Last summer I had the pleasure of joining my friend from California on a trip across the water via Casco Bay Lines ferry to Peaks Island. I had not been to the island for about twenty years and had never had the opportunity to look around. It’s amazing to me how a wonderful little vintage gem of a place could be so close to such a highly urban area like Portland. Peaks Island is just fantastic and a perfect get-away for townies and tourists alike.

Peaks Island is a great and surprising step back in time for those who appreciate unique old homes. Traditional coastal Maine cottages line the streets, many of which have been lovingly restored to their original ornate Victorian styling. It’s a great trip for old home enthusiasts, history buffs as well as being a family friendly island.

When you arrive at Peaks there is a beautiful little café directly to the left as you come off the ferry. It offers wonderful local Coffee By Design java by the cup (if you have not tried CBD, you absolutely must) and freshly baked pastries, delicious croissants, soups and sandwiches. A delightful little garden is adjacent to the café where you can sit and sip your coffee or tea amongst gorgeous flowers.

If you did not bring your bike over on the ferry ($6.00 fee per bike ticket) your next stop should be at the bike rental shop (which opens around ten a.m. give or take) Brad’s Recycled Bicycle Shop, located at 115 Island Ave, (207) 766-5631, where you can rent bikes by the hour or by the day… and they accept credit cards. Get there early for the best selection as they run out of them quickly. The cost was somewhere around $10.00 for three hours which seems to be plenty of time to cruise around the island. Brad’s offers bikes of all styles. If you have children, do not fear, they also have children’s bikes, helmets and tandem bikes as well. On off-season I found it to be self-service where you leave your information and payment in a box and help yourself to the three dozen or so bikes that they had out in the yard. Luckily I had some cash with me since Brad seemed to be off that day. Probably biking around the island! Bikes seem to be the easiest way to travel around this very low-keyed island. The traffic is generally minimal, as a lot of islanders do not own vehicles, but keep an eye out… it’s very simple to forget that you are not solo on the road.

It’s easy to cover the island in a fairly short amount of time on bikes even with children and it’s always an interesting time. A few of the wonderful finds we came across while exploring were the stone garden, Peaks Island Honey and the private cottage art studio painted with glorious life sized flowers.

The stone garden is breathtaking. It’s a huge portion of rocky beach covered in various stone formations crafted by the previous visitors to the island. I highly recommend taking some time to build your own sculpture and watching the others build theirs. It’s a beautiful and ever-changing gallery of stone. Amazing!

If you can find your way to Trefethen Avenue (somewhere close to the ferry dock and Brad’s Bikes near Island Avenue) you’ll no doubt come across the studio of Margaret Richards, painter and crafter of delightful pansy jewelry. The home has become an outdoor canvas for the resident artist, with the foundation painted in colorful array of flowers. It’s magical!!

Not far from the studio at the end of Island Avenue we came across a quaint roadside table of honey made on the island at the Peaks Island Honey Company. Totally self serve with an “on your honor” mason jar. Honor, isn’t that a beautiful thing? For just $4.00 you can bring home a bit of the island. I dare you to keep your fingers out of it on the ride home! I will mention that I’ve been told by a helpful gent that the makers of this fine honey are seasonal residents, so you’ll have to be sure to grab plenty of it in-season!

All around Peaks Island residents are a fantastic array of warm folks who all are very kind to its visitors. In my experience, they are inviting and peaceful and are more than happy to make your acquaintance and welcome you to their little island. While riding along the roads I found all of the drivers to be most courteous for those of us who don’t bike daily and may get a little off kilter every so often and the older folks seem to really love children. We did not pass one single resident who did not greet us as we went by. The island residents seemed to have tapped into a truly good life and it shows.

Have a glass of wine on the deck at Jones Landing

A great and traditional way to finish up your trip is a glass of wine and tapas at Jones Landing. The staff at Jones Landing is all so friendly and seemed to be very used to their guests loosing track of time, watching the sunset over Casco Bay. Save some time at the end of your trip for this storybook ending to your perfect day.

Safe travels to you,
Priscilla O’Kelly Wilkinson PDRA, CWC
Sanctuary Design

Maine is filled with great options for homeowners that want to save some pennies and be GREEN all at the same time!  Here are a few of our favorites.

Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1984 with a mission to eliminate poverty housing in the Greater Portland area. Through the generous donation of time, goods and services from the community they build quality, affordable GREEN housing for families above the public housing guidelines and unable to quality for conventional mortgages.

