Wielding a pen as a shovel, Annie Quigley, along with the editors of Remodelista, digs through mossy pine forests, peels back rugged coastlines, and lands at the core of what makes Maine…Maine.From the intro of her new book, Remodelista in Maine, she summarizes the practical beauty of our state’s culture: “[Maine] style can’t be bought from a store—it comes from handed-down know-how, like how to slip warmed stones under the covers on cold winter nights, or stow a pair of clippers in the glove box for snipping roadside flowers. The Maine ways of creating a home are inherently eco-friendly, resourceful, and enduring.”
Annie takes us on 10 house tours, photographed by Greta Rybus, that span from Eliot to the very northern reaches of the state. Explore the state through this intimate lens that gives us a look into Mainers’ homes. See what lessons have come from generations that live with the land and seasons. And, in the pages, learn some of the lessons yourself by trying your hand at their tips, tricks, and small projects. You might even find yourself starting a mending practice.
Some parting wisdom from the writer that she learned through this process: Every house needs a mudroom, foraged finds almost always make a great stand-in for store-bought, and the view out the window makes the best art. Itching to get ahold of the book? You can order it from Amazon, and in the meantime, browse Annie’s wonderful writing at decormaine.com.
