Remy Renzullo grew up between Maine, New Mexico, and a small, waspy town in Connecticut. His father is a furniture maker, while “my mother is the renegade of a once-grand family,” he told the Financial Times last year. “I grew up in the last gasp of a great fortune.” Renzullo, who is 32, brings this sense of aristocratic grandeur into his interiors, which combine textural finishes with distinctive antiques—leaning more British than American. In 2021, he began splitting his time between Islington, London, and the U.S., and has since revived portions of Castle Howard, in North Yorkshire, one of the England’s most beautiful homes. During the summer, he still decamps to Cushing, a town in Knox County, which Renzullo explains “was made famous by one of my heroes, [the visual artist] Andrew Wyeth.”
Here, the decorator shares his go-to restaurants, sights, and antique stores in coastal Maine.
olson HOUSE
The Olson House, arguably the most famous residence in an American painting, is the backdrop of Andrew Wyeth’s seminal work, Christina’s World. The 18th-century house, a beautiful example of coastal Maine vernacular architecture, was home to the Olson family, who farmed the surrounding land for many generations. As a child, I used to run my dinghy up on the shore adjacent to it—since it sat just across a large cove from our house—and run through the land’s verdant fields. In more recent times, thanks to the support of the Wyeth family and various others, the house has become a gem of a museum, with achingly beautiful but simple preserved interiors and tours provided by the local Farnsworth Museum. (farnsworthmuseum.org)
Jameson Point Lobster
The nearby town of Friendship is among the last proper working waterfront communities. While it has its fair share of summer residents, it has largely escaped the gentrification in some other communities. One newer highlight is Jameson Point Lobster, which makes some of the best lobster rolls and fried shrimp. It remains open all year and is supported by faithful locals as much as summer visitors.
Rock city coffee
The town of Rockland is the closest thing to a small city in the area. While it’s changed over my lifetime, one welcome holdover is Rock City Coffee. It’s an essential provision and by far the best coffee I’ve ever had. Thousands of miles away, I still dream of their molasses cookies. There is also an excellent bookshop, Hello Hello Books, behind the café. (rockcitycoffee.com)
Monhegan Island
Monhegan Island, a must-see in mid-coast Maine, is a windswept, sparsely populated island ten miles out to sea. A muse for many artists, it is jaw-droppingly beautiful. The small town has a year-round population of about forty, which swells to several hundred in the summer. The harbor is crowned by the turn-of-the-century Island Inn, which serves an excellent breakfast and is always most welcome after taking the seven A.M. mail boat ferry out for the day. Behind the village are miles of trails that circumnavigate the island and provide breathtaking views, though they are thankfully not for the faint of heart.
Marshall Point Lighthouse & Museum
Made famous by Forrest Gump, Marshall Point has been a constant in my life since long before I heard of the film. Maine is known for its lighthouses, but Marshall Point always ranks at the top for charm. A lovely spot for a summer picnic, it is also important for my family. As a navigational beacon, the lighthouse was a most welcome sight when entering the adjacent Port Clyde harbor for provisions in heavy fog.
Village Ice Cream & Port Clyde Bakery
Port Clyde Harbor will always have a special place in my heart. It was a stopping point on the way out to our island getaway and, for years, the nearest place to pull up our boat for provisions and gas. For me, the highlight—both then and now—and the only thing I’ll take my boat out at night for is ice cream from Village Ice Cream. Perhaps it’s nostalgia or the thrill of racing across the ocean at 30 knots as the sun sets, but no other ice cream ever measures up. (villageicecream.com)
Big Chicken Barn
I take advantage of the occasional bad weather day to visit the dozens of antique shops that dot Highway 1, driving north. An essential one is the hilariously named Big Chicken Barn. It is precisely as the name suggests: a commodious former chicken barn turned antique shop. Vast doesn’t quite do it justice. While it does require a certain degree of patience (you will have to look beyond much junk), those who can manage it will often uncover great treasures. Think Victorian hand-crocheted bed covers and old wicker porch furniture discarded from a Northeast Harbor cottage—not to mention the thousands of top-quality antique books. (bigchickenbarn.com)
Samuel Snider Antiques
In the opposite direction, heading south, stop by Samuel Snider Antiques in the town of Wiscasset. I’m always encouraged by the next generation of antique dealers, particularly any that choose to make Maine their home. That this particular one has been a dear friend of mine for over a decade is that much better. My friend Sam has always had an impeccable eye and achingly good taste. A few years ago, he opened his jewel box of a shop, in Wiscasset. The shop has since closed, but Sam will have a pop-up in Blue Hill from mid–August to late September, where he will continue to sell perfect 18th- and 19th-century Americana and folk art. From painted chests to hooked rugs and handmade baskets, his antiques are the best examples of items that were once commonplace in New England homes. It’s impossible to leave empty-handed.
