Most stories don’t start with finding your dream home on a Maine island one week before moving to Uganda, but Grace Becton’s does. Grace, an interior designer who splits her time between DC and Maine, was no stranger to Deer Isle’s tightknit community when she came across her dream house located there. She grew up on the island. “There were 25 people in my class, from Kindergarten to 12th,” she says.
Though she left the island to attend Yale, she knew she wanted to stay connected to Maine. So, when she was sitting at her mom’s kitchen table in 2017 (“I was scanning Redfin, as one does,” she jokes), a classic cape grabbed her attention. The shingle-clad home sits on 21 acres of property, with 1,000 feet of shorefront. She says, “I immediately called my real estate agent. I needed to see it as soon as possible.” The only hitch? She was moving to Uganda in one week for her job at the time. Though she bought the house (and pulled off the feat of closing in seven days), she rented it back to the previous owner while she was away for two years.
In 2019, Grace started the renovations remotely, working closely with the original builder, Bryan Kearns. “My mom knew that he built the house,” she says, “so I was able to get in touch. He brought great knowledge of the structure to the renovations.” High on her priority list was to renovate the kitchen—it missed the mark on functionality, and she wanted to be able to host friends and family for meals. She had heard of Crown Point Cabinetry via word of mouth, and after a less-than-optimal trip to Home Depot proved a DIY kitchen renovation would likely not yield her desired result, she reached out to the company. “I wanted a classic New England farmhouse kitchen,” she says. “They helped me flesh out the design to use the space as efficiently as possible.” Keeping the existing farmhouse sink was a must, as well as adding a hood to the stove.
Grace also wanted to be able to see more of her property from the house. It sits on an old farmhouse foundation perched on top of a hill, with the Camden Hills visible in the distance. To maximize these coastal vistas, windows were added in the living room and primary bedroom.
In the living room, small adjustments improved the flow of the room. The shiplap in this room ran horizontally, except for the shiplap on the fireplace. Grace rearranged this to run horizontally, matching the rest of the living room. Her mom gave her the idea to add shelves for firewood storage, and Brian added a post to the left of the fireplace so that it added symmetry to the one on the right. “The fireplace was fun to redesign,” she says. “All of our ideas came together for the final product.” Now, it has become a popular site for her and her friends to unwind next to with a glass of wine.
After the initial renovation, a design renaissance ensued, due in part to Grace’s new career path. During the pandemic, she had quit her job, though unsure of what step to take next. “Interior spaces have always been important to my wellbeing,” she says. “When thinking what I wanted to do, interior design seemed the perfect fit.” She goes on to add: “I was totally crazy and started my own business.” Grace started taking on clients and growing her business, before turning her focus inwards. What she had learned from clients, she started applying to her home.
With the newfound knowledge and experience from her change in career, she knew she liked blending of styles for a timeless and personal feel. She also finds a sense of place important in interior design. “When I’m working on a house, the context of where the site exists informs the style,” says Grace. “In my own home, it felt important to honor Deer Isle’s artistic community.” Even more so than Deer Isle’s broader community, this artistic spirit winds its way into her own family. Her father does “digital montage,” which combines elements of photography, painting, drawing, and scanned materials to alter the reality of images. This process invites people into a more ambiguous and symbolic way of viewing scenes, such as the Maine coast, one of her father’s favorite subjects. She adds, “I love his pieces because they bring together the idea of living on the waterfront, and the idea of the interplay between interiors and the natural environment.” Her father also collects vintage and antique rugs, some of which have found their way into her home.
Grace’s mother is a trained ceramicist and collage artist who taught at the Deer Isle high school. She also incorporates her mother’s pieces, like the ceramics in the dining room she made using the saggar fire technique. This particular method yields vibrant, unpredictable colors, making each piece unique.
Artful living is enhanced by her collection of antiques. “I’m always looking for decor while antique shopping,” she says. “It’s a way of life.” Discovering beautiful pieces this way has taught her patience, and bringing the items home feels special because they are imbued with that memory of finding it.
It’s safe to say that Grace’s home feels like a living story. Find scattered feathers throughout her rooms that she had picked up from a flock of turkeys around her yard. Like a magpie collecting silver, Grace’s eye turns to the next find that speaks to her. Thus, her peaceful island home is forever evolving with the years and seasons, and it is all the better for it.
