katy elliott

Bathroom Inspiration from The Boundary Hotel

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:16:00 +0000

I'm taking a bit of a break from the Maine posts and sharing some more bathroom inspiration. I just spotted a few lovely baths that caught my eye over at Remodelista. Greg really wants to use external shower faucets where the pipes come out of the wall like the image above. Our current bathroom has the pipes inside the wall. Our bathroom stall wall is an exterior wall exposed to the elements. Meaning the wall has little shelter from the freezing outside elements. He's fearing the pipes could freeze if we kept the pipes in the wall. In this worst case scenario we would have to knock out the shower tile to fix any bursted pipes from freezing. This issue could be solved if we designed the pipes to be inside the shower stall like above. I think the pipes look kinda cool and industrial. Below two more amazing bathrooms from Terence Conran's new Boundary Hotel in London.

p.s. hope that makes sense? It's a little confusing and I tried to re-write. Basically most people's pipes are inside the wall which if it's on an exterior wall of the home the pipes would have a higher chance of freezing in extreme northern climates.

Wiscasset, Maine: The Marston House & Treats

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:09:00 +0000

I'm skipping around a little bit but I promise to add all my new Maine spots to my growing list over here. When we were returning home we stopped by The Marston House in Wiscasset, Maine. The store on the first floor of an old house turned B&B has a nice collection of antique linens and objects from France. The space is filled with the most intense but lovely perfume of lavender. Greg made me promise to plant a whole crop of lavender next year. I was inspired by the set of antique pressed flowers prints framed with fabric tape and glass. Reminded me of Amy's lovely diy botanical print project I spotted over at design*sponge. So simple and beautiful.

The Marston House
Main Street at Middle Street
Wiscasset, Maine
207-882-6010
marstonhouse.com

Just across the street from The Marston House is Treats a specialty food and wine shop previously run by The Marston House owners. Greg and I bought a few bottles of wine and a very yummy cookie. Take a peek inside even if you don't buy anything. The space is totally cute.

Treats
80 Main Street
Wiscasset, Maine
(207) 882-6192
treatsofmaine.com

York, Maine: Withington Antiques

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:36:00 +0000

On our drive up to Portland, Maine we stopped at Withington Antiques in York. I found the store via Martha Stewart's blog. The store carries a range of European antiques and garden ornaments. I've been on a marble kick the last few months so I was pretty excited about the store's large collection of marble accented pieces. The prices were reasonable but where geared toward a higher end buyer. I would have bought the marble topped console below if it had been a few inches longer. Greg loved the marble faux bois garden stands found in front of the store. A fun place to stop and explore interesting and unusual pieces. The shops is right off the highway at exit 7 just north of Kittery, Maine.

Withington Antiques
611 Us Route 1
York, Maine
(207) 363-1155

Portland, Maine: Folly 101 & Blanche and Mimi Home

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:36:00 +0000

Two of my favorite home stores were both in the Old Port section of Portland. At Folly 101 items are grouped by color. Soaps, linens, and small accessories fill the open air space. I couldn't leave without buying a set of cotton/linen blend pillowcases for $32. A simple floral eyelet along the edge is totally adorable. How cute are the polka dots pillowcases too? Call the store for ordering info.

Folly 101
101 Exchange St
Portland, ME
(207) 773-5227‎

Down the street from Folly 101 is Blanche and Mimi Home. Beautiful textiles drape over well curated antiques. A nice selection of bedding from Plover Organic gives the store a modern twist. I bought a few dishtowels by Libeco for styling my veggie boxes.

Blanche and Mimi Home
184 Middle St
Portland, Maine
(207) 774-3900‎
blancheandmimi.com

Portland, Maine: Angela Adams, Ferdinand, Two Fat Cats Bakery

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:51:00 +0000

Pins from Ferdinand in Portland, Maine.

Continuing on my Maine coverage I have two posts from Portland, Maine. It must have been 90 degrees the day I was scouting stores. I could have missed some goodies because of the heat exhaustion so feel free to add your favorites below. I started my day in the East End. Cute crafting supply stores, thrift stores, and hip restaurants dot the street. My first stop was Angela Adams. Colorful rugs, pillows, bags, and shirts fill the space in a color explosion. My pick? New linen pillows with beautiful emerald green and turquoise accents.

