What is the difference between high gloss and lacquer, if there is one?
There are two major differences between high gloss and lacquer: sheen and process. While both are glossy, reflective sheens, lacquer portrays an almost glasslike finish (think of a grand piano). A lacquer finish must be applied to a flawless surface free of bumps, cracks, and even dust. A blend of resins and solvents is then sprayed on; it dries quickly, creating a hard surface. High-gloss paint is a little more forgiving. It is self-leveling, meaning it can hide some imperfections and can be applied with a brush or roller. However, it dries much more slowly and doesn’t harden like lacquer.
What are the pros and cons to consider when using these finishes?
Both are easy to clean! That’s important when considering a finish for a bar or vanity. Lacquer is a very durable and hard finish that may hold up better over time than a high-gloss paint. Lacquer can be cost prohibitive because of the amount of work that goes into prepping the surface. It is also a specialized service that not every painter can offer, and the cost of lacquer is higher.
What are the benefits of using high-gloss or lacquer paint in an interior? How do you think it is best used?
Both finishes are highly reflective, so when used on walls, they enhance natural light during the daytime and create a lot of drama at night. Using a high-sheen finish on cabinetry draws your attention and adds dimension to the space.
How do you personally like to use this finish? Do you use it in your own home or design studio?
I tend to lacquer smaller spaces to add drama and interest. My go-to lacquer spaces are wet bars, vanities, and crown moldings that when lacquered, helps to enhance a painted or wallpapered ceiling. For full-room use, I would suggest a library or dining room with detailed wood panels.
How are your clients using this finish? Are there any trending styles?
My clients are all across the board—we have lacquered entire rooms, wet bars, kitchens, trim, and furniture! It all depends on how comfortable the client is with the effect and result. Some clients who are unfamiliar may think the look is too bold. However, it is my job to educate them and coordinate this process with the selected scheme and overall aesthetic we are trying to achieve.
In the end, my main goal is to create an elegant and timeless interior for my clients that is a reflection of their personalities, which both finishes can help to achieve. Fun fact: even George Washington was a fan of high-gloss walls!
Simons Architects is working with the Jesup Memorial Library in Bar Harbor on a new addition to its historic 1911 building. The addition is the third phase of a four-phase plan for growth dating back to 2015, reflecting the library’s mission to “nourish minds, enhance lives, and build community.” Extensive restoration and rehabilitation work, as well as ADA accessibility and energy improvements, have already been made to the existing building.
This new 11,400-square-foot addition will almost double the size of the library and create three new entrances on two levels. A library is meant to be a safe harbor, so these new entrances are designed to be open and welcoming. The two-story connector to the existing building will have intuitive wayfinding and serve the community as an informal gathering space and viewing gallery. The lower level is community oriented, with a new multipurpose meeting room designed to seat up to 150 people and a makerspace classroom. The main level will house the relocated and expanded children’s and teen collections, with a storytime area, noisy/quiet study rooms, and directly adjacent restrooms.
The expansion also includes a new archive section dedicated to storing and maintaining historic maps of Acadia National Park as well as genealogical materials. There will be a classroom, public study area, archival research stations, and a digital lab.
The library has established environmentally responsible goals for a 100-year building for the addition, with a mass timber structure and a high-performance building envelope. The design will aim to minimize energy and water use as much as possible and provide the chance to reduce reliance on fossil fuels over time as systems are upgraded. Since the library is located in a moderate fly-through zone for bird migration, bird-friendly design strategies are being incorporated.
The new addition is “stepped back” from the existing library to celebrate its history and importance within the community while creating an inviting outdoor public space. Contemporary masonry and metal cladding were carefully selected to complement the existing building in their quality and materiality, but they are differentiated with the use of contrasting colors and large-format, contemporary glazing.
Location: Bar Harbor
Architect: Simons Architects
Design Team: Scott Simons, FAIA, principal; Julia Tate, AIA, project manager; Matt Maiello, AIA, project architect; Sam Mellecker, designer
In collaboration with: Pamela Hawkes, FAIA, principal at Scattergood Design; Scott Whitaker, director of enclosure at LeMessurier (for existing building work) Mike Rogers, PLA, and Rob Krieg, PLA, at LARK Studio
April, 2023 | By: Danielle Devine | Image courtesy of 1stDibs
My father, who worked in real estate, always had a gold Cross pen in his left shirt pocket. I learned at a young age that the type of pen you carry makes a statement. Like most kids in the ’80s and ’90s, I carried a Bic Cristal ballpoint (a pen with its own merits, but that’s for another Design Lesson). The pen of all pens was then, and still is, the Montblanc Meisterstück 149.
The fountain pens we know today became popular in the early twentieth century. They all use water-based inks (filling your pen with the wrong type of ink will ruin it) and have a reservoir for the ink. The reservoir can be built into the pen’s barrel, but today, a disposable ink cartridge is more common. The flexible metal tip at the end is the nib, with a tiny slit down its centerline, and it is tipped with a tiny ball made of an alloy of one of the
platinum-group metals.
The Meisterstück fountain pen was first introduced in 1924 by the company Simplo, which would later become Montblanc (after the name of the highest peak in the Alps). Meisterstück means “masterpiece,” and its design is luxurious: a black resin is used for the cap and barrel of the pen, “Meisterstück” is etched into the widest of the three gold rings that go around the base of the cap, and on the tip of the cap is the iconic white Montblanc emblem (a white star that represents the snowcap and six glacial valleys of Mont Blanc). The height of the mountain, which is 4,810 meters, is inscribed on the pen’s 18-carat hand-ground gold nib.
By the end of the 1920s, Montblanc was internationally known for its writing instruments. A lifetime guarantee was added in 1935 for the Meisterstück, and Montblanc began producing branded leather pen pouches, notebooks, and writing cases. Famous
Meisterstück users include President John F. Kennedy, Princess Diana, and President Barack Obama.
The final-year project for a young craftsperson training at Montblanc is to design a Meisterstück; it marks their transition from apprentice to master. Each Meisterstück 149 is individually crafted and can be customized with various point sizes and ranges of flexibility in the nib. The pen is 148 mm (5.8 inches) long by 16 mm (0.63 inches) in diameter, and it has changed little over the past hundred years, except for a specially developed resin that replaced the original celluloid. In 1994 the Meisterstück Solitaire Royal became the world’s most expensive fountain pen, adorned with 4,810 diamonds, each set by hand. Today you can learn even more about this iconic writing instrument by visiting the Montblanc nib-making factory and the Montblanc Museum in Hamburg, Germany.
April, 2023 | By: Katherine Gaudet | Photography: Chris Smith
When Elisa Castillo and Rob Solomon bought their East Boothbay property in 2019, the 15-acre parcel had sat on the market for a year. It was densely wooded, covered with scrubby growth, and run through with ledges that threatened to limit buildable lots; roads would have to be built, and electricity and water brought in. But the couple fell under its spell. “It’s a beautiful property with ridges, highs, lows, swamp, everything. We kept hiking through the property, and every time, we saw something totally different,” says Solomon. “It was disorienting. It was magic.” They purchased it and began to plan for a second home that would become a remote work location (Castillo is a psychologist and wellness dean at a public university, and Solomon is a solutions architect for a cybersecurity software company). Veteran travelers, they also wanted to put their Airbnb experience to use designing a home that could be rented when they weren’t using it. A hilltop offered the possibility of an ocean view, and they worked with Kaplan Thompson Architects to design a structure tall enough to see the water while conforming to local height limits. But as they spent more time on the property, they found themselves drawn to a different location: a grove of birch trees surrounding a large maple and spotted with vernal pools. They built a stone firepit there, set some Adirondack chairs around it, and changed their plan.
Putting their custom design on the shelf (for now), they began working with Kaplan Thompson’s sister firm, BrightBuilt Home, to customize a high-performance modular home. Site responsiveness was important to the couple, says Solomon: “I didn’t want a tabula rasa. I didn’t want to take an idea of a house and plop it down anyplace. I wanted to create something shaped around the place.” A modular home is, in fact, brought to the site largely complete, but that doesn’t get in the way of specificity, says architect Jessica Benner, who worked with the couple to modify the firm’s Sidekick model. With an eye toward matching the plans for the hilltop home, they switched the gable form for a shed roof and added clerestory windows under vaulted ceilings. The bedrooms were moved to opposite ends of the module to provide more privacy; the kitchen was converted to a galley. Most high-performance homes are south facing, says Benner, but in this case “the siting of the house has really beautiful views to the east, so we arranged the spaces so that all of that light and sun could come in on the east side.”
Once the design was complete, the home was constructed by KBS Builders in South Paris, while general contractor Mike White of Island Carpentry in Georgetown prepared the site. One of the efficiencies of modular construction is that the foundation can be poured while the walls and roof are being built, rather than in sequence. It can take only two weeks for the home to be constructed in the factory. Then, on “set day,” the home is delivered to the site and positioned by crane, under the supervision of the general contractor, who oversees a team of specialists. At that point, says Benner, 70 or 75 percent of the work is completed. “Once they deliver the module, it takes three months to finish these guys, on average,” says White. “If you build a house from scratch on a foundation, it might be five, six, seven months.” But for White, who has worked with BrightBuilt on around 25 homes, time savings are less important than resource conservation. Several years ago, motivated by the threat of climate change, he committed to building zero-energy homes, which produce all the energy they consume. “It’s the only thing I want to do. It’s the right thing to do, not only for the environment, but also for people’s pocketbooks. It saves money, particularly over a long period,” he says. Because modular construction creates cost savings, it makes zero-energy homes available to more people. “It’s been a mission of BrightBuilt to change the paradigm of modular, bringing high design to the modular industry. It’s meant to make the design and architecture and high performance more accessible,” says Benner.
“I firmly believe that modular is the construction method of the future.”
Finishing the home, for Castillo and Solomon, meant completing its ties to the outdoors. It is a small space—850 square feet—but they never imagined its walls as boundaries. Castillo grew up in Puerto Rico, where, she says, “everyone lives outdoors”; Solomon had a similar experience growing up in a Long Island, New York, beach town and had developed a deep love for the woods while attending summer camp in Maine. They worked with White to add an oversized deck and a separate structure that holds a sauna and outdoor hot tub, while designing a “forest garden” in the birch grove, using stones unearthed during construction. The interior design was “all about elevating natural elements,” says Castillo. They selected light wood trim, clear maple floors, a soapstone countertop, and a fireplace surround made of river stones to anchor the design in nature. Accents in a deep teal were matched to decaying wood they found on the property, which was stained by the green elfcup fungus. Castillo chose artworks that use elemental shapes—circles, squares, and rectangles—in playful ways, to create a calming effect. She hung round mirrors opposite the large windows to bring the forest into the interior and echo the moon motif that appears throughout the home.
