort and lower utility bills.”

Ryan Salvatore adds, “We used fram-ing techniques and spray-foam insulation to achieve maximum heating and cooling effi-

Living greenIN THE HEART OF DARIEN

by Lois Alcosser

Although traditional in appearance, this new home covers every aspect of energy-savings efficiency.

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ciency. The exterior (envelope) utilizes ener-gy-conscious materials and design. Probably the most unique energy-saving element is the green roof over the garage.” A green roof is covered with a layer of living vegetation to absorb and retain heat during the day to keep the building comfortably cool in summer and warm in winter. It also absorbs storm water, releasing it slowly to protect the roof from extreme fluctuations in temperature, which might cause damage. “When you look out-side from the main living space,” Neil says, “you look out on a lawn and backyard garden without realizing there’s a two-car garage underneath.”

“The goal of green building is to save money through saving energy, but it also aims to make the home environment healthier with devices for fresh-air intake and stronger and more strategically placed exhaust fans for better, more even ventilation. “There’s such a wide range of options,” says Neil. “Green doesn’t just mean solar panels anymore.”

One of the important aspects of ener-gy-saving construction is practicality and understanding the marketplace. “We didn’t want 49 Mansfield to be so extreme that it would look strange or deprive homeowners of the features they’ve come to expect. So the kitchen has every state-of-the-art appliance,

the layout has an open, spacious feel and there are elegant touches like handcrafted millwork and paneling, wainscoting and a finished downstairs playroom. It’s a four-bed-room house with three-and-a-half attractively equipped bathrooms. (In fact, the toilets are water-conserving dual-flush, which means that when you press button one, there’s less water used than for button two.)

“There’s been a trend towards urbaniza-tion in Darien and other suburbs, a change of culture,” Neil Hauck says. “In the past, there was a desire to spread out into the ‘country’ area of a town, into a large house with a lot of property, but that’s changed, and now people want to be closer to the shops, restaurants, library, entertainment areas. It’s less isolated, more economical and you don’t have to always drive to get places.”

Weatherization, residential building sci-ence, energy auditing, building- performance analysis – they’re all new additions to home-building and home ownership and all part of the technology/communication/lifestyle revo-lution happening outside the window and inside the door.

Neil Hauck Architects, 203-655-9340; Nassau Interests, 203-655-0303; 859 Post Road, Darien. ■

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Whether you’re buying a home, selling a home or renovating your current one, wood floors are at the top of the list of cov-eted enhancements. Many people, however, think twice about this classic look because of the upkeep. Until recently, sanding has been the only solution, sending even the most seasoned decorator into a frenzy just thinking about the mounds of dust it cre-ates.

For the past 11 years, the Mr. Sandless company has been refinishing hardwood floors without sanding, using their patent-ed, nontoxic, water-based products. Using a process that achieves a similar result to sanding, technicians clean the wood and then apply the company’s own brand of finish to seal the floor. The finish looks like

polyurethane and wears like polyurethane, but unlike poly, there are no odors, no toxins, no fumes, and it dries in one hour. That means they can seal your floors with multiple coats in a few hours without the disruption sanding creates.

Steve Geoffrion, a Fairfield County resi-dent, has been in the floor care and build-ing industry in Connecticut for over 10

years, and provides Connecticut with Mr. Sandless products.

“I came across Mr. Sandless through a friend,” Steve said. “After many months of research, I could see the tremendous value of this product to both home and business owners because it’s green, nontoxic and odorless.

“Polyurethane is not necessarily the product you want in your home,” Steve

said, “especially if it was laid down many years ago. The Mr. Sandless product is the healthy alternative to polyurethane, and the only difference is in the product, not in the finish.”

The procedure is simple and fairly non-invasive and can usually be completed within a day, depending on how many rooms need to be refinished. Two thousand square feet takes about eight hours, at which point furniture is ready to be moved back into place. And there’s no dust and lingering odor.

The process begins with the floors being machine-screened with a special pad and a nontoxic solution. This solution takes the dirt, grime and bad oils out of the wood. Then the floor is rinsed with another

A QUICK, NO SANDING SOLUTION

For beautiful wood floorsby Priscilla Whitley

“My long-term goal is to develop Mr. Sandless here in

Connecticut as the floor-refinishing service of choice.” –Steve Geoffrion

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cleansing product followed by detailing prior to finishing. It is then sealed with multiple coats of finish, which cure in an hour.

