Design Wire September 2024
Boston interior designer PAULA DAHER and her business partner and son CLAYTON DAHER—longtime summer residents of Maine—are opening a new retail store and interior design studio at 135 Port Road in Kennebunk. Paula, a New England Design Hall of Fame inductee, and Clayton, who provides interior architecture services, recently revived the neglected building (formerly the Market Day food store) with a total gut renovation. The mother/son team partnered with GREGORY LOMBARDI DESIGN to upgrade the shop and studio’s curb appeal. At the 3,000-square foot location, called MÉLANGE BY DAHER INTERIOR DESIGN, visitors will find a globally curated selection of furnishings and accessories from Paula’s trips to Morocco and France alongside regional craft from Maine artisans and makers. “The opening of Mélange signifies an exciting new chapter of expansion and connection to the southern Maine area, which my family and I have loved for many years,” says Clayton.
Maine’s first small research satellite, dubbed MESAT1, was one of four satellites developed by universities carried on a FIREFLY AEROSPACE rocket that launched from VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE in California this summer. Designed and built by students and faculty from the UNIVERSITY OF MAINE in collaboration with the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE, FALMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL, SACO MIDDLE SCHOOL, FRYEBURG ACADEMY, the RADIO AMATEUR SATELLITE CORPORATION, and the WELLS NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE, the satellite will provide students and teachers in the Pine Tree State with access to space data for educational and research purposes. The cube satellite, which cost $522,000 to develop, is supported by grants from NASA and the MAINE SPACE GRANT CONSORTIUM and will remain in Earth’s low orbit for up to two years.
The TRADITIONAL ARTS NETWORK (TAN), a collaboration between MAYO STREET ARTS and CULTURAL RESOURCES, awarded nine traditional artists and organizations in Maine with micro-grants to overcome short-term financial challenges and lay the foundation for long-term goals. Made possible by assistance from the MAINE ARTS COMMISSION and the NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, the network provides support and infrastructure for new artists and cultural organizations from diverse cultural groups, including Maine’s Rwandan, Burundi, Congolese, and Somali communities. The TAN also offers artist gatherings and a Traditional Arts Apprenticeship to support the education of a new generation of traditional artists who plan to preserve their community’s heritage. “This is the third year of the TAN Fund, and we’ve seen so many past awardees develop as community leaders and artists. This year, a majority of awardees were first-time applicants, which speaks to how much this program can be a springboard for people to take themselves to a higher level,” says Kemal Pohan, community outreach manager at Mayo Street Arts. Congratulations to the recipients of this year’s micro-grants: Anges Mukakalisa, Clarisse Karasira, Gloire Ilonde Eale Bolele, Firefly the Hybrid, Kifah Abdulla, Oga Suya, Orson Horchler, Veeva Banga, and Yuliia Derkach.
Interior design firm STUDIO EASTMAN, founded by ABIGAIL SHEA, is moving into a 1,200 square foot space in the historic building at 54 York Street in Portland’s Old Port, home to the newly opened WELDON HOTEL. Filled with natural light, painted brick, and white oak floors, the expanded studio will serve as the design firm’s office as well as the showroom for AATTIC, the firm’s drop-based collection of vintage furniture. Aattic’s highly curated bi-monthly drops include around 15 to 20 pieces sourced from collections of home goods around the world. Each drop of accessible, high-end antiques is paired with an in-person shopping event that allows customers to interact with items before purchasing. Drop IV occurs on September 7 at 10 a.m. in the studio and online at aatticvintage.com.
Designers STEFANO PANTEROTTO and ALEXIS TOURRON of PANTER AND TOURRON developed the modular ANAGRAM SOFA with Swiss family-owned furniture company VITRA to reflect new realities in design, including easy-to-transform interior spaces and lightweight, movable furnishings. Thanks to an assortment of modules and elements like backrests, side panels, and attachable tables, the Anagram sofa can evolve and adapt along with its owners and the space it inhabits. A simple click mechanism is used to position the furniture’s elements in countless configurations along a frame, and nothing in the furnishing is glued, laminated, or foamed. Filled with 100% recycled PET fibers and a recycled aluminum frame, the sofa is vegan, and its elements can be recycled when the product is no longer needed. “A sofa is an important character in the home and usually one of the largest objects. It’s very important that circularity is a key aspect of the design—only then can it stand the test of time,” says Panter and Tourron.
A 60-unit affordable housing project in Scarborough called JOCELYN PLACE opened its doors this summer to residents 55 and older. Managed by the SOUTH PORTLAND HOUSING AUTHORITY, Jocelyn Place includes nine project-based voucher units along with 51 units with rents ranging from $1,000 to $1,200 per month. Amenities include bundled utilities, on-site shared laundry facilities, communal fitness spaces, 24-hour emergency maintenance, and ample parking. The development, which earned passive house certification for its energy efficiency, is walking distance from Hannaford, the post office, banks, and municipal facilities. It is named after writer, botanist, and nobleman John Jocelyn, who arrived in Scarborough in 1663.
Despite operating in the most rural state in the country, two Maine manufacturers were involved in the development of the TEAM USA RALPH LAUREN uniforms for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games in Paris. Lewiston-based shoe company RANCOURT assembled and manufactured the team’s Opening and Closing Ceremony unisex buck shoe, featuring chalk white suede with a woven “Team USA Official Outfitter” label and an American flag at the tongue. ROGUE INDUSTRIES in Standish assembled and manufactured the uniform’s double D-ring buckle Webb Belt, a leather-trimmed jacquard strap woven with “Team USA” and the same American flag graphic along with Ralph Lauren’s signature embossed pony. “Ralph Lauren has once again created designs that not only capture the essence of American style but also embody the spirit and pride of Team USA,” said Sarah Hirshland, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO. Every item in the uniform is proudly manufactured in the United States, and many pieces in the collection are available to purchase at RalphLauren.com and TeamUSAShop.com.
Women-owned handbag company ROUGH AND TUMBLE opened a new flagship store at 176 Middle Street in Portland’s Old Port. Located on the ground floor of the historic BOYD BLOCK, the 2,126-square-foot retail space will serve as a base for partnerships with other Maine makers, designers, and artists through the brand’s custom BE THE DESIGNER program that allows users to select their own leathers, textiles, and swatches to create a unique bag of their own. Using leathers sourced from France and Italy, Rough and Tumble’s understated utilitarian bags are created in Maine and sold nationally through a partnership with GARNET HILL and SUNDANCE CATALOG. “The culture of this state is rugged fearlessness and a deep sense of community connection,” says owner Natalie Durham. “My hope is that this extraordinary location serves as a beacon and source of profound inspiration for all Maine makers and creators. This space is a playground for that inner muse, and a truly unique shopping experience for every budding artist, serving as a testing ground for new designs and materials as they explore the depths of their talent and creativity.”
Damariscotta native KATE LEMOS MCHALE, who spent the past twenty years as a historic preservation specialist in New York City, has been named the new executive director of GREATER PORTLAND LANDMARKS. Founded in 1964, the nonprofit serves as the steward of the PORTLAND OBSERVATORY on Munjoy Hill and seeks to “build awareness, instill community pride, and encourage public participation” in the planning, preservation, and development of the city. McHale previously worked as a senior associate at BEYER BLINDER BELLE ARCHITECTS AND PLANNERS and as director of research for the NEW YORK CITY LANDMARKS PRESERVATION COMMISSION. “Preservation more and more is getting at how to tell those important stories and really acknowledge history honestly and inclusively. I think telling stories of communities through the buildings that we can appreciate today really helps root us all to this place,” McHale told the Portland Press Herald.