Page 20 - 28 Harbor Road, Westport

AN INTERVIEW WITH MARY ANNE MAYO & STEVE NELSON
PROUD HOMEOWNERS ON HARBOR ROAD SINCE 1997

WHAT MADE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH 28 HARBOR ROAD?
We first moved here in 1997 and the draw was the location on the water. However, our old house was not built for
hurricanes, and the first floor was badly damaged in Superstorm Sandy. We decided that instead of repairing our old
house, we would start over with a new, FEMA-compliant home. We wanted a contemporary house that maximized the
views. It was important to us that we build something distinctive, modern, and architect-designed--we didn't want "just
another builder's house."

PLEASE DESCRIBE THE RENOVATION PROCESS ...

We worked together with architect Rick Swann to design something that reflected our vision of a home that was open
to the outdoors and the views, but incorporated every possible touch of luxury. We wanted contemporary, but with
warm and beautiful details. The kitchen and master suite were most important to Mary Anne, she put a huge amount of
thought into the details of those, and they ended up working perfectly for us. She had an unusual idea for the kitchen,
which incorporated the best parts of both "open" and "closed" kitchen designs, so you can enjoy being with your guests
while cooking, but don't have to look at the dirty dishes and appliances while dining! We also wanted the upstairs sitting
room open to the great room downstairs, so we could have big parties using both rooms. Rick did a nice job with that, so
we have comfortable, intimate seating areas, but we also can handle a crowd. We worked with Scott Kilcoyne of Kilcoyne
Construction on building the house, and Scott was very intelligent and thoughtful in realizing the intentions of the plans. It
was an unusual house to build--the site preparation and pilings necessary to satisfy the hurricane standards, the "twisted"
and angled roof, the 2-story window wall, and number of balconies and amount of open space all needed a builder and
subcontractors who were attentive and willing to collaborate closely with the architect and with us. We are still good friends
after the project!

DID YOU EVER CONSIDER PUTTING IN A POOL?
Not a pool--we have the beach! We considered trying to make the house larger--either with a third story or a larger
"footprint." However, we wanted to preserve some yard space and landscaping opportunities. We also both are eco-
conscious, and we didn't want to overbuild. We put our emphasis on using the space as wisely and effectively as possible
to maximize room for entertaining and for the private oasis of our master suite.

WILL YOU MISS THE NEIGHBORS?

This is a friendly and very active neighborhood. People are always biking, walking, dog-walking, and jogging along the
roadway, and we'll miss having our friends jog or bike by & come in for a coffee break. We are moving because we want to
retire, and we knew that we should be selling the house shortly after we finished it so we could "downsize." However, I have
to admit that it's really hard to let this go!

TELL ME ABOUT THE GROUNDS ...
It is really hard to describe how important the water and marsh views are to us. Morning sunrise, bird-watching, seeing
the kids learning to sail at the Longshore Sailing School, watching storms move through--all of that has been a big part of
keeping us sane through stressful jobs and difficult life events. It's really pure joy to live on the water! Because we have both
marsh and harbor, this is also bird-watching heaven. We get herons, egrets, many different kinds of ducks, gulls, plovers,
terns, cormorants, swans, geese, hawks, and ospreys, plus all the small marsh and woodland birds. The redwing blackbirds
love the marsh, and it's always the first sign of spring when they come back each year.

WHAT MAKES YOUR LOT SO SPECIAL?
We have the first view that opens onto LI Sound as you drive down Harbor Rd., so it's always a treat to come home! We
have the yacht club boat basin on one side, the salt marsh behind, and the harbor and LI Sound in front, so it's a marine
paradise with something a little bit different in every direction.