The company offers a satin and gloss variety of finish and will lay down as many coats as necessary, depending on the condition of the floors. Usually two or three coats complete the job, though in high traffic areas, such as kitchens, an additional coat or two may be applied. If furniture needs to be moved, that service can be arranged.

New environmental regulations and consumer demand have led to the development of low-VOC (volatile organic compounds)

A well-worn floor’s beauty is restored, as shown in the before-and-after photos.

See Mr. Sandless page 18

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H o m e o f t h e M o n t hJ a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 0

A Manor HouseFor Today

LOCATION: A scenic road in Ridgefield is the setting for this shingle-style home inspired by the work of McKim, Mead and White.PROPERTY: Set on more than two acres with graceful, mature trees, the house has a porch and patio with grill for summertime enjoyment.HOUSE: Built in 2008, this award-winning home is filled with elegant details, such as the Venetian-plaster vestibule. The kitchen has leaded-glass cabinetry and the dining room has full-height paneling. The master suite has a paneled vestibule, a cozy sitting room with fireplace, his and her dressing rooms and a master bath with heated floors. There are five en-suite baths, a second-floor laundry room with adjacent computer area, and the third floor has a grand ballroom with stage and a Pilates studio. Living room, dining room, family room and den have fireplaces and the kitchen has a breakfast area and pantry. GARAGE: Three-car attached.PRICE: $4,895,000.REALTY: Higgins Group.Agent: Carol McMorris, 762-2020.Photography: Bryan Haeffele.


and zero-VOC paints and finishes like those used by the Mr. Sandless company. Not only are low-VOCs less harmful to consumers’ health, they help reduce ozone-depleting con-taminants in landfills and groundwater. Reduced toxins benefit everyone, as well as those with allergies and chemical sensitivities.

The company offers a five-year warranty stating the finish will not peel, crack, chip or yellow. If there is damage, such as pet urine or ingrained scratches, they also offer board replacement if necessary, and can service modern-engineered or laminated flooring.

With an older home or a historic residence, the wood floors may have been sanded down for so many years they cannot be sanded anymore. In these cases, looking into a non-sanding product makes sense in order to restore the wood while retaining the classic look.

Four episodes of the popular HGTV have featured the Mr. Sandless method of refinish-ing, and the list of institutes that use the service is impressive. The Smithsonian Institute, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, St. John’s University and Uno’s restaurants are Mr. Sandless customers.

“My long-term goal is to develop Mr. Sandless here in Connecticut as the floor-refinish-ing service of choice,” said Steve. “And to that end, proper education is the key. For 95% of homeowners who are looking to refinish their wood floors, Mr. Sandless is the solution. For most jobs, we can come in the morning and be done by the time the homeowner returns in the evening. Our focus is on quality, and we are committed to serving our cus-tomers in a professional manner.”

The sandless method of maintaining hardwood floors enables homeowners to add a luxurious flair to living, update a home and provide a desirable selling asset. Mixing the classic look of a beautiful wood floor with a contemporary lifestyle is a perfect blend.

Steve offers a free estimate and can be reached at 203-798-WOOD (9663) or by e-mail, [email protected]. For photos and videos of the process, or more information, visit the Web site, mrsandless.com. ■

Mr. Sandless continued from page 13

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* See us at the Fairfi eld County Home Show Feb 27 and 28th

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the Chesterfield is itself a work of art, one that will be appreciated by its guests.

John’s work also impressed the judg-es of the Home Building Association of Connecticut. He was awarded the 2009 Best Old/New Remodeled Home for his transfor-mation of “the property from a dilapidated rooming house into a stunning luxury bou-tique hotel. J. N. Ruddy thoughtfully restored this absolutely exquisite Stamford landmark capitalizing on Green Building principles while insuring that the important architec-tural details of the building were restored to their original grandeur.” HOBI awards are the most esteemed awards presented for excel-lence in design and construction.

“I designed the hotel with the Edwardian era of England in mind, and I wanted to

reflect this time of life in the aesthetics of the hotel,” he said.

