{"id":7150,"date":"2026-09-16T21:17:24","date_gmt":"2026-09-16T21:17:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=7150"},"modified":"2026-09-16T21:17:24","modified_gmt":"2026-09-16T21:17:24","slug":"this-maine-family-home-has-the-prettiest-paint-colors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/silvybrand.com\/?p=7150","title":{"rendered":"This Maine Family Home Has the Prettiest Paint Colors"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite Maine activity is swimming, hands down,\u201d says writer Zinzi Edmundson<\/a>, who lives in Owls Head with her husband, Jesse, and their sons, James and Russ. \u201cThe ocean is cold, but once you get over the shock, it has a minerality that feels amazing. Luckily for us, we\u2019re a five-minute drive from the beach.\u201d Today, Zinzi invites us inside her home\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Rolled up seat: made by Zinzi<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On hand-me-downs:<\/strong> The previous homeowners left behind this fish doormat for us. For some reason, my husband thought no one really cared, so he ordered a new one. Immediately, the kids said, \u2018But what about the fish?!\u2019 Jesse asked, \u2018You guys like the fish?\u2019 I told him, \u2018Everyone loves the fish.\u2019 He\u2019d chosen a great mat, but the fish is here to stay.<\/p>\n

KITCHEN<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/p>\n

Wall paint: Benjamin Moore\u2019s Alabaster White<\/a>. Cabinet paint: Farrow & Ball\u2019s Studio Green<\/a>. Candle holder: Fredericks and Mae<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On crowd-pleasing dinners:<\/strong> Before having children, I was ambitious in the kitchen. But daily kid-friendly cooking is my kryptonite \u2014 it\u2019s tough! Thankfully, we can all agree on poke bowls. We have a great fish market nearby, and we\u2019ll use marinated yellowfin, sushi rice, and slices of mango and avocado. <\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/p>\n

Pendant: Hay<\/a>. Dining table: made by a friend. Chairs: Hay<\/a>. Stools: Rejuvenation<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

On the local attitude:<\/strong> There\u2019s very much a \u2018do it yourself\u2019 mentality here because Maine have a relatively small workforce. If something breaks, there\u2019s not always someone who can come fix it. When we first moved in, a drawer broke and I realized I was the one who had to figure it out. So, I took apart the drawer that wasn\u2019t broken to see how the pieces fit together. Once I fixed it, I felt so empowered.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

On countertop heroes:<\/strong> A friend recently made me chicken thighs in her air fryer<\/a>, and they blew my mind \u2014 they were crispy but juicy. Now I\u2019m an air fryer believer and use mine all the time for tofu and frozen burritos. The frozen burritos come out *way* better than they do in the microwave. <\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

On a wall of memories:<\/strong> This used to be an accent wall, but after I painted the room white, it looked stark and lifeless. So, I went into old boxes and grabbed photos and ephemera to hang up. Adding both photos and items makes it feel more balanced and visually interesting.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Stove: J\u00f8tul<\/a>. Sofa and armchair: Ikea hand-me-downs. Rug: Vermont Country Store<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

On cozy corners:<\/strong> I like coming down here before everyone else wakes up, so I can sneak in a few moments to myself. One routine that made parenting hard for me was abruptly waking up to demands before I was even fully conscious. Nowadays, this nook is where I\u2019ll drink my coffee and write my morning pages<\/a>. In the winter, I\u2019ll start a fire and enjoy the silence. <\/p>\n

LIVING ROOM<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Sofa: Ikea<\/a>. Sofa cover: Bemz<\/a>. Coffee table: Urban Outfitters<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

On making your own adventures:<\/strong> I feel like every town in Maine has six great places to either eat, shop or go to for entertainment, and that\u2019s it. So, you have to drive around to explore other towns. Some people see that as a drawback, but I like to reframe our hour-long drives as mini adventures, and we make a day of it. The other day, we went to Belfast, so the boys could use gift certificates at their toy store<\/a>. Then we hiked at a land trust<\/a>, and ended the day eating at a good caf\u00e9<\/a>. There\u2019s a lot to see and explore in this state, if you\u2019re willing to get in your car.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Black chair: antique. Ken Price poster: LACMA. <\/em><\/p>\n

On recital songs:<\/strong> My youngest, Russ, is taking piano lessons and played a rendition of Bad Bunny\u2019s La Mudanza<\/a> at his last recital. He\u2019s also into the Peanuts, and the characters are constantly talking about Beethoven and playing F\u00fcr Elise. So, he\u2019s now been working on F\u00fcr Elise, too!<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/p>\n

On long-time loves:<\/strong> I met Jesse my first year of college. A bunch of our friends went to The Getty<\/a>, and Jesse bought a Rice Krispies treat that was the size of his head. To this day, he has such an innate curiosity and interest in other people. He\u2019s also very funny, which lends a helpful levity to our family life.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

On that epic bookcase:<\/strong> My stepdad built these shelves for us. Before that, I\u2019d seen photos of floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that went over a doorway and always thought they were so cool. Walking by it in our home every day feels like a dream come true.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

On favorite teams:<\/strong> These figures are from the Starting Lineup toy series<\/a>. Jesse\u2019s dad has a whole collection of them, so he gave this grouping to me. I\u2019m a big Red Sox fan and grew up watching them.<\/p>\n

JAMES\u2019S BEDROOM<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Paint: Portola Paints\u2019s Duet<\/a>. Bunk bed: Ikea<\/a>. Sofa: Nugget<\/a>. Ship kite: Haptic Lab<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

