LIV TURRELL + LEE GOODWIN

Written by Rebecca Falzano

Photography by Erin Little 

In an old home, long-ago history mingles with the present in ways both beautiful and surprising. For Liv Turrell and Lee Goodwin, founders of Docksmith and The Wavertree Co., the serendipitous find of their 1880s folk Victorian near the historic working waterfront of Riggs-Cove in Georgetown is just one chapter of this home’s lengthy history. We asked the couple to share their thoughts on living in a place rich in other peoples’ stories while also creating their own.

“My father was a historic preservationist and historian so I grew up feeling intense emotion for items and artifacts that showed a way of life or a style of certain periods in human history.”

THE MAINERS: Your home is historic, but so too is this area. What do you love about where your house is situated?

LEE: We love that our old home has so many stories due to its proximity to the historic working waterfront of Riggs-Cove. Our house was built for a woman named Agnes and her husband, Cal Powers, in 1880. Agnes was the postmaster and Cal was a fisherman. Back then the mail was delivered by boat and in the winter the house was actually used as the post office because of its vicinity to the docks. Cal was a prolific fisherman and was known to deliver his catch to as far as Boston and South Street Seaport in New York City (I’ve actually found the old fish market cards in the rafters). There is an amazing photograph at the Georgetown Historical Society of Cal standing in his dory with herring practically overflowing the cap rails. And Agnes was named Miss Riggsville for her multi-faceted abilities in the community; she was the designated village nurse when the cove was too frozen to get medical help. She was often stitching up sailors—using her kitchen as a nurse station. She was also a teacher at the schoolhouse just down the road, a poet, and we recently heard she trained her father’s racehorses. We often think of Agnes and Cal and how their livelihoods were reliant on the location of this house. It really puts things in perspective, especially when we complain of the cold ocean winds whipping through the pines on frigid nights.

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THE MAINERS: Wow, you are so lucky to know that history! What drew you to this house? 

LIV: As corny as it might sound, we actually feel like the house found us. We had always wanted to live in a vintage island home; Lee grew up on Harpswell Island and I grew up spending my summers on Vinalhaven, so we both were drawn to that way of life. We spent so much time driving around looking at places, searching online, getting our hopes up over and over, but nothing seemed to work out for us, and feeling a bit defeated, we settled on a piece of land instead. We started clearing trees and designing a timber-frame home. It was still winter so we had a little time before the foundation was to be poured. We started thinking about renting a cottage nearby while we were building, and Lee and I kept kind of joking about the little vacant Victorian on the adjacent lot like “wouldn't that place be so dreamy?” Then one day I finally looked up the family who owned it and gave them a call, and to our surprise the house was just about to go on the market. We couldn't believe it: the sweet dreamy island house we’d always wanted was literally just next door, waiting for us. The family (now our dear friends) kindly offered to sell it to us without a broker and considered the work the home needed, and suddenly, like overnight, we were signing paperwork for the house we had actually been searching for all of these years, and it just so happened to be connected to the land we had already purchased! The whole event was so serendipitous and exciting. 

THE MAINERS: What is one thing about your home—aside from the people in it—that makes it inimitably yours?

LIV: You can tell that our home is ours because of the lingering sentiment. This house is sort of reminiscent of a summer cottage that belonged to your friend’s grandma that felt charming and a little spooky at the same time. We tend to gravitate toward places and objects that strike a certain chord in your memory. As we’ve peeled back the layers of wallpaper we find patterns that we love, so we leave them there. Or the rough unfinished look of our floors that we just can't seem to part with for a shiny varnish. There are definitely times that we crave the clean-cut corners of a newly built home, a fresh coat of paint, or the ease of modern spaces, but we often feel uninspired by places that feel contrived, shiny, and mass produced. Plus, with this house we’ll never be bored as we have endless projects to work on.

THE MAINERS: Outside of the never-ending list of projects, what is a routine or ritual you enjoy in your home? 

LIV: We have a flock of chickens and every morning my daughter, Heidi, and I collect the eggs and let them out to roam our land. When we moved in, the chicken coop was one of the first things we built. It gave the yard life right away, and although we have a pesky fox that has nabbed a few of our hens, it has created a little bustle of happiness for us to enjoy every day. Also our terrier is now keen on fox chasing, so it gives everyone a job. 

THE MAINERS: You have some bountiful gardens. What do you grow and what do you enjoy about it?

LIV: Luckily when we moved in there were already established perennial flower gardens, fruit trees,and hardwoods. The family before us loved pollinators so they grew specifically for the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. Over the last few years we’ve basically just watched what has bloomed in each season, trying to observe what does well here. Everything has become a bit of a blooming, buzzing explosion that I tend to weed sporadically because I love that it feels like a wild meadow.

LEE: I would have to say that I full-heartedly enjoy my cup of coffee on the sunny porch as I sit and watch the wildlife help themselves to nectar and pollen. Every year we collect the pears and peaches for canning. We also have blueberries and concord grapes growing wild all along the rock ledge. Last year we harvested 16 pounds of grapes. We still have jelly left in our pantry.

THE MAINERS: How would you define your style and aesthetic? What kind of pieces are you drawn to? 

LIV: I would say we are maximalists striving to be minimalists. My father was a historic preservationist and historian so I grew up feeling intense emotion for items and artifacts that showed a way of life or a style of certain periods in human history. So now as an adult I tend to swoon for items and articles that have been handcrafted or passed down from generations. Lee comesfrom a family of crafters and builders so together we find joy in fine woodwork, textiles, ceramics, and hand-forged metalwork. 

LEE: I think our style is most defined by the careful balance we try to strike as keepers of handmade and vintage collections. Sometimes the nostalgia and history behind these items can make our home feel too heavy, and we often store away items to let our interior environment have space and empty corners, areas for thought and reflection without the stories of things getting in our way. It’s a fine line.

THE MAINERS: How do the seasons differ in your home?

LIV: One of our favorite things about old homes is that they are almost always situated with the light in mind. When our home was built they only had candles and oil lamps to see so they purposely put the house facing southeast. We get the lovely morning sun and just as it starts to get too hot in the summers it starts to set behind the house and the protective ledge. In the winter this light is the strongest as well, and even though the days are short, we get light streaming through for as long as possible. 

THE MAINERS: How has having a baby impacted your home? 

LIV: Well if we had known how hard it would be to baby proof a renovation project we might not have chosen this home, but that being said we’re so glad that this house is a work in progress because now that our daughter is here we’ve been able to hone in on what is really practical for family life, and what will last the longest. Our future designs will include a new kitchen, two new bathrooms, and a new bedroom upstairs. We’ve already started building an addition off the back that will allow for these upgrades. And truthfully, this house is so worth all the blood, sweat, and tears (and baby gates). Our reno plans will really make this place functional for modern life, and best of all Heidi will grow up knowing how much love and thought went into her home.  

THE MAINERS: What are the most meaningful items in your home? Why are they so special? How do you honor them in your space?

LIV: We have a Thos. Moser bench that was given to us for our wedding with our names and wedding date on a plaque under the seat. At first we kept it safe and tucked away but we finally decided that it needed to be used, and loved, and yes it might get scuffed but we think a well-loved piece of furniture is the most honored. My grandmother also left me her dresser that she had always had in her bedroom. She used to keep her jewelry and silk scarves in it and a picture of herself with her brother and father in a silver frame sat on top. I now have this piece in our bedroom and it holds all of Heidi's baby clothes, which in a strange way makes me feel like my grandmother gets to be a part of our daily routine. The dresser still smells a tiny bit like her perfume, and I can’t even describe how much I love this. 

THE MAINERS: That is so beautiful. Smell is such a powerful way of remembering. What are the other smells of home to you?

LIV: The smell of oak and birch burning in the wood stove, our wiry dog, coffee first thing in the morning.

THE MAINERS: What is one thing about the house that you don’t love? 

LEE: The last couple winters have been bitterly cold here. We have a workhorse of a wood stove that keeps us toasty but it means early mornings of stoking the stove and splitting kindling. We can’t wait to get the house tight to the weather and an updated heating system installed, but for now we rely on the wood from our land and sheer grit to get through the coldest months, and honestly it’s getting old.Properly insulating and making this home more efficient are at the top of our renovation list.

THE MAINERS: Finish this sentence: “Home is….”

LIV: “….where your plants are.”

HANAKO NAKAZATO + PRAIRIE STUART-WOLFF

Written by Rebecca Falzano

Photography by Erin Little

Hanako Nakazato and Prairie Stuart-Wolff split the year between Maine and Japan—an arrangement that fuels and fortifies each of their creative pursuits. Hanako comes from a long line of potters who made a name for themselves in Karatsu, Japan. After apprenticing with her father (but unable to carry on the family business as a woman), Hanako opened her own pottery studio, Monohanako (which means “Hanako on her own”). Her partner, Prairie Stuart-Wolff, is a writer and photographer, currently focusing on Japanese culinary experiences. The couple’s home in Union, Maine, was built in the 1990s by a woodworker with an eye for detail. Although at first they felt like visitors in a home built for someone else, they have since managed to imbue the space with their own aesthetic, proof that careful stewards can make any home their own. The house is a perfect union of quiet New England simplicity and modern Japanese pottery. We asked Hanako and Prairie to share their thoughts on living in two places, Maine being one of them.

“I think, for me, this house looks the way it does because I lived in Japan first. There, I developed a real appreciation for a simplicity of form and purity of materials.”

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THE MAINERS: What connects you to Maine and to Union, specifically?

PRAIRIE: We had a history with Maine. I went to the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport and attended the SALT Institute in Portland, and we felt connected to the Midcoast area in particular.  

HANAKO: We wanted to be surrounded by nature and close to culture. We’re not really city people; I think even if we had the money to buy in the city, we probably wouldn’t. 

THE MAINERS: What’s the story of this house?

PRAIRIE: The house was built in 1995 by a woodworker who clearly had very detailed carpentry skills. We’re the third owners. The original owner who built it named the house “Whispering Birches” and made a model of it, which he passed on to the owners after him, who then left it for us when we moved in. It’s neat having that tie, and even though the house isn’t 100% my style—I originally had a 1900s farmhouse in mind—it’s so clear how much love and thought and care was put into it. I come from a family of woodworkers so I can see what was done in the house and what his intention was, and I really appreciate that and want to respect and honor it. Which is why it also takes me more time to say, ‘Okay we’re going to rip that out and do that.’ I was drawn to the house because it reminds me of where I came from, having parents who were woodworkers and carpenters, and particularly my mom who also did furniture making as a hobby. That’s the level of detail she would put into her home. So there’s a nostalgic connection for me.

THE MAINERS: How’d you find it?

HANAKO: We had been looking at real estate very intensely for a very short period of time. We saw everything and almost gave up. And then one day, when we were about to give up, Prairie found the listing.

PRAIRIE: I was teaching a seven-week intensive photography course at Maine Media Workshops, so we basically had those seven weeks to find a house before going back to Japan. It was the last week of the program, and Hanako had spent all summer on every real estate website and knew every listing, so at that point, we thought we’d just try again the next year. But that day, during a class break, I happened to look one last time and I said ‘Hanako, what about this one?’ and she was like ‘but wait, that wasn’t there 20 minutes ago!’ And then we saw it and saw that wall of windows in the living room and fell in love.

THE MAINERS: How have you made your mark since moving in?

HANAKO: Since the house was so well built, we didn’t have to change anything structurally, just cosmetically. We wanted it to feel more like us, so we made some small changes that had a big impact. Like painting the floor downstairs white to lighten up the wood-heavy space. 

PRAIRIE: I used to be a house painter, and I know the upkeep of paint is tough and once you do it, you can’t go back. So it took a long time to bite the bullet and do it. But I’m really glad we did. It changed and brightened the space dramatically. It’s such a big blanket change, it made a big difference for me. We also took out the white tile in the kitchen and installed copper counters and replaced the sink with an enameled cast iron one that we found. My mom came up to help us with the trim when we built the addition. Because it’s such a distinct style, I wanted the doors and windows to match. She did an amazing job figuring out what kind of molding we needed and getting everything to line up.

“We’ve been enjoying the slow progress of developing a house.”

THE MAINERS: How has living in Japan influenced your style in Maine? 

PRAIRIE: I think, for me, this house looks the way it does because I lived in Japan first. There, I developed a real appreciation for a simplicity of form and purity of materials. Those are things I always appreciated, but I think my taste got refined living in Japan. And then when I came to Maine and started rummaging through junk shops and antique malls, I really honed in on things that felt like that but were very New England—like the old irons that we use as doorstops and the wooden grain measures. There’s so much in New England that fits that “pure materials and simple form” aesthetic. 

THE MAINERS: Who does most of the interior decor?

HANAKO: Prairie is really good at finding things. We spent a lot of time at antique shops the first year and she has the eye and patience for finding really good stuff. It’s covered with dust, but she can see the potential. I think I have a good sense of arranging items though. And spatially, I have a good sense of presentation. 

THE MAINERS: How do you feel about the movement toward minimalism? Do you have any feelings about this as a “trend”?

PRAIRIE: I think anything we can do to counter over-consumption is good. My approach to purchasing things is to find something of excellent quality that will last a long time that will age beautifully and then use it—don’t constantly replace or throw things away. I think if people purchase fewer things over a lifetime and appreciate and use them and have that living history around them, I think it can be a good thing.

THE MAINERS: What is a ritual that you enjoy in your space?

HANAKO: Opening a bottle of wine after 5 o’clock. Our life in Japan is extremely busy and so coming back to Maine is like a retreat—spiritual and physical. And even though our house here isn’t particularly big, it feels huge compared to our house in Japan, which is the size of a shoe box. In Japan we don’t have much sense of privacy or separation from work. Customers will show up any time of day, without having an appointment. In Maine, my showroom is in the middle of our house, which I was worried about at first, but people come based on appointments and it’s been working out fine.

PRAIRIE: Plus, we’re here in the summer, so after 5pm, that lingering light makes it feel like there’s so much of the day left. So it feels like you’re opening that bottle of wine at 2. There’s a certain sense of luxury and relaxation, as though you’re on vacation.

THE MAINERS: What do you miss most about your home in Maine when you’re in Japan?

HANAKO: The scale, privacy, sense of space. The high ceilings in this house give such a sense of openness. I feel like the first few days we arrive in Maine, I don’t know what to do with myself. I get so excited with how much space we have. And quiet.  

PRAIRIE: We live together, we work together, we eat together, we’re always together—which suits me; I like to have my person around. But I really love the fact that we can be in this house together and be off doing our own things in different places. We have no way to do that in Japan. 

THE MAINERS: When you’re not working, what do you like to do in your home?

HANAKO: I like to play music. I’m not traditionally trained or anything, but it’s a hobby. When I’m not playing the guitar or piano we spend a lot of time in the kitchen around the table, which is an old sewing machine base with a soapstone top. It’s not the most comfortable place to sit, but it’s where we tend to hang out. When we have guests over, they sit on the steps overlooking the kitchen. 

PRAIRIE: I love gardening. I can’t have a huge garden because we don’t get much light in the woods, but I enjoy being outside and tending to the yard or flowers—at the moment it’s the raspberry patch. We also do a lot of cooking. We eat a lot of fresh greens and oysters and good cheese. We don’t really go out when we’re here. It’s mostly summer cooking—grilled meat and vegetables. 

THE MAINERS: What is your most cherished possession—something physical that means a lot to you?

PRAIRIE: My prized possessions are two pieces of furniture that my mom made before I was born. One is the oak table that’s in Hanako’s showroom and the other is a couch that used to be in the living room and is up in my office now. My mom was making a lot of furniture before I was born, and she made those and I lived with them to some degree when I was a kid. My mom has a tendency to impulsively get rid of things and I remember being a kid, like 10 years old, and saying, ‘I want these someday, never get rid of them,’ because I could see that she might at some point. So she put them in the basement for years for me. The fact that I have my own house where they not only fit but look beautiful means a lot to me.

HANAKO: Mine is the guitar Prairie’s mom made for me. Our house has pretty good acoustics so it’s really nice to play. I also love all the stone pieces we’ve collected—the slate sink in my studio, the soapstone breakfast table, and coffee table. We can’t find those materials in Japan.

THE MAINERS: What other collections do you have? 

PRAIRIE: We’ve been collecting oil lamps. They burn beautifully. We also have a collection of vintage yellow glazed milk pans. For a while, I was collecting vintage wooden shoe molds. And of course, photo books and cookbooks. 

THE MAINERS: Let’s talk pottery. Obviously it’s your livelihood. How do you use it in your home? 

HANAKO: My philosophy of making pottery is that it’s meant to be used. It has to be functional. We have open shelving for all the pottery that we use and we have more vases than we need, so they are often out on display. They make up the decor of the house.

THE MAINERS: Do you feel a difference in your creative process when in Maine vs. Japan?

HANAKO: My production schedule in Japan is so busy and by spring, I’m burned out. So spending time in Maine is important for me—to take a break and to work less time. It’s while I’m taking a break and enjoying myself that great ideas comes in. I may not be aware of it at the time, but it comes out later. For example, when I’m in Japan making pottery, maybe I’ll take a color influence from Maine. I’m not aware of it right at the moment, but especially with color and shapes, I find a lot of them are influenced by nature. This time in Maine is really important to my creative process.

PRAIRIE: I definitely feel a different energy and a different sense of inspiration, however all of my work is focused on Japan right now, so the biggest challenge for me is to try not to be influenced by being in Maine. Some distance from Japan helps me re-evaluate or clarify the path I’m on though.

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THE MAINERS: What’s a typical day like?

PRAIRIE: Whoever wakes up first goes downstairs to make coffee. We don’t have a typical weekday/weekend schedule because we’re both self-employed. I work part-time with Hanako managing her business, so I usually have the mornings to retreat to my office and manage my own work. So I try to disappear to do those things before Hanako needs me. We usually touch base midday for some kind of meal. Our afternoons are more interactive.

HANAKO: The thing about pottery is that there’s a flow—so you can’t really just stop. In Japan, I don’t take enough breaks. So when we’re here, I want to be diligent about taking a break. So I’ll play music and swim and in between I work a few hours. Even cooking doesn’t feel like a chore. I enjoy that kind of creativity and flow. Even though we are kind of on vacation when we’re here, I want to have a schedule and routine.

THE MAINERS: What is something about your home that you’re proud of?

PRAIRIE: At this point, 10 years in, I’m really proud of the fact that it feels very much like our home. The house physically and logistically met a lot of our needs and was quite lovely, but I think the home of our dreams was something else. And I think we both felt a little like visitors here at first. Because it didn’t need a lot of work, we made very gradual small changes over the years, respecting the structure as it is, but wanting to make it more personal. But now it really feels like this is our home and I’m proud of that.

HANAKO: Over the years, we developed good relationships with people. It takes time to develop a sense of belonging or community. Especially for me. Prairie had more connections with Maine; for me, I felt like just a visitor, very temporary. After we bought the house, it still felt like someone else’s. So we invested a lot of time in changing small things and I’m finally feeling like it’s ours.

CAITLIN MUSHIAL

Written by Rebecca Falzano

Photography by Erin Little

The modern, light-filled West End home of Caitlin Mushial is an exercise in editing. Everything in sight is thoughtfully considered, right down to the rack of linen tops in the open living area from Caitlin’s small-batch, slow-fashion clothing and home goods line, Always Piper. The business of making clothing by hand is also an exercise in editing—so it’s no surprise that the clean lines and simple beauty of Caitlin’s collection are echoed inside the space she lives in. We asked Caitlin to share her thoughts on making and living in Maine.