“We have taken our core mission of providing simple and affordable housing a step further by incorporating environmentally friendly building practices into the construction of our homes.  This project is trying for LEED-H certification and includes energy and water efficiencies, responsible site design, recycled materials and durable construction.  Only a few other residential homes in the entire state of Maine have received LEED certification.  This makes Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland a leader in building environmentally friendly homes. But most importantly, Habitat of Greater Portland is trying to add affordability to the green building effort.  The affordability component makes the LEED project completely unique to the state of Maine.”

http://www.habitatportlandme.org
Check their website for other Maine locations near you!
http://www.habitat.org/cd/local/affiliate.aspx?place=68

Habitat for Humanity ReStore
Donate or buy new and reusable building materials. Interior and exterior doors,
windows, new hardwood flooring, ranges, microwaves, tile, grout and mortar, tubs, cabinets and lighting.   They have many locations around Maine with an ever changing supply of materials for home improvement.  Always something new!

“We take calls for de-construction projects in  Central, Western, andSouthern Maine.For these projects, we bring our truck and can help haul away usuable materials from a renovation project in progress.

We can schedule our procurement crew to remove, and haul away large amounts of materials that are fit for resale, from your jobsite. This may help cut your cost of demolition or debris removal. If you are embarking on such a project and want to schedule this service, please contact Daniel Wallace, Construction Manager, at dan@habitatme.org or

(207) 772-2151.”

http://www.habitatportlandme.org/restore/inventory.htm
Habitat ReStore also has other locations around Maine
http://www.habitat.org/cd/local/affiliate.aspx?place=68

Maine Green Building Supply
Promoting healthy alternatives to traditional building, Maine Green Building Supply is for the eco-friendly homeowner or builder. Recycled cotton insulation and paper counter tops containing at least 50% post consumer content, environmentally safe VOC (volatile organic compounds) free paint and wood finishes, solar, radiant heating supplies and non toxic lumber alternatives.

http://www.maingreenbuilding.com
111 Fox Street, Portland, ME 04101
Phone Number: (207) 780-1510
Store Business Hours:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Saturdays, 8am to 12 pm

Portland Architectural Salvage
Four floors and 12,000 square feet of goodness, Portland Architectural Salvage is an old home enthusiasts dream! It’s always a treat to see what you can find here, doors, statuary, furniture, plumbing and stairways from a range of periods; Retro, Art Deco, Mission, Victorian and Colonial.
There are many fantastic wares for the artist and craftsman too. Old doorknobs, hinges, Corinthian columns, iron grates and fences can make whimsical and quirky, decorative accessories for the home and garden.
http://www.portlandsalvage.com
131 Preble Street, Portland, ME 04101
Phone Number: (207) 780-0634
Store Business Hours:
Monday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Sundays, 12 am to 5pm

Upscale Consignment Furniture
Finding great pieces of furniture is fun at Upscale! It’s one of my favorite stores for new or gently used furniture and home accessories with an ever-changing selection and its much larger inside than it appears on the outside. It’s really more of a warehouse. Many do not realize that Upscale is also a great resource for new furnishings. They offer a wonderful U.S. crafted line of custom upholstered furnishings for a fraction of the price you’ll see at other furniture stores.
The entire staff at Upscale is warm and friendly, without pressure. It will be a completely different shopping experience from the traditional furniture stores.
http://www.upscalegroup.com
150 Riverside St. (Right at Exit 48 Maine Turnpike) Portland, ME.
Phone Number: (207) 774-2900 Toll Free 1(877) 586-5633
Store Business Hours:
Monday through Friday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 12pm – 4 pm

Stone Craft
I recently had the pleasure of working with Stone Craft on a custom designed fireplace surround with a lighting and water feature and have to say it was a great experience! The guys at Stone Craft are top notch craftsmen and create outstanding work.
Concrete is quickly replacing traditional laminate and even granite because of its exceptional strength and its ability to be shaped and molded into pretty much anything you desire. It also comes in a variety of different colors and can be texturized. One of the other great features of concrete is the versatility of the material. It can be highly personalized by adding aggregate, polished stones or agates or you can add a bit of sparkle to your design by adding custom dimmer pin-lights embedded into the surface.
http://www.stonecraftonline.com
643 Main St. (Rt. 25) Gorham, Maine 04038
Phone Number: (207 591-7711
Store Business Hours:
By Appointment

Artist and Craftsman Supply
Tools to create beautiful interiors can come from many resources. Artist and Craftsman Supply has a gorgeous line of art supplies for faux finishing and decorative painting, paints, frames, matting supplies and instructional books. They also have a custom framing department where their resident artists will beautifully frame your artwork. It’s a fun place to shop and I guarantee you’ll find something you must have! Bring the kids along, they have a great kids section too!
http://www.artistcraftsman.com
540 Deering Avenue, Portland, ME 04103
Phone Number (207) 77-7272 * Toll Free: (800) 876-8076
Fax:  (207) 772-0001
Store Business Hours:
Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday, 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Sunday, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Mother Earth is suffering.  Every day our planet is inundated with toxic chemicals that are permeating the air that we breathe and the soil that we grow our fruits and vegetables in.  It’s no wonder that there are so many people suffering from allergies and asthma.  There have also been links to commercial cleansers and birth defects.