Angela Adams
273 Congress Street
Portland, Maine
(207) 774-3523
angelaadams.com

Just up the street from Angela Adams is fun vintage clothing shop, Ferdinand. I scored a great denim wrap skirt $10, vintage scarf $4, feather headband $10, and a fabric hair tie $4. This is definitely the cool kids shop filled with great curated vintage finds.

Ferdinand
243 Congress Street
Portland, Maine
(207) 761-2151
ferdinandhomestore.com.

I was in charge of making dinner that night. I stopped by Two Fats Cats Bakery for the world's best blueberry pie. The crust was incredibly beautiful. The pie was filled with yummy wild Maine blueberries. Super delicious and great for breakfast the next day too!

Two Fat Cats Bakery
47 India Street
Portland, Maine
(207) 347-5144
twofatcatsbakery.com

Vintage Marble Sink Top

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:44:00 +0000

The last few weeks we've been working on our first bathroom renovation. We've purchased a drain kit, carrara marble 1" hex tiles for the floor, subway tiles for bathroom stall, and now a marble top sink! I found the sink at Old House Parts in Kennebunk, Maine over the weekend. I got it on sale for $400. We need to decide if we want to build a vanity for the top or use metal legs? Closet space is non existent in the house so a vanity seems like a smart option. Greg likes the metal legs. Below the tiles I choose for the floor.

Andrew Wyeth & Olsen House in Cushing, Maine

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 21:22:00 +0000

Greg and I spent a long weekend up in Maine. My favorite stop, The Olsen House in Cushing, Maine. The Olsen House was made famous by painter Andrew Wyeth's Christina's World, a beautiful painting depicting a young Christina Olson crawling in the front field of the home. Wyeth created many works at the Olson house. The house is magical. A big center hall colonial sits high up on a rolling grassy hill that meanders it's way down to the cold Maine ocean.

Wyeth painted in almost every room of the house. Simple images of the paintings are framed in the rooms to give visitors an idea of what Wyeth saw. The gorgeous light in the house is transcendential. Soft rays of summer sunshine flow through the wavy old panes of the windows. Each corner of the house is a perfect still life waiting to be painted. Below are a several photos I took of the house showcasing the beautiful light.

At the very bottom are photos of the field that meanders it's way down to the ocean. Andrew Wyeth is buried at the base of the hill in a cemetery overlooking the ocean. A truly special place to visit.

The Olson House
Hathorne Point Road
Cushing, Maine
farnsworthmuseum.org

George Anderson & Sarah Elizabeth Block Printers

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:44:00 +0000

While I was in Rockport yesterday I took a stroll over to George Anderson's studio and gallery. Bright colorful nautical imagery is unique and captivating. I wanted to visit Sarah Elizabeth's Block printing studio but it was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Total bummer. I took a photo of a lobster block printed fabric and Cape Ann print from outside the store. I'll stop by next time I'm in town!

George Anderson Fine Art
11 Main Street
Rockport, MA
(978) 500-3661
rockportartist.com

Sarah Elizabeth Block Printers
5 Whistlestop Mall
Rockport, MA
(978) 546-6541
sarah-elizabeth-shop.com

Related Posts:
Sycamore Hollow in Rockport, MA

Sycamore Hollow in Rockport, MA

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:59:00 +0000

This afternoon I took a drive up the coast to visit Sycamore Hollow; a quaint little shop in the coastal community of Rockport, Massachusetts. Vintage finds are mixed with nicely curated handmade pieces. I fell in love with the vintage jumbo flash cards above. Perfect for a little ones room—total steal for just $10 each. Small recycled glass jugs stole my heart for around $30. Maybe a small squatty one transformed into a lamp? Below a few more favorites. How amazing is the green biology series chart? If you don't live close by check out Sycamore Hollow's expanding online store for ordering info.

Sycamore Hollow
1 Main Street
Rockport, MA
978.546.8592
sycamorehollowonline.homestead.com

What's On My Desktop

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:41:00 +0000

Amy's lovely diy fern prints over at design*sponge.

Sorry for the lack of posting this week. I've been taking a computer break and enjoying my days at the beach. A few things I had hanging out my desktop that I spotted this week around the web. Have a great weekend!
xoxo, katy

A View To's food styling see more.

