2022
Maine Homes
Design Awards
- Readers' Choice Winners -
The value of owning a Maine home has never been greater, and this year’s fifth annual Maine Homes Design Awards contest proves a property’s worth is more than monetary. Our entrants poured creativity and passion into projects designed to provide easy-breathing space and constant comfort at a time when uncertainty seems to be banging at the door with increasing frequency.
In the judged portion of the contest, our experts scored a stunning array of nearly 75 entries in five professional and five reader categories: new home, remodel/addition, small space (houses less than 1,500 square feet), kitchen, and garden/landscaping. Thousands of votes were also cast online to determine a Readers’ Choice winner in each category, shown here. And it was all for a good cause. All submission fees from this year’s contest will be donated to the Maine chapters of Habitat for Humanity, whose work building energy-efficient, affordable housing couldn’t be more critical right now.
Thanks to everyone who submitted and congratulations to the winners who entered these 10 inspiring projects. We hope you’re photographing your latest home projects in preparation for next year’s competition!
2022
Maine Homes Design Awards
- Readers' Choice Winners -
The value of owning a Maine home has never been greater, and this year’s fifth annual Maine Homes Design Awards contest proves a property’s worth is more than monetary. Our entrants poured creativity and passion into projects designed to provide easy-breathing space and constant comfort at a time when uncertainty seems to be banging at the door with increasing frequency.
In the judged portion of the contest, our experts scored a stunning array of nearly 75 entries in five professional and five reader categories: new home, remodel/addition, small space (houses less than 1,500 square feet), kitchen, and garden/landscaping. Thousands of votes were also cast online to determine a Readers’ Choice winner in each category, shown here. And it was all for a good cause. All submission fees from this year’s contest will be donated to the Maine chapters of Habitat for Humanity, whose work building energy-efficient, affordable housing couldn’t be more critical right now.
Thanks to everyone who submitted and congratulations to the winners who entered these 10 inspiring projects. We hope you’re photographing your latest home projects in preparation for next year’s competition!
The Beneficiary
PROFESSIONAL NEW HOME
An Ogunquit Dream Home
Photographs by ROB KAROSIS
Glenn Farrell Says: Completed in the spring of 2021, this new-construction home was a dream for us to work on. It sits next to a family property, allowing for a compound that will be enjoyed for generations. We created a super-insulated, cozy home using SIP panels on the roof and heaters in the ceiling. Features such as a curved bank of windows in the breakfast nook and accordion doors in the family room showcase the ocean view, while custom built-in bunk beds with nautical accents can sleep a crowd.
General Contractor:
YFI Custom Homes
Architect:
William J. Hirsch Jr.
Interior Designer:
Duquette & Company
Building Materials:
Eldredge Lumber and Hardware
Millwork and Dining Table:
YFI Millworks
Windows and Doors:
Marvin Design Gallery by Eldredge Lumber
PROFESSIONAL REMODEL/ADDITION
Coveside Cottage Renovation, Camden
Photographs by SARAH SZWAJKOS
Tom Albertson Says: A seasonal camp sitting on the edge of Camden Harbor was transformed into an elegant year-round retreat for out-of-state owners. The original structure, which rested on concrete piers, was lifted and placed on a fully insulated foundation and capped with a standing-seam copper roof. New picture windows allow for stunning views of the harbor. Thoughtful finishes, specified by the clients, connect the interior to the outdoor surroundings, creating a serene atmosphere for gathering with family and friends.
