Home + Design

Making Her Mark

Carrie Dessertine on craft, legacy, and the launch of Meyette Article by Becca Abramson | Photography by Nicole Wolf When Carrie Dessertine launched design firm Mey & Co, she built a reputation for thoughtful interiors and custom furnishings for hospitality spaces around the country. Now she’s turning that expertise inward. Her newly launched brand, Meyette, offers both restored vintage pieces and an original collection of furniture designed in-house with longevity, craftsmanship, and...

Home + Design

Building the Vision

Principal designer Jeanne Rapone of Centerline Design & Build shares how a decades-old idea became a collaborative approach to home renovation Article by Becca Abramson | Photography by Darren Setlow When Jeanne Rapone recalls her path to becoming a principal designer at Centerline Design and Build, she laughs at the seeming contradiction in her story. “I never pictured myself as the owner of a company like this,” she says. “Except for the fact that I always envisioned what I have.” That...

Life + Culture

Booked For Spring

Three standout releases from Maine women writers to add to your stack Article by Becca Abramson Longer days call for fresh books. From windswept coastlines to shadowy stretches of forest, Maine’s women writers are delivering stories that feel as transportive and refreshing as the season itself. These three spring picks—spanning literary fiction, suspense, and poetry—are perfect companions for slow mornings and sunlit afternoons. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout Elizabeth...

Life + Culture

Women Making Waves

From storefronts to storytelling to job sites, these women are shaping the way Portland lives, works, and grows Article by Becca Abramson Kristan Vermeulen, Founder, Makers of the USA What inspired you to launch the Makers of the USA platform? I’ve always been drawn to the people behind the product. I realized we were celebrating scale, speed, and mass production, but overlooking the makers, the craftsmen, the small business owners who are the backbone of our communities. Makers of the...

Finance + Legal Services

The Great Wealth Shift

With more wealth than ever within reach, women are reshaping the future of financial leadership. Article by Becca Abramson In what Portland Trust Company’s Amelia Dow calls a “crazy point of history,” women are poised to control more wealth than ever before. “It depends what study you look at,” she says, “but it’s in the trillions of dollars.” Economists have dubbed it the Great Wealth Transfer: over the next two decades, baby boomers are expected to pass down tens of trillions in assets—and a...

Entertainment

The Return on Rhythm

How a homegrown music festival became a platform for Maine talent to grow Article by Becca Abramson | Photography by courtesy of All Roads Music Festival In 2015, when Josh Gass and his co-founder Meg Shorette launched what would become the All Roads Music Festival, there wasn’t a master plan for an 11-year run, an expansion into Portland, or a brand recognized across Maine’s music community. There was simply an opportunity and a belief that local music deserved a bigger stage. “Meg and I...

Local Services

The 4 A.M. Founder

Noah Tranten's nourishing Topset Meals fuel more than just workouts Article by Becca Abramson | Photography by Lauren Lear On any given Monday, while much of Portland is still asleep, Noah Tranten is already deep into his day. By 4 a.m., he’s in the kitchen, cooking vegetables and setting the pace for a week that will stretch late into the night. By the time he finishes plating meals, locking up, and heading home, it’s often after 9 p.m. The next day brings deliveries. Then menu planning. Then...

Home + Design

Right at Home

How Back Bay Builders balances Maine weather, evolving energy codes, and thoughtful design in local homes Article by Becca Abramson | Photography by courtesy of Back Bay Builders On a rare sunny winter day in Portland, Nate Nelson’s crew is in good spirits. “Man, did we need this,” he says with a laugh. After weeks of ice storms and gray skies, the mood shift is immediate. “My guys are super happy. Sun and everyone’s singing.” That awareness of weather, mood, environment feels fitting for...

Home + Design

Well Framed

Thoughtful framing enhances art, architecture, and the way we experience our spaces Article by Becca Abramson Framing is often thought of as the final step after art is selected, but it’s just as important as the artwork itself. At its best, framing is both a craft and a design element, something that protects a piece while also shaping how it lives in a home. Professional framers know to consider materials, proportions, and construction techniques that ensure longevity, while also thinking...

Home Services

The Comfort Equation

Kristie Green of Horizon Homes explains how a whole-home approach to energy efficiency helps Mainers lower bills and boost comfort Article by Becca Abramson | Photography by courtesy of Horizon Homes What’s unique about Horizon Homes’ whole-home approach to energy efficiency? When we go into someone’s home, we always start with a free energy assessment—similar to a building inspection, but from an efficiency standpoint—that takes everything into consideration: insulation, air sealing...