Here is a list of very common household cleaning chemicals linked to asthma and reproductive harm:

• Monoethanolamine (MEA) is a surfactant found in some laundry detergents, all-purpose cleaners and floor cleaners and is a known inducer of occupational asthma.

• Ammonium quaternary compounds are disinfectants found in some disinfectant sprays and toilet cleaners that have been identified as inducers of occupational asthma.

• Glycol ethers, such as 2- butoxyethanol, are solvents commonly found in glasscleaners and all-purpose spray cleaners that have been linked to reduced fertility and low birth weight in exposed mice.

• Alkyl phenol ethoxylates (APEs) are surfactants found in laundry detergents, stain removers, and all-purpose cleaners, which have been found to reduce embryo survival in fish, and alter tadpole development. APEs are commonly detected as contaminants in rivers and streams, and have also been found in household dust.

• Phthalates are carriers for fragrance in glass cleaners, deodorizers, laundry detergents and fabric softeners, which have been linked to adverse effects on male children, reduced sperm count in adult men, and increased allergic symptoms and asthma in children.

Natural Cleansers From the Kitchen

By choosing environmentally friendly cleansing products it will ensure a home with fresh, clean air, which is free of many toxins.

Many of the ingredients needed to create these cleansers can be found right in your kitchen cabinets.  Homemade natural cleansers can be made for pennies and are the ideal choice for your home and family.

Supply List:

Borax -  Borax also known as sodium borate decahydrate; sodium pyroborate; birax; sodium tetraborate decahydrate; sodium biborate.  Discovered over 4000 years ago, borax is a natural mineral compound generally found deep within the ground.

It is used as a multipurpose cleanser, disinfectant, preservative, fungicide, insecticide and as a natural laundry booster.

Baking Soda – Baking soda or sodium bicarbonate is a component of the mineral natron and is found dissolved in many mineral springs.

White Vinegar- “Vinegar” derives from the Old French vin aigre, meaning “sour wine.” Louis Pasteur showed in 1864 that vinegar results from a natural fermentation process.

Hydrogen Peroxide- Hydrogen peroxide is naturally produced as a byproduct of oxygen metabolism.

Essential Oils- Essential oil is any concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants, which are called aromatic herbs or aromatic plants.

Handle all essential oils very carefully as pure essential oil can burn the skin.

Do not be tempted to save money and purchase essential oil blends.  These are blended with synthetic oils. A small bottle of essential oil should last for years, as only a few drops are needed for each recipe.  It’s highly concentrated.

Olive Oil – Olive oil is fruit oil obtained from the olive (Olea europaea), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin.

Cornstarch – Cornstarch, or cornflour, is the starch of the maize grain, commonly known as corn.

Salt

Natural Cleaning Recipes

• Window & Glass Cleaner: 1/2 cup of white vinegar to one gallon of water.

Helpful Tip: Use old newspapers instead of paper towels and you’ll find this creates less dust on the surface. If you want fragrance simply add a couple of drops of essential oil to the blend.  This recipe can also be used for dusting furniture.

• Dishwasher Detergent: Two tablespoons of Borax pre-dissolved in water.  Add a small amount of vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Helpful Tip: Add a drop of citrus (lemon or orange) essential oil to the pre-dissolved Borax solution for fragrance.

• Carpet Freshener: To make a homemade carpet deodorizer, combine two tablespoons cornstarch and 3/4 cup baking soda in a  container. Sprinkle the mixture on dry carpet and let stand five to 15 minutes before vacuuming.

Helpful Tip: Add a drop of essential oil to the powder for added fragrance

• Shower Cleanser: Scrub the shower using full strength vinegar, then use baking soda as a scouring powder

Helpful Tip: Add a drop of essential oil to the powder for added fragrance

• Furniture polish: Mix two parts olive oil to one part lemon juice to make a simple homemade furniture polish.  Apply with a soft cloth.