Rita Konig's bedroom and new column on the nytimes.com discovered via {frolic!})

A courtyard filled with terracotta pots discovered via ffffound!

Alphabet letterpress print by Jessica Hische.

Kaptiza: Geometric Book

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:50:00 +0000

It's late but I wanted to share a little color and pattern that made me happy from kapitza.com. Discovered via ffffound via changethethought.com.

Vegetable Box: Week 7

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 20:05:00 +0000

I've been away the past few weeks and my neighbors received my vegetable box in exchange for watering my plants. Thanks guys!

This week we got some beautiful edible flowers, cherry tomatoes, organic corn, chinese eggplants, beets, and cucumbers. I guess I have to make a salad tonight to use the flowers or they'll go bad. I've been on a search for an interesting beet soup. I had a warm version a couple of years ago at The Kitchen in Boulder, Colorado. It was delicious, earthy, and a bit spicy. Do you know a good beet soup recipe that's not your typical Borscht style?

Vintage Embroidered Tablecloths

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:53:00 +0000

One more etsy find for the day. Sweet hand embroidered vintage tablecloths. Cute for a brunch or showers. Just $18 and $24 each at Simply Suzula's shop.

Handknit Pillow and Washcloths

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Soft and nubbly pillows ($27) and washcloths ($9) feel perfect for a handmade home. The bobbles are a bit quirky on the pillow but I think they're sweet. Buy now at A Merry Mishap.

Mossy Terracotta Pots @ Jayson Home & Garden

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:43:00 +0000

I love mossy pots. I have a few in my house filled with ferns. Above are a few I spotted on sale at Jayson Home & Garden last night. I enjoy all the different shapes. Prices range from $12-$57 each.

Edna Lawrence Nature Lab @ RISD

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:20:00 +0000

Edna Lawrence Nature Lab at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence looks so cool. Full of amazing inspiration. Check out the video Etsy.com did of this treasure filled museum.

(discovered via acquireboutique)

Rainbow Floors and Walls

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:42:00 +0000

Candy colored walls and floors make me realize how much I love bright happy colors. See many more photos of this amazing Stockholm apartment designed by tham & videgard hansson arkitekts over at designboom.

Julia Rothman's At Ease Pillows

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:42:00 +0000

A quick post before it heats up outside and I forget to do my laundry, again. I love Julia Rothman's At Ease pillows. The pillows are limited edition and are selling out fast! The pillows were designed in collaboration with design*sponge's design by the book online series. Buy now for $95 each.

Tomato Plant Progress and Nasty Slugs in Early August

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:01:00 +0000

I've been relaxing at home since I got back from my Maine road trip. My garden has gotten huge. The tomato plants have completely taken over. Little babies are starting to grow. Maybe in the next couple of weeks I actually have some to eat.

A big chunk of my garden got eaten by nasty slugs while I was gone. Thankfully, they didn't make it to the tomatoes. They did invite all their friends over for a hydrangea leaf eating party. My beautiful blue flowers are really looking sad. I tried to rid myself of the infestation by using the old school beer removal method.

The idea is to put plastic cups into the ground filled with stinky cheap beer. You want the cups low enough so the little buggers will crawl in, drown, and die. We were pretty successful. I think we captured 6-8. Slugs are so disgusting. We found one laying on the sidewalk still alive. The scary thing freaked everyone out. I heard lots of screams from my living room window Sunday morning. Greg felt bad for the ugly creature and found it a new home far away from my garden. Hopefully my plants will grow back and be happy now!

Weekly Wrap Up: Maine Road Trip

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 03:54:00 +0000

I'm wrapping up my Maine posts for the week. I have two more trips to Maine this summer so don't worry if I've missed your favorite spots. Look forward to a whole series of finds from Portland, Maine. I made a list of all my stops I've covered so far below (some are from prior trips). They're organized from North to South. I know a lot of your are planning trips so I thought it would be helpful for them to be all in one spot. Below the links are a few photos I took on my road trip that didn't seem to fit anywhere but here. Enjoy!

