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
June 3rd, 2009
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!
April 28th, 2009
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.
April 16th, 2008

Elkay’s concept sink the
Flower rising from the
granite.
Hi All,
I’m a bit late in reporting it as we are putting the July/August issue to bed, but I have a ton of stuff to share from KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Industry Show). Okay, I’m no fan of Las Vegas, as far as whatever happens in Vegas, I think it’s best if it really does stay there. But the convention center is ENORMOUS. The show hosted a vast collection of items for the kitchen and/or bath. From the latest in vessel sinks to the hottest technology integration efforts. There was way more to see then possible to share so I’ll give you the top trends.

The Flower opening.
Technology
Surprisingly very little obvious technology was on display. Frankly I thought I’d see a lot more gizmos and blinking lights, but the trends in technology I saw were all primarily hidden behind the titanium (TT is THE hottest new surface if you want less fingerprinting). Luxury trends are definitely continuing towards hiding the appliances as much as possible behind custom paneling, the exception to this being the stove with few exceptions. Ranges and cook tops keep getting beefier as other manufacturers try to cash in on Viking’s sexy pro-line success. But behind the paneling, companies are pushing full speed ahead towards doing everything possible to ease your day just short of selling you a butler.
Aero-dynamic toilets hid high tech controls -talk about being on a hot seat! Knobs on the dishwasher? Nowhere in sight.
In fact, my WOW award for the whole show went to an Elkay concept sink. The Flower, hidden below a granite surface and controlled by remote control, rises like a hot pink phoenix from a two thousand dollar piece of granite to spread it’s gortex petals. Swing your pot filler faucet over it and presto, insta-sink where before you only had counter space for your stack of mail and old newspapers.

An industry leader
announcing it’s presence
in 30 foot waterfall.
That being said, LG does have a cool tech-heavy fridge that is worth noting. The side-by-side tv refrigerator that not only has a cable-ready tv in the door but the freezer side has a smaller display for a simple computer that will show your photos, give you recipe suggestions and best of all, a weather report at a glance. Nice.
Check back later and I’ll share more on the latest trends.
Posted by Kim
May 16th, 2007
Hi All,
This Monday I will be flying to Las Vegas to attend the big annual Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, otherwise known as KBIS. This will be the single largest industry conference of it’s kind, with over 900 exhibitors and 40,000 people expected to attend. No wonder my ticket to Vegas cost a mint, every industry professional in the business has taken all the seats! But I’ll give you a seat at the show for free as I blog in on Tuesday and Wednesday to share the latest and greatest the industry has to offer. Wish me luck as I brave the crowds to track down the zippiest new gizmos and snappiest appliances, just for you, so stay tuned!
May 7th, 2007