“I would say my style is quiet, practical, comfortable, and classic. I am drawn to quality natural fabrics with rich textures and neutral colors.”

THE MAINERS: Every piece in the Always Piper collection looks so effortlessly beautiful. I’m certain this does not happen without a great deal of effort! Tell us how your brand came about and what’s behind the name.

CAITLIN: Always Piper started with a linen tunic that I designed because I couldn’t find what I was looking for on the market. I wanted an easy pullover piece that wasn’t sheer. My finished sample was made from a yarn-dyed linen fabric. It had three-quarter-length sleeves and an open V-neck placket with natural shell buttons. I had a local contract sewer make up a small batch of 40, which I sold to family and friends. Another batch followed, along with a couple of dresses. When a roll of fabric arrived that was too heavy for clothing, I knew right away I would use it to make myself a blanket. That blanket is now the top seller in our bedding line. We have continued to grow over the last three years and now also offer a few home decor items, including throw pillows and beach towels. As for the name, the ocean and the beaches are my happy place. I love a stormy winter walk as much as a summer swim. I take particular delight in watching the sand pipers and piping plovers. My hope is for Always Piper to play some kind of role in supporting the shore birds in Maine, especially the endangered species. I would personally love to volunteer in the efforts to help protect, manage, or reduce disturbance to the breeding grounds. I can also see Always Piper bringing public awareness to existing and future challenges that the shore birds face.

THE MAINERS: What are some of the tenets of your style that translate to Always Piper?

CAITLIN: I would say my style is quiet, practical, comfortable, and classic. I am drawn to quality natural fabrics with rich textures and neutral colors. Always Piper echoes some of the same style principles. We strive to make timeless pieces that are multifunctional, staple pieces that you reach for again and again. We are a slow fashion brand creating sustainable goods in small batches right here in Maine.

THE MAINERS: What experience has most informed your design aesthetic—both in your home and in your work?

CAITLIN: My husband, Erik, picked up a copy of Dwell magazine when it first came out in 2000. We were building a house at the time and making all of the design decisions ourselves. The house was open-plan with some big windows and high ceilings. We used salvaged farm sinks and a pair of 8-foot-tall Victorian front doors. I would call that house contemporary. There were things that we loved about it but a few things that could have been better. Dwell issues piled up and we bookmarked our favorite articles. I credit the magazine for informing us about modern design and ultimately adopting modern as our design aesthetic. With my work I am always asking myself “what is necessary and what is not?” I want my products to be simple, timeless staples that won’t go out of style. I am very particular about the fabrics I use. I have high standards for quality and sustainability. I also want to make sure I’m including important details in each piece—maybe it’s perfectly placed side seam pockets on a dress, or strong flat-felled seams on a blanket. I am striving to strike a balance between utility and luxury. 

THE MAINERS: Your pieces do exactly that. Where do you draw inspiration from?

CAITLIN: Last summer I took a workshop and learned about natural indigo dye and how to do Shibori, a Japanese resist dyeing technique. Since then I’ve been a little obsessed with Japanese design. I have a couple of pieces in my head that I hope to create. One is a modern kimono in a light drapey fabric with big pockets. The other is an easy pull-on pant inspired by a Japanese work pant but polished enough to be both casual and dressy. 

QUICK EDIT

When you have the house to yourself you: have dinner on the couch and watch a movie.
Cook in or eat out: Definitely eat in
Early bird or night owl: Both
Favorite neighborhood park: Dinosaur Park
Place you go to get out of the city: Our camp on Torsey Pond
Style icon: Anyone who is confident in their own look
Band on repeat: The Lumineers
Go-to outfit: Lately, cutoff jean shorts, Birkenstocks, and our Modern short-sleeve top

“I want my products to be simple, timeless staples that won’t go out of style. I am striving to strike a balance between utility and luxury.”

THE MAINERS: What is it about making items by hand that brings you joy?

CAITLIN: It’s rare to make something and have it come out right on the first attempt. Usually it takes many samples before a pattern is created and then more work sourcing and sizing before an item is ready to go to production. Once it’s ready and I feel like I can launch it out to the world, there is a pride and a satisfaction I feel from all the hard work. If I’ve had a hard week or I find myself in a funk, I’ll try to find time for some making. I have found that it can actually turn my mood around.

THE MAINERS: Portland’s West End is such a vibrant neighborhood. What do you love about where you live—both the neighborhood and the space itself?

CAITLIN: We live in the West End, but we are not in the historic district where big brick houses with landmark plaques are common. We are on lower Clark Street where vinyl siding is prevalent and the sidewalks are too narrow for tree planting. We fondly call our neighborhood “The Midwest.” We love its diversity, density, and walkability. Our house is tall and it’s perched on the hillside, which affords us some amazing deep views of Casco Bay, South Portland, and the Fore River. We feel pretty fortunate to live right here.

THE MAINERS: Beyond your neighborhood, what is your connection to Maine and what keeps you here?

CAITLIN: My parents are both from New York, but when they separated in 1970, my mom found herself looking for a new home. She found two ads in the New York Times. One was a Vermont rental with a pottery studio, complete with lessons, and the other was a rent-to-own house in Mount Vernon, Maine, with a lake across the street. With six kids in tow, Mom chose Maine and it’s been home ever since. I live in Portland now with my husband, Erik, and our son, Wyatt. I love being near the ocean and having easy access to beaches and the islands of Casco Bay. The seasons here bring so many gifts year to year. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.

THE MAINERS: Your house is a beautiful example of modern architecture. Who designed and built it?

CAITLIN: Our architect on this house was Carol Wilson. Initially I took on the role as general contractor but after some time and a couple of big issues I realized I was in over my head, and thankfully Monaghan Woodworks stepped in and saw the project to completion.

THE MAINERS: Where in your house do you spend most of your time?

CAITLIN: Definitely the kitchen—our large island is the hub of the home. Beyond cooking and eating, it’s a landing zone for everything from shopping purchases to sorting mail. Oddly I prefer to sew standing up, and so the kitchen is also where I will set up my machines and work on sewing samples or personal projects.

THE MAINERS: What are some of your favorite pieces in your home and why?

CAITLIN: I really love all of the custom pieces that Erik designed and built for this house. My absolute favorite has to be the vanity in our master bathroom. It’s a large piece but appropriately scaled to the room. It was made from walnut and has big useful drawers. It has a single undermount sink set in a marble top. He chose simple, handsome hardware. It’s the perfect piece and extra special to me because he made it.

THE MAINERS: For your furnishings not built by Erik, what is your approach when it comes to buying things for your home?

CAITLIN: We’ve been fortunate to get some great hand-me-downs, including a storage locker full of Danish modern pieces from our aunt and uncle in Pennsylvania. We have splurged on a few things when we agreed they were just right for the space, like our LEM Piston bar stools, our large white lacquered dining table, and Eames chairs. I really like the rule where you don’t bring anything new into your home that you don’t love or find very useful.

THE MAINERS: Your style is very clean and spare. What’s your feeling on minimalism?

CAITLIN: Neither of us think of ourselves as minimalists or subscribers of minimalism, but we do both know we like simple forms, neutral earthy materials, and functional things. We would agree to choose a bare lightbulb fixture over an intricate chandelier. Neither of us go for bright colors; we love white walls and big windows where the views do the talking. Our house is modern and there is a simplicity in its form that may be viewed as minimal—we are both okay with that. We also like the house uncluttered, open, and clean. As much as we try to keep possessions to a minimum we do actually have a fair amount of stuff, it just has a place to go when it’s not being used.

THE MAINERS: Tell us about a ritual that you look forward to?

CAITLIN: I recently bought a digital camera and while I’m a total amateur, I love to shoot landscapes—especially seascapes and beach paths. I’ll drive around with our dog, Moxie, and try to find new places to go for walks. We’ll go out in all kinds of weather, which often means we get a beach to ourselves. It’s always a nice break in the day, a breath of salty air that fills me up with inspiration and maybe gives me an image to post on Instagram.

THE MAINERS: Speaking of rituals, let’s talk about making the bed. Always Piper has some beautiful bed linens. Do you have any tips on how to dress a bed?

CAITLIN: I definitely fall into the category of folks who make their bed, but I don’t fuss about making it perfect. I think that getting into bed at night is a ritual to be relished. Peeling back the layers and getting yourself tucked in is so nurturing. Linen bedding to me is casual luxury. Linen is easy to launder, and it looks great a bit rumpled and wrinkly so making a bed with it is easy. If you haven’t tried linen bedding I would recommend starting with pillowcases. I will be honest, they feel a little stiffer at first than most other bedding fabrics, but I can assure you they will soften up beautifully with use and just a few washings. Once you get used to them, you will enjoy the many benefits. Linen is durable and will last for years. It is a natural crop that grows without the need for chemical fertilizers or pesticides, and it requires very little watering and is therefore a naturally sustainable product. Linen is more breathable than cotton and it wicks moisture in muggy weather keeping you comfortable and dry. I am not an expert on the science, but I have also heard that linen has good insulating properties which make it a great choice in cold weather too. What I do know is how much I love linen and I don't see myself going back to anything else ever again.

THE MAINERS: What is an item that you own with a really good story?

CAITLIN: I absolutely love the oil painting that hangs above the fireplace in our living room. It’s an abstract cityscape that my mom painted when she was an art student in college. It hung in the dining room of the home I grew up in for as far back as I can remember. There is a round dent and some cracks that emanate from it; it’s not obvious but on close inspection you’d probably guess someone hit it with a ball. I don’t know which one of us six kids was responsible. We were a little wild and nothing in the house was considered precious or off limits growing up. I’m thankful it wasn’t destroyed, I love it so much. I recently lost my mom and so this painting has me thinking about her a lot. I think she was in her element at the time she painted it, a talented artist full of potential. She moved away from her tightknit artist community and started a family and her focus shifted. Her art shifted too—smaller pieces, tighter still lifes. I am aware of her sacrifices and forever grateful.

THE MAINERS: That is very moving. How do you want people to feel when they come into your space?

CAITLIN: My husband and I built this house; it was a labor of love. It is for living and working, for family and friends. Stop by and you might find the sewing machine humming, teenagers kicking about, a conference call ongoing, and probably the dog napping. It’s busy but not chaotic—there is an easygoing energy that is both productive and peaceful. For me, this space is not fussy or precious; it feels lived in and comfortable. I hope that’s what visitors feel too.

JOSH GERRITSEN

Written by Rebecca Falzano

Photographed by Erin Little

What photographer and filmmaker Josh Gerritsen lacks in attachment to physical objects he makes up for in his penchant for creating. Josh and his family moved to Maine from Hawaii, where they purchased land—eight acres of pasture and 90 acres of forest, to be exact—in Lincolnville. After living and working in New York City for several years, Josh decided to move back to the family farm in Maine where he eventually built an energy-efficient passive house with local design-build firm GO Logic. Josh lives there currently, while also renting out a room on Airbnb to curious guests who want to understand how a passive house works. He is also currently working on a documentary about pigs and the complicated relationship humans have had with them over the last 3,000 years. He is producing the film alongside his mother, the renowned author Tess Gerritsen. This isn’t the first time the duo have worked together; their horror film “Island Zero” was released last year. Here’s a glimpse inside Josh’s minimalist home and abundant life.

“I would definitely call myself a minimalist. I find it is easier to think and reflect when you don’t have a lot of clutter. I am not a collector.”

THE MAINERS: I recognize the design of your house. Is it a GO Logic home?

JOSH: Yes! In 2011, before I moved back to Maine, my mom showed me a copy of a Maine Home+Design magazine that showcased GO Logic’s prototype Passive House. 

THE MAINERS: I remember that story well—I actually wrote it! Such a cool house. So efficient you can heat it with a hairdryer.

JOSH: I toured it with my parents and my girlfriend at the time. I knew this was the house I wanted when I was ready. Fast-forward to 2013 and my former partner Marya had become friends with a woman named Irene whose partner, Gunther, is an architect for GO Logic. I was telling him about how I wanted to build a sustainable house, and so he became the architect on my project. It was such a great collaboration. We took one of the four-bedroom contemporary designs from the firm’s website and customized it without increasing cost. 

THE MAINERS: What are some of the ways you did that to make it your own?

JOSH: We created some corner windows on the north façade in the bedroom and office. We added that long horizontal window in the kitchen. The burned wood siding, that was Gunther’s idea. In the original design there wasn’t a landing and the laundry room was right at the top of the stairs, but I wanted to have as many usable spaces as possible without increasing the square footage. As a way to get in more nooks and crannies, to the top of the stairs we added a spot for a desk and a window, and the laundry room became a small closet. The house sits twenty degrees off true south and I really like the way it’s set in to the property. It feels protected, and the view from the south façade is almost like you’re peeking through the forest to the mountains.

THE MAINERS: I know minimalism is on trend right now, but I get the sense that you’re a true minimalist, like deep within your bones.

JOSH: I would definitely call myself a minimalist. I find it is easier to think and reflect when you don’t have a lot of clutter. I am not a collector. When I’m done with a camera or a computer, I sell it immediately because I don’t feel the need to have multiple copies of something. I’m naturally an organized person, and when things are out of place, it bothers me. If I’m standing in line at the coffee shop and I see something is off on a shelf, I’ll rearrange it. I think it’s that kind of mentality that makes me a good photographer and filmmaker because I’m never happy with something until it’s absolutely perfect. I’ll edit a photo and come back a day later and tweak it. 

THE MAINERS: You say you’re not a collector, but that’s a lot of coffee makers for one person to own.

JOSH: I rent out a room of the house on Airbnb so I like to have a variety of coffee options for people. The first one is a Chemex pour-over, a gift from Gunther. I don’t actually use it too often because it’s kind of labor-intensive. I got the Cuisinart because my producer insisted I get an automatic coffeemaker for all the meetings we were going to have. We needed something that would be easy for making coffee. And I have a French press because I know people love and trust their French presses. It honestly kind of hurts my head a little, but I have had people tell me that the coffee setup was one of the winning factors of my Airbnb. 

QUICK EDIT

Space travel. Yay or nay: Yay

Choice super power: Flight

Situation that embarrasses you: Calling someone by the wrong name

Left- or right-handed: Left-handed

Guilty pleasure: Singing karaoke in dive bars

Pet peeve: Misspellings

Who you’d want to play you in a movie: Keanu Reeves

Favorite feel-good music: Au Revoir Simone

Thing you miss most about home when you’re away: My dog, Lucy

THE MAINERS: What’s it like to rent a bedroom to strangers while you live in the house?

JOSH: Well, the house is something I wanted to share with people to show how a passive house works first hand. And it’s fun to meet people from around the world and hang out with them. I’m a very social person, an extrovert, so it’s a lot of fun for me to meet people. I didn’t realize how much enjoyment I’d get out of curating a really calming experience for people. Next year, I’m going to buy a 13-foot camper that you can tow with a 4-cylinder car. I’ve wanted to live in a tiny house for the last ten years and living in a house that could move was also something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. So starting next year, I’ll probably start renting out my entire house and take the camper and drive cross country. When I come home, I can park it 200 feet from the house in the field overlooking the mountains, build an outdoor shower and a graywater system and live in it for three seasons. I like the idea that while I’m Airbnb-ing my home, I can live in my tiny house. 

THE MAINERS: Are these all your own photographs on the walls?

JOSH: Yes, and most of them are on canvas. The photo of the pigs and the tree downstairs is one that I photographed at a farm I apprenticed at in Western Massachusetts for five months in 2012. I really like photographing subjects that are beautiful but have an ominous undertone, like a mystery around it. I don’t like photos that are so obvious, happy or sad, or clear cut. I think there’s a lot of beauty in the pigs and the foliage, but even the tree looks like it has a sinister side to it. The photo of the rock with the blue background downstairs is from my latest series of rocks in water. I stand in the ocean a little before sunrise with a neutral density filter with a one-minute exposure while the tide is coming in or out and photograph rocks. There are a lot of creative opportunities there. It’s very beautiful and you don’t know if you’re looking at a mountain or a rock or a creature. I don’t incorporate the horizon because that gives away the mystery of it. I got waders for Christmas from my parents, so now I can venture even farther out, even during winter. 

THE MAINERS: What are some of your prized possessions? 

JOSH: I don’t really attach sentimental value to many things. If something doesn’t have a utility, it bothers me that I still own it. My most prized possession would be my camera because of what it allows me to do. It’s a tool.

The hand-painted wooden nesting dolls I commissioned a friend of mine to make. They’re by artist Hannah Kreitzer and they represent the central theme of the horror movie I made with my mom. My mom has a matching set. They basically represent the story of our film, which is that all of our problems in the world and in nature stem from man. 

THE MAINERS: How’d you get into photography and filmmaking?

JOSH: It actually started in seventh grade—I was really into filmmaking. My first movie was called “Drugs, the Movie.” It was for Health class. I directed it and starred in it—I was a police officer and a doctor who got killed. I made a handful of little films here and there. I carried a camcorder around with me every day in eighth grade. I cut it all together and created a film from it and it’s something I cherish. I got into photography when I got my first digital camera senior year. When I went to Skidmore College, I told myself that going to school for filmmaking or photography wasn’t a serious pursuit and I needed to do something like a hard science, so I did environmental studies with a minor in political science, but still had that interest in photography. I spent most of my time doing photography and was actually hired by Skidmore’s college relations department to photograph for them. My passion and focus were on photography, which had nothing to do with my coursework, although I remain passionate about the environment and sustainability. After I graduated, I jumped right into doing photography professionally and moved to New York City where I lived on a sailboat. 

THE MAINERS: A sailboat? In New York City?

JOSH: My best friend, Nate, told me he was going to live on his parents’ sailboat in New York, and that the rent would only be about $150 a month. So I lived there for six months with him on Liberty Landing in Jersey City.  It was extraordinary. We had the best view in town because we weren’t technically in New York, but we got to look at it. It was a great introduction to the big city because I didn’t have to worry about immediately jumping into work. I could figure out what I wanted to do without that economic pressure.

THE MAINERS: So from sailboat squatter to small-town selectman—how’d you get into politics?

JOSH: I’ve always been interested in politics because of the potential to make people’s lives better. To me, it’s more interesting than sports because the outcome of elections actually have meaningful consequences. I never thought I’d be able to get into politics because I’ve had a stutter my whole life. I used to think about what I was about to say ahead of time and then deliberately choose words I had a lower probability of stuttering. But the side effect of doing that was that it made me sound less intelligent. When I got to Maine, it dawned on me that the stutter doesn’t define who I am. And oftentimes, the less you care, the less you stutter. So I joined the municipal Lincolnville Democratic party, and then I joined my county committee and went to the Maine Democratic Convention where I gave a speech on the floor advocating for early legalization of marijuana from a social justice standpoint, and the amendment overwhelmingly passed. It felt really good and very empowering that in a state like Maine, you can raise your hand, and say, “I think we should change this,” and suddenly it’s part of the party platform. So now I’m on the Lincolnville board of selectman and I serve on other committees in my town. And this is what I love about living in Maine: you can get involved politically and you can have an impact, without needing connections. You just have to have that passion.

THE MAINERS: What’s a ritual that you have?

JOSH: Most mornings I try to go to a coffee shop to get some work done. A lot of that is just to get out of my house. While I love my house and the seclusion, it can also feel very isolating. I can’t walk down the street and suddenly be in town. Even Lincolnville is not that rural. I turn left out of the road and I’m 12 minutes from Belfast and that’s certainly a way to have that reconnection with society. Even though I don’t really need coffee. But I’ll have a new ritual soon.