He certainly succeeded in his vision. There is an ambiance to the hotel that is reminiscent of an elegant English manor house at the turn of the 20th Century. Walking through the hotel, you expect to see Bertie, aka King Edward VII, perhaps accompanied by actress Lillie Langtry, come into the formal front room and walk out on the veranda, down the solid-cut stone steps, which lead to the drive-way, and step into a horse-drawn carriage.

Call J. N. Ruddy Building & Restoration at 203-425-9594 or visit the Web site, jnruddy.com. The Hotel Chesterfield is at 1404 Shippan Avenue, Stamford; 203-978-1227; Web site, the-hotelchesterfield.com. ■

John Ruddy continued from page 5

A stained-glass window was inpired by the wisteria that adorns the hotel.

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I imagine it’s not uncommon for a homeown-er to become quite attached to her contractors. I recall, after my husband and I moved into our 1960s split-level fixer-upper, that we’d have painters and carpenters and electricians and plumbers virtually living at our house. I always made sure we had food and cold drinks in the fridge for them, and as much as I hated living through the messy remodeling jobs, I always felt a little bereft when they left. Many of the guys had become like family, and I found the house a little too quiet once the work was done and the workers had packed up their drills and ham-mers and paintbrushes, and left.

After talking with Andrea Hutter, both a decorative artist as well as a fine artist, I’ve come to see that perspective through the opposite end of the spectrum – a contractor’s eyes.

The owner of Fauxward, a Ridgefield-based interior design and decorative arts company specializing in surface treatments, Andrea has built and maintained familial relationships with her clients, many of whom have her returning again and again to transform yet another room or space.

“Frequently, we start off with a one-room project, and then the client decides that another room needs our attention,” Andrea says. “We

A‘fauxward thinking’

artistby G. Lisa Sullivan

Some finishes are inter-layered to give depth and complexity.

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began a job for one client, and ended up doing four phases over two years!”

Finishing TouchesA New Canaan native, Andrea began her

life as an artist at the Silvermine Guild Art Center, where she has recently returned. A Hamilton College sculpture major and now mother of two, she is a Ridgefield resident and member of the Ridgefield Guild of Artists.

In 1992, after spending 10 years in the decorative-fabric industry, Andrea launched her own faux-finish business. Similar to her work, Andrea has cloaked herself in various layers of a decorative- and fine-art education.

After working early on with oil-based materials, the company switched to water-based ones, which Andrea felt were more environmentally friendly and less toxic for clients, herself and her workers. Her edu-cation continues at The Finishing School, a Floral Park, N.Y., teaching studio and distributor of Faux Effects low VOC deco-rative products – her preferred non-toxic material resource.

“My job is so provide a backdrop for the design elements in a room,” she explains.

“At Fauxward, we do decorative finishes using many materials, from paint, glaze and wax to metal leaf and adhesive bind-ers with stone, glass and handmade paper. Some are done quite simply for a hand-some subtle finish, while others are inter-layered with the more translucent and finer materials on top to give wonderful depth and complexity. We are only limited by our imaginations.”

Many of Andrea’s projects begin with the interior designers who rely on her color and treatment expertise. She begins by meeting with the client and/or designer in the client’s home to review the space in question.

“We review my portfolio and discuss the possibilities,” Andrea says. “Next, I put together a proposal and a sample for approval and show it to the client in vary-ing light.”

Artistic ApproachAfter approvals, Andrea gathers materi-

als and gets to work, mixing vats of plaster or whatever specified materials will be artfully layered on site. “I’m extremely

Paint, glaze, wax, metal leaf, stone and glass are some of the materials used to decorate walls.See Fauxward thinking page 27

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If we were to move, we’d have to have a two-car garage and a fireplace. These are things we don’t have in our house on Rusty Hinge Road. So this is the criteria I use search for the real estate Web sites.

Recently, a really interesting property popped up, so I called my old real estate buddy, Bryce. He was happy to get us in. In fact he’d bring along his significant other, Lily, and we’d make a day of it.

The property itself was an old creaky Cape, not very photogenic, but cheap, and it had a two-car garage with a rentable apartment – plus it was on 7.5 acres!

It had snowed that week and the weather had stayed chilly, so the ride up into the back country was lovely. Somewhere, as we chatted away, Bryce and Lily told us about their Crock-Pot.