The property, which carries the name Forest Spa Maine on Airbnb, was always intended as a retreat, but as construction proceeded during the COVID pandemic, it gained new meanings. By then, the couple had moved beyond camping out on the site: they had built a large platform topped by a Garden Igloo plastic dome tent, and they had also brought in a portable toilet and two-burner gas grill. “We came here every other weekend through that first summer of COVID,” Solomon recalls. “It helped preserve our sanity.” Castillo was heading up the COVID response at her university. “It was so intense,” she says. “We became very mindful of how hungry we are for retreat, escape, relaxation, and wellness. We wanted to create a space not just for us but for others to unplug, be with nature, go hiking, have that meditative experience that could be so healing.” Now that they have a space for themselves and for Airbnb guests, the couple is imagining next steps. They are planning their “third bedroom”—a small, off-grid structure that will expand the home’s capacity for guests. Perhaps they will take that model further, creating private areas for “glamping” around the property; perhaps they will create a wellness retreat. And there’s still that plan for the house on the hill. For now, Castillo says, they are deeply appreciating what they have built. “My favorite thing here is being in the hot tub, when you can see the Milky Way at night. It’s a small house, but you have access to the universe.”
April, 2023 | By: Rachel Hurn | Photography: Tom Ross
Seamless storage options are key when designing a residence with a small footprint. This has proven true not only in our modern age of tiny living but for as long as boatbuilders have been crafting drifting homes and city dwellers have slept, eaten, and bathed in one compact space. From floating stairs to inventive built-ins to hidden storage compartments like the one shown above, Pretty Small: Grand Living with Limited Space (Gestalten, 2022) showcases residences that serve as inspired guides on how to set up a place of solitude with a reduced floor plan.
Here, architecture duo Claire Scorpo and Nicholas Agius of Agius Scorpo Architects took on a personal project to create a home for Agius in Melbourne’s historic Cairo Flats building. Designed in 1936 by Acheson Best Overend, the U-shaped building made up of studio apartments built around a central garden is one of the city’s most recognized architectural landmarks. Agius and Scorpo chose to maintain the ethos of Overend’s design—“maximum amenity at minimum cost and space”—while modernizing the unit and allowing two people to coexist with privacy.
Shown above is the studio’s “kitchen cabinet,” a multifunctional, transitional construction of recycled Victorian ash hardwood. Two doors—the left on a slide, the right on a hinge—open to reveal the kitchen and its various gadgets, tools, and ingredients, which, when the doors close, can all be tucked away while remaining easily accessible. A hidden moving panel above the sink, when opened, allows light to flow from the main living space to the bedroom, which is ingeniously made private by the kitchen’s sliding door.
1. KOBENSTYLE CASSEROLE IN MIDNIGHT BLUE Food52 x Dansk // food52.com
2. EXTRA-LARGE ROUND GLASS STORAGE CONTAINER WITH BAMBOO LID Crate & Barrel // crateandbarrel.com
A new modular piece of playroom furniture made from recycled olive pits called the NONTALO STOOL allows children and parents to change the shape of the seat to suit their mood or activity. Developed by design duo ENERIS COLLECTIVE and Barcelona-based biomaterials company NAIFACTORY LAB, the chair is composed of REOLIVAR, a biocomposite made from olive pits, which is then formed in molds to reduce unnecessary waste. Inspired by children’s construction sets, the Nontalo stool is made up of six parts: three large, P-shaped pieces and three long rods that slot into the central opening of the other pieces to hold them in place. Designed to bring play, spontaneity, and sustainability together, once it has reached the end of its life, the stool can be composted or returned to Naifactory Lab to be recycled.
Think a plaid, checkerboard, or tartan car could only exist in your children’s effervescent drawings? Think again. BMW’s latest concept car, the I VISION DEE, is equipped with programmable and customizable color-changing body panels and hub caps. Using 32 colors of E-INK—a technology most recognizable in e-readers like the Kindle—BMW believes its electric vehicles will soon sport this chameleonic characteristic, once they’ve figured out how to ensure the panels can withstand rigorous driving, as well as the bumps, pebbles, and bugs a car encounters on a typical drive. According to an article published in Fast Company in January, BMW’s concept is far from landing in dealerships, but the customizable ideas are beginning to take shape in some production vehicles.
EAST PINE, the Portland-based interior plant design company known for their design, installation, and maintenance work with high-profile clients like Austin Street Brewery, Après, and SeaWeed Company, has joined forces with HAY RUNNER, a Portland design, construction, and real estate firm founded and led by SHANNON RICHARDS. Services include not only residential and commercial interior plant design but also repotting (what East Pine founder AMALIA BUSSARD and plant care specialist SARA KOSICKI refer to as a spa day for weary-looking plants) and recurring plant care services to keep clients’ plants looking beautiful and healthy in their own spaces.
MAINE ARTS ACADEMY, a charter school for the arts currently located in Sidney, recently purchased a 69,615-square-foot building in Augusta from Maine Veterans’ Homes. According to Mainebiz, the new location, on 8.9 acres near the Capital Area Sports Complex and Viles Arboretum, is about six times larger than the MAA’s current facility. The free public high school that focuses on music, dance, theater, and visual arts and educates students from over 30 districts statewide, will move in after its lease in Sidney expires in June, with one of its goals being to grow from 225 students to 400.
Move over old, mismatched Tupperware. HELLERWARE, the iconic, stackable 1960s dinnerware, has returned to market. Originally designed by architect MASSIMO VIGNELLI in 1964 and manufactured in Italy using bright yellow melamine resin, the colorful and compact plates, bowls, and mugs were licensed for production in the United States by ALAN HELLER, who introduced a range of bright colors for mixing and matching. Last year, after being bought by John Edelman, Heller made plans to bring back the iconic dishes in white, the rainbow colorway having been mostly out of production since the early aughts—until now. MOMA DESIGN STORE has relaunched the collection in six vibrant colors available in six-piece sets. According to the design blog In Unison, the inspiration for the Compasso d’Oro Award–winning design came to Vignelli when he saw a client using plastic molds to make Mickey Mouse ashtrays. The plates and mugs are made with straight sides and a small lip on the bottom, creating a straight, tall stack that maximizes storage space.
BUREO, a company based in Oxnard, California, that makes all of its products—including sunglasses, surf fins, and even Jenga sets—out of recycled fishing nets, has launched a first-of-its-kind skateboard. THE MINNOW, a 25-inch cruiser made with Bureo’s NetPlus material and 30 percent veggie oil wheels, is manufactured in Chile with the support of local Chilean fishing communities. The manufacture of each board prevents more than 30 square feet of PLASTIC FISHING NETS—proven to be the most harmful form of plastic pollution—from entering our oceans. By creating an incentivized program to collect, clean, sort, and recycle fishing nets into reusable material, they also have created employment opportunities for local workers and funding for community programs. Other industry-leading companies like PATAGONIA are jumping on board, incorporating Bureo’s material into their own products.
The restaurateurs behind Mi Sen Noodle Bar and the former Cheevitdee have opened MITR, a new, 20-seat restaurant on outer Congress Street serving grilled Thai street food. Cofounder WAN TITAFAI, who lived in Thailand when she was young and has resided in Maine for many years, designed the space herself with both classic Thai and modern New England interiors in mind, such as high ceilings and dinnerware brought in from Thailand paired with crown mouldings and pop art painted by her husband John Paul. “We used antique furniture alongside some furniture and booths that we custom-made,” Titafai says. “I believe once people step into the space, they will feel the love that we put into everything.” As for the food, Titafai recommends ordering the homemade curry paste with rice, salmon, and Thai herbs, wrapped in banana leaves and grilled.
After three years, researchers from MIT and Harvard University, alongside laboratories in Italy and Switzerland, may have discovered the answer to why ancient Roman concrete structures, such as the 2,000-year-old Pantheon, have stood the test of time while our modern concrete structures crack and crumble just a few decades after being built. The secret? It’s a combination of one ingredient—calcium oxide, or lime—and the technique used to incorporate it. According to Fast Company, the study was recently published in the journal Science Advances. Professor Admir Masic, an MIT professor of civil and environmental engineering and an author of the study, explains, “When lime clusters are mixed with cement and water at a very high temperature, the water around them evaporates, and the clusters, which would have otherwise dissolved, remain embedded in the material.” This means that when water later seeps into the cracks, as it eventually will, instead of causing more corrosion, the lime clusters dissolve and fill in the newly formed cracks like glue. Thanks to this discovery, a new deep tech start-up called DMAT launched in the United States at the end of last year. The company’s core product, D-LIME, a self-healing concrete, is made with the ancient technique in mind, adapted for modern times.
April, 2023 | By: As told to Hadley Gibson & Rachel Hurn | Photography: Carley Rudd
“This house was a gut renovation. The living room pictured here was all drywall before we went in and created the paneling. We came into the space and thought, what is needed? And we went from there, making it up piece by piece. The fireplace surround, for example, used to be brick, and we thought about different options and came upon slate, which we had done by Sheldon Slate Products in Monson. We worked around things. We’d make a decision and then see what fit from there. It was totally intuitive.
“We’re lucky that we have the same eye for things. It’s funny, but we weren’t antique dealers before we started working on this house. It completely changed our lives. It’s midcentury, initially designed by a friend of the original owners, architect Norman Klein, and that’s how we got interested in midcentury modern antiques. The midcentury modern furniture is, of course, really at home here. It’s nice to be able, as far as restoration and renovation, to stay within the time period. We fell in love with antiques, learning about the history behind things and the people who made them. They’re full of stories, and it’s nice to have that history throughout your living space. Many of the pieces you see here are from yard sales and antique shops, and the chair we bought at Modern Underground in Waterville. We also worked with a furniture maker, someone we found from our days going to Thistle Pig in South Berwick. We always sat at this one table, and when we asked who made it, it turned out he was located right down the street.
“The house layout is one of the most thoughtful we’ve ever seen. That triangular window, for example, is so sweet on its own, but it’s also planned perfectly. In certain moments you can see the moon through it or get a glimpse of the sun setting through it; it’s interactive and constantly changing.
“One playful element we added was to have Carisa’s father, Rick Salerno, who is a carpenter and a builder, design a bunch of hidden panels and doors. Here, one of the stone birds is hiding an electrical panel, and there are little storage areas throughout the house where the paneling completely blends in around them. Rick spent seven years rebuilding this house, commuting from Bristol. There’s no way we would’ve been able to do this without him. He is just as focused on details as we are. For example, those boards next to the fireplace are completely unbroken—they go straight to the ceiling. He called the mill to make that happen, and it was a huge endeavor. He is a very patient man.”
