The author reconnects with longtime appraiser Lark Mason. Mason evaluates an Egyptian knife collection and a baby’s jade bracelet reset in gold.Visitors brave the rain and wait their turn to meet with the appraisers outside their tents.
This past June, as part of its 30th anniversary tour, Antiques Road-show, PBS’s beloved appraisal series, traveled to Vacationland for the first time. Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay was one of five stops on the show’s 2025 tour. (The other stops were in Savannah, Georgia; St. Louis, Missouri; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Charlevoix, Michigan.) When I heard the news back in January, I entered the raffle to win a ticket and put in a press request.
Antiques Roadshow is the only television show where I often get to see someone I used to work with. My kids and husband, unfortunately, are not impressed by my celebrity connections, but they do enjoy watching the show and seeing the shocking amounts some treasures are worth. Weeks after my press request, the WGBH press office finally replied, saying I could not only attend the show and but also bring two objects for appraisal. The only problem was, I didn’t have any family heirlooms or flea market finds that I didn’t already know the value of.
As luck would have it, when my mom visited right before the show she brought with her, as a gift for my daughter’s birthday, a delicate jade bracelet my dad had given her 40 years ago. Then my husband decided it was the perfect time to unveil his secret collection of Egyptian knives (!), which he had amassed while living in Egypt with his family in the late 1980s.
There was a considerable amount of traffic leading up to the Botanical Gardens entrance, where I was directed to a distant field to park my car. Of course, it was raining. I joined the swarm of people clutching their treasures (many wrapped in quilts to protect them from the elements) and walked over to the check-in area. After showing the greeter my two objects, I was directed to the Asian tent, where a familiar face caught my eye: Lark Mason, a longtime appraiser on the show and founder of iGavel Auctions. Seeing him brought back a flood of memories—Lark had been my mentor during a graduate school internship in 2006. We greeted each other, posed for a quick photo, and caught up.
Lark examined the Egyptian knives first, offering the kind of appraisal that only years of experience can deliver. “These are fun pieces,” he said with a smile, “but they were made for tourists—decorative more than valuable.” Then he examined the jade bracelet. Lark’s face lit up with interest. “This is actually a baby’s bracelet,” he explained, “originally intended as a protective charm. It appears to have broken at some point and was reset with gold, featuring good luck symbols. It’s quite lovely.” It was worth around $600.
With my items appraised, I wandered through other sections of the event, where the real treasures turned out to be the people behind the tables. I spoke with Suzanne Perrault of Rago Auctions, known for her expertise in ceramics and twentieth-century design. While I was at her table, she was appraising a pink and green Roseville vase with a cherry blossom pattern. Although these once fetched good prices at auction, their value has decreased in recent years. Nearby, Arlie Sulka of Lillian Nassau in New York—an expert in Tiffany glass and decorative arts—was examining a cobalt iridescent vase. Unfortunately, it was not a Louis Comfort Tiffany.
On the way out, I spoke with a few visitors about their appraisals. Some had been invited to the taping area for possible inclusion in the 2026 season, but most were just happy to be there for the experience: to engage with world-renowned experts, to share the story of how they acquired their objects, and to learn.
THREE GREAT FINDS FROM THE DAY:
Cast-Iron Birdhouse
A cast-iron birdhouse was brought in by a Roadshow guest that originally belonged to the guest’s grandfather. It is a model of the Clifton house designed by Frederick Copley on Long Island, New York. Expert Jason Preston appraised the birdhouse for an insurance value of $12,000.
McCobb Desk & Eames Chair, ca. 1955
A guest brought in a McCobb Desk and Eames Chair that they inherited from their uncle. Both the desk and chair still have the original finish. Furniture expert Tim Andreadis valued the desk at $600 to $800 retail and the chair at $700 to $900 retail.
1834 John B. Jones Presentation Silver
A collection of John B. Jones present- ation silver that a guest’s great- great-grandfather had received in 1834. The silver had been passed down through the family for generations. The pitcher and tray were made by prominent silversmith John B. Jones, who was based in Boston. Silver expert David Walker appraised the collection for an insurance value of $15,000.