I think I can pinpoint when Crock-Pots suddenly became such a huge part of our lives. It all started at our lazy family Christmas in Vermont, where my sister Barbara and her husband Charlie nonchalantly pulled a

vintage Rival two- and-a-half-quart out of the pantry and put together a beef barley stew right after a gut-busting country breakfast of butter-smeared pancakes drowned in Charlie’s own maple syrup and hickory-smoked bacon from the smokehouse down on the highway. While Melissa, my son Alexander and I draped ourselves like wet mittens on comfortable chairs around the wood stove, Babbs and Chaz put dinner on, slow and low.

We thought nothing of it, eyes at half-mast, intoxi-cated by the Green Mountain ambiance, and would not even have been aware of their labors had the house not slowly begun to fill with a delicious aroma that seeped out from around the heavy Pyrex lid, stimulating our appetite glands, making us quickly forget that after that huge non-Jenny Craig breakfast, we’d sworn off food for the duration.

No matter, Christmas night we inhaled the sumptu-ous stew, mopping up the last rich brown dribblings with redundant slices of buttered bread.

Crock plotsby Ben Guerrero

■ HOME I MOANER ■

Ben Guerrero

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So as we sank up to our elbows in the equally sumptuous leather upholstery of Bryce’s car, we were hearing wonder-ful tales of hearty stews and fricasseed chickens, all prepared far in advance, spending the day simmering and filling the house with a wholesome, heady, heavenly bouquet. So, when you walk in the door – rode hard and hungry – din-ner meets you at the door like the old family dog, kissing your face and filling your senses with love.

We could imagine just such a scenario as we arrived at the old creaky cape. Built in 1918, she boasted a stone fireplace and wide-plank floors (gaps chinked with rope, of all things), two need-to-be-redone bathrooms, an unremarkable kitchen, several teeny tiny bedrooms, and a (real) wood-paneled den. A total fixer-upper.

The apartment over the two-car garage definitely needed work. Most of the walls were painted shrill lilac and chartreuse.

Through the kitchen window of the apartment, right on the edge of the tree line, you could make out the unmistak-able, weathered colors of barn board, put together in the form of some sort of shed. Against our realtor’s advice, we trudged

through the ankle deep snow to inspect what would be, were we to go so far as to actually buy the place, a potential art studio/junk storage/source of kindling.

An “outbuilding” is on our wish list of any potential property we may, in our dreams and in the future, buy.

This particular outbuilding grew more interesting as it came into focus over the field of snow. It appeared to have originally been some sort of tractor shed, judging by the two garage-style doors on the long side.

We wrestled the operating door open and when the low light streamed in, the four of us gasped in unison.

It felt as if we were the first people to set foot in the space in 30 years. A 72-inch Locke mower sat rusting, right where it had been parked the last time it had been run over the lawn. There were work benches wrapping around the space and multi-paned windows on three sides. There was a table saw and a radial arm saw and jars of nails and screws. There were old cracked fan belts and ancient empty beer bottles, old wooden crates filled with darkened chunks of who-knows-what and cobwebs.

In the center of it all – a pot-bellied stove. And rust – rust on everything. It was a man-cave on the brink of crum-bling back into the soil. But it was also a place that with a few replacement panes of glass and a few trips to the metal-recy-cling center could be transformed into a remarkable work space that Melissa and I could spend our dotage competing for.

We talked about making an offer. Bryce advised against it, citing “too much work,” and uttering my two least-favorite words “tear down.”

In spite of the huge potential, the initial attraction to the property and the acreage did not push us into a place where we could comfortably consider complicating our lives and budgets for untold years to come. In spite of the possibility of income potential from the apartment and the romantic charm of the pot-belly stove in the dilapidated shack, we decided it was much too far from civilization, so we passed on the property with a bit of reluctance.

We did, however, buy a shiny new Crock-Pot. Now our old house is full of the wonderful smell of winter.

Now we don’t have to get a dog. [email protected] ■

ANTIQUES SHOW – The 43rd annual Darien Antiques Show will be held March 5, 6 & 7. Preview Party on Friday, March 5, 7 to 9:30. $50 at the door. The First Congregational Church of Darien sponsors the show to support local chari-ties. Thirty high-quality dealers. Show hours: Saturday, March 6, 10-5 and Sunday, 11-5. Admission: $10, $8 for seniors. The church is at the corner of Brookside Road and the Post Road just south of exit 13 from I-95. Show’s Web site, darienantiqueshow.org. For information, call the church at 203-655-0491.