—Carisa Salerno and Aaron Levin, founders of the Maine House Hunt and Maine Antiques Hunt on Instagram
March, 2023 | By: Katy Kelleher | Photography: Michael D. Wilson
Jorge Arango is in the kitchen, stirring a pot of richly scented soup, when I arrive at his Portland apartment. This in itself is unusual. Homeowners don’t often feed me when I come for tours, but Arango is different from most magazine subjects. He’s a design writer, too. He knows the routine we’re about to undergo because he’s done it hundreds of times himself. He knows the questions I’m going to ask about styling a home, because he wrote the book on it. “I’ve published 13 books,” he tells me as I examine his bookshelf, plus he’s had bylines everywhere one could imagine, from Elle Decor to House Beautiful. “I’ve been doing this a long time.”
And yet, despite his years of experience in our shared arena, Arango isn’t intimidating in person, nor does he boast of his accomplishments. He states them quickly during our walk around his home before directing me to sit at an old, uneven dining table covered in scratches, where he’s placed a vase of yellow tulips that are lolling appealingly about in their vase. “I know Portland has a lot of great restaurants, but I hardly go to them because I love to cook,” he says. “I really love to host and feed people.” Tonight he’s throwing a dinner party for a group of his closest friends or, as he calls it, “members of my pod.”
I imagine it will be an intimate event, that all gatherings at his place must be. The kitchen is also the dining room, which is open to the living room and the “disaster zone” of a mudroom, as he calls it. (I peeked inside; it’s not that bad.) His bedroom opens into the living area and the hallway, and across from it lies the apartment’s sole bathroom. “It’s the biggest bathroom I’ve had in any apartment,” he says. “I just love it. It’s enormous and has this exposed brick wall. And of course, it was brand, spanking new when I moved in.” It’s why he chose this place—the bathroom, the newness, the blank slate of a new home for a new life.
Arango moved to Portland in 2019 after a divorce from his longtime partner. While he has always loved old buildings and old things, he didn’t want to buy another fixer-upper. This Munjoy Hill apartment fits both his needs and his aesthetic sensibilities. The exterior of the building dates back to the early 1900s, but in 2017 a fire tore through the center of the structure. The damage was considerable. Then-owner Kate Anker oversaw renovations. “She’s the one who designed the interior,” explains Arango. “Since it’s a rental, I can’t change a lot.” This doesn’t appear to be a problem: “Kate made some bold moves, like painting the wall in the kitchen black. It really works. And it came with beautiful hardwood floors and built-ins, which are something I have loved since I was a child.” The fire spared the cabinets on the walls and did no lasting damage to the lovely exposed brick. Anker’s redesign relied largely on neutral colors: black, white, and touches of gray-blond wood. “She made some really thoughtful choices, like the light fixtures,” Arango adds. “They’re all different, but you can tell they were designed by the same person.”
It’s a bachelor pad, but unlike the ugly, faux-industrial-chic ones you’ve seen on television, this small home is full of warmth, color, and texture. “I could tell you a story about every object in here,” he says, before opening a drawer to reveal a collection of vintage flatware. “Everything in this space means something to me. Even the sofa, which I bought at Baker Furniture, was something I chose knowing that it would last me decades. I want to have it for years; I want it to last.” Arango’s never been one to worship the new. He believes in the power of antiques and sees the layered, complex beauty of a dinged-up cabinet, a worn leather chair, an almost-grungy patina on a basic wood table. He also knows that, with some effort, many thrift store finds can be transformed, reborn through a baptism of paint stripper and furniture wax. He’s a frequent patron of the Flea for All and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
On a slightly more highbrow level, he’s also become a repeat customer at Greenhut Galleries. Over the past few years, Arango has formed a close friendship with founder Peggy Greenhut Golden. Through his work writing art reviews at the Portland Press Herald, Arango has come to know many members of the local arts community, and he particularly likes supporting contemporary artists. “Jorge has a wide appreciation for all genres,” says Golden. “I don’t know what pieces he will find attractive—he surprises me! But I do know that he can decipher a well-made painting and takes pleasure in acknowledging good craft.” Studio visits “inform and delight Jorge,” and Golden believes his conversations with artists have resulted in a rich appreciation for their works. It makes sense, then, that Jorge chose to hang many of his pieces in a salon style, “coating the walls top to bottom like the Barnes [Foundation] collection in Philadelphia,” explains Golden. “It maximizes the art you can exhibit.”
This is a tricky look to pull off, since every piece needs to make sense in its own context. There needs to be visual harmony in how the works are hung; one must pay close attention to framing and spacing; every element in the grouping must speak to the others. Eclecticism is the goal, while chaos is the pitfall. Arango’s collection is wide-ranging and features landscape paintings, folk art sculptures, collages, photographs, and textile arts. While he has art in every room, usually arranged in groupings, the white living room wall is where he’s created a salon-style experience using miniature American landscapes in gold frames, intricate vintage East Asian and Indian paintings and drawings, a tiny, collaged painter’s rag work by Damariscotta artist Jaap Helder, and two Indonesian wooden puppets that lean out above the matching lamps with nickel bases. While there are many different styles and techniques on display, the art is held together by the overall warmth of the collection, with its tones of gold, rosewood, scarlet, and brown, and by the Lilliputian sense of scale. Even the bigger works ask viewers to look closer at their careful details. “I’m drawn to artists who are obsessive about their work,” he explains. “And obviously, I love Asian antiques and art.”
This appreciation for craftsmanship is on display in his bedroom, where Arango has hung seven framed textiles in a closely spaced arrangement above his pillow-stacked bed. They were a gift from friends Margaret Minister and Stephen Peck, he explains. “They both had been lugging around these scraps of fabric for years because they were so beautiful, and intended to make them into cushions but never got around to it,” he says. Arango knew what to do with them; he took them to Greenhut Galleries and got them precisely framed in rosewood with beige mats. They tone down the busyness of the bedroom with all its various patterns and give a sense of order, as do the matching side tables topped with almost-matching ceramic lamps (one is white, the other seafoam). On the floor, a simple navy blue rug grounds the space. “I got this for a song at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Kennebunk,” he says. “They have the best stuff.”
In fact, there are only a few pieces that Arango didn’t get secondhand, including the living room sofa and coffee table (both from Baker Furniture) and a floor lamp from All Modern. He says he expects the sofa to become worn and show signs of age, because that’s what functional objects do. It’s part of why he has dedicated his career to the world of things. After we tour his apartment, and after we’ve finished eating soup and salad, our discussion turns briefly toward the personal. We talk about the importance of having a spiritual life, the impact friendships can have on us, and our shared interest in making meaning out of everyday objects. I tell him why I like his home, and he calls my attention to the wobbly table, then to a Hitchcock chair. “Isn’t this special?” he asks. It is.
Later, after I’ve returned home, I open my computer and find an email from Arango. He had been thinking about things after I left, he said, and he wanted to expand on our conversation. I can’t think of any better way to conclude than by sharing what he wrote:
“At some dimension of reality, all mystical traditions acknowledge there is no fundamental difference between the table, the fork, the painting, and us. All of reality is made of the same thing. We could debate what that thing is. But from this perspective, it’s easy to see that if everything is one, then the things we love and own speak some aspect of ourselves back to us. They are, literally, part of us. We don’t have to carry all those things through our entire life. There’s a lot of unnecessary stuff we can certainly shed, about our things as well as ourselves. And as we grow and change, some things lose meaning, so we let them go. But it boils down, at some level, to ‘my cherished possessions, myself.’”
It may be months before peaches appear at farmstands, but spring blossoms have us daydreaming about all the pretty pastel colors, especially pale peaches. Named for the fruit, peach is a tint of orange, but it is closer in color to the flesh of a white peach than the classic yellow peach.
As an interior color, peach has many sides. It’s a little unexpected yet versatile; it is lively yet calming. “Peach can be a cool or warm neutral, and it is soft and approachable like the inside of a seashell,” says Krista Stokes, creative director of the boutique Maine hotel group Atlantic Holdings. Pale peach brings a subtle pop of color to a space, but it’s still neutral enough to complement any aesthetic, from Victorian to midcentury modern.
Plus, peach casts a flattering glow wherever it is used; it’s just a matter of finding the right peach for the room you’re decorating. Peaches can range from a pale, almost white hue (gorgeous on walls) to a richer, bolder color that reads pink-orange (perfect for accents). We spoke to designers to find out how to find the rich hue for you and use it in your home.
Peach is on trend.
The interior design world is primed for peach right now. After nearly a decade of “millennial pink” accents, peach is a fresh alternative that’s still soft and warm, but a little less expected. Likewise, peach is a lighter shade of trendy terra-cotta. Two years ago, interior designers’ favorite paint company Farrow and Ball launched a collection with in-demand designer Kelly Wearstler that included Faded Terracotta, which is really a deep shade of peach.
Think of it as “nude.”
Decorators, including the pros we spoke to, often encourage homeowners to think of pastels like peach as a neutral, but if you’re having trouble thinking of pale orange as a noncolor, perhaps think of it as “nude.” Writing in her book Living with Color, textile artist Rebecca Atwood makes an apt analogy: “This creamy version of orange is like using a nude shade of nail polish; it’s pretty and soft, but subtle too.”
Pair it with cool tones.
Interior designer Vanessa Helmick, the owner of Fiore Home in Yarmouth, notes that, because Mainers love their blues, she often uses small amounts of peach tones to break up the coolness. “Orange and blue are direct complements on the color wheel, so using the more muted pairings is always gorgeous,” she says.
Get peachy art.
If you’re looking for a way to bring peach into a cool-scheme room, look to art, Helmick adds. “I use peach and other warm tones in art to balance the blues,” she says, specifically noting that she loves the work of Maine artist Nina Earley, who dyes silk with avocado pits to get a peachy effect. A color that is often found in nature, peach is also often found in seascapes, portraits, floral still lifes, and abstractions.
Go deep for sophistication.
Lorna Gross, an interior designer based in Maryland, likes to play with deeper shades of the hue in formal rooms. “A palette based in peach and corals adds a soft touch to an elegant dining room,” she says. “Adding in metallic finishes retains a refined aesthetic.”
Imagine a fruit salad palette.
“Nature is masterful at coloration, because nature is nuanced,” says Catherine Wilson of Catherine Wilson Interiors in Atlanta, Georgia. When choosing peachy hues, she recommends, “Think of all the fruits in the peach, pink, and coral families: peaches, pink grapefruits, guavas, and pink lady apples.” Mix them up together for a room that’s energetic and delicious to look at.
Recreate a garden palette.
Peach pairs naturally with shades of green and other nature-inspired hues. For example, when reimagining the color schemes for the Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor, Stokes and interior designer Laura Keeler Pierce of Boston’s Keeler & Co. were inspired by the garden. In one room, they opted for a headboard upholstered in a trailing floral by William Morris and pulled out the peach accents on pillows and a lampshade. “The peach woven into the headboard and pillows was the perfect bridge to all the other hues in the color scheme,” she says.
