Accent Magazine Blog

Meet the Designers - Update from Old York’s Decorator Show House

The Museums of Old York just announced their lineup of designers (both inside and outdoors) for their 2009 Decorator Show House. You’ll recognized some familiar faces and meet some new talent:

Back row, left to right: Debby Ronnquist, Valerie Jorgensen, Linda Hentschel, Patricia Finn, Chuck Hugo, Michael Jones, Janet Swanson, Margareta Claesson and Eric Anderson. Front row, left to right: Nicole Yee, Frank Hodge, Amy Thompson, Diane Hughes, Amanda Colosi, Sarah Duquette, Maya Travalgia, Michaele Boehm, Andrea Maher, Jen Spencer, Tom Dunn and Joyce Jordan. Not pictured: Anne Cowenhoven, Nichole Donovan, Annie Kiladjian, Jay Goldsmith, Georgie McGowan, Kacey Graham, and Christine McGill. Photo courtesy of Jay Goldsmith of Goldsmith Fine Portraiture.

Want to really meet the designers? Come to the annual preview gala on July 17 where you can meet the designers and enjoy food from the Green Monkey/Brazo, drinks, and live music! Accent will also be announcing our 2009 best of award winners so it should be an exciting and fun time. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased by calling the Museums of Old York at 207-363-4974.

In the six weeks leading up to the show house opening, you’ll also be hearing from the designers on Accent’s blog, where they will share updates on how their rooms are coming along, what inspires them, what challenges they face, and anything else that comes to mind. If you’ve ever visited a show house, I think you will enjoy hearing from the designers as they get ready for opening day on July 18. The list of designers and their rooms is below.

The Dooryard Garden
Maya Travalgia
Charles C. Hugo Landscape Design, LLC
P.O. Box 263
South Berwick, ME 03908
(207) 752-3046
www.charleshugo.com

Barn Patio
Tom Dunn/Jen Spencer
Stoney Brook Landscaping
138 Woodside Meadow Road
York, ME  03909
207-408-2705
stoneybrookllc@yahoo.com

Farmer’s Porch
Brian Howland and Margareta Claesson
Eldredge Lumber Company
627 U.S. Route One
York, ME 03909
(207) 363-2004
www.atlanticdesignctr.com

Powder Room
Nichole Donovan
Distinctive Tile and Design
1132 U.S. Route One
York, ME 03909
(207) 351-3300
www.distinctivetileanddesign.com

Annie Kiladjian
Annie K. Designs
www.anniekdesigns.com

Living Room
Sarah Duquette
Duquette & Company, Inc.
7 Lilac Lane
York, ME 03909
(207) 363-1827
www.duquetteandcompany.com

Reading Room
Diane Hughes
Diane Hughes Interiors
150 Lafayette Road
Rye, NH 03870
(603) 964-9543

Dining Room
Anne Cowenhoven
Accent & Design, Inc.
P.O. Box 352
York, ME 03909
(207) 363-7949
www.accentdesignmaine.com

Main Stairway
Jay Goldsmith
Goldsmith Photography
32 Cottage Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 436-2343

Savannah’s Room
Joyce Jordan
Joyce Jordan Interiors
Shoppers Village, Unit 8
Hampton Falls, NH 03844
(603) 929-7700
www.joycejordaninteriors.com

Marjorie’s Room
Frank Hodge
F.D. Hodge Interiors
748 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 267-8103

Family Bath
Amy Thompson
Standard of New England, LLC
100 West Road
Portsmouth, NH 03801
(603) 436-1400
www.standardne.com

Jim Wood
Signature Builders, Inc.
173C Dover Point Road
Dover, NH 03820
(603) 749-2188
www.signaturebuilders.com

Charlotte Rose’s Nursery
Andrea Maher and Michael Jones
Andrea Maher Interior Design
111 Seamist Lane
Wells, ME 04090
(207) 216-0287

Frankie’s Room
Janet Swanson and Georgie McGowan
Fiona’s Porch
7 York Street
York, ME 03909
(207) 363-6270
www.fionasporch.com

Secret Hideaway
Linda Hentschel
Renaissance Interiors
P.O. Box 142
North Reading, MA 01864
(978) 664-0064
www.renaissanceinteriors.com

Master Bedroom and Balcony
Nicole Yee
NY Interiors
62 Whipple Road
Kittery, ME 03904
(510) 326-5390
www.nicholeyee.com

Sitting Room
Michaele Boehm and Kacey Graham
Boehm Graham
25 Darby Lane
Bedford, NH 03110
(603) 472-5830

Mudroom
Amanda Colosi
Diane Hughes Interiors
150 Lafayette Road
Rye, NH 03870
(603) 964-9543

Kitchen and Pantry
Frank Hodge
F.D. Hodge Interiors
748 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 267-8103

Trophy Room
Patricia Finn
Finn-Martens Design
1 Bridle Path Lane
Beverly Farms, MA 01915
(978) 927-9959
www.finn-martensdesign.com

