Serenity Abounds from High Wood Road Home in West Hartford
AWest Hartford property ready for large-scale entertaining inside and outside with a versatile floor plan, a finished walkout lower level and a heated inground pool and spa allows you to vacation at home year-round. Built in 1987, the nine room, 4,180-square-foot colonial at 71 High Wood Road is located on a lightly wooded half-acre lot and earns high marks for its landscaping and curb appeal.
“You can vacation at home from this serene and private oasis,” says real estate agent Lynn Graf. “It’s a fabulous home for entertaining and al fresco dining.”
Relax and enjoy the heated in-ground pool and spa surrounded by a fenced-in lovely patio overlooking the beautifully landscaped yard. All of the trees and perennials have been planted by the current owners. Detached from the pool is a spa with its own waterfall flowing into it. Although the pool is closed when the weather turns cooler, the spa can be used eight months a year.
Completely surrounding the back of the home is an easy-to-take-care-of wraparound deck made from composite materials and highlighted by a black aluminum railing system. Cobblestone steps extend from the deck to the isolated pool area.
Visitors entering through the double front doors are treated to a spacious marble foyer with crown molding. On the right is the family room with new carpet, wood beams on the ceiling and a wood-burning brick fireplace with a mantel. On the left side of the foyer is a spacious formal living room with a new oak hardwood floor which extends into the dining room. Floor-to-ceiling white columns separate both rooms. Recessed lighting and crown molding grace the dining room.
The eat-in kitchen, large enough for placement of a second dining room table, is roomy for entertaining and light and bright thanks to two skylights. Multi-color granite counters and a tumble-stone backsplash complement the rust-colored terracotta tile floors. An attached island, which provides additional storage, can seat four people. Stainless appliances include two wall ovens, a trash compactor, an oversize 48-inch Viking refrigerator and a Viking gas cooktop with an overhead hood. There are double sinks, under-cabinet lighting and lots of cupboards, some with easy pull-out drawers.
From the kitchen, enter the first-floor office with one wall devoted entirely to closets and shelving. The space could be transformed into a kid’s room, a game area, a den or a library. Sliding doors in the room exit onto the deck. Rounding out the first floor is a chic powder room, adorned by a granite vanity and a vessel sink, and a mudroom off the kitchen with an area for the washer and dryer, cabinets and closets. The space leads into the two-car garage.
The staircase opens to a balcony on the second level housing five bedrooms, all with generous closets. Overlooking the backyard is the large master suite with one wall highlighted by floor-to-ceiling mirrors.
Its closet, measuring 23-by-7 feet, is a room in itself. Marble embellishes the master bathroom’s floor, double vanities and jetted soaking tub. A water closet and a shower are separated by a pocket door.
One of the bedrooms has a built-in desk and could be used as an office while another room has built-in shelving. All of the bedrooms are carpeted. A full bathroom with double sinks is perfect for the family or guests.
The partially finished lower level provides an additional 716 square feet of space with two rooms, a recreational or game room, and an independent guest space that is perfect for an au pair or teen suite. Storage overflows with closets galore in this space. The walkout entrance to the deck makes it easy to access the full bathroom in the lower level without walking through the house. Behind closed doors, handiwork or crafts can be done in the separate mechanicals room with work benches lined against the walls.
The majority of the interior was freshly painted in 2020. New carpet on the stairs, hallway, master bedroom and two of the other bedrooms was installed the end of last year. In March, some of the rooms were fitted with oak hardwood flooring.
Other features of the home include a central vacuum, a security system and central air conditioning. The property is serviced by public water and sewer. There are two heat pump/furnaces fueled by natural gas and a backup system powered by electricity. The home is energy efficient with thermopane windows. It is wired for a generator as well as a five-zone sound system. An underground sprinkler system is located in the front and rear yards.
The exterior of the home is wood siding with an asphalt roof. A portico above the front door gives the home a stately entrance. Convenient LeafGuard® gutters have been fitted to the home. The driveway was repaved last October.
The current owners, who have raised their three daughters in the home, are ready to downsize but say they will miss the home and its serene neighborhood. They have enjoyed entertaining hundreds of family members and friends, both inside and outside of the home, and hosting grand parties.