Remodel & Renovation Issue 42 — Pastoral Fall

Remade in Maine: Jersey Ice Cream Co. Upgrades a Recently Built Rockport House

Margot Guralnick October 16, 2017

Sal Taylor Kydd and Steven Kydd qualify Down East as what’s affectionately known as Maine-iacs. Long based in Los Angeles—he’s a founder of mobile video network Tastemade and she’s a photographer and artist who grew up in Hertfordshire, England—they and their two kids have always spent summer vacations on Deer Isle, where Steven’s family has a farm. In 2016, while building a midcentury-style house in Santa Monica, they spent more time than usual in Maine and decided they wanted to stay put.

They chose midcoast Rockport, where Sal earned an MFA in photography from the Maine Media College, thanks to its “vibrant year-round community,” she says. Upon driving down the long wooded road that leads to their new place, they both knew it was the one. With a caveat: Built in 2004, the shingled compound was of newer vintage than they’d have liked. To remedy that, the couple hired itinerant house rehabbers Tara Mangini and Percy Bright of Jersey Ice Cream Co. to remodel, furnish, and inject soul into every room. Oh, and to install an entirely new kitchen. It was a crash job: Accustomed to working entirely on their own, Tara and Percy—who Sal discovered on Remodelista—called in the house’s original crew to help get it all done. “We first saw the house in June and were finished by early October,” reports Tara. Here are the results.

Photography by Jersey Ice Cream Co. and Sal Taylor Kydd as labeled.

The Compound

a country road serves as the driveway. photograph by sal taylor kydd. 17 — Above: A country road serves as the driveway. Photograph by Sal Taylor Kydd.

built for two artists, the enclave consists of a main house, studio, two story 18 — Above: Built for two artists, the enclave consists of a main house, studio, two-story garage, and shed—all classic, timeless-looking New England forms clad in shingles that have weathered to a soft brown. Photograph by Sal Taylor Kydd.

“Bushes hug the outbuildings, vines crawl where they should, and it feels like the ocean is hiding behind the swaying grass, even though in reality you can just barely see it in the distance,” says Tara.

there&#8\2\17;s also a greenhouse next to the shed. the family have a dog, 19 — Above: There’s also a greenhouse next to the shed. The family have a dog, two cats, and many chickens. Photograph by Sal Taylor Kydd.

a pocket porch on the side of the house shelters the main entrance. photograph 20 — Above: A pocket porch on the side of the house shelters the main entrance. Photograph by Sal Taylor Kydd.

Downstairs

in the living room, tara and percy replaced the existing mantel with a vintage 21 — Above: In the living room, Tara and Percy replaced the existing mantel with a vintage one that they found at Brimfield and lined with flea market finds. Notice the tinted plaster walls? They, too, are a character-building addition applied throughout the downstairs: Percy did the work in a matter of weeks with help from his “killer plasterer” friend Trung.

See more of Percy’s plasterwork in Remodeling 101: Modern Plaster Walls Six Ways. Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

&#8\2\20;the rooms are nicely proportioned with high ceilings, big win 22 — Above: “The rooms are nicely proportioned with high ceilings, big windows, and extra-wide halls” says Sal. “The house feels much older and wiser than its fourteen years,” adds Tara. “Still, floors needed to be refinished, carpets and unflattering paint colors had to go, and the whole place needed a little injection of history and character.”

