Tudor Revival home, brilliantly renovated
The 1920s-period home is lakefront and appended with amenities, including a wine cellar, spa, outdoor kitchen and dock
Located in the private Milbrook Association, the four-bedroom, 3,172-square-foot Tudor at 7 Orchard Drive, Greenwich, is offered to the market for $6.05 million. Realtor Sarah Muir, with Houlihan Lawrence’s Greenwich brokerage, is the listing agent.
“The home was recently renovated and beautifully decorated, but the 0.79-acres of flat land on the lake, close to the Milbrook Club, is really what makes this listing exceptional,” Muir said. “The living room, with dramatic leaded-glass windows, is a showstopper. Everyone who walks into the home truly gasps when they see it.”
Maureen Sheehan bought her first home in the Milbrook Association in 1995— the first of three homes she’s owned in this private community. Years later, in 2009, she became intrigued by the Tudor Revival house, built in 1928, at 7 Orchard Drive. The original owners had lived in the home for approximately 50 years before being sold to another family shortly before the 2008 market downturn, which changed their plans for renovating it. They opted not to move in and relisted it for sale, Sheehan explained.
The house needed a lot of work, but Sheehan wasn’t daunted by the prospect. She took a chance, bid on it, becoming the third owner. She immediately set out to transform it to the luxury home it is today.
“I never wanted to change the actual footprint of the house or the bones, because I thought it was peaceful and serene, like a vacation property,” she recalled. She engaged a landscape architect to create gardens like works of art. A reclaimed decommissioned koi pond became a spa.
“I use that all the time,” she said. “About two years ago, I redid the footprint of the patio and created an outdoor [kitchen) and dining room. Every morning I go out and have my coffee on the patio.” Sheehan also embarked on interior renovations to create a Zen-like experience—a place where her family naturally gravitated. “I wanted family community space, where we could all be together,” she explained.
The first floor comprises an entry foyer—which opens to both the family room and living room— the formal dining room, kitchen, pantry and powder room.
The expansive living room afforded Sheehan the opportunity to rearrange the furnishings, bring in long dining tables and have sitdown and holiday dinners for as many as 50 guests. It has a nice indoor-outdoor flow to a covered porch and out to the 26-by-54-foot patio.
Sheehan also built a new, reconfigured kitchen, incorporating a large island, a pantry, a desk area and a coffee station.
“I’ve loved having that pantry, because everything gets put away and no one can see it—the countertops stay clean,” she said. “I like to cook and bake. It’s not just a pretty kitchen, it’s a functional kitchen, with plenty of counter space.” All four bedrooms are on the second level, including a primary suite.
“I redid [the primary suite] bathroom last year, in all white, with a freestanding tub,” Sheehan noted. In addition to the bedrooms and a total of four baths, there’s also a sitting room or home office, and a convenient laundry on the second floor. A second laundry, a wine cellar and a bonus room are in the lower level.
The backyard patio, outdoor kitchen, spa and gardens are mere steps from the lake’s calm waters. “It’s a remarkable property in every season,” she said. In the summertime, their family would launch kayaks and paddle boards from the lakefront dock— also a great spot to cast a line for fishing. The lake also drew the attention of fascinating swans and other birds. “Having access to the Milbrook Club is everything. I’m there every single day all summer long, playing tennis. I can bike there, and my kids grew up loving being able to go there and feel part of another family, beyond our family and their school friends,” Sheehan said. “The benefit of buying a house in Milbrook is that there’s no waiting
list. If you want to join the club, it’s the same process to apply, but you don’t have to wait. So, if someone buys this house in by June, they can potentially enjoy the club by July 1st.”
To prospective buyers considering Greenwich’s diverse and distinctive neighborhoods, hamlets and associations, Sheehan suggested the Milbrook Association: “I think there is no better place in Greenwich. I wouldn’t consider living anywhere else. I feel like there’s an instant sense of community, where people look out for you. … It’s a good mix of people. I’ve
been on the homeowners’ board. I served six years, and it’s a dedicated group of residents who want the best for the neighborhood and are always looking to make improvements,” Sheehan said.
It’s also a social and active community. They’ve had ‘Yappy Hour,” for residents and their four-legged family members. Some of the neighbors practice yoga at the playground, and they host their own “town party” every year.
It’s a bittersweet decision to sell the home she’s loved for so many years, and to leave a community
where she’s formed lifelong friendships. But, Sheehan said, “There’s a chapter and a time for everything, and sometimes we have to let go in order to move forward.” She trusts the next family will enjoy it as much as her own.
The listing agent is hosting public open houses at 7 Orchard Drive this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. each day.