By Gretchen A. Peck

A home’s kitchen is often considered its heart or a hub of activity. That can be particularly true when entertaining friends and family. Even with formal entertaining rooms in a home, inevitably the warmth and bustle of the kitchen becomes a draw, and soon enough, it feels like the party has settled there. A large island in a kitchen not only provides day-to-day utility, it can also be a helpful companion for serving appetizers, drinks, even buffet-style dinners.

The kitchen at 225 Prospect Hill Rd., Groton, seamlessly opens to a spacious family room. There’s plenty of counter space for meal prep and an island, listing agent Melinda Carlisle, of Randall Realtors-Compass’s Mystic brokerage, pointed out to Welcome Home. The space gets lots of natural light, thanks to south and west exposures.

The tiered island extends the task area and also accommodates seating for four.

A ranch style home, the house affords three bedrooms, three baths and 2,271 square feet of living space. A special feature of the home are the water views, and the sunsets are gorgeous, Carlisle attested. It’s located equidistant between Beebe Cove and Palmer Cove, and close to Haley Farm State Park. The seller is asking $599,000 for the 0.76-acre property.

A three-bedroom custom-built colonial, with a classic wraparound covered porch, 18 Westwood Dr., Waterford, is offered for sale for $845,000. Allyson Cotton and Liz Squillacote, the A Team at William Pitt Sotheby’s in Old Lyme and Mystic, are the seller’s agents. They have a public open house planned at the property this Saturday, December 17, from noon to 2 p.m. (ET).

“The kitchen is beautiful. It has cherry cabinets, granite countertops, stainless-steel Viking appliances,” Squillacote explained.

“In this home, there are French doors to a formal dining room off the kitchen, and the ‘informal’ dining area is about 10-feet from the island. It is also open to the living room, which makes this great room a place to gather and spend most of their time in,” she suggested to prospective buyers.

This property is part of the West Neck Beach Association and comes with beach rights to The Strand beach. The asking price for 18 Westwood Drive is $845,000.

The kitchen at 767 River Rd., Mystic, has an inviting island to gather ‘round. Realtor Greg Broadbent with RE/MAX Coast and Country, is the listing agent for the 1.2-acre waterfront property.

“This luxury kitchen has high-end appliances, including an induction cooktop and a refrigerator from Miele,” Broadbent explained to Welcome Home. The range hood is made by Sirius, and Sub-Zero appliances were chosen for refrigeration, including pull-out freezer drawers and an under-counter ice maker. It’s further equipped with a dishwasher and microwave by Bosch, as well as a wine chiller ready to be stocked. Plus, the island accommodates seating for four or more.

The four-bedroom 4,200-square-foot home was completely rebuilt and completed in 2011. The house is complemented by a detached two-car garage and a custom-built dock right on the Mystic River. The property is offered to the market for $1.5 million.

There’s an incredible home for sale at 153 Ferry Road in Lyme. It’s aptly named “Highover,” for the way it’s perched high on private and gated acreage—30.70 acres in total. The European-inspired stone-and-shingle house was originally built in 1917. Designed by Architect Alfred Hopkins as the summer home for a wealthy New York City family, the house today affords five bedrooms and 6,224 square feet of living space.

The main house is complemented by “Merecote,” an updated three-bedroom guest house that itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. MJ DeRisio and Roger Parkman, Realtors with William Pitt Sotheby’s Old Lyme brokerage, are the sellers’ agents. “The current owners of Highover have lavishly and lovingly restored, renovated and reconfigured the main residence’s interior, taking the entire structure back to its original stone walls sourced from the property’s quarry, while incorporating state-of-the-art materials and construction throughout,” the Realtors explain in the listing description.

The open bright and airy custom kitchen has a large center island with seating. It’s a space that can accommodate a lot of foot traffic, especially when entertaining.

“The kitchen has been designed to cater ‘en famille’ at the breakfast bar or at the banquette seating area, which has sweeping views of the Connecticut River and valley,” DeRisio explained. “Preparation is made easy here for the home cook, the professional chef and caterers alike. It’s a welcoming and comfortable space for serving formal lunches and dinner parties year-round. It’s comfy enough for just a few and spacious enough for large gatherings. Who doesn’t love to miss around the kitchen!”

To ensure occasions are extra-special at Highover, there are a number of amenities: an 800-bottle wine cellar, an in-home theater, game room,a putting green, pool, a dock and private beach on Whalebone Cove and Creek—which leads to the Connecticut River—and a deep-water mooring in Hamburg Cove. The asking price for 153 Ferry Road is $15 million.