This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate
Twenty-three years ago, when Carl Johnson began doing the landscaping for the owners of Wheeler Farm Gardens, a property 12 houses away from his own in Portland, he had no idea he would one day live across the street. He and his wife, Debbie, loved their brick ranch in the Middlesex County town, where they raised their family for 36 years. But they wanted more land, an oversize garage, and other wish-list items for their retirement years.
“We initially looked to build locally but couldn’t find land we liked, so we began looking at different houses,” says Carl, who worked for the Town of Portland for 42 years and his landscape business for 32 years.
“If we were going to build or move, it had to have everything we wanted, or I wasn’t going anywhere,” adds Debbie.
END OF YEAR SALE: 6 MONTHS FOR 99¢! Start 2024 as a digital subscriber.
Then, Wheeler Farm Gardens’ 3-acre lot, which had been up for sale when the couple wasn’t ready to buy, became available again. The new owner had subdivided the property into three lots but returned it to the market as one. That’s when the couple took notice and bought it in early October 2019. Since Debbie didn’t care for previous wooded properties they had seen, the wide-open land was perfect, and had a great location backing up to the Portland Golf Course.
Around the same time, Debbie’s friend told her about the Parade of Homes tour by the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Central Connecticut. The annual event, which offers tours of new and remodeled homes, and takes place this year on Oct. 14 and 15 (see the schedule at hbracentralct.com/about/parade-of-homes), is an excellent opportunity to meet different builders.
“We toured a house on Fox Hopyard Golf Course, and I said if I could put this house in Portland, I’d be thrilled,” Debbie remembers. “It was a two-story house; we were looking for a ranch. But we were very interested in all the details in the house.”
They spoke with the home builder, Nick Uccello, owner of Rocky Hill-based Uccello Development, and chairman of the Parade of Homes committee. After talking with a few other builders and seeing more of Uccello’s work, they decided to move forward with his firm.
The couple knew exactly what they wanted thanks to their time spent perusing home design books and magazines, so the process was quick. Uccello tapped Jack Kemper of Farmington-based Kemper Associates Architects to draw up plans. “We didn’t want a long, typical ranch,” says Debbie. “I showed Nick a picture of a house with a gable roof and a window on the front and back attic level. It gives the home character and extra storage.”
Building on the three-bedroom, 2½-bath custom house began in March 2020, just as COVID started to wreak havoc. But Uccello was not deterred. “Our challenges were trying to keep everyone safe, plus timing in acquiring materials, and labor, but we powered through it and got it done,” he says.
Carl remembers: “I had asked Nick, ‘Should we put this on hold?’ and he said, ‘Absolutely not, your lumber is all ordered, and we’re in a very good position right now. Let’s move.’ And I said, ‘Okay, you’re the boss.’ And we didn’t hit too many bumps, except for getting our appliances at the end, which took longer.”
In addition to an open-concept kitchen, dining and family room, the house includes a pantry, office, mudroom and laundry room on the first floor. Debbie had broken her ankle a few years back, and with the washer and dryer in the basement, they joked that Carl got a quick education on how to do laundry. Uccello even built hallways and doorways big enough for handicapped accessibility.
While West Hartford Stairs & Cabinets was behind the cabinetry and built-ins, Debbie took charge of the interior design. From wall color, lighting and furniture sourcing to consulting with Uccello about window placement, she knew what she wanted. Transom windows along the top and sides of the front door make for an impressive focal point for the entry and help bring in more natural light. And her idea for a glass room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the patio does the same. “I need to have light in the house,” she says. “I can’t stand a house that is dark, and you need to have lights on all the time.”
For paint, she opted for Benjamin Moore Gray Owl in the kitchen, hallway, mudroom and pantry, with Marina Gray in the family room and dining area. The gray color palette is the perfect backdrop for furnishings brought over from their other house, while blue, Benjamin Moore’s Exhale, works in the glass room, where they purchased all new pieces from Kloter Farms in Ellington. She also had fun with brighter colors in the bathrooms and guest and grandkids’ bedrooms.
Debbie worked with Universal Tile in Hartford, deciding on white subway tile for the kitchen backsplash to complement the cabinetry. A decorative arrangement of gray tiles above the oven adds interest. And after a few trips to Connecticut Lighting Centers, all the lighting fell into place. But it took a special trip to Circa Lighting in Norwalk to find the piece over the dining room table. “It’s interesting to note that none of the lighting I chose has glass,” says Debbie. “I didn’t want to constantly be cleaning.”
Aqua Scapes of CT helped her design her outdoor happy place: a zen-inspired fishpond with two waterfalls. They had a smaller one installed at their previous house. Determined to have full-grown trees on the property, they hired a tree-moving company to relocate four that stood where the new house would sit. “Everyone said that they would never survive, but Carl babysat them for seven months, watering them every day, putting water bags around them, and feeding them nutrients,” says Debbie.
After 15 months of construction, the Johnsons moved into their new house in July 2021. Carl continues to care for the outdoors, and an oversize barn garage by Morton Buildings holds his landscaping equipment and, hopefully, the motor home they’d like to buy one day. And while the fire pit nearby was part of the initial plan, the pool was not. But they strategically put the septic system on the west side of the property in case they decided to add one, which they did in August 2022, contracting with Juliano’s Pools.
More for you
“Our grandchildren were invited to swim in our neighbor’s pool,” Carl says. “So, we put one in with a heater to enjoy an extended season. We also added onto the patio once the pool was complete.”
The resort-like setting is even home to the Johnsons’ daughters’ dollhouse, built for them years ago. Complete with running water and electricity, the dollhouse made its way to the new house and is now a popular spot for their grandchildren to play. “They call it the clubhouse,” says Carl, “and have a ball over there.”
Every home has a story. Each month we share the story of a Connecticut home, including new builds, additions, renovations, restorations, plus interior designs. If you’d like to see your home featured, send a summary of what makes it special, along with 3–5 photos, to [email protected].
You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale here. Sign up for our newsletter to get our latest and greatest content delivered right to your inbox. Have a question or comment? Email [email protected]. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag.