Text by Cindy Cooper
A love of the coastal Maine community and an appreciation for Shaker-style furniture inspired the design of this open-concept home completed in 2020. Homeowners Paula and Bruce Ferguson consulted with designer Nicola Manganello on including their collection of Thos. Moser furnishings within the home’s interior designs. Incorporating cherry wood tones from ceiling to flooring, the new build connects the couple’s previous keepsakes with a fresh approach.
The Fergusons also wanted to include hues of beige, blue, and green to exude a feeling of being wrapped in nature and to bring the outside in. The couple began their admiration for Thos. Moser furniture with a blanket box, gifted to Paula by Bruce for Christmas some 35 years ago. When planning the interiors, Nicola recognized the Thos. Moser pieces, which are made of cherry wood and have developed a beautiful patina over the years, and she used them as the core of the room designs.
Entrance into the front of the home reveals fir beams and wainscoting that lead to plenty of natural light in the dining area, with a south-facing wall of windows. The Fergusons love the focal point the Thos. Moser pieces create, beginning with a large double-pedestal Georgetown Table. Around the table are two arm chairs upholstered in blue velvet. On one side of the table is a deacon’s bench for interest. Most of the additional furnishings in the three-bedroom home are contemporary upholstered pieces, except for the kitchen hutch, which belonged to Bruce’s father, and the drafting table in Paula’s office, which belonged to her father.
To either side of the entryway are his-and-hers offices, and beyond is the main bedroom suite, outfitted with ostrich-fern-pattern wallpaper, assorted baskets, and wool blankets. The en suite bath also includes a fern-pattern wallpaper in muted green tones, highlighting a lush soaking tub and marble tile floor. A Thos. Moser Bates Chair, which is a retired piece, occupies a corner of the bath.
Also nearby are the closet and dressing areas and a special utility room complete with a pet shower for the Fergusons’ German shorthaired pointer. Upstairs, there are two guest bedrooms for their adult sons who visit for the holidays.
The kitchen features an island and solid walnut cabinets with a glazed terra-cotta backsplash. As the hub for entertaining, the open triangle of work space allows room for guests to easily move about. Handsome light and dark cabinetry fill the open kitchen plan with natural light, adding to its lovely appeal. The pantry behind the kitchen helps keep clutter to a minimum and out of sight.
Dreams have come true for the Fergusons. “Since we loved our community, we wanted to build nearby to continue living along coastal Maine,” Paula says. “We could not be happier in our first-floor living plan!”