September, 2025 | By: Katy Kelleher | Photography: Courtesy of Rufus Porter Museum except as noted
There were many ways for a wealthy family in the 1800s to signal their status at home, from serving celery in designated vases to displaying gilt-edged mirrors in the sitting room. For New Englanders, it was a time of relative prosperity, with goods arriving from all over the world to their bustling port cities. But there was one homegrown status symbol that has largely been forgotten and ignored: the practice of painting walls.
Murals have existed since time immemorial, but there was a distinct style of naturalistic, intricate scenery that decked the halls of upper-class homes in Maine and its southern neighbors. They featured farmsteads with apple orchards, and harbor scenes with both working and pleasure vessels. While they could be placed anywhere in a house, most were completed in entryways and going up the stairs to the second floor. Sometimes they were installed in bedrooms. “And it was always summer,” says Hallowell-based historian Jane Radcliffe. “Never winter.”
Radcliffe has been researching, cataloging, and preserving this folk art form since 1971, when she first came across a crate filled with deconstructed walls at the Maine State Museum, where she worked as a historian. “I’ve been at this awhile,” she laughs. As a young art historian, Radcliffe was drawn to the whimsical details and careful brushstrokes that mark the murals. She quickly came to believe that these weren’t stenciled or mass-produced, but works of art created by talented local painters, including Rufus Porter and his nephew, Jonathan D. Poor. Word began to spread among her colleagues that Radcliffe was interested in these decorative pieces, and over the years her project gained momentum. She met other historians and began collaborating with them to protect and document the walls. In 2011 Radcliffe coauthored a book on the Porter school of landscape painting, and in 2015 she cofounded the Center for Painted Wall Preservation with a group of fellow historians and antiques dealers. Their organization recently created the Virtual Museum of Painted Walls (accessed through their website, pwpcenter.org). The online museum consists of the digital archive, documenting over 400 locations throughout New England and New York State with thousands of digital photographs, as well as 20 immersive tours using Matterport technology. “You know how real estate agents use that tool that lets you go around the room and zoom in?” Radcliffe asks. “It’s like that. You can go in, move around the room, and there are red dots where you can home in on a feature and get more information about it. We’re excited.”
Inside the Rufus Porter Museum, a grand mural shows a summery scene. “This whole type of design was started by Rufus Porter,” explains historian Jane Radcliffe. “They’re American landscapes. It’s probably the first American landscape school.”
After spending decades examining this short-lived art form—the heyday of painted walls in Maine was between 1820 and 1840—Radcliffe has developed some theories about how they were created, who made them, and why. “People often think it was a cheaper option than wallpaper,” she says. “But I’ve looked at the numbers, and I don’t think that is true.” According to Radcliffe, the reason people commissioned this form of decor had less to do with the cost and more to do with preference. At the time, wallpaper imported from Europe tended to be geometric and brightly colored (easily mimicked by stencils) or to show scenes of European life and farming. In contrast these painted walls showed visions of America—an idealized, pastoral version of New England, where every town center was perfectly charming and every church steeple perfectly pointed and every harbor bustling and full—but New England, nonetheless. “These paintings were a very early form of American landscape painting,” says Radcliffe. “They showed things you could see if you looked out your window.” She relays the story of one elderly woman who was confined to her room for several months, which led her to realize that the painted wall across from her bed wasn’t just an imaginary scene. “One day, she looked out the window, and there was the same tree,” Radcliffe says.
In some ways Radcliffe is a champion for the underdog; these murals weren’t considered fine art, and many of them were likely lost to development, time, and weather. “I think it’s much more widespread in New England than most people think. We’ve documented well over a hundred houses in Maine.” She continues, “While some of them are very formulaic, leading people to assume they’re stenciled, I think Jonathan Poor painted mostly freehand.” Porter is perhaps the better known of the pair—most likely because his stylized and formulaic murals are easy to recognize—but Radcliffe tends to prefer Poor’s work. “Porter’s don’t have a lot of what my coauthor used to call ‘extraneous detail.’ But Jonathan D. Poor had a great sense of whimsy to go with his realism,” she says. One mural that is currently on display at the Rufus Porter Museum in Bridgton was painted by Poor in 1840 for Lorenzo Norton in East Baldwin. It features small oddities like a clothesline with laundry hanging on it and piles of dung sitting outside a barn. “Poor often put in little hunting scenes, like a man shooting at a bird that was much larger than him. One has an eagle in the air with a songbird in its mouth,” she says. “There’s so much to see.”
