Longtime friends Lisa Dalton and Michelle Adams, both based in Houston, Texas, became enamored of the Maine coast a while back and began talking about opening a business there. Last winter, they came across a real estate listing for the historic Squire Tarbox Inn in Wiscasset, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and within a matter of days had made the leap and purchased the property.
Says Lisa, “I’m a designer in Houston and Michelle, my business partner on the Squire Tarbox, is a client of 20 years—I designed five houses for her over the years. When we bought the inn, which was built in 1763, the interiors were done up in typical ‘Ye Olde Colonial’ style; wallpaper in every room, small tight spaces in the common areas, and very dated bathrooms and furnishing.”
“We removed 95 percent of the existing furniture, opened up walls, removed all of the wallpaper, gutted the bathrooms, painted everything inside and out, and sourced and installed everything in time for an early June opening—whew! We’re really pleased with the results.”
Above: The inn is a long, connected farmstead, built in 1763 and added onto over the years. Above: The exterior black is a custom color called Tarbox Black, which can be sourced through any Sherwin Williams dealer via the Sherwin Williams store in Damariscotta, Maine. The white trim shade is Sherwin Willaims Modern White and the red doors are Sherwin Williams Bolero. Above: The living room walls and floors are painted a custom Sherwin Williams color, Tarbox White, which is available from the Sherwin Williams store in Damariscotta, Maine. The trim is painted in Benjamin Moore Street Chic. The small antique chair with kilim seat was sourced through Lewis & Maes Auctions in Houston. The Baldwin Slipcovered Sofa is from Arhaus and the Kilim Sofa Pillow is from One Kings Lane. Above: The brown/white striped Turkish rug is from Etsy seller Lidya Kilim Rug. Above: The antique dropleaf table to the left of the sofa is from Nobleboro Antique Exchange, in Nobleboro, Maine. Above: The antique Majolica plates over the mantel are from a variety of sources; some are from my own private collection and others (including the large lobster plate) are from Lewis & Maes Auctions in Houston. Above: “The walls in Bedroom Four are the organic result of wallpaper that had adhered to plaster that didn’t entirely release when we removed it,” Lisa says. “We lightly sanded it and sealed it with a matte sealer.” Above: In Bedroom One the antique pine marble-topped vanity is from Art of Antiquing in Round Pond, Maine; the bedding is custom. The walls are painted a custom Sherwin Williams color, Tarbox White, available from the Sherwin Williams store in Damariscotta, Maine. The trim is Benjamin Moore Street Chic. Above: The Peruvian bed pillow in Bedroom Eight is from the Coastal Maine Antiques Show in Maine. The walls are painted Sherwin Williams Extra White. Above: The antique grain-painted chest in Bedroom Six is from Wiscasset Village Antiques in Wiscasset, Maine, and the framed etching is from Lewis & Maes Auctions in Houston. The walls are painted Sherwin Williams Extra White. For more Maine interiors we admire, see:
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