In My Mother’s Maine Home: Decorating with Antiques and Memories

A personal journey of restoring and reimagining a coastal Maine home—filled with antiques, thrifted treasures, and family history.

Welcome to In My Mother’s Maine Home, a deeply personal series where I share the journey of inheriting, preserving, and decorating our family’s coastal cottage in southern Maine. From antique shopping adventures to room-by-room styling with heirloom treasures, these posts capture the charm of summer living, the beauty of old New England homes, and the joy of decorating with meaning.

The Story Behind My Mother’s Maine Home

This coastal Maine antique home holds decades of love, family memories, and timeless charm. My parents built it in their seventies after leaving the busier pace of the Nubble in York, Maine—a place my grandfather had originally built for them not once, but twice. They designed this new home as a replica of an early American house in Cape Neddick, complete with cedar shake siding, open beams, wide pine floors, and old latch doors. Tucked along the river and just a short walk to the beach, it became their peaceful sanctuary for what they hoped would be ten good years. They were blessed with thirty.

My father passed away here just shy of his 100th birthday, and my mother at 93. After their passing, I inherited the home—and with it, a deep responsibility to care for it, preserve it, and make it my own.

You can read more about that personal journey in my Coastal Maine Heritage – Embracing My Roots blog post.

With time and gentle updates, we’ve begun to restore this house while honoring its past. We refinished the cedar shake siding see the update in our How to Restore 30-Year-Old Home’s Cedar Shake Siding blog post, stripped and refinished the original wide plank wood floors, and repainted the entire interior and trim. We’ve refreshed the exterior, added an outdoor fire pit, and furnished it with cozy, updated pieces that blend seamlessly with my parents’ beautiful antique collections.

Every piece of this home tells a story—and decorating it with the antiques they left behind has become one of the greatest honors of my life. My heart is full, especially with the recognition of this journey in our Country Sampler Magazine feature:

Antique Home Decorating Updates and Room-by-Room Inspiration

This home didn’t need to be gutted—it just needed to be loved again. In this section, you’ll find room-by-room glimpses into the antique decorating updates we’ve made over time, using inherited pieces, new thrifted finds, and thoughtful touches that reflect both the home’s past and our present. These posts highlight cozy corners, refreshed paint, refinished floors, and the antiques that continue to anchor every space with story and soul.

Bedrooms with Vintage Decor

The bedrooms in my mother’s Maine home are layered with vintage charm, antique touches, and family memories. From hand-stitched quilts made by my mother to vintage oars, seaside lamps, and my father’s old tennis rackets, each room tells its own story. We’ve blended cottage-style beds, wrought iron frames, antique dressers, and even a framed vintage bathing suit for a one-of-a-kind wall display. The windowsills are lined with old books and a collection of hand-carved wooden seabirds—simple treasures with deep roots.

We’re currently wallpapering the two attic bedrooms with patterns that reflect the home’s history—those updates will be coming soon to the blog. If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out my full guide on 50+ Vintage Bedroom Decor Ideas for a Cozy Collected Look, featuring the prints we chose and how they’ve transformed each space.

Cozy Living Room with Antique New England Charm

This New England-style living room is layered with antiques, heirlooms, and personal touches that tell our family’s story. From my mother’s pewter collection on the fireplace mantel to slip-covered linen furniture, coastal prints, and vintage yacht curtains, the space blends cozy comfort with seaside nostalgia. On snowy winter days, it’s our favorite spot to unwind by the fire—surrounded by the warmth of generations past.

Antique-Filled Country Kitchen with Vintage Charm

This country-style kitchen is a cozy blend of antique collections, family heirlooms, and thrifted treasures. A vintage red Turkish rug sets the tone with warmth and color, centered by an old wooden table I found at a local thrift shop. Surrounded by my mother’s crocks, blue and white dishware, crystal candlesticks, and handmade pottery, it’s a space where history, heart, and home-cooked meals all come together.

Dining Room Decor with Antique Charm and Family Heirlooms

Once my parents’ living room, this long space has been thoughtfully transformed back into a dining room filled with antique charm and personal history. From a vintage pine table found on Facebook Marketplace to built-in hutches displaying my mother’s brown and white transferware and pewter collections, every piece tells a story. I’ve used her blue and white dinnerware, pewter, and collected antique pieces to create meaningful seasonal tablescapes throughout the years—explore them all in my Vintage Table Setting Guide.

Antique and Thrift Store Finds Along the Coast of Maine

Thrifting and antiquing along the coast of Maine has been part of my story for as long as I can remember—especially along scenic Route 1, where charming shops and hidden gems abound. My parents introduced me to many of the antique stores I still visit today, and some of their most beloved finds—like the blue hutch my father gave my mother for Christmas—still anchor this home. Explore my favorite coastal Maine thrift shops, vintage markets, and decorating ideas in the posts and shopping guides below.

Seasonal Living in Our Coastal Maine Antique Home

While we spend most of our summers at this coastal Maine antique home, we love to sneak away for cozy winter weekends too—just a short drive from Vermont. Summer brings beach days, outdoor dinners by the stone fire pit, and simple vintage table settings on the weathered teak table stone patio, while winter invites fireside moments, snowy walks, and even surf-watching during Nor’easters. From white snowshoes on the front door to a heartfelt three-wreath tradition inspired by my mother’s first Christmas here, each season adds its own layer of charm to this New England home.

Honoring the Past, Decorating with Heart

Decorating In My Mother’s Maine Home has been a deeply personal journey—one filled with antique treasures, family stories, and meaningful updates that reflect both legacy and love. I hope this space inspires you to cherish the history in your own home, whether it’s passed down through generations or discovered in a favorite antique shop. Be sure to explore more of our decorating ideas, vintage finds, and New England lifestyle—and subscribe to the blog so you never miss a post from this coastal cottage filled with memories.

Explore Every Post in the In My Mother’s Maine Home Blog Series

Here you’ll find every blog post from the series—featuring seasonal updates, room refreshes, and reflections on decorating with inherited antiques and vintage finds