Garage

An Abandoned Auto Shop Turned Architectural Island Outpost

Now a 3,400 square foot, all-season residence of overlapping angles, this former auto body shop soars strikingly from an elaborately landscaped lot on an island in Maine. Beautifully reincarnated by architect Nathan Minett, now of WAKE Design & Architecture, its bright volumes are filled with color-splashed furnishings and outfitted with designer wallpapers, tiles, and original art; Minett has also brought other favorites of ours, including Modern Mansard by the Sea and Schoolhouse.

A clean lined, contemporary home of angled volumes and ample glass, this metal- and wood-clad architectural makeover of a derelict body shop has become a bright, nature-focused outpost in the heart of Acadia. The re-envisioned residence’s high birch ceilings, Flavor of Brooklyn brand wallpapered walls and Provençal tiled floors by Ann Sacks have earned it a place in the pages of Fine Building Magazine. Abundant glass and elaborate landscaping dress the site up further, as does a fun display of funky modern art, colorful textiles, and playful interior design. A “big kid”-quality indoor/outdoor playroom in a carport includes a ping pong table and alfresco TV lounge alongside a bold, outdoor sculpture garden bed, flanking a half-sized basketball court.

AROUND

The property is located outside the small village of Manset, in the Southwest Harbor area of Maine’s Mount Desert Island. Set about a half hour from the better-known Bar Harbor, Southwest Harbor has five principal villages (Southwest Harbor, Manset, Seawall, Wonderland and Pemetic Hills), and is a picturesque harbor along Maine’s Route 102 and the waterfront Shore Road. Mount Desert Island is best known for Acadia National Park, which encompasses some 60 miles of the region’s Atlantic Coastline and offers 33 miles of scenic roads and hundreds of hiking trails. The Southwest Harbor part of the island, Maine’s largest offshore isle, offers areas less traveled, the “quiet side” of Acadia. 

Cycling, hiking, kayaking and sailing opportunities are numerous in this area—check out sailing lessons at Mansell Boat Rentals, grab a free cruiser bike on Main Street in Southwest Harbor, board a vintage 1966 wooden lobster boat or take a ferry around Cranberry Cove. Villages in these parts are of the quintessentially New England small town variety, offering galleries, restaurants, and artisanal boutiques and markets as well as local fine dining in and on historical inns and piers. History tells us that the region of Southwest Harbor and Manset on the Somes Sound was visited by indigenous peoples as far back as 4,000 BC, though the site's name was given to the first settlement by a person of European descent, Abraham Somes, who fished and sailed the area in 1761. Bear Island Lighthouse marks the sound’s entrance.

LOCATION

Southwest Harbor, Maine, United States. Nearest airport: Bar Harbor (20-30 minutes), Bangor (1½ hours)

BEST TIME TO VISIT: April to October