Italian villa in Lyme

Compound on 10-plus acres with outbuildings and a pool with a waterfall

Originally meant to be a typical New England house, this home was crafted into a villa bespeaking the Italian countryside.

A true compound, the property consists of six buildings. Besides the manor or main house, there is a guest house with five bedrooms and three and a half baths, a caretaker’s cottage with two bedrooms and one bath, a carriage house apartment with two bedrooms and one bath, a studio, and a pool house.

When Paul E. Taylor Jr., who died in 2007, purchased the property in the early 1970s, he moved portions of the original 1700’s farmhouse – including the keeping room and several rooms with fireplaces – to a different spot on the 10-acre property where he planned to build a new home around the historic pieces. Builder H.P. ‘Skip’ Broom started building the home while Taylor visited Italy, his wife Anne Cote-Taylor said. While in Venice, he fell in love with the work of sixteen century Italian architect Andrea Palladio and called Broom. “Tear it down,” Taylor said, according to his wife. “I want a villa.” Broom and architects Thomas Norton, and later, Robert Orr and Associates, transformed the entire property over nearly a decade.

For the main house, they crafted a villa with Palladian columns and a limestone exterior, save the historic wood portion, which was painted to match the limestone. Inside, according to Colette Harron, co-listing agent for William Sotheby’s International Realty, the home resembles a museum.

Harron’s favorite part of the home is the large entryway with a marble floor, columns, and a staircase with swirling iron railings.

The two-story living room – the original keeping room – has a large fireplace, paneling inspired by a dining hall at Yale University, a 146 Hamburg Road,

Rooms in tray-wood ceiling, rows of windows above authentic French doors, and a bar. Cote-Taylor said her friends enjoy sitting beside a roaring fire when they come over in the cold of winter.

In total, there are six fireplaces in the home, including in the master bedroom.

The bright sunroom off the living room was designed and painted by antiques dealer Tom Rose – whom Harron called an artist. Windows in several rooms offer views galore. Looking west, one sees the formal gardens with mini-Japanese maples, cherry trees, lilac bushes, hydrangeas, azaleas, a pergola, and a swathe of lawn. To the south, a huge lawn hosts a copper beech tree and borders forest. To the east sits the front of the property, with orchards and a crushed stone driveway lined with linden trees.

Flowers bloom throughout three seasons, adding changing colors and scenery. “Paul loved all the seasons here,” Cote-Taylor said. “It’s absolutely gorgeous in spring and summer with all the flowers.” Stone walls dot the property and keep “the flavor of the nutmeg state,” she added. The home has an art gallery, where Taylor-Cote has a collection of American art acquired by Taylor. The kitchen opens into the great room, making it easy for the host or hostess to prepare meals while chatting with guests as they enjoy hors d’oeuvres or cocktails.

The master suite has a private balcony overlooking the formal gardens and a bath with dual sinks, a soaking tub and separate shower.

Taylor raised seven children on the property and it has served as home to multiple generations. His children and their families stay in the front house, which sits across from the pool, allowing parents to easily check on older children in the water or sit poolside watching young ones splash and play. Cote-Taylor said she will miss the peace and tranquility of the place and the linden trees along the driveway. “When they’re in full bloom, it really creates a majesty to this property,” she said.

Contributed photo The home’s gorgeous swimming pool comes into view upon entering the compound, which comprises six buildings set on 10-plus acres.

Contributed photos This magnificent property, with its beautiful landscaping and mature trees, offers year-round enjoyment.