Acadia National Park: Bar Harbor, Maine
Swans Island Blankets Studio In Northport, Maine
Windsor Chairmakers in Lincolnville, Maine
The High Tide Inn: Camden, Maine
Maine State Prison Shop in Rockport, Maine
Andrew Wyeth & Olsen House in Cushing, Maine
Moody's Diner: Waldoboro, Maine
Red's Eats Wiscasset, Maine
Smitten in Wiscasset, Maine
Wiscasset Cottage Antiques
Wiscasset, Maine: Elliott Healy Books & Prints
Wiscasset, Maine: The Marston House & Treats
Portland, Maine: Folly 101 & Blanche and Mimi Home
Portland, Maine: Angela Adams, Ferdinand, Two Fat Cats Bakery
Avolli: Scandinavian Antique Furniture Scarbourgh, Maine (by appointment)
Snug Harbor Farm in Kennebunk, Maine
Old House Parts in Kennebunk, Maine
Discount Fabric at Marden's

York, Maine: Withington Antiques
Recipe: Real Maine Whoopie Pies

Decorative butter molds spotted in Wiscasset, Maine.

A lobster poster spotted at a shop in Camden, Maine.

The lovely harbor in Camden, Maine.

Shaker furniture gallery at Windsor Chairmakers.

Adorable downtown of Northeast Harbor, Maine.

Acadia National Park, Maine

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:52:00 +0000

As we drove further north on our road trip we heard predictions of heavy downpours and rain the following days. We decided to shorten the trip by a day and drive straight to Acadia in Bar Harbor. I was getting kinda burnt out on shopping and wanted to get outside anyway.

Acadia National Park is completely gorgeous. Pay $20 for the day and take your time driving around Mount Desert Island. Every overlook will take your breath away. I was anticipating the breathtaking views from Cadillac Mountain. The drive up the mountain (large hill) was a bit treacherous. My mom is afraid of heights (she was driving) and I've developed the fear of cars crashing into ravines somewhere between my 27-30th year of life. This is probably due to the fact I almost drove us off into a ravine in the middle of the winter on the Kangamangus highway in New Hampshire. So we crept our way up the large hill as I gasped at the overlooks while my mom kept her eyes concentrated on the middle of the road. It was a bit hysterical, laughing helped. At the very top the ocean surrounds you in every direction.

I would love to come back with Greg and do some hiking and spend a few days camping. If only it wasn't so far away. Acadia is 4 hours north of Portland, Maine. When we were driving out of Bar Harbor I counted 12 very large private jets at the small airport. If I only had a jet I would come every weekend! I took a ton of photos. Above and below are my favorites.

Recipe: Real Maine Whoopie Pies

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:08:00 +0000

While I was in Maine I spent one rainy afternoon making whoopie Pies with my Grammy Elliott and my cousin's grandmother, Rita. Watching them bicker and laugh while sipping some cold Pinot Grigio with Judge Judy blaring in the background was a hoot. Rita calls herself the, Whoopie Pie Queen and frankly after tasting her creations I can't deny that claim. Store bought whoopie pies are just too thick and have way too much filling. More is not necessarily better when it comes to whoopies.

Maybe I should back up and explain what a whoopie pie is. Two devil's food cakes with a creamy filling made of egg whites, confectionery sugar, fluff, and basically Crisco. Whoopie pies as far as I know are a Maine thing. The amish have their own version. You'll spot whoopies wrapped in cellophane at gas stations, sub shops, and gourmet stores all over Maine. Some claim to be the best but honestly nothing compares to homemade. Above and below photos from a fun afternoon.

Below the recipe both grandmother's having been making for years adapted from Marjorie Standish book, "Cooking Down East," (1968).

Ingredients for Cakes:
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
5 tablespoons of cocoa (rita uses 4)
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon each: baking powder, baking soda, salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

The sugar and shortening are creamed together, the beaten egg yolks added. The dry ingredients are sifted together, and added alternatively with the milk and vanilla. Drop the batter in equal spoonfulls onto a greased cookie sheet, leaving room for them to spread. Bake in a pre-heated 375 degrees oven for 7-10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool. When completly cool, mix filling (recipe below), spreading half the cakes with this mixture. Put them together like a sandwich.

Filling: With an electric mixer, combine 1/2 cups shortening, 2 cups confectioners sugar, 2 egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons fluff.

p.s. I've come across recipes that cook the egg whites. The grandmothers never have and nobody has ever gotten sick.

