• The Cherished Home (thecherishedhome.com)
Guided by owner Genie Francis (aka Laura Spencer in General Hospital), The Cherished Home’s design philosophy centers on recognizing the individual. “Styles are as unique and personal as our varied clientele,” Francis says. Whether finding a special piece to add a finishing touch to an existing décor or starting from scratch to create what a client has in his or her mind’s eye, the team at The Cherished Home works with their customers in all phases of home decorating. With a keen sense of design, Genie Francis and her staff inspire their customers through creative suggestions and appealing displays in their showroom, a delightful Victorian farmhouse. The Cherished Home will be decorating an upstairs bedroom as a child’s room.

• Deborah Chatfield, Chatfield Design (chatfielddesign.com)
Chatfield’s philosophy builds on classic styles, updating them with innovative touches. She often collaborates with outstanding artisans and craftsmen, mixing their work, both modern and classic, with antiques. Another signature touch is the infusion of natural or antique textiles, embroidered fabrics, and prints. “My clients’ homes are a reflection of who they are, so I listen carefully to their visions. Decorating a home is about making it comfortable for the client,” she says. Chatfield particularly enjoys being involved with the restoration of antique homes and yachts. In addition to her clients along the Maine Coast, she has created interiors for oceanfront residences in Florida, apartments in New York City, and French-country-styled residences in Louisiana. She has also designed for small retail businesses and executive offices. Chatfield will be decorating the Showhouse’s richly paneled library.

• Grace W. Kaynor, New Orleans (gwkdesigns.com)
Kaynor characterizes her signature style as “traditional with a twist.” She favors an eclectic mix of antiques and contemporary art, and always includes a bit of whimsy. “It’s also important to begin with a detailed furniture plan,” she says, as planning for a good flow is of prime importance. While some decorators might encourage clients to clear out their possessions and start fresh, Kaynor says she is “wedded to sentiment.” Her background in the history of decorative art, coupled with time spent on the staffs of Antiques magazine and several museums, has given her a deep appreciation for heirlooms. “My goal is not to create a stage set, but rather to create a home which blends family treasures with new elements,” she says. Kaynor has completed design projects in New York City, Long Island, Houston, Beijing, and Brisbane as well as on her home turf of New Orleans. She will be decorating the Showhouse’s foyer, magnificent staircase, landing, and upstairs hallway. She predicts she will be using some surprising colors.

• Janis Stone Interiors, Belfast, Maine (jstoneinteriors.com)
Janis Stone’s designs are both functional and aesthetically pleasing, with a clean and classic transitional style. Fine finishing touches such as detailed trims on window treatments, coordinating fabrics and colors, and just-right accessories distinguish her approach. Projects have included year-round homes, summer homes, rental properties, and commercial spaces. At the start of each project, Stone says she listens to clients to get a sense of their lifestyle and tastes as well as their budget. Every project should reflect the client’s personality, she notes. She says the most rewarding part of every project comes at the end, “when clients tell me how comfortable and at home they feel in their new spaces.” Janis Stone’s studio is in a restored circa 1783 Cape-style house which she has furnished throughout as a showroom. She will be decorating one of the Showhouse’s large upstairs bedrooms.

• Jo Ellen Designs, Camden, Maine (joellendesigns.com)
Jo Ellen Stammen specializes in striking pillows and hand-hooked wool rugs for which she designs playful yet sophisticated patterns. An accomplished children’s book illustrator as well as a designer, she works with her daughter, Jessica Stammen, who is also a fine artist. Together they choose décor elements to complement her pillows and rugs and “bring light and color into people’s homes.” They are drawn to forms of art which are as functional as they are engaging. “A space always hints to us of its potential,” say the Stammens. “We take stock of colors (leaning towards fresh and bright), textures, weights, sizes, and light and play with them,” ultimately arriving at the finished look. “We are always inspired by the nature surrounding us in Maine,” they say. When working with customers, they put an emphasis on listening rather than guiding. Jo Ellen Designs will be doing the upstairs dressing room.

• Josephine, Camden, Maine (ejosephine.com)
Janet Kooyenga has always found inspiration in Napoleon’s graceful and trend-setting Empress Josephine, so it was natural for her to name her shop and studio after this compelling figure in the history of style. Just as Josephine is said to have done, Kooyenga seeks to instill beauty in the everyday elements of life. She characterizes her style as “current but classic, honoring the past.” Believing good design should be accessible to everyone, she encourages her clients to layer patterns and objects, textures, and fabrics so the end result is “a defining reflection of their innate styles.” She often suggests clients reupholster, refinish, or repurpose inherited pieces or vintage finds which reflect “a life well lived.” Josephine is decorating the interior of the charming guest cottage in the Showhouse’s garden.

• Maclin Design, Portland, Maine (maclindesign.com)
Christine Maclin has operated a design studio for more than two decades in the Philippines, Virginia, and now in Maine. Maclin says in all her projects, which are primarily residential, she adheres to her bywords: “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter how it looks.” Of Swedish descent, Maclin is drawn to the simple, pared-down, and quietly sophisticated look of traditional Swedish interiors. Her time in Southeast Asia instilled in her an appreciation for the “importance of establishing order within chaos, the art of restraint, the power of the unspoken.” Maclin has worked on projects throughout the U.S. as well as in Great Britain, Belgium, and Southeast Asia. In the Showhouse, she will be decorating a large, fireplaced upstairs bedroom.

• Margo Moore, Camden, Maine (margomoore.com)
Having operated her coastal Maine studio for years, Marcy Van der Kieft of Margo Moore has honed her signature look to beautifully reflect the region’s mix of rural charm and sophisticated flair. A former associate fashion editor at Mademoiselle magazine, she has an innate sense of style, but she does not like to dictate style to her clients. “I believe most customers know what they want. They don’t need to be dictated to; they simply need help getting there.” Known for her attention to detail, Van der Kieft has incorporated everything from couture to casual design into the many projects she has completed for the homes of relocating executives and local residents, summer residents’ grand island “cottages,” and yachts. Van der Kieft will be decorating the Showhouse’s gracious dining room.

• Phi Home Designs, Rockport, Maine (phihomedesigns.com)
Phi Home Designs offers a full range of services including designing and building new houses and restoring older structures, creating custom kitchens and complex casework and moldings, and crafting fine furniture and other furnishings to complete the interior. They are known for their ability to deliver a wide variety of styles, from faithful reproductions of classics to one-of-a-kind new designs. Company president Michael Roy says his team works together on all aspects of building and design to bring the elements together harmoniously. Phi’s interior design department is led by highly regarded interior decorator Leslie Curtis, whose long career has included notable work in Los Angeles, Boston, New York, London, Italy, Cape Cod, and Nantucket as well as in Maine. She is dedicated to creating interiors which unite form and function into a single concept reflecting each client’s personality and style. Phi Home Designs will be decorating the Showhouse’s solarium and living room.