Thirteenth-generation Maine resident Carisa Salerno and her artist husband, Aaron Levin, nearly bit off more than they could chew when they bought a 1969 coastal cabin on Vinalhaven, a small island off the coast of Maine. The house had been sitting on the market for over two years, and it was in rough shape—with mushrooms sprouting from interior walls, and frayed electrical wiring. But Carisa and Aaron knew there was something special about the cedar-clad dwelling.

“I found the house online in 2015, and within two seconds of seeing it, we knew it was the one for us,” recalls Aaron. “As we ran to catch the ferry after the first viewing, we yelled back to the listing agent, ‘We’re putting in an offer!’”

The couple knew winterizing the cabin would be a necessary challenge, but they didn’t anticipate the full scope of work they had taken on. “My dad is a carpenter and home inspector, and initially he told us not to buy it,” recalls Carisa. “But my dad also always says, ‘anything can be saved.’” Soon, with the help of Carisa’s father, Rick Salerno, and her uncles, cousins, and a few friends, the family was knee-deep in a seven-year-long, down-to-the-studs remodel.

Carisa and Aaron chose not to work with a designer and instead led the renovation themselves, making design decisions ranging from selecting paint colors and flooring specifications, to creating site-specific designs for a new front door and custom kitchen counters and cabinets. “We love looking at old DIY house books, where everything is handmade,” says Carisa. “In the end, we feel like we built a sculpture, not a house.”

The couple felt bolstered in their decision to stick with the remodel after learning early on that the cabin was designed by Norman M. Klein, a senior architect at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. “We learned Norman was a friend of the original owners, and had designed a lot of his friends’ houses. The owners would rent out the house in the summers, and a lot of architects stayed there over the years,” says Carisa.

The three-bedroom cabin needed all-new electrical and plumbing systems, as well as new windows and doors, new flooring, and new wall and ceiling paneling. The couple left the original Douglas fir beams exposed and added new paneled fir cathedral ceilings throughout, along with new cherry wall paneling and flooring. “We made it up as we went along,” recalls Carisa. “Every single day was an adventure into problem solving, but luckily my dad has amazing attention to detail.”

New Maine-made, solid mahogany windows throughout are double-glazed and laminated, as well as UV-coated to protect the cabin’s artworks—all of the paintings and photographs are by Aaron, who has a background in painting and sculpture. The couple enlisted New Hampshire–based furniture maker John Lightfoot Greiner to craft the walnut front door after seeing a table he made at a local restaurant. “There was a house we’d tried to buy previously that had a big, magical front door, and that was our inspiration here,” explains Carisa.

As they expected, winterizing the cabin was the biggest challenge. Vinalhaven is a granite island, so digging down to bury the septic, pipes, and electrical lines was a massive undertaking. “Winterizing a summer home is not for the faint of heart,” insists Carisa. “I don’t think we would take on that challenge again, knowing what we know now.”

Through it all, the couple paid close attention to original design details and made decisions based on their understanding of Klein’s intent. “The whole time, we were trying to be in tune with the house and listen to what it needed,” says Aaron. “That really was our direction.”

After seven years of blood, sweat, and tears, the couple is finally enjoying their creation. “The kitchen is so wonderful to work in,” says Carisa, describing her favorite spot in the cabin. “Just to be in that cozy corner preparing dinner—it’s amazing to have a kitchen that feels less like a workspace and more like a place to hang out.” Early on in the project, the couple bought the dark green Lacanche range without even measuring it. “We decided we’d figure it out,” says Aaron.

“It’s just magical to be here,” says Aaron. Carisa agrees. “Everyone who comes out here uses that word. It feels otherworldly, especially this part of the island because it’s perched on granite cliffs and surrounded by huckleberries, wild blueberries, and reindeer moss and lichen.” The couple frequently spots wildlife from the cabin, including bald eagles, seals, and porpoises.

Ultimately, the house whet the couple’s appetite for more renovations. “We really put our whole heart into it, and we want to keep doing more projects like this,” says Carisa. They now have their sights set on updating a 300-year-old barn that, like the Vinalhaven cabin, sat on the market for several years with no buyers. “We realized we can see the potential in places that others just don’t. We want to save these very special houses and give them a second chance.”

Related Reading:

Three Magical Tiny Cabins Take Root in a Maine Forest

A Tiny Cabin Is This Writer’s Off the Grid Getaway

A Cluster of Cabins in a Former Quarry Makes a Simple Vacation Escape

Project Credits:

Interior Design: Carisa Salerno and Aaron Levin, Levin | Salerno / @themaineantiquehunt

Builder: Rick Salerno

Cabinetry Design: John Lightfoot Greiner / @johnthegood1

Photography: Carley Rudd / @carleyscamera

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A Maine Couple Find Their Passion for Design in an Island Cabin Renovation