Posts Tagged ‘style’

Amsterdam? Hamburg? Copenhagen? Soho? Barcelona?

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Black Parrot, Portland, Maine

Nope.

Black Parrot, Portland, Maine

This stylish shop is in another hotspot where folks with a certain sophisticated taste level gather.

Black Parrot, Portland, Maine

You know the types — fashionistas, hipsters, trendsetters.

Black Parrot, Portland, Maine

They flock to places where style and design is an artform.

Black Parrot, Portland, Maine

The stunning space itself is a joy to walk into, with it’s high ceilings, nice proportions, and great light.

Black Parrot, Portland, Maine

The perfect setting for some great shopping. That is, if you’re looking for some really cool loot.

Black Parrot, Portland, Maine

But cancel the Amsterdam flight — you can visit Black Parrot right downtown in Portland, Maine. Thanks to owners Sherrie Gibson and Warren Selig.

Black Parrot, Portland, Maine

Black Parrot, 131 Middle Street, Portland, ME, 207-221-691, blackparrot@maine.rr.com. Here’s their website.

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Rural meets urban in Portland.

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

Furniturea - Rural Modern - Portland, Maine

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.

Furniturea - Rural Modern - Portland, Maine

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.

Furniturea - Rural Modern - Portland, Maine

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.

Furniturea - Rural Modern - Portland, Maine

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

Furniturea - Rural Modern - Portland, Maine

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.

Furniturea - Rural Modern - Portland, Maine

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

Furniturea - Rural Modern - Portland, Maine

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.

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L.L.Bean should hire this guy.

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Foster Huntington's photos.

Foster Huntington, sounds a bit like a law firm, but is actually a student at Colby. (These are all his fantastic photos!)

Foster Huntington's photos.

He’s a young man from the Northwest, who studys in Maine, and publishes a very stylish blog called “The Restless Transplant.”

Foster Huntington's photos.

Foster Huntington's photos.Which seems to indicate that he’s not going to be in Maine too much longer.

Foster Huntington's photos.

But it’s pretty clear that Maine will accompany him wherever else he goes.

Foster Huntington's photos.

His blog reveals the life of a college student discovering himself, honing his new skills (great photos!) and absorbing the world around him. And he naturally understands how to build a ‘brand.’

Foster Huntington photos.

He loves the stories behind what he perceives as the Maine ‘lifestyle.’ He loves clothing. Especially old clothing. He has great style. And he’s very fond of the color red.

Foster Huntington's photos.

Go take a look, and discover the Maine you know is there, but sometimes you don’t see.

Foster Huntington's photos.

And remember his name — Foster Huntington. Have a feeling it’ll be popping up somewhere fancy, if not on a label, in the not too distant future.

Foster Huntington's photos.Maybe even at L.L.Bean.

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