Ideas and Inspiration from the Castine House and Garden Tour

I came home from the Castine House & Garden Tour full of ideas. Today I’m sharing the details that caught my eye and how they made me look at my own home a little differently.

Last Friday I met up with friends from Instagram to stroll the Castine House and Garden Tour.

Located at the end of a peninsula overlooking Penobscot Bay, Castine is one of Maine’s oldest and most picturesque coastal villages. It’s home to the Maine Maritime Academy, and the small downtown, once a bustling seaport, is now filled with shops, restaurants and a few inns.

The real draw for me, though, are the quiet streets outside of town, lined with a variety of homes — stately colonials, cozy saltboxes and capes, shingle-style cottages, simple farmhouses, modern structures, and even former shipping buildings now converted to residences.

The perfect place for a house tour! There were 11 homes and 3 gardens on this year’s tour. I couldn’t wait to get into each.

While every home was special in its own way, there were some that resonated with me more than others. Spaces that spoke directly to my heart. Ideas I tucked away for future reference. And small moments that felt comfortingly familiar.

Today I am sharing some of the details from the tour that have stayed with me.

One note, though, before we get into it — I was disappointed to learn the night before the tour that no photography was allowed inside the homes. While I respect the homeowners’ privacy, I would have loved to have been able to share some photos with all of you. Instead we will have to use our imaginations — and images from my own home to help illustrate the ideas.

It’s All in the Details

Have I said this before? Maybe just a few times?

That’s because design really is in the details.

When I look at a room I admire, I first process it as a whole—what it looks like and, more importantly, how it makes me feel. Then, intuitively, I start taking in the details that combine to create that look and that feel.

After I got home and thought about all that I had seen on the tour, I realized that the three homes that inspired me the most represented different aspects of my own style—from the relaxed simplicity of a seaside cottage, to the edited balance of a transitional shingle-style home, to the rich, collected character of an old Maine house.

The details from the tour that I’m sharing with you are the ones that evoke the mood of each.

Here, in no particular order…

Details

Painted wood floors – Ever since I painted a checkerboard pattern on my kitchen floor, I have been itching to paint some other floors in my home. I love my random-width pine boards, but sometimes they can look kind of orange. Painted floors have such a wonderful cottage feel and would contrast nicely with all my wood furniture. One home even had a pale blue similar to the color I have been thinking of. This could be just the nudge I need…

Shard pottery bowl with flowers – Shard Pottery of Maine was a Maine pottery studio known for its handcrafted stoneware inspired by the state’s coastal villages and natural beauty. I thought this was a creative — and quintessentially Maine — way to display flowers. It also made me think of the vintage watercolors of Shard pottery that hang next to my dining room hutch.

Sailing ship prints and paintings – Arranged in a gallery wall going up the stairs, grouped above a built-in seat, or displayed in a bedroom, there were plenty of sailing ships in this former port town. I loved them all!

Striped flateweave rug on the stairs – One of the projects I have had at the back of my mind for years — especially since grandchildren have joined my life — has been to add a runner to the stairs. The Annie Selke rug in the tour home was actually the same rug I have in the mudroom and the one I was thinking of for my stairs. Perhaps a sign that I should finally check this project off my list?

Victorian cottage painted furniture – You know my love for this kind of furniture runs deep, very deep. I am always delighted to see how it is integrated into other homes without becoming overwhelming — a dresser in one bedroom, two different tables used as bedside stands next to a pair of beds.

Maine themed throw pillows – I am not usually one for themed throw pillows, but used judiciously they can be a fun touch and add a sense of place, especially in a guest room. I admired some lobster pillows on a set of twin wicker beds and a locally-made quilted pillow with a lighthouse scene in another bedroom.

Antique ship dioramas – Ever since I brought my beloved antique ship diorama home last year I have been seeing them everywhere, including in two homes on this tour — both displayed over the mantel as I have mine. Each of these handcrafted beauties is different, so it is always interesting to take in the details. They lend an immediate sense of history to a space.

Rattan bistro chairs with a pine dining table – A great way to freshen the look of an antique or traditional pine dining table.

A vase of flowers sitting on an old book with a nautical-theme cover – The kind of detail I always notice and appreciate. Antique books, especially with a theme that fits your style or location, are a distinctive way to elevate an item, add a pop of color, or bring structure to an arrangement.