THE MAINERS: The boat, you mean?

JOSH: Yes, I’m building an Angus Rowboat from a kit. It’s a 16-foot plywood and fiberglass sliding-seat rowboat that can seat two adults comfortably, three in a pinch. It took me almost three months to build it. It’s a very stable craft with floatation chambers so self-rescue is possible. I wanted to row but I didn’t want to spend a lot of money buying a rowing shell that I could only use on a calm lake. I wanted something more versatile, something I could take out on the ocean and travel to islands with. The most complex thing I’ve ever built with my two hands was a chicken coop, so it was a very steep learning curve, but the instructions were great and there was a time-lapse video so I just figured it out. I made tons of little mistakes, but as long as the boat floats, I’ll be fine. It was a way to formally lean in to living in Maine. I don’t get any satisfaction in sitting in a park reading a book or sailing or downhill skiing because I feel like I’m not really accomplishing something. But rowing feels like serious exercise, like an adventure. When I travel, I always to have some sort of photographic goal, too. I can’t just go and hang out. 

THE WAY WE LIVE + PORTIA CLARK

Introducing our new “The Way We Live” feature, a gesture towards the imperfect, unstaged, lived-in corners of our homes and lives.

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PORTIA CLARK

Written by Rebecca Falzano
Photography by Erin Little 

For our department debut we talked with jewelry maker and lifelong collector Portia Clark of Portia’s Barn about…

good bones…

Our house in Portland was built between 1869 and 1870. It has lovely bones, great light, an amazing yard and outdoor play space, and a barn. As with all old houses, there is always something we need to be working on. We have a To-Do list with all our immediate repairs and projects, and there is also the To-Don’t list which is helpful to keep track of the dreams, ideas, and less pressing projects to work towards. 

works in progress…

In the downstairs hallway you can see the exposed lathing. We had to open up the wall to replace the knob and tube wiring that was still being used when we bought the house. We took the wallpaper down (three stories of it) in the front hallway that went from the attic to the ground entryway. The chartreuse rug, which I have grown rather fond of, was a perfect match to the wallpaper that came down in the first month and has been a great floor covering that actually acts as a doormat as kids and dogs go upstairs. The walls are still opened up for many reasons, mostly because there were many other more pressing projects, a limited budget, and because we have been able to run other important wires up to the second floor while the walls are open, which has come in handy for computer networks and updated electrical systems. I hung the mirrors and sconces up because I loved the look of the exposed plaster and also knew that it might be a long time before the plaster got fixed, and we needed light and sparkle in the space. 

things that accumulate…

The piles of paper in the upstairs hall are there because I was in the middle of sorting the art collections my boys had brought home from school over several years. 

her weakness for…

I have been collecting since I can remember. I have a weakness for classic shapes and styles that are beautiful, quirky, and slightly unexpected. The barn has allowed me to continue my business of jewelry making while also allowing me to find and sell pieces that make a home feel special and unique. I love connecting cool things with cool people. Having grown up in a dark northern climate in Seattle and living in a dark northern climate in Portland, I have always been drawn towards lamps and great lighting. I also have a weakness for fresh flowers (a weekly splurge during the winter months), which has led to a love of vases. Rugs are also something that add instant warmth and texture to a room. They are so portable and versatile and can easily change the mood and feel of a room.  

beauty in imperfection…

A home is most enjoyed when it is being used and loved. We set up a ping pong table in our dining room because it was an empty space most of the year. I love imperfection. It is beauty, forgiveness, creativity, and strength.

Meghan Nesher

Written by Rebecca Falzano

Photography by Erin Little

People who move through the world mindfully have an ease about them—they are comfortable living in the moment, while others vacillate between dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Meghan Nesher is one of these people. She is the kind of person who talks about intention—being intentional about what she brings into her home, setting intentions. The kind of person who, when asked where she would live if she could live anywhere, answers that she is happy exactly where she is. So it’s no surprise that the 1940s home in Cape Porpoise she shares with her husband and two young sons, Julien (7) and Robben (2), is a reflection of that same kind of presence and intention. As CEO and Creative Director of Leader Bag Co. she also gets to be intentional about running a business and managing a retail location in Biddeford. Here’s a look inside both spaces, and thoughts from Meghan on making a home and a life in Maine.

“I love Maine for its space and beauty. I love the ocean, the mountains, the colors, the change of seasons, the weather, the style, the fashion, the architecture.”

THE MAINERS: Tell me about Leader. How did you start it? What does the name mean to you?

MEGHAN: When I was pregnant with my first son, Julien, I was shopping for a diaper bag that would work for both my husband and me, and I couldn’t find anything that was gender neutral and that fit my style. That was my ah-ha moment. I couldn’t believe that what I was looking for didn’t exist! My sisters-in-law had babies soon after I did (we all had little boys the same year), and we decided to team up and create something together. Naturally, we focused on creating a gender-neutral and fashionable diaper bag backpack. 

The name came to me when I was on an airplane. I asked the universe what the name of our brand should be, put pen to paper, and the word “Leader” came out. I still have the piece of paper. I knew I liked it, but the meaning came later on. A few years into the business, I started to wonder what it was all for and was searching for a deeper meaning to what we were doing. “Lead with Love” came to me after I started asking those questions. That was the message that I wanted to spread. 

THE MAINERS: Well, as a mom who appreciates a stylish diaper bag myself, I thank you! How has the business grown since inception?

MEGHAN: It’s grown slowly and organically since we launched 5 years ago. None of us had a background in business so we’ve learned everything as we’ve been going along. It was a side hobby for the first four years—something we hadn’t committed to 100%. It wasn’t until last year that I decided to go all in and give it everything I have.

My two sisters-in-law are now silent partners. They are very supportive but have decided to focus on other endeavors at the moment.  I wear a lot of hats within the business. My husband works for us and does customer service and fulfillment and I pretty much do everything else. Technically, I am the CEO and Creative Director, so I have final say on all creative and business decisions. I work with our designer, Jay (based in Australia), on product development. I also do the marketing, lead the advertising, guide social media, personal outreach, and so on. It’s a crazy time.

THE MAINERS: When did you open this shop space?

MEGHAN: We opened the Leader HQ last year when we realized we had to have a little separation between home and work. With two young kids it became very challenging to focus on work at home. After I decided to commit to Leader full-time, we started looking for spaces and ended up finding a little gem in Biddeford. 

QUICK EDIT

Go-to outfit: RC jeans, a fitted turtleneck or bodysuit, Vans, Leader bag.

Favorite rainy-day activity: Get in bed and watch a movie.

Best local kids’ shop: Little and Day Trip Jr.

Last meal you cooked from scratch: I make a lot of soups this time of year. I just made a Kale and Coconut Lime Soup. Clean Soups by Rebecca Katz is my go-to cookbook right now.

Contents of your diaper bag: Always diapers, wipes, change mat, water bottle, snacks for kiddos, Lily’s (sugar-free) chocolate for myself, a notebook, lipstick, change of clothes for my little guy, cars, children’s books, crayons, and scratch paper.

Soundtrack to your life: This varies often, but lately I’ve been listening to A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman on repeat.

Favorite place to find home decor: Honestly? Right now, IKEA and vintage.

Weirdest place your kids have fallen asleep: They don’t fall asleep anywhere but in their beds.

Thing you're most proud of: I’ve re-learned how to love myself.

THE MAINERS: The shop is so well designed. I love the aesthetic. Is that all you? Where do you get your eye from? 

MEGHAN: Definitely not all me. I worked with Kacee Pyles Witherbee from Insides Studio on the interior decoration. She is so talented and phenomenal to work with. She made the process so easy, fun, and beautiful. I also asked a friend, Lindsay Stone, to help with the window displays. She made these stunning mobiles and custom wooden block shapes for the displays. She also made a gorgeous clothing rack for the space and custom pillows. 

I don't know where I get my eye from. I have always loved good design and have been drawn to beautiful things. I like what I like, and I don't like what I don't like. It's kind of as simple as that.

HE MAINERS: So why did you choose Maine, as a place to live and start a business? How does Maine cultivate your creative spirit?

MEGHAN: My husband, Dave, grew up in Kennebunkport. We met in Montana (where I’m from) at the University of Montana and then moved to Portland, Oregon where we lived for 5 years and had Julien. We felt pulled to try somewhere new and where we could live closer to family. Dave’s parents live in Maine in the summer so we thought we would try it out. Four years later we are still here and have no desire to leave. It is a nice mix of everything that we love: outdoors, beauty, culture, lovely people, family close by in the summer. It’s a wonderful place to raise a family. 

I love Maine for its space and beauty. I love the ocean, the mountains, the colors, the change of seasons, the weather, the style, the fashion, the architecture. I miss the energy of a bustling city and often I need to leave to get that creative buzz back. But in general, as long as I set the intention to connect to something bigger than me (the universe!), I can tap into my creative energy. Creativity comes and goes though. I’ve learned that it’s important to just keep showing up day after day. Some days creativity will strike and I’ll feel on top of the world, and other times, it will feel dormant, but I show up anyway and do the work. Inevitably, it always emerges again.

THE MAINERS: I think that being able to make a home so reflective of yourself, especially when you’re renting, is such a beautiful skill. What do you love about your home? And how do you live stylishly with two young children?

MEGHAN: The house itself has really good bones and a lot of potential. We dream about being able to buy it and renovate it one day. It’s a manageable size. It was built in the 1940’s. What we love most about it is that it is on an amazing piece of land with a gorgeous view of the ocean and beautiful trees in the backyard. We see a lot of wildlife in the winter: foxes, deer, turkeys, squirrels. 

I try to be really intentional and thoughtful about all my purchases. Often I don’t buy that much because I’m so particular. I hate to see things go to waste or not get used. I really try to ask myself if something brings me joy before I buy it and if it does, then I can bring it into my life. I don’t have much tolerance for clutter because it takes up too much brain space and leaves me feeling stressed and anxious. Admittedly, not everything in my house is stylish. If I lived alone perhaps my life would look a lot more stylish. But, I have a husband, two boys, and a puppy that I share the space with and they all have their own personalities and opinions and taste (save for the dog!) so it’s a balance. I’m manifesting a lot more style in my life one day soon. 

THE MAINERS: How do you define your home’s personality?

MEGHAN: Relaxed, quirky, simple, easy, unfussy.

THE MAINERS: What are some of your favorite furnishings and what's the story behind them? We obviously have to talk about that floral couch…

MEGHAN: Haha! Four years ago, we moved from the West coast with very little furniture, so when we signed our lease, I started looking around for estate sales nearby hoping that we could furnish our house on a serious budget. The first estate sale we went to was in Portland and that's where I found the couch. We bought it and a matching chair for $450! It was kind of risky buying such a statement piece for our first piece of furniture, but I loved it and it ended up working really well in our space. 

I'm not particularly attached to anything in my home. I'd actually be totally happy to part with it at any time. We furnished the home on a serious budget—some was handed down, some was found at vintage shops, and a lot of pieces are from IKEA. 

If I had to pick a few favorites, I'd choose the bench in our kitchen that's from West Elm. I like the color, the shape. We spend a lot of time on that little bench eating meals and chatting. That's one of the only pieces that we brought with us when we moved from the West Coast four years ago. 

I really like the dresser in our bedroom. I found it for $50 at a vintage shop near our house. You get what you pay for though. I'm considering letting it go because it doesn't work well at all and I get frustrated every time I have to open one of the drawers! Always trying to find the marriage between style and function.

“It’s not about having the perfect space and the perfect time, it’s just about making it a priority, fitting it in, and getting it done.”

THE MAINERS: You also have a nice mix of artwork. How did you start your collection?

MEGHAN: Dave's grandfather lived in Europe and loved the finer things in life. He would often go to auctions to buy artwork and vintage rugs. When he passed away, we inherited some of the artwork, which I think is really interesting. I probably wouldn't have bought it myself, but I like that it has a story and was passed down to us. Also, my mom is an exceptional artist. We have a few of her paintings that I really cherish. And, I found a framed preserved butterfly for $10 at a vintage shop that I also cherish. It's not only beautiful, but also serves as a powerful reminder to myself that I can morph and transform and create the life that I want to live and create the woman that I want to be. 

THE MAINERS: I love that. How do you make space for yourself? What is a routine you depend on for your wellbeing?

MEGHAN: Me time: meditation/prayer and working out at home streaming the Tracy Anderson Method or Beach Bootcamp. I wish I had a separate workout space! Honestly, right now I'm working out on Robben's car mat from IKEA in his play area. I lay my mat out on top of it because I'm too lazy to move it. I just try to set the intention to provide that space and time for myself because it sets me and my family up for success and makes me a better person all around. I usually try to sneak my workout in first thing while the house is quiet and the boys are still asleep.  It's not about having the perfect space and the perfect time, it's just about making it a priority, fitting it in, and getting it done.  

THE MAINERS: Right—there’s that saying: perfectionism is the enemy of productivity! What role does food (preparing it and eating it) play in your life and in your home? 

MEGHAN: Well, I will say that I am a multi-passionate person and one of my biggest passions and loves is food! It wasn't always a love affair though. For two-thirds of my life, I've battled with disordered eating issues and it's taken me a really long time and a lot of hard work to find joy again in food, eating, and cooking. My focus now is on feeling good in the moment and enjoying the process and the journey of figuring out what works for me physically, mentally, and spiritually. I'm always trying to find that sweet spot between eating for health and eating for pleasure. Some days it works beautifully, other days not so much. 

THE MAINERS: Wow. It sounds like it’s been quite a journey.

MEGHAN: My time living in Portland, Oregon had a profound effect on the way that I eat and view food. It helped me realize the power in feeling connected to the place where I live. I learned the pleasure and joy of shopping at the farmers markets and eating seasonally and buying locally. I try to do that as much as possible here too. It was in Portland that I started to make the connection that we are what we eat, and how we feel directly relates to what we put in our bodies and how we move them. Once I started to get in tune with my body and respect what it was trying to tell me, there was no going back for me and my journey to true and deep healing had begun. 

From my experience, I've learned that food is transformative, be it negative or positive. It's an exchange of love and of positive energy for yourself and for others if done with the right intention. I derive a lot of joy from sharing what I cook and create with my family and friends. It’s one of the biggest pleasures of my life! Now, if only I could get my 7-year-old to like my food! He's the pickiest eater and honestly doesn't like anything I make, except oven fries. Here's to hoping that one day soon he’ll come around. 

THE MAINERS: Ok, so, dream scenario: if you could live anywhere, in any kind of home, where/what would it be like? 

MEGHAN: Trying to live more in the moment, so honestly, I would say that I'm pretty darn happy right where I am. Going with the notion that if you feel abundant now, you will attract more abundance. 

In dreamland though, I envision myself splitting time between a cold weather place and a warm weather place (I get antsy and feel cooped up if I’m in one place for too long). I envision a beautiful, comfortable, simple, uncluttered home with a classic and modern design, interesting art, good food, comfortable furniture, and lots of friends and family gathered around to share in the beauty of it all. 

LYNN KRAUSS

Written by Rebecca Falzano

Photography by Erin Little

An artist her whole life, Lynn Krauss pivoted from painting to printmaking in the middle of her career and formed South Street Linen with two longtime artist friends. As Creative Director of the Portland slow-fashion brand, she collaborates with partners Mary Ruth Hedstrom and Jane Ryan to create a line of linen clothing, dreaming up colors, cuts, and prints. For nearly twenty years, she and her husband, architect Stephen Blatt (whose firm is above the South Street shop), have summered in a seaside bungalow on Vinalhaven, making the modest cottage their own with a blend of secondhand finds and Lynn's vibrant artwork. We asked Lynn to open up her island abode and talk to us about her work and life—and linen of course.

“I think a lot of artists come to this island and Maine in general because it gives you the chance to work in an uninterrupted way. The beauty of the landscape and ocean influences my work, especially the pattern and color in the details of the natural world.”

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THE MAINERS: Vinalhaven is such a magical place. You’ve been coming here for nearly 20 years. What first drew you to the island?

LYNN: Vinalhaven is like a throwback to the 1940s or 50s. When we first came, it seemed as though time had stood still here. It takes an hour and fifteen minutes to travel here and there are a limited number of ferries so I don't think it will ever become too populated. Knowing that we wanted to be on an island part of the year, we visited several places around Maine.  We found that because Vinalhaven is a living, working island it felt most genuine and less like a summer enclave. It has one of the largest lobster fleets in the world and a great community of year-rounders. The summer population is filled with artists, writers, and people with fascinating careers who are attracted to this island for its beauty and also the ability to keep a fairly low profile.

THE MAINERS: You’re sort of tucked away up here on the northern part of the island. How’d you find this cottage?

LYNN: We saw an ad in a sailing publication advertising a different house that was on the market. We came to look at it and wound up falling in love with this house, which was a stretch financially. In order to make it work, we have rented it out for several weeks each year. This was actually the first year we didn't have renters, and I spent from June to October here which was amazing. Our long-range plan is to spend about half the year here.

THE MAINERS: So how did South Street Linen come about? I hear it’s a great story.

LYNN: South Street was formed by myself and two longtime friends, Mary Ruth Hedstrom and Jane Ryan. The three of us were artists at the midpoint of our careers, and we would meet once a week to critique each other's work. I had just made the shift from painting to printmaking and during one of our meetings, I noticed a piece of linen Mary Ruth was wearing as a scarf. I told her that I had been wanting to print on textiles and she responded that she had been wanting to dye her collection of linen. The two of us got together in her kitchen and dyed yards of linen fabric. It was so beautiful that we sent photos to Jane, and she said, "I'll be right over with my sewing machine.” Mary Ruth and Jane pieced together the linen and I printed wood block patterns on it. We made around fifty scarves and Corey and Co. had a launch party for us where we virtually sold out! After scarves, we started branching out into home goods, runners, place mats, napkins, pillows, and aprons. We then designed an apron dress and soon after, a tunic patterned after a French work shirt. The response to the clothing was so positive that we discontinued home goods and started doing one garment after another. 

THE MAINERS: It’s as if the three of you were meant to do this! What has been the most challenging thing about starting a business in Maine?

LYNN: Being artists, we didn't really know a lot about business. My father was in retail. He had a record shop when I was growing up. I was sure I never wanted to do that. I didn't believe I had that entrepreneurial spirit. Also, waiting for customers to come in the door and hope that they would buy your product seemed daunting. We've been fortunate that those people who like linen are out there and find us. When we first started out, we asked local business owners to help mentor us with the offer of lunch if they could answer our questions. A good friend suggested an exercise that would help us recognize our strengths and weaknesses. By making a grid of everything that was required to run the business from concept to putting inventory on the shelves, we checked off what each of us loved and hated to do and identified what our roles would be.

THE MAINERS: Your house has a such a wonderful cozy feel, and it’s so well curated. What’s the history of the building?

LYNN: Do you know the artist Eric Hopkins from North Haven? His uncle, who was a caretaker and boatbuilder, built this house around 1918. This end of North Haven Road is called Hopkins Point. There used to be a barn on the property that served as the dry goods store for this end of the island. The arched doors leading to the porch were recycled from a large summer home that was torn down during the early part of the century. We turned the front of the house into a screened porch and added a pergola and patio to the water side. I feel so privileged and fortunate to have had this place for the last 19 years. The best part about having it is sharing this beautiful island with family and friends. Everything is very comfortable and faded so you don't have to worry about things getting stained or broken, especially because we have three grandsons!

