New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Ranch home in Wallingford offers sunrise and sunset views
When seller Megan McSheffrey walked into the ranch at 8 Stoney Brook Road in Wallingford, the view stretching over hills cried out to her. The eyecatching vista takes the home to the next level, she said. “When the snow is coming down it’s a great view, when the leaves are coming down it’s a great view, and in spring [it’s a great view],” she said. Light floods the house from the many windows and McShreffrey said she never turns on lights in the daytime. “The house is so light; it is light, light, light everywhere. It is the brightest house I’ve ever lived in,” she said. “Even when it’s grey out, it’s light.”
Sitting high on a hill, the house gets sunrise and sunset views and with a brick paver driveway, the approach is beautiful, said Vin Masotta, co-listing agent for Pearce Real Estate. In spring the street – lined by Bradford pear and cherry blossom trees – is lit up with white and pink blooms. To the left of the high-ceilinged, marblefloored foyer is the bright living room, “the showstopper,” according to McShreffrey, with large windows overlooking the gently sloping neighborhood, a propane fireplace with a marble surround, and sliders to the patio with a fire pit.
Oak floors running through the house were refinished in 2016. An open floor plan, the living room opens to the eat-in kitchen. The comfortably flowing room features high end appliances, a built-in desk where McSheffrey’s daughter sometimes completes her homework, plentiful storage, and a “fabulous island.” “The island [is] massive,” McSheffrey said. “People are just in awe of how huge it is.”
Address: 8 Stoney Brook Road, Wallingford/$639,000
Rooms: 6
Features: This spectacular ranch sits on 1.6-acres and offers amenities and highend touches. The large foyer features ceramic tile flooring and a closet. The living room boasts a marble fireplace, vaulted ceiling, and windows galore. The luxurious open concept kitchen features granite counters, a Wolf electric cooktop, Bosch dishwasher, Subzero refrigerator, an oversized walk-in pantry, and tons of cabinet space. The attached dining room sports a tray ceiling. The primary suite features two walk-in closets, an enormous bathroom with a heated ceramic tile floor, a Jacuzzi tub, shower, and separate vanities. The other two bedrooms have new wall-to-wall carpet and large closets. The unfinished full basement includes a workshop, an on-demand propane hot water heater, and a stunning wine cellar. There’s a threecar attached garage and a slate porch with incredible views.
Schools: Rock Hill School, Dag Hammarskjold Middle School, Lyman Hall High School
Agents: Pearce Real Estate, Vin Masotta, 203-265-4866 ext. 527, vmasotta@hpearce.com and Jeff Whitman, 203-383-9125 jwhitman@hpearce.com
The open kitchen allows for the perfect juxtaposition between cooking and entertaining, making it possible for the host or hostess to whip up food while keeping an eye on guests, Masotta said.
During parties and gatherings, people congregate in the kitchen and living room, milling around the island, or sitting at the table or desk. McSheffrey places a large flower arrangement in the center of the island and spreads a buffet. When weather permits, people spill in and out of the house, enjoying the patio space or playing in the large flat backyard. She recalled an Easter party when children ran on the emerald green grass and adults sat on the patio playing cards or watched a game in the living room.
Off the kitchen is a butcher’s pantry with built-in cabinets and pull-out shelves. McSheffrey converted the formal dining room, which opens to the patio, into a family room. A “functional room,” she said it could be used either way. Past a double doored coat closet are French doors to bedrooms off “the longest hallway in the history of the world,” according to McSheffrey.
The spacious primary suite has a vaulted ceiling, two walk-in closets, and large windows looking over the hills. The primary bath has radiant heated floors, dual vanities, a large garden tub and a separate shower with massaging jets. The two additional bedrooms are oversized. The versatile unfinished basement runs the length of the house and has a 1,700-bottle wine cellar. Installed by the previous owner and builder, the wine cellar is set deep in the ground for proper wine temperature. While McSheffrey said she loves the views from the tall windows and will miss that when she moves, what she said she will most about the house is “all of it.”
“I keep walking around it going ‘ah’,” she said. “It’s got a great feel to it; it’s a very peaceful house; it has a calm feel.”