Viva l'Italia, while living in South Brunswick
The Villagio active adult community is modeled after Tuscany, Italy
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - A new active adult community is being constructed on Stouts Lane in Monmouth Junction in the style of a Tuscan village in Italy.

Two families have already moved into the new Villagio community, even though it will not be fully completed for two years.

"They were very anxious tomove in," said PatMaloney, the community builder.

The community and its homes were designed by Byron-Hill Homebuilders, which has been in business for over 20 years.

"The inspiration came from Tuscany," said sales manager Lisa Duerkes. "It's a really unique community, even for [Byron- Hill.] They concentrate on luxury, high-end homes. They're very upscale."

This is Byron-Hill's first venture into the adult community market.

"They're bringing the luxury lifestyle into the active adult lifestyle," Duerkes said. "Some communities are very flat; every home, fromevery angle, is the same.Alot of builders even copy each other's plans. This is something that people will fall in love with. These homes are beautiful."

"This is for people that also care about the exterior of the other homes," Maloney said. "You no longer live on a half acre. You live on 100 acres.Everything is not just to be looked at, it's to be enjoyed.

Maloney added that all the homes at Villagio are fully finished, rather than justwith brick fronts.

There will be three separate neighborhoods at the Villagio:Main Street, Lakeside and Cul-de-sac.

"Each village's architecture is different from the previous village,"Maloney said.

There are eight different models of homes, four in the Venetomodel and four in the Trentino model.

"They have very open architecture," Duerkes said. "They have voluminous ceilings with detail."

A standard feature is a full basement; a finished basement is extra. A home buyer could also add an indoor pool.

"They're not just finished basements, they're living spaces," Duerkes said.

There is also the option of having an elevator in the home, for people who are not easily able to walk up stairs.

The model of the Trentino home looks like Italy.On thewall behind an endless pool is a painting of a lake under a blue sky. There are even paintings placed behind the windows.

In addition, many of the homes have washedout looks to add to the authentic feel. Maloney said the colors of the exteriors are often lighter up top and darker belowto add to this washed-out effect.

The Veneto model home has furnishings directly from Tuscany. The ceiling is very high at the entrance to the home, where a chandelier hangs.

The prices start at $555,000 for a 3,200- square-foot home and go up to about $727,000 for a home of 4,200 square feet. There are 210 units, and Maloney expects them all to be filled within three years.

"Every layout is different,"Maloney said of the 14 pages of options that are available to personalize each home. However, the homes do not come furnished.

In addition, Club Verona will be the athletic and social area of the Villagio. There will be a tennis court, putting green, amphitheater, bocce court, jogging trail, bike path, chess plaza and a piazza right out of Italy.

There will also be two ponds, one of which can be used for model boats. There will be fishing in one of the ponds, and a gazebo with a boardwalk around the entire lake.

"It will be the focal point of the community," Duerkes said.

The grand opening will be the firstweekend ofApril.