Blind Tiger
portland, maine
We’ve admired this place for years, hoping and waiting for the day it would be ours. Blind Tiger is a Federal style mansion with a stately brick facade situated in an unfussy and friendly part of Portland that anyone would want to call home. Nestled among streets lined with stone walkways, secret gardens, and New England antiquity, the home caught our attention not only because of its grandeur, but also because of the life surrounding it. We went back and forth quite a bit on how best to animate the space while carefully considering its past. The home was built in 1823 by Joseph Holt Ingraham, using funds inherited from his distant Russian uncle. With an addition designed by noted Portland architect John Calvin Stevens, its second residents, the Thomas family, expanded the original footprint to better accommodate lavish gatherings and to host many guests. To the neighborhood, the building became known as “Social Corners,” even as Prohibition forced the festivities to a secret room in the cellar.
We were intrigued by the idea of social culture showing up in varied ways. The opulence of large gatherings in the mansion juxtaposed with secretive local meet ups in the cellar of the same building during different times in history inspired us. So, we started with the premise that our design had to encourage the social hub to live on. We like to create spaces that we’d want to spend time in. For us, the most memorable getaways are those that are guided by a well connected friend in town, someone that can help us cut through to the soul of a place by way of secret dive bars, chef owned restaurants and scenes off the beaten path. In concepting the design for Blind Tiger, we began with this idea in mind.
What would the home of our well connected Portland friend look like?
How would it feel and what types of things would they hang on the walls?
As we foraged for furniture and art we kept these questions in the back of our mind, discarding items that were too trendy or modern in favor of things that felt like they had life and a story to tell. We gravitated towards items that could have been collected over time, from thousands of miles away or from close to home. We looked for objects that invite you to stop and wonder, furniture that entices you to stay a while and art in all different forms. Together, all of the pieces feel harmonious yet still spontaneous, helping to create a timeless air and a design that feels honest and effortlessly stylish. Our goal was to be true to the spirit of our Portland friend by collecting things that are aesthetically pleasing, but also humble and hand crafted. Sustainability and purpose of design were paramount for us, so rather than purchasing all brand new furniture we focused on gathering beautiful and well loved things that have had a previous life but that could help tell our new story. For instance, the sofa in the barroom is made of reclaimed Douglas fir and we discovered much of the artwork in local thrift shops and at various antique shops along the coast of Maine. The dining tables are handcrafted by a small workshop in Massachusetts and the armchairs in the rooms were found at our favorite second hand shop in Hudson, NY.
To tie it all together we asked nine Portland friends to welcome guests, with customized welcome letters and itineraries, to each of the rooms in the Guest House. These local hosts, from many different walks of life, are the well connected friends that define the spirit of Portland and help our guests to connect to the soul of the city.
Interiors | Retail Design | Retail Curation | Concept Creation | Art Direction
Menu Development | Content Creation | Styling | Procurement
