Jennifer Hart says: This home looks east toward the rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Visitors approach through a white gate surrounded by beach roses. A grassy path leads to a gracious entry porch that runs the full width of the façade, punctuated with an outdoor sitting room at one end. A detached carriage house includes a private balcony with expansive sea views. The home’s gambrel-roof forms, stone chimneys, and elegant trim details recall turn-of-the-century Shingle-style “cottages.”

David Brearey says: The centerpiece of this home is a large room comprising a dining, living, and kitchen area. Art, Italian luminaires, and a view of the porch, gardens, and beyond were used to give each area a distinctive feeling. The dining table has as its focal point a large Japanese maple, centered on the bay window and surrounded with plants and a pond, which I pruned. The decision to light the table solely with recessed fixtures brought the outside in!

Russ Tyson says: This kitchen serves as the central gathering space in the cottage and has an open connection to the indoor living and dining spaces, as well as an elevated deck. These four spaces were carefully arranged to allow for views of the backyard play area, the beachfront, and the bay, with its islands, ferries, lobsterboats, sailboats, and distant views of Portland’s twinkling skyline.

Samantha Pappas says: We took a step away from the all-white bath and dove into some fun pattern, color, and texture. Earthenware accent tile in the shower niche (see a peek of it in the mirror!) combines subtle pinks, greens, and browns, providing a slightly feminine touch, while perfectly complementing the modern green sconces. Clay Lotus wallpaper by Gorham artist Erin Flett adds a fun note to the vanity wall. We balanced the straight lines seen on the vanity and the wall and shower tile with curves on the sconces, mirror, and floor tile, giving the room softness.

William Joyce says: This design was borne out of our clients’ desire to incorporate an Argentinian grill, known as a parrilla, and accompanying entertaining space, into a landscape featuring a pool, a massive ledge outcropping, and stunning views of the Sheepscot River. We decided early on to use an abundance of local granite to celebrate the exposed ledge and feather the cook space into its surroundings. Long, dry-laid granite retaining walls and a broad granite patio, reached via a granite stepping-stone pathway, are the bones of the design. Next, we layered on native and ornamental plants, lighting for ambience, and some fun details, including a dining table made from an Angelique-wood slab from a boat notched into a boulder and a basin for wine or oysters carved into another boulder.

Glenys Sayward says: This 11 ½-by-21-foot room was added to the back of our Cape-style house to expand gallery space for my artist-husband, Jim Kucheman, and incorporate space for dining and overnight guests, as well as a gas fireplace. Most of the wood we used came from our family’s farmland in Union. The fireplace combines Colonial ledgestone with a live-edge pine mantel and matching integrated benches with basket storage beneath. We fit together eastern-white-pine floorboards with weathered-gray edges ranging from 14 to 16 inches wide, and included a gray-tile path to the back door. Pine beams, stained to coordinate with the room’s light tones, incorporate track lights aimed at the gallery walls. Blue globe pendants between the beams and in a kitchen pass-through add color pops. The room easily converts to a guest room when the compact, queen-size sleeper-sofa is unfolded and a dining space when the harvest table is open and centered.

Doreen Athans says: When we updated the kitchen in our coastal Shingle-style home, we kept the cabinets, appliances, and layout from an earlier renovation to reduce costs and waste. We painted the walls, millwork, and ceiling Benjamin Moore’s Simply White and refinished the original birch floor. The cabinets are a custom warm gray accented with polished-nickel hardware. New finishes include quartz countertops and glazed subway tile with a crackle finish. The overall design respects the circa 1900s architecture, while new pendant lighting adds a modern note to the bright, airy space.