“The harbor scenes, people often say, are based on Portland harbor. They have wonderful harbor scenes, with the islands,” says Radcliffe. “The murals are all basically freehand.” “I think a lot of times, people . . . had gotten tired of having white walls—that’s how the whole thing started, I think.. They started with whitewash. Then they added color to it. Then, why don’t we put some sort of design on there?” muses Radcliffe.
Created with distemper, an early form of whitewash that used easy-to-carry dry pigments mixed on-site with glue, these paintings hold their colors fairly well. As for why so few people seem to know about this art form, Radcliffe speculates, “I think they were done in private homes, and by the time the Victorian era came along, I think people were embarrassed to have these naive American paintings. They wanted to be more fashionable and go with more European stuff.” Some of the murals have been preserved because they were covered over with flocked wallpaper and other period-trendy decor.
“We’re still finding new ones,” she says. “Fortunately, I think people are becoming more aware of them. Our hope is that, when people buy an old house and go to renovate it, they will try to look under the wallpaper before they paint over it or tear down the wall.” Radcliffe has advice for anyone removing wallpaper from their centuries-old home: “Go very slowly, and carefully.” There might be a piece of Maine history hiding behind that faded paste-up.
Examples of painted walls (and a fabulous ceiling panel from the parlor) at the Victoria Mansion in Portland (this page).
September, 2025 | By: Lucky Platt | Photography: courtesy of Bowdoin College
Installation shot of ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios.
Kinngait Studios is a fine art printmaking facility in the Arctic Circle in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. It has been operated by the West Baffin Cooperative since the late 1950s, when the Canadian government introduced stenciling, stone-cut printmaking, and screen printing to Inuit artists who had not previously had access to or been aware of the processes and materials involved in hand-printing textiles.
For several years beginning in 1959, Inuit artists at Kinngait innovated and freely explored the possibilities for expression in a medium entirely new to them. They created sophisticated, illustrative, joyful graphic patterns and motifs inspired by Arctic wildlife, mythical creatures, and daily life. Their work reached an international audience and received important design awards, including a Canadian Enterprise Award in 1967. Designs were licensed to clothing and home decor manufacturers in southern Canada and beyond. Ultimately, however, the Kinngait printed textiles didn’t meet the government’s sales expectations, and production was subsequently shut down. The vibrant prints currently on view at Bowdoin College’s Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum in Brunswick were shelved away and forgotten for years, until a storage box containing them happened to (literally) fall on William Huffman, marketing manager for the West Baffin Cooperative, in 2016.
Nooks Lindell of Hinaani Design, Standing Its Ground, 2019, sweatshirt and T-shirt (foreground), and Martha Kyak of InukChic, Dress, 2019 (background). Installation shot including Pitseolak Ashoona, Snowy Owl, 1950s-1960s, screen-printed linen, 139 x 46 inches. Installation shot including unidentified artists, untitled, 1950s-1960s, screen-printed unbleached cotton, 89 x 46 inches (far right).
Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios is curated by Roxane Shaughnessy, senior curator and manager of collections at the Textile Museum of Canada. The exhibition is concerned with this brief flourishing of textile printing at Kinngait Studios—including works by Kenojuak Ashevak (1927–2013), Pitseolak Ashoona (1904–1983), Parr (1893–1969), and Pudlo Pudlat (1916–1992)—along with its legacy and vitality, and the influence of these printed textiles on contemporary Inuit fashion designers including Martha Kyak of InukChic, Nooks Lindell of Hinaani Design, and Tarralik Duffy of Ugly Fish. Printed Textiles occupies an enormous third-floor gallery with a soaring pitched roof, warm wood tones, and diffuse light. Yardage of the textile prints hang from rolls installed high above the line of sight, accentuating the cathedral-like ceiling and lending an elegance to the whole visual experience. Each print is accompanied by wall text in Inuktitut and English, and includes the name of the artist(s) if known. Excellent supporting materials include photographs and excerpts from historical and contemporary interviews with the Kinngait community. Shown along with the printed textiles are clothing and objects from the Arctic Museum’s own collection, some of which replace objects from the original Textile Museum of Canada exhibition that are made from animal skins and thus cannot be imported.
