After Tom and Susan Galione sold their Ridgefield home of 35 years and moved into a rental, Susan mentioned her desire to remodel an older house—but Tom was reluctant. He had grown up in an antique and knew the kinds of challenges such a vintage house could bring. When Susan saw the for-sale sign on an 1885 Greek Revival on Peaceable Street, she thought it was serendipity. And in what Tom calls a “weak moment” he agreed they should buy it. Once a grand three story with a gable roof, the house had a major renovation in 1949 which transformed it into a streamlined two-story. Later, in the 1970’s, the house received an additional facelift to bring it up to date. But by 2019, it was dated and had fallen into disrepair because Susan explained that the “sweet older couple” who so lovingly owned the home, could no longer keep up. However, like the former owners, Tom and Susan recognized that the house had good bones. Oversized floor to ceiling windows brightened the main floor rooms. The original fir flooring in the entry hall had been well maintained and the sweeping staircase was to die for. The house had tall ceilings, lots of nooks and crannies that created visual interest, beautiful millwork, and a butler’s pantry—something Susan coveted. It didn’t hurt that the house sat on nearly two acres of a park-like setting only a few minutes’ walk to downtown Ridgefield. Despite exterior rot, dated cosmetics, peeling wallpaper, and a barely functioning kitchen with harvest gold appliances and Formica countertops, the Galiones moved in and rolled up their sleeves. The first order of business was to personalize the floorplan. The home still reflected the lifestyle of an era gone by with small rooms and with servants’ quarters separated from the main house and accessed through a narrow, concealed back staircase. The Peaceable Street house even still had a button embedded into the dining room floor to beckon servants when needed. To create a plan more conducive to today’s open living concept, the couple hired architect Peter Coffin of Doyle Coffin in Ridgefield. The goal was to create an open floorplan without compromising the charm that captivated them in the first place. They also engaged Neal Hicks of Hicks Construction in Danbury, who they knew to be “a trusted expert when it comes to undertaking historic renovation projects and has a creative eye with knowledge of modern trends.” The couple was quickly convinced by the experts that the back part of the house intended for the kitchen/family room with a garage below could not be saved. The garage was so small that they couldn’t even fit a modern auto inside, and Tom recalled the basement and ceiling wiring as looking like “spaghetti.” By cutting off the back of the house they were able to build a new addition with replica railings and other details to make it look like it was part of the original structure. That also gave them new space for a kitchen, family room and screened porch.Designer Neil Orwick of Kitchen Traditions in Danbury carefully blended the magnificent contemporary kitchen by using traditional detail like a milky-white cabinet color that would have been used in older homes. Other transitional cabinet colors included a stained island that is also durable. The mullion treatment on the cabinet’s glass doors reflects that of the old part of the house. Orwick called the couple “dream clients” because they were willing to listen to ideas and suggestions and educated themselves, so they knew what they wanted.The downstairs became more open and airier by removing an entry hall closet and creating a wide hallway where all the main rooms could funnel off. It also accesses a bar, a powder room, and a back staircase to the second floor and to the mudroom and basement below. Upstairs, the small bedrooms were combined to make larger ones, all with their own contemporary bathrooms. The cluster of rooms that were probably the servant’s quarters now serve as a large primary suite with walk-in closets and a contemporary primary bath. The minimalist style the couple adopted while renting became the perfect canvas for the contemporary lighting fixtures, which act as pieces of art throughout.The Galiones dug in their heels when it came to preserving certain detail like their outdoor railings and the original fir flooring. They even kept the original hardware for shutters on the windowsills. However, they gladly let go of the spaghetti wiring in favor of upgrades that would allow them to have all the technological bells and whistles of the 21st century including an elevator. Two years later, the house is everything both wanted including a screened in porch where they daydream over future backyard plans. As for Tom, who had originally shunned Susan’s idea of an antique renovation, his favorite part is tucked away in the older part of the basement—a wine cellar with an antique door panel from the old home where he grew up. The final touch was added by Susan; a sign by the front door naming the home—Serendipity. •