• Toilet bowl cleaner: Sprinkle baking soda into your toilet, then add a small amount of vinegar before scrubbing with a toilet brush.

If ready made products are more for you, Method “People Against Dirty” is the way to go.  100% of the functional ingredients in their products are either found in nature or derived from natural sources.  Method has a wonderful array of household and personal cleansers in beautiful fragrances like Eucalyptus and Mint, Grapefruit, Almond Flower, White Tea, Olive Leaf just to name a few.  I have found Method cleansers to be one of the best natural cleansers on the market, unlike many of the other natural cleansers that tend to leave hazy residue behind, Method cleansers work beautifully and their fragrances are delicious!

Above list of chemicals from Womens Voices For The Earth

Out of all of the houses I’ve have designed and visited over the years, my favorites still are some of our very good friends.  They are not particularly fancy or overly decorated, just comfortable and well… funky!  One couple that we know Joshua and Anna, both artists have an amazingly quaint home.  It does not have a lot of furnishings or decor to speak of, but what they do have is such a treat for the eyes.

One morning this spring we had the pleasure of joining them for brunch.  Always a fun time!  Josh and Anna’s  great artistic sense comes through in their ability to blend a varied array of  styles seamlessly.  Their living room is furnished with Thomas Moser like pieces, all handcrafted by Josh  and accented with a few choice modern paintings, also created by Josh.  Their walls are painted in gorgeous hues reminiscent of an autumn day in Maine.  Their kitchen however, brings you into a different world entirely of old vintage wares and whimsy.  Open shelves display their vast collection of what they casually refer to as  “old junk”  as if to apologize for not having a tidily matching set of chic dinnerware.   This “junk” is actually a wonderful feast of mix-and-match glassware from the 50’s-70’s and it’s absolutely FABULOUS!

Our brunch was served on everything from floral pattered plates to bowls with neat commemorative designs… a most memorable time indeed!

Allen & Walker Antiques- Portland, ME.

In decorating my own home, I too love to use a variety of decor to create our own special look.  While the furnishings in our home are generally very Asia modern I blend in other style periods, because I just cannot seem to part with them!  I have classical paintings from my great grandfather and vintage gilded mirrors, alongside very modern photographs and artwork.  Our dinnerware is very basic black and taupe, but I also use my antique platters and serving pieces on a regular basis.  My philosophy is, why wait to use it on a special occasion?

When walking through flea markets, antique shops and discount home décor stores I keep a watchful eye open for extraordinary bits and bobs for my own home as well as the homes that I am designing.  Tag sales and vintage consignment shops are fun places to shop for unusual lighting, funky shaped tables and warm, old gilded mirrors.  Here is where you can really express your own individual style for discarded treasures, usually for a much more reasonable price.

1920's Carnival Chalkware Prize

My husband Jason and I are great antique enthusiasts and over the years we have acquired some very unusual collections; from our most extensive array of antique sheet music, vintage oilcans and a bright and cheerful circus of 1920’s carnival chalk ware prizes, all of who have been fondly named by our two daughters, Gwyneth and Isabella.

While living in Maryland we would frequently travel to Pennsylvania and Ohio to find McCoy and Hull matte Creamware, later made popular by Martha Stewart and lovely illuminated Buzza Motto Prints from the turn of the century.  Sometimes a single objet d’art does not make enough of an impact individually, but rather as a grouping of like pieces.  All of these pieces, while each uniquely beautiful individually, would not make as great of an impact as they do grouped as a collection and the hunt is the most delicious part of it!

McCoy Matte White Pottery

When starting a collection I have always found to go with what really speaks to me and the design will take shape all on its own.

Your own taste will become your style and it will start with just one single object that you love.

Happy hunting!

There is a reason that the houses in magazines always look so wonderful!

Working with an Interior Designer is the wish of many homeowners.  More than two-thirds of my potential clients that call start out our conversation with “I really should not be hiring a decorator, my house is not fancy.”  Or “I probably can’t afford to hire a designer.”

But It Looked So Good In the Store

What many people are unaware of is the bigger expense that comes with making the wrong purchases for your new look that you want to achieve.

I cannot tell you how many times over the past 19 years that I’ve had folks say to me as I walk through their homes “ I never should have purchased that sofa, but it looked so good in the store.”  How many times have you selected paint for your home only to find it was not the perfect red you had visualized?  Do you find yourself getting hung up in the current trends only to find one year hence these trendy things are dating your rooms?

