Better Homes and Gardens

Decorating
May/June 2002

Stars & Stripes
A FAMILY GIVES A RUN-DOWN 1906 SUMMER COTTAGE NEW LIFE, TURNING IT INTO A DREAM HOUSE BY THE SEA, COMPLETE WITH A JOYFUL RED, WHITE, AND BLUE DECORATING SCHEME

Better Homes & Gardens

Maureen and Steve Quill refurbished the exterior and interior of thier 1906 summer cottage on Moody Beach in Maine.

Written by Jill Cooper Connors

Photography by James Salomon

Field Editor Susan Salomon

Sometimes, the simplest pleasures inspire grand results. In this case, a walk on the beach and a Flag Day bouquet resulted in a six-bedroom, porch-proud summerhouse decorated in star-spangled style, right along the sand of Moody Beach in Maine.
As homeowner Maureen Quill tells it, the story did indeed begin during a walk on the leach in Maine, where her family has gathered every summer for years Maureen saw an old inn and thought it would make a wonderful family home. After some inquiries, she and husband Steve bought the 1906 house from Minnie Dunn, granddaughter of the original owner.

Maureen brought Minnie a red, white, and blue bouquet to celebrate her birthday on Flag Day, "The minute I stepped into that house with the red, white, and blue flowers, I knew those colors were right [for decorating the house]," Maureen recalls.
But before the decorating could take shape, the house itself needed work. Because it had been an inn for years, it had a warren of rooms and a floor plan that wasn't family-friendly. The Quills found rickety outdoor stairs, rusty shower stalls, 1940s kitchen linoleum,and a host of other concerns.

They hired The Great Room Co., of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a design-build firm that worked with them from the planning Stage through to completion, a process that took about 1 1/2 years.
Paul Demars and Olivia Sanderson, principals of The Great Room Company, used the existing foundation, reinforcing it in areas, but gutted the rest of the house. "It had been a bunch of small rooms, and to open things up we used a lot of steel and structural lumber ," Demars says. Windows were replaced, porches were added, and soon the structure took shape.

A six-point star pillow on the living area sofa features SIX different fabrics

The living area is part of an 18x23-foot great-room White wicker furniture; blue-and- white upholstery; and red, white, and blue accents create a vivid scheme Maureen had words from the tune "By the Sea" painted above the windows

LEFT. A painted wooden sailor and toy sailboat add touches of whimsy to the great- room. RIGHT Two wicker chairs, just inside a sliding door to the porch, offer comfortable spots to relax A blue-and-white lampshade, red-and- white fabrics, and a flag-motif painted shutter add to the Old Glory style

"I used to sit on a beach chair and look at the house and think it would never be finished," jokes Maureen, who collected the makings of the home', patriotic decorating theme little by little.
Her greatest decorating
inspiration resulted in the star-shape window in the third-floor gable, a feature that now distinguishes the house's beach front facade. Maureen saw a similar window on an old building in Kennebunkport, Maine. Steve contributed to the theme as well, suggesting a star cutout for the kitchen screen-door frame.

For the interior, Maureen started gathering red, white, and blue decorative elements-everything from cotton rugs, throw pillows, and quilts to lampshades, picture frames, posters, and folk art. In the great-room, which faced the beach, a blue-and-white-striped

An antique Irish pine table anchors a patriotic vignette.

sofa and white wicker furniture are accented by such whimsical items as a star-shape pillow, a flag-motif painted shutter, a Lady Liberty weather vane, and miniature Adirondack chairs in bright red and blue Maureen sets the dining area's farmhouse-style table with red place mats, blue-and-white-checked napkins, and star- pattern plates, mugs, and bowls
The theme even extends to the player piano in the streetside front room. When Maureen bought the piece at auction, it was
dark mahogany, almost black. "It was too dark for the bright inte- riors," she says. She had the piano painted white, then asked a dec- orative painter to accent the piece with red, white, and blue motifs.
The third-floor guest bedroom, where the gabled wall features the star window, goes all out in red, white, and blue. A red dust ruffle and a white bedspread layered with a blue-star quilt cover the bed. Red, white, and blue cotton rugs provide a base for flag- motif decorations.
The beaded-board ceiling vaults to the peak, and French doors just beneath the star window lead to a balcony. It all adds up to the most popular bedroom in the house, even though it requires three flights of stairs to reach.
"Everyone wants [to sleep in] the star room, but it goes to the first person who arrives," says Maureen, referring to Fourth of July week, when the entire family-Maureen, Steve, and their children and grandchildren-gathers at the house

LEFT Maureen had the piano painted white, and a decorative painter added the stars, figures, and bunting RIGHT The signature star theme continues on the kitchen screen-door frame

LEFT The family gathers for meals at the dining area's long, farmhouse-style table surrounded by Windsor chairs RIGHT With its star- shape window, vaulted ceiling, and French doors leading to a balcony, the "star bedroom" is popular with guests

ABOVE LEFT A painting of a ship decorates the front of a chest of drawers ABOVE MIDDLE The star bedroom has its own seating area ABOVE RIGHT The island cottage-style bed is layered with flag colors red gingham shams and dust ruffle, white matelasse bedcover, and a blue-starred quilt

In the evening, the star on the house shines brightly in the darkness; it lights up again at sunrise, creating a dreamy, dazzling
display. A passerby once left a note in the door that read, "You should name this house Morning Star." It's exactly the kind of home
Maureen envisioned when she first saw the old inn while she enjoyed the simple pleasure of a walk on the beach.

AHOY, MATEY, SHOW YOUR STRIPS Though you may not have the advantage of oceanside property and the crystal-clear blue skies of Maine, it's easy to add nautically inspired and patriotic touches to your home.

Fabrics: For a summery feel, slipcover upholstery with medium-weight, washable cotton duck or ticking. When working with a red, white, and blue palette, don:t be afraid to mix bold stripes and colorful florals.
On the Table: If nowhere else, the dining table-inside or out-offers one of the best spots to show off patriotic themes. Search fabric stores for inexpensive dress-weight cottons to make napkins to pair with woven place mats. Solid white dishes or white tableware with blue trim can be found at department stores or home stores.
Furniture: Though vintage wicker in good condition is hard to find and generally pricey, consider the newly made wicker offered by a number of major manufacturers. If you're handy with a paintbrush, paint a nautical or patriotic scene on a not -too-precious chest of drawers. Or opt for a stenciled border of stars, seashells, or sailor's knots.
Accessories: Inexpensive shutters from a home improvement store are always a good accessory item. Again, a little paint and a lot of imagination can turn them into displays of patriotism.

RESOURCE GUIDE

STARS & STRIPS
Designer/builder: Paul Demars and Olivia Sanderson, The Great Room Co" 407 The Hill, Portsmouth, NH 03801; 603/431- 3800; www.greatroom.com

Star pillow--purchased at Pallian & Co, us Rte 1, Wells, ME 04090; 207/646-1600. Sofa, rug-- Crate and Barrel; 888/249-4155; www.crateandbarrel.com Wicker coffee table, armchairs, footstool, end table Henry Link-Lexington Home Brands; 800/539-4636; www.lexington.com Wooden fish in window--purchased at Americana Workshop, 111 York St, Kennebunk, ME 04043; 207/985-8356;
www.americanaworkshop.com Shutter painted like colonial f1ag--purchased at The Country Mischief, The Common, 36 Baldwinville Rd, Templeton, MA 01468; 978/939-5460; www.countrymischief.com Pine table-- antique; source unknown. Miss America doll by Greta Chirco--purchased at The Country Mischief; see above "Star Spangled Summer" sign--purchased at Coles Corner, us Rte 1, Wells, ME 04090; 207/646-3466 Lamp-- purchased at Americana Workshop; see above. Bathing beauty doll by Greta Chirco--purchaced at The Countly Mischief; see above Piano--decorative painting by Joan Preece, Castle Walls aka Love Lane Dedigns, PO Box 1364, Portsmouth, NH 03802; 207/439-6477 Table--custom-made by
John Dickinson, Winter Hill Farm, Kennebunkport, Maine; 207/967 - 5879. light fixture--Patti Brothers, 215 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776; 978/443- 9412. Place mats, napkins, dishes--Crate and Barrel; 888/249-4155; www.crateandbanel.com Star window--custom by Andy Evans, The Great Room Co., 407 The Hill, Portsmouth, NH 03801; 603/431-3800; www.greatroom.com. Star quilt--antique; source unknown Bed--Lexington Home Brands; 800/539-4636; www.lexington.com. Painted chest--purchaced at Plotkin's Furniture, 41 Exchange St, Athol, MA 01331; 978/249-3256 Wicker settee, wicker coffee table Henry Link-Lexington Home Brands; 800/ 539-4636; www.lexington.com. Pillows--fabricated by homeowner

Visit this home in our Gallery of Homes for more pictures and commantary by clicking The Star House

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The Great Room Company
Designers & Builders of Custom Homes
407 The Hill, Portsmouth, NH 03801 -- Phone 603-431-3800 Fax 603-431-4550

	Fabrics: For a summery feel, slipcover upholstery with medium-weight, washable cotton duck or ticking. When working with a red, white, and blue palette, don:t be afraid to mix bold stripes and colorful florals.
	On the Table: If nowhere else, the dining table-inside or out-offers one of the best spots to show off patriotic themes. Search fabric stores for inexpensive dress-weight cottons to make napkins to pair with woven place mats. Solid white dishes or white tableware with blue trim can be found at department stores or home stores.
	Furniture: Though vintage wicker in good condition is hard to find and generally pricey, consider the newly made wicker offered by a number of major manufacturers. If you're handy with a paintbrush, paint a nautical or patriotic scene on a not -too-precious chest of drawers. Or opt for a stenciled border of stars, seashells, or sailor's knots.
	Accessories: Inexpensive shutters from a home improvement store are always a good accessory item. Again, a little paint and a lot of imagination can turn them into displays of patriotism.

Home Page	Gallery of Homes	What's "NEW" ?
Guest Book	Open House Info	Our Philosophy
Company Info		Site Map