Try it with teal.
Peach also pairs beautifully with blue-green shades like turquoise. Louise Hurlbutt of Hurlbutt Designs in Kennebunk tweaked a complementary scheme with a turquoise faux-bamboo headboard layered over pale peach walls (Benjamin Moore’s Peach Parfait) in a Kennebunk home. Vintage seascapes that feature teal waters and peachy sails and skies further tie the palette together.
Work with woods.
Designer Cortney Bishop, whose firm is based in Charleston, South Carolina, paired peach and pale woods in a recent bedroom project. “A peachy, blush palette and natural wood tones create a soft and balanced foundation,” she says, noting that the soft color allows for other textural touches and fabrics to be easily layered into a space.
Warm up a whitewashed room.
Interior designer Karin Thomas, who is based in Camden, knows the power of white paint, and she used it liberally in a project in a Maine island home. However, for the walls of a guest bedroom, she opted to pickle the existing wood paneling in a pale shade of peach instead of the usual white. The subtle tint gives the room a warm glow and makes the white-painted furniture look even crisper.
Don’t forget texture.
One way to ensure that pale peach hues don’t look washed out or saccharine is to layer in lots of texture and contrasting materials. For example, in a recent dining room design, New York–based interior designer Emily Butler opted for peach walls, but in grasscloth instead of paint, and paired the soft color with textured rattan chairs and shiny brass accents.
Are Peach Bathrooms the Next Big Thing?
Plumbing manufacturer Kohler sure thinks so. As part of the company’s 150th anniversary celebration, Kohler is reviving some of its vintage hues. Kohler asked their customers and industry pros to vote on six heritage colors to bring back into production in 2023. After more than 100,000 people shared their opinions, Peachblow and Spring Green won the most votes, edging out four other colors including Avocado and Pink Champagne.
Peachblow is a blush-peach color that was first introduced in 1934 and stayed in production until 1973. It’s a throwback for sure, but after decades of all-white bathroom fixtures, the hit of color feels surprisingly modern. Plus, designers always suggest painting a bathroom blush or peach for the flattering glow it casts, so if you’re feeling bold, why not take the color a step further? A selection of Kohler’s most popular products will be available in the peachy hue (and Spring Green) for a limited time this summer. Oh, and if you’ve got a vintage bathroom with a colorful tub and toilet, maybe think twice before tearing it out. As the saying goes, “Everything old is new again.”
For a cheery bathroom in a coastal home, Santa Monica–based interior designer Sarah Barnard used peach tiles to “evoke natural corals and enhance the warm tones of the terrazzo countertop and flooring made with real seashells.” Pink undertones in the wood further what Barnard calls “the joyful effects of pink shades.”
In China, the peach is a symbol of longevity, and peaches are often depicted in paintings and on porcelain.
In this new annual section of MH+D, we celebrate the landscape designers who are shaping our state’s outdoor spaces with intention and artistry. The magazine received many submissions, and we have selected the 12 projects we feel reflect a deep respect for place—where native plants thrive, salvaged materials are given new life, and even waste stone becomes sculpture. From a dry-laid granite hardscape carefully composed within Bar Harbor’s shoreline setbacks to a striking retaining wall built from long-idle quarry blocks, these landscapes are rooted in resourcefulness, beauty, and a true sense of home.
Bear Rock
Outdoor living room: A place to relax, entertain, and enjoy the ocean
Acadia Landscape and Design designed and built an outdoor living room on a breathtaking site with stunning views of the ocean and seabirds just off Schooner Head in Bar Harbor. The site, situated on a steep slope near the existing building, presented a challenge because everything had to fit within the 75-foot shoreline setback.
A large, dry-laid granite retaining wall creates an extended, leveled-off area adjacent to the existing deck structure. Using a faux ledge technique, the designers built a natural-looking ledge retainer below the stone wall and before the shore setback. The large granite pieces used in the retaining wall were repurposed from an old local quarry and shaped to fit by skilled stonemasons.
An elongated granite patio was built to fit tables and chairs within the new outdoor space. Planting beds along the boundaries soften the edges with deer-proof native species of flowers, grasses, and lavender, while accent boulders add visual interest to the outdoor room.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Michael Gillis, Acadia Landscape + Design LEAD STONEMASON: Leland Burnham, Acadia Landscape + Design SITE WORK ASSISTANCE & TRUCKING: John W. Goodwin, Jr. IRRIGATION: Williams Irrigation Systems PHOTOGRAPHER: Michael Gillis LOCATION: Bar Harbor
Royal River Point
A coastal residence designed to integrate with its natural surroundings
Perched on the rugged edge of Maine’s coastline, this modern coastal residence is a harmonious blend of contemporary design and natural beauty. Designed to embrace its dramatic oceanfront location, the home offers sweeping views of the sea and thoughtfully positioned outdoor terraces.
The architecture emphasizes clean lines, natural materials, and a seamless indoor–outdoor connection. A series of cascading terraces and decks extends the living space outward, inviting residents to engage with the ever-changing coastal landscape, whether on foggy mornings or at golden sunsets.
The landscape design is a key element of the project, conceived as an extension of the surrounding wilderness. Native plantings, including lowbush blueberry, hay-scented fern, bayberry, and coastal grasses stabilize the soil, support pollinators, and blend the home into its environment. Carefully placed boulders and reclaimed stone steps echo the natural geology of the site, guiding movement through the living terrace and down the slope to a private outdoor firepit that overlooks the ocean. This home is not just a retreat but a celebration of place, where modern living meets the raw beauty of nature.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Aceto Kimball Landscape Architecture ARCHITECT: Kevin Browne Architecture BUILDER: Warren Construction Group ENGINEER: Albert Putnam Associates PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeff Roberts LOCATION: Freeport
Chase Hill Overhaul
A prior lot turned Kennebunk magnificence
Chase Hill is known for its expansive views of the Kennebunk River. The existing home on the site was torn down and rebuilt to fit the needs of a young Miami couple who wanted to give their small children summers where they could experience the smell of the salt air, a proper garden, and everything in between. Now an oasis where they regroup in the summertime, this project has given them the space they need to escape from the city and find peace.
The design incorporates a natural bluestone front walkway, pathways, and firepit bordered by cobblestones, while the covered patio and steps leading into the house are a clean, timeless granite. The project’s original design called for a patio on the side of the house overlooking a dirt road, but the Ambidextrous team modified the plan to take advantage of scenic views of the Kennebec River.
A hedge of green giant arborvitae surrounds two sides of the property to give it a walled-in, secluded feeling. The south side of the site, a slope to a road below, has terraced boulder retaining walls, birch trees, and hydrangea that provide privacy while allowing light into the property. There are blueberry bushes for snacking, and a fenced-in herb and vegetable garden was added just outside of the kitchen. At the front of the house, tall Degroot’s spire arborvitae bring the front porch columns down into the landscape. Emerald green arborvitae were selected to cover the HVAC units, and a maple tree blocks the line of sight coming up the road to the house. Exiting the front door, the homeowners are greeted by a dogwood tree surrounded by an array of beautiful hydrangeas and peonies that provide spectacular cut flowers in early summer.
LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION: Ambidextrous Inc. Landscaping ARCHITECT: Brian Beaudette Architect BUILDER: Lovejoy and Sons NURSERY: Cotton’s Nursery SHUTTERS: Seacoast Rollshutter Systems WATER FEATURE: Dirigo Aquascapes PHOTOGRAPHER: KC Drown LOCATION: Kennebunk
Quarry Slag Pile
Reimagining and upgrading an old quarry
A slag pile sticking out into the cove in Stonington now is an amazing welcome mat for a multigenerational retreat for year-round gathering and water-based recreation.
This terraced landscape serves as a proof-of-concept project that embraces climate resiliency while still supporting a range of human uses and promoting site- and context-specific design. The lowest levels of the pier are armored with large granite blocks and slabs, set with wide joints and a fast-draining substrate that accommodates flooding and storms. To break up the wave energy, mixed granite blocks, pavers, and plantings were selected, allowing for easy access out to the pier and floats and back into the site. The upper areas of the site are fully planted with drifts of tough, native materials that will help filter and manage runoff from the land before it reaches the water.
Given that this was a shore restoration effort, on a small spit sitting out in an exposed cove, the designers focused on hardy natives at a few different scales. Black and white spruce (Picea mariana and glauca) and pitch pines (Pinus rigida) were woven in with red oaks (Quercus rubra) and yellow birch trees (Betula alleghaniensus) for the canopy, while a midlevel of bayberry (Myrica pennsylvanica) for exposed locations and shadblow (Amelanchier canadensis) and witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) blends into the woodland edge. A ground plane of mixed green textures was chosen for their hardy mats of roots and ability to help hold and slow runoff: sweetfern (Comptonia peregrina), hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula), and huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata) sods.
The wind is definitely proving to be the site’s toughest challenge, and the porcupines the most surprising! But the palette is settling and strengthening as these mostly nursery-grown materials adjust to and anchor in this unique environment.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Emma Kelly, Emma Kelly Landscape; COLLAB Landscape Collective LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION: Atlantic Landscape Construction ENGINEER: Andrew McCullough Civil Engineers SITE WORK: Prock Marine PHOTOGRAPHER: Sal Taylor Kydd LOCATION: Coastal Maine
Quarry Rift
Rough, raw, and recycled: a landscape paradigm shift
The clients requested a design evocative of the quarries woven throughout Maine’s landscape. At its core, the honest, imperfect, recycled design seeks to challenge the traditional landscape stereotypes: heavily tailored residential landscapes (native or non-native) and, at the other end of the spectrum, zero landscape inputs around a residence. The front hardscape surfacing consists of two different treatments and conditions. At the terminus of the entry deck/boardwalk to the front door, Freshwater Pearl dimensional granite paving is used. Instead of tearing up the driveway, novel design thinking reinvented the existing asphalt as large-format “pavers” by removing the negative space of asphalt while keeping sections that reveal the “paving.” This reductive approach ultimately cost a fraction—both in terms of money and energy—of tearing the entire driveway up, hauling it away, and replacing it with new hardscape surfacing.
To manage the varying grades along the quarry rift, a cost-effective and novel approach was needed. The quarry block used is waste material that sat idle for years in the Freshwater Stone quarry. By using a composite of waste blocks harvested from the quarry in a choreographed and intentional way, the design created a connection to the quarry landscapes the clients spoke fondly of, managed technical needs associated with the site, and created an inspired and sculptural—albeit raw and perfectly imperfect—landscape sensibility.