BASEBALL MEMORABILIA – The Fairfield Museum and History Center is planning an exhibit for this summer focusing on local base-ball history. The museum is asking local residents to loan items for a seven-month period that relate to baseball teams in the Bridgeport/Fairfield area prior to 1950, such as uniforms, gloves, balls, bats, programs, tickets, photographs, posters and pennants. Items from early Little League, com-pany/factory teams, ethnic-heritage teams and semi-professional or professional teams are wel-come. Selection will be finalized by mid-March. Call curator Adrienne Saint-Pierre at 203-259-1598, X107; Web site, fairfieldhs.org.

Briefs

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by Janis Gibson

“The first step for homeowners looking to conserve energy is to call Connecticut Light and Power and request an energy audit,” said John Rountree, AIA, archi-tect and principal of Westport Solar Consultants (www.westportsolar.com).

“For $75, one of its authorized con-tractors will come to your home, look for and seal drafts and leaks around

your windows and doors, install com-pact fluorescent lights and look for other problems. Then the auditor will make recommendations for things you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your home, as well as tell you about any credits or assistance plans that may be available.” (For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 877-WISE-USE [877-Energy savings make a challenging installation well worth the effort.

REDUCING HOME ENERGY COSTS

&Tried and true

something new

��Don’t let your patio set sit idle and fill with snow,

Restore it today ...and in the spring it’ll be ready to go!

Patti invites you to the Portico, now that Summer has diminished...

Relax in Spring, because your furniture has been refinished!

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947-3873] or visit the Web site cl-p.com and click on Save Energy & Money, then Home Services and Rebates, then Home Energy Solutions. The CL&P site provides an abun-dance of information on energy conservation.)

For those looking to lower energy costs by generating their own electricity using photovoltaic solar panels, “right now there is a 30 percent federal tax credit (which was extended last year) that is good for another seven years on the installation of solar panels,” John said. “That credit is taken on the out-of-pocket costs after any other rebates or credits are taken. In Connecticut, the rebate for residential solar systems is $1.75 per watt, or about 23 percent of the installed cost of the system.” Solar systems are rated in watts, he explained, and most systems cost between $7.50 and $8 per watt.

There is also the Solar Connecticut lease program (details at ctsolarlease.com) that enables homeowners to lease solar systems from the state for 15 years, which John calls “a good deal,” and a new rebate for solar water heating (thermal) systems, which pays about a third of the cost of installation and is eligible for the tax credit as well. He added, “It is inexpensive now and has a quick payback – five or six years – regardless of whether you use oil, gas or electricity to heat your water.”

Interested in geothermal technology – heating and cooling a home or building using the constant temperature of the

A federal tax credit is available to help owners install photovoltaic panels.See Reducing energy costs page 26

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Earth? John notes that adding solar panels to the structure could theoretically create enough electricity to run a geothermal system. There is also a new state rebate for geothermal systems. The idea of building net-zero energy homes, as is being done in Vermont and other parts of New England, is the next goal of Rountree Architects (rountreearchitects.com), he said.

For more information on geothermal and other systems for homes and business-es, check out the Web site for Connecticut Clean Energy Fund at ctcleanenergy.com.

John’s interest in energy conservation and solar power began in college. “I attended Syracuse University School of Architecture in the late 70s, early 80s – this was shortly after the Arab oil embargo and solar power had become big – and a couple of my professors were into it, and inspired me. When I started working for architectural firms in New York City during the Reagan years, however, the tax credits were eliminated and many people lost interest in solar, but the interest was still there for me.

“When I started my own business in 1991, I started looking into solar power again, attending conferences and design-ing passive solar houses and solar addi-tions.”

John likes to combine his solar con-sulting work with his architectural prac-tice, creating energy-efficient renovations and new construction. Energy retrofits on existing homes involve adding items such as insulation, new windows and doors, as well as solar panels.

As more homeowners, businesses and municipalities began seeking informa-tion about going solar, John partnered with Mark Pizzi to form Westport Solar Consultants in 2005. The company advis-es homeowners, businesses, schools and municipalities on incorporating solar pho-tovoltaics to generate clean electricity and save on energy costs.

John’s home at 130 Compo Road in Westport is also his business office and serves as a laboratory and showcase for his work. He also makes it available for tours for those interested in solar use.

