The latest weekend escape I’m eyeing here in Maine? Seven Lakes Inn, recently opened in an 1840s farmhouse in Belgrade. I first spotted glimpses on Instagram and was struck by the design-minded but unfussy interiors: black-painted bed frames, natural-fiber rugs, classic quilts. It looked like the kind of place you can hang up your wet bathing suit after a plunge in the lake without having to worry while still being aspirational.
And no wonder: The four-room inn is the project of a mother and daughter—Carolyn Walker (mother) and Jordan Shaw (daughter)—who are also both alums of vintage shop Elsie Green. “My mom and I have worked on many creative projects together over the last several years and designed a couple of fixer-upper rental properties in the Sebastopol/Russian River areas, but always wanted to find a place closer to our family in Maine,” writes Jordan. “Our family has had a camp just down the road from the inn for 50+ years, and my great grandparents were from Maine. So while I was born and raised in Northern California, I have been visiting this area most summers since I was born. My mom’s cousins live just down the road and we have had our eye on this property for decades. Every time we drove by in the past we would always remark, ‘One day we have to buy that place.’”
That day came last year. Jordan had decamped from California to Portland, Maine, to search for a place with her mom, “but with Covid and whatnot the timing wasn’t great,” she says, so she headed back to California. “Then, out of the blue, an alert for the real estate listing for this property popped up on my computer. We flew back the very next day and made an offer. We couldn’t let it get away from us again.” It was kismet, she says.
The inn opened this summer; an overnight includes vintage finds (many sourced via Elsie Green as well as Maine-based Marston House and elsewhere), lake views, and breakfast. Join us for a tour.
Photography courtesy of Elsie Green, except where noted.
Above: The trim front entry. “The building and barn have had several uses over the last years, most recently as an inn,” writes Jordan. “My mom’s an artist—a painter amongst many other talents. She and I also love to hunt for antiques, and we’ve had such an amazing time finding special pieces from around New England to fill up this space and designing each guest room with its own unique but cohesive expression.” Jordan’s uncle, a contractor who lives in town, pitched in on the transformation.
Above: The entry opens into the dining area and sitting room. Photograph via Jordan Shaw.
Above: Breakfast is served in the dining room—painted in a moody green-grey, Nitty Gritty Roman Clay by Portola Paints—or on the porch overlooking the lake. Photograph via Jordan Shaw.
Above: A glimpse of the kitchen, which looks straight out of farmhouse summers past.
Above: Breakfast offerings. “I’m also a chef, so we’re in the midst of acquiring the necessary permitting to be able to offer more dining options beyond the breakfast,” writes Jordan. Photograph via Jordan Shaw.
Above: Bed and breakfast tasks done the old-school way (note the linens in a woven basket).
Above: Guest beds are made up with simple linen. Photograph via Jordan Shaw.
Above: In another guest room, twin black-painted bed frames, linens in shades of grey, and a domed table lamp lend a duotone effect.
Above: A spindle headboard and vintage nautical painting in room 4.
Above: A quiet perch on the porch, looking out at the lake. Photograph via Jordan Shaw.
Above: Carolyn (left) and Jordan (right). Of the inn’s location, tucked amongst Maine’s Seven Lakes, Jordan writes: “I love that it’s still such a small town but is close enough to the coast for visitors to explore a beautiful range of what Maine has to offer.”
Above: The inn offers laid-back, simple summer pastimes: swimming, lawn games, a fire pit, and plenty of Adirondak chairs for sitting by the lake.
Above: The view of the lake.
Above: The inn has two docks, for morning, midday, or evening dips. Photograph via Jordan Shaw.
Seven Lakes Inn is currently open during the summer season; head here to book.
And for more Remodelista favorites in Maine, see: