A few weeks ago we featured Nikki Bates, a local jewelry designer, at one our open houses.  The jewelry party turned out to be a wonderful collaboration! Our guests were very impressed with the community here at The Reserve as well as the quality construction that ARS Partners delivers in each of their homes. Keep checking our website, www.TheReserveAtPoplarPlains.com, often for more events that will feature one-of-a-kind artisans from the area.

As the summer gets underway, we all have an opportunity to go swimsuit shopping. While shopping for a swimsuit you start to realize just how special the opportunity to customize something really is. If we could customize our swimsuits the way that buyers can customize a home at The Reserve, our shopping experience would be quite different!

We encourage you to come by and meet with the builders and discuss the many ways there are to customize the beautiful homes that we have available. You can select the number of bedrooms, the finishes, the type of lower level layout, the roofline and so much more, making sure that this home fits your families unique lifestyle. So keep in mind that while you may not be able to customize your swimsuit this summer, you can customize your new home at The Reserve.

Each season the town of Westport has wonderful events that bring the community together.  This Fourth of July the beautiful fireworks display can be viewed at Compo Beach on Thursday, July 3. For more information visit www.westportct.gov.  If you're considering moving to Westport, or just visiting, make sure to take advantage of the many summer activities that are available. While you're here make sure to stop by The Reserve and enjoy the beauty of our nature trails, ponds and homes.

We recently spent time at the Fairfield Dogwood festival. It is a celebration of the beautiful blooming Dogwood trees that can be found all throughout Fairfield County and The Reserve too.  The weather in New England is fickle at times and we have been waiting for the spring weather to come and to stay. After a few false starts we may be on to a warming trend. The result is that the plants, both landscaped and naturally occurring, all around The Reserve are in bloom. It is worth taking a ride to visit our ponds and to take a walk with your family on our nature trails.  Enjoy New England this beautiful time of year and enjoy the beauty that The Reserve at Poplar Plains has to offer.

It has been a busy week with another Broker Open House. We have had quite a few brokers and agents from Westport, Weston, Wilton and Redding visit this week. The feedback continues to be positive and we are planning showings with several agents and their clients. Now is a great time to buy at The Reserve as there are still several homesites to choose from and construction can be complete in as little as 10 months time. In addition, buyers who choose the fully furnished option will be able to work directly with a design team from our designer of choice, Lillian August. This is a buyer benefit that is perfect for anyone with a busy schedule who needs some guidance to make the decorating of our spacious homes more manageable. Lillian August works quickly and can design the interior of your new home to be ready before you even move in.  For more information, call us at 203-227-3303 and we will more than happy to discuss this option with you.

Following up on the interest of color, it is interesting to note that Pantone (the people that provide standard palettes for a number of industries, mainly graphics, fashion and interior design) has declared that the color of the year for 2008 is Blue Iris. The reasoning behind the selection of this color is one that you may or may not agree with. (To read more about the color of the year go to http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/20/fashion/20COLOR.html)

But we think the most important point to come out of this story is that color is powerful. Color evokes emotion, brings us back to a comfortable place and makes us feel at home. We invite you to come and see the floor plans available at The Reserve at Poplar Plains and imagine yourself surrounded by not only luxury and the beauty of nature, but also by the colors that make your comfortable, relaxed and that make your house a home.

We have been getting a lot of questions about the decor in the model home. It is really quite beautiful and perhaps most notably it is comfortable. There is nothing stuffy about the decor and everyone who comes through the door remarks on the fact that they can move right in. That is what the builders had in mind when they partnered with Lillian August to create a home that captured the lifestyle of Westport.

In addition to the furnishings, there have been quite a few questions about the color palette seen throughout the house.  All paint used in our model home is by Benjamin Moore and some rooms feature wallpaper of the highest quality including Ralph Lauren and Schumacker.  Following are the colors that are seen throughout various rooms in the model:

Master: Palladian Blue
Family room:  Jonesboro Cream
Second Bedroom: Linen White
Third Bedroom: Hampton Green
Fourth Bedroom: Delaware Putty

If you'd like to see for yourself how the colors of our model reflect the natural surroundings and create a sense of calm at The Reserve, please visit us during our sales office hours or call for a private showing.

Perhaps one of the things that got the most attention at our Grand Opening was the 432-bottle wine cellar in the model home. People just loved being able to go to the finished basement and envision getting a great bottle of wine out of the cellar, taking it to the theater room and relaxing with a great old movie. What an escape!

And here are some great ideas for the elevator that we heard. Easy access to seasonal clothes stored in the basement. Easy access to seasonal sporting goods in the basement.

Simplify the moving day.

Make the cleaning crew happy - you won't have to worry about them damaging walls or carpet by brining cleaning supplies up and down the stairs.

Make it easier for an older beloved pet to be a part of the family on all living levels.

Makes it easier while pregnant for getting up and down the stairs.

You name it and people had great ideas - so come and see the model home for yourself and let us know what features you like the most and how you would make The Reserve your dream home. So join us this weekend and enjoy first hand the beauty that The Reserve at Poplar Plains has to offer.

Success! At our grand opening we welcomed nearly 100 people through our fully furnished model home and the feedback was fantastic. Everyone responded to the warm gender-neutral paint colors and the cozy feel to every room.

Some of today's guests were prospective buyers who all appreciated the craftsmanship of the homes here at The Reserve. They talked a lot about the available floor plans working for them and their families very well. They also took note of the ideal location - close to the Merritt Parkway and yet feeling like it's miles from the stress of everyday life.  We had photographer Margie Avellino on hand to chronicle the event, and pictures will be available highlighting the day.

ARS Partners is pleased to announce their newest community in Fairfield County, The Reserve at Poplar Plains. This premier community features many picturesque homesites with the nicest feature of all being complete ease of maintenance. As a homeowner at The Reserve, you will enjoy all the amenities and privacy of a high-quality home without the hassle... a truly carefree lifestyle.

The Reserve at Poplar Plains will feature 13 luxurious homes with floorplan sizes ranging from 3700 to 4200 square feet. You can have the Aspen, Birch, or Cedar models with many outstanding features at no extra cost in every home at The Reserve. The distinct features have been chosen with an eye toward versatility, durability, tradition and comfort.

When completed, the stunning Cedar Colonial, The Reserve at Poplar Plains' professionally decorated model home, will display a myriad of luxurious features. The Cedar is designed with a front porch with columns reminiscent of a Nantucket shingle style home.

Check back here often for updates and news regarding Westport's newest luxury community!