Tour This Charming 1930s Maine Beach Cottage

Coastal Living

August 26, 2019 at 12:06 PM

Tour This Charming 1930s Maine Beach Cottage

<p>"We can't possibly go look at that house. We'll buy it." That's what Kathleen McIntyre and her husband, Duncan, told one another when a historic property on Maine's Great Cranberry Island hit the market. The McIntyres, who reside just outside of Boston, had long had a soft spot for the rugged shores surrounding Bar Harbor and Mt. Desert Island, and they'd dreamed of owning a summer home there.</p> <p><i>Pictured: Original details, including the cedar shingles, exude classic New England charm.</i></p>

<p>But they weren't sure they were ready to commit just yet: Living on a small island with young kids gave them pause. (Children Angus, Sloane, and Georgia were 5, 3, and 1 at the time.) After months of talking themselves out of it, the couple finally decided to go take a look. No surprise, they fell hard. "We got to the top of the driveway, looked at each other, and just knew this was the place for us," Kathleen recalls.</p>

<p>With 10 picturesque acres and not one but two beaches (a rocky one facing northeast and a sandy one to the west), the property itself was the primary draw. But the home also charmed. A circa-1930s abode—with a rambling roofline and cedar shingles on the outside, and sunny rooms with water-front views from every window on the inside—it had a storybook quality that appealed to the young family. "It was very Maine in all the best ways," explains Kathleen.</p> <p><i>Pictured: Designer Amanda Lindroth channels iconic designer Sister Parish's influence in the sun-drenched family room, from the propped-not-hung painting (by local Little Cranberry Island artist <a href="http://henryisaacs.com/index.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Henry Isaacs;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Henry Isaacs</a>) to the honest-to-goodness Sister Parish fabric (<a href="https://sisterparishdesign.com/product/fabric-and-wallpaper/fabric-fabric/burma/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Burma;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Burma</a>) on the armchair.</i></p>

<p>Wanting to match the structure's beautiful bones with more of an old-soul than new-vacation-home feel (and do so in an ambitious four months so the family could be in by summer), Kathleen called on designer <a href="https://www.coastalliving.com/homes/decorating/amanda-lindroth-island-hopping" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Amanda Lindroth;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Amanda Lindroth</a>. Known for her vibrant waterfront projects in Palm Beach, Harbour Island, and beyond, Lindroth's use of color and pattern resonated with Kathleen. Plus, there was the matter of spearheading a project in a remote coastal locale. "I thought to myself, "This woman does islands. She gets the crazy logistics of moving everything in by boat,"" Kathleen says. "I knew she wouldn't be daunted."</p> <p><em>Pictured: Multiple seating vignettes make for an inviting living room, but what really bumps up the cozy factor is the <a href="https://peterfasano.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Peter Fasano;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Peter Fasano</a> block-print wallpaper, which quietly adds depth and dimension.</em></p>

<p>The logistics might not have scared Lindroth off, but the weather almost did. "I met the McIntyres on a dock in Maine in February for the first site visit," she recalls. "That time of year there is not for the faint of heart. I was completely underdressed for the occasion!" As it would turn out, her clothing wasn't the only thing that needed layering. "Maine homes are meant to have that handed-down look," Lindroth says. "Tattered paintings and old sets of wicker are always being sold with the houses. But in this case, it was completely empty."</p> <p><em>Pictured: </em><i>One of the only architectural changes to the home was in the dining room, where the doorway between it and the living room was widened for a more casual, open setting. To ensure the space still maintained its own identity, Lindroth outfitted the walls with a woven <a href="https://www.phillipjeffries.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Phillip Jeffries;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Phillip Jeffries</a> wall covering (Diamond Weave). The antique Mohawk portrait and a <a href="https://www.napahomeandgarden.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Napa Home;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Napa Home</a> chandelier add additional presence to the room.</i></p>

<p><i>A collection of antique Trade Winds china by Spode gives the newly renovated dining room a fitting sense of history.</i></p>

<p>To channel that aesthetic and put a more New England spin on her signature tropical style, Lindroth turned to a decorating legend for inspiration. "My mantra for this project was, "What would Sister Parish do?"" she says. Parish's beach house in Dark Harbor, Maine—where the interiors were known for their "undecorated" decor and coziness via mix-and-match patterns—was Lindroth's guiding light.</p> <p><i>Pictured: French faux bois wallpaper by Nobilis hung in a horizontal orientation warms up the compact library without making it feel too dark. A nautical chart encased in a knobby birch frame and a deep-piled <a href="https://annieselke.com/c/dashandalbert" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Dash & Albert;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Dash & Albert</a> oushak rug add more texture.</i></p>

<p>In the spirit of Parish, she amassed a treasure trove of wallpapers and textiles for the McIntyres. (In the living room alone there are more than 10 motifs, from the densely patterned wallpaper to a vibrant-hued upholstered sofa.) She combined family heirlooms and new buys for an elegant but relaxed mix of furnishings—a 19th-century English table surrounded by a quartet of Serena & Lily rattan chairs in the dining room, for example. The goal, beautifully realized, was to create spaces that felt as though they evolved over time instead of in one fell, designer-driven swoop.</p> <p><em>Pictured: </em><i>The distinctive green hue on the walls of the girls' bedroom was obtained by cutting Green Cove Spring by Benjamin Moore with 50 percent white paint.</i></p>

<p>Three summers in, and the McIntyres couldn't be happier that they finally caved and went to "just look" at the house. "We spend days hiking and sailing and riding bikes," Kathleen says. "Coming to Great Cranberry is really like turning the clock back 30 years." Thanks to Lindroth's warm, inviting design, it feels like the decor has been in the making just as long.</p> <p><em>Pictured:</em> <i>Lindroth reimagined the master bedroom by painting the yellow pine walls and ceiling <a href="https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color/cc-20/decorators-white?color=CC-20" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Decorator's White by Benjamin Moore;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Decorator's White by Benjamin Moore</a>. The eyelet tester bed is a replica of one she created for her Bahamas home in Lyford Cay. The Matouk bedding and Brunschwig & Fils Edith S Reverie fabric on the sofa further soften the look.</i></p>

<p><i>The lounge area in the master bedroom</i></p>

<p><em>In lieu of a more formal sculpture or centerpiece, the model wooden sloop—purchased at a local antiques store—sounds a nautical note on the living room’s rattan card table.</em></p>

Designer Amanda Lindroth reinvigorates a family's Maine retreat with a sunlit mix of pattern and patina.

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Tour This Charming 1930s Maine Beach Cottage

Tour This Charming 1930s Maine Beach Cottage

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