The plant palette consists of successional planting that is typically found in dry gravel and quarry landscapes in Maine. Sweetfern, low-bush blueberry, bayberry, and mixed native grasses occupy the spaces in and around the rift axis, while the woodland edges of the site include species such as ligularia, mixed native woodland fern species, gillenia, and others. None of the planting is intended to be ornamental or decorative—its purpose is to feel intentional but unimportant, like a quarry and a contemporary residence collided with each other.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: David Maynes, david maynes STUDIO ARCHITECT: Elliott Architects LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION: Adams Landscaping & Construction PHOTOGRAPHER: Matt Elliott LOCATION: Blue Hill
Fossets Acreage
A canvas of seasonal color and texture
Serenely sited in midcoast Maine, Fossets Acreage is a coastal retreat defined by its harmonious integration of house and landscape complemented by an equally intentional outdoor environment. Knickerbocker Group’s landscape architecture team focused on creating a seamless experience, carefully shaping distinct areas from which to enjoy the property’s natural beauty.
The homeowners sought a low-maintenance yet vibrant garden that would come alive throughout the summer. In response, the planting palette centers on bold perennials and pollinator-friendly species—such as aster, goldenrod, black-eyed Susan, and blue star—selected to support biodiversity and provide continuous blooms from May through October. A fenced vegetable garden offers a hands-on space for the homeowners, while perennial beds wrap the home in seasonal color and texture.
The design also addresses challenging typography and drainage through subtle grading and concealed infrastructure. Hardscape and gathering areas were integrated into the terrain to maximize both comfort and views. A covered porch and shaded stone patio offer shelter from coastal breezes, while a sunlit deck and firepit area open to tranquil water views. Locally sourced Mystic Mountain granite, selected for its subtle blue and green undertones, anchors the site and mirrors the ocean’s shifting tones.
ARCHITECT & LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Knickerbocker Group BUILDER: T.A. Greenleaf LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION: Natural Concepts PHOTOGRAPHER: Jeff Roberts LOCATION: Midcoast Maine
Le Petit Chalet
Restoring legacy through landscape
This award-winning, context-driven landscape design restores a historic property within Acadia National Park, healing the damage caused by a hurricane and reconnecting it to its ecological and cultural surroundings. Through thoughtful grading and stormwater strategies, new landforms manage runoff while remaining visually seamless. Indigenous plant communities stabilize soil, regenerate habitat, and support resilient wildlife patterns, while exquisite dry-laid stonework—built from locally reclaimed granite—anchors the design with timeless character. Pine-duff paths, mosses, blue- berries, and native shrubs weave a garden that transitions elegantly from domestic comfort to wild immersion.
Each detail, from infiltration trenches to seating terraces, reinforces the garden’s function as a living system and soulful retreat. Now seamlessly integrated into its dramatic context, the project serves as a model for regenerative design and long-term stewardship within sensitive environments.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Matthew Cunningham Landscape Design LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION: Gardenform Landscape Construction PHOTOGRAPHER: Matthew Cunningham LOCATION: Southwest Harbor
Ledge & Light
A magical place overlooking the Kennebec River
This majestic home graces a higher point in the landscape, taking advantage of the spectacular views up and down the Kennebec River. An emphasis was placed on native plants and stonework, including paving and boulders indicative of a ledge that is apparent throughout the site.
The two sides of the house—the approach side and the water side—offer quite different enriching experiences. From the approach side, one is greeted by a lush view of native plantings and the preservation of key existing trees. The landscape then flows through an open connector between the main house and the carriage house. This opens up to the water side with both a dining terrace and a gathering terrace, each overlooking the stunning views of the river. The firepit perches atop the slope, and the warm glow of its crackling fire can be enjoyed both from the peastone terrace and from within the house.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Richardson & Associates ARCHITECT: Theodore + Theodore Architects LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION: Maine Landcrafters GENERAL CONTRACTOR: R.W. Stevens PHOTOGRAPHER: Trent Bell LOCATION: Sagadahoc County
Meadow Ledge Garden Rehabilitation
A new construction meadow slope garden
The landscape design included the renovation of a steeply sloped piece of the property that was underdeveloped and challenging to traverse. The goal was to provide a dynamic plant palette with seasonal interest and wildlife foraging possibilities as well as a walking path to ascend and descend the pitch. DeNiord used a combination of native grasses and flowering perennials, including salvias, dropseed, moor grass, sedums, catmint, echinaceas, alliums, elderberry, and beach plum, to create a densely vegetated area that would hold the soils in place and create a slope and ledge garden.
Terracing was required for the house and pool to sit well on the building envelope, while poured-in-place concrete walls were used to retain grade and create a plinth for the outdoor living spaces. Wood decking and a local granite, called Mystic Mountain, are the primary paving materials for the pool deck and outdoor spaces. Gray-green in color, when wet the granite shows streaks of white that warm up the palette of the hardscape. The material is also incorporated into the house, where it is used for the steps inside the dining room.
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER: Soren deNiord Design Studio ARCHITECT: Woodhull LANDSCAPE CONTRACTOR: Pinnacle Landscaping & Construction PLANTING & MAINTENANCE: All Things Green POOL: Northern Pool & Spa TRELLIS: DSO Creative Fabrications PHOTOGRAPHER: Soren deNiord LOCATION: Cumberland Foreside
Cape Elizabeth Front Landscape
Celebrating an unusual tree
What began as a modest project became a transformative opportunity when the homeowners asked Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes (TCIL) to redesign their front entrance. To create a more welcoming experience, TCIL reoriented the steps to the front porch. Although Carter initially considered removing a mature leaning tree, the homeowners advocated for its preservation. It became a celebrated feature, incorporated into a dry stream bed crossing under the main walkway.
At the entrance to the home, Woodbury gray granite steps meet a path made of square and rectangular bluestone. A custom fabricated granite slab from Swenson Granite Works acts as a stone bridge across the dry riverbed, which is filled with 3- to 4-inch river stone and lined with boulders. At the end of the riverbed, a standing Mystic Mountain granite stone sits in front of a Japanese pine. The circular terrace features irregular bluestone, and a large Cercis canadensis ‘Minnesota Strain’ provides nearby foliage. Other plantings include a dwarf blue spruce, hot pink astilbe, oak-leaf hydrangea, and garden juniper.
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT: Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes PHOTOGRAPHER: Don Lappin LOCATION: Cape Elizabeth
The Oakwood Project
A woodland garden setting with entertaining in mind
Set in a wooded lot, this home and its surroundings were designed to blend formal New England shingle-style architecture with a relaxed naturalistic landscape set up for entertaining. The client enjoys outdoor entertaining and wanted to be able to spend as much time as possible outside. Terrapin Landscapes designed an outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill and pizza oven and a patio with plenty of room for dining.
Instead of a backyard of grass to mow, the team created a destination firepit lounge area. The property had a significant natural ledge outcropping that was incorporated into the landscape design and accentuated with native plants. The most challenging aspects of the project were the elevation changes, which required creative stair conditions, as well as the need to create guest parking without adding too much pavement.
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER: Terrapin Landscapes BUILDER: Keegan Construction INTERIOR DESIGNER: Saltwater Home PHOTOGRAPHER: Trent Bell LOCATION: Kennebunkport
Oceanside Avenue
A landscape for family gatherings, quiet reflection, and vibrant seasonal life
Nestled on over an acre of land just steps from the gentle sands of York Beach, the Oceanside Avenue property captures the harmony between modern living and nature. Inspired by the homeowners’ deep appreciation for plants and the outdoors, the landscape design was developed as a sanctuary for family gatherings, quiet reflection, and vibrant seasonal life, all while preserving the adjacent native woodlands.
The design embraces a contemporary aesthetic with a focus on simplicity and sustainability. Recognizing the home’s popularity in the summer months, the new landscape requires minimal upkeep, freeing up time for relaxation and entertainment.
Key planting features include a striking trio of Ginkgo biloba ‘Princeton Sentry’ trees and a collection of Hydrangea paniculata ‘Little Quick Fire,’ providing bold structure and seasonal color. Along the woodland border, swathes of Amelanchier canadensis ‘Autumn Brilliance’ offer spring blossoms and fiery fall foliage, while their berries feed local birds and enrich the habitat.
The cheerful colors of the purple door and orange siding inspired one of the most distinctive design elements, the playful granite walkway pieced together from reclaimed stone salvaged from bridges and roadways. Natural boulders and stone artifacts uncovered during construction were thoughtfully placed throughout the landscape as sculptural accents, blending the built environment with its natural origins. Together, these elements shape a serene, functional, and ecologically rich landscape—an ideal setting where the rhythms of nature and family life unfold in peaceful coexistence.
LANDSCAPE DESIGNER: Thomas Lynch Design LANDSCAPE INSTALLATION: Adam Pierce Landscaping PHOTOGRAPHER: Drew Fortin LOCATION: York Beach
The original home on this site was destroyed during the January 2024 storms despite being a seemingly safe distance away from the ocean. Given its extraordinary views and location on the midcoast, the clients wanted to rebuild but didn’t want to face the same risk.
David Matero Architecture designed the new house farther away from the shore and raised the first floor seven feet above the original house elevation. Resiliency is built in with a robust envelope, triple- glazed windows, and hurricane shutters. The shutters will protect the large openings facing the water and view. Only a few items were able to be salvaged from the original home, including a wooden Czech screen, which is being utilized as a piece of art at the front door, and all the solar panels, which will fit on the garage roof.
The clients have named their future home “Lagniappe,” which means “a little something extra” in Louisiana culture. An upside-down layout, with living spaces and a primary bedroom on the second floor, maximizes the scenery while still providing” “family-friendly privacy on the lower level. The new build reflects the clients’ modern sensibilities, blending the simplicity of the architecture with the use of natural materials and accent features to create a warm and comfortable environment, even when seeking shelter from Mother Nature.
Location: Bristol Architect: David Matero Architecture Landscape Architect: Carson Douglas Landscape Architecture Structural Engineer: Trillium Engineering Group Mechanical Engineer: BuildingWorks Contractor: Rideout & Turner Construction Start: 2025
“I am sure you recognize that the United States needs to lead in space for several reasons, each of which will contribute to the scientific, technological, or economic advancement, or to the peace and security of the free world.” —Senator Margaret Chase Smith, from a speech at George Washington University, January 19, 1963
A visit to the Margaret Chase Smith Library begins in a room with a dramatic, vaulted ceiling adorned with 95 convocation robes, one for each of the honorary degrees Margaret Chase Smith received in her lifetime. Set in a leafy residential neighborhood of Skowhegan, the library complex encompasses a museum, congressional archives, and Smith’s historic home, which she designed in the 1940s to include a great room with modern floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Kennebec River, as well as a “presidential” guest room where Eisenhower napped during his visits. To the left of the library entrance, the exhibition Perspectives on the Night Sky: Astrophotography by John Meader is installed in a large multipurpose room alongside display cases of Smith’s papers, rocket models, and ephemera from her years in government, when she was a crucial voice in support of the fledging space program. It’s an exciting juxtaposition: Meader’s arresting photographs of the night sky alongside museum artifacts that show Smith’s influence on the birth of NASA. “Margaret Chase Smith’s advocacy made the technology behind John Meader’s work possible,” observes Christopher O’Brien, a historian of the Cold War and the library’s executive director.
