BAR HARBOR — Swan Hospitality Group and Decor Maine have announced the selection of Bar Harbor’s 2023 Designer Showhouse that will be open for tours this summer. High up on Hamilton Hill, the mansion on property that once belonged to Alexander Hamilton’s great grandson will undergo a major transformation with the help of a host of designers.
“This is a quirky house. I’ve called it a carnival of eccentricities in the past,” said Kim Swan of Swan Agency and the event’s creative director. “With that in mind, several of us decided that the Showhouse should embrace the fantastical and allow the designers to go as extreme as they want in the design. That will also make it a wonderful spectacle for those touring the home.” A couple of iconic features that will not be changed are the ballroom’s dramatic chandelier and the massive marble staircase.
Hamilton Hill will be the fourth Bar Harbor Designer Showhouse following Brightholme in 2013, Vanderbilt Carriage House at Bogue Chitto Estate in 2014 and La Rochelle in 2019. This year’s roster includes both returning and new designers.
Returning designers include Terri and Gregg Scott; Brett Johnson, MSDCo; Rob Kreig and Mike Rogers, Lark Studios; Annie Kiladjian, Annie K Designs; and Larry Stoddard, Distinctive Tile.
New designers being welcomed to the team are Nina Campbell; Melanie Millner, The Design Atelier; Tim Harrington, Krista Stokes and Mark Cotto, Atlantic Hospitality/Claremont Hotel; Louise Hurlbutt, Louise Hurlbutt Designs; Nicola Manganello Harnden, Nicola’s Home; Leandra Fremont-Smith, Leandra Fremont-Smith Interiors; and Tim Murphy, Tim Murphy Studios.
A preview party will be held on Saturday, July 29, and public tours of the transformed mansion will take place from July 30 to Aug. 19. Mount Desert Island Hospital has been named the beneficiary of donations from the show.
“Mount Desert Island Hospital is thrilled to be named as the beneficiary of the 2023 Bar Harbor Designer Showhouse at Hamilton Hill. We are so grateful to the Swan Hospitality Group and Decor Maine for their partnership and support of this amazing project, and for the opportunity to connect with new friends and partners,” said MDI Hospital President/CEO Chrissi Maguire.
