Friday, January 2, 2009

London Paris Rome Ridgefield


My holiday vacation from blogging was spent in one of my favorite places and where I grew up, the perfect little town of Ridgefield, Connecticut (as you can tell, I have absolutely no bias whatsoever).


Ridgefield is the quintessential New England town- it has a charming Main Street lined with beautiful colonial homes, churches with shiny white steeples, and many lovely shops and restaurants. Most of these shops and restaurants are owned and staffed by Ridgefielders and have been there for generations... you are guaranteed to see someone you know when out and about!




The church steeple above is on the church where my husband and I were married the summer before last. The marble fountain is quite the landmark and is so pretty when the water is on and blooming flowers are planted around it.



Keeler Tavern , one of the many historical attractions in town. It was a home turned tavern and inn pre-Revolutionary War. It is now a museum and landmark.


But don't let all this quaintness fool you,, this town of 24,000 has its posh side too... its the home of the renowned Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art and is only an hour north of NYC. Ridgefield is also home to several well known celebrities.

Obviously, its not quite as green this time of year as some of the above photos imply! This is a slightly more accurate idea of what it looks like now.


I oohed and aahed and loved every minute while home in this perfect little town with my almost perfect family (ha ha), and finagled my sister into chauffeuring me around for a house tour. To anyone who may have seen some stranger with a digital camera in their driveway or creepily slowing down in front of their house, please take it as a compliment!



I loved the Robin's Egg Blue front door of this house... especially with the pine garland and wreath.



This is the home of one of my very very very best friends parents... I've been friends with her since 1st grade. Being the style maven that she is, she obviously had to have come from a super cute and stylish home like this!




The required white picket fence is only surpassed by the perfectly pink front door and avocado shutters. I think this paint job is relatively new and it makes the house stand out more than I can ever remember.




I love this Hampton's style painted shingle house with its natural shingle roof. Its so pretty. I feel like the Barefoot Contessa must be somewhere inside!





Caroline's Dream Farmhouse, or in other words the one house my sister did not mind slowing down for! This is an older home that just exudes New England charm. The horribly overcast light of the day is making the shutters look black, though they are really dark hunter green. I think its a slate roof (?). The rock wall is an authentic colonial wall...these run rampid all over Connecticut!



A barn near my parents house that belongs to another colonial era home. The property also has a pond which we would ice skate on when we were little, though No Trespassing signs sadly prohibit young Ridgefielders from doing that now.



This is one of my favorite houses. I've always loved its salmon pink color scheme...the Bahamas has come to Ridgefield!




And lastly, my absolute favorite - my parents home. Its been the stage for my quirky family's adventures for 20+ years and is filled with antiques, family heirlooms, and an insane amount of treasures in the storehouse that is the basement. Up next are some of the interior decorations of my mother, more affectionately known as Martha-in-the-Making!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a cute town!

alice said...

Anonymous,
Glad you enjoyed seeing a glimpse of Ridgefield and thanks for commenting!
Alice

Things That Inspire said...

What a wonderful trip down memory lane...I lived in West Redding from 7th - 12th grade (JBHS grad!) and was a frequent visitor to Ridgefield.

I have no ties to Connecticut anymore, but it is great to see some of the characteristic architecture and of course those stone walls.

Studioist said...

What beautiful homes; thanks for sharing. My kingdom for a house surrounded by fieldstone wall, I tell you....

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