A master at speedy sourcing, Tara furnished the rooms with a high/low mix. In the living room, the pair of armchairs came from eBay (“those tiny pillow won us over”), the sofa was a $250 Brimfield buy (now reupholstered), and the coffee table was “a beat-up old thing: we chopped a bit off the legs and sanded the top. It’s huge and sturdy, my two favorite coffee-table qualities.” The light is a Workstead Industrial Chandelier that the family brought with them from LA. Photograph by Sal Taylor Kydd.

another of tara&#8\2\17;s purchases: the piano was &#8\2\20;a crazy cra 23 — Above: Another of Tara’s purchases: The piano was “a crazy Craigslist find we just couldn’t pass up.” Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

the living room opens to the dining area. the table is a percy original surroun 24 — Above: The living room opens to the dining area. The table is a Percy original surrounded by Salt Chairs from Design Within Reach (in gray, currently on sale for $127.50 each, marked down from $150). The photo over the sideboard is by Sal and shows her daughter at Stone Henge: “In my work, I try to understand our relationship to the natural world, and how our sense of place and of home and family is embedded with personal history,” she says. Photograph by Sal Taylor Kydd.

a splurge: the brass light over the table is apparatus&#8\2\17;s trape 25 — Above: A splurge: The brass light over the table is Apparatus’s Trapeze 10 design. The midcentury sideboard is another Brimfield buy: “The seller said, ‘Oh, this should get fixed up and stained,’ but we were like, ‘No! It’s perfect as is.’ ” Photograph by Sal Taylor Kydd.

another splurge: a lacanche chagny \1400 range in ivory and brass. ph 26 — Above: Another splurge: a Lacanche Chagny 1400 range in ivory and brass. Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

added late in the game, the backsplash is made of clé&#8\2\17;s glazed 27 — Above: Added late in the game, the backsplash is made of Clé’s glazed Zellige Terracotta Weathered Tile that was left over from the master bath: “We hadn’t planned to use it, and had some reservations about having the same tile in the bath and kitchen, but it ended up being a favorite detail in the room.” Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

brass accents lend warmth throughout the house. here, the utensil bar is paired 28 — Above: Brass accents lend warmth throughout the house. Here, the utensil bar is paired with Uptown Brass Sconces, $385, from Jones County Road. Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

the house&#8\2\17;s original contractor, jay fischer of cold mountain build 29 — Above: The house’s original contractor, Jay Fischer of Cold Mountain Builders, built the kitchen cabinets. They’re painted Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist, as is the trim. Photograph by Sal Taylor Kydd.

the farmhouse sink has a barber wilsons bridgemaster faucet in unlacquered 30 — Above: The farmhouse sink has a Barber Wilsons Bridgemaster Faucet in unlacquered brass. The counters are honed Crema Delicato marble. Tara found the house’s scalloped terracotta planters at a local nursery. Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

there&#8\2\17;s a sub zero wine fridge at the end of the counter. photograp 31 — Above: There’s a Sub-Zero wine fridge at the end of the counter. Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

a wall of inset storage incorporates the fridge. percy built the kitchen table, 32 — Above: A wall of inset storage incorporates the fridge. Percy built the kitchen table, and the vintage chairs came from Brimfield vendors Nomadic Trading Co. of Durham, North Carolina. Photograph by Sal Taylor Kydd.

&#8\2\20;a cabinet wall is a good way to get functionality without loo 33 — Above: “A cabinet wall is a good way to get functionality without looking too suburban,” says Tara. “We also kept some open storage on the sink wall to avoid an endless stretch of cabinets.” Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

Upstairs

the existing wooden floors were &#8\2\20;a bit too shiny and orange for eve 34 — Above: The existing wooden floors were “a bit too shiny and orange for everyone’s liking,” Tara tells us. “We refinished them with a Bona Naturale in a matte finish, which instantly took things down a notch in a good way.”

All the trim in the house is painted Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist: “It’s a color that seems to work everywhere—even when we try not to use it, we end up picking it again and again.” Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.

jersey ice cream co rockport maine remodel office 14

jersey ice cream co rockport maine remodel office 15

Above L: Sal and Steven both work from home. She took over the existing art studio, and Percy and Tara built Steven a paneled office from a “nothing room” on the second floor of the house. (See their Remodeling 101 Primer on Wood Paneling.) The vintage desk came from Eneby Home of Nashville. Above R: The opposite wall has a standing desk with a shelf: “It’s a sort of garage work bench meets office situation,” says Percy. Photograph by Jersey Ice Cream Co.