Elegant living in an idyllic setting
This 4-acre property in backcountry affords a custom-designed luxury home, three-car garage and tranquil inground pool
A long, gated driveway leads to the courtyard in front of 58 Close Road in backcountry Greenwich — a six-bedroom home, with 10 baths and nearly 11,000 square feet of living space. The sellers are asking $6.749 million for the property, and they’ve enlisted Houlihan Lawrence Realtor Julie Church as the listing agent. Greenwich Time spoke with one of the homeowners, who recounted her family’s time living here. “This was a house that was built on the site of an old farmhouse,” the owner said. It was custom-built in 2005 by the first owner, though Lai’s family was the first to occupy it. “This gentleman, who’s a lovely man — and we’re still friends — was absolutely meticulous about everything in the house.”
For example, he sourced the brick for the Georgian-style colonial from nine antique farmhouses in Massachusetts, she noted. The floor plan begins in the expansive double-height foyer, with a grand staircase ascending to the second level.
“If someone were to get married, you can imagine the bride coming down the stairs in her wedding dress,” the seller said. When prom time came around, their house was naturally the site of prom photos, thanks to the elegant space and ascending staircase.
“We used to have great parties and hosted holidays, and everyone could be in the foyer, because it has room for 75 people — great for entertaining — and it all flows into the living room, dining room and family room. … And you can open the French doors out to the patio, so you have indoor-outdoor flow, as well, which was really nice.”
“The rail was hand-carved by a Polish artisan. It’s all one piece,” she added. The main level of the house comprises a formal living room, formal dining room, home office, a music room and sunroom, the open-plan kitchen, breakfast room and family room, a mudroom, powder room, a pool bath, guest bedroom, and an attached three-car garage. There are high ceilings throughout the home and custom moldings. Fireplaces are found in the living, dining and family rooms.
The kitchen is equipped for home cooks, with two dishwashers, a warming oven and beverage refrigerator. All of the appliances, including the Sub-Zero refrigerator/freezer were installed within the past three years.
“It really is the heart of the house. … Standing by the island, I can see all the way through the family room, out the picture windows and to the backyard and pool,” the homeowner said. The countertops are crafted in white marble, which is carried through to the family room’s fireplace. The design allowed for a built-in desk for household management tasks. A library served as a quiet home office, and two of the bedrooms were put to use as home offices, as well. She founded a nonprofit organization from one, and their son started a business out of another over the garage — a space formerly used by a live-in nanny. One of the six bedrooms is the primary suite. A veritable wing of the second floor, it comprises the bedroom, a sitting room with a fireplace, two baths and two dressing rooms.
One level up, the floor plan provides some bonus rooms for amenities. There’s a large rec room and gym, a media room, full bath, and several storage rooms, including a 26-by-7-foot cedar closet. In the lower level, they’ve dedicated two rooms to a wine cellar and tasting room.
In addition to the newer kitchen appliances, the owners made a number of other improvements to the property in recent years. They’ve painted, upgraded some bathroom fixtures, installed new digital TV displays (which will convey), added new racks to the wine cellar and tasting room, and installed a whole-house generator. “We added a pool a few years ago, which was tremendous for our boys. It’s been a real gathering place for their friends,” she said. “My husband swims laps in it, because it’s quite large.” When the house was first built, Florence Boogaerts Gardens designed the landscaping. When the current owners installed the pool, they also added gardens around it. “When the hydrangeas bloom in the summer, it’s the most beautiful place to be,” she said.
Having amenities on the property — the pool, rec room and wine rooms — made the COVID years
— when everyone spent more time at home — more comfortable.
For luxury-home buyers considering Fairfield County, the homeowner suggested they take a close look at backcountry Greenwich. “The homes are beautiful, historic and impeccably maintained,” she said. “You can get to Armonk in 10 minutes, downtown Greenwich in 15 minutes, and on a good day, I can get into [New York City]in 25 minutes,” she noted. “Our kids went to school in both Greenwich and Westchester, so we were nicely set up for that. And they learned to drive around here, because there are never many people on the backcountry roads.”
This particular home is close to private and public schools. There are country clubs in the area, the Greenwich Riding & Trails Association trail system for equestrians, and lots of conservation land for an idyllic country setting.
Listing agent: