The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Colonial on cul-de-sac
Seller Amy Buhl came up with four simple words when asked what she missed most about her home at 26 Cromwell Road in North Haven; “it was…a home.”
After a pause, Buhl, who currently lives in Florida, said she had many memories of raising her family there. “I can’t even say…I guess I miss the familiarity of being there,” she said. “It was so safe. It was just a very nice place to spend 28 years.” Buhl was traveling for work when she and her husband were looking for a new home and trusted his judgement so much she agreed to his selection sight unseen. The house was still being built so he made changes, including moving the kitchen, replacing popcorn ceilings with “much nicer” drywall, and putting an extra bathroom on the second floor in place of a closet. “As far as we’re concerned, you can’t have enough bathrooms with five people living in a house,” Buhl said.
Elise Kamp, listing agent for Press/Cuozzo Realtors, said the house has “wonderful upgrades” and “really great space for everyone.” “They just utilized all the space in that house,” Kamp said. From the entryway, the eating area with a butcher block table comes into view. “A lot happened around that table.” Buhl said. “Homework, all big discussions, (we had) dinner there, highs and lows. (We asked each other) ‘What was your high?’ ‘What was your low?’”
The family spent most of their time in the open area that contains the kitchen, the eat-in nook and the family room. The updated kitchen has granite countertops and a Quimper French tile backsplash from a store in northern Michigan, where Buhl’s husband spent a lot of time when he was growing up. The family room has hardwood floors, a brick fireplace, and French doors to a deck overlooking the backyard. The living and dining room ceilings are framed with decorative trim, floor-to-ceiling windows and Address: 26 Cromwell Road, North Haven
Price: $695,000
Rooms: 11
Features: This colonial sits on a cul-de-sac in the Ridge Road neighborhood. This home has many upgrades. The kitchen has granite countertops and island, a Sub-Zero refrigerator, and an eating area and opens to the family room with a brick fireplace and French doors to the deck. The living room features a fireplace. There is also a library with built-ins, a formal dining room, and a playroom/office. The master bedroom has a spa like bathroom with a shower, Jacuzzi, and large walk- in closet. The finished third floor has a full bath, skylights, and a cedar closet, offering a perfect space for an au-pair suite, or a home office or studio. The professionally landscaped exterior features gorgeous stonework and an underground irrigation system. The house offers central air, a two-car garage, newer windows, gas heat, and a finished basement with tons of storage.
Schools: Ridge Road Elementary School, North Haven Middle School, North Haven High School there’s a brick fireplace in the living room. The library/ office has built-in cabinets and shelves that Buhl’s brother made. There’s a mud room with cubbies where Buhl’s children stored backpacks and coats. Over the garage is a playroom and computer room with California closets and a half-wall of built-in shelves.
The master suite has large windows overlooking the front yard, two walk-in closets, one of which was made by Buhl’s brother and “goes on forever,” she said. The upgraded master bath has granite countertops, a vanity with two sinks, a Jacuzzi, and a tiled walk-in shower. Two additional bedrooms share a bath and a fourth bedroom has an en-suite bath. The third floor contains a huge room with a bathroom and a cedar closet.
The finished basement has plenty of storage and three rooms where the children spent countless hours at play and having sleepovers. “[Ping-pong] was my son’s study break,” Buhl said. “He would be like, ‘Mom can we play ping pong?’ Then he got too good for me, and then it was my husband.” Buhl has held informal gatherings and cocktail parties and hosted trunk shows. She would spread hors d’oeuvres on the kitchen table or island and put dressing areas in various rooms. Her friend Lois DeLise would also be there with her handmade Fleur DeLise Jewelry. “People would just sort of roam around the house and sip wine and try on cloths and jewelry,” Buhl said.
Buhl said her children enjoyed growing up in the neighborhood, playing whiffle ball with neighborhood kids, going to block parties, and learning to ride bikes in the cul-de-sac. “Everybody looked out for everybody, it was wonderful,” she said.
Address: 95 Village Pond Road, Guilford
Beds: 4 Baths: 2 full and 1 half Square Footage: 2,552
Rose Ciardiello, William Raveis Real Estate, 203-314-6269, Rose.Ciardiello@raveis.com
This colonial is located in the desirable Pondside Village with association rights to the neighborhood pond and park-like grounds. The wellmaintained home is set back on a one-acre lot and features hardwood flooring, crown molding, and lovely bay windows in most lower-level rooms offering views of the lightly wooded yard. The living room has a custom built-in entertainment center and a platform for media/theater seating and leads to the formal dining room, also with built-ins. The updated eat-in kitchen offers cherry cabinetry, stainless appliances, granite countertops, a wet-bar, and storage space. The family room has a fireplace and offers a comfortable gathering space. Sliders open to a large deck, hot tub, and backyard. The finished lower level provides additional living space.