Swans Island Blankets Studio In Maine

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:23:00 +0000

Just up the road from Windsor Chairmakers is Swans Island Blankets in Northport. On a rainy Thursday morning we were warmly greeted to tour their new gallery space and studio. I've read about Swans Island blankets a hundred times. When I saw the price tag I would gasp. Truthfully, once you see the quality and care that goes into each and every piece you realize it's well worth every penny.

Each blanket is handmade by a talented weaver using only natural dyes. My mom and I found the indigo fascinating. "The dye, called Indican, is produced as the leaves of the plant are fermented, exuding a rich paste which turns blue when exposed to air." Fascinating. The wool is harvested from super soft sheep raised in Maine. A cute photo of a few cuddled up in the rain above.

Blankets and throws are available in summer and winter weights. The check style available in a winter weight—a weave of two layers of wool for warmth—was my favorite. Natural grey throws are woven from the fleece of Corriedale sheep.

Wander back into the studio to see yarn being dyed in large buckets and blankets being woven by hand on large looms. When I first went away to college I studied textile design with a concentration in weaving. I can tell you from experience setting up a loom is a total bitch. I was horrible at it. All the yarns have to be hand pulled one at a time through each tiny needle. So painful and time consuming.

Check out Swans Island's website for more info on the weaving process and history. The lighting on a rainy day made shooting in the gallery a bit difficult. Take a hop over to their site for detailed photographs of their stunning blankets, swansislandblankets.com.

p.s. martha went to Swans Island Blankets just a few days before me and blogged about her visit today too!

Swans Island Blankets
Rt 1
Northport, Maine
207-338-9691
swansislandblankets.com

The High Tide Inn: Camden, Maine

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 21:59:00 +0000

My mom a Midwest girl married my New England father in hopes that someday she could stay in a cottage by the sea. Small little cottages dot the rocky coastline all the way up Route One. My dad being a grumpy New Englander referred to them as, Tourist Traps. My dad's dead now but my mom finally did get her wish forty years later.

We stayed at a cute little place just outside Camden for about $100 a night (we negotiated the price). The cottage looked out to a rolling wildflower field that tumbled it's way down to the ocean. We took a stroll on the rocky beach before the black flies hit at sunset. Further north in Acadia National Park they have signs saying, "Don't Take Our Rocks!". They are pretty seducing rocks. I stuck a few in my pockets to remember our trip.

That night, we could hear the waves crashing on the beach. The sky was so clear you could see the streaks and stars of the Milky Way Galaxy. I woke up around 2 am thinking I could hearing someone having sex in a nearby cottage. Turns out it was only an owl. Not that I've ever known a hooter but it was an odd sound to hear.

The High Tide Inn
Rt 1
Camden, Maine
(207) 236-3724

Windsor Chairmakers in Lincolnville, Maine

elliott.katy@gmail.com (katy elliott) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:02:00 +0000

One of my favorite stops on our Maine road trip was Windsor Chairmakers located in Lincolnville, Maine. Beautiful handcrafted furniture made one at time. Tour an entire house filled with windsor chairs, tables, dressers, and highboys. The pictures just don't do them justice. Every piece is jaw dropping gorgeous representing stunning examples of wood. My favorite was anything with Tiger Maple. Above a photo of a dining table paired with windsor chairs and a highboy displaying an amazing example of Tiger Maple wood.

In the back part of the main house is a whole gallery dedicated to Shaker style furniture. Chairs, benches, and stools glowed on the gallery floor. I was dreaming of where I could fit such a gorgeous bench in my house. A shot of a group of stools perfect for a kitchen island or a desk.

After you walk through the main house you're invited to the workshop on the back of the property. The workshop was huge and so clean! I could probably make some pretty cool things in there. (I made a small table once!) I meet with the chief chairmaker who happen to be the nicest guy in the world. He showed me some chairs he was working on for a customer. Could he make me something?

All the furniture made by Windsor Chairmakers can be customized. While I wandered through the galleries that morning I had thoughts of a tiger maple table with queen anne legs in my head. Similar to the photo at the very top of the post. How cool would it be to know the person who actually made my table?

Check out the site for full ordering info: windsorchair.com.

Windsor Chairmakers
Rt 1
Lincolnville, Maine (just north of Camden)
(800) 789-5188
windsorchair.com