THE MAINERS: They must love coming here.

LYNN: Oh, when they come out here, it's magical. There's so much freedom. They can run around all over town. They basically set up soccer on the lawn and play until it's too dark to see. We kayak, take the motor boat out to explore, and hike the Land Trust trails. My daughter’s husband is passionate about foraging for mushrooms. We all collect them and he makes amazing meals with them. When they visit, Steve and I move out to the guest house and they take over the cottage.

THE MAINERS: You and Steve must make a really great team when it comes to creating a home—you as an artist, him as an architect—how does that work?

LYNN: Steve and I are great collaborators. I worked with him in his practice as an interior designer for ten years. We have nearly identical aesthetics, he is my design soulmate. We are both influenced by Scandinavian and Japanese design and enjoy working on projects together. We are currently building a modern house in Portland, right next to the shop and his office. It's going to be very modern and minimalist, 1,200 square feet, all open. It will be very different from the cottage, but comfort is still a priority.

THE MAINERS: How does your personal aesthetic influence the South Street brand?

LYNN: I like saturated complex colors as well as subtle neutrals and that's pretty reflective of South Street's palette. Personally, I gravitate toward wearing black and gray with a small amount of a brilliant color, but it's important to listen to what other women are looking for. We offer a large range of color and pattern that hopefully covers a lot of tastes. Color evokes such an emotional response. We are told we have beautiful fabrics all the time.

QUICK EDIT

Favorite guilty pleasure: Chocolate, of course
How do you take your coffee: In the form of ice cream

Place you last traveled to: Morocco
When you’re not wearing South Street, you wear: Black jeans, black tees, black sweaters, black sneakers

Best view on the island: A tiny guest cottage at the eastern most point of North Haven Road

Favorite corner of your house: Sitting around the kitchen table
Most likely to: Spend more time printmaking on Vinalhaven

Last novel you read: The House Girl by Tara Conklin

Best room in the house: The screened porch

THE MAINERS: Who are some of your design icons and artist inspirations?

LYNN: I've always like Carl Larsson and I think this house is reminiscent of that sort of Arts and Crafts movement. I love Tanaka Iko who was a master graphic designer in Japan. He combined a Western sensibility with Eastern design which is what I'm drawn toward. As far as architects and designers, I'm inspired by the work of Alvar Aalto, Hans Wegner, Carlo Scarpa, Ray and Charle Eames, Alexander Girard, Tadeo Ando, Sonya Delaunay, and countless others. Artists I love are Helen Frankenthaler, Sean Scully, Milton Avery, Donald Bachelor, Martin Puryear, El Anatsui, Paul Klee, and on and on. I also love folk art because many of the objects are made to be functional yet the maker goes to the trouble of making them beautiful as well. I love the primitive quality that pares them down to their essence. I also follow clothing designers, especially small businesses like ours who practice the slow fashion model. 

“Everything is very comfortable and faded so you don’t have to worry about things getting stained or broken, especially because we have three grandsons!”

THE MAINERS: The fashion landscape is certainly changing. What role has South Street Linen played in small-batch slow fashion?

LYNN: The fact that we make everything locally is very important to us. It's difficult to do because the people that supported the textile industry in Maine were active several generations ago. We are fortunate to have a talented immigrant community that have arrived with these skills and are so valuable to our success.

THE MAINERS: Let’s talk about linen for a minute. I feel like there are a lot of misconceptions about it.

LYNN: We spend a lot of time educating people about the benefits of linen. When people hear “linen” they often think of pastel colors that are worn in the spring and summer and clothing that requires ironing. In reality it's an enduring material that is actually fairly low maintenance. Most of our linen comes from Lithuania and some from Ireland. It’s sturdy and cool in the summer and warm in the winter depending on the weight and weave. It’s great to layer with. Despite being around for a long time, linen seems to be having its moment lately. Although we started designing for women over 40 who wanted a less tailored fit, there seems to be a movement across fashion lines for a more deconstructed style like ours. Our objective is to design clothing that women feel and look great in.

THE MAINERS: When you are designing prints, what is your artistic process like? Where do you go to create?

LYNN: My creative process involves a lot of ruminating, thinking about it until I land on it and commit to it and put it out there. I generally come up with a concept and develop as many variations as I can on that theme. Instead of working on a computer, I use reams of architectural tracing paper to change scale and composition. Someday, we will build a studio out here but for now I work in the guest house or sometimes right here at the kitchen table. Although the view can be distracting.

THE MAINERS: You just got back from Morocco. How was it? Do you think what you experienced there will seep into your work?

LYNN: Morocco was inspirational on so many levels. It is a very tolerant country that has historically welcomed refugees and woven them into their ancient culture. With that has come a rich tradition of craft which has continued for centuries in exactly the way it has always been done. Textiles, ceramics, and metal work are evident in nearly every inch of the buildings I visited. There is a real national pride because of these enduring hand crafts and a powerful sense of community. I was also struck by the kindness of everyone I encountered, particularly being an American at this difficult time. A shopkeeper friend of our guide broke into song simply for our pleasure and tea is offered countless times a day. I was inspired by the extraordinary and primitive beauty of the High Atlas Mountains and by the vibrant colors and textures of Marrakesh and Fez, and I'm certain that they will find their way into my own design practice.

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THE MAINERS: You have such a beautiful mix of pieces. What are some of your most treasured possessions, and where did you find them?

LYNN: I'm not that attached to possessions. I like to look at them and compose them, but it's the house, the view, and the gardens that are meaningful to me. Being able to share this place with family and friends is what I cherish.

The chairs in the living room are from Marden's twenty years ago. The beds, dressers, chaise lounge, and side tables are from tag sales. The barn that used to stand on the property produced many of the objects on the porch, including the rusty toy truck welded to a base and wired to become a lamp. The two tiny wooden toys upstairs were found in a crawl space when we first moved here. I perched them on some trim so I could look at them when I go downstairs. There is a green cone on a shelf on the porch that Steve used when he was a coxswain in college. He has a long history of being on the water and I like this reminder.

Books, sea urchins, sand dollars, rocks, and bird feathers left behind by people who have stayed here all contribute to the history of the cottage. One woman that rented every year for 18 years left us a gift of origami after every stay. We've kept all of them in a colorful little collection on a shelf upstairs.

JENNY PRINN

Written by Rebecca Falzano

Artist Jenny Prinn has created a home and studio in Yarmouth much like one of her paintings—rich in color, full of vibrancy, and multi-faceted. The daughter of two antiques dealers, she has layered her space with treasured pieces inherited from family and works of art by artists she admires. From a variety of eras and styles, the items all work together effortlessly to tell a story that is not easily defined or contained. Her collection is the kind that has no rules, that takes risks, and that rewards the eye at every turn. We asked Jenny to share her thoughts on her home and her art.

“In the compositions of my spaces I am acutely aware of the importance of rhythm, pacing, pattern, color, and negative space. I am always trying to push the compositions in my artwork and I like to do the same in my spaces.”

THE MAINERS: You live in Yarmouth, which has to be one of Maine’s most charming small towns. What year was your home built? And what do you like about it?

JENNY: 1970, the same year that my husband and I were born—a great year for people, not a great year for houses! I can start by telling you what we don't like about it: the low ceilings! (It's a good thing we aren’t really tall.) But I would have to say that my favorite features are the open spaces we created, all the built-ins my husband built, and the screened porch. We basically live on the screened porch from May until almost November. We eat, read, play games, and watch TV out there—even if it means that I put on a down vest and hat.

THE MAINERS: Many artists recall being drawn to art at a very young age—other artists report having a turning point later in life where they changed course entirely to pursue their art. Do you remember when you first heard the call to become an artist?  

JENNY: I really don’t. I just remember always wanting to have a job doing something creative. (I also remember everyone always saying you can't make a living being an artist.) However it was when I turned 40 that I decided that I could do this. It was so cliché—a woman hitting her 40th birthday and deciding that she had nothing to lose, that she would only have herself to blame if she didn’t give it a try. It was a big step for me to think that, one, I had enough talent and two, that I had a perspective or voice that people would appreciate and want to purchase. It was terrifying, but I am so glad that I had that moment of strength and clarity. When I’m second-guessing myself or feeling self-doubt I try to channel that 40-year-old’s guts and determination.

THE MAINERS: How do you think being an artist influences how you see your space?

JENNY: In the compositions of my spaces I am acutely aware of the importance of rhythm, pacing, pattern, color, and negative space. I am always trying to push the compositions in my artwork and I like to do the same in my spaces. For that reason, my spaces constantly evolve and change. I move things around.

THE MAINERS: You have an incredibly vibrant home, much like your artwork. What draws you to color?

JENNY: Honestly, I look at these beautiful all-white or neutral spaces in magazines and online and they're gorgeous and seem so sophisticated, and I think, “I want that.” Yet, it's so difficult for me to keep it neutral! Eventually color will seep into every space. For me, color is a necessity. It's the vehicle that helps me express myself the best. It's like spices for a chef—it's how you add depth and intrigue and personality to a dish. I can't imagine life without it.

QUICK EDIT

Most recently read book: The Goldfinch

Go-to weekend meal: Anything that I don't have to cook and that someone serves to me!

Analog or digital: Reluctantly digital. I hate that there's not something tangible to hold and look at, but it is so convenient.

Describe your style in one word: Multifarious. (The only reason I chose that word is because Webster’s says it’s a synonym for "eclectic". And I hate the word “eclectic” used to describe a style. It seems like such a generic and lazy term!)  

Favorite place to find inspiration: The ocean. In it, on it, beside it—doesn't matter.  

Item you're most comfortable wearing: No question—hands down one of my caftans.

Best local spot to browse antiques: Unfortunately I don't really know anymore; so many of my favorites are now gone. But I do like some of the group shops that are peppered up and down Route 1 here in Maine—they're great for hunting. 

THE MAINERS: Your aesthetic is also very beautifully layered. And somehow, everything works together. How do you know when to stop layering? 

JENNY: Sometimes I don't! I just keep adding items that I love. I have a philosophy (right or wrong) to buy what you love and worry about where it will go later. Oftentimes, I will move an item two or three times over the course of months (and even years!) until it tells me where it belongs. Sometimes it's not obvious from the start.  

THE MAINERS: Clearly your parents being antiques dealers has rubbed off on you. What have you learned from them about collecting?

JENNY: I learned so much from them. I learned to love history in general and to appreciate the provenance of an item. To admire and respect the makers and designers of objects. To recognize design periods—and the “why and how” an object looks like it does. I was exposed to so many different items, time periods, and design styles. My dad was a “picker,” or what they called a “door knocker,” and not only did he love his job, he was really good at it. He was honest and kind and incredibly knowledgeable, which are extremely important if strangers are going to let you into their homes to go through their drawers and attics. Every day he would arrive home with a Suburban full of new treasures, and my parents would go through all the items, big and small. Growing up, my brother and I were a part of this daily event. I learned by osmosis. It's probably why my style is so multifaceted. I love so many styles and periods—it would be impossible for me to choose just one.  

THE MAINERS: What are some of your favorite antiques in your home?

JENNY: I have items that belonged to my parents, my grandparents, and my husband’s great-great-grandparents. I am blessed to have these items in our spaces. For me they are a tangible connection to the past and to who my husband, children, and I are. These items have an almost talisman effect for me. The items that I probably love the most are: the pink slag glass lamp from my grandmother, the Drexel coffee table from my parents, the eagle leg lamp from my husband’s great-great-grandparents, my Poul Jensen Z chair, a painting by Alfred Chadbourn from my parents, the Sewer Art sculpture from my dad, a pair of gorgeous portrait paintings from my parents, and my vintage brass and glass coffee table.

THE MAINERS: Tell me about your favorite pieces of art (by other artists) in your home. What are your most treasured possessions?  

JENNY: Oooooh, this is difficult! A few of my favorite pieces are my Alfred Chadbourn painting—he is one of my all-time faves (and it’s such a bonus that he was from Yarmouth; I was lucky to meet him and see his studio years ago, when I was a teenager), a pair of vintage portraits by G.A. Williams, four original Hilla Rebay pieces, a Sewer Art/folk art sculpture of a man in a hat, an early painting by Heather Day, two drawings by Katy Ann Gilmore, a limited edition screen print with gold leaf by Lisa Hunt, a small blue portrait of a girl, and our vintage velvet Elvis. Other than photos of my parents and my sons’ art, my most treasured possession would probably have to be the pink slag glass lamp from my grandmother. I have loved it since I was a child.

“For me, color is a necessity. It’s the vehicle that helps me express myself the best. It’s like spices for a chef—it’s how you add depth and intrigue and personality to a dish.”

THE MAINERS: Where does your day start out? Where does it end up?

JENNY: This is such a non-glamorous answer. My day starts with getting my boys ready and driving them to school. It ends with me driving them to and from practices/rehearsals, making dinner, and cleaning up. Clearly, I'm living the dream!

THE MAINERS: It must be convenient at least to work in a studio that is just steps from your kitchen! How does your home studio influence your work?

JENNY: It’s amazing! I can work at any hour of the day—which is often until very late at night. And I can be ready to pick my boys up from school and take them to practices, performances, and games. However, the downside is that I am always available to take my boys to practices, performances, and games! It is hard for me to get a solid, uninterrupted day in the studio, with me being so accessible. But I wouldn't change a thing. It allows me to be both a mother and an artist—which is not easy to balance—so having my studio in my home is paramount. My studio influences my work, only in that it’s my space. I have all that space to myself and I can make as big of a mess as needed. I like that it’s so close and accessible, and that I’m able to come upstairs and just close the door behind me.

THE MAINERS: How old are your boys, and how has being a mother influenced both your art and your home?

JENNY: My boys are 14 and 12.5. This is a good question—I'm not really sure. I guess it has influenced my home in that I want a home filled with lots of character and color so that they gain an appreciation and respect for objects and their history. I want them to know that a home is a way to reflect one’s personality, and that it doesn't have to follow the “rules” or be too serious. As for my work, being a mother definitely influences me in that I try to be brave and to reach for things that I might think are out of my reach. I want my boys to see that I am strong and confident. But it's also great for them to see me when I'm feeling insecure and what I decide to do with that insecurity. I love that they see it's possible to do what you love for a job—but that it takes a lot of work, often times around the clock.

THE MAINERS: What other artists do you admire?

JENNY: This is such a difficult question! There are so many! I honestly admire any artist who is hustling every day and trying to make a go of this as a living. It's not an easy path! I am in awe of people who seem to do it all so seamlessly. And my taste in art is as varied as my taste in home décor. It's all over the map; there's no rhyme or reason to it. I love what I love, and I make no excuses about it. I am typically drawn to abstract work, although I am a huge fan of hyperrealism—it is so fascinating to me and is so not how my brain and personal filter work. I also adore 16th- and 17th-century portraits and still lifes, and I have a weird thing for portraits without a face.  

“I learned to love history in general and to appreciate the provenance of an item. To admire and respect the makers and designers of objects. To recognize design periods—and the ‘why and how’ an object looks like it does. I was exposed to so many different items, time periods, and design styles.”

THE MAINERS: Do you ever take risks with your décor?

JENNY: Decorating on an incredibly tight budget, using a lot of the furniture we already owned, and following my gut. (Thankfully my husband is usually on board.)

THE MAINERS: When it's time to clear your head, where do you go in your home?

JENNY: Other than my studio, it would be the living room in the winter months, and the screened porch the rest of the year.

THE MAINERS: What keeps you here in Maine?

JENNY: My husband and I both grew up in Yarmouth and we wanted the same experience for our boys. We stay in Maine because of family, its natural beauty, its people, the wholesome environment—and of course, the ocean.  

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FIND JENNY HERE:

• Website
• Instagram 

ARIEL HALL + JAN LETH + LOLA

Written by Rebecca Falzano

If you’ve ever been inside contemporary design showroom Periscope in Rockland, you’ve already gotten a taste of Ariel Hall and Jan Leth’s design aesthetic. Not only do the two share a strong connection to Maine (Ariel grew up on the midcoast and Jan spent time there for many decades before moving up permanently), they also both have robust creative backgrounds. Ariel is an artist, and Jan worked as a global creative director at the advertising firm Ogilvy.

Ariel and Jan founded Periscope to share their love for modern and contemporary design. The shop showcases a hand-picked, evolving selection of housewares, furniture, and lifestyle items from both established brands and emerging designers. 

We recently visited Ariel and Jan (and baby Lola) at their home in Spruce Head. 

“I think I’ve always infused my living spaces with a bit of whimsy and pragmatic creativity.”

THE MAINERS: Like many creatives, you moved to Maine from New York. What was your journey like? What did you give up to come here and what have you gained?

ARIEL: I felt ready to return to Maine shortly after grad school. I’d been a working artist, and also supporting myself with other jobs, and I looked ahead and just couldn’t quite see how I’d ever afford a quality of life that felt desirable or, frankly, reasonable. I was in my early thirties, knew I wanted a family, and couldn’t imagine doing that in a city with such restricted space. My dad had a bout of cancer and I thought, “Okay, that’s it. I’d like to be in Maine. What am I waiting for?” (My dad’s doing well, by the way.) At first I had it great: I was living in Maine but still working in the city at MoMA, so I was back and forth between the two places a couple times a month. I got the best of both worlds: all the stimulation of the city and all the beauty of Maine. But after two years of this I was a bit tired of the travel and my work at MoMA ended. I really miss the city’s grit, wild creativity, diversity, and my momentum in the art world, but I’m grateful for the natural world here and the ability to spread out more. This feels like a healthier place to be a kid, so I’m happy that Lola is building her sense of the world from this place; we can, and do, round that out by travel to cities and other places. I need a fairly regular dose of urban to feel balanced myself.

JAN: I echo some of that. I miss the diversity, energy, and creativity, for sure, but I do not miss the grind. Here I obviously enjoy being more in touch with nature and feeling a greater sense of community, which one just doesn’t have in a city the size of New York.

QUICK EDIT

Best place to catch the sunset- On a boat in Penobscot Bay!

Favorite tourist trap- McLoon’s Lobster Shack

Best place for a swim- Clark Island Quarry or Beauchamp Point

Favorite gallery- CMCA 

Go-to meal to cook for guests- Scallop ceviche

Favorite place to find inspiration- BDDW (New York)

Thing you love most about where you live- All the space! You don’t get space like this in a city, indoors or out!

THE MAINERS: Space is a huge benefit of living in Maine. You’ve done such a beautiful job curating yours. Your home is a lovely mix of old and new, and yet Periscope is decidedly modern. How do you merge the two styles? 

ARIEL: Well, in many ways it seems like an obvious way to go. When you inherit items, and can be selective about which you hold onto, then the blending of old and new becomes pretty natural.

JAN: My father was an architect, coming from the Danish design world, so he and my mom already had an informed, selective taste. Over the years I’ve whittled my collection down from them to what suits me and fits with other pieces I’ve collected along the way. It’s a constant process of riffing. 

ARIEL: I think we both have an inclination to temper the old with the new. Much of the older pieces are made of dark woods, but midcentury stuff started seeing a surge in lighter woods, and having a mix of the two keeps things balanced. I also really respond to the materiality of things, so texture, which is inherently different with aged than new things, plays a big part in how something feels to me. It’s nice to have smooth and shiny next to dinged and patina-ed. 

THE MAINERS: I would imagine that owning a design store must be an exercise in restraint when it comes to decorating your own home. How do you decide when you have to have a piece from the store in your home?

