The path that led Brad and Hannah Blymier to their newly built home in North Yarmouth was paved with oyster shells and hockey pucks. The couple met at a wedding in northern California, where Hannah was managing a Sonoma tasting room and bar; Brad was based in Maryland, where he ran War Shore Trading Company, growing and distributing Chesapeake Bay oysters. After a few years of marriage in the mid-Atlantic region, the couple moved with their two young boys, Jett and Jack, to Hannah’s home state of Maine to be closer to her family (adding Maine’s delicious oysters to War Shore’s roster was a nice bonus). They landed first in Portland but knew they would want to build their own home before long. “We wanted to see what our footprint was, where we spent a lot of time,” Brad says. The family’s growing involvement with Casco Bay Hockey Association set their sights north of the city, and in early 2020 they closed on two acres in North Yarmouth. 

After fitting out multiple homes together, Brad and Hannah had clear ideas about what they wanted in their new build. One priority was to have the owners’ suite on the first floor, not only to enable aging in place but also to create the feeling of a resort, where they could step right out the sliding doors to their hot tub and backyard pool. Entertaining was another focus. “Both kids being on various sports teams—that’s a big community,” says Brad. “We’ll have as many as 50 or 60 here for parties, and on any given day there are two to eight kids here after school or camp.” Brad also had strong ideas about what he wanted the home to look like. “Hannah’s better with functionality and use of space; I work more on the aesthetic,” he says. His taste tends toward modern, clean lines, encompassing both midcentury modern style and the Shaker furniture he grew up with in Pennsylvania. 

At first, MGM Builders of Windham didn’t seem like an obvious fit for Brad’s aesthetic goals; “I knew that their houses were usually more traditional,” Brad says. But conversations with architectural designer Matt Nolette and construction manager Taylor Manning convinced the Blymiers that they had found the right team to create their home—one that would blend tradition with clean, modern style. “Brad wanted a modern farmhouse with a capital M on the modern,” says Nolette. “It’s more modern than farmhouse. There are subtle details that say we’ve pulled away from tradition a little bit, but the form hammers right on farmhouse.” The exterior nods to historical buildings in which rooms and roofs were added over time while maintaining a streamlined contemporary look. Two large, asymmetrical gables dominate the front, joined by a tall central entrance and flanked by shorter volumes. The farmhouse effect is enhanced by varied siding; white board-and-batten alternates with gray-blue clapboards. Eyebrow windows and awnings over the entrance add strong horizontal lines to the central volume. The siding is an Everlast composite that will require next to no maintenance, but the MGM team introduced natural Douglas fir in the front and back entrance areas. “The reason for doing this is to bring a bunch of warmth, real natural material, to the spaces where you are intimate with the house and hands-on—the critical spots going into the front door, the handrails where you put your hands,” says Nolette. 

Once through the Rogue Valley fir front door, the focal point of the interior is a Viewrail floating staircase, with thick wooden treads appearing to balance on a central black support. Cable railings keep the central hall open and light while creating interest through form and shadow. “As the day moves on, the cables, rails, and stairs are projected on the wall,” Nolette notes. The shared areas of the first floor are open concept, with a cozy living room anchored by a sleek black Nectre woodstove and a kitchen outfitted with restaurant-quality appliances. The family eats most meals at the oversized kitchen island; the dining table gets used when guests are visiting. The space feels intimate, but there’s plenty of room for company. “At Thanksgiving, we had people at the table and the island and fit 16, easy-peasy,” says Hannah. 

The couple designed the interior themselves. “Brad actually likes shopping for furniture,” says Hannah. “We have a little system. He picks two or three favorites, and I pick the one I like. I don’t have to spend the time shopping, and we’re both happy.” They kept the palette simple, using the same engineered white oak floors throughout (“I hate carpet,” says Brad) and choosing light, neutral shades for the walls. In a tribute to Brad’s late mother, whose house was covered in wallpaper, a few small walls feature bold prints—a midcentury-style zigzag in the pantry, playful fish in a powder room. Strong black lines are provided by the window frames, dining chairs, lighting fixtures, and living room fireplace, which Brad sought out when he learned that his original choice wouldn’t be available in a black finish. Natural woods provide warmth, and color is introduced mainly through the couple’s growing art collection. “I turned 50 and started thinking about heirlooms, passing things down,” Brad says. He and Hannah have been slowly accumulating pieces that have meaning to them, or that simply feel right. “We don’t really know what we’re doing,” he says. “It’s just our subjective view of what we like, and we hope it all mixes together.” The collection features several limited-edition posters from the annual Oyster Riot held at Old Ebbitt Grill in Washington, D.C. (a War Shore customer), and a big blue lobster tail by Ogunquit artist Amy Kelly, but it’s not narrowly focused on the family business. Three colorful collages by mixed-media artist Bibby Gignilliat are anchors of the collection; other pieces reference traditions of Brad’s Pennsylvania roots and places the couple has lived (each member of the family, they point out, was born in a different state). 

Outdoor space is an essential part of the home’s design. In the owners’ suite, Brad observes, “we’re ten feet away from the pool.” Sliding doors make for a seamless morning-swim routine. The living area, too, opens onto the back patio, which is designed for three-season entertaining with a full outdoor kitchen and an outdoor living room complete with a TV and tower heaters under an oversized umbrella. A guesthouse gives family or friends their own space and their own resort-like poolside experience.

After 16 months in the home, the Blymiers aren’t slowing down. A backyard sport court is next on the agenda; they also want to find the best purpose for a large rooftop deck that opens off the upstairs recreation room, which has gotten less use since the pool was built. “The house that oysters built,” as Brad calls it, is comfortable, elegant, and welcoming—and most important, it is the family’s own. “Sometimes when you go to a house, you walk in and it doesn’t tell you a lot about them as a family,” says Brad. “Here, I can tell you about every piece, why I picked it. We want the house to be a reflection of us.”