The young furniture maker Eric Ritter has turned his circa-1790 farmhouse in New Gloucester into an inspiring design studio and workshop. Ritter’s story is told in our August 2008 profile, “The Futurist Obsessed with the Past.” The visual story of Ritter’s outdoor furniture line, Morphology, is told here in photographs by Irvin Serrano.

Back Bay Grill’s Chef Larry Matthews has that rare culinary ability to both keep his regulars happy and constantly tempt new customers. The restaurant shines in our August 2008 feature, “Everything Old is New Again.” We convinced Matthews to share two recipes with us: one to start a meal and a second to end it!

As the winner of the inaugural women’s Olympic marathon, Joan Benoit Samuelson has long been a favorite Maine daughter. We were proud to feature Samuelson in our August 2008 profile, "Joan Benoit Samuelson's Gold Mettle."

Having just hosted the 11th annual TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K in Cape Elizabeth, we cornered the ever-moving Samuelson to answer our MH+D Questionnaire:

In our July profile of Damariscotta-based artist John Whalley (“The Humanity of Detritus”) we talk at length about his ability to imbue inanimate objects with a human quality: “Whalley can infuse an object as mundane as a hammer with such emotion that it becomes a portrait not of a tool, but of the man who once used it.” While the artist’s work proves this statement time and again, Whalley is also extremely gifted and adept with portraiture.

The perfect home accessory this summer may well be a pool with a pool house. Maine families who are lucky enough to have a pool house can find endless enjoyment there throughout the dog days of the season. Whether used for a quiet retreat, a family gathering place, or party central, pool houses create a vacation destination just steps away from home. In the July issue of Maine HOME + DESIGN, we featured four fabulous pool houses; here's one more of our favorites.

In the July issue we featured seven metal sculptors ("Testing Their Metal") whose work reflects their unique Maine influences. Pittsburgh native and Maine transplant Sandy Macleod uses found industrial and architectural objects to create his sculptures at his studio in Limerick. Macleod's work conceptualizes an undetermined future using the detritus of our industrial past. Following is Macleod's take on the MH+D Questionnaire.

Our July Feast feature “A Family’s Fare” tells the story of Blue Hill’s Arborvine restaurant and chef John Hikade, his wife Beth, and their two sons, Andrew and Timothy.

Chef Hikade is known for his creative dishes. The idea of preparing certain dishes sometimes overwhelms the home-chef. But something like risotto is a perfect example of a meal that no one should be intimidated by, yet many people are. Hikade’s Trio of Duck with Mango/Pineapple Salsa and Honey/Thyme Glaze may be a time-consuming dish to prepare, but for anyone who loves food and isn’t afraid to spend a little time in the kitchen, it is not overly complicated. Happy cooking and enjoy!

Whether they’re used for staging or storage, serving or display, a pantry offers practical and often beautiful solutions for gracious living. The June issue of Maine HOME + DESIGN featured a plethora of pantries in our feature, "The Butler Did It." Here is one more of our favorites.

Our June Craft of Maine feature, “Noble Metals,” simply could not contain all of the talented jewelers in the state. But we did want to make room for just one more. Inspired by her time at the ocean’s edge, Jennifer Nielsen has been creating stunning, sea-inspired jewelry under the moniker Solstice Designs since 1997. Here are just a few of Nielsen’s pieces…

To put it simply, Kennebunkport’s Snug Harbor Farm is an oasis. Covered in menagerie of animals, plants, and terra cotta pots, the farm is the result of one man’s exceptional vision: Tony Elliott. For whole story on how a boy from Ohio ended up in Maine, read our June feature, “The New New England.” For a more whimsical look at Elliott, check out this month’s Maine (Home + Design) Questionnaire:

In just over one month’s time, Evangeline’s Chef Erik Desjarlais has put his French cuisine inspired touch on Portland’s Longfellow Square. With a menu that reads like ol’ Paris— foie gras, salade vert, grenoullie, porc, and poulet—folks are flocking to the restaurant. Desjarlais was kind enough to share his recipe with us for the classic Moule Frites: Mussels and Fries.

As MH+D Editor-at-Large Candace Karu compiled our May feature “Let There Be Life,” she couldn’t help but gather more great spring design ideas than we could actually fit in our print edition. Here then is one more inspirational arrangement of goodies from great Maine-based businesses.

Since he arrived in Maine in the mid-1970s, Jay Fischer has had great admiration for many a “local character.” After all these years, Fischer has become quite a genuine character himself—as you can see from reading our May feature, “Authentic Collaborator.” Fischer was kind enough to spend a few moments answering this month’s Maine (Home + Design) Questionnaire.

The menu at Chef Lydia Shire’s new restaurant, Blue Sky on York Beach, flush with the fruits of the sea: lobster,

lobster, and more lobster. For a taste of Shire’s takes on the Maine classic, see our Maine Feast feature, “My Blue Heaven.” However, since spring has finally sprung after a long, cold winter, we thought it appropriate to share a

recipe for one of Chef Shire’s lovely salads, Merriam Vintners Salad with Robiola Cheese. Enjoy!

Chef Shire (left) and staff.

As we compiled MH+D’s April feature “The Literary Life,” we discovered more home libraries than we knew what to do with. Here, then, is just one more of the many libraries we couldn’t fit into our print edition.

Caron Zand and Don Head are passionate collectors of Maine art and patrons of Maine artists. They are engaged in supporting both

the visual and performing arts— Zand serves on the Board of Maine College of Art and Head is the President of Board of the Portland Opera Repertory Theater. Their collection, featured in MH+D’s April story “Where the Art Is,” is constantly evolving as they continue to discover and encourage emerging artists and encourage the contributions of those more established in their careers.

Nearly two years ago Thomas Denenberg was named chief curator of the Portland Museum of Art. This past winter he

added “and deputy director” to his title. Denenberg continues a tradition at the PMA—the state’s oldest and largest public art museum—of bringing Maine art to the world and the world’s art to Maine. During the interview that led to MH+D’s April Profile, “Curating a Mythical Maine,” we asked Denenberg to name a few of his favorite painting the PMA’s permanent collection…

Rich Lemoine, the chef at the heart of our April Feast “A Palette for the Palate,” has helmed the kitchens of some of Southern Maine’s most loved restaurants, such as the White Barn Inn and the Salt Marsh Tavern. Today, Lemoine plates his classic yet sophisticated take on Maine cuisine at the Cape Arundel Inn. With this impressive resume and an unflappable disposition, we knew Lemoine was the perfect candidate for our all new Maine (Home + Design) Questionnaire.

Raised in an 11th century house in Devon, England, Cig Harvey found a job at a local photography studio—“making tea and tidying up”—by the time she was just 12-years-old. Her passion for the art of photography hasn’t wavered since.

By 17, Harvey was traveling to places like Bolivia and Peru to makepictures that documented the hardships of silver mine workers. For atime she thought her future was photojournalism. “When I was younger Ireally had no interest in being an artist…I wanted to change theworld,” she laughs. However, Harvey soon discovered that documentarywork didn’t jibe with her sensibilities—she grew so attached to her“subjects,” and felt such an obligation to how their images wereportrayed, that it made the work too emotionally exhausting.

“So,” she says, “I decided that I would just tell my story.”

Samuel Van Dam was a painter long before he studied architecture at two of the Northeast’s most venerated educational institutions: Harvard College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In MH+D’s March feature, “The Effects of Careful Observation,” Van Dam delves into the art of architecture and the architecture of art.