{"id":675858,"date":"2026-05-31T10:55:31","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T10:55:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/675858\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T10:55:31","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T10:55:31","slug":"her-parents-built-this-maine-cottage-and-the-redesign-honors-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/675858\/","title":{"rendered":"Her parents built this Maine cottage and the redesign honors them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Affection aside, the house needed updating. The couple relied on architect David Duncan Morris<\/a> of Woodhull to modernize the nearly 40-year-old home without losing its essence. To Grob, that meant bright, welcoming interiors that captured the spirit of her family, past and present. \u201cDavid really understood my vision of reflecting what my parents created here,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t undervalue the role that nostalgia plays in our work,\u201d Morris says. \u201cThe goal was not to reinvent the home, but to carry it forward, paying tribute to what it was.\u201d <\/p>\n

To Morris, that meant not disturbing the character of the original architecture. He preserved the exterior form of the modest saltbox as well as the interior\u2019s post-and-beam construction. Adding just 320 square feet, for a total 1,760, vastly improved the home\u2019s function. The team turned a sleeping loft into a full bedroom (there are now three bedrooms\u2009\u2014\u2009two upstairs and one downstairs). They also created a mudroom, a screened porch, and an office. The kitchen is in the same place, but brand new; same with the two baths.<\/p>\n

The home lives larger thanks to a better connection to the outdoors, Morris explains. They expanded every window opening for maximum light and views. In the kitchen, that meant reconfiguring the arrangement to open up a dark corner. In the living room, pulling the windows to the floor granted a water view. Windows now fill the gables in the upstairs bedrooms, which are tucked in the eaves with much bigger skylights. <\/p>\n

The ability to move between indoors and outdoors also contributes to the home\u2019s expansive feel. Before, one stepped directly into the kitchen from a dinky wood stoop. Now, a bluestone path leads to a charming porch with a shed roof held up by two bright red steel posts. \u201cRed was my mom\u2019s favorite color,\u201d Grob says. \u201cNot a day goes by that I don\u2019t think of her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"UnableUnable to decide on just one color for the Herman Miller dining chairs, Grob asked Morris what he thought about doing each one in a different color; he was all in.TRENT BELL<\/p>\n

A small mudroom with two walls of glass acts as a convenient buffer between outdoors and in. And it\u2019s equipped with a dog wash station, a helpful addition given that Grob walks their chocolate Labrador on the beach every morning. In the dining area, sliders open to a terrace facing the water. The family tends to gather in the evenings on the screened porch at the end of the house\u2009\u2014\u2009a Maine must-have. Here, the couple and their two twentysomething children, who visit often, can enjoy views of the river and wildlife.<\/p>\n

\"HomeownerHomeowner Elizabeth Grob hung a J Schatz pendant over her desk, which overlooks the bay, as a tribute to her dad.TRENT BELL<\/p>\n

Morris enlarged the center of the open-concept space by pushing the stairs back 5 feet, away from the center of the room. The move also opened up the sightline from one end of the home to the other. He flipped the direction of the stairs to ease circulation, too. Now, one ascends just beyond the front door rather than from the living room. <\/p>\n

Next, Morris needed to find somewhere for an office. To gain square footage upstairs, he took advantage of the home\u2019s cathedral ceiling, running a standard-height ceiling over the living room. With its exposed beams, tall windows, and a wood burning stove, the living room feels like a glassy jewel box. The ceiling in the adjacent dining room, which soars 18 feet, seems even higher in contrast. As for the office upstairs, it juts out over the screened porch into the landscape. <\/p>\n

Painting the brown wood interior transformed the home\u2019s atmosphere. The entire shell\u2009\u2014\u2009the posts, the beams, and the V-groove sheathing in between\u2009\u2014\u2009is bright white, pairing nicely with the new pale ash floors. \u201cThe crisp white interior became the backdrop for Elizabeth\u2019s colorful things, many of which are tied to family history,\u201d Morris says. <\/p>\n

\"LargerLarger windows pulled to the corner in the kitchen provide better light and a solid wall for the range. The perimeter countertops are a durable black stone while the island, curved to ease circulation, is walnut.TRENT BELL<\/p>\n

A red Bertazzoni range is the kitchen\u2019s centerpiece, another ode to Grob\u2019s mom, who loved to cook. The glossy, primary-colored pendants by J Schatz in the kitchen and office nod to Grob\u2019s father, who hung one of the company\u2019s egg-shaped bird feeders at the edge of the woods. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ve been there before, you can see that her parents\u2019 house still exists,\u201d Morris says. \u201cYou also see that this next chapter is Elizabeth\u2019s and her family\u2019s.\u201d <\/p>\n

Architect: Woodhull, woodhullmaine.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Builder: Oak Ridge Custom Builders, oakridgecustombuilders.com <\/a><\/p>\n

\"TheThe triangular projection of the office over the screened porch addition allows for a view while larger skylights let sunlight into the upstairs bedrooms.Trent Bell\"BedsBeds in the upstairs guest room feature playful pillows from Maine artist Sara Fitz.TRENT BELL<\/p>\n

Marni Elyse Katz is a contributing editor to the Globe Magazine. Follow her on Instagram @StyleCarrot<\/a>. Send comments to magazine@globe.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n