Susie Smith Coughlin never intended to get into retail. “Had you told me five years ago that I would have a store, I’d have said, ‘Ah, you’re crazy. You’re out of your mind!’” the interior designer says with a laugh. … Continue reading →

Maybe it’s the awnings that catch the eye first: brightly red-and-white candy striped, like an old-fashioned ice cream shop, angling out over busy Forest Avenue at Woodfords Corner in Portland. Or maybe it’s the assortment of brightly colored cookbooks, tea … Continue reading →

Perched at the western edge of the busy part of Commercial Street, the multicolored volumes of a historic factory are a familiar sight to anyone who travels over the Casco Bay Bridge between Portland and South Portland. The building was … Continue reading →

Part of the fun of a general store is the element of surprise, of discovery: that “aha!” moment that comes from seeing many different objects rubbing shoulders with each other, soaps and sardines and salad tongs coexisting happily, sometimes on … Continue reading →

For the uninitiated or even just the shy, a visit to a designer’s showroom can be a minefield of question—can I touch this? can I buy it? will it fit my living room?—with possibly intimidating answers. Which is why renowned … Continue reading →

If you’ve ever built furniture, whether you’re an accomplished carpenter or just someone putting together an IKEA haul, you know that quiet thrill you feel when two pieces come together perfectly: it’s almost as if you can hear the satisfying … Continue reading →

Getting the perfect blend of shiny new and older, gently worn objects for one’s home can be tricky, especially if one doesn’t have the time or energy to visit many stores. At Viand Mercantile, her new shop on the edge … Continue reading →

On Route 3 in Ellsworth, where the scenery starts to shift from big-box stores to smaller structures and open fields, an old building stood at a crossroad. The longtime home of an off-season Christmas shop for summer tourists had fallen … Continue reading →

Many of us have material objects handed down to us (for example, my grandmother’s battered silver tea strainer), but we also inherit less concrete things from our forebears (my grandmother’s secret technique for flaky piecrust). The United Nations defines the … Continue reading →