Interior image of a open concept kitchen and dining room. The dining room is in the foreground where a wooden dining table and wooden spindle chairs sit on top of a blue rug. There is a blue kitchen island with wooden crescent stools and a kitchen with blue cabinetry in the backgroudn.

A Place to Retire:

English Charm meets California coastal

 

When we think of our dream home, we make an exhaustive list of all our wants and eventually stack them against our needs and a humble sprinkling of reality. As we begin to assemble the elements of our life and derive inspiration from color swatches, magazine clippings, and tile samples, soon these pieces begin to fall into place.

For one couple in early retirement, after years of dreaming, their perfect home came to fruition. When they started planning, they knew it must include a first-floor bedroom suite, an open kitchen that melted into the dining area, and a picturesque setting near the Maine coast. Of course, finding a ready-made home with these three cornerstones proved challenging. Their solution, look for an ideal parcel of land that felt like home.  When they first found their pastoral field, complete with roaming chickens, they knew this was the spot. In 2017, they purchased the land and began building their dream home.

 

Interior image of a open concept kitchen and dining room. The dining room is in the foreground where a wooden dining table and wooden spindle chairs sit on top of a blue rug. There is a blue kitchen island with wooden crescent stools and a kitchen with blue cabinetry in the background. There is a wrought iron light fixture hanging above the table with the lights turned on.

Kitchen & Dining

 

A top priority for the home was a well-appointed kitchen. The easy layout of the kitchen with a central island allows for entertaining or casual breakfast for two perched atop Crescent High Stools by Thos. Moser. Custom cabinetry from Crown Point Cabinetry perfectly pairs with the couples’ aesthetic. The mix of open shelving and a stepback cupboard with antique glass, floor-to-ceiling cabinetry, and glide-out drawers keep everything a chef needs easily accessible and neatly tucked away. And no chef’s kitchen would be complete without a full butler’s pantry concealed behind elegant French doors.

An interior living room with a wooden oval coffee table in cherry sits on a red oriental rug. Other seating includes two upholstered blue patterned arm chairs on the right and left of the images and a baby blue sofa with matching pillows in the middle behind the coffee table. In the background is the dining and kitchen area.

Living Room

The ambiance for this side of the house is set by floor-to-ceiling windows spanning the entire length creating an open and airy feeling to the room. The warmth of the cherry Boat Top Table and Eastward Chairs mimic the wooden beams and open shelving of the kitchen and blend into the living area where playful patterns are matched with comforting neutrals. This formal living area overlooks a rolling meadow resplendent with Maine wildflowers.

A pencil post bed in cherry sits in the middle of a bedroom with blue curtains and shades that line the windows. The room has white carpteting, a white side table and lamp to the right of the bed and a white arm chair and glass table are behind the bed by the far window.

The Primary Suite

The homeowners wanted their primary suite to be a sanctuary. The crisp white walls, cool blues, and neutral carpeting allow the natural light to reflect and enliven the room. The Pencil Post Bed, by Thos. Moser reflects the simplicity and purpose of the room, balancing the warmth of wood and intentional design, providing the perfect respite for a peaceful night’s rest.

 

Two Images. The left is two wooden crescent stools at a kitchen counter. There is shelving with white serving dishes and on the marble counter is a wooden bowl. The image to the right is a close up of a crescent stool beside a blue kitchen cabinet with brass pulls and a deep white kitchen sink. The stool is sitting on a blue and cream woven rug and oak floorking.

There is an intertwining of cool blues and warm wooden tones throughout the house, a nod to the ocean and Maine woods. Natural elements like wool carpeting, a fieldstone fireplace, slate flooring, iron fixtures, and large windows allow the beauty of the landscape to filter inward to create a welcoming oasis that allows them to take a deep breath and watch the worries of the world drift away.

 

 

 

 

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