Installation shot including Parr, Parr’s People, 1950s-1960s, screen-printed cotton sateen twill, 69 x 45 inches (center) and Sharni Pootoogook, Gosling, 1950s-1960s, linen screen printed 82 x 45 inches (center bottom). Installation shot including Anirnik Oshuitoq, Fabulous Geese, 1950s-1960s, screen-printed unbleached cotton, 72 x 49 inches (far left). | Parr, untitled, screen-printed linen, installed as window curtains.
Archaeologist and Arctic Museum curator Genevieve LeMoine first encountered the Kinngait works on a visit to the Textile Museum of Canada in 2018. “I was blown away, and I envisioned the exhibition traveling to Maine, even though I knew we’d have to wait years.” The Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, named for nineteenth-century Arctic explorers (and Bowdoin alumni) Robert E. Peary and Donald B. MacMillan, is part of Bowdoin College’s John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies. The center opened in 2023 and encompasses a museum, research areas, and teaching spaces. It was designed by the interdisciplinary design firm HGA as one of the first two commercial mass timber projects in the state of Maine. (The other project, Barry Mills Hall, is next door.) “The new space is transformative for visitors, and in terms of what we can offer,” LeMoine says.
ᖃᓪᓗᓈᖅᑕᐃᑦ ᓯᑯᓯᓛᕐᒥᑦ Printed Textiles from Kinngait Studios will be on view at the Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum’s John and Lile Gibbons Center for Arctic Studies at Bowdoin College in Brunswick until October 26. This is the first and currently the only U.S. venue for the exhibition.
This stand-alone utility structure is designed to provide a single-family primary residence with sustenance, including energy, water, and food security. The goal of the project is to investigate the intersection of bio-based materials and building science, with an overarching cyclical design approach to sustainable systems.
The accessory building includes a greenhouse built not only for growing but for processing and preserving food. An integrated root cellar provides long-term food storage. Other programming requirements include tool and materials storage, a bathroom (with a composting toilet, sink, and shower), and a small sleeping loft. The metal roof is designed to catch and direct rainwater to storage barrels on the north side of the site. Water is gravity-fed through a stone and sand biological filtration system. A passive heating and cooling system, including thermal mass and natural ventilation techniques, is coupled with an active electric heat pump and ERV (energy recovery ventilator) system. A photovoltaic system with battery storage provides electricity, while a woodstove provides analog warmth.
The timber-framed structure includes lumber harvested and milled on-site. The primary wall assembly consists of hemp panels with an exterior rainscreen assembly clad in white cedar planks. Secondary, interior hempcrete walls within the building envelope will be made of natural clay plaster, and the greenhouse walls will be finished with Tadelakt plaster for added moisture control.
Location: Eliot Architect: Wetherbee Architecture Builder: Gordon Design-Build Construction Start: 2026
Bright, refreshing, and effortlessly cool, the Pink Cadillac Cocktail, created by the Brunswick Hotel’s food and beverage manager Lauren Williamson, is what happens when a paloma gets a glow-up. Made with a vibrant grapefruit–cilantro cordial, a touch of bitter Suze, and smooth Lunazul Blanco tequila, this drink balances herbal, citrus, and floral notes with a honey-kissed finish. Whether you’re mixing for one or sharing with friends, it’s the perfect way to hold on to those late-summer vibes as the first crisp days of fall roll in.
Serves 1 (2, 3)
INGREDIENTS
For the cocktail
1½ (3, 4½) ounces Lunazul Blanco tequila
1¼ (2½, 3¾) ounces grapefruit– cilantro cordial
½ (1, 1½) ounce honey syrup
¼ (½, ¾) ounce Suze
1 (2, 3) ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
For the grapefruit-cilantro cordial (yields 1½quarts)
2 cups water
1½ cups sugar
2 cups fresh grapefruit juice
2 cups fresh lemon juice
200 grams cilantro (including leaves and stems)
For the honey syrup (yields 1 quart)
2 cups water
2 cups honey
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the grapefruit–cilantro cordial: Combine the water and sugar in a pot and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and cilantro and stir. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Let the cilantro continue to steep to taste, checking the flavor often. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth to remove seeds, leaves, and stems.
Make the honey syrup: Combine the honey and water in a saucepan. Heat, stirring, until honey is dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Make the cocktail: Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a low ball glass.
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.
