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2019 Readers’ Choice Winners

2019 Readers’ Choice Winners
We all know what they say about sequels not living up to first attempts. So we’d be lying if we told you we entered the planning phase of our second annual Maine Homes Design Awards contest without a whiff of trepidation. After all, how does one follow up a competition you wrangled Martha Stewart into judging? Answer: by tapping a fresh cast of heavy-hitter judges with deep connections to Maine. Susan and Eliza Crater, of iconic fabric and wallcovering company Sister Parish, renowned architect Annabelle Selldorf, and interior designer/Instagram phenom Loi Thai all have homes here; architectural photographer Jared Kuzia has shot many houses for Down East and Maine Homes, including Thai’s; and Thos. Moser, founder of the eponymous Auburn-based furniture brand, likely needs no introduction.
What happened next was largely out of our hands, but, once more, local industry pros and readers delivered. Dozens of talented folks submitted 105 entries across five professional and five reader categories: curb appeal, living and/or dining room, kitchen, bath, and landscaping. Thousands of visitors also viewed our online gallery, casting votes to pick a Reader’s Choice winner in each category, shown here. And, once again, we’re donating a portion of the net proceeds collected from entry fees to the Maine chapters of Habitat for Humanity — because, why mess with a good thing?
We’d like to offer our heartfelt congratulations to the winners who submitted these 10 brilliant, diverse projects. And a huge thanks to our sponsors and all the entrants who shared their hard work with us. We’re already looking forward to next year.
PROFESSIONAL CURB APPEAL

PROFESSIONAL CURB APPEAL
Photography by Josh Laskin
Floating Camp Roam, Oquossoc
Just Add Water Floating Camps
Rheanna Sinnett, of Just Add Water Floating Camps, says: Floating camp Roam is a simple, but well-equipped, custom-built, scow-hull houseboat that lives happily on Rangeley Lake. She offers all aboard the simple feel of a tiny house, the aquatic intimacy of a houseboat, and the natural connection of camping in one perfectly appointed floating space. Featuring reclaimed and upcycled materials, along with custom woodwork and artistic details, Roam is flawlessly designed to integrate naturally into her pristine surroundings on this western Maine lake.
DESIGNER & BUILDER: EcoCat
PROFESSIONAL LIVING AND/OR DINING ROOM

Photography by Laurel LaBauve
PROFESSIONAL LIVING
AND/OR DINING ROOM
Vintage Farmhouse Living Space, South Portland
SoPo Cottage
Laurel LaBauve says: This 1920s farmhouse was a maze of small rooms, which didn’t work well for an energetic young family. By opening up the walls and adding a gas fireplace, millwork, and antique beams, we created a perfect spot for the owners to spend time with their baby.
DESIGNER & GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Laurel LaBauve
CARPENTRY: Waterhouse Builders
PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN

Photography by Augusto Rosa
PROFESSIONAL KITCHEN
Seal Cove Pond Residence, Tremont
a4 Architects
Augusto and Kay Rosa say: We designed this summerhouse for a Washington, D.C.–area family with three young children. They wanted a modern, low-maintenance house with an open plan. The kitchen is part of a great room and presents modern lines contrasted with warm, natural finishes. Ample base cabinets allow for an uncluttered visual above the countertops, as well as the use of the southern walls to maximize light and views of Seal Cove Pond. Polished concrete floors run through the whole living area and complement the light maple cabinetry and Fantasy Brown granite countertops and backsplash. The kitchen is practical and mingles well with the rest of the great room.
ARCHITECTS & DESIGNERS: Augusto and Kay Rosa
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Mcenroe Builders
CABINET CONTRACTOR: Interiors by Details
COUNTERTOP CONTRACTOR: Maine Stone Design Center by Qualey
LIGHT FIXTURES: Sonneman Lighting
PROFESSIONAL BATH

Photography by Brian Vanden Brink
PROFESSIONAL
BATH
House on the Neck, Blue Hill
Elliott + Elliott Architecture
Matt Elliott says: We combined a simple palette of materials — limestone, maple, and frosted glass — to create this serene bath. Natural light comes in above the shower and is diffused through frosted glass, lending an ethereal quality to the space. The materials are rich but do not compete; rather, they play off one another in subtle ways.
PRINCIPAL ARCHITECT: Matt Elliott, AIA
PROJECT ARCHITECT: Eric Reinholdt
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: B.K. Burgess
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS: Bobbie Burdick and Jennifer Steen Booher
LIGHTING DESIGNER: Peter Knuppel Lighting Design
STRUCTURAL ENGINEER: Becker Structural Engineers
PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING

Photography by Rob Karosis
PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPING
Island Living, Little Diamond Island
Wright-Ryan Homes
Don Hawkes, of Wright-Ryan Homes, says: A client with a passion for gardening weighed in heavily on the materials and plantings that surround her shingled island home. Terraced landscaping helps feather the building into its sloped site. Tucked among the fieldstone retaining walls and weathered granite paths, garden beds brim with plants that attract pollinators, such as lavender, Nepeta, phlox, and Verbena bonariensis.
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Wright-Ryan Homes
ARCHITECTS: Van Dam Architecture and Design and Attardo Pondelis Architecture
LANDSCAPING CONTRACTOR: Gnome Design, Masonry, & Maintenance
AMATEUR CURB APPEAL

Photography by Rheanna Sinnett
AMATEUR CURB APPEAL
Floating Camp Nomad, Oquossoc
Rheanna Sinnett
Rheanna Sinnett says: Floating camp Nomad is a simple, but comfortably equipped, meticulously renovated 1968 Thunderbird Drift-R-Cruz Houseboat that calls Rangeley Lake his home. This happy houseboat offers all aboard the simple feel of a tiny house, the aquatic intimacy of a houseboat, and the natural connection of camping in one perfectly appointed floating space. Reimagined with upcycled and reclaimed materials, along with custom woodwork and artistic details, Nomad is flawlessly designed to integrate naturally into his pristine surroundings on this western Maine lake.
BUILDER: EcoCat
AMATEUR LIVING AND/OR DINING SPACE

Photography by Kathryn Knight-Wise
AMATEUR LIVING AND/OR DINING SPACE
The Cove Living Room, Yarmouth
Kathryn Knight-Wise
Kathryn Knight-Wise says: I moved back to Maine from New York City a year ago. It took me a year to find this cottage on a cove in Yarmouth. I wanted it to be cozy but also take advantage of the water view. To bring the outside in, I used a palette of navy and soft blue, silver, and gray. The mirrored coffee table and a large mirror over the sofa add shine. I have a small collection of blue porcelain, which I use to change up the look. And in the fall, I bring in tartan pillows and a Burberry plaid throw.
AMATEUR KITCHEN

Photography by Mary Davis
AMATEUR KITCHEN
Cutting Corner, Belfast
Mary Davis
Mary Davis says: Our kitchen overlooking the Passagassawakeag River was conceived according to the principles of universal design. The prep area is efficiently placed in a corner between the sink and stove. From this spot, spices, utensils, pots and pans (arranged on open shelving at the end of the island), trash and compost bins, and recycling bins (tucked into a lazy Susan) are within easy reach. The countertops and custom Belfast sink, which has a drainage hole at one end, are hard-to-find Scottish Meadow granite with garnet highlights that pick up the cherry floors. I hand-colored a nautical map of the midcoast with a gray that matches the granite and had it printed on Travertine tile to create an aged look and a focal point over the stove.
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Birdseye Builders
CABINET CONTRACTOR: Cabinets by Sunny
AMATEUR BATH

Photography by Maryellen Knuth
AMATEUR BATH
Second-Floor Addition, Scarborough
Maryellen Knuth
Maryellen Knuth says: We added a second floor to the small, ranch-style beach house we purchased three years ago. We removed the roof and added four bedrooms, two baths, and a sunroom. I designed the baths and am particularly fond of this one. I was drawn to the beautiful cement tile as soon as I walked into the shop, and the rest of the design evolved from there. I chose the shower tile because it looked like waves with its raised and textured pattern. Most of the components are from Maine suppliers. The mirror, a beautiful focal point, and the red schoolhouse lights came from online vendors.
GENERAL CONTRACTOR: Douston Construction
COUNTERTOP & VANITY: Atlantic Design Center
FLOORING: Blue Rock Industries
AMATEUR LANDSCAPING

Photography by Susan Greven Vayda
AMATEUR LANDSCAPING
Landscape S&E, Falmouth
Susan Greven Vayda
Susan Greven Vayda says: When my husband, Erik Greven, and I purchased our home on 1.7 acres 24 years ago, there was no landscaping. Now, the floor-to-ceiling windows in our breakfast room overlook this scene. Our landscape designer, Jerri Stone, drew up the plans and supervised the construction process. Erik designed and built the four pentagon-shaped planters that surround the Horta (Etruscan goddess of gardens) water fountain. Flowers vary depending on the season. This photo was taken in June, when the lovely Zesting Lemons bearded iris is blooming. Erik installed a stone path that leads from the planters to a wrought-iron, triple-arched pergola where magnolia, wisteria, and climbing roses bloom. From here, the path leads to a small pond with a willow tree and Adirondack chairs at right, and an arched bridge similar to the one in Monet’s Giverny paintings at left. Because our property includes a swale to help navigate water during heavy rains, Erik designed the bridge for both practical and aesthetic purposes. Beds of bulbs, perennials, and flowering shrubs flank the paths. In the distance, one can see the large wildflower garden that blooms throughout the summer.
PERGOLA: New England Garden Ornaments
WATER FOUNTAIN: Skillins