On Rackliff Island, part of St. George, Maine, a three-bedroom home sits nestled into the woods. This 2,720-square-foot house is bursting with original art and vibrant color, light and air, and bold, dynamic design choices curated by the home’s proud owners. All the details in all the rooms were selected for how they contribute to the spirited conversations taking place between design elements. This home was crafted as both an homage to, and piece of, art.
Both of the home’s owners are artists themselves. They came to art later in life, after pursuing successful careers in other fields. A 2007 trip to Provence to take art classes at SCAD Lacoste awakened their inner artists, and the couple has been passionately creating, appreciating, and collecting art ever since. After relocating from South Carolina to Maine, they bought the current property, purchased a $700 house plan online, and got to work.
Today, the house bears some resemblance to that original plan. The owners, committed to having the house they really wanted, added a two-car garage, a wine cellar, a workshop, a gun room, a storage room, a staircase, and a gardening area, as well as making small changes like adding an extra skylight in the guest bathroom, a sliding barn door in a powder room, and a cozy nook in the great room.
The house features objects from far and near. Loft furniture sits on a rug from IKEA and an antique pine table on a rug from Morocco. A crock from Italy meant for rising bread dough rests on the kitchen counter with kibble from their two Biewer Terriers. Two papier mâché Indian bride and groom sculptures from France keep company with a painting from Mexico in the hallway. Decorative elements from closer to home include tiles, fixtures, cabinetry, marble, and appliances purchased locally in Maine. Art and color are the central features of this home. The homeowner admits that they were previously reticent with color and that, when designing previous homes, they had stuck to safe, neutral tones. But when it came to this house, inspired by a designer friend, they did not hold back. Color is the main character of every room’s story. Rosy-colored, bold patterns upholster pieces of furniture, and a rug consists entirely of blocks of color. A room with a blue couch is adorned with pillows in delightfully mismatched patterns. Color streams through the house, brought to life by the ample sunlight spilling in through the windows and doors. The overall palette is happy and light and tends toward pastels and warm hues. To walk through the house is to bathe in aquas, greens, splashes of salmon, peach, blues, and yellows.
Art adorns every available vertical and horizontal surface. The resident collection of paintings features many artists from Maine and a good number of pieces by the homeowners themselves. Decorative elements like lamps, side tables, bed coverings, and lighting effectively accentuate and showcase the home’s generous displays of original artwork.
One feature not to be missed are the outdoor eating spaces, inspired by the couple’s frequent trips to Provence. “That’s the way they live in Southern France—everyone has an outdoor eating space. We have three.” The couple breakfasts and lunches on the front porch, which boasts a green floor and orange chairs. A covered, L-shaped deck on the side of the house overlooking Seal Harbor provides ample room for two dining options: a glass table large enough to seat eight and a more intimate table.
“It’s happy and full of things I love… It’s designed exactly the way we wanted it. And the views are beautiful. We’re surrounded by woods and water.” What’s also clear is that the home is a personal expression of passion and a lifelong love of the act of expression itself. Art has been combined with more art to create this live-in piece of art. ▪