Last October, his home was part of the National Solar Home Tour presented locally by the nonprofit Solar Connecticut Inc. This free event, generally held the first Saturday in October, provides the public with an opportunity to see working solar-electric and solar-thermal (hot water) sys-tems, and other green and renewable technologies. The 2010 tour will be Oct. 2. For information on Solar Connecticut or the next solar home tour, see.solarcon-necticut.org.

When John and his wife Cheryl bought their 1910 farmhouse 13 years ago, the south-facing roof was an influencing fac-tor. “I knew we were going to integrate solar into the roof at some point.” When they were ready to expand and renovate their home about three years ago, it was the ideal time to incorporate a solar elec-tric and a thermal system that would be visually compatible.

In researching sources, he found Schuco Solar, a German company that had developed a product called the Synergy Roof. It was unique in that it combined solar electric and thermal sytems into one, which is installed on the roof and is waterproof.

He also recessed the panels to allow them to be flush with the surrounding roof. The panels are raised just enough to allow air to circulate under the panels and be heated as it rises to the top. It is then brought into a system of ducts, dampers and fans, designed by John, to augment the home’s heating system. The synergy roof consists of seventeen PV panels for a total of 5.4 kW, with a three-panel hot water system.

This was the first Schuco Synergy Roof project in the United States. The company sent some of its crew from Germany to help with the installation and trained the local installer, Alteris Renewables.

It was a challenging installation, John said, but well worth it. The system is expected to provide about 60 percent of the family’s energy. On most sunny days, when the system is generating more energy than the house is using, the excess goes back into the CL&P grid, and the family gets a credit on its next bill. A four-minute video about the system and its installation can be seen at laskyfirm.com/wsc.

John Rountree can be contacted at [email protected] or 203-227-1766. ■

Reducing energy costs continued from page 25

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detail-oriented, and we work each trowel, blade or brush purposefully to achieve the desired end result,” she says.

Working from an approved sample, Andrea and her staff don’t usually impro-vise on site. “If changes are desired, any experiments and ideas get worked out in meetings and in the studio before a brush even touches a wall,” she says. “With murals, it’s a different story. There are often additions and modifications as the client gets more involved in the transformation of the space.”

For a kitchen project in Ridgefield, for example, they created an intricate “stucco e marmo” finish by applying three aggregate layers to create a subtle wall pattern that complements the kitchen cabinets, coun-ters, flooring and fabric.

Then, she moved on to the living room, where the client wanted rich, luminous walls. A gold three-layer Venetian plas-ter with a buffed wax finish was used to achieve the desired effect.

Finally, in an adjoining sunroom, she used sandstone plaster with Venetian accents. “This is one of my favorite fin-ishes,” she says.

For a child’s bedroom in another client’s home, Andrea created a ranch-themed mural with a tack room tucked into an eave, a little red farm truck and a pony. For the older sister’s room, she painted a wildlife scene, featuring a tree full of bald eagles, a bear and her tumbling cubs. “Both children loved animals, and the family had had a ranch in Colorado, so these design motifs were just a natural fit to the space,” she explains.

Andrea also works on furniture, floors, ceiling, kitchen cabinets ... just about any-thing that can be painted. “I also specialize in residential color consultation,” she adds. “Most everyone seems to be challenged when trying to choose colors from those small paint chips!”

For more information, call Andrea Hutter at 203-803-0860. ■

Fauxward thinking continued from page 21

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There are many changes for me in 2010. I have retired from my garden design business, and my husband and I plan to move to Greensboro, N.C. this summer. Retirement means endings, but then there will be many new beginnings in the future.

One of the endings I had to deal with was my three miniature donkeys. Two of them are 18 and the other is in her 30s, so finding a home for them was a challenge. I was fortunate enough to find just such a place. It’s called the Binn Animal Rescue & Sanctuary on Branchville Road here in Ridgefield.

My donkeys were not abused, but the hardship was keeping them together as a family. All three have joined over 150 ani-mals at the sanctuary. They have their own wooden shed and share a paddock with two

more donkeys, a mule and a pony. They are all getting along well, and the best thing is that on most days they get to wander about the property with the other animals.