JAN: Well, the practical answer is space! We’ve already got a furnished home, so anything that we newly acquire now has to be really spot on. There are also probably a few things from home that we could rotate out to make space for something new, but sometimes it’s hard to actually see what’s there and remember that you can reassess it. It’s easy to get so used to things that you don’t even truly see them anymore. 

ARIEL: Which brings us back around to the merging of old and new. There are these chairs we carry at Periscope, a beautiful Børge Mogensen design from 1958, called the Spanish Chair, and I just lust after them. They’re gorgeous new, but they’re even better as they age. Somebody’s got to buy them new, but when you really want them is 20, 30, 40 years from now when the wood is all smoothed over and the leather is soft and creased from wear. Maybe this says something about quality and craftsmanship over other driving forces in deciding what to buy. 

THE MAINERS: Your appreciation for craftsmanship is evident throughout your home. Ariel, has your life as an artist influenced the space you live in?

ARIEL: Honestly, this is the first home I’ve lived in where I haven’t been the dominant decorator slash creator! Jan already lived here, and I moved into his space. So in this situation the question points to how two people meld their sense of creating space together. 

THE MAINERS: And how did that go for you two?

ARIEL: It’s a little slow and gentle. I don’t want to rush in and make changes too quickly, especially as we’re both people who feel strongly about our aesthetic choices, and we’re both incredibly stubborn. 

But back to your previous question: I think I’ve always infused my living spaces with a bit of whimsy and pragmatic creativity—like, how can I creatively solve a storage problem? Could I use those gorgeous rocks I lugged home to prop up a shelf? I’ve always seen my living space as an extension of my sense of self, and it’s always functioned as a sort of “thinking” space for creative projects and my intellectual life—I try on ideas through doing and redoing, through iterating, through continual, progressive musing on the books I’m reading and the ideas they spur and the tactile results of that. Something I’ve made or found goes up on the wall and then comes down, or gets placed on a shelf, then moved, then moved again and combined with something else… That doesn’t happen so much in this house because the space begs to be left more uncluttered, and because I also have a studio in the house, which I’ve never had before, so much of that thinking process can happen in a more contained area.

THE MAINERS: Art—including your own—is so much of the soul of your home. Could you tell us about some of your favorite works? What advice would you give someone looking to start a collection? 

JAN: Either the Red Devil over the fireplace, or the brush head guy I made that’s hanging in the stairwell.

ARIEL: I agree with both of those! I also have some pieces, both others’ and my own, tucked away in boxes that I’d love to unearth and put up, but since those aren’t up on the walls yet… I guess that makes me think, in terms of starting a collection, I’d say just buy what moves you. Support your artist friends, if you can, and have fun playing with proximity when placing pieces in your home. Move things around! Swap things out!

THE MAINERS: Outside of your art collection, do you have any other prized collections you can tell us about? 

ARIEL: I’d probably say my jewelry. I used to wear lots of jewelry, all the time, but since moving back to Maine I’ve found I’m less adventurous that way. And now that I have a baby-almost-toddler, for whom jewelry equals toy, I’m not really wearing any at all. BUT I still have a great collection! Some of it inherited from my grandmother, some from my mother, and much of it found at thrift stores.

JAN: My motorcycles! I’ve got five. Not riding them as much as I’d like to be right now, but I’ll get back to it.

THE MAINERS: Where are you most at home inside your home, and why?

ARIEL: This isn’t what my heart would want to say, but it’s probably the kitchen. Since Lola was born I’ve spent more and more time in the kitchen, which is open to the dining room and living room. We basically hang out there all day, eating and cooking, yes, but also playing and working. I can usually get some computer work done at the counter or work on some small hand project at the dining table while caring for her. It’s an easy place for us both to be, occupied and relatively happy, for long stretches. 

JAN: Sitting at the dining table in the middle of the great room. It’s central, and it’s just so open and light, I love it. 

THE MAINERS: You both have long-time connections to Maine. Has your shared love of this place made its way into your aesthetic?

JAN: I think there’s an appreciation for simplicity and natural materials that we both share, especially for wood, and a certain color palette of blues, greens, and grays that we tend to both prefer. 

ARIEL: That’s definitely true, and I’d add that we both like a little of the crusty funkiness of Maine, too. We like to make things from ocean detritus. 

THE MAINERS: Simplicity is evident in your use of white throughout. Tell us more about color—or lack thereof in some cases—in your space. 

JAN: The house was painted this slightly warm white when I moved in, and it’s perfect. A modern home like this, with such a high ceiling in the great room, and so many large windows… It just wants to be white, a clean palette to highlight outside, or allow whatever’s within the house to punctuate and stand out.

ARIEL: White walls, white ceiling, white trim: it’s clean, makes the space airy, and keeps it uncomplicated and unfussy. As for what goes in the house, I almost always tend toward what I’d call “easy” colors—naturals, mostly—with a little flare of red or neon here and there. Jan likes bolder colors in general. 

THE MAINERS: What is a typical Sunday morning like in your house?

JAN: Well, I’m working seven days a week these days (on projects for Ogilvy), so if I’m lucky Sunday mornings bring a little respite with a brunch with family or friends before getting back on my computer for the day. 

ARIEL: It’s true! We’re pretty much go, go, go here between running a small business, Lola, and Jan’s Ogilvy work. I’d like to think that Sundays could be precious, and maybe one day they will be again, but right now they’re like any other day. Lola gets us up early!

THE MAINERS: Speaking of Lola, how has having a baby influenced your space?

ARIEL: We’ve got a lot more stuff now! And lots more plastic. We’ve also shuffled rooms around a bit, sort of abandoning what has been our bedroom upstairs—this completely serene, tidy space—and moving downstairs into what had been the guest room. We haven’t even started on creating a room for Lola yet. We’ve hemmed and hawed about which room should be hers and finally decided that we’ll dismantle our shared studio space and make it her room.

JAN: This house wasn’t really built for a family. It hasn’t been obvious what room should be Lola’s. It’s a real sacrifice to give up our studio, but she’s obviously worth it!

FIND ARIEL + JAN HERE:

•  ARIEL
• JAN

ALI MALONE + BEN RAY

Written by Rebecca Falzano

When a historic home by an esteemed architect goes up for sale, you hold your breath that the right people find their way to it. There’s a responsibility inherent in such a house—a call to honor its past while ushering it into the future. This house designed by John Howard Stevens, son of renowned Maine architect John Calvin Stevens, fell into just the right hands. Ali Malone and Ben Ray share a love of real estate, art, and design, and their enthusiasm for creating eclectic spaces has found the perfect home here. Ali is a broker at Portside Realty Group and a real estate development consultant, and Ben is the founder of Evangeline Linens. The couple also owns Urban Edit, a company that buys, renovates, and resells homes. With their combined skill set and passions, the couple is poised to be the home’s careful stewards for years to come.

Read on to get a glimpse inside their lives and this historic space. 

"We have both developed quite a love for art collecting and we especially love supporting local artists.

Actually, maybe art 'addiction' is a better word."

Quick Edit

Favorite record to play on a Sunday:

Leon Bridges for the adults. Michael Jackson on repeat if you ask the kids.

Describe the vibe in your home in one word:

Eclectic

Most unexpected item in your closet:

Usually our kids. It’s their favorite hiding spot. 

Summer or winter:

Tie!

Current book on your nightstand:

David Sedaris, Theft by Finding for him. A full pile of guilty pleasure mysteries for her (don’t tell).

Best family-friendly neighborhood spot:

Isa for dinner. Rose Foods for breakfast. 

Place you met:

Yankee Lanes back when the Bowl Portland league was there (pre-Bayside Bowl). We bowled in a league together for our whole relationship until this year.

Chocolate or vanilla:

Chocolate. With nuts. 

THE MAINERS: So you hit the historic house jackpot! How did you find the house, and what was it like the first time you laid eyes on it?

ALI: In a strange twist of fate, I spent quite a bit of time in this house as a child. One of my good friends in elementary school lived in the house decades ago. I have memories of playing in the room that now belongs to my son. I remember it being a warm home that seeped with character. Reentering the house as potential buyers nearly three decades later was totally surreal. We had sold our last home in the West End the previous year and were in a short-term rental while we shopped. The process had been more daunting than expected, and the nesting instinct was strong (I was 8 months pregnant). We both walked into the house and just said, “yup, this is it.” We loved the character, history, light, layout, neighborhood—everything. The sellers had raised their family in the home, and I think they were happy to see it go to people with vision for the house’s future and respect for its past. It took some time to work through the details, but we closed on the house a month after Harlow was born and began making it our own.

BEN: We were both on the same page when we saw the house. We knew we wanted to make an offer. We immediately started running through who would have what room, and what projects we wanted to tackle. For us, that’s a great sign. It had been hard to leave the West End, we loved it there, and this neighborhood shared some of the same vibes. That was important, too. And also, when you're without a home and your wife is 8 months pregnant, she’s the boss.

THE MAINERS: What’s it like living in a piece of history? What speaks to you about the architecture, and how do you honor the history there?

ALI: We both love Portland architecture and have lived in a series of amazingly different historic homes throughout the city. When we moved in together we purchased a federal-style building downtown that we converted to condos. We kept the third floor in the project. It was (to date) our oldest property, from 1818, and was on the National Historic Registry. We loved the process of restoring it to make it our own while also trying to honor the history. We did that process again just a few years later when we bought a bank-owned Victorian in the West End and brought it back to life. The two properties both felt very “us” even though they were very different architecturally. When we found this house it was so different stylistically from the other properties that we had owned but still felt like the totally right fit. As with our art and furnishings, we both have eclectic taste in architecture so it’s easy to shift from space to space.

In terms of the John Howard Stevens component specifically, it was a real draw for me. I've shown countless properties designed by John Calvin Stevens over the years. They can vary greatly in style and grandeur but the layouts and thoughtfulness are consistent. Our house actually reminds me more of some the Great Diamond Island cottages than of the more “typical” West End type JCS architecture. I was drawn to the fact that JHS had designed this house to use personally (it was the first house he designed). He started his family in the house and you can feel that in the space. It has a casualness and practicality that spoke to me—it felt modern for the era.

BEN: It has a bit of a California feel with the beams on the first floor. We’ve definitely dug into the history of JCS and JHS. Only a few other families have lived in this house, including John Howard Stevens. The home was built in 1904 as one of his earliest solo projects; he designed the addition in 1914 as his family outgrew the original footprint. His father, John Calvin Stevens, eventually moved from a house in the West End and built the house next door and his sister built and moved in to a house on the other side. We actually have a wonderful oil painting above the fireplace by John Calvin Stevens that he painted for his son. We’ve bought several books on JCS and even have (copies of) the original floor plans.

THE MAINERS: Honoring the past while making some updates is a delicate balance, isn’t it? What were some of the first projects you tackled? 

ALI: The master bedroom and bathroom in the house didn’t work for me. It was dated and the flow and utility wasn't being maximized. We never even moved our stuff into the room. We worked with the talented group at Barrett Made to gut the rooms back to the studs and totally rework the space. I think it’s now my favorite space in the house. We vaulted the ceilings up and left all the old collar ties exposed. We actually combined what had been two rooms to create an office for Ben, tons of (well hidden) closet space, a spacious and bright master bathroom, and a large bedroom area. When the chaos of the family and working at home gets overwhelming it feels like a mini spa retreat to me. We painted the whole room white, trim included, which modernized the space quite a bit and is a nice shift from the darker trim in the rest of the house.

BEN: We also dove right into some painting projects. Our den had been all dark wood paneling with black floors (not original to the house). We painted the whole room white, which made it much brighter. It’s a space that gets a lot of use by the whole family, so we wanted it to be bright and playful. Also, we both love being outside and we’re excited to work in the garden. The house had mature gardens, but we wanted to simplify them and work to create more usable outdoor space for the family. The second summer in the house we built a beautiful back patio. We have our Preway fireplace out there and have even just ordered some comfy new outdoor furniture. We put in a nice herb garden and have a grape arbor over the dining area.

"I LOVE the credenza—it's supposedly a Kagan—in our living room that our record player sits on. We actually bought it off the people we rented from in between this house and our last. They were moving to New York City, and it was too heavy for them to move. The Lucite legs make it look like it’s floating."

THE MAINERS: How does your style complement the house’s architectural bones? 

BEN: I don't know if it actually does. We buy what we like and throw it in a space to see if it works. It's eclectic and different and authentic. We strive to never have a space looking too much like a Design Within Reach showroom. (Although, we do love everything from Design Within Reach.) I’m not sure if our style fits with the house. I hope it does. But it’s our style and it’s what we love.

ALI: Yes! What he said. It’s a lot of trial and error. And we both try to have fun with it. It’s easy to complement a house with great architecture.

THE MAINERS: Ali, as a Portland native and a third-generation real estate broker, you have a deep-rooted appreciation for homes. What was important to you in finding your own home?

ALI: I'll definitely sound like a broker with this statement, but LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION. We have to be drawn to the neighborhood and to the vibe of both the house in question and the neighboring properties. I also have issues with claustrophobia, I'm always drawn to houses that have a good, open flow, and I tend to like properties that are up high (all three of our houses have been up on hills) with some sense of openness and view. Light is also very important to me. This house faces south and the layout deliberately maximizes light. John Howard Stevens was also pretty progressive on the energy efficiency front. The house has overhangs that maximize passive solar in the winter, when the sun sits low in the sky. In the summer, the overhangs create shade and help to keep the house cool. I'm also a “structure person,” I like the nuts and bolts of a house and like to spend time down in the basements of properties to get a sense for how well built they are.

THE MAINERS: Ben, how does your experience with and love for textiles get woven (no pun intended) into the design of your home? And how did you get started on Evangeline?

BEN: For more than a decade, I have traveled the United States working in the textile industry. I have always been on the sales side of small Maine businesses (Angela Adams on the west coast, Transformit and Brahms Mount here in Maine). At a certain point, it just made more sense to branch off and do something on my own. I would have loved to buy into any of the above companies but knew that was never going to be an option. Evangeline, named after Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem, is my new business. I’m making heirloom-quality Maine bed blankets and throws and am selling them across the country in small boutique stores and high-end linen shops. I am proud to own my own company and to be able to execute my own vision for luxury, high-quality goods. I’m proud of the Maine connection, too, as it inspires me every day. It’s great to be able to support the textile industry here. I’m so excited to grow and be able to expand and hire more people to join my team. Being in the home industry makes the home design stuff more fun, too. When I travel to trade shows and to visit the stores that carry my products, I always find tons of inspiration. It’s great to discover new brands, trends, and so on, and to be able to support the companies that support me.

THE MAINERS: Your combined styles not only complement the house, but they work really well together—which often time takes some work. Where do you both get your eye for design from?

ALI: I think we both enjoy, most of, the same design elements. The fun part, for me at least, is how our styles are compatible but our skills sets are actually quite opposite. I really enjoy doing layout work and color selection—paint colors are my jam. Ben is really great at the interior furnishings, sourcing products, and finishing touches. It’s fun to be able to complement each other.

I was lucky to have grown up surrounded by great design. Both my parents have amazing taste and have instilled a great love and respect for the arts in all of their children. I remember my parents hosting “gallery shows” at their house and sometimes being allowed to choose a piece of art at studio openings. I also grew up around tons of property (my dad being a broker) and around renovations (I remember three big moves as a child—all with big projects). As a kid, we used to spend weekends at “apartment camp,” which consisted of using “elbow grease” to improve our family-owned apartments. Once you see the potential that a space can have if you invest yourself in it, the sky is the limit.

BEN: I'm a bit OCD. I think it helps, as I like rooms to look and feel a certain way.

THE MAINERS: Tell us about your amazing and diverse collection of artwork. What are some of your favorite pieces?

BEN: We have both developed quite a love for art collecting and we especially love supporting local artists. Actually, maybe art “addiction” is a better word. It’s nice that this is an area where our tastes are, usually, pretty well in line. We coveted one of the pieces in our living room, a sort of modern portrait by Rob Sullivan, for so long that we each almost bought it for the other for multiple holidays. I finally won by surprising Ali with it for Christmas years ago. I found a piece at a junk shop up north that is a favorite of both of ours. It's a collage-style piece of two nudes in a beautiful frame. We have no idea who it’s by but that doesn’t matter to us. Having MECA in Portland is such a great asset for the city. We’ve met so many students and teachers who are so wonderfully talented and creative. We definitely get inspiration from there.

ALI: Yes! Totally agreed. Portland’s art scene is so inspiring. Some of my favorite pieces are from artists that have been affiliated with MECA. The pieces by Tim Wilson are some of the first ones that we bought together. Also the wonderfully talented Michael Drodge and Anne Buckwalter. Our wedding photographer was Winky Lewis—she’s incredible. One of my favorite pieces is definitely a giant wedding photograph of us in our wedding attire wearing rubber animal masks that she took. It’s a fun version of the usual wedding shot. I also love our George Lloyd paintings. My parents have always collected his work, and he had an amazing show at the PMA a few years ago. I used to live in the apartment below him when I met Ben. The PMA is also such a great resource; the Contemporaries membership option is so great for ushering young people into the wide world of art.

THE MAINERS: You also have a great mix of old and new furnishings. What are some of your favorites?

ALI: I LOVE the credenza—it's supposedly a Kagan—in our living room that our record player sits on. We actually bought it off the people we rented from in between this house and our last. They were moving to New York City, and it was too heavy for them to move. The Lucite legs make it look like it’s floating. I also love the dining table by George Nakashima. It's so different from any other dining table you see around. I was so relieved that it fit in our dining room in this house! I also love our Womb Chair and so does everyone else in the family. We all fight over who gets to sit there in the morning. It’s really the most comfortable chair of all time. It was on both my and Ben’s wish lists for a long time before we finally found one on Craigslist that we could justify buying.

BEN: I like the skulls and bones and zebra pelts and old things that are weird in form. We have this pelican skull that we found in Panama and brought back with us (very carefully). I also have quite a chair fetish. I really like our dining room chairs—chrome and worn leather really works. I might like the hunt for new and interesting pieces even more than owning them though. I’m really excited to be opening a retail shop in “the black box” on Washington Avenue this summer. I'll be selling Evangeline blankets and throws there, but I'll also be selling authentic vintage furniture and art. It will let me keep hunting even though out house is getting full! I’m going to be sharing the space with Amie Artisans, owned by Meredith Brockington, who is amazingly talented. She also is the photographer behind Evangeline.

THE MAINERS: Speaking of shops, what are some of your go-to places to find items for your home?

BEN: All our furnishings are sourced through Craigslist or thrift shops, Portland Flea for All, or secret spots throughout Maine. Like I said, I like the hunt and nothing is better than finding a buried score (figuratively and, often in Maine, literally).

ALI: Or Marden’s. I am obsessed with Marden’s. We've gotten rugs, furniture, flooring, and even plumbing fixtures there. (No, I don't work there, ha.) It's always hit or miss but when you hit, it’s always amazing and such a bargain. And with Ben working in the design industry, we have wholesale access to great lines.

THE MAINERS: Does having kids change how you view or treat your space? 

BEN: We still have a white couch even with two kids under five. People are always shocked by that. I think we’ve taught our kids to be respectful of furniture but in the end, it’s all just things.

