REIMAGINING HARBOR LIGHTS
SHOWCASE- October 2014
By Rebecca Falzano | Photography Irving Serrano
Museums of Old York’s 25th Annual Decorator Show House
Harbor Lights, a grand old summer cottage, was built in 1906 for New Hampshire Governor Frank West Rollins. Rollins began summering in York Harbor in 1897 and a few years later found the perfect spot for his new summer home: on the west bank of the York River, on a ledge overlooking the water. The home borrows from both shingle-style and Dutch colonial architecture and was designed by Boston architectural firm Chapman and Frazer, who worked on institutions like Bowdoin College, as well as high-end homes in New England including more than 60 houses in Brookline, Massachusetts, from 1892 to 1926. The house’s generous porches and large, operable windows made it a prime spot to take in summer in southern Maine.
With views of the river and marsh—as well as the ocean beyond— the home was perfectly poised to offer nearly 20 designers endless inspiration as they transformed the home into a showhouse, room by room. Each space is a reflection of the designers’ individual interpretations of the house, its history, and their own personal style—as well as a few surprises. Here’s a look at some of our favorite rooms.