The property that we bought in Greensboro has 1.26 acres with a clean slate for me to plan gardens, a pool, a free-standing greenhouse, etc. The backyard is flat, full sun and fenced. It is just waiting for me, so that is the new beginning. We’ll put this house on the market April 14, just when all those tulips will be blooming (I hope).

A new perennial we used last summer is Heliopsis Tuscan Sun, whch is a strong compact plant that stays at about 15 inches and has tremendous flowering power. The rich yellow blooms contrast with the dark foliage and appear all summer long. It

is resistant to powdery mildew and is a Proven Winner.

Because this was a new perennial last year, the plants that we were able to pur-chase were very small. It took them until July to really fill in, but from then until frost they were perfect. We used them in contain-ers and in the garden beds. They did well in both, with the only drawback being that we had to move them from the container to the ground so they would winter over.

The Burpee Seed catalog (burpee.com) has come and I’d like to pass along some information. The company does ship sev-eral annual plants – one of them is the Lisianthus. They have a mixture of Balboa Blue Rim, Rose and Blue Rose, with 18 plants for $39.95. There is also Super Magic Lavender Lisianthus with 12 plants

for $28.25. That is a decent price, and Lisianthus is almost impossible to find at the local nursery.

I’ll still have annuals growing in my greenhouse this spring; as Linda says, I just can’t stop growing things. I’m grow-ing the new petunia Pretty Much Picasso. This petunia has a unique coloration that is just so interesting. It has a deep violet throat and softer violet petals surrounded by a chartreuse edge. It is a Proven Winner, which means it is a vigorous grower with a strong trailing habit.

Another annual I’m going to grow from seed is Zinnia Zahara Starlight Rose, White and Yellow. This is the zinnia that stays about 12 inches in height, giving lots of color all summer long. I usually buy these from the wholesaler, but do lose many of

Thoughts on transplantingby Donna Clark

■ INTO I THE I GARDEN ■

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the plants to powdery mildew. I think I know why – they plant three plants in a four-inch pot. That’s way too close for a zinnia and by the time I prune out the dis-eased plants, there is usually only one left. I’ll plant them one per pot – we’ll see what happens.

Years ago I planted a small raspberry patch at the back of the garden. The bed is approximately 10-feet by four-feet and the variety is Autumn Britten Red Raspberry. This is an ever-bearing plant, and I cut all the canes down to the ground in the late fall. The canes grow to five feet each year, and each August to September I get huge pickings of firm, medium-size red berries.

I tray freeze the unwashed ber-ries and put them in a plastic zip bag – of course I eat my fill as I’m picking them. There are many uses for these berries through the winter but the recipe included is my favorite.

I’ll write one more column from Ridgefield for the March Home, and then I’ll write one from Greensboro after I get the gardens up and running. I’m already studying Southern gardening, and I can see

I will have lots to learn. My husband keeps warning me about the red-clay soil, but in reading a Newcomer’s Guide to North Carolina, I see that it’s eighth in the nation as an agricultural state.

Questions or comments: [email protected]. ■

Super Simple Sorbet1 pound frozen fruit 1/2 cup yogurt1/4 cup sugar

Put all ingredients in a food proces-sor with a couple tablespoons of water. Process until just pureed and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl

as needed. If the fruit does not break down completely, add a

little more water through the feed tube, a tablespoon or two at a time, being careful not to over-process or the sorbet will liquefy. Serve immediately or freeze for later. If serving later, allow 10 to 15 minutes for sorbet to soften at room temperature. Makes 4 servings.

Heliopsis Tuscan Sun’s rich yellow blooms last all summer long. D

onna Clark

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When my husband and I decided to redecorate our living room five years ago (after I

had strategically plied him with copious amounts of sweet talk and his favorite homemade chicken parmesan), I knew there was really only one place to go: Ethan Allen.

Like BMW, Tiffany or Benjamin Moore, Ethan Allen is a trade name that connotes quality, dependability and style. Going to any other store was not even a consideration.

I spent a lot of time looking through the company’s comprehensive catalog, and made several trips to the local showroom. With the help of an in-store designer, we were able to create a beautiful, comfortable room – based on our own particular style – which should last us a lifetime (at least, according to my budget-conscious hus-band). Seriously, I love our living room, and can’t imagine changing it for many years.

