Weekend Getaway

A few weeks ago I spent the weekend with my three sisters in the charming town of Stonington, CT. Actually, that's how we found it... I googled charming Connecticut towns and there it was!

My sister scoured the coastal CT rental housing market through http://www.vbro.com/ and http://www.homeaway.com/ and here's where we landed... an adorable house in downtown Stonington (better known as the 'Boro') with a nice view of the harbor...



Here's how I found one sis when I arrived, sitting in front of the french doors soaking up the warm afternoon sun on a chilly March day...

The town is sweet... not much going on this time of year, but I'm sure in the summer months it's a perfectly delightful place for a peaceful getaway.

As we took a walk through town, I had my camera in tow and decided to capture some details and design elements for my reference library.  Thought you might enjoy them too.  

Like these playful brackets between windows to support a generous overhang...

This house bathed in sunlight caught my eye and then I noticed the added shadow line on the beaded edge of the wood clapboard siding...

And the house has a playful rail detail too..

Here's a nice way to edge a short driveway, a birch tree allee...

And this tree found a way to exist in a tiny courtyard. Makes for a sculptural feature...

I like this hayloft door... I can imagine being a kid popping out of that hatch and repelling down the wall! The delicate fan detail is nice too.

Grand pilasters and entablature are beautifully proportioned...



There's something about a gambrel roof... it keeps the scale of a house modest while maximizing the usable square footage in the roof.  And I love these generous overhangs, not only will they provide need shading during the hot summer months, they integrate nicely with the covered porches.  Again, some elegant yet substantial brackets give support... 

Here's another charming gambrel roof.  The cedar shingles really make it work since the steep parts of the roof are so visible in this configuration.  They add extra texture that you just can't get with asphalt...

Nice copper gutters and rich wood door...

I'm not usually a fan of yellow houses but this scheme with its rosy door is so soft...it's a winner!  The tall windows to the floor are always a favorite of mine and I like this variation with the large lower sash.

It's hard to miss this very cool building in such a small town... it has quite a presence.  Originally it was a manufacturing building for the Joslyn Fire Arms Company and then for the Atwood Machine Company. Beyer Blinder Belle converted it into a mixed use facility and in my mind, they did it rather well. I found some great history about the building on the The Stonington Historical Society website...

Right next to the historic factory building is a cluster of new homes with views of the harbor.  They are gently set amongst sea grasses along a public waterfront pathway.  I enjoyed checking out the details and composition of all the fun architectural elements...chimneys, dormers, pergolas, overhangs...

Gables, gables, gables...

We weren't too sure about these tower windows that face a chimney that blocks the view of the harbor, but I'm thinking these are clerestory windows that bring light down into the space and are not for views?

I particularly enjoy this whimsical circle dormer, the hefty porch trim and substantial shingled columns...

And then as we ventured back into the heart of the little town, we started our own door knocker tour. Someday I'll get a new front door that would warrant a beautiful knocker like one of these...

Love this fish!

But this simple clam shell I liked the best...

But it wasn't all about the knockers... we had some fun too!  Like having a great dinner at The Dog Watch Cafe... the crowd and staff sang a joyful Happy Birthday to my eldest and our celebration was topped off with some live music.  If you get to Stonington you've got to give it a try.... terrific food, friendly people, and it's right on the water so I'm sure it's a hot spot in the summer!

Photo from The Dog Watch Facebook page

We also had to check out Foxwoods which was only a 20 minute drive from Stonington.  It wouldn't be a girl's weekend without a little gambling and some cosmos, right? 

So where did we decide to hang out when visiting an enormous gambling complex... why the bowling alley of course!  But this ain't your typical Rock & Bowl establishment, the High Rollers Lounge is swanky.  Great spot to people watch... who knew tube dresses and stilettos were so 2011!

Photos via the Foxwoods website

But our trip really wasn't about stuff to see or places to go... it was about spending some uninterrupted time with my lovely sisters who I rarely get to see.  Yes, those are my sisters...

just taking it all in...