No stranger to large-scale renovations, designer (and former antiques dealer) Loi Thai has tackled six of his own. So, when he fell hook, line, and sinker for his seventh labor of love—an 1863 former fisherman’s cottage in seeming disrepair—the old-house enthusiast employed his hard-earned know-how and a hardy Down East sort of discipline that calls to mind the second half of an old proverb: Teach a man to renovate, and he’ll feast on fresh Maine lobster for a lifetime.
Years ago, designer Loi Thai (Tone on Tone Design) and partner Thom Troeschel set out to find a summer home. Their requirements were simple: a community full of charm, a climate that didn’t require air-conditioning, and a location that was decidedly not within “weekend driving” distance of their Baltimore, Maryland, home. Says Loi, “When we go away, we want to really go away. There’s no ‘Oh, we can hurry back to take care of this or that.’ ” Enter Castine, Maine (population 1,366), a historic seaside town (check!) with average summer highs in the 70s (check!) that’s a 14.5-hour road trip from the D.C. area (check the oil while you’re at it!).
While the couple fell in love with Castine, their relationship with their now-home was more complicated. “It was a wreck,” Loi says of the 1,600-square-foot fisherman’s cottage that had served as a rental during the last few years and was, as a result, rather neglected. “Everyone in town assumed we’d knock it down.” But the old-house enthusiasts embarked on a full-scale renovation that honored the home’s humble history while making it, well, livable. “We didn’t want to gussy it up or make it fancy—and we didn’t even add a single inch to the square footage. Now, it’s just a simple restored cottage that’s reflective of its maritime past,” he says.
Here’s how Loi breathed (salty) fresh air into the breeziest of before-and-afters:
Before: Exterior
Makeover Must-Have: Cheery Color Palette
Situated on the banks of the Penobscot Bay, Loi and Thom transformed the dark fisherman’s getaway into a white clapboard cottage. (Loi used the same crisp shade throughout the interior, too.) “The house is intentionally casual, and the simple front door establishes a similarly unfussy approach,” says Loi. “I almost used a blue paint, but I thought green was more unexpected and so fresh and warm.”
Get the Look:
Contractor: Stan Leach
Exterior Paint Color: Simply White by Benjamin Moore
Front Door Paint Color: Willow MV4 by Fine Paints of Europe
Before: Living Room
In the living room, formal curtains covered uneven windows, and the walls were an unappealing aqua.
Makeover Must-Have: Box-Store Buys
Although Loi, who owned Maryland’s Tone on Tone antiques store—a (fittingly!) tony Bethesda shop—for 15 years, appreciates antiques, he equally embraces the practicality and accessibility of mass retailer finds. Here, an old factory dolly-turned-coffee table pairs with slipcovered seating from Crate & Barrel and an indoor/outdoor wicker chair by CB2. “I believe good design is available at all price points,” says Loi, who also utilizes catalog-sourced light fixtures and economical jute rugs. Tibetan terrier Mocha approves of the blue-and-white striped dhurrie by Serena & Lily. “I love a good statement rug in a blue-and-white color combo, but it has to hold up to everything from foot traffic and pets to the spills and accidents of everyday life,” says Loi.
Makeover Must-Have: Ocean Views
After adding and expanding windows (most of which are outfitted with custom bamboo shades), Loi looked to man-made scenery to add color indoors. The sea-themed collection is ever-moving and ever-changing, as dynamic as its subject matter. Provenance and value mattered little. The paintings simply had to be sourced locally, from go-to spots including Pumpkin Patch Antiques, Ronald Harte Antiques, Searsport Antique Mall, Antiques in the Inn, and The York Antiques Gallery.
Makeover Must-Have: Colorful Collections
“My collections really vary,” says Loi. “I have rocks and shells from the nearby beach, books about Maine and by Maine authors, as well as pottery, landscapes, and hand-carved decoys.”
Long live the “whatnot.” Popular in 19th-century England, the shelf style is a nice option for displaying objects, especially when space is at a premium. “I love my mochaware—it’s so nautical in form and coloration,” says Loi. “It looks very seaside.”
Before: Dining Room
The dining room’s original floors were neither level nor in good shape, so they had to be replaced—along with all the windows. But the fireplace only required a coat of white paint.
Makeover Must-Have: Scaled-Down Furniture
Much of today’s larger-scale furniture is designed for open-concept layouts and, as a result, can overpower the cozier, more compact rooms you typically find in historic homes. In the dining room, Loi kept scale top of mind, remaining wary of towering backrests and heavy silhouettes, and instead embraced seating with clean lines. “Our living and dining is all in one space, so I didn’t want heavy furniture with towering backrests,” says Loi. “A wishbone chair adds texture without taking up a lot of space.” A small pine cabinet finds new purpose as a bar; a 19th-century whale weather vane is a nod to the water.
Before: Kitchen
Makeover Must-Have: Yankee Practicality
Pinterest-worthy inspiration is fine and good, but a kitchen’s true appeal comes down to functionality. Plan—and spend—accordingly. “We didn’t need a big, elaborate kitchen, because we don’t do big, elaborate meals,” says Loi. The couple kept the room’s footprint intact while trading the 1960s elements—dark wood, laminate countertops, mismatched appliances—for white shiplap walls, light gray cabinets, satin nickel hardware, and a classic apron-front sink.
You’ve likely seen spongeware grace plenty of pages in this magazine, but rarely in this “coastal minimalist” context. After replacing the dated upper cabinets with clean-lined shelving, Loi filled the ledges with his 1800s assortment of spongeware pottery, which he calls the “Tupperware of the Early American household.” When neatly organized (or strategically staggered) in an open, airy setting (read: lots of white space), the humble grouping takes on a modern feel.
Before: Bedroom
The upstairs bedrooms were home to dated floral wallpaper and crooked windows. The original wood floors were so bowed that support posts had to be installed to straighten them out.
Makeover Must-Have: Natural Hues
When it came time to choose the home’s palette, Loi looked to the more obvious blues and greens, as well as moody, misty grays. “Mornings are foggy here, so the grays remind me of the fog rolling in,” he says. The color can be seen on painted floors, as well as on furniture both antique and new, including the guest room’s Jenny Lind bed (by Crate&kids). A map of Maine—one of many in Loi’s collection—adorns the wall.
While there’s nothing that initially screams “vacation” about an antique secretary, Loi knew the Swedish piece would be perfect in the primary bedroom. “I love the whitewashed, driftwood-y look, and the architecture reminds me of the house,” he says. He paired it with an indoor/outdoor wicker chair by CB2. Up top, an antique English ironstone footbath is now filled with shells. Says Loi, “I like finding new uses for old things. I consider it my form of recycling.”
Get the Look:
Floor Paint Color: Pebbled Path by Behr
Makeover Must-Have: A Pretty Patio
Throughout the summer, Loi and Thom welcome friends for lobster feasts out on their terrace. Wicker and teak furniture commingles to provide inviting seating spots from which to take in the dreamy harbor views.
This story originally appeared in the March 2019 issue of Country Living. Photographs by Alec Hemer; styling by Elizabeth Maclennan.
