Outdoor entertaining with style
Michelle Genovesi is a Realtor with William Raveis Real Estate in Westport, where she leads “Michelle & Team.” She shared some thoughts on the components that make up an outdoor kitchen: “A great outdoor kitchen extends your living space and makes the most of the additional space by planning for shade, shelter and warmth. In addition to a built-in grill, most have a refrigerator, ice maker, or even a kegerator, as well as a dining area with room to serve, and lighting to set the ambiance and make it conducive to cooking. Many I’ve seen are sheltered by a pergola or have an outdoor fireplace.”
Genovesi’s team is currently representing sellers of two distinctive properties, each with outdoor kitchens — or, in one case, an indoor-to-outdoor kitchen. First, there’s “River Run,” a compound at 157 Easton Road in Westport. It’s a one-of-a-kind property that spans 2.75 acres with frontage on the Aspetuck River. The main house affords seven bedrooms, 10 baths and 9,360 square feet of interior living space. It also has some wonderful outdoor living and entertaining opportunities. The landscaped grounds have footpaths and Japanese gardens. A river dam creates a natural swimming pool with waterfalls. And there are terraces perched to take full advantage of the setting and views.
This home even has an indoor pool that’s positioned to create a seamless indoor-to-outdoor flow. Both the indoor pool area and the outdoor terraces and natural pool enjoy immediate access to a full kitchen and a cozy fireplace — technically, under cover, but beautifully connected to the outdoors, nonetheless.
At deadline, the asking price for 157 Easton Road in Westport was $7.995 million.
The seller of 9 Greenbrier Road in Westport also enlisted Genovesi’s team to market the seven-bedroom custom-built home and two-bedroom guest cottage.
“Our clients love to entertain, and the home is designed perfectly for it, both indoors and out,” Genovesi said. “The property has hosted two weddings, numerous fundraisers, alumni events and many celebrations.”
The outdoor living and dining areas are just as welcoming as the interiors — weather permitting, of course. In addition to the outdoor kitchen on the main terrace, there’s also a cozy outdoor fireplace. The pool terrace is appended with a water feature and a pergola.
“The guest house even has its own terrace to offer guests a private outdoor space,” Genovesi noted.
“It’s a unique property with a lot of history,” she added. “The two-bedroom guest cottage is an original Frazier Peters stone house from the 1930s. The custom main house was built by Coastal Construction in 2007 and designed to blend with Peters’ signature style. It’s the perfect combination of the character of an antique home and the amenities of today’s luxury properties.”