Luxurious European-style Ellington mansion wins top builders' award
by Karine Abalyan
Journal Inquirer
November 22, 2007

Ellington-Nestled in the woods overlooking the western part of Snipsic Lake sits a European-style mansion fit for a fairytale. The nearly $2 million, 9,200-square-foot boasts 14 room and eight bathrooms, not to mention an outdoor vanishing-edge pool, a small pond and waterfall, and a wooden pergola. It's a cross between an Italian villa and a home in the south of France - a building that Project Manager Scott E. Kozuch calls the "chateau de Ellington." And it's a project that earlier this onth garnered Toland builder Alan D. Williams a prestigious state builders' award. Buit it's also the house that almost wasn't.

A breathtaking view
More than two years ago, then-Willington resident Jarek Kalecinski was motorcycling in Ellington when he spotted an area that would become the site of his Continental dream. Williams had set aside the 12-acre plot for a New England shingle-style home when Kalecinski came across the parcel and fell in love with its breathtaking view of Snipsic Lake. Kalecinski says he persuaded Williams to scrap his original idea, and to seek insipation in Old World elegance instead. The builder was a little taken aback, but says as the plans "moved forward, you could tell it was special without a doubt." It took about two and half years to complete the home. Jarek and Jadwiga Kalecinski and their 5-year-old son, Andrew, moved in by the end of last June. The Kalecinski's older son, Tom, 27, opted to remain in the couple's Willington home. Now Williams says he has no qualms about changing his plans. He ads, "I only regret that I don't live here."

Attention to detail
That sentiment might be echoed by anyone who visits the Kalecinski residence. Assessed at a little more than $1,858,000, the three-story home comes with sparkling chandeliers, a built-in reef aquarium, a cherry wood library with a coffer ceiling, a cedar sauna, and a patio and balcony looking over Snipsic Lake. As Williams puts it, "The details are endless." And though the building draws on historic European charm, it lacks little in modern amenities. A 400-capacity CD system installed in the hallway allows users to broadcast music throughout the house, while intercoms in the rooms mean family members can communicate without leaving their favorite nooks. There are also shiny imported appliances lining the two kitchens and a camera system for monitoring the outside of the house. And what chateau would be complete without a wine cellar? In the basement, a spacious, temperature-controlled room stores Kalecinski's homemade wine in French oak barrels. " I ped a lot of time here," Kalecinski says of the roo, which also houses his large wine collection.

A dream home realized
An engineer who moved to the U.S. from Poland 18 years ago, Kalecinski says he has an eye for symmetry and balance. He worked closely with Williams, Kozuch, and Avon -based architect Dante Boffi to realize his dream home. "There was a lot of team interaction on this," says Boffi, who faced the challenge of giving the house an authentic feel withut sacrificing 21st-century luxuries. Mosto of the materials - ranging from the Brazilian cherry wood used on stairway railings to the fossilized Jerusalem limestone in the spa room - were carefully selected, Kozuch says, after testing a number of samples and consulting with various industry suppliers. "It's a privilege to work on houses of such caliber," Kozuch says. "It's rewarding because you get to do things through the construction process, and purchase materials and incur systems that you normally would't through (traditional) residential construction." Boffi adds that he was impressed with Kalecinski's willingness to go out on a limb with the unusual design. "I'm a big fan of doing what your dreams tell you, not what your neighbor tells you," he says.

Award-winning work
The Kalecinski home is among a number of upscale residences that have appeared in Ellington in recent years. Williams, a Tolland-based developer, has put up several other houses in the area. Five years ago, one of his buildings won a prize in the Home Builders Association of Connecticut competition. That award went to a house which was named the Ultimate Custom Home for Home Enjoyment. This year, the unconventional features and remarkable craftsmanship of the Kalecinski home again wowed judges of the statewide builders' contest. The mansion received a certificate for the best custom home in the 9,000 to 10,000 square foot category on November 6. "We were very impressed with some of the materials that were used," says Joanne Carroll, producer of the awards event who also sits on the board of directors for the Home Builders Association of Connecticut. Kozuch and Williams paid close attention to architectural nuances, exhibiting a level of dedication that's rare in the field, Boffi says. "We're often disappointed, but in this case, they really hammered it home," he says." I think the final product turned out wonderful." Carroll declined to say how many people entered the competition, but mentioned that nearly 800 developers attended the award dinner. "The design was very dramatic," she says of the Ellington home. "It's very unusual for that part of the state." Kozuch points out that the team had to compete with builders in Fairfield County, a region that's known for its high-end custom homes. He says it's a fine moment "when we knock them off their pedestal." Jarek, 50, and Jadwiga, 49, are still waiting for some of their special-order furniture to arrive. And the couple might buy additional artwork to improve the decor. But they are in no hurry to dress up their home. Jarek Kalecinski predicts the family will stay in town for at least 20 years. Jarek, who owns and runs Soldream Inc., an aerospace company in Tolland, says the Western European motifs remind him of a quieter, less stressful way of life. "It's my favorite style. I like it," he says, adding that he enjoyed watching his vision unfold. "It was a lot of fun," he says. "A lot of choices."