ALI: I think we both decided that when we became parents we didn’t want to be totally buried in plastic. We try to be thoughtful about what we buy for them, and we swap stuff out on them all the time. We’ll hide stuff in the basement, then bring it back up a few months later and it’s like Christmas for them! We definitely had to get creative with storage options too. We have lots of stylish little bins everywhere so we’re not looking at the toys all the time. All this said, there is nothing that makes me smile more than finding a stray Lego while I'm gardening or a baby doll buried in my sheets when I go to bed at night.

BEN: I've woken up with Legos stuck to my back—nope, not kidding.

THE MAINERS: So what is one of your favorite family routines in this house?

ALI: I love our morning ritual most of all. We have wonderful light in the living room in the morning. We all go down and get our morning drink (coffee for us and milk for the kids), and they play while Ben and I read the paper. We toss on a record and they’ll dance. We don't have a TV in the living room so there are no distractions, it's just a space to be together. One of the things that makes me feel most fortunate is that, since we work from home, we don't have a crazy rush in the mornings, and we can spend time as a family.

BEN: Our dance sessions are so fun and give me a chance to play records. Atticus has some real moves. I also love having fires in the living room in the winter.

See more of Evangeline Linens here. 

EMILY SEYMOUR + BEN DORR

If you happen to be strolling down the streets of Rockland, you just might find yourself peering into the windows of an eclectic vintage shop situated on the corner of the bustling main drag. The door is often propped open and there’s always good music on the turntable. The duo behind the playful shop Curator have created a bustling business in a town that’s experiencing a bit of a resurgence, and have also made their home just down the road.

With their lighthearted and simplistic approach to life, style inspiration from childhood trips to Paris, and resourceful ways of living and running a business, these two inspire and leave us lusting for vintage Levis and yard sale holy grails. Read on for tips on vintage style, creating a beautiful  home on a budget, and the perfect meal for entertaining.

"Neither of us are particularly careful people,

so we can’t own a white couch or a coffee table that needs coasters."

QUICK EDIT

Best spot in town for lunch:

 It’s a bit out of town, but Salty Owl at the Owls Head Airport is so so good

Oysters…yay or nay:

Always yay, either North Haven or Pemaquid

Most coveted cooking implement:

 A sharp knife

Could not live without:

 Coffee (and our dog)

Best yard sale find:

 It’s at the next yard sale

Favorite corner of your home:

 The kitchen!

Your go-to outdoor spot to just chill:

Beauchamp Point in Rockport

One word to sum up Rockland:

 Scrappy

THE MAINERS: I love the ease and playfulness with which you both approach life, style, and curating your interior. Can you describe your aesthetic in these areas and how you work together to create these things?

EMILY: For me, the pieces in our home (and my wardrobe for that matter) have to be beautiful but not precious. Neither of us are particularly careful people, so we can’t own a white couch or a coffee table that needs coasters. Almost every weekend of the summer we go yard saling together, and we find a lot of our housewares there. Often when we find a good piece, or a weird one that makes us laugh, we buy it and it either comes home with us or goes to our store.

BEN: I’m with Emily on this one. We lead a pretty rough and tumble life so things that can take a beating are a must. I like the idea of beautiful but not precious, it’s really how I would describe myself as well.

THE MAINERS: Your house was built recently, but on a lot in a neighborhood that had an existing older home. Can you tell us about the process of building and designing this space? Were you both involved?

BEN: When I first bought the house I thought it was going to be a paint and paper job but I quickly realized the house was never going to be as nice as we wanted it to be. Making the decision to build a brand new house was intimidating, both financially and emotionally. However I have some amazing friends who helped me design and build this space. My goal was a modern home with antique farmhouse touches and a restaurant caliber kitchen that we could easily entertain with. I made all the aesthetic decisions during the construction process but Emily has been invaluable in helping this house become our home.

EMILY: When I met Ben five years ago this spring, he already owned the property. I was not involved with the project until the house was finished and it was time to move in. The only thing I insisted on was that we have all white walls.

THE MAINERS: I love the fact that your home is new, but has a lot of funky quirks and feels so unique and, well…you! How did you balance those things during the design and decorating process?

BEN: We decided at the beginning that we wouldn’t make any purchases just because we needed something to fill a space. Because of that, the house continues to evolve as we find new and fun pieces. We attend auctions regularly because of our store and are always on the hunt for the next best thing, we also LOVE getting rid of stuff so the pieces in our house tend to change frequently. Our home is a fluid thing so we don’t feel like it’s ever going to be complete.

THE MAINERS: Your style feels warm, simplistic, and resourceful. Do you have any fun stories behind some of the pieces in your home?

EMILY: The only thing we buy new is pottery from our friends Meghan Flynn and Ariela Nomi Kuh, everything else we salvage (except our mattress, those should always be new). Our sink is probably our favorite piece in the home. We found it in Searsport at a Place called the Trash and Treasures Barn. It’s five feet long, so we had to change our kitchen plans, but I’m so glad we did. Everything in our house has a weird little story about how we got it. The orange chair used to be mustard polyester; we found it on the side of the road and I recovered it with cotton velvet from Mardens. The Vulcan range used to be in Amalfi in Rockland but had been sitting in a barn for about 10 years, so we restored that. The hoosier cabinet came out of the home of one of our first big consignors. The monson slate box next to the couch is an as of yet unidentified piece that Ben dug out of the woods in Swanville. The clawfoot tub was saved from the dumpster at an inn in Camden and restored along with both bathroom sinks.

 THE MAINERS: You both own and operate an incredible vintage clothing store in Rockland called Curator. The space itself is gorgeous and reflects your individual style, while also enticing shoppers and accommodating a lot of clothes! Tell us about the story behind deciding to open up shop, how you source your clothing, and what’s in store for the future!

EMILY: We source about 30% of the inventory ourselves, at estate sales, thrift stores, auctions, and other more secret places. The rest comes in on consignment. We are super picky about what we accept, and are constantly trying to hone in on what sells/looks best in our store. I have always thrifted, so I love doing it as my job, but It’s also amazing when someone walks in our door with incredible stuff, no digging required. Occasionally, we’ll have what we call a “whale”, which is when someone strolls in with bags and bags of designer stuff, or a couple dozen pairs of vintage levis (this happened last month, come get them!) We have a SUPER exciting plan for next year, but it’s not official yet. I’ll just say that we definitely plan on growing.

BEN: Consignment is a family business for me going back to my great grandfather who had an office supply store in Bridgeport, CT so when we had the opportunity to get this amazing space in Rockland we jumped at it!

THE MAINERS: Ben has a background in cooking, correct? Do you entertain often? If so, can you share some tips on hosting? (A recipe would be cool…hint hint!)

BEN: I do have a background in cooking and we entertain as much as we can! I think the best hosting (life?) tip I can give is to not take yourself too seriously. Play to your strong suits and make sure your party is warm and inviting rather than trying to do too much. Roast chicken, a big bowl of salad greens, a crusty loaf of bread, a chunk of good cheese, and a bottle of decent wine will satisfy almost any guest, and if it doesn’t then it’s time to find new guests! I don’t get fancy because then people have a hard time relaxing into an evening. You don’t need my recipes, check out Dining In by Alison Roman which is our new favorite book to cook out of on a weeknight!

THE MAINERS: Tell us about your childhoods. Did you grow up in Maine? You both seem to have an eye for fashion, fun, and design. Where do you feel this came from?

EMILY: I grew up in Warren and then Rockport, Maine. When I was nine years old, my family found cheap tickets to Paris and we all went for a week in April. I wore cargo pants, a GAP sweatshirt, and a cotton bucket hat, but I noticed that everyone around me had a distinct sense of style. I got back and declared I wanted to be a fashion designer, instead of a farmer. Ever since then, I have cared about clothing, and although I do not consider myself very fashionable, I do have style. Honestly I dress a lot like my father, but with more jewelry and better footwear. As for our home, I look for pieces that make me happy. My mom always keeps a beautiful, creative home, so she taught me how to care for my space.

BEN: I grew up in Camden and spent a lot of my summers on Vinalhaven. When I met Emily I was wearing mostly tank tops, board shorts, and flip flops. She has helped me figure out what modicum of personal style I now have. I have always enjoyed design and interiors so getting to build my dream house has been a wonderful way to explore those passions of mine. As for fun, no one has more fun than me. I have always told myself that my life is amazing and that has really come true.

THE MAINERS: Do you have a favorite fashion designer, old or new?

EMILY: Most of my favorite pieces are unlabeled vintage ones, from the 50s-70s. I have never had the budget or lived an area where designer clothing was anywhere but Vogue and W.

I wear jeans nearly every day, so I guess that vintage jeans are my favorite designer.

BEN: Nah, I like watching runway shows sometimes just to see how crazy designers can be but I care more about the success of our business and playing with our dog.

THE MAINERS: When we were sorting through some vintage women’s clothing, we started talking about the sizing. Some are so incredibly small! You must notice that sizing has changed over the years. Can you tell us more about this?

EMILY: People used to be so much smaller, because everyone was malnourished and constantly fighting off disease. Because sizing has changed, we recommend shopping based on how it looks. Whenever I help people with vintage jeans I tell them to hold them up and see if they look like the pants they put on every day. Maybe it’s a bigger number size than what they’re used to, all that matters if they fit well and feel amazing. People now get really stuck in their size, but I encourage everyone to just shop the whole store, especially when thrifting. Some of my best finds have been filed in the wrong size and gender but I make a point to get my eyes on every rack in the shop. For example, I found a pair of extra small 70s overalls in the women’s size 16 pants section.

THE MAINERS: What would be the Holy Grail of vintage finds? Anything you have your eye on but haven’t come across yet?

EMILY: I always have a Holy Grail that I’m looking for. Sometimes that means a three year search, or sometimes I break down and buy it on eBay or Etsy. Right now I’m looking for a vintage leather duffle bag…

BEN: An original AC/DC For Those About to Rock tour tee. I already have more than I could ever need so it’s just fun to find things I could never think of.

THE MAINERS: Rockland appears to be a very up and coming community. With CMCA, The Strand, and a myriad of amazing restaurants, along with many galleries there appears to be a lot of life happening up there. Has this been a slow progression? What do you see for the future of Rockland?

EMILY: Rockland has come so far! When we were young, there was a cannery so it always smelled like old fish in town. There’s an old midcoast saying, “Camden by the Sea, Rockland by the smell.” Ever since that closed, the town has been on a different path. Obviously the Farnsworth has a huge part in that, but now that CMCA is also here, it feels like a real art destination. So in a sense it’s been a slow progression that has sped up recently. We hear that Rockland was a pretty happening place in the 50s and 60s. Old timers love to come in and tell us that there used to be a burlesque dancer in the bar below our store. We chose Rockland for our store because there’s still so much room for growth, and it’s more lively and fun than some of the sleepier Midcoast towns (no shade, we grew up here, remember?)

THE MAINERS: What’s the best advice you were ever given?

EMILY: Buy quality, not quantity.

BEN: Success comes from happiness, not the other way around.

GUEST POST: LAUREN WESSELS ON ADDING PLANTS TO YOUR SPACE

We're excited to introduce some guest posts to our series that delve into design, personal style, how-to's, and a variety of other fun topics! Our first guest post is by Lauren Wessels (otherwise known as Runa Rising on Instagram) who is absolutely obsessed with house plants. Adding greens to your space can be intimidating if you've never attempted it before. Which ones to get? How do I care for them? What kind of light do they need? And then there's the problem of accidentally killing the little suckers in a matter of weeks. Some people seem to have that "green thumb" and some are forever wondering what they're doing wrong. But plant choices and care doesn't have to be intimidating, and a little green can really add so much energy to your space, not to mention the actual health benefits of all that CO2 converting into oxygen for a more purified environment. Read on for some tips and tricks!

I believe it is incredibly beneficial to add plants into any home enviornment. Plants bring a softness into a space, and have the incredible ability to help you relax. I find plant care a meditative practice in a way. To me, there is a correlation between our internal growth process and theres. Prune what is ready to die while mindfully tending to the rest. The plants in your home aren’t some inanimate object- they are living and breathing beings that are meant to be in relationship with.

"The plants in your home aren’t some inanimate object-

they are living and breathing beings that are meant to be in relationship with."

A few of my favorite plants to start any home with are variegated spider plants, monsteras, peace lilies, and banana plants. All these varieties are non-fussy and generally very forgiving. Spider plants are great because they eventually start cloning themselves, which can help you grow your urban jungle quite quickly and easily. As for monsteras, peace lilies, and banana plants- they’re lush and beautiful, fast growers, and are often conversation starters. While these are great candidates to start with, it's important to do some research on any plant you bring into your space. There are, however, some general guidelines to basic plant care.

Watering, sunlight, and soil are three key factors in caring for your plants. Finding out a plant's natural environment is key to having a successful relationship with it. Making sense of what areas of your home best match a plant's needs will go a long way. For instance, you may consider the kitchen or bathroom for plants that require high humidity. If plants need ample sunlight, they don’t necessarily need bright direct sun, especially if it's next to a window.

Often, bright and indirect or defused light would be a plant's dream. Watch how the light moves throughout a room during the day and you’ll be able to best determine the perfect spot. It takes about a week to see differences in the plant once you choose a location for it, so take this into account as well. You may eventually have to play around with your plants seasonally, as the winter months may dramatically decrease the amount of sun your plants are receiving, and in the summer months you’ll have to increase the frequency of waterings. Heaters running all winter will also have to accounted for, as these are notorious for sucking the moisture right out of your plants. 

The right soil and pot is also essential in a plant’s success. You’ll want soil that drains completely through, while at the same time retains some water. A pot that has proper drainage holes will help tremendously with this. No plant should ever be in a pot that allows it to sit in standing water. This will surely invite rot to your plant's root system, which is nearly impossible to get rid of. The proper amount of sun will also help your plant from being over watered, as the sun will both allow the plant to grow more quickly, as well as evaporate excess water.

When watering your plants, I find it best to bring them to a space that allows water to completely run through and flush out the soil. If the water tends to pool at the top and takes time to absorb, this could be a sign that you need to aerate your plants. This is done by sticking something like a chopstick into the soil, and helps both water and oxygen be delivered to the roots. In nature, this is done by worms. You may find that even this simple act can go a long way with the overall health of your plants. While none of these tips are blanket statements, they can be useful in either starting or continuing a relationship with plants.

Thank you Lauren!! Find Lauren on Instagram here!

Some great places to find houseplants in Maine are:

• Skillins
• Snug Harbor Farm (be prepared for beauty!)
• Home Depot and Lowes have cheap plants and usually large ones that are satisfying to add to your space

If you'd like to submit a guest post, please visit our contact page and send us your submission!

CAIT GIUNTA + NED ROCHE

The artist community in Maine continues to expand and evolve and Cait Guinta and Ned Roche of Chases Garage are a part of that change. The young duo has taken on the task of creating a space for artists to not only work, but a destination for art enthusiasts to see their work in a gallery setting and participate in ongoing workshops. 

The building itself is a large 100-year-old auto garage they have converted into 9 studio spaces, a printmaking and ceramics workshop, and a cozy little gallery space in the town of York. Bustling with tourists in the summer, but sleepy in the winter, the couple has learned to use the changing climate to their advantage. 

With their old Victorian house situated directly next door to the garage, their lives seem simplified and abundant with creativity and opportunity. Their approach to life, art, and community is one of respect, innovation, and appreciation. Read on for their story and a peek inside their spaces.

THE MAINERS: You both have a very unique living and working situation! You are co-owners and directors of Chase’s Garage which is both a gallery and workspace for various artists of multiple mediums, and your gorgeous home is literally right next door. Tell us how this all came to be?

CAIT + NED: Chases Garage was once an operating auto garage (and before, a blacksmith) and in 2000, Ned’s mother and father, Anita and Peter, bought the building in hopes of renovating one day. Anita said she envisioned one of her three boys doing something with it. In the meantime, the boys played SEGA and parked cards inside during the summer. 

Ned and I met at the New Hampshire Institute of Art getting our BFA’s in illustration. After graduating, I moved with Ned back to his hometown (here in York Beach) with his family. We tried our best to continue our practice while working. I worked at Stonewall Kitchen, Kennedy Framing and with printmaker Don Gorvett and Ned continued working full-time as a locksmith for his family. The idea of renovating Chases simmered in the background. Anita and Peter planted the idea that we could potentially make this into our own business and we started to really think about it. As artists who recently graduated, we were missing our close-knit community, space and equipment, and the knowledgeable people who knew how to make it all work. So it began. It took about a year to renovate with unimaginable help from our friends, family and community members and we opened our doors in 2013. Shortly after, the house next door came up for sale and we couldn’t pass it up. We’re in our 6th year of operation and we’ve been in the house for three years... Every time we think about this it’s hard to believe how much we’ve done...

THE MAINERS: Both of you are artists as well. Tell us about your craft and how you balance running a gallery, studio, home, and your own careers as artists.

CAIT + NED: Balance might not be the right word, our lives are not that neat and tidy. Since opening Chases our focus has shifted from ourselves and our own work to establishing something larger that we aim to have sustain us and the community, long-term. It’s taken a lot of learning, improving and constant adjusting to try to regulate and keep each part of our lives in check. We rely heavily on support from our family and friends and are extremely grateful that a large part of our business involves working closely with talented, ambitious and caring people. It keeps us motivated and helps to keep us in check.

CAIT: Technically speaking, I hadn’t touched clay in years before starting Chases (which houses a full cone 10 reduction ceramics studio) and after gaining my BFA in illustration while working primarily on paper, I was desperate to start building in another dimension. Participating in Nahcotta’s Enormous Tiny Art exhibit has been the perfect way for me to re-learn the basics of ceramics and keep involved in the community as an artist outside of our own space. The prompt to make about ten works, approximately 10”x10”x10” or smaller, once or twice a year has been just enough for me to keep that part of my brain and body moving. About a year ago I claimed a studio that I now share with my brother who recently moved to the area and I’m actively working towards making more time to explore and create my own work. After taking a blacksmithing/steel-forming workshop at Haystack Mountain School of Crafts last summer with Andrew Hayes I’m dying to get welding. I want to get my planets off the wall and into the air.

NED: I don't have my life balanced. I’ve been working hard recently to find that balance. I’m starting to feel like I might be getting somewhere with this though. It’s always been taking life by the moment and reminding myself to enjoy it and not get stressed. I’ve been able to find ways to make work either by entering gallery shows, saying yes to commissions and very rarely doing them, or working out new class demos. But the whole thing has never been balanced. It’s more like trying to keep a falling platform balanced by running to whatever side will keep it from tipping. But it’s doing what I love, so even at its worst it’s still better anything I could have imagined. When things are at their worst I’d rather hate something I’m passionate about.

"We are constantly meeting and connecting with artists,

both emerging and established,and hope to act as a resource to bring them together and share their work."

THE MAINERS: You obviously saw a need for artist space before opening Chases. What has the response been like? Living in York, do you find it has been a beneficial asset to the community there? Do you see more artists moving to the area?

CAIT + NED: When we started, we had a general idea that this area was already home to a creative community. We learned very quickly just how strong and welcoming that community is. It didn’t take long for us to see that Chases would be a good fit and the response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. We are constantly meeting and connecting with artists, both emerging and established, and hope to act as a resource to bring them together and share their work.

Quick edit

Favorite spot to grab a quick lunch:

Anju in Kittery

Coffee or tea:

C+N: Both!

Best spot around York to chill in nature:

C+N: Mt. Agamenticus/2nd Hill, Long Sands in the winter, Cape Neddick at low tide (minus the funk)

Favorite recent read:

 CAIT: I am, I am, I am by Maggie O’Farrell

Best thrifted find:

CAIT:  My 80’s men’s LLBean Sweater

In 5 years you hope to:

C+N: Have a better grasp on “balance.”