General Contractor:
Rockport Building Partners
Architectural Designer and Cabinetry:
Zaveta Custom Homes
Landscaping Contractor:
Stonescape
Roofing Contractor:
D.H. Pinnette & Sons
PROFESSIONAL SMALL SPACE
The Point, Cushing
Photographs by FRANÇOIS GAGNÉ
Bill Austin Says: A landscape architect and an architect, my wife, Joan, and I began collaborating on our family home in 2013. The compound is sited on land that has been in Joan’s family for more than 120 years. We wanted to build a small, efficient, sustainable house that would blend into the black-spruce forest and rocky coast. We sited the house on a gentle slope, where filtered views of the St. George River, wild blueberries, bay laurel, and granite outcroppings provide a link between the built and natural environments. Since we were building the house mostly by ourselves, we kept the forms simple. The 850-square-foot structure features an all-wood interior, one bedroom, one bath, a galley kitchen, and an open living area. The simple shed roof allows for a 13-foot-high living space with full-height windows opening onto beautiful views of the water and evening sky.
Architect, Landscape Architect, Interior Designers, General Contractors, and Carpenters:
Bill Austin and Joan Rockwell
Electrical Contractor:
Jeff Creighton Electric
Plumbing Contractor:
Brian Haynes Plumbing
Additional Carpentry:
S&B Builders
Art:
Merle James, Dudley Rockwell, Neal Parent
Building Supplies:
Hammond Lumber Company
Custom Furniture:
Bill Austin, Dudley Rockwell
Excavation:
S&S Excavators
Foundation:
Corbett Concrete
PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN
Sweet Little Farmhouse Kitchen, West Fryeburg
Photograph by SEAN LITCHFIELD
Hannah Guilford Says: I chose white for this farmhouse kitchen because it is modern and fresh while also timeless. The cabinets feel less brand new when balanced with butcher-block countertops. We used cool quartz as a surface for rolling out dough and to tie in the white and wood tones. Black hardware provides an updated touch, but the traditional cup pulls and knobs keep it from being too modern. Copper tones bring in rustic warmth and harmonize with the salvaged barn beams in the adjoining living space. Soft colors, derived from the landscape, tie the indoors to the outdoors.
Designer and Project Manager:
Hannah Guilford
Installer:
Cody Guilford
Countertop Installer:
Rumford Stone
Cabinetry, Flooring, and Stone:
Heart and Hammer Homes Kitchen & Bath Design Showroom
PROFESSIONAL GARDEN/LANDSCAPING
Pavilion in a Quarry, Brooksville
Photographs by KEN WOISARD
Corey Papadopoli Says: Set in an abandoned quarry, this project afforded the opportunity to design both architecture and landscaping in an unparalleled setting. Last excavated in the 1930s, the site had grown derelict; a series of forsaken craters were filled with stone and the detritus from decades of neglect. But the memory of its initial purpose lay just below the surface, waiting for the echoes of modern machinery to awaken it. Utilizing weathered stone strewn about the site, the edges of the quarry were healed in with native plantings and carefully placed rock. A pavilion perches lightly on the ground and two buildings, connected by a carefully balanced roof plane, provide shade and cover. The space between the structures sets up the view to a grassy field and the juxtaposition of soft vegetation against obdurate stone. Two heaps of stone have a phenomenological effect, indicating something beyond and begging for exploration, the same request the quarry made at the start.
Principal Architect:
Matt Elliott, AIA
Project Architect:
Corey Papadopoli, NCARB
General Contractor:
Gillen Construction
Landscape Designer:
Elliott Architects
Structural Engineer:
Thornton Tomasetti
READER NEW HOME
Lamoine Maine
TERRY WILSON
Photographs by TERRY WILSON
Terry Wilson Says: I am an artist who paints the Maine landscape. My husband and I went searching for property between Belfast and Bar Harbor, hoping to land in the Bar Harbor area since that is where I do most of my painting. When we found this land in Lamoine, my brain went crazy trying to design a house that would blend into the environment. Working with a local builder, I drew up plans, Hammond Lumber drafted them, and the builder made them come to life. We completed the house last year just as the snow started flying.
Designer:
Terry Wilson
General Contractor:
Filmore Inc.