Fashion Forward ThinkingShopping at Ethan Allen today is a little

different, I’ve learned. Nora Murphy, execu-tive vice president of style and advertising for the 77-year-old, Danbury-headquartered home furnishings company, along with her team, has re-envisioned and strengthened Ethan Allen’s style. “We have added the excitement, fashion sense and authority of the interior designer to the company’s strong reputation as a well-respected American manufacturer and retailer of high-quality home furnishings,” Nora explains. In addi-tion to being known as a sound investment, “Ethan Allen has also become the go-to source for chic, updated classics, modern attitude and stylish, professional interior-design service.”

Founded in 1932 as a housewares manu-facturing company by Nathan Ancell and

Theodore Baumritter, Ethan Allen, named for the Vermont Revolutionary War leader, began producing early American furniture in 1939. During 1972, the company relo-cated its headquarters from New York City to Danbury. Today there are approximately 300 design centers, six manufacturing facili-ties, two wholesale distribution centers and 29 retail service centers, with approximately 65 percent of Ethan Allen’s furniture manu-factured in the United States, according to M. Farooq Kathwari, chairman, president and CEO.

“At Ethan Allen, we are people who love our homes,” Mr. Kathwari says, “and we passionately believe that everyone should love theirs. The well-designed home never goes out of fashion, but its definition is always changing.”

When I was shopping for our living room five years ago, Ethan Allen’s furnish-ings were divided into collections, includ-ing Swedish Home, Georgian Court and Country French. I worked with a designer in the store to find the styles and colors I liked, and kept going back and forth between the catalog and the showroom

Ethan AllenCATERS TO MANY LIFESTYLES ... INCLUDING YOURS

by G. Lisa Sullivan

Ethan Allen has a diverse offering for budget and style, with consistent quality throughout.

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until we perfected the look for our living room.

Today, Ethan Allen’s customers can easily decorate an entire house while sitting right at the computer. A good place to begin is with the company’s online What’s Your Style? quick and easy quiz, which helps pinpoint which of the company’s seven lifestyles a customer prefers. My preference was a blend of Estate, which is an eternal; American summer style, think Ralph Lauren meets the Great Gatsby; and Loft, a practical style with materials borrowed from industry, architec-ture and nature.

The five other lifestyles include Glamour, Metro, Country House, Global and Villa. Shoppers can choose all of a room’s design elements – furniture, upholstery, rugs, acces-sories and lighting – from one lifestyle, or they could pull pieces from any or all styles to create a unique look.

“We created our lifestyles category in response to people’s desire to mix styles,” says Nora, a Fairfield native. “We have a very diverse offering for budget and style, with quality that is consistent throughout, and our seven lifestyles, which we introduced several years ago, enable our customers to easily define their styles and likes.”

One-Stop To ShopWith people so busy and under such time

constraints, Ethan Allen has transformed its Web site into a virtual shopping playground for new and potential customers ... a place where they can discover Ethan Allen’s variety of lifestyles for today’s living.

The Web site is designed so customers can search by lifestyle or by a specific room

or item. If you wanted to buy a living room couch, for example, you could start on the company’s home page, click on Shop, then click Live under the Products heading. There, a comprehensive selection of sofas – don’t forget to click on “select a fabric” – allows you to choose just the right piece. The page even features coordinating items, aptly titled, “Things we love with this.” For wood furniture, the site prompts the customer to select a finish.

“Our interactive Web site has opened up a whole new world of home-furnish-ing shopping for our customers, based on their particular needs,” Nora says. “With full descriptions and specifications, it’s easy for clients to shop at home, if they wish. And of course, we offer free United States shipping on qualifying items, and free local delivery.”

For clients who prefer a more hands-on approach, Nora recommends getting acquainted with Ethan Allen online first. This way, they can get some idea of what they want, and then come into a design cen-ter. There are several stores in Connecticut – Norwalk, Danbury, Stamford and Milford – as well as ones in New York.

While wood furniture sells very well online, people like to sit on, touch and test upholstered furniture for comfort, she says. “We recently completely revamped our Danbury design center, which is representa-tive of the more modern perspective of how we’re living today. If you’re looking to buy a lamp for your living room, you can do that. If you’re looking to fill an entire new living room, you can do that, too.”

For further information, visit ethanallen.com, or call customer service at 888- 324-3571. ■

On the company’s Web site, customers can search by style, specific room or item.

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ALL HOME REPAIRS��

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