custom furniture, kitchens, and baths by fineartistmade

blog : maine

Those Ancient Chinese Poets

April 14, 2012

I thought I'd wrap up the story of our renovation on Shackford with a few poems written by our client, Tom Sexton.

In the course of our Eastport kitchen renovation on Shackford Street, many misplaced relics from the home's first family spilled from the walls; a 1904 calendar, a photo of a dapper young man in a suit and a vaudeville ticket to name a few.

Queen Anne Simplified (part 2)

March 20, 2012

The director of Campobello International Park kindly emailed photos of the Cottage's butler's pantry and kitchen. Elements like brass cupboard latches, bead board doors and soapstone countertops felt just right for our Queen Anne's Victorian kitchen.

Queen Anne Simplified (part 1)

March 7, 2012

Designing a kitchen starts the minute we see the space; wheels are in motion - ideas begin to percolate. Even as the renovation continues to take shape we commit where we have to but keep our options open till that last stroke of paint.

The Summer Me

October 15, 2011

On the heels of finishing the ‘in-home’ phase of our current kitchen renovation and with Labor Day approaching - we headed down the coast for one last summer adventure. Old friends from my days at Syracuse University had invited us for a visit.

Cinqueterre

August 11, 2011

The first time I ever heard the name of one of my favorite Down East destinations, we were still living in Sag Harbor, New York.

Hot off the press

July 31, 2011

On the heels of the Down East magazine article, ‘Every Mainer’s Kitchen” comes a feature story about our bath renovations in Old House Journal magazine’s Special Fall Issue: Creating beautiful vintage baths.

"Pretty it up"

July 10, 2011

In a town filled with ancient Cape Cods, Federals and Second Empire mansards, this sweet, well kept,1899 Queen Anne cottage really stands out.

In Bloom

June 13, 2011

Each season on the farm has its own magic. Here's a little bit of spring.

And Finally, Cabinets

May 29, 2011

Building new cabinets is one part creative thinking and one part problem solving. There are many practical questions to work through.

Some Light on the Matter

May 20, 2011

Peeling back the layers of our significantly altered kitchen, unearthed just one original feature that had actually survived intact - the 4 inch wide, clear pine, strip floor.

Blog Mentions

April 26, 2011

This month, fineartistmade was mentioned by design bloggers: Ill Seen, Ill Said, KB Culture and Frolic. The posts feature everything from bath renovations, our home's restoration to our furniture.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink

April 3, 2011

Since our “cook-space” renovation was in a state of evolution - we made do for a while with the existing stainless steel drop-in sink.

Spring News

March 19, 2011

A fineartistmade kitchen is included in the April issue of Down East magazine.

'Over Home'

March 13, 2011

Last Thursday, our current bath renovation was unexpectedly interrupted - giving us a day off that coincidentally coincided with my birthday. We took this opportunity to hop across the border and go as locals like to say, 'over home.'

First Settlers

November 4, 2010

Though we never met Robert Golding, he helped give us a glimpse of what life was like on our farm. A local legend; Rob was a hunter, guide, woodsman, farmer and gifted storyteller. His friend, Archie Stewart documented through movies and audio reels hunting and fishing expeditions and Rob telling his stories. They are archived at Northeast Historic Film and the Maine Folklife Center.

The Old Apple Orchard

October 26, 2010

When looking to buy a new home in Maine, one feature our broker neglected to mention about this property was its grove of heirloom apple trees. We were pleased to discover them struggling amidst the white pine and ash that had sprouted up around them. This orchard had been pretty much been taking care of itself for who knows how many years - all the while faithfully producing apples.

My Perennial Garden (Part 2)

September 24, 2010

My garden was inspired in part by many I had read about or visited. One part English garden from my time spent in London (studying photography) and traveling through Europe; one part country garden from my Long Island and Maine experiences; one part California garden from years spent combing the state while assisting a friend who was a nature and wildlife photographer.

My Perennial Garden (Part I)

September 17, 2010

Off the back of the house, some fifty feet down a gentle incline towards Boyden Lake - nestled among survivors of an old heirloom apple orchard, on the edge of a field - within the remains of a rectangular stone foundation - resides my perennial garden. That it occupies this spot was a well laid plan; the significance of the location, on the other hand - was wholly unexpected.

History in a Can

August 22, 2010

The Eastport kitchen renovation has come to a close, but the story isn’t over just yet. One more aspect of the home’s restoration begged for attention - its history. The question that most intrigued us now? Who had lived in this venerable old cape?

The Devil's in the Details

August 18, 2010

We never build the same kitchen twice, but the challenge is always the same - to create a space that is both elegant and functional. Serving not only the user's culinary and domestic needs, but reflecting sensitive and thoughtful values that elevate the spirit. Heady goals for a humble kitchen? Why not? We allowed this home to guide us; from trim to cabinets to finishing touches.

Whats New

August 9, 2010

Our latest furniture and gifts news: learn the history of our Tradition of the New line, see our new gift items that are now 'live', learn about our 'item of the month' - the Golding Gourmet. Visit our new online fineartistmade etsy store - or locally at The Red Sleigh, in Perry. Shop handmade and local!

Nuts and Bolts

July 28, 2010

There is a warmth and authenticity in custom handmade cabinets you just can’t get from the store-bought variety. With painting done, it was time to start building the cabinets for the Eastport kitchen. We could do the job in our shop, but establishing a workspace onsite has its advantages; one being a more fluid design process, another, the economy of convenience.

The Honeysuckle Vine

July 9, 2010

Prominent in many old photos are Mary Golding's plantings, one had not been so lucky. A large climbing vine, on the south side of the house; between the dining room and kitchen windows. It's there as early as 1910 - as late as the 1950's - gone by the 1970's. Such a distinguishing feature - we thought of putting it back. Old photos however, gave us few clues as to what kind of vine it was.

Kendall Farm Cottages

June 25, 2010

Just a short walk across our north field and through a line of trees, you find yourself at one of Downeast Maine's best kept secrets - Kendall Farm. Two wonderful cottages, Watercress and Wildflower, built in the 1920's are maintained and rented by their current steward, Georgiana Kendall - who carries on a family tradition.

Trim

June 19, 2010

Beneath two subsequent kitchen renovations, the original hand-planed baseboard and chair rail had survived. It was difficult to remove them from the positions they had occupied for so many years, but this was not a museum restoration - this was somebody's summer home. The goal was to create a comfortable modern kitchen that preserved the 'spirit' of the old room.

A New Workshop (Part I)

May 19, 2010

An expanding business made it time to attack a project long overdue - a properly fitted workshop. The space that workplace now occupies, began its life seventy-five years ago as a woodshed in the back end of the 1935 ‘ell’ (‘Maine-speak’ for addition) to our circa 1893 home.

Getting Started

May 10, 2010

My inaugural blog, coincides with the start of our new project, a kitchen renovation in an early nineteenth century cape in Eastport. Our goal is to bring the room back, in spirit and detailing to its earliest period.

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