Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

July 15, 2012

Show of hands

About a dozen designers put the finishing touches on indoor and outdoor spaces at the Harmon House, this year's Museums of Old York Decorator Show House.

By Meredith Goad mgoad@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

YORK – When Gerald Pomeroy first walked into the Harmon House, what moved him most was the spectacular view of the York River and the boats bobbing in the harbor.

Pomeroy, of the Gerald Pomeroy Design Group of Boston and Palm Beach, has worked on a lot of show houses, but none on the seacoast. When he saw the living and dining areas of Harmon House, he instantly had a sense of what he wanted the space to feel like -- uniform, open-ended and reflecting the beauty of the harbor.

"I really felt that what's going on out there is what we wanted to zero in on and just enhance," Pomeroy said, gesturing toward the scenic view. "And that really drove all of my design decisions, from the color palette to the textures to the silhouettes to what I call the pull-back nature of the entire space. It really was dictated by just the incredible beauty of York Harbor."

The Harmon House is the 23rd Annual Decorator Show House presented by the Museums of Old York. The newly transformed house opened yesterday and will remain open to the public through Aug. 11. The show house is a major fundraiser that attracts thousands of visitors and raises money for ongoing preservation efforts and education programs sponsored by the Museums of Old York.

About a dozen designers have been working on as many as 20 indoor and outdoor spaces in the Harmon House. In addition to the tour of the house, there is a lecture series held at local restaurants, and show house ticket holders will get free admission to the Fifth Annual Old York Antiques Show on July 21-22.

The Harmon House is a modern shingle-style home with a large gambrel roof that was built in 2000 but sits on land that was some of the first settled in the 1600s. This section of York, according to research done by the librarian at the museum, served as the town's marketplace in the 17th century, and later became a summer resort area.

The Harmon House itself sits on the early 1700s site of Johnson Harmon's riverside home. The house was for sale when it was contracted as a show house, but has since been sold as a summer home.

Just about every room in the house has a stunning view of the York River, and the designers have taken advantage of that.

Pomeroy was charged with designing the living area, kitchen and porch. He decided to leave as much open space as possible and tie it together with color and texture. He ripped out the brick fireplace and kitchen with its granite countertops, then rebuilt the fireplace surround with glistening moonstone, a reference to the shore. White cabinetry went into the kitchen, and the countertops and backsplash are now marble.

Then Pomeroy wrapped the living space in Farrow & Ball Lulworth Blue.

"Because I felt that being on the harbor like this, you want a more relaxed lifestyle, I tried to focus on that and have optimum seating areas throughout the space," Pomeroy said. "I'm always focused on the person I'm designing with and for. In this case, I had to kind of come up with a fictional character. And in my mind, this is a couple that has a very relaxed lifestyle and likes to entertain, and so that's the way I approached it."

Pomeroy focused on linen and cotton fabrics for seating, and used seagrass rugs on the hardwood floors. A vintage midcentury blue garden stool next to a linen sofa fits right in, but is also a practical choice.

(Continued on page 2)

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