In honor of Memorial Day, I am revisiting a patriotic inspired summer house in Maine I originally posted in 2013… Built in 1905, this former hotel was transformed by the homeowners, designers John Knott and John Fondas, as the perfect private retreat. Located on the remote Little Cranberry Island where the only year-round residents are lobstermen, this summer home is off the beaten path and only accessible by boat. There is one little store, and no cell-phone signal. It is truly a place to escape! Let’s take a tour with images and captions from the April 2013 issue of House Beautiful…

The living room’s vivid fabrics, all by Knott’s firm, Quadrille, pack a playful punch, while Syrian inlaid chairs and Chinese ceramic stools evoke the cosmopolitan taste of New England seafarers.

The bold geometry of curtains in Quadrille’s Tashkent and an Adirondack folding screen anchor the lively play of China Seas fabric patterns in the living room. Nitik II trimmed with Pimento on a pair of vintage armchairs, New Batik on an Albert Hadley armchair, and Aquarias on throw pillows. Framed whale prints and a mermaid console add a salty splash to the mix.

China Seas Aqua IV wallpaper sets off blue coral, a 19th-century lobster claw, and a vintage American marine relief painting.

Knott retrieved a 1970s ikat from his archive for this slipcover.

A French copper ship’s lantern.

The dining room’s coconut-shell chandelier, Home Couture’s paisley Taj wallpaper, and soapstone pagodas cast an exotic spell on a Yankee crew of antique Hitchcock chairs. The resin mirror is a 20th-century gem by decorators Zajac & Callahan.

A 1958 model Chris-Craft on a table made by a 19th-century sea captain.

Antique wicker adorns a hall papered in Quadrille’s Vanderpoel Stripe. Cypress doors retain original hotel room numbers and exit signs. Dark floors got a coat of Benjamin Moore Patio White deck paint for summery brightness and easy cleaning.

An American Empire four-poster in the Greek Revival style just clears the master bedroom ceiling. The bed’s monumental scale befits the wallpaper, Quadrille’s Independence Engraving, depicting George Washington at the reins of a leopard-drawn chariot; the design was taken from a 1783 British printed fabric.

Independence Toile, the same pattern with a blue ground, covers the daybed next to a 19th-century English campaign chest.

The patriotic theme sprang from Fondas’s collection of Washington memorabilia and American flags.

Restored windows frame views of Cadillac Mountain and Acadia National Park that have barely changed since Frederic Church painted them in 1850. His canvases inspired Maine’s first wave of summer visitors.

For Fondas, the white canopy recalls Early America as well as the colonial nostalgia of his native Bahamas. This guest room’s Georgian four-poster is canopied in check linen with a pom-pom fringe and dressed with Matouk linens. Hanging a mirror above the headboard, Knott explains, is a European touch.

Curtains in Home Couture’s Lorraine flank a bamboo tripod from Emerson Antiques in Blue Hill, Maine. The Aesthetic Movement chair is upholstered in the same batik pattern used on the walls. A bird print (“Our low-maintenance pet,” Knott says) perches in the 19th-century French cage.

Large-patterned Henriot Floral wallpaper by Quadrille in a cabin-sized guest room.

Quadrille’s Les Indiennes fabric had never been printed in black until Knott recolored it to match the stripe in a guest room.

White-painted wainscoting, a pedestal sink, and a claw-foot tub give the master bath a timeless appeal.

Old photos guided Knott’s replacement of lost deck railings. He designed a new entrance portico using salvaged columns from upstate New York.

A restrained Shingle Style exterior belies the exuberance within. I am positively charmed by this remote New England home, originally built in 1905 as a hotel for “rusticators” from places like Boston and Philadelphia. To learn more, click here for an interview with the designers/owners.
Isn’t this the perfect summer getaway?! I am completely in love with the Independence Toile from Quadrille! So charming for an attic bedroom, and it would also be perfect as a tablecloth for a Fourth of July tablescape, or with with these throw pillows from Etsy. If you are looking to kick off your summer shopping, I have included a list of Memorial Day sales below. But most importantly, today we remember in deep gratitude all the men and women who have given their lives for our great country.
- Ann Taylor
- 40% off with code SUMMERTIME
- Anthropologie
- Up to 40% off sale items + up to 30% off furniture, bedding, and decor
- Banana Republic
- 40% off everything, no code needed
- Bergdorf Goodman
- Up to 50% off
- Bloomingdales
- Up to 70% off
- Crate & Barrel
- 15% off + 40% off outdoor furniture and 40% off outdoor rugs and entertaining
- FURBISH
- 20% off your order with code save20summer
- GAP
- Up to 50% off everything, including limited-time deals on shorts and swimwear
- Horchow
- 25% off sitewide
- J.Crew
- 40% sitewide with code WEEKEND
- J.Crew Factory
- 40-60% Off
- Kate Spade
- Extra 30% off sale with code pounce
- Lacoste
- 30% off entire store + free shipping with code SUMMER30
- Lands’ End
- 50% off all swimwear, water shoes and more; 40% off all other full-price styles with code: STRIPES pin: 6423 DETAILS
- Lilly Pulitzer
- free travel stemless glass with $100 spend
- L.L. Bean
- 20% off your order with code SUMMER
- Lulu & Georgia
- An additional 15% off orders of $300 and more; 20% off orders of $600 and more; 25% off orders of $900 and more with code: GOOD, BETTER, BEST
- Macy’s
- EXTRA 20%, 15% OR 10% OFF with code MEMDAY
- Mark & Graham
- 20% off your order + 30% off all sale with code SUMMER
- Moda Operandi
- Up to 50% off
- Neiman Marcus
- Up to 40% off new sale items and designer brands for men and women
- Net-a-Porter
- Up to 50% off apparel, accessories, beauty, and more
- Nordstrom
- Up to 60% off spring styles
- Nordstrom Rack
- Up to 70% off
- One Kings Lane
- 20% off sitewide
- Pottery Barn
- Buy More Save More + 60% off best-selling furniture and 50% off outdoor furniture
- Ralph Lauren
- Extra 30% off sale styles with code MEMDAY
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Save up to 50% on women’s ready-to-wear, and save up to 40% on men’s and accessories
- Saks Off Fifth
- Save an extra 20% off new men’s and women’s apparel
- Serena & Lily
- An additional 20% off all site-wide and in store purchases with code SUMMERPREP
- Shopbop
- Up to 40% off 5,000+ just added styles (including designer boutique)
- Talbots
- ALL markdowns: 50% off 2+, 40% off one | FREE shipping on $150+ orders | 40% off swimsuits
- Target
- Up to 30% off home and patio, extra 15% off furniture and rugs with code HOME
- Tuckernuck
- Up to 70% off new markdowns
- Williams Sonoma
- 20% off + free shipping with code SPRING
- World Market
- 15% off + free shipping with code MEMORIAL15

What a gorgeous place! Definitely better in the summer as everywhere near Arcadia Park shuts down once the summer season is over. Great for vacation. See this as soon as you can! Hope to go myself this summer.
I remember when John Knott told me about this place. He also owns properties here in Hudson, one of which is for sale. He’s got a good eye for textile, of course, as the owner of Quadrille.
many days and dollars short, what a wonderful post! Maine is my heart and dream. We hope to have a home their soon. What an inspiration this is. Thank you for such an inspiring post from a place that is ‘Simply Americana’ at its best.