FIELD TRIP – August 2013
By Veronique Mcaree | Photography Amanda Kowalski

At the crest of Elm Street, just above Camden’s busy shopping district, sits a large, well-appointed house. It’s here you’ll find Margo Moore Interiors: part design service, part home-goods shop, part decorating epicenter. 

With a refined and hand-picked mix of aesthetically pleasing products, loads of inspiration, and a well-stocked decorating resource library, this shop made us want to learn more about the person behind the scene. Thus our most recent field trip to Margo Moore Interiors. 

We caught up with owner/designer Marcy van der Kieft on a sunny spring day just before the madness of summer in the midcoast set in. The first thing to note: Margo Moore is a family affair. Van der Kieft’s gentle, 12-year-old yellow lab is the first to greet us, followed by her daughter Megan, who joined the business a few years ago. Van der Kieft’s husband is also involved—staking his claim as window display artist. 

What’s more, van der Kieft spent much of her adolescence learning the retail business from her mother, proprietor of a Darien, Connecticut, clothing shop also called Margo Moore. After years as a Mademoiselle magazine editor, van der Kieft returned to her mother’s business, eventually relocating it to Maine in the 1970s and shifting its focus from apparel to interiors. 

Happily, van der Kieft’s family business and classic style has now been an anchor of the midcoast for more than 40 years. 

Inside the shop, customers will find a treasure trove of objects. From lovely tabletop accessories and colorful cocktail napkins to precious Herend figurines, beautiful Yves Delorme bed linens, Dash and Albert floor coverings, and more, Margo Moore provides a wide variety of elegant and entertaining household items, children’s products, and gift ideas for everyone. 

Shopping in this thoughtfully displayed collection is akin to perusing a catalog of beautifully aspirational rooms, and the key to the experience is in the way the store is styled. Each room, table, cabinet, and shelf is meticulously displayed with a focus on color. 

The store itself is bright with classic lines, unique built-ins, and details that reflect its nineteenth-century northern New England architecture. 

Of course, you’ll find van der Kieft and Megan ready to help with a design conundrum, a wedding registry, or a gift idea. 

Van der Kieft’s design work graces the interiors of homes in Maine and beyond. Most projects take her by boat or plane to transform houses on Maine islands such as Islesboro and Vinalhaven. 

Van der Kieft’s background in textile and design leads her (and clients) to the finest trims, embroideries, and fabrics. She loves to share her pleasure for the simple things: artfully rendered cocktail napkins, stationery, brightly patterned insulated shopping bags, even melamine party plates, which she sells a ton of.

Although not one for design axioms, van der Kieft does abide by one rule, which in keeping with the family business is something of a hand-me-down. “My mother insisted on the importance of color, and I’ve stuck with that for my own home and design work,” she says. “I try to push it on clients too—encourage is the better word.” 

Take a field trip to Margo Moore. The price points run the gamut, so you’re sure to find something that meets your budget along with some simple ways to refresh your home.  

DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE

The Margo Moore style is bright, colorful, and classic. The right colors can freshen and energize a dull space and are also a great way to update a traditional sofa, highlight the personality of a bedroom, or simplify the ornate.  

MARGO MOORE INTERIORS’ 3 GO-TO TIPS:

Try a fresh coat of paint, not just on the walls but on the moldings, window casings, and ceiling!

Buy new rugs—they always add a splash of color to any space.  

Update the lighting. Replace a table lamp ensemble with a floor lamp or vice versa. Use a lamp for an accent of color or a funky design piece—we call them conversation pieces. It adds fun and freshness to the room.

1.Bedding is a major draw for Margo Moore customers. 

2.The mother-daughter duo—Marcy and Megan van der Kieft—with their loyal canine companion, Roscoe.

3.A lively mix of color and pattern is incorporated into many of the shop’s displays. 

4.Lamps are a great way to refresh a room, and the shop showcases a number of lighting options.

5.The second floor of Margo Moore Interiors houses the textile library, where clients can thumb through hundreds of fabric samples and work with interior plans to map out color and pattern ideas.

6.Lovely rooster figurines add a whimsical touch and a welcome spot of color to a mantel, table, or bookshelf. 

7.Classic stripes, modern colors, and interesting objects are part and parcel of Margo Moore’s design mission and product assortment. 

DISCOVER MARGO MOORE AT 74 ELM STREET IN CAMDEN.