Blue and white dishes on a plate rack in the kitchen – I am all in on blue and white dishes — even better if you have them out on display. I wish I could have a plate rack in my kitchen (no room!) but I have the dining area hutch instead.

Stone fireplace – A stone fireplace does a lot of design heavy lifting, creating a focal point, adding texture, warmth, and character.

Wood beams – The ceiling is another place to add layered interest to a room. Wood beams, beadboard, or even just a different paint color will make the room feel more finished.

Sturdy old castiron beds – One day I will probably switch out the full-size bed in the waterside guest room to twins (grandkids…). I had always pictured a pair of wooden frames, but the sturdy cast-iron ones I saw on the tour have me rethinking that idea. I like how their simple utilitarian style would play with the more whimsical Victorian pieces. And so the hunt begins…

Hand-made vintage braided rugs – Full of cottage charm. I have a pair on either side of the bed in the guest cottage. What I particularly loved about the ones I saw on the tour was that they were pastel, instead of the darker ones you usually find. Another thing I will keep my eye out for.

Wicker chairs in bedrooms – I love wicker used indoors, especially in a bedroom. They have a light informal feel that contrasts nicely with the heavier pieces that often inhabit this room. Of course antique wicker is always best. (And I needn’t mention the texture and color they add to a space, right?)

Bird prints – If you know my living room, this needs no further explanation. Give me all the bird prints — even in the bedroom, as the ones on the tour were.

Bold Arts and Crafts style wallpaper – This detail is tucked in here towards the end, but it was possibly my favorite design element of the tour. Specifically, one home that had the most spectacular wallpapers in the bedrooms on the second floor. It completely opened my mind to new possibilities for my two guest rooms. I have been wanting to add wallpaper for a while, and have even ordered samples for the Captain’s Room. But nothing has felt right. I came home and immediately started searching. New samples are on the way. Stay tuned!

Vintage coastal water colors – When it comes to collecting, I subscribe to the philosophy: go big or go home. That applies to coastal water colors and one homeowner was apparently in agreement with me. They had a wall of them in a bathroom; I have them above the bed in the waterside guest room.

Wood-paneled wall covered with buoys, rope, netting, and block and tackle pulleys – Such a great installation in a hallway of one home. It reminded me a bit of the jumble of rope and buoys I have on top of the corner hutch in the dining area or the old rope I have draped over the living room mantel. It also inspired a little re-do of my driftwood collection on an outdoor patio.

Vintage nautical charts covering the slanted ceiling in an attic bedroom – Love loved this look! Unfortunately it wouldn’t work in the Captain’s Room (especially if I add wallpaper), but it did remind me of the nautical chart wallpaper I have on the slanted ceiling of upstairs hall bathroom. I definitely tucked the idea away for any future space I might have.

Vintage embroidered bed linens – Such a sweet old-fashioned detail. Maybe for those twin castiron beds for the grandchildren one day…

As you can tell, the tour left me energized and full of ideas for my own home. I hope I shared a detail or two that will inspire you to look at your home a little differently as well.

This Week Into Next

It’s been another busy week.

There was the updated post about Maine wild blueberries that I shared with all of you on Thursday. If you missed it you can read it here.

And next week is the visit I look forward to all year — my kids are coming for their annual stay at Mim’s. Zoë, Sam, Poppy, and baby Maisie are the first to arrive on Wednesday. The others follow on the weekend.

I know that I shared that my son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first child in October. What I haven’t mentioned is that I’ve also been helping plan a baby shower for them while they’re here. Margaux is from Maine and has a very large circle of local family and friends. Combined with those traveling to the area, it’s turned into a 70-guest event. I feel a bit like we are planning a wedding reception. (Jack and Margaux’s wedding was only about 30 people…) It has been fun, but it has also been work. Fortunately Margaux’s mom is a pro at these things and has taken the lead.

I had a friend come up for an overnight this week to help me with a project for the shower. It’s a surprise, but I can’t wait to share it with you later.

This weekend I’ll be putting together a “mud (or sand, here) kitchen” that I ordered for the grandkids. It has a sink that hooks up to the hose and I will outfit it with some pots and pans from the transfer station resale store. I hope the little ones have some fun with it.

That’s it for this week. I have an idea for my next post, but it may not get done until after the family leaves.

Until I join you again, be well!