If money was no object, what piece of art would you have:

CAIT: The steel weeble-wobble buoy seascape that Andrew Hayes made for the 2017 Haystack Auction. Still a little upset I missed out on that.

NED: That’s too hard, something big and sculptural maybe.

One word that sums up Maine:

CAIT: ayuh

NED: Grayish

THE MAINERS: When you found your home, it was in need of some sprucing up. Can you share a little about your renovation process? Any funny stories you could share?

CAIT + NED: We live in a folk Victorian that (I think) was built in the late 1800s and is right next-door to Chases. We couldn’t really turn down the location. Although the house was filled to the brim with stuff when we first saw it, we could tell it was in great shape and still had a lot of its original charm. The ceilings are a normal height, there’s an abundance of good-sized closets that will fit the standard clothes hanger, the wood floors are in great shape, the wood trim and bead-board was never painted, the layout is cozy, it has a pass-through window from the pantry to the dining room and best of all, a porcelain claw-foot tub. I was pretty much sold. With that said, it needed a fair amount of TLC and a good plan. We started in the fall of 2014 and finished up major renovations the following spring to rent out weekly during the summer. Ned, both his brothers, mother and father took any time they could from locksmithing and we spent the winter removing all the wallpaper, painting everything white, renovating both bathrooms (as the first floor bathroom was just a toilet with a washer and dryer and the only form of bathing in the house was the claw-foot tub...Luckily, at the top of the back stairs there was an unexplained empty space just on the other side of the bathroom which we eagerly converted into a walk-in shower) and lastly, and quite creatively, we pulled together a kitchen/pantry in a room that is roughly 12’x15’ and has seven doors…

THE MAINERS: Your home is a wonderful mix of traditional, retro, naturalistic, and modern. How did you approach filling the space?

CAIT: Thank you! The house has so much character, so we didn’t have to do much stylistically while renovating. Though renting the house in the summers has definitely influenced how we’ve filled the space. There is not a single thing in our home that I haven’t toiled over in regards to how a different family will interact with it. I am constantly moving things around, removing and adding. The feedback that we’ve gotten in the past two years from renters has been positive. It’s fun to hear how people react to our growing collection of artwork. Surprisingly, Ned meets a lot of people while locksmithing who end up being great connections for random furniture and house parts.

THE MAINERS: Do you have a favorite piece in your home?

CAIT + NED: That is a loaded question - there are too many favorites! 

We have an amazing collection of ceramic cups and mugs (including but not limited to artists, Brian Buckland, Christopher Cooper, Mary Sweeney, Dustin Yager, Tom Doyle, Perry Haas, Adrian King, Tyler Gulden, David Ernster, Don Williams, Chris Gustin, Al Jager, Eric Maglio) and two of Kurt Anderson’s plates from last year's Salad Days at Watershed Center for Ceramic Arts that we use every day. Last year for my birthday Ned purchased an amazing sculpture from Andrew Hayes that hangs in our living room amongst work from Mark Hoffman, Meghan Samson, Ashley Normal, Michelle Morin, Beth Redstone, Scott Schnepf, Lynn Duryea, Jake Cassevoy, Jeremy Miranda, Tara Morin, Alyssa Grenning, John Greiner, Greg McGlashing, Dylan Haigh, Lyell Castonguay, Carand Burnet, William Arthur Lambros, Kayoung Lee, Allison May Kiphuth, Dina Andretta, Ian Decelli, Jameson Burke, Jameson Connor, Elena Betke-Brunswick, Bill Cass, Lindsay Oesterritter, Godeleine de Rosamel, Jessica Rosenkranz, two amazing sculptures from Malia Landis that we got at an auction for Potter’s for Peace during NCECA last year, some great posters from Supertouch: A Modern Gig Poster Retrospective at the 3S ArtSpace Gallery, I might be forgetting a few…

THE MAINERS: If you had unlimited money for furniture, art, and renovating, what are some things you would do differently?

CAIT + NED: We daydream of making some of our own furniture and buying some things from other artists, adding a greenhouse, refinishing the floors, fixing up the backyard, closing in the front porch, adding a fireplace and opening up the wall in between the dining room and living room.  

THE MAINERS: In terms of style— artistically, interior-wise, and your personal style—how do they all connect and influence one another?

CAIT: They are all 100% connected and influenced by each other. I am constantly refining systems that make our lives more comfortable and make time and space for the things we love to do and share. 

NED: It's pretty scattered. First I figure out some guidelines for myself, then I do my best with what material I’m using, and once in a while it comes out as finished, or maybe it has potential.

THE MAINERS: Talking about art... Being artists yourselves, it would seem important to own original pieces for your own home. How do you go about finding these and do you have any advice for younger people who want to start collecting?

CAIT + NED: It took us at least a year before hanging our artwork in the house. We lived in it for an entire winter with overwhelmingly bare walls. It was a great time to get comfortable in the house but we didn’t realize how much of a void we felt without it. Yes, the minimalism was nice (especially for cleaning) but we noticed a change our my moods as soon as we started hanging. Having artwork on the walls is like being surrounded with all of our friends. They're all comforting reminders that life is great and making things and sharing is what it’s all about. We are so excited to be able to share all of it with friends and family each time we get something new or we meet someone new. We are so excited when renters comment on a piece in our house and we get to share our story and the story of the artists. Our collection started with trinkets and we’ve slowly worked our way up to larger pieces of artwork. As artists, we do a lot of trades.

Our advice for younger people is just to start to recognize when you like something. Go look at art! Start talking to artists, we’re cool! We love to share! Start small or if you have the means, go big. It’s hard to stop collecting art once you start!

THE MAINERS: How has Maine influenced your lifestyle and work? 

CAIT: Living in York Beach is a bit strange - this town is so seasonal. In the 10 weeks of summer everything is madness and then we pretty much have the rest of the year to ourselves. I love the dead of winter because I feel I can actually relax or hunker down and get some real work done. It also means I’ve got the whole beach to myself to surf or all of Mt. A to wander without running into someone. It’s hard to adjust sometimes though. My planet series ends up being a reflection on remembering the bigger picture.

FIND CAIT + NED HERE:

Chase's Garage

@chasesgarage

DAN DOWD

Dan Dowd is one of those mysteriously located, incredibly talented artists in Maine. Living in a small town on the coast with a little over 2,000 people, down a long dirt road that winds around until you see his orange painted stumps and metal-sided house on the hill,  he has crafted a unique and fascinating space out of a dated seasonal home with views of the water. The interior is curated like a mix between a fun house and an art gallery. Always paying attention to budget, detail, humor, and style—Dan creates both artwork and intentional living space. His inventive and resourceful ways have remained constant throughout both, as well.

Dan shares with us how he approaches home improvement on a budget, art collecting, not being afraid of bold colors, his background in art, and his connection to Maine. 

"I love original art,

unique objects, beautiful materials and color."

Quick edit

Favorite dump find

Majolica tile Victorian parlor stove

Best place for a cheap meal

The Galley, Bath

Artist you admire

Anselm Kiefer

Most coveted item in your home

Large landscape by Shlomith Haber Schaim

Something on your wish list

SAAB making automobiles again

Drink of choice

Ruby Red Vodka with grapefruit San Pellegrino soda

THE MAINERS: Where were you born and how did you end up in Maine?

DAN: I was raised in Upton, MA— a small town west of Boston. My family started vacationing on the Maine coast when I was a child. I developed a love of Maine through these vacations with my family. Also, my high school art teacher, who summered on Deer Isle and Little Deer Isle, would bring back objects from Maine to use in still-lifes in the classroom. These objects always had this patina and story to them, like using an old door as a backdrop. Her love of Maine through these objects made me think about it as a place to live.

After college when I was working in Massachusetts, I would come to Maine on weekends and for summer vacations. I moved to Maine in 2001 to focus on my artwork and to simplify my life. I moved to my house in Phippsburg, not far from Popham Beach. I am an active board member of the Phippsburg land trust. I love my town and the neighborhood I am part of.

 THE MAINERS: Stepping inside your house is like stepping into a curated gallery of art and home furnishings. You clearly have an amazing sense of design and style. Can you tell us more about how you approach interior design in your living space?

DAN: Thank you. I love original art, unique objects, beautiful materials and color. I like to surround myself with things that I love and love to look at. I do think about creating related spaces and how room colors will work with other room colors. I enjoy combining beautiful things from different design periods.

My kitchen table is a solid walnut 19th century drop-leaf, it is next to a mahogany Empire buffet (the first piece of furniture I purchased for $50 in 1986) that holds found rusted automobile springs, Italian maiolica, my grandparents gingerbread kitchen clock, and tropical house plants. A large 20th century landscape made by a friend is on the opposite wall. Hanging overhead is a white spun aluminum mid-century light fixture.  The vintage mid-century Thonet kitchen chairs were given to me by a friend. I repainted one glossy black and the other three a bright orange/red. Multi-colored circular "granny cushions" sit on the seats.

 THE MAINERS: The colors! Tell us more about your bold use of colors. So often you see homes stripped of any colors at all and just painted white. You seem to embrace color and use it as a way to enhance what you fill your space with. How do you settle on a color? How does living in a house full of colors make you feel on a daily basis?

DAN: I choose colors like I choose the items I put on my walls and in my house. I have to love the color. It is important to me that I love the color from the inside and from the outside. I often paint a wall, turn on all the lights and go outside of the house at night to make sure I like it from outside as well. Sometimes it will be simply a color I love and sometimes it may be a color that then highlights and connects with something that I have determined will be in that space.

 THE MAINERS: So, clearly the interior of your home is amazing and you’ve done a marvelous job with it, but there’s also a story about the home itself and how you acquired it and what you’ve done to improve it. Can you share with us the journey of your home renovations?

DAN: I purchased the house 16 years ago. It was used for many years as a seasonal house and was in poor condition. Friends reminded me of the "3 L’s”: Location, Location, Location, when I was deciding to buy it. I wanted to be near the ocean and have a view and I wanted privacy. Because the house is built high on a ledge it offers privacy from the roads below. My house is on a dead-end road and is only a few minutes drive from Popham Beach, Morse Mountain, and Hermit Island and Phippsburg offers many hiking and outdoor activities.

I never prepare a budget, but due to income restraints I have to be very frugal with just about everything I do. I chose to put down 26 gauge galvanized steel sheets (24-inch square in the kitchen/dining and living rooms; 12-inch in the entry foyer) as an inexpensive yet durable and unique thin flooring. It also reflects light well into the house to increase solar gain in winter months.

I don’t believe in renovating to renovate. I believe in using things until they are no longer repairable. I still use the old electric stove that was in the kitchen when I purchased the house. It works well, and to make it more attractive I painted the oven drawer to match the orange/red kitchen chairs and painted the faux wood oven door handle silver.   

THE MAINERS: Aside from your amazing design sense, you are also a gifted artist. Tell us about your artistic journey? Have you always been creative from a young age? How did you come to make art out of found objects?

DAN: Thank you again. I was told many times by my grandmother that my hands were always busy making things when I was young. I have many memories of drawing at a young age and enjoying elementary school art classes very much. I had a great high school art teacher and very strong fine art and art history professors in college. I think part of my found object interest began as a child— I grew up in a 100-year-old house that had a cellar full of metal shelves holding rusty tools, old paint cans, buckets of nails and other things I found interesting. I discovered old household dumps in my yard and in the woods. Digging for a “treasure” (e.g. a complete old glass bottle or old pottery shard) shaped how I look at the landscape.

My father would take me and my brother and sister to the town dump each Saturday morning and we would poke around the metal pile and huge ash pile where trash was burned. I would sometimes find and bring home a hub cap, glass bottle, or some other fragment that I found interesting.

THE MAINERS: You are the master of thrifting, dumpster diving (or okay, just visiting the local dump!), and finding incredible treasures for your art assembly and your space. Can you give us some tips? Also, what are some of your most amazing finds?

DAN: I love the hunt, I am particular, I love a bargain (free is even better), and I love to rescue something that someone else has discarded. Tips...ha! I would say don't be afraid to look and look some more. If you see something that appeals to you, consider using it as something it wasn’t meant for. Display it. I think it's easy to buy things that will make your place look cool but bringing something into your house that you had some hand in creating will be more meaningful and interesting to you and for you to talk about.

One of the most amazing things I found was a 19th century parlor stove that was covered with majolica tiles made by one of the best tile makers of the time that was based in Massachusetts. I found some very early mantels and moldings that my partner and I incorporated into a summer room and some of the pieces were used in my assemblage art.

 THE MAINERS: Orange! It’s everywhere… you love it. Why?

DAN: I do love orange. I'm not sure why exactly. I think in a way I find the color funny because we sometimes associate it with an emergency. It's a warm color that I like to use as a room color specifically because of how great it looks lit up at night.

 THE MAINERS: And SAABs… you are the SAAB guy. Where did this obsession come from? How many SAABs have you owned in your life? And one of your SAABs is part of a project you’re working on, so definitely tell us more about that!

DAN: I think I'm a SAAB guy because my grandfather was a Volvo guy. He would take my brother and I to look at SAABs in the 1970's and I always liked their design. When I started driving, I was interested in their safety, quality, and front-wheel drive. I am always surprised by how much cargo I can fit into the hatchbacks with the rear seats folded down. They are also quirky— the ignition is found between the 2 front seats and the dashboards resemble the cockpit of an airplane (a direct influence of the jets that parent company SAAB built for Sweden). The windshields also have a significant bend.  I have had 11 SAABS; old body-style 900s are my favorite. I drove my 1991 SAAB 900s to 307,000 miles.

I acquired my 1988 SAAB 900 turbo from friends. It needed some love but had life left in it at 176,000. I painted the alloy wheels orange, had orange racing stripes painted on it, and made colorful interior modifications to it. This car became Projekt 900, a photo series and installation I created for the Ogunquit Museum of American Art to bring attention to the FDA ban of gay men from donating blood at American Blood Banks. I drove the car to 276,000 miles but the Maine winters caught up with it and it had to be taken off the road for rust issues. I continue to take pictures of people with the SAAB as a record of the numbers of people it has touched.

"I think I'm a SAAB guy because my grandfather was a Volvo guy.

He would take my brother and I to look at SAABs in the 1970's and I always liked their design."

THE MAINERS: The art in your home is enviable. How did you start collecting? Do you have any tips for the rest of us?

DAN: I firmly believe we should put things on our walls that we love. I think having original art acquired from someone we know adds another level to the enjoyment of the piece. I started collecting art as an undergrad— my 2-dimensional design professor had a studio sale in the South End of Boston and was selling many beautiful paintings for very reasonable prices to help fund her transition to Vermont. I purchased a small oil-on-silk that I loved and still love. I have bartered many times with artists whose art I love and respect and this has allowed me to obtain many of the works I have. I have also found a few original paintings at flea markets for reasonable prices and I picked up some antique oils at an estate auction I used to frequent in Massachusetts.

THE MAINERS: You have an entire closet of jackets. In fact, the first time I met you, you were ripping apart one of your long time favorites to use for your artwork. Tell us more about your closet of just jackets. Do you have a favorite? How did you acquire most of them?

DAN: I have a little obsession with vintage wool coats and vintage suede jackets. I'm not sure why. The ones I have and wear are very well made of materials and patterns I really admire and am inspired by. There is one red and black plaid wool coat that has a beautiful camel colored velvet-like lining. It's very heavy so I only wear it in very cold temperatures. If a coat or jacket has a beautiful label inside it is likely I'll be more interested in it. Some have names of previous owners written inside. Most of them are from thrift stores, but one used to be my father’s. It's dark green corduroy with a soft plush light lemon-yellow and grey-green lining.

FIND DAN HERE:

http://www.dandowd66.com

Instagram: @dandowdart

ANNIE MEUB - STYLE FILE

I love getting dressed. I love creating a perfect outfit. Living in a place like Maine this also means accounting for weather, which can make this more of a compromise. Owning the right layers to achieve that balance means not sacrificing style, I’m constantly working on this. An outfit is something powerful enough that it can take over your mood. My earliest sense of this was visiting my Nana and playing dress-up in her closets. 

Nana was a true “lady,” she never left the house without a fresh coat of OPI Empress pink nail polish and lipstick to match. Walk-in closets stuffed with Chanel skirt suits and fur shawls. Clothes you knew from pop culture that were supposed to make you feel luxe and elegant, and they did. My Nana’s life had been as glamorous as her closet validated and I think that is something very attractive about clothing. It is an insight to not only the person you are but the life you've lived. I’d say my clothes tell the world I’m having a good time. My style is entirely based on feeling— how I want to feel wearing the garments and how I feel when I found them. 

My personal style is always evolving— I’d say because it is driven by feeling and by limitation. Everyone has a budget and a lifestyle. In the last few years, slow fashion has entered the equation of what I can bring home. My style is influenced by my friends, not a particular person or type of style. We like to spend time at thrift stores or trading inspiration from Instagram pages. Because of this, my style is kind of modern-bohemian. I always like to feel groovy, which for me is a self-defined blend of feeling timeless, sexy, and cool. Always feminine. I feel like a million bucks when I’m wearing groovy denim and a white tee— like I can walk into any place and own the room. I’m not the most stylish person I know, but I’m completely satisfied by my own clothes. 

These days I am committed to being a responsible consumer. I begin my shopping experience with “well, can I make it?”— something I never take for granted. If I know it’s out of my skill-set, I thrift. If the quality of the item is beyond what can be thrifted or made, I find it from a brand that is committed to my priorities and save up. My own brand of women’s clothing is shaping my personal habits when it comes to shopping. Find me at the many thrift stores of downtown Portland or buying fabric at ZFabrics. There is always the rare replacement of investment items, the kind that get worn hundreds of times; for those I go to Judith. 

Follow Annie on Instagram @annie__made

KEVIN OATES

Kevin Oates is a familiar face around Portland. He is often seen walking through the West End, enviably put-together, on his way to his office in the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra (MYRO) rehearsal space above the State Theater. It’s obvious that Kevin is passionate about music and his work with kids in the community. In an impressively short time, Kevin has formed the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra, working with musicians such as Guster, and is launching a nationwide network of youth rock orchestras this year. We sat down to discuss Kevin’s background, his style (how he went from pukka shells to a sleek black wardrobe), and his approach to designing the impressive MYRO spaces.

"I have this drive for redefining education

and Maine Youth Rock Orchestra became that engine for me to demonstrate my approach to applied education."

Quick edit

Style Icon

Charlie Casely-Hayford

Favorite album

Birds Say by Darlingside

Best place for brunch

Ruski’s or Palace Diner

Favorite place ever visited

Cremona, Italy (home of Antonio Stradivari, maker of the modern violin)

Best fashion find

Fashion find, meh, but the black leather couch that is in the office. Thank you Maine Craigslist.

Hair salon of choice

Crow’s Nest Barbershop. The one and only Frank the Barber.

Best part of living in Maine

Being in an environment that supports and encourages new ideas and the ability to bring them to life with a community that is there to help. Otherwise, Ruski’s

THE MAINERS: Tell us about The Maine Youth Rock Orchestra. You went to school for music education, taught for a few years, and then decided to launch this. What was that progression like and how did this idea come about?

KEVIN: Prior to launching MYRO in 2014, I had already been teaching for 6 years both in upstate New York and in Maine, while also performing and recording with artists from across the country. I realized that students, especially orchestral students, never had the opportunity or knowledge for this type of application of their instrument, and I wanted to provide them the opportunity to see what is really out there for them. I have this drive for redefining education and Maine Youth Rock Orchestra became that engine for me to demonstrate my approach to applied education.

