This coastal Maine retreat gets reimagined with breathtaking waterfront views

Tan house with large windows and a dark metal roof above a rocky shoreline, with kayaks on the lawn and a small inflatable boat offshore

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Kevin Browne Architecture designed this stunning coastal retreat in the quaint seaside village of Harpswell, perched along the Maine coast, that connects a family to the outdoors. The home tells the story of a couple whose ties to the site span generations. Although they live primarily in the United Kingdom, they often return to Maine to enjoy its coastal landscape.

The couple had spent summers at their cottage up the hill, but chose to renovate their older home near the shoreline. The house had great potential, but it was aging, and its low ceilings failed to capture the spectacular view of the ocean cove just outside.

DESIGN DETAILS

ARCHITECT Kevin Browne Architecture
BUILDER Warren Construction Group, LLC
INTERIOR DESIGN Kevin Browne Architecture
LANDSCAPE Soren Deniord and Webber Enterprises
ENGINEER Albert Putnam Associates, LLC
PHOTOGRAPHER Jeff Roberts Imaging

Shingled house with a dark metal roof and solar panels glowing at dusk beside a cable-railed deck overlooking the bay

From Addition to Full Rebuild

They desired a comfortable home for the two of them most of the time, with the flexibility to accommodate their adult children and growing families when they visited. What began as a second-story addition evolved through several iterations into a complete rebuild, retaining the foundation and footprint for reuse and reimagining.

Lit-up house with a metal roof and deck at the water’s edge at sunset, with sailboats on the calm bay beyond

After years of spending time vacationing on the property, the owners knew what they wanted and stayed deeply engaged throughout design and construction.

Deck with a dining table and cable railing facing the bay as the sun sets

Building Within the Shoreland Protection Zone

Situated within the shoreland protection zone, the new residence necessitated careful planning and a lengthy permitting process. The steep slope toward the water called for thoughtful grading and drainage strategies to prevent water intrusion in the basement, where moisture had entered before. These constraints ultimately helped nestle the home into the terrain while maximizing expansive seaside vistas from both levels.

Open living and dining area under a vaulted wood ceiling with exposed beams, a black wood stove, and glass doors to the deck

Built for Year-Round Comfort

Designed for year-round comfort and resilience, the home reflects the couple’s desire for a self-sufficient coastal getaway. It is all-electric, with an air-to-water heat pump for radiant floors, air-source heat pumps for general heating and cooling, staggered-stud wall construction, natural cellulose insulation, and triple-glazed windows and doors for exceptional efficiency and warmth.

Living room sofas facing a large sliding glass door with sparkling bay views, under a beamed wood ceiling

Solar Power and Open Living Spaces

Solar panels paired with battery storage help maintain power during outages, which are common in coastal locations. The main level features an open-concept layout with sweeping water views, while expansive windows bring in abundant natural light throughout.

Kitchen with a dark green island and tall windows and doors framing a view of the bay

Life on the Maine Coast

The home celebrates Maine’s coastal lifestyle, with spaces designed for sailing, family visits, and quiet moments overlooking the water.

Open kitchen with a dark green island, wood bar stools, and two wood pendant lights under a high beamed ceiling

What We Love About This Home

The rebuild fixes the old house’s biggest flaw, replacing the low ceilings that hid the cove with vaulted wood ceilings, exposed beams, and tall windows and sliding doors that bring the water into the kitchen, living room, and bedroom. We also like that the owners kept the original foundation and footprint, and that triple-glazed windows, heat pumps, and solar panels with battery storage keep the all-electric house comfortable year-round and running through outages. The dark green kitchen island with its live-edge wood counter adds warmth inside, while the decks, patio, and gravel courtyard give the family plenty of places to look out at the bay.

Tell Us: What do you think of this coastal Maine retreat, and which part would you most want in your own house? Let us know in the comments below.

Note: Be sure to check out a couple of other fabulous home tours that we have highlighted here on One Kindesign in the state of Maine: A peek inside this stunning coastal Maine home with sweeping seaside views and A refreshed island cottage offers a dreamy escape on Maine’s Casco Bay.

Close-up of a live-edge wood island counter and spindle-back bar stools

Woman walking past open steel-framed glass doors toward a gravel patio with a small table and chairs

Bedroom with a potted palm and sliding glass doors looking out to a boulder, lawn, and the water

Bathroom with two vessel sinks and open windows overlooking the bay

Home office nook with a wooden desk and a heron sculpture beside a sliding glass door overlooking Adirondack chairs and the bay

Woman climbing an open staircase with wood treads and cable railing, with a bookshelf at its base

Shingled house with a wood-trimmed upper deck and a ground-level patio with blue Adirondack chairs and lounge chairs

Garden beds with boulders and flowering perennials in a gravel courtyard beside the house, with a stone retaining wall behind

House with a deck and lit windows at dusk, with solar panels on the roof, overlooking the bay

Aerial view of the house’s metal roof with solar panels, surrounded by lawn, gravel garden beds, a curving driveway, and the shoreline