Four months ago a new shop threw open it’s doors on Bayview Street in Camden.

And all the design nuts were thrilled.

They now have a fantastic new source for all the equipment needed to put together a very sweet lifestyle.

Because what the new shop, Sugar Tools, really sells is contemporary lifestyle eye candy.

The lovely owner, Amy O’Donnell, formerly worked with the brilliant Hable Construction in New York.

And she has recently brought her sophisticated ways to lucky Bayview Street in Camden.

Sugar Tools fills smart homes, and gardens, and closets with her sweet taste.

And hearts too — with charming gifts items, and stationery. Kids aren’t forgotten either.

The prices are sweet as well. Yum!

Sugar Tools, 29 Bayview Street, Camden, ME 04843, 207-706-4016, info@sugartoolsshop.com

Some call it architectural salvage, others call it trash.

But if you’re looking for the charming character of peeling paint, rusty metal or old glass, you’ll find potential gems at Treasures & Trash in their classic old Maine barn on Route One in Searsport.

You can’t manufacture the weathered patina on their recycled tin ceilings, real wooden shutters, old wooden mullioned windows, old tools, sinks, bathtubs, chairs, tables, kitchen utensils, toys, books, road signs, advertising signs, etc.

And you might even come across some rusty childhood memories.

Maine’s frugal people and Mother Nature have been working together for centuries to achieve this look.

And when berries are in season, if you’re lucky, you might find a delicious basket or two for sale at the front counter.

Treasures & Trash Barn, Antiques, porcelain fixtures, claw foot tubs, kitchen sinks, tools, books, bottles, collectibles, memorabilia, etc. Adding new items weekly.

Thursday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday, 10:00 am – 4:30 pm or by appointment.

156 East Main St – US Route 1, Cell: 207-323-2000, Phone: 207-548-2787

Part of the charm of the Maine lifestyle is that everything’s not perfect. (Well, it actually is perfect, but the rest of the world might not see it that way.)

The climate’s part of it, and the other part is the simple ingenuity and practicality of the creative people who live here. Especially in the farming communities where farmers ‘make do’ in very innovative ways.

And Maine is the lucky recipient of the many wonderful aesthetic gifts that the 16th, 17th, 18th and parts of the 19th centuries have given to the local vernacular.

Brian Haddock (don’t you love the name?) started a carpentry company in 1973, in Bridgton, in Western Maine to restore old houses. The kind that normal people would tear down. But the kind where the Maine magic is found.

Soon the company was just making furniture and eventually moved to Portland where they started working with the now famous Maine Cottage Furniture.

And now they have their own take on how cottage furniture really should be.

Their line has a charming sense of Maine wry humor, precision craftsmanship, great color sense, and a quirky mid-century modern style. It’s less Maine cutesy, more contemporary, and very tongue in cheek.

Perfect for the modern cottage, or to add a smile to whatever decor you choose.

It’s unclear why this company hasn’t received more buzz!

These photos don’t give you the full picture, you should definitely stop into their light-filled showroom in downtown Portland to see what happens when rural meets urban in Maine.

Furniturea, Rural Modern, 75 Market Street, Portland, ME 04101, 800-860-8955 (Across from Starbucks at the top of the Old Port.)

Visit Furniturea’s website.