Building Materials and Drafting Services:
Hammond Lumber
Landscaping Contractor:
Phillips Lawn & Landscape
READER REMODEL/ADDITION
Ocean-View Bath with Laundry, Lincolnville
CHRISTINE LEARY
Photographs by CHRISTINE LEARY
Christine Leary Says: We carved out this much-needed first-floor bath from a walkway connecting our 1890s house to the barn. The glass-walled walk-in shower offers ocean views and a door that leads to a deck and an outdoor shower — perfect for rinsing sandy feet and bathing under the stars. A laundry and storage area are tucked into one end of the room. Nodding to our midcoast location are photos of colorful Maine rocks from our beach, Peter Ralston’s Pentecost print, and a vintage lobster buoy.
General Contractor:
Kenneth Cox Construction
Interior Design:
Christine Leary
Art:
Peter Ralston, Karen L. Cronin
Bath Mat:
Starbird
Lampshades:
Ballard Designs
Mirror:
Pottery Barn
Pendant and Sconces:
Shades of Light
Rug:
Ruggable
READER SMALL SPACE
Cozy Rock Cabin, Freeport
JANICE SMITH
Photographs by Chris Daniele; Pete Curialle (woodstove)
Janice Smith Says: I’ve been drawing cabin designs on graph paper since I was in elementary school. When I finally found the right piece of land for my dream cabin, I scoured Instagram for inspiration. After I found a design that was almost perfect, Pete Long, a designer in Canada, helped me alter the plans to include a bedroom and bath. My cousin, who had recently started his own building company, brought the plans to life. My goal was to create a small escape that encourages people to disconnect and relax. The pine trim, wide-plank floors, ceilings, and beams keep it feeling like a cabin, but there are also luxury touches, like a heated bath floor and high-end furniture. My fiancé, Sean Kehoe, and I love spending at least one weekend each month at the cabin and hosting guests’ celebrations. This year, we’ll host the cabin’s first wedding — ours!
Architectural Designer:
RavenHouse Design
General Contractor:
MW Hoss Construction
Interior Designer:
Spruce Creative Studio
READER KITCHEN
Blackberry Ridge Farmhouse Kitchen, Newcastle
SARA AND KEVIN ELLIS
Photographs by Tyler Plummer, Maine Aerial Photography Services
Sara Ellis Says: In the kitchen in our 1790s farmhouse, we built and stained a butcher-block island, then sealed it with beeswax. The fixture over the island was inspired by my affinity for houseplants; my husband, Kevin, built it with reclaimed rope and trim pieces removed from the old kitchen. Along the perimeter, we hand-poured concrete countertops. Around the copper sink, we built cabinetry to look like furniture that might have been found in the original home. Initially, we thought we’d have to cover up the beams to hide the plumbing and wiring, but we were able to conceal them beneath drywall installed between the beams instead.
READER GARDEN/LANDSCAPING
Garden Rooms, Falmouth
ERIK GREVEN AND SUSAN VAYDA
Photographs by SUSAN VAYDA
Susan Vayda Says: Over the last 27 years, my husband, Erik Greven, and I have been planning and creating our garden landscape, originally designed by landscape architect Jerry Skinner. Much like our interior space, we have approached our landscape as individual rooms, connected with crushed-stone paths, to be discovered as one travels through. The gardens are designed to change with the seasons, beginning with many bulbs, forsythia, and magnolias in early spring. Ornamental pear trees flank the long driveway and bloom in late May. Irises, lilies, and lupines in early summer give way to bridal wreath, climbing roses, French lilacs, peonies, and potentilla. Japanese wisteria flanks the iron arbor connecting the paths. A lovely arched wooden bridge, designed and built by Erik, connects the main garden to wildflower gardens containing black-eyed Susans, daisies, and Queen Anne’s lace. Throughout the summer, many varieties of day and tiger lilies, phlox, and salvia abound. A weeping willow adorns the pond, which is surrounded by daylilies and hostas. Aside from spring cleanup and mulching, we do all the planting, weeding, and maintenance.