Antique, Vintage, and Contemporary Home and Garden Furnishings

Marie Caswell of Redefine Redesign fixes a floral display on the porch she designed for the Old York Historical Society Designer Show House.
Photo by Jackie Ricciardi

Showy rooms

By Meredith Blake

CAPE NEDDICK -- This year's designers for the 17th annual Old York Decorator Show House combine the latest trends in home fashion with a touch of New England charm to transform a beautiful cottage by the sea.

Hillside Cottage, located on Agamenticus Avenue, is a 19th-century shingle-style cottage that features more than a dozen rooms -- all of which have been redecorated to introduce new styles and colors to the historic home.

The Show House opens this Friday with the annual preview gala, where guests will enjoy fine food and dance to the music of Straight Lace. Proceeds from the event benefit the Museums of Old York. Those who attend will be the first to take the tour and meet the designers.

Upon entering the house, the veranda is the first room the visitor will experience. Designer Fotene Demoulas of Fotene Design Inc. has created a room that is reminiscent of summertime with lots of blues, grays, browns and whites. She said her inspiration was the ocean waves and jagged edges of the ocean line.

Next the visitor will travel outside to one of the two decks -- the Martini Deck. The bright blue retro outdoor wall art inspired the colors and themes for this outdoor space.

Designer Marie Caswell of Redefine Designs said of the Martini Deck she created with Fiona's Porch, "We decided to come up with a theme to intrigue all ages."

As the visitor first enters the house, the living room designed by Dianne Hughes of Diane Hughes Interiors can be seen on the right. The look she went for was a "metropolitan feel with traditional effects," said Hughes.

Many of the designers balanced modern and traditional pieces in each room. Designer Paula Daher of Daher Interior Designs said she sought to balance the old with the new in the kitchen, combining the stainless steel appliances with classic textures and designs.

The second floor has the master bedroom, guest bedroom, Carolyn's room, a library and a sitting room.

Designer Phyllis Giordano of Painted Treasures created Carolyn's room. She wanted to design a room that was "bright and fun," she said -- one that reflected the life of a girl between the ages of 11 and 15.

Giordano specializes in furniture art and design. She paints vintage furniture both from her inventory and pieces that clients bring to her.

In this room, along with the bright furniture, one will also see a purple and pink picture of the Nubble Lighthouse, along with a photograph of Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom on the nightstand.

Several of the designers said they were inspired by the location of the house and created rooms that reflected a cottage by the sea. Designer Anne Cowenhoven of Accent & Design Inc. used sea glass and acid-etched marble along the walls next to the state-of-the-art wood-burning stove to spruce up the family room.

Photographer Linda Payne-Sylvester of Reflected Light Designs said when she thinks of cottages she thinks of gardens. In the third floor hallway she has adorned the walls with photographs of flowers from her garden. In a photo nook she created, there are a series of vintage photographs from the 19th century. They feature various people on vacation in York, Ogunquit and Kennebunk.

Hillside Cottage was used as a summer vacation home for many years and much of this history is reflected in the color themes and concepts that the decorators used.

Interior designers, landscape architects and artists this year include: Fotene Design Inc., Redefine Design, Fiona's Porch, Diane Hughes Interiors, Jane O'Brien Interiors, Jane Considine Studio, Patricia Shaw, Meg Orlansky Decorative Painting, Brett Gamache, Standard of New England, Appledore Arbor, The Taylor'd Room, Reflected Light Designs, Goldsmith Fine Portraiture, Painted Treasures, DMC Interiors, Penelope Daborn Ltd., Ethan Allen, Finnian's Moon, Accent & Design, Daher Interior Design, The Willow and Stoney Brook Landscaping.

Most of the furnishings, artwork, decorations and draperies used in this year's Show House will be available for purchase with a percentage of the proceeds to benefit Old York.
Tickets for the preview gala are $60 per person or $250 per couple for Patron level. Reservations are required.

The Show House opens for regular public viewing this Saturday, July 14. Tickets are $20 and will be available at the door.

Tours will be offered Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. through Aug. 12. The house is closed on Tuesday.

Along with tours of the house, Old York is also sponsoring a Luncheon Lecture Series this summer on home design. On July 19, landscape artist Jill Nooney will give tips on making a garden and on Aug. 9 Homes Editor Stacy Kunstel from New England Home Magazine will provide a presentation of beautifully designed homes in the region. Tickets cost $45 and the meetings will be held at the Stage Neck Inn at 11:30 a.m.