Why I Live Here

Chantal Young's Cape Elizabeth puppy/plant/music room

From our Spring 2022 issue

Sunlight fills Chantal Young’s Cape Elizabeth puppy/plant/music room, complete with a heated floor for snoozing pets and a piano named Edith.

“I grew up in Madison, Wisconsin, where my parents settled after moving from France in the 1960s, and where I fell in love with the mid-century design of their era. I moved to Maine in 1999 for a marketing job with Thos. Moser, and my husband, Aaron, and I found our 1961 home in Cape Elizabeth’s Oakhurst neighborhood 10 years later. When we first saw the house, with its low ceilings, dark, compartmentalized rooms, and rocky yard, Aaron said, “This looks like a challenge,” but we loved the kid-friendly street and access to a private beach. One of our first updates was adding a large south-facing window above the daybed in our “puppy room.” We designed this room — the smallest in our house — as a hangout for our four dogs when we’re away during the day. The tile floor is heated, so the dogs have a warm spot to snooze when they’re not on the daybed soaking up the sun. This is also our plant room and where we keep our beloved Story & Clark piano, Edith. My two sons have been playing for years, but I just started a year ago. This little space allows us all room to grow a little each day.”CHANTAL YOUNG

Does your Maine home have a sweet view and a good story to go with it? Send a photo of the view from your porch, window, or yard, and a brief explanation of why you’ve chosen to live in this spot, to sarah@mainehomes and we may feature you.