Rustic King Bed

Open House: Rebuilt to last

ABOUT THIS SERIES

"OPEN HOUSE" is a monthly series in Home & Garden profiling eye-catching, historic or innovative homes around Maine.

TO SUBMIT a home for this series, contact Ray Routhier at rrouthier@pressherald.com or at 791-6454.

THIS WEEK'S HOME

LOCATION: Ferry Beach, Saco

STYLE: Dormered cottage with a wrap-around porch

OWNERS: Joe and Kathy Hardman of Windsor, Conn. Joe is a sales representative, and Kathy is a teacher.

HISTORY: Joe Hardman's family had a cottage on this site from about 1909 until it was destroyed by the Patriots Day storm of April 2007. The current house, designed to withstand future onslaughts of wind and waves, was built in 2008. The builder was Bob Casey, who lives in and does most of his work in the Ferry Beach area. It was designed by architect Caleb Johnson of Biddeford, who has done many waterfront projects.

WHAT MAKES IT STAND OUT: Incredible views of islands and the ocean, because the house is steps from the water. Unfinished wood on the outside and knotty pine on the interior give it a warm camp feel. It also sits 6 feet above the sand, helping the views.

SURPRISING FEATURES: The house sits on pilings driven 20 feet below the surface for extra protection against surging waves. The house is basically shaped like a cross, so the wrap-around porch essentially creates four outdoor rooms at the four corners of the cross.

Year in and year out, the house stood as a seaside refuge for Hardman and his relatives.

But in one fell swoop -- namely, the mighty Patriots Day storm of April 2007 -- the house was destroyed. Waves swept under the house, causing it to fall in on itself.

The Hardmans -- Joe and his wife, Kathy -- knew they wanted to rebuild. But their lot is perilously close to the water -- it's basically across a narrow dirt road from a rock wall where waves crash.

So their challenge was to build the strongest, most weather-resistant home they could while following a myriad of town, state and federal regulations.

They would be helped by the fact that building and planning technology is certainly a lot better than it was 100 years ago, but they were limited by their small lot and by the fact that building regulations are stricter than they used to be. Especially so close to the water.

Articles 20VN | Amish Log Furniture - Rustic Furniture That Lasts ...

The rustic look and amazing craftsmanship that goes into this log furniture is what appeals to many people. There is a warmth and solid atmosphere that these pieces bring to any room in your home.

Let me walk you through furnishing your house with beautiful amish log furniture - sturdy and affordable, and built to last forever.

You can have a beautiful solid 'Amish table' in your kitchen and these tables can be any length. They are accustomed to large families so they don't bat an eye if you need a ten foot table. They just simply ask, " How many log dining chairs will you need with that or perhaps you would prefer one of our solid log benches...!" And the benches are a sight to behold as they are made out of a half log. They cut a pine log in two, put some legs under it and you have one of the most sturdiest log benches to have around your dining room table or they can be set outside around a campfire or on your deck...

While we are still in the kitchen, let's not forget the rustic log barstools. They are sturdy enough to be put in a biker bar. They are made as swivel barstools or with a back on them or both if you want all the bells and whistles.

For your living room , there is a rustic log daybed that adds a beautiful warmth to your family area. When you get company, simply pull out the pop up trundle to switch it to a king size bed. Throw in a couple end tables, or perhaps a rustic log lamp.

Ahh.. the bedroom... that is where the amish log furniture truly shines! These beds are so sturdy that if your kids do jump on beds, they won't shake your house to pieces. Choose from king, queen, full, twin and my favorite, the rustic log bunkbeds.

You will want a dresser and this depends on the area of your bedroom, of course, but the six drawer one is the lowest, but also the widest at about sixty inches wide. Most of the dressers are about twenty inches deep and all of them come with the heavy duty, hundred pound , easy rolling sliders on the drawers. You can also choose from a five or four drawer pine chest of drawers / dresser.

Finish it off with a beautiful pine log armoire that can be used as a wardrobe, entertainment center or simply as an extra closet. Oh, and don't forget the log lamps or rustic log night stands. You can pick one with a cute drawer on it or simply a shelf.

Do you have an office space? Then you will want to take a look at the rustic log office furniture. From the log computer desk with a hutch on top to a simple pine desk with a file cabinet drawer on the side to a rustic log file cabinet and the solid pine amish made bookcase.

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