On parenting preteens:<\/strong> I sometimes miss the snuggly, visceral babyness of the early years, but when your kids hit their tween years, you have someone you can really talk and relate to. James is serious but chatty \u2014 when we go out to get dinner or ice cream, I always learn something new. He\u2019s thinking deeply about stuff he never did before, which is sometimes hard and sometimes cool and sometimes both. Connecting with him in this new way has been one of my favorite parts of parenting.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

World map: Omy<\/a>. Desk: old Ikea. Chairs: Ikea<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On old-school pastimes:<\/strong> James loves talking on his tin-can phone<\/a>. He\u2019ll be bored and then say, \u2018I\u2019m gonna go call so-and-so.\u2019 I think it\u2019s so great.<\/p>\n

RUSS\u2019S ROOM<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Paint: Benjamin Moore\u2019s Galapagos Green<\/a>. Space mobile: Djeco<\/a>. Salamander poster: Maine Big Night<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On a makeshift room:<\/strong> When we first moved in, we tried having the boys share a room, but it was a disaster. No one ever slept. So, we moved Russ\u2019s crib into this walk-in closet, and it fit. I recently asked Russ if he wanted to move into the guest room, but he said, \u2018No, I like it here.\u2019 He\u2019s all about that teeny tiny room life. <\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Dog house: \u201cmade by my stepdad.\u201d Dresser: vintage. Bean bag: West Elm Kids<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On comic relief:<\/strong> Russ loves indoor activities, like LEGO and Brain Quest workbooks<\/a>, and he\u2019s also super funny. I\u2019ll always remember, when he was a baby, he was in his high chair acting super goofy. I started laughing and realized, \u2018Wait a minute! I\u2019m laughing at legitimate comedy. This kid\u2019s hilarious!\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/p>\n

PRIMARY BEDROOM<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Paint: Farrow & Ball\u2019s Setting Plaster<\/a>. Gray lamp: vintage. Bedside table: Schoolhouse<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

On favorite books:<\/strong> My honors thesis in college was on The Odyssey<\/a>, and I\u2019ve read it more than a dozen times, in eight different translations. So, I obviously saw the movie, and now, I\u2019m thinking: Should I read The Odyssey again<\/em>? <\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Garland: \u201cRuss made it for us when we were coming home from a trip.\u201d Gingham pillow cases: Piglet in Bed<\/a>. Stripped pillow case: old H&M, similar<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n

On remembering yourself:<\/strong> Our bedroom was last on the list of things I gave my attention to. At first, we were sleeping on an old metal frame. Then one day, my husband asked, \u2018Would you ever do our room a little bit now?\u2019 So, when he went on his next work trip, I decided to surprise him and painted the whole room while he was gone. That was my way of saying, \u2018Look, I care about us, too.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Rocking chair: reupholstered by Zinzi. Jute rug: Revival<\/a>. Floor lamp: similar<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On a new rhythm:<\/strong> After Russ was born, I had postpartum depression. A friend recommended I try The Artist\u2019s Way<\/a>, and it was so helpful. One exercise asks you to rate the different areas of your life, so you get a visual sense of how balanced your life is. When I did that exercise the first time, it was super jagged \u2014 seeing the imbalance was shocking. But years later, I went through the book again, and everything looked balanced. Now that my kids are older, I feel like I\u2019m finally in a place where I have the space and autonomy to write and create and invest in friendship, without it feeling stressful and squished into little time pockets.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

On lost loves:<\/strong> My aunt made this pillow for us after my first dog died. I had her before I even lived with Jesse. She was my original roommate, and I miss her so much.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

On dog types: <\/strong> After Ruby died, I tracked down Juniper at a rescue in Rhode Island. I\u2019m crazy for hound dogs. They\u2019re so energetic and particular and funny. When she comes in for a cuddle, she loves to circle up and get extremely close to you in a way where she\u2019s almost body slamming you.<\/p>\n

BATHROOM<\/p>\n

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Paint: Farrow & Ball\u2019s Black Blue<\/a>. Wallpaper: Nickey Kehoe<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On childhood inspirations:<\/strong> Growing up, my best friend had a tiny powder room in her home. But it felt layered and cozy with moody wallpaper. I thought about it a lot when working on this bathroom. My stepdad was a house painter, so he helped me make the paneling. I wanted the planks to be on the wider side because it felt intentional, but not too fancy. We\u2019re not in Manhattan.<\/p>\n

SUNROOM<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Seat cushions: made by Zinzi\u2019s mom. Table: old West Elm, painted by Zinzi. Rug: a painted floor cloth, made by Zinzi<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

On sweet neighbors:<\/strong> We love hanging out in our sunroom when friends are visiting. It\u2019s only eight feet from the forest\u2019s edge, so we see wildlife up close all the time. The other day, I saw a deer eating pears off the ground.<\/p>\n

GARDEN<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

On annual rituals:<\/strong> I love my garden. It\u2019s the only hobby that I\u2019ve done consistently, year over year over year. I don\u2019t naturally have a green thumb, but I keep showing up. This year, I tried to integrate flowers like zinnias and nasturtiums into the vegetable beds. You can actually eat nasturtiums, and I\u2019ll sometimes throw them in a salad.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

On fun flower names: <\/strong>These are called cupcake cosmos, they\u2019re extra floofy.<\/p>\n

\"Zinzi<\/a><\/p>\n

Thank you so much, Zinzi<\/a>! You can find her on Instagram<\/a>, if you\u2019d like.<\/strong><\/p>\n

P.S. More house tours<\/a>, including a Massachusetts home peppered with reading nooks<\/a> and the 350-square-foot studio that\u2019s a DIY dream<\/a>.<\/p>\n

(Photos by Greta Rybus<\/a> for Cup of Jo.)<\/p>\n

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