THE MAINERS: Did you grow up in a musical family? Do you have a first memory of knowing that this is what you were going to do with your life?

KEVIN: I started cello just before my 5th birthday, and picked cello on my own, so that’s definitely in my DNA. My older brother, Matty, (currently kicking butt as the social media voice for Shipyard Brewing) played violin and my mom played piano, so music was always an integral part of our household. Dad said he played the stereo, but seriously he is the reason I went into education. The man knows how to command and engage a classroom like no other, and I knew since 8th grade that I wanted to be a music educator. As far as MYRO, this was not the path I was planning, but I’m beyond satisfied that this is the path I’ve taken.

THE MAINERS: We met in your new office, which you had literally just finished putting the final touches on. (The Liquid Nails on the shelves was still drying!) Can you tell me about this space and why you decided to expand, and how it functions for what you’re doing with The Maine Youth Rock Orchestra.

KEVIN: This space was something I’ve stared at for years because from the outside, these windows are the beautiful ornate framing to the State Theatre marquis. When I was offered up this office I couldn’t say no. I needed to create more room in our rehearsal studio since it was beyond crowded with all of the students and desks, etc. On top of all of that I’ve been wanting to give our rock star students in MYRO an area to relax during rehearsal break that they could enjoy being in. They work incredibly hard for MYRO, so they deserve rock star treatment.

THE MAINERS: Your space is so bold, curated perfectly, and makes such a statement while remaining incredibly professional. How did you approach the design process? Have you always had this aesthetic and does it carry through to your home? How do the kids react to such a cool space?

KEVIN: I’ve always had a desire for interior design. I love mid-century design mixed with modern elements, and obviously some youthful accents were necessary since we are a youth education program. I approached designing these spaces by basing everything off of black, white, and light wood tones, and doing it all on a budget. We may be a startup non-profit organization, but with the right budget and research, you can get a high-quality looking space without breaking the bank. Creating a space that anyone comes into and is inspired by it is crucial for creative success. The first time the students in MYRO walked into these spaces they were ecstatic. I wish my home looked the same, but since I spend 90% of my life in these spaces, I put all my energy into creating an environment like no other. Maybe that’s a goal for 2018.

"I started cello just before my 5th birthday,

and picked cello on my own, so that’s definitely in my DNA."

THE MAINERS: Black. It’s everywhere. You wear it, it’s on the walls, etc. Tell me your relationship with this achromatic color…

KEVIN: Musicians wearing black is just a must. I can’t say I’ve always been this way but honestly it started when I got this one leather jacket about 2 years ago. Ever since, my wardrobe has just become more and more black, maybe it was inspired by the black walls that were already painted in our studio, but who knows. To quote This is Spinal Tap, “How much more black can it get? The answer is none. None-more black." 

THE MAINERS: It’s not just your spaces that make a statement, your personal style does as well. You look amazing every time I see you walking down the street. What has your style evolution over the years been like? How does what you’re wearing now reflect where you are in life?

KEVIN: I feel like I can describe my style as “Mark Zuckerberg if he were a rock star.” I basically wear the same style of jackets, shirts, pants shoes every day, but have multiple of each to make it simple yet strong. I want to make a statement with my style + grooming wherever I go. You can still look professional and put-together, yet have your own personal touch without looking “average.” To give you a sense of the positive progression of my style over the years, I started 15 years ago wearing yellow plaid polyester pants with pukka shell necklaces and red paisley button up shirts. Enough said.

THE MAINERS: How do you feel being budget conscious affects your style? Or does it at all?

KEVIN: Budget conscious is the definition of my personal and interior style. Because I don’t make a salary yet for Maine Youth Rock Orchestra and having to currently piece together multiple projects to make an income, designing and dressing on a budget is currently where I’m at. I’m okay with it for now, but over the years would love to support small businesses and local designers more and more. It’ll get there.

THE MAINERS: What has been one of the most exciting things that has happened since MYRO began?

KEVIN: Two moments stand out from the rest. First was, hands down, performing with Guster at Thompson’s Point in 2017. I was a die hard Guster fan in high school, and they reached out to us to perform with them for that concert, so it was amazing to come full circle with that experience in front of 5,000 people. Secondly, was taking MYRO on tour with The Ballroom Thieves in 2016. It was the first time in history a youth orchestra has toured with a band, and I brought along my close friends from Herman Mantis to document every moment of the tour, which is now in a documentary series on YouTube called Orchestrating Change.

THE MAINERS: It must be pretty amazing to have this idea not only become a reality, but be incredibly successful. What’s next for MYRO?

KEVIN: It’s humbling to have something you created be supported and loved by the community around you, both locally and from away. I never knew that 4 years later we would be where we are today, and I couldn’t be happier. The goal will be to launch youth rock orchestras across the country over the next years, creating a network of students who are interested in learning application of their instruments and life through transformational experiences. This is just the beginning.

Learn more about the Maine Youth Rock Orchestra

ADAM ROGERS

Adam Rogers has lived in Maine for the last eight years, settling in Cumberland with his wife Nicole, an architect, in a surprising Mid-Century ranch among farms and recent constructions. To enter their space is like entering a design showroom, with each piece carefully chosen and placed specifically within the space. Through his own work in furniture design, appreciation of quality in all things, and distinct vision, his home, and how it is curated, is a reflection of all of this.

We recently visited Adam and Daisy (his dog) in their home between his teaching engagements at Rochester Institute of Technology, to discover more about his design sense and how he approaches his creative process.

"I worked with a wonderful and talented group 

of designers, engineers, and craftsmen and craftswomen to turn ideas into objects."

Quick edit

Three favorite reads

The Soul of a Tree, Why We Make Things and Why it Matters, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

Describe your style in one word

Uniform

Favorite album

Beyonce’s self-titled album

Something that you always have in your fridge

Kraft singles (for Daisy, my dog)

Favorite place to eat in Maine right now

Empire

Sign

Aquarius

Favorite Maine spot for some quiet

In a kayak on Casco Bay

THE MAINERS: Tell us a little bit about your journey that has lead you to where you are now?

ADAM: I studied architecture in undergrad before working in corporate architecture in my 20’s. Because I wanted to focus more on the direct relationship to my work and incorporate my interest in craft, I bailed and went to grad school to get an MFA in furniture design and woodworking.

After grad school, I came to Maine to work for a large furniture company where I worked for 7-8 years, starting in custom design and eventually becoming the director of design and product development.

THE MAINERS: Tell us what custom design means?

ADAM: Custom design is anything that is not standard or “out of the catalog.” It’s mostly working one on one with clients. The role helped me learn and understand the mechanisms and processes of production, how various decisions impacted the cost of an object, and how to maximize the efficiency of the manufacturing process.

THE MAINERS: Describe your role as director of design?

ADAM: Primarily, I designed the new standard products. Beyond that, I was responsible for product strategy and development, and was a part of the team responsible for rebranding, a refined presentation of the brand at all touch points, including the design of several new showrooms in the major US markets to align with the newly established brand aesthetic.

THE MAINERS: Can you describe the design process there?

ADAM: Sure. I’d start by creating a design brief that described the intentions of a given piece or collection which would outline everything from business objectives to aesthetic goals. Once this was approved, I worked with a wonderful and talented group of designers, engineers, and craftsmen and craftswomen to turn ideas into objects. First, we’d make prototypes from my sketches, eventually computer modeling the pieces after the prototypes were finalized and then they were engineered to be put into production. I tried to be as hands on as possible throughout and we always relied on the physical making of the concepts to refine the idea. 

THE MAINERS: How did the professorship at RIT develop?

ADAM: Because I went to school there, I maintained a relationship with the program over the years, returning regularly to give lectures or sit in on critiques. Eventually, one of my professors, who I considered one of my mentors, retired. Rather than doing the standard faculty search, I was offered a visiting professorship. The first year I taught at RIT, I kept my job as director of design and somehow managed two full times jobs in two states. Eventually I made the decision to resign my position and focus on teaching and to establish my own furniture design studio. I am now finishing my second year of teaching and will commit more fully to my studio starting this spring.

THE MAINERS: Tell us about your studio.

ADAM: Well it’s creatively named Adam Rogers Studio. As of now I’m working for outside brands who manufacture my designs. I have a couple collections launching this spring that I’m very proud of. In addition to continuing my design work for brands, I’m moving into a larger space in Portland this spring where I’ll focus on developing my own collection as well as looking to collaborate with local designers, and to make custom work.

THE MAINERS: How did you develop your aesthetic?

ADAM: My grandfather has always been my mentor. He worked as a foreman at Pontiac Motors (GM) and ran a shop where they made concept cars. He is the most inventive and ingenious guy I’ve ever known. He solved problems through making. In hindsight, I realize I was learning the foundation of my design principles from him while recognizing the role of craft in a design solution. The right solution was always the most direct, straight forward, efficient. With an engineering mind, his approach was very practical. In addition to absorbing this growing up, studying art, architecture and design was a way for me to combine the practical solution with the poetry of aesthetics. 

"Some people think [my home] is too sparse, but I prefer to think of it as considered;

placing greater importance on the admittedly few objects within."

THE MAINERS: Tell me about your space, especially all of the beautiful things in it?

ADAM: I’d describe it as an object-driven space. Each object is meaningful and has value; whether it was made by a friend, represents an experience of ours, or is something that I made myself. Some people think it’s too sparse, but I prefer to think of it as considered; placing greater importance on the admittedly few objects within. The space itself serves as a container, designed and built to be simple, and to allow the objects to be the emphasis.

In that way it is consistent with my approach to furniture design; keeping the overall forms simple while putting the emphasis on the few considered and amplified details; typically joints that tell the story of how the object was made and ultimately why it has value.

THE MAINERS: How do you choose pieces?

ADAM: Of course function is important, like a chair should be comfortable and everything should be beautiful, right? But the meaning of the object trumps all of that. If a friend makes something and gives it to us, well, it is cherished and displayed. Maybe we are minimalists, or maybe we need more friends.

Beyond those objects, most of the purchased pieces are what I consider classics; Noguchi, Eames, Nelson, Corbu, etc.

THE MAINERS: What do you do for fun and in your spare time?

ADAM: I make furniture.

THE MAINERS: Describe your daily “uniform."

ADAM: I wear jeans and a button-down shirt with boots. I realize I probably perpetuate my own cliché with the way I look but it’s what I like and feel comfortable in. Guess it’s just who I am.

THE MAINERS: What about Maine inspires you?

ADAM: It’s probably less about place specifically and more about what this place facilitates. Having lived in four other states, the casual vibe and open-minded community here are un-matched. The natural environment, and culture and lifestyle of Maine is fertile ground for creative endeavor and a thoughtful existent. 

THE MAINERS: How do you approach a new design?

ADAM: I start by making a document that outlines the goals, the more goals the easier the decisions along the way. I focus a lot on the context of my work so I include many references of spaces, feels. I typically explore rough ideas through little mock-ups of joints or details to be combined with simple forms and eventually draw concepts on a big old drafting table before getting to the bench to work through the design physically and in 3-dimensions to refine. 

THE MAINERS: What do you do when you get stuck in your design process? Or creative ruts?

ADAM: I embrace the idea of thinking through making. Trying new things, exploring new ideas, connections, joints without pressure. I remind myself I’m not trying to make THE piece, just trying to make A piece. I try to relieve the pressure or get through a rut by simply enjoying the process – reminding myself I’m just making a thing, not saving the world.

THE MAINERS: What is your favorite part of the process?

ADAM: Probably the learning that comes from the continued practice. That’s why I love teaching. This craft thing is one long history of skills and ideas passed down and evolved through experience. I enjoy trying to distill lessons from the process and sharing with others.

THE MAINERS: What is a daily routine?

ADAM: Make coffee, catch up on some news/current events (even if it’s hard to read), and ease into the day… 

ABBY JOHNSON-RUSCANSKY - STYLE FILES

Throughout my life, my own personal style has always been important to me. My earliest memory of my first fashion faux pas was when my mom was dressing me at the age of 5 or 6 and she was trying to get me to wear stirrup pants (all the rage in the 90’s). I felt so uncomfortable in them, and I fought with her to change. To this day, I always want to feel comfortable in what I am wearing, so I search long and hard to put together my outfits based first on how it fits, how I feel and if it’s tasteful. My fashion influences range from NYC street to French fashion and I like to combine these into my own style.

Living in Maine, my fashion choices are often hindered by weather, so everything really “depends”. My absolute must haves for fall and winter are turtlenecks, my favorite LL Bean cotton camping socks and leggings and in spring / summer I stay true to thin sweaters and light layers. Two of my favorite locally owned shops are Annie-Made by Anne Meub and Amie Artisans by Meredith Brockington. Both source materials ethically and sell products that are made, owned and maintained by women. Another in-town favorite of mine is Judith, a contemporary shop selling some of my favorite brands such as Apiece Apart, Rachel Comey and Jesse Kamm. I also browse for inspiration to find more affordable and similar pieces in places like Portland Flea-for-All and Find.

I admire an aesthetic that can speak for itself. In a word, I think mine could be summarized by “neutral”, both in tonality and androgyny. I love feminine cuts and accessories, but I also tend t accentuate my figure less and layer more. That being said, my fashion influences often shift and evolve, along with my own moods and feelings. I don’t necessarily have a favorite outfit or a firm style icon, but when I am not intentionally making fashion choices I am still picking staples and pinning ideas – often leading to influence in my visual work as a photographer.

Follow Abby on Instagram @aabbyylou

KAZEEM LAWAL

If you live in or near Portland, you probably know Kazeem Lawal. If you don’t know him, exactly, you might feel like you do. At the very least, you’ve seen him walking down the street and thought, that guy looks sharp.

Kazeem curates his clothes and his home the same way he approaches his shop, Portland Trading Co.: clean classics paired with small, interesting pieces that make you look twice. A Mainer by way of California and Nigeria, Kazeem has a style all his own, and a personality that makes him an unofficial mayor of Portland. We sat down to ask him exactly how he pulls together an outfit, and if he has any advice for the rest of us.

"As human beings we are all different, 

so why not show that through your clothes, shoes and accessories?"

Quick edit

Born in

San Mateo, California

Living in Portland for

10 years

Style icon

James Brown

Most recent clothing purchase

Velvet dinner jacket

Caffeine of choice
Coffee (for the taste). Tea (to chill).

Magazine recommendation

LUNCHEON

Secret personality trait

Naturally shy

THE MAINERS: Your personal style is strong and distinct. How do you put together an outfit?

KAZEEM: I focus on tailored, clean and classic, but with a little touch of something unique. A hat, a bandana, a vintage lapel pin, et cetera.

THE MAINERS: What advice would you give someone who wants to up their game in terms of style and clothing?

KAZEEM: Fit. Fit. Fit. Not skinny, but tailored. I see a lot of people, mostly men in fantastic shape, wearing a full size or more above their true size. I also tell people to accessorize more. As human beings we are all different, so why not show that through your clothes, shoes and accessories? Bottom line, be comfortable and build your confidence. And proper posture, always.

THE MAINERS: So you’re an advocate of the tailored look. Do you remember your first properly tailored outfit?

KAZEEM: My first year of boarding school, my mother took charge of getting my uniform ready. I was twelve years old and I was growing like crazy. So my mother decided to get me polyester shorts with an elastic waist line and a boxy shirt so I could grow into the uniform, and we could save money. It was a disaster. The polyester fabric made too much noise when I ran, it was too hot, and the fit was not a good look. So the following year, I asked for cash, went to the fabric market, purchased fabrics, took them to the tailor, and the rest is history.

THE MAINERS: Where did you grow up?

KAZEEM: I was raised in Lagos, Nigeria.

THE MAINERS: How did Nigeria influence your eye and style? Beyond having bespoke school uniforms, which I love.

KAZEEM: In the culture I was raised in, part of the Yoruba Tribe in Nigeria, how you carry yourself—your clothes, your scent, the way you talk, the way you walk, overall grooming—all of these things are crucial aesthetics and influence how you are analyzed in the larger society around you. So those things are the foundation on which my eye and style are based.

THE MAINERS: Was anyone in your family especially influential, in a positive or negative way?

KAZEEM: If I was born with any style, I will say my mother is responsible. She has style, she has presence, she has the smarts. Sloppy is not accepted in her home. Being sharp is everything, even down to how you chew your food. Elegance was always in our home.

THE MAINERS: How did you come to Maine?

KAZEEM: I was on a self-discovery adventure via starting a business in Lagos. The company I created didn’t quite work out as planned, so I put my resume online and a large company hired me and brought me to Maine. And here we are—Kazeem living in Maine. WOW!

THE MAINERS: Once you were in here, what kept you in Maine?

KAZEEM: So, the company that brought me here filed for bankruptcy and a bunch of us got laid off. I was also in a relationship then. So I decided to stay and create something new and fresh. That’s how my store, Portland Trading Co, was created.

"If I was born with any style, I will say my mother is responsible.

She has style, she has presence, she has the smarts."

THE MAINERS: You have two teenagers; do they follow your example when it comes to personal style?

KAZEEM: They love the tailored look. I tried pulling my mom’s move on my son—a larger size for him to grow into and he said, “HELL, NO.” He won because I remembered how I felt.

THE MAINERS: Can you tell us about the outfit you’re wearing now?

KAZEEM: I’m wearing a vintage Arsenal tracksuit I bought fifteen years ago in New York City. And a beanie we sell at Portland Trading Co. 

THE MAINERS: Arsenal is a Premier League football team in London, for those who don’t follow the sport. Soccer for us. Is Arsenal your team?

KAZEEM: I’m a huge Arsenal fan.

THE MAINERS: What about vintage? How do you find your pieces?

KAZEEM: My main source for vintage is in Boston—the legendary store Bobby from Boston. The late proprietor, Bobby was a mentor and dear friend. But I don't acquire things like I used too, just little things now—bandanas, rings, pins, watches, et cetera. 

THE MAINERS: We’re in your lovely home; how do you go about creating an interesting interior space?

KAZEEM: My approach is minimal, minimal, minimal. Just couple of art pieces, a sound system, a great bed, high quality bed sheets, and a few plants. When I travel, I try to bring back a piece that reminds me of the beautiful, wonderful times I had overseas.

Ultimately, one should strive for space that brings peace and gentleness. So when one comes home, there’s a sense that everything is going to be okay.

THE MAINERS: Do you have a favorite find from your travels?

KAZEEM:  A vintage French print purchased on my first solo trip to Paris. I discovered it wandering around Paris, getting lost, and stumbled on small antique book store.

THE MAINERS: Do you have any upcoming travel plans?

KAZEEM: I try as much as possible to travel overseas to areas known for their sense of minimalism across every aspect of life—style, home, on the streets, in stores. Last year I went to Berlin. And hoping and praying I can make it to Japan this winter.

THE MAINERS: What about Maine inspires you?

KAZEEM: Practicality. Basics. Essentials. This is the foundation I based my store on. “Absolute Essentials.”

THE MAINERS: Any advice for surviving the winter deep freeze?

KAZEEM: Go to Pai Men Miyake. Order the pork buns, Brussel sprouts and Tokyo Abura.

THE MAINERS: That’s good advice. We’ll take it. 

2018

Happy New Year! We will be back next week with more content and more Mainers.

Here is a look back at some of our favorite shots from last year. Thank you for following along!