FINE FOLK

Color, comfort, and a big gush of gingham enliven a formerly forlorn Maine family retreat

- STEPHANIE HUNT

At a ripe 30 years old, it was full midlife crisis. This classic shingle-style house on Maine's mid-coast had, for three decades, served as summer central for a Massachusetts family. They loved its tucked-away waterfront locale and salty New England charm, but the home's dark interiors, cramped kitchen, and general sense of the blahs begged for a refresh. Plus, grandkids were now in the mix, so additional sandy feet toddling around necessitated rethinking the flow and functionality. "Our goals were to make it bright and fun and to reference the 19th-century shingle-house vernacular a bit more without being stuffy," says interior designer Lilse McKenna, who kept the original beadboard but gave the existing dark stain a creamy white face-lift, and started anew with most everything else-gutting the kitchen and baths, and expanding the much-used screened porch overlooking the woods and water.

Minus the porch addition, the home's footprint stayed the same, but new arched doorways, molding, and coffered ceilings added architectural verve. McKenna's vibrant layering of texture and patterns, from cheery checks to vintage chintz, amped up a sense of youthful coziness. She drew palette inspiration from 18th- and 19th-century folk art, including a piece discovered at Maine's Bates College Museum (re-created above the living room sofa), and gave the entryway a similar dose of Americana, replicating a 19th-century wall stencil pattern. Tired wood floors were freshly painted, and new gathering spaces invite lots of grandchild lap-sitting. "To me, upholstered furniture and layered patterns are just so comfortable," says McKenna, whose "formula" entails juxtaposing historical references-pairing a French floral with an Indian block print, for example. "It's now a happy, sunny house that still feels like Maine."

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