Margaret Chase (1897–1995) grew up in Skowhegan. She achieved a high school education, and then, unable to afford college, she exercised her brilliant mind and expanded her social network through early employment as a teacher, reporter, and business executive and through her engagement in political organizations. Her marriage to Clyde Smith, a local entrepreneur and rising political star, was described by both as a business partnership, with Clyde ultimately entrusting Margaret to run for his House seat after he suffered a heart attack in 1940. She won his seat in a special election; he died later that year, and she went on to serve multiple terms, always winning more than 60 percent of the vote. She was the first woman in U.S. history to serve in both the House and Senate, and one of the first to run for president. Throughout her congressional tenure, she supported Maine’s defense industry; the nascent space program was viewed at the time as being important to the country’s defense. The allure of space travel likely appealed to her adventurous spirit as well. In 1957 she suited up in flight gear (and high heels!) for a flight on an Airforce F-100 Super Sabre jet and became the first congresswoman to break the sound barrier.
Meader spent childhood summers at Oaks Pond in Skowhegan, in love with the outdoors, insatiably curious, and always up for adventure. He was a student in 1979 when he and fellow students began running planetarium shows at the University of Maine, never dreaming that within ten years he would found Northern Stars Planetarium with the purchase of a portable, inflatable planetarium. He was given a decent film camera when he graduated from college and spent many years photographing his daily life and the natural world, the camera inseparable from him, like an extension of his hand, and increasingly informing the way he saw the world. When digital photography emerged as a new, more forgiving medium and one especially suited to shooting at night, Meader converted. “Digital photography really changed my relationship with photography; it became an art form for me.”
All of Meader’s work has a deep connection to story, and the content of the foreground is often the point of departure as well as a grounding element. In River Berg and the Milky Way, the subject of the image may be that gorgeous Milky Way, but the eerie glow from the chunk of river ice in the foreground is where the story begins. Sometimes Meader and his camera are under the night sky for hours on end, during some of the most unusual, elusive, and spectacular events in the natural world. However, he is not a documentarian. “I’m trying to create a mood, a sense of what it was like to be there,” he says of this body of work dedicated to the night sky and celestial events. “Being there” is a labor of time and love in changeable outdoor settings: creating an image of a celestial event in the night sky with the Earth in constant motion requires the technical skill of tracking stars, plus patience, endurance, and a high tolerance for repetitive tasks. Each image can take hours of processing time: Meader digitally knits multiple frames together to produce a composite, which he may further alter to achieve an expression of what he has witnessed with his own eyes. The stunning, dynamic Star Trails over Lake George, which Meader shot in Canaan on August 24, 2023, is a composite of approximately 42 frames, each 30 seconds long, and combined to capture the star trails. The Total Eclipse Sequence Montage 2017 comprises more than 40 frames, including 33 for the sequence and 7 for the large eclipse at the center, all shot at different speeds to capture the changing light. “Our eyes have a greater dynamic range than a camera,” he explains, and while all astrophotography is constructed, it is also as true as a plein air painting begun in the landscape and finished in the studio. In both, the artist makes decisions in the studio, drawing on a memory and a deep understanding of the circumstances of light, shading, movement, color, and mood in the observed landscape.
“I like where night photography takes me,” Meader says. He’s talking about the inherent adventure of seeking out far-flung locations and celestial events worldwide as well as his love for the artistic process, which he calls the “journey to the image.” Like Margaret Chase Smith, who traveled extensively throughout her life, Meader approaches all aspects of his work as a lifelong learner. What better place than a library for us to get to know them both, and to celebrate the intersections of their work.
Perspectives on the Night Sky: Astrophotography by John Meader will be on view at the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan until September 15, 2025.
August, 2025 | By: Leah Whalen | Photography: Christina Wnek
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. Yet, as she nestles into a comfy display couch in her new Falmouth shop, Le Marchande, it’s hard to imagine anyone more, well, at home. Growing more serious, she explains, “I do both commercial and residential interior design, but I also really want to make design accessible, as corny as that sounds. The store is a way for people to translate all those beautiful images they see on Instagram and Pinterest—to put together those dreamy rooms they see without having to hire an interior designer to make it happen. So, while the design studio is here for my client work, the shop is also open to anybody who wants to come in and put together their own story.”
Easy collaboration was part of why Coughlin set up her shop in the first place. “I truly believe in-store shopping and boutique shopping is back,” she says. “I think coming into a store, you’re feeling and touching everything, and it makes you excited to change things in your home. I think people want that. You don’t get that feeling just putting something in a cart online.” Also, in-person conversations can lead to unexpected design choices that really make a space pop. “I encourage people to bring pictures,” she says. “Pictures are always the best. Bring a picture of your living room, and let’s take a look at it. We’ll provide you with suggestions. Is there an odd, whimsical piece that we can add to give the space personality? That’s what I really want to be here for.”
“Here” is in a new building on Route 1 in Falmouth, set back a bit from the road so that it feels a little private. “The Shops at Falmouth Square is the official name of this complex. The owners, Steve Baumann and Jonathan Cohen, have been very selective about curating what they see for the future of Falmouth, because they both live in town,” says Coughlin. “I am very impressed at how much they’ve thought it through and waited to make sure each space is filled correctly.” She continues, “When I took this space, I was originally going to take space in the middle of the building, but I looked at this spot and thought, ‘Oh my god, the windows.’ And now I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.”
Seen through the enormous windows, the green of the surrounding trees echoes and enhances the dark green of the interior of the shop. “Green is my favorite color. It’s grounding. Green makes me feel at peace,” says Coughlin. “They’re planting more trees outside, which is great. I want the outdoors to come in here.” The indoor–outdoor line is further blurred by the large area on one wall of the shop, which Coughlin calls the “Parisian flower market,” where faux flowers by London-based designer Abigail Ahern spill out of antique vases and pots. “She does these unbelievable, really moody flowers,” enthuses Coughlin. “They’re just gorgeous. I never thought of myself as a faux flower person, but I just ordered more.”
The Parisian flower market bridges the area from the front of the shop, where smaller gift items fan out across display tables, to the back, where larger pieces take pride of place. “The back half of the store is more of a traditional furniture store,” notes Coughlin, “but we have a mix of old and new, and the harmony between them is very important to me. Antiques are my first love. I feel very strongly about them. From a sustainability standpoint, they are the best thing that we can do for our planet. But I also have some reproductions. I work with someone who finds antique French pieces and then copies them, and they’re stunning.” Le Marchande also offers custom upholstery on a variety of soft furnishings, and because their upholstery partner is based in Los Angeles, Coughlin explains, “We can offer about 100 different silhouettes and 700 fabrics with a four- to six-week turnaround.”
And, by the time a client comes back to pick up their newly upholstered chair, there will be new items to tempt them at Le Marchande. “We are constantly growing and changing and bringing in new products all the time,” says Coughlin. “We have a pretty high turnover rate because we do a lot of antiques, and once something goes, its spot needs to be filled.” She continues, “I want people to feel welcome. I want it to be a place for the community to come in and feel inspired. We want to keep it fun.” As if on cue, the cuckoo clock strikes the hour, in the shop Coughlin never expected to have. She concludes, “I do feel I ended up exactly where I’m supposed to be, and I’m very happy about it.”
So Gifted
A wide selection of gift items awaits visitors to Le Marchande, whether displayed on tables near the entrance or scattered throughout the space. Coughlin admits that gifts were initially “a small part of my business plan, but I quickly realized that they are a pretty big missing piece here in Falmouth.” There are so many beautiful stores in Portland, but I’ve got kids—to get them in the car, drive down there, and park, you know, it’s not that accessible for me. I feel like here there’s parking, and even if you do have your kid in the car, you can still run in, grab something that’s unique and beautiful, and go to your party that night.” Here are some of our choices for the perfect gift from Le Marchande to delight any hosts.
Fresh cloth napkins always come in handy. Choose from large linen dinner napkins or jaunty cotton cocktail napkins, depending on the type of event you’ve been invited to, in a rainbow of colors and prints.
Scented candles feel like an indulgent gift: something that your host loves but might not buy for themself. Scents range from woodsy to floral, and all come in unique containers that will serve as reminders of the gift long after the wick has burned down.
Is the party a baby shower? Toward the back of the shop Coughlin has created a baby and child section with the softest and sweetest stuffed animals and heirloom blankets.
The aforementioned faux flowers from Abigail Ahern can provide favorite blooms for your host, no matter what the season. Bonus: they won’t wilt after a few days.
Finally, for the truly generous gift giver, high-quality Slim Aarons photographic prints (produced by the Getty Images Gallery) can bring a touch of midcentury glamour to any room. (Imagine Truman Capote gracing the walls of your hosts’ home office!) All come mounted and framed.
It all started with the dog. Auggie, an 18-year-old Havanese, was having trouble with the stairs in his new home. “The original staircase had great character—it was original to the house, from the 1840s—but it wasn’t safe. It had steep treads, and it was very narrow,” explains Auggie’s owner, Anna Smith.* In early 2020, she called up Jason Bailey of TMS Architects and Interiors and asked about building a new set of steps. And while they were at it, Smith thought, maybe they could add an elevator to help Auggie access her bedroom. “I put in an elevator, not for aging in place, but for my dog,” Smith clarifies. “Carrying him up and down the stairs all the time just wasn’t easy. And you know,” she adds with a laugh, “the elevator company told me that a huge percentage of elevators that they’re installing are for people’s elderly dogs.”
From these humble beginnings, the project bloomed. The exterior of the old Kittery home got a face-lift: sections of the roof were replaced, a sunroom was added, the porch grew in size, all new windows went in, bedrooms were reconfigured, and the worn kitchen was transformed into a newly spectacular space. Some homeowners would have been upset about the ever-increasing scale of the renovation, but not Smith. As an artist, she’s used to seeing potential in a blank canvas—or a coastal cottage. “This is the sixth house I’ve either built or renovated,” she says. “There are always issues along the way, and having an architect is really important to the success of a project like this,” says Smith. Bailey reveals that what started as a potential $300,000 project wound up costing closer to $1 million. “Anna was driving a lot of it,” he says. “She was a fantastic client. She was well versed in this process, and she was able to take each step to make it work.”
