The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Spacious Branford home, expansive inside and out
This dreamy Pine Orchard home lends itself to contemporary or colonial design, according to Susan Santoro, listing agent for Press Cuozzo Real Estate.
“It’s a chameleon, Santoro said.
Kathy Thomas and her husband purchased the home in 2004 when they were not even on the market for a house.
“We were driving by and went in and said ‘Oh my goodness, look at this place it’s so wonderful,’” Thomas said.
It proved to be “wonderful” place to raise their two children, she said.
Noting that only the finest materials were used in building the custom home, Santoro said the first thing she noticed upon entering was the great use of windows.
“It’s completely flooded with natural sunlight,” she said.
A beautiful staircase lies straight ahead of the front door in the bright two-story tray-ceilinged foyer. To the right is the living room, with a tray ceiling and arches over windows. To the left, is the dining room with French doors to a small porch.
With many windows, the home is light and spacious “but not huge,” Thomas said.
Bright and bathed in light, the kitchen offers cherry cabinets, granite countertops with matching backsplashes, a wall of windows overlooking the backyard, a beautiful island with a hood with a six-burner gas cooktop stove, and top-end appliances.
“The kitchen is a cook’s dream,” Thomas said.
Having hosted numerous parties, including at Thanksgiving, Easter and the Fourth of July, and many gatherings for the kids and their friends, Thomas said the house was great for entertaining.
Folks hang out in the kitchen around the island, which makes it easy for her to prepare refreshments while chatting or “celebrating with a glass of wine,” she said.
“I’m taking things out of the oven and starting to serve and there’s plenty of room for everyone,” she said. “It’s always a busy spot.”
There’s also plenty of room in the house for overnight visitors.
When weather permits, they take the fun outdoors on the beautiful deck overlooking the fully landscaped backyard with flowers, dogwoods, box woods, pine trees and a pool and spa.
“The backyard is an oasis,” Santoro said.
The two-story great room next to the kitchen has two rows of windows, one starting at the ceiling and below that is another level. A balcony from the second floor overlooks the great room.
The first floor also features beautiful woodwork, Thomas said.
“We have the most amazing woodwork in the first floor hallways,” she said. “It’s just beautiful.”
The spacious first floor master suite has a sitting area and a beautiful window overlooking the flowered side yard. The limestone master bath has a jetted tub, a walk-in shower, double sinks, and a beautiful outfitted walk-in closet.
The first floor master makes the home versatile and suitable for anyone from a young couple just starting out to folks with grown children or someone who would like to age in place, Santoro said.
The family room and master bedroom have transom widows above the standard window for additional light.
Upstairs, in addition to three bedrooms and two baths, there’s a bonus room.
Thomas has a sectional sofa in the bonus room, which is painted like seaglass.
“I actually practice yoga and meditation in my bonus room; it’s a beautiful room,” she said.
The space overlooks the front yard and can be an additional bedroom.
“It’s light and bright, it is beautiful,” Thomas said. “It is absolutely beautiful.”
What Thomas will most miss is the backyard with the pool and spa.
“It’s like being in a resort all the time,” she said. “It’s really an anomaly.”