SHOP TALK- October 2014 

by Veronique McAree
Photography Amanda Kowalski

A look inside Nicola Manganello’s lovely home furnishings store and design center

With an understated sign, Nicola’s Home store stands discreetly on a far corner of Lower Falls Landing in Yarmouth, a stone’s throw from the hundreds of colorful boats that dot the marina at the Royal River Boat Yard. Yet as low-key as the signage may be, inside, the store is where Nicola’s Home is at its most expressive and imaginative.

Take a tour, and you’ll discover a wide assortment that encourages mixing modern items with vintage pieces, layering textures, incorporating art (especially by Maine artists), and adding formal furnishings with a dose of the more casual. There’s unexpected character everywhere, with unorthodox styling (a vintage dory is used as a prop for a pillow display) and an inviting quality to everything you’ll find.

Nicola’s Home also presents a carefully curated and beautiful selection of furniture from manufacturers like Ralph Lauren, Barclay Butera, and Hickory, as well as exquisite textiles, lighting, accessories, and decorative objects from tabletop items to sculptures.

“People frequently ask me why retail—and why Yarmouth?” says Manganello, who has spent the past 14 years earning her style stripes with everything from gut rehabs to full-scale real-estate development. Her projects include Maeve’s Way, a subdivision in Cumberland Foreside, where she’s designed, built, and decorated multiple homes. “To which I reply, Yarmouth is my hometown and where I opened my first business on nearby Marina Road, so I feel like I’m truly home. What better place to showcase the Nicola brand?”

At the heart of Manganello’s retail strategy lies an effort to provide a design alternative in Maine. “The world has become very formulaic,” said Manganello. “I like to go into homes and stores where there are elements of surprise. Here, we are both editors curating things we love and designers helping clients to think outside of the box.”

The store, housed in Maine Cottage Furniture’s former space, has been extensively renovated and reflects Manganello’s design approaches, including her clever blending of vintage and architectural salvage with contemporary furnishings and styling. Reclaimed wooden doors are upcycled to lend style and stand as timeless reminders of Maine craftsmanship. You’ll also find plenty of pillars and columns, mantels, and more to use any which way you choose.

The space has a residential feel and is broken up into several different pockets and rooms. A fully outfitted kitchen showroom features lovely tile, a large island, and eye-catching light fixtures. The living and dining spaces are filled with cool finds, from Moroccan- inspired floor coverings to throw pillows, and serve as an inviting spot to peruse the wide selection of books covering all number of topics, from gardening and decorating to cooking and DIY.

Lots of whimsy seeps in, too: a large, faux cow head in a rusted material greets visitors at the entryway, while a stone hippopotamus sculpture is irreverently propped upon a coffee table.

Although Manganello’s style is well known, the public isn’t as familiar with the retail end of her business and the services she and her team provide. “We’ve never been able to showcase what we do, until the store debuted,” she says. “Sure, we had a store in Portland— but didn’t focus on the ‘design center’ approach.”

At Nicola’s Home, Manganello and her team bring in a continuous flow of special items and provide clients with examples of how they design and create a space, be it a kitchen or living room. Moreover, the large workspace/library offers both customers and interior designers the opportunity to peruse thousands of fabrics, look at wall- and floor-covering sample books, and receive expert design advice.

Should you need some custom pillows, window treatment advice, a sofa refreshed, or an entire house plan drawn up, head to Yarmouth, where you’ll find 8,000 square feet chock-full of creative ideas and inspiration from Nicola’s Home.