Page 22 - Bayberry_2 Westport

AN INTERVIEW WITH

PROUD HOMEOWNERS OF 2 BAYBERRY LANE

WHAT MADE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH 2 BAYBERRY LANE?
My husband was in Connecticut on business and called me at 2:30 one afternoon: “You
have to get on a plane and come see this house today.” That was a first! We were moving
back to Connecticut after a decade in Kansas City and wanted to find something fun for
our family. We had six children aged 16 to 4 and had been looking for several months
without success. I had driven by 2 Bayberry Lane more than once and had looked at
pictures online. If my husband hadn’t had a ‘feeling’ and stopped by, I’m not sure we
would have ever seen this house. It is NOT what you’d expect from the street. From the
moment we entered the driveway together, we knew this house was different; it was
special! When we got out of the car, we felt like we’d found a piece of paradise – privacy,
a stunning home, magnificent gardens – like we had been transported somewhere else,
somewhere wonderful.

Walking down the winding flagstone path, surrounded by patios and flowering trees, a
lovely pool, pergola, and pool house in the yard – we had already fallen in love. And then
we went inside! WOW!!! It was spectacular – a huge fieldstone fireplace and open great
room, gorgeous built-in bookshelves in a room with windows overlooking the gardens,
and plenty of bedrooms and other private spaces for our large family. A kitchen we could
(and would) live in. We could imagine warm winters by the fireplace and summers in the
yard; long conversations in the kitchen. Everywhere we turned, this charming house spoke
to us. A whimsical place where we could continue to raise our children with everything
Westport offers just steps away. We knew this would be our next home in Connecticut.

Our family’s love story has blossomed here over the last 13 years. Our children consider
this ‘home.’ We have laughed and cried here, slept and celebrated here, and formed
indelible memories that will last forever. 2 Bayberry Lane has been a dream come true for
our family.

PLEASE DESCRIBE THE RENOVATION PROCESS ...
The core of 2 Bayberry Lane was built in the 1830’s and remained in the Jennings family for
many generations. It was originally built as a horse (and then used as an onion) barn and
was part of a much larger parcel of land. The owners we purchased the house from in 2006
had added the basement and an extension to the Long Lots side of the house. There is a
tremendous amount of history to the house, and we wanted to respect that. Over the 13
years we’ve lived here, we have lovingly done a number of projects to enhance, preserve,
and update the home. We started with some not so much fun projects, like replacing
the roof with longer lasting shingles; replacing 4” gutters with 6” copper gutters and
downspouts; replacing the heating and cooling system with new equipment, ductwork
and new plumbing for the radiant heat; replacing several windows with custom made
glass in new ones; replacing some fence work around the property and new decorative
fencing and arbors on the upper patio; installing outdoor landscape lighting and a
whole house generator. We completely renovated the basement level into a wonderful
entertainment space, renovated the upstairs bathrooms, including the master bathroom,
and renovated the pool house and pergola. We approached all of the work we’ve done
with the intention of being here for a long time.