Family Room
Valerie Jorgensen
V. Jorgensen Design, LLC
241 Preble Street
Wells, ME 04090
(207) 251-0447
www.vjorgensendesign.com

In addition to the wonderful items brought in by the interior and landscape designers, items will be available to purchase through a boutique and at a juried art exhibit in the barn:

Boutique
Christine McGill
Christine’s Crossing
1000 Washington Road
Rye, NH 03870
(603) 964-6063
www.christinescrossing.com

Barn Art Exhibit
Debby Ronnquist
611 Haley Road
Kittery Point, ME 03905
(207) 439-3981

Add comment June 3rd, 2009

This weekend take a “Before Tour” of the York Decorator Show House

Are you a fan of “before and after” stories? You can see one in person when the Museums of Old York hosts a “Before Tour” of the 2009 Decorator Show House this weekend. The tour is a special opportunity to see the rooms before top local designers transform the house into a spectacular decorator showplace.

I’ve been to the house, and I can’t wait to see what the designers do to it. This year’s show house will be held at McIntire Farm, a farmhouse located on 270 Cider Hill Road (Route 91) in York, overlooking the York River and approximately 300 acres of fields, woodlands and marsh.

The McIntire Farm

I’ve been to the house, and I can’t wait to see what the designers do to it. This year’s show house will be held at McIntire Farm, a farmhouse located on 270 Cider Hill Road (Route 91) in York, overlooking the York River and approximately 300 acres of fields, woodlands and marsh.

Personally, I’m most interested in the kitchen, which is a 1940s original, with appliances and countertops to match. It reminds me of my own grandmother’s farmhouse kitchen, which, though charming, was never updated unless absolutely necessary. Since the kitchen will retain most of these original features, it will be interesting to see what the designer can do with the space. I’ve pasted some photos I took at the house, but it should be seen in person to be fully appreciated.

A before shot of the kitchen.

One of the front rooms.

Part of an addition, the master bedroom boasts amazing views of the river and marsh.

This table of Legos will be gone by the time of the tour, but I couldn't resist taking an action shot.

While you’re there, don’t forget to take to check out the surrounding landscaping, which will also undergo a makeover, and the barn, site of this year’s preview gala on Friday, July 17. With a high ceiling and huge chandelier, the barn will also be home to this year’s boutique and may also include an art show while the show house is open.

The Before Tour will be held May 2nd and 3rd from 11 a.m to 4 p.m. On-site parking is available and a donation of $5 is requested. The show house will be open to the public from July 18 through August 15. All proceeds support the museum’s education programs, exhibitions and preservation initiatives. For more information, visit www.oldyork.org.

Also, check the Accent blog for regular updates direct from the designers as they create this year’s Decorator Show House. They officially begin work on May 4, and they have their work cut out for them!

Add comment April 28th, 2009

Cooks in the Kitchens

Another fabulous turnout for the Music Hall Kitchen Tour this year - this time back in the hall’s hometown of Portsmouth.

This group of grinning attendees seemed to be having a good time - Roe Cole, Roe Cole Custom Design & Construction, Julia Madden, Kitchen Tour Committee, Jenna Pelech of ACCENT, Mike Myers of Jewettfarms & Co, Marjorie Ferris of ACCENT, and Justin Gamester of Piscataqua Landscaping. 

Add comment April 16th, 2008

Festival of Trees

We’re off shortly to go decorate our tree at the Urban Forestry Center for their annual festival of trees.
Marsha, art director, has just finished printing up the recipe cards for the non-edible cinnamon ornament cookie recipe that Cathy Young supplied. Angela Statz brought in some wonderful little candles on clips and Mary August wrapped many a faux present to sit under the tree. I got off easy I guess as I’m only responsible for supplying white lights.

Kath Poggi (publisher) and her fabulous flame, Bear, cut down the tree fresh this morning and placed it into the barn. I hope you get a chance to see it this weekend, the whole event is usually breathtaking and not to be missed.
http://www.dred.state.nh.us/divisions/forestandlands/bureaus/communityforestry/urbanforestrycenter.htm

Add comment November 15th, 2007

Pink Tulips

Next Spring we are hoping that with a little effort the grounds in York will be a little more colorful. Hoping to plant 1,000 tulips while raising $1,000 for the Pink Tulip Project, volunteers and members of the York Garden Club will be putting spade to dirt in an effort to raise money for the Women’s Cancer Fund, a devision of the Maine Cancer Foundation. As part of a state wide program to plant 30,000 tulip bulbs, the project commemorates the challenge of breast cancer and the celebration of hope that research and education provide.

We hope you will join us in making a donation directly through www.pinktulipproject.org (select York Community Pink Tulip Garden).

For those wishing to plant Pink Tulip bulbs in their home garden, Maine Cancer Foundation can fill orders of 25 of Pink Tulip Project bulbs. The Pink Tulip Web site will direct private gardeners to that site.

Add comment November 2nd, 2007