Design shapes our homes and the way we live. The layout of a living room transforms the way a family interacts; quality materials help us breathe better, and an artful detail anchors us in the present moment and reminds us to appreciate beauty, wherever we can find it. Our homes represent our lives in the private sphere, what is purely ours, and who we think we are. We want them designed well, the way we have designed our lives. And we want the same for our communities, for our schools, offices, stores, and restaurants. But what drives good design? In MH+D Inside Out, Maine Home+Design interviews builders, architects, and interior designers from our community and gets inside some of the top minds in the industry. Read on for their stories, tips, and sources of inspiration.
On the website of her eponymous firm, Carol A. Wilson Architect, Carol Wilson quotes T.S. Eliot: “It is not necessarily those lands which are the most fertile or most favored in climate that seem to me the happiest, but those … Continue reading
“I grew up with Maine values,” says Josh Morrison, lead project manager at R.P. Morrison Builders in Windham. After working as a fire protection engineer in New York, Morrison decided to move back to Maine and join the family residential … Continue reading
For nearly thirty years, Scott Simons has presided over changes impacting the shape—and spirit—of Portland. As the principal of Scott Simons Architects, Simons has redesigned some of the city’s most compelling landmarks, including the Portland Public Library, and as co-founder … Continue reading
Vanessa Helmick, owner of Fiore Interiors in Portland, sums up the contemporary design zeitgeist in one sentence when she says, “People are just having more fun with their homes.” Helmick tells MH+D Inside Out what it means to “have more fun” with … Continue reading
A freelance designer and a ninth-generation Mainer, Barrett Stowell frequently creates innovative, modern designs for Chilton Furniture. He also owns his own design studio called Bearbird. As his advice to designers, Stowell says, “First, reach for the clouds and disregard … Continue reading
Kristi Kenney of KW Architects designed the Kennebunk home that was featured on the cover of Maine Home+Design in June of 2017. Located on a strip of land between a marsh and the ocean, the property illustrates Kenney’s specialty perfectly; … Continue reading
At the helm of a three-person team, Daniel Wells of Breakwater Builders believes that safe practices are at the core of construction work. He sits down with MH+D Inside Out to explain how to prevent faulty practices from developing.
Former Bates College professor Thomas Moser founded his famed, high-end furniture company, Thos. Moser, in 1972. This past year, leadership transitioned from one generation to the next, leaving Aaron Moser, Thomas’s son, in charge of the family business. Aaron Moser … Continue reading
For several years, Heidi Lachapelle worked as visual manager at Anthropologie, crafting the way store displays told the brand’s story. Katie Judkins worked in corporate at L.L.Bean. After renovating their own houses, and becoming mothers who craved more flexible schedules, … Continue reading
In college, Dan Kolbert, owner of Kolbert Building in Portland, majored in history. Although Kolbert became a builder, not a historian—“I totally stumbled upon this,” he says—he came to realize that an understanding of history still factors into his career … Continue reading
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