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, interior designers, and makers from our community and gets inside some of the top minds in design. Read on for their stories, tips, and sources of inspiration.
Context is of the utmost importance to John Einsiedler, an architect based in Kennebunk. “You want the home to feel like it belongs in that landscape,” he says. Einsiedler explains to MH+D Inside Out that architects can innovate upon traditional … Continue reading
Sara Simpson and Ann-Marie Waterhouse of Alice & Bird Interiors bring different talents to their interior design firm; Simpson manages the design, and Waterhouse the nitty-gritty business details. In this installment of the MH+D Inside Out series, Simpson and Waterhouse … Continue reading
As a young architect at Whitten Architects and an instructor at the University of Maine at Augusta, Carroll has a wealth of design experience, but it wasn’t until she renovated her own home that she had the opportunity to really … Continue reading
After 22 years as an architectural consultant at A.W. Hastings and Company, a distributor of Marvin Windows and Doors, Ron Conterio has become a fixture of the Maine architectural community. His secret to successful relationships with clients? “I really care … Continue reading
Tim Gates has been building for a “long, long time.” As the owner of Bluewater Post & Beam, Tim Gates specializes in hardwood flooring and post-and-beam construction. Gates explains to Maine Home+Design how he navigates significant design challenges to meet … Continue reading
Kitchen and bath designer Sarah Steinberg doesn’t believe in dead ends, not in life, and certainly not in design. Steinberg’s past mirrors her philosophy. At first she was driven toward the corporate world, but she upended her career to pursue … Continue reading
Bud Angst laughs that his clients are sometimes skeptical of a 25-year-old architectural designer. However, he adds, “They are willing to trust me, knowing that I’m backed by a company that’s been around for 40 years.” As a designer at … Continue reading
“The unique aspects of your home that you agonize over, such as the flooring and tile, are lost without good lighting,” says Danica Jacobson, showroom manager at Lighting Concepts. Especially during the long Maine winters, when natural light is scarce, … Continue reading
When Richard Renner walks into the Maine Home+Design office, he comments, “I designed the adaptive reuse of this building.” After working as an architect in the Portland community for the past thirty years, much of his memories are rooted in … Continue reading
Sixteen years ago, Annie Kiladjian of Annie K Designs gave up a successful career in fashion and moved to Portland, not realizing that an upcoming design boom would draw her into another career as an interior designer. As she delved … Continue reading
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