The Virtual Designer

Most folks only re-decorate a few times in their lives and in today’s world of instant decorating on the television where in a half an hour you see an entire home taken to the extremes of design, it’s common to get caught up believing that it really is just that easy!  What they don’t show you is the team of people that are behind the scenes who are working non-stop to create a virtual wonder before your eyes.

Experts in color, fabrics, design and building with excellent resources at their fingertips, and years of experience, working as a whole. Still most folks assume that armed with a few magazines and a home improvement show or two later that re-designing their home will be a snap!  Ask anyone who’s undertaken a kitchen or bath remodel on his or her own about the whole process and their feelings on it. Chances are they will tell you it’s a lot of decisions, a lot of information to absorb and study, a lot of endless calls to various merchants and above all, a lot of money.

Too Many Cooks In Your New Kitchen

One of the biggest problems that I’ve seen over the years with people who take on a design project without the help of a trained designer is the lack of cohesion that comes through. It’s very easy to get swept away with buying for the new living room, credit card and magazines in hand and purchase items that are lovely, but won’t necessarily work with your overall concept.  In other words, it’s very easy to end up with a house that is too eclectic.    It’s also very easy to get too many opinions on what you should do from the general public, family or friends.  Then the total confusion sets in!

While there are many talented and artistic folks out there working in retail that could be very helpful in selecting a set of blue towels to go with your floral shower curtain that you’re purchasing at their boutique, they may not be aware that the adjacent Asia Modern bedroom will not work well with a Victorian floral bouquet theme in the master bath.

It’s the old adage “Too many cooks in the kitchen.”  With one home you can get 100 varying opinions on how to design and decorate it.  All of those concepts may be beautiful.  Within the talent and art of Interior Design lays the ability to create a seamless flow between the rooms.  To see the total design scope of the project to effectively bring out the essence of each area, while maintaining a subtle connection to the surrounding space.  A good Interior Designer assists the client to achieve a unique and fresh approach to the room while maintaining a look that is timeless to give them years of enjoyment.

Before Staging Portland Residence Living Room

After Staging Portland Residence Living Room

You know the old saying, “You never have a second chance to make a first impression.”

In today’s market of real estate the buyer has the advantage of having many homes to choose from, so what will set yours apart from the rest?

Home staging is a relatively new process in the design world, but it is quickly becoming one of the best ways to create curb appeal and to make your home more desirable to the potential buyer.

~ What is Home Staging?

Home Staging is the art of creating visual space and beauty in your home and the ability to see your home through the eyes of the buyer.

Through depersonalization, organization, creative layouts and spatial planning a good home stager can give you the sellers advantage to move your house faster and at a higher rate of sale.

~ When Do I Start the Process?

If you have ever been in the market to buy a home, you probably know how pleasant it is to walk into a home that is well manicured, spacious and airy, smells good and looks clean and tidy. It immediately gives the impression that “this home owner cared for and loved their home.” On the other hand if you’ve ever walked through a home and have witnessed piles of periodicals, dirty dishes, heaps of laundry and cluttered rooms it tends to make you skeptical of how well the person kept the house.

Before Staging Portland Residence Kitchen

After Staging Portland Residence Kitchen

Homes that are on the market to sell generally receive the most viewers within the first four weeks, after that the potential buyers start to lessen. The best time to start the staging process is before you list with a realtor. This gives the home owners plenty of time to get their house ready to show at its very best, and it will!

~ Why Stage?

You’ve got stuff. You know you do!

In your closets, in your cupboards, garage and basement. Loads and loads of stuff that you’ve collected over your years of living there.  Home-buyers are not interested in your lovely collection of childhood photos that you so cherish or your vast collection of Civil War books in your library they want to see the bones of the house, they want to see themselves in the house.

The trick to home staging is to create balance. Not too much, not too little.  A lot of home sellers think, “I’ll empty the house of all its furnishings and it will look HUGE.”

Before Staging Portland Residence Guest Room

After Staging Portland Residence Guest Room

This is one of the most commonly made errors in home sales. While at first it seems that walking through an empty house will be more appealing visually to the home buyer, it actually tends to just create confusion. We as human beings are very visual. In my 20 years of designing I can assure you that most people have a difficult time visualizing a home in any other way that they are currently seeing it.

If you are considering selling your home and want to move it in the quickest and easiest manner, than home staging is something to seriously consider.  I’ve seen homes that are newly on the market receive numerous offers and under contract within just a couple of weeks because the clients took just a couple of weeks to do a complete home staging prior to putting the house on the market.

Ask your Realtor about their thoughts on home staging, I am sure they will agree
that it is indeed worth the effort and time and yes, money.