I pictured hydrangea gardens, a guest bedroom with crisp linens, and slow weekends spent sipping coffee on my front porch.<\/p>\n
It was officially time to turn the page on my 20s and embrace an era fit for a Nancy Meyers movie.<\/p>\n
We headed to the suburbs of Connecticut<\/p>\n
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Greenwich, Connecticut, seemed like a great fit for us.<\/p>\n
Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n
We set our sights on Greenwich, Connecticut, close to family. Nestled on the Long Island Sound<\/a>, this suburban town offers a picturesque coastal vibe.<\/p>\n Related stories<\/p>\n Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know<\/p>\n Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know<\/p>\n Think: tree-lined streets, cedar-shingled New England-style homes<\/a> by the beach adorned with flower boxes, charming book nooks with vintage treasures, and boutiques with breezy linen dresses.<\/p>\n At 40 minutes by train from NYC, it’s an ideal commuting distance for my husband, whose job is still based there.<\/p>\n A competitive housing market<\/a>, inflated prices, and rising mortgage rates made our pursuit challenging. We spent date nights scrolling listings on Zillow. Whenever our real-estate agent called, we hopped on a train to tour homes.<\/p>\n Three months later, we had an accepted offer. Enter: our three-bedroom, two-bath fixer-upper in Greenwich.<\/p>\n We purchased a fixer-upper in Connecticut and got to work.<\/p>\n Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n Leaving behind the apartment where we’d made many memories\u2014and the city where my husband proposed \u2014 was bittersweet, but we excitedly packed our bags and hit the ‘burbs.<\/p>\n In one year, we created the cozy home of our dreams<\/p>\n We spent a lot of time and money renovating our house to make it the home of our dreams.<\/p>\n Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n We chose the path of most resistance to create our own Nancy Meyers dream in real life. Since we weren’t building new, we opted for the next best thing: a home we could renovate and make our own.<\/p>\n Our little love nest had wall-to-wall carpeting and a dated linoleum kitchen floor. The roof leaked. We didn’t dare venture up the creaky steps of the front porch.<\/p>\n We spent a lot of time upgrading the kitchen.<\/p>\n Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n We rolled up our sleeves and got to work.<\/p>\n Not only did I learn how to use a hammer, but I also swapped browsing the racks of Zara for scouring the aisles of Home Depot.<\/p>\n Walls were demolished; new floors, windows, and doors installed; a fireplace constructed; and shiplap positioned. After a year, our dream kitchen<\/a> and master bath became a reality.<\/p>\n All in all, I’ve fallen in love with suburban life during every season<\/p>\n In the summer, we start to enjoy the hydrangeas outside.<\/p>\n Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n We’ve now lived here for about two years, and I love that each season in Greenwich brings new traditions.<\/p>\n Spring and summer (“patio season”) commences with Lilly Pulitzer sundresses<\/a>, limoncello spritzes, and socializing on the Ave. It also means hosting garden parties where loved ones can finally fit around our farm table.<\/p>\n On weekends, we kick back on our front porch in wicker furniture with good books and the sounds of a babbling brook nearby.<\/p>\n Autumn calls for jack-o’-lantern carving<\/a> around our firepit, toasting marshmallows, and sipping mulled wine.<\/p>\n We’ve created autumn traditions in our new neighborhood.<\/p>\n Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n We get trick-or-treaters now that we’re in the suburbs, so we line the driveway with pumpkins to welcome them.<\/p>\n Christmastime means harvesting a large balsam fir, which we finally have the room for. We like to decorate it with velvet ribbons and hand-painted ornaments in the light of our fireplace as holiday music plays in the background.<\/p>\n My new suburban lifestyle allows me to create special tablescapes.<\/p>\n Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n Hosting around the holidays<\/a> is especially fun. It’s easier to create grand tablescapes and charcuterie arrangements now that I’ve got the space to store different decorations, candlesticks, chargers, glasses, and napkin rings.<\/p>\n This suburban lifestyle is so nice that it’s hard to miss the city<\/p>\n I’ve enjoyed having a guest room.<\/p>\n Alexa Mellardo<\/p>\n![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/1760435832_715_placeholder.png\")
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