The top priority was the elevator, staircase, and addition. “Since it was an old house with a limited footprint, the decision to add on to the house was made pretty quickly,” says Bailey. The architecture “spoke to” Bailey, so designing within its visual language felt easy. “The solutions found themselves,” is how he puts it. “The building had a certain character to it, certain geometries, and she wanted to respect this aspect of the home.” They were able to expand the shingle-style home toward the street, creating a mudroom from which the elevator ascends. In the place of a covered porch, they built a sunroom, complete with salvaged wood beams and windows on three sides. “It was challenging to make [the addition] look like it had always been there,” says builder Ben Perez of Boston North Development. “For the interior, we bought materials at Nor’East Architectural Salvage in South Hampton, New Hampshire. We had to search through different boards so we could find some that had a particular look, but it’s now very cohesive with the rest of the house.”
The exterior required similar care, along with some structural work. Beneath the siding was a good amount of water damage, so it wasn’t enough to simply replace the cedar shingles. “When we got into redoing the exterior of the home, we found a lot of damage due to wind-blown rain,” explains Perez. “Exterior walls had rotted, which led to framing that was rotted on the inside. When we put the building back together after repairing those issues, we used a wind and water barrier called Slicker.” These mesh panels, applied to the frame behind the shingles, allow the siding to dry thoroughly between drenching rains. They also replaced all the windows in the house, plus all the exterior doors. A custom standing-seam copper roof was put onto the back of the house, wrapping around the kitchen and bedroom. “We also did a wood shingle roof that is unique to the project,” explains Perez. “We used Alaskan yellow cedar, which is a very durable, long-lasting product. And since we used red cedar on the siding, there is a nice contrast from one element to another.”
The interior, too, is defined by moments of subtle contrast. Smith worked closely with Cristina Johnson of TMS Architects and Interiors for all the decor and color schemes. The palette is defined by blues, grays, and teals, with occasional pops of orange and yellow to add brightness. “I love the navy blue window trim,” Smith says. “In the kitchen, we were able to coordinate that with the Viking stove and the rounded-top cabinet.” Johnson adds, “There is a yellow we used that was in the existing house. It’s a bit of an acid yellow, and it’s not something I would have used often, but it’s really cool.” In the laundry room, Johnson chose a playful wallpaper by Sister Parish that features blue stars and orange dots, which match the tangerine-painted floor perfectly. “It’s a small room, and it was really worth making it special,” says Smith. Deep, Atlantic blue echoes throughout the home, offset by the warm, wide-plank pine flooring. Gray-washed wood and dove-colored upholstery ground the living space, while the built-in benches feature classic navy plaid cushions. The overall effect is inviting and relaxed, yet still elegant—fitting for this vintage gambrel cottage.
While Smith wasn’t thinking about aging in place when she installed the elevator, she has been gratified to find out how well it accommodates her friends and relatives. “We also put in a nice, wide staircase with a good rise and run to it,” Bailey says. “And we put a gate at the top of the stairs, so guests moving about upstairs won’t accidentally go down. We did some safeguarding throughout; we tried to widen hallways as much as we could to provide passageway for someone with a mobility device.” While there aren’t any bedrooms on the first floor, Bailey notes that it would be quite easy for someone to live in this house without ever having to use the stairs, since the elevator brings them easily up to the owner’s suite and its renovated bathroom. “We expanded the primary bedroom by combining two smaller rooms and adding a walk-in closet,” explains Bailey. Smith adds, “The house isn’t too big. It has three bedrooms, but one is nice and big. It feels like the right size to live in.”
For Smith, the house had been “the one” since the moment she saw it, so all these renovations have felt like investments in her future. She plans to stay in the Kittery cottage for a long time, painting her seascapes, looking out the windows as ships sail by, and watching as her new plantings grow in. “I have a fabulous landscaper, Robbi Woodburn, who did a wonderful job,” she says. “She created a beautiful garden at the front of the house, and Jason [Bailey] designed a gorgeous trellis.” Climbing clematis bloom high on the wooden structure, while boxwoods and hydrangeas create a layered effect of foliage and blossom. New stone walls complete the picturesque outdoor space, only further enhancing the location (which Perez calls “second to none”). “I’m really happy with how it all came together,” says Smith. “Everyone worked hard to create something quite nice.”
*The homeowner’s name has been changed to protect her privacy.
August, 2025 | By: Alyssa Bird | Photography: Erin Little
Having grown up in Michigan, one of the owners of this Kennebunkport residence has been summering in the town her entire life—first next door, where five generations of her family have spent time, and later at this historic 1895 manse known as the Billows Cottage, which her parents and uncle purchased in 1981. Located directly across from the Atlantic, with views of Walker’s Point, the property was actually home to Barbara and George H.W. Bush during the 1970s. “My immediate family began staying in this house when I was ten, after it had served as a rental,” she says. “My parents eventually moved back next door, and then my husband and I took over the property from my siblings during COVID. The home didn’t have an HVAC system or any other significant updates, so it was time to breathe some new life into it. We wanted the family to be able to come year-round and celebrate holidays here. It was important to us to bring the structure up to modern standards while staying true to its character and surroundings.”
To guide the thoughtful renovation of this beloved place, the couple tapped architect David Graham, designer Alexandra Theofanidis of Studio Alpha Interiors, and Spang Builders. Because the couple has a large extended family—not to mention their own two children and dogs—they placed an emphasis on creating comfortable guest quarters and spaces for optimal entertaining. “This is a very family-oriented couple who like bringing everyone under one roof,” explains Theofanidis, who struck out on her own a few years ago after working in hospitality design. “The husband’s parents are from Italy, so they love cooking big Italian meals, and they even make their own grappa.” As such, reworking the kitchen and transforming part of the servants’ quarters into a pantry was of utmost importance. “The goal was to make the kitchen the center of the home and create that hearth feeling,” she continues. The designer worked with Graham on a new layout, making it more accessible to an adjacent sitting room and the dining room. “The fireplace used to face into the dining room, but we reversed it for use in the sitting room instead,” says the wife, noting that this is now one of her favorite spots to curl up and enjoy the ocean views. To make the most of the rather tight space, Theofanidis designed a built-in sofa that wraps around a windowed corner. “My mom sits there while I’m cooking, and my daughter loves to perch there and read,” says the wife. It’s also the perfect place to enjoy cocktail hour, thanks to the wet bar positioned between this area and the kitchen. On the other side of the kitchen is the new pantry, which features food storage, a beverage refrigerator, a farmhouse sink for prep, and a baking zone complete with a marble surface for rolling out dough.
This rejiggering of dated spaces (including an antique toilet tucked beneath the staircase), plus a minor addition to the rear of the structure, make all the difference in how the home functions. “We weren’t able to extend the footprint much, but David is a mastermind at working with what you have,” says Theofanidis. “Now the flow of the first floor and the back entry, which the family normally uses, is much better. We also added a mudroom with a special area for the dogs as well as a powder room and wine storage.” On the second floor, a new Jack and Jill bath serves the two bedrooms that hadn’t enjoyed en suites previously. And in an effort to take full advantage of every square inch, the dormers were raised in the unfinished third-floor attic, which became a bunk room complete with a desk area and an adjoining bath. “We have lots of small kids in the family, so we thought this would be a great spot for cousin sleepovers,” says the wife. “Now eight kids can sleep up there.” Theofanidis outfitted the room with a few nautical touches—including shiplap and porthole-like lighting—in addition to a whimsical tree wallpaper in one of the nooks. Combined with the view, she says, “It’s as though you’re on a boat, but also in the forest. This space is all about the kids.”
Despite these significant changes, the team’s goal was always to respect the residence’s history and remain true to its bones. “We tried to accentuate the old,” says Theofanidis. “The pine flooring on the first floor is original, as is the staircase. And the builder replicated a portion of the other architectural elements, such as the crown moulding, trim, and pocket doors, to match the rest of the house.” Other crucial behind-the-scenes updates included adding structural support, restoring the existing rock foundation, installing a new roof and shingle siding, and enlarging or adding windows to maximize the ocean views. “We didn’t want this to look like a remodel,” says Norm Laliberte of Spang Builders. “We replicated as much as we could to retain the essence of an old shingle- style home. You can tell it has been updated, yet you still feel like you’re stepping back in time.”
Carrying this sense of history through to the decor was key. “I wanted to reflect the grandeur of this generational home, which will hopefully withstand the test of time,” says Theofanidis. “I met the clients’ children, nieces, and nephews, and I thought about the fact that the house will be theirs one day. I really wanted it to represent their family. We were going for timeless, sophisticated, and elevated. This isn’t your typical beach house.” Indeed, the palette eschews crisp colors in favor of more muted, moody tones that appear sunworn in an utterly comfortable, casual way. And although the decor is anything but “beachy,” the expansive ocean scenery simply cannot be ignored. “We still wanted to bring the outside in, from the water to the pebbles on the beach,” says the designer. “That drove a good portion of the palette. You’ll find shades of green, navy, grayish blue, and pops of yellow on the first floor as well as patterns that create enough visual intrigue without being in your face.” When it came to the seven bedrooms upstairs, the couple asked that the designer work within the same color schemes that have become so well known to the extended family and friends. “Each bedroom has always had a different color assigned to it, and we wanted to keep up with that tradition,” explains the husband. “Alex did a great job translating them in a really subtle way.” According to the designer, she once again looked to the landscape when selecting specific shades of each hue. “The goal was to play on each color a bit rather than going fully chromatic,” says Theofanidis.
Throughout, performance fabrics and durable materials prevail, given the need to withstand everything from children and dogs to salt water and sandy feet. Theofanidis selected classic furnishings to mingle with some custom elements and a smattering of the clients’ existing antiques and artwork. She also layered in contemporary artwork by local artists and custom furnishings by local artisans. “It was important to us to find Maine woodworkers and source locally,” says the husband. After all, it’s those one-of-a-kind items that make the house theirs. “I hope my clients feel like the home reflects their style,” says the designer. “At the end of the day, this is a summerhouse, where they should be comfortable and happy.”
“Moneyand labor aside, density provides habitat for wildlife, maintains soil temperatures, and helps fight erosion and runoff.A win, win, win.”
MH+D ASKS BOYCE-RATLIFF TO TELL US MORE.
Q. How do you start your design process?
A. Everything starts in the landscape. Whether it’s a small consultation or a multiyear master planning effort, my design experience and tendencies are only valuable if I properly understand the land we’re talking about. After hearing from the clients, and talking through what the process might look like, I go and find a place in the garden to just sit quietly for a while. I’ll probably come back to it over and over through the project, using it as a place to pause and reset. I find if I spend too much time getting caught up in the drawings and base plans, I quickly lose track of the site’s character. So, as much as the early stages of the design involve pen on paper and concept sketches, the more time I can spend without plans and an open mind on-site, the better.
