In the present economy, it is more important than ever to be willing, and prepared, to adapt. At MH+D we are doing just that. After seeking reader feedback and our own careful review of options, we’ve developed a new title design at Maine Home+Design. Our new look emphasizes Maine and Home to better reflect MH+D’s broad editorial coverage of Maine’s extraordinary people, places, food and art; all done from our unique, design point of view. Our modern, bold font was specially designed to make us easier to find on the newsstand—the greatest source of new readership. The new title design was recently unveiled to the home and design community to very favorable reviews. We trust that your response will be as enthusiastic!

Maine Home+Design is proud to announce our new Associate Editor, Rebecca Falzano. Rebecca comes to MH+D from New York City where she spent the last several years writing for LD+A, Condé Nast Traveler, CityRealty.com, Columbia University Press, and Metro newspapers. Read more about Rebecca in a sneak peek of her essay “Coming Home to Maine” featured in the January/February issue of MH+D.

Download Coming Home to Maine by Rebecca Falzano

by Stephen E. Abbott

Angus King is tapping his iPhone. “Some of the gizmos they make for these things are remarkable,” he says. “My kids showed me this one.” The distinctive sound of a Star Wars lightsaber suddenly fills the air as he waves the glowing phone over his head, a look of boyish delight spread across his face.

The Portland-based architect Richard Renner’s urban loft in our Nov/Dec issue was proof that you could “go green” with style. Renner, an award-winning architect, shared his insights with us the Nov/Dec feature “Taking His Own Advice.” But how will Renner fair under the unbridled stress of our infamous MH+D Questionnaire?

In our Nov/Dec Feast feature “Backyard Gourmets” we got you an invitation to the underground culinary party known as Deathmatch. Here, we’ve convinced Joe Ricchio, one of the event’s co-founders, to share his dish from the seven-course meal: Sweet Corn and Duck Soup with Smoked Chilies.

In our October issue we showcased eight Maine encaustic artists. Here we feature one more—Peaks Island artist Diane Wiencke. Her work is yet another example of how complex and beautiful this timeless art form can be.

Near the heart of downtown Bar Harbor is a restaurant that features fine American dining with a decidedly Latin flair. Havana’s signature dish, Lobster Paella with Chicken and Chorizo, has been in demand since it was added to the menu shortly after the restaurant opened in 1998. Below, Chef Aaron Horvath shares his Cuban-influenced preparation with Maine Home+Design readers.

During the first weekend of October, Portland-based architect James Sterling—the subject of our feature “The Personality of Portland”—picked up yet another award from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), when his progressive design of the Preble Street Resource Center in Portland was singled out by AIA New England for a Merit Award. Back in June, Sterling received an Honor Award for his work on 490 Congress Street, Portland. Here, the always irreverent yet always charming Sterling tackles our MH+D Questionnaire. 

Yarmouth’s Lily King is the mother of two daughters and two novels: The Pleasing Hour and The English Teacher. Our September feature, “It’s Good to be King” shares a slice of how the award-winning author balances family and fiction. While in the middle of writing her third novel, King took a few moments to answer our MH+D Questionnaire.

Anneke Jans Chef Charlie Cicero is inspired by simple ingredients of exquisite quality. Our September feature “Leap of Faith” tells the whole story. Here, we offer the recipe for one Cicero’s specialties: Bangs Island mussels steamed in shallot sauce with a hint of cream then topped with apple wood smoked bacon and crumbled Great Hill blue cheese.

Up in Lincolnville, Cellardoor Winery & Vineyard co-owners Bettina Doulton and John Tynan are wine lovers of the first order. You can read about how the pair resurrected a 200-year-old barn and are expanding their thriving vineyards in our September feature, “The New Pioneers.” For some ideas of what food to pair with Cellardoor’s wine, read on.

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…