Some people dream of winning a prestigious award, but the home on 148 Taunton Hill Road in Newtown already has two under its belt.
Sitting on more than 8 acres of land, the main focal point of the Newtown home is the resort-style pool below the house. The massive pool has lounge chairs and a lily pond, but one thing is missing: chemicals. The “non-chemical” pool acts as a natural body of water and is home to live tadpoles, according to listing agent Libby McKinney-Tritschler. In 2015, the “all-natural” pool won first prize in landscape design by CT Cottages and Gardens.
According to CT Cottages and Gardens, the award for the pool was given to Artemis Landscape Architects with Freddy’s Landscape Co. Before the pool’s redesign, it was originally a ‘50s-era pond with deteriorating statues. Landscape designer Tara Vincetta teamed up with the current owners to create the “German-designed BioNova pond system, where swimming-pool water is filtered through a system of plants and limestone.” This pool is the first BioNova pool installed in Fairfield County and second in Connecticut at the time, according to CT Cottages and Gardens.
The BioNova pool and lily pond at the home on 148 Taunton Hill Road in Newtown, Conn.
Borgatta Photograhy / Contributed PhotoNow on the market for nearly $2.7 million, the home received a second award, this time from the Connecticut Innovation in Design Awards (IDAs) for kitchen design in 2018. Designed by Ingrid Becker of Deane Inc., the kitchen received the IDA award for its large entertaining space that also creates a “cozy retreat” for a small family, according to the winner listing.
The chef’s kitchen has two 11-foot Calcutta marble-topped islands, one with a walnut butcher block prep area. Other amenities in the kitchen include an inset banquette, custom plaster moldings, a custom-built stove and oven range by French manufacturer, Lacanche, according to the listing details.
Off the kitchen is a walk-in pantry with additional storage for small appliances. In the space below the stairs, there is an “espresso room” that is filled with all the equipment and ingredients for coffee drinks and features custom-built cabinetry around the equipment.
The house has four bedrooms and four-and-a-half bathrooms in 6,321 square feet of living space. Attached to the main house is an original cottage that predates the 1900s, according to McKinney-Tritschler, who said the cottage is not currently functional, but has the potential for a living room, family room, two beds and two bathrooms.
The view overlooking the living room in the home on 148 Taunton Hill Road in Newtown, Conn.
Borgatta Photograhy / Contributed Photo
The kitchen in the home on 148 Taunton Hill Road in Newtown, Conn.
Borgatta Photograhy / Contributed Photo
Inside the home on 148 Taunton Hill Road in Newtown, Conn. (Borgatta Photography / Contributed Photos)
The property has two gated entrances. One leads to the main house with the four-car garage, while the other private entrance leads to the original cottage. According to McKinney-Tritschler, the main house and its cottage offer the potential for long-term growth for a large family.
“The home is a generational home — families of many generations that can be in the one place to live and enjoy,” McKinney-Tritschler said. “I call this property an estate because it is the place a family can come back to and unite.”
The home on 148 Taunton Hill Road is located in Newtown’s 06470 ZIP code. Houses in the area sell on average for $625,000 in June 2022, according to national real estate brokerage Redfin, marking an increase of 20.2 percent in median sale price from the same time last year. In June 2022, Redfin reports that 69.8 percent of homes sold above list price, marking a 9.8 percent increase over June 2021.
The 148 Taunton Hill Road home is listed by William Raveis Real Estate (Fairfield/Southport Main) and is presented by Libby McKinney-Tritschler (203.913.9454).