More tangibly, one of the first things I do as a project kicks off is collect soil samples from the site. Between holistic soil analysis and a survey of existing plant material, the framework for our design work comes into greater focus.
Q. You’re very vocal about the danger of getting into chambers and preaching “native only” no matter the circumstance. Can you tell us a little more about that?
A. Let me preface by saying, when in doubt, plant native. It’s well documented how important it is to support and encourage a greater diversity of native species around our homes. This is at the heart of Doug Tallamy’s homegrown national park idea: that our human footprint on the landscape is so large that we need to use our gardens and landscapes as a means for piecing together habitats and migratory paths for wildlife, with which I fully agree.
However, there are numerous external factors at play, and I believe we need to be particularly thoughtful about how we transition into this next chapter in our gardens.
For one, climate change is causing species to migrate north at a rapid rate. Plants that were hardy in the mid-Atlantic 10 or 20 years ago are now marginally hardy up here in Maine. That’s crazy. However, what that means is we will get both the good and bad species as everything migrates north. Invasive species, tree-killing insects, and less reliable weather patterns will significantly impact our native flora. And so it’s up to us to decide what we want our future landscapes to look like. If some of our birches and maples are going to become less and less resilient in the face of all this, do we just keep planting “native” for the sake of it? Or do we begin selecting species from farther south that will better handle the next chapter? How do we even want to define “native?” It’s unbelievably complicated, and I won’t pretend to be the right guy to answer all these questions.
Similarly, gardening with native plants is only a piece of the puzzle. A backyard full of 100 percent native species is wonderful, don’t get me wrong. But if it’s planted in the traditional, widely spaced grid with too much mulch, irrigation, and herbicides, how much better is it really?
I am not a purist, and I try to create gardens that are full of “right plant, right place” species. If the end product requires minimal input and “maintenance,” attracts and supports wildlife, and encourages people to get outside and spend time in their landscape, I consider that a success. But everyone has a slightly different approach to this topic, and there isn’t one right answer, despite what some may say.
Q. Do you think garden design should echo your clients’ tastes or be site driven?
A. It has to be a marriage of both. No garden, even in urban areas, is ever truly created in a vacuum. We have to take cues from the climate and local vernacular. Certain plants won’t thrive in your hardiness zone; some stones are inappropriate for colder, icier climates. There are certain considerations and experiences from past work that I can bring to the table and share with my client.
A garden at its root is a space for humans, created by humans. There is immeasurable beauty in our forests and meadows and wilder spaces, but if we don’t have a space closer to home that brings us joy and refuge, it’s difficult to fully appreciate and advocate for the natural world beyond our fences. Whether it comes from a place of nostalgia or practicality, I think it’s imperative that the narrative for a garden stems from a client’s goals and the plants that bring them joy.
Q. What are the benefits of investing in a greater density of plants?
A. Perhaps counterintuitively, more plants can mean less maintenance. In a thoughtfully laid out and established garden, we can leverage the natural tendencies of plants to make our job easier. If, instead of an annual coating of mulch, we let grasses and sedges and wild strawberries weave their way through a bed, we get more visual interest and less opportunity for weeds to pop up. Upfront costs can be tough to swallow sometimes; we all want a good-looking space without spending more than we think we must. But if you pull out a calculator, and you think about the future management needs for your garden, more plants at the beginning can pay for themselves in spades. Less frequent maintenance, less mulch, less irrigation. And a more beautiful space.
To be a broken record: a garden ought to bring you joy and engage your senses. Plants are much better at this than mulch.
MH+D is proud to partner with acclaimed architectural photographer Trent Bell on his architecture, design, and photography podcast. To hear Bell’s conversation with Boyce-Ratliff, please visit adppodcast.com.
August, 2025 | Photography: Nate Davis | As told to Becca Abramson
“Arvid Brown, my business partner in Room for Improvement, and I were loosely considering a second concept that would be the complete opposite of our current bar. Whereas Room is small, cloistered, full of history, and kind of inherently divey, we wanted something bright, airy, fun, and eclectic, driven by natural wine and low-ABV cocktails. Bryce Summers and Garrett Lenderman, our two front-of-house partners at Cutie’s, were also thinking about opening a bar, and Ryan Nielsen, our chef-partner, was looking to do his own project as well. We started chatting about it casually, and this space, which used to be Petite Jacqueline, came up. It’s set above the street, it has floor-to-ceiling windows, and it’s in the heart of town, but it was too big for any of us to take on individually. We decided to do it together, and the concept kept evolving from there.
“We did most of the design direction and then tapped a lot of old friends who are skilled artisans, contractors, and designers and sort of cobbled it all together. Aaron Black, a buddy of mine, completed our build-out at Room for Improvement and also did the vast majority of the construction here at Cutie’s. He’s great to work with because he brings things to life in a functional and aesthetically pleasing way every time. Tyler Gross, who works under the name Dr. Slime, went above and beyond with our graphic design, and as we started to make aesthetic choices about the interior, we really leaned in to his artwork. He produced some bigger pieces for us that now adorn the walls. In juxtaposition to his style is the abstract mural in the entryway by Jenna Pirello. My friend Ben Houtkamp, who is a stained-glass artist in Chicago, designed the centerpiece chandelier that hangs in the corner. It’s almost Tiffany-esque, but with a little contemporary flair. It taps into our colors and is just as beautiful at night as a focal point. John Sundling over at Plant Office helped us with the plants and installation, and I sourced a lot of weird, eclectic planters on Etsy and eBay. We’ve got probably 60 or 70 plants, so the place is going to be a jungle soon.
“We always envisioned this as a daytime space as well as an evening space, but we didn’t initially know how it would feel at night. When we first opened for nights only, we immediately noticed this vibey, sexy feeling. It’s still airy, but we crank up the music, lower the lights, and turn on some lamps. It’s a much quieter hang in the morning when people are out with their laptops, having meetings, and getting breakfast sandwiches. Ultimately, we wanted to create something that Portland had never seen before—something fun and playful with a sense of nostalgia that can’t be pinpointed as referring to any particular era. It harkens back to a time when things were slower, chiller, and more comfortable.”
“I didn’t grow up in a house on the water, but I did grow up on the beach,” writes Phoebe Howard in the introduction to her new book, The Waterfront House: Living with Style on the Coast (Abrams, 2025). Living just three doors down from the ocean in south Florida shaped much of Howard’s design philosophy: “The houses I saw on the beach—with their patios and porches; their wooden walls indoors and out, often painted a cool white; and their palettes pulled from their oceanfront settings—all very much influenced how I design today,” she says. “I look for [prints and materials] that echo the subtle shimmer of sun on water, the movement of waves across the sea, and the patterns and textures those waves leave in their wake. Every time I look at the water, I find new inspiration.”
From coastal California to Howard’s roots in Florida and up the eastern seaboard to New England, waterfront style has prevailed as a timeless, calming aesthetic. “There’s nothing I love more than a soothing color scheme of pale blues and light greens set off by the whites, ivories, and other neutrals you see in the shades of seashells, dried seagrass, driftwood, and the sand that surrounds them,” Howard explains. Of course, waterfront design choices need to be practical, too: houses on the water must adapt to the elements, sandy feet, and limited storage space. Howard argues this is because “waterfront houses are resort-like retreats—designed for a crowd and for a good time. Party houses, in the most sophisticated sense, these homes are meant not just to be lived in. They get to be enjoyed by the generations of families who call them home—plus the friends, neighbors, and assorted other guests who are always stopping by.”
Melhorn Architecture and Construction designed the formal living room of this Florida home, situated on the Intracoastal Waterway, with light-filled spaces, large windows, and glass doors that blur the lines between indoors and out. Howard curated both antiques and new furnishings to complement the room’s palette of pale blues and neutral hues, which, paired with natural materials and soft textures, allow the water views to command attention. Wood paneling in the entryway extends to the ceiling of the living room, and Howard chose to mix stripes with medallion and lattice prints atop a flat-weave rug that’s easy to keep clean, no matter how many sandy feet walk across it. Design your own waterfront-style home with these nine finds.
WAVESIDE TABLE Bunny Williams Home // bunnywilliamshome.com ANNA LAMPSHADE The Happy Lamp Company // thehappylampcompany.com LOW TIDE BY KASEY KAUFMAN Maine Cottage // mainecottage.com CORAL EMBROIDERED PILLOW Pottery Barn // potterybarn.com
BECKETTCHAIR—DRIFTWOOD Serena & Lily // serenaandlily.com SHIRT STRIPE FLATWEAVE RUG Nordic Knots // nordicknots.com JLP16 HANDWOVEN CURVED BACK LOUNGE CHAIR John Himmel Decorative Arts // johnhimmel.com MARINA 80” SOFA IN IVORY WOOL BOUCLE Article // article.com LOCKLIN WOOD STORAGE COFFEE TABLE Kathy Kuo Home // kathykuohome.com
What would be your perfect Maine day? The day would start with a cold plunge in the bay as the sun rises, with Frankie, our mini Aussie, dutifully dog-paddling in circles around me. Then, of course, a steaming cup of coffee alongside a Belleville butter croissant. During the warmer months, we love taking our kayaks to the East End Beach for “food truck dinners” and then paddling home with the sun on our backs. Nothing is better than cozying up at Night Mares on Munjoy Hill, sipping a Green Ghoul, and digging into a slice of cake over a board game while listening to their always on-point playlist.
Go-to shop or local artisan for unique pieces? Well, this might be a little self- promoting, but our shop Ember tells such a unique story, full of handmade apparel, jewelry, and goods from my brand Mulxiply and gorgeous, hand-thrown ceramics by my business partners Kristen and Joe Camp of Campfire Pottery. When we refresh the shop each season, it’s like a blank canvas, allowing us to create a brand-new story. It’s such a joy to create a shop full of often one-of-a-kind pieces.
Photo: Meredith Brockington
How would you describe your aesthetic in three words? Midcentury. Cozy. Functional.
Five things you can’t live without? Grace. Deep friendship. Hard laughter. Curiosity. Good bread.
Your biggest style/design influence? My mom. This is something I didn’t fully realize until she passed away. How I dress and decorate, how I host, how I design my collections, what I buy, etc., is heavily (and happily) influenced by her European aesthetic.
One piece of furniture, art, or decor in your space that tells a story? When my parents passed away, I inherited this very ugly midcentury modern chaise longue with rockers on it. My husband hated it, but I loved it because, as a child, my dad read to me in that chair. We finally had it recovered a couple of years ago by Home Remedies, and it is now proudly displayed in our living room, and it’s the first place guests go to sit (and often fall asleep).
