Where we draw inspiration says a lot about who we are as designers, artists, business owners, and people.
At The Rope Co., we are constantly inspired by the beauty of the world around us, partially because we live in one of the most beautiful places on earth, but also because we get to meet so many other creatives who draw inspiration from the same source.
To kick off the inaugural episode of the Slow Goods podcast, host Logan Racklliff is joined by very special guest; artist, and fellow Mainer, Sarah Madeira Day.
Sarah had the childhood befitting an artist; raised on Maine’s Mount Desert Island in Southwest Harbor at the historic Claremont Hotel, Sarah grew up surrounded by the natural beauty and influx of interesting people the seasonal hotel brought in.
In the episode, Sarah recounts her childhood in Maine and the early influences that led her to create pieces of art that everyone can relate to and enjoy in their home. Sarah talks about her and her husband Wes’ @thismainehouse projects and her wisdom on when to invest in pieces in your home and how to DIY with a budget in mind.
Check out the very first episode of Slow Goods, with Logan Rackliff where you get your podcasts and don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more!
Machine-generated Audio Transcript
Logan Rackliff:
So welcome to the Slow Goods podcast. Today we have Sarah, how do you say your middle name? I don't want to-
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh, no, it's all... So it's my last name. Madeira Day. I don't want to lose the Madeira. Because Sarah Day sounds like Jane Doe.
Logan Rackliff:
Sarah Madeira Day. Okay. And she is one of Maine's leading artists, I would say right now, or at least that's what I've heard from... I'm not in the world as much. I hear this from my very design-oriented wife. And yeah, she really loves your stuff and has watched you a lot and we're just so excited to have you. Thank you for coming. Sarah has been in, I'm just going to name some of your press things... Semihandmade. What is it? Shout out HCX, Kelly Dawson, Main Home of Design, Domino, Real Simple, This Old House, Maine Homes Down East, Apartment Therapy, Semihandmade, Decor Maine Magazine. And this is, I think mostly for your projects.
Sarah Madeira Day:
It's sort of in between. Some of it is for art, some of it is for the projects.
Logan Rackliff:
So artists and we're a quality and design podcast, so we love art and creativity. And I think where we first came to you is really your amazing projects, your home rebuilds. And I can't wait to dig more into that, but they're just so beautiful. And especially This Maine House. I mean, that one is classic, but I don't know, you guys keep stepping it up it seems like. So Sarah, we just love to get to know people on here and hear the story a little bit. So tell us a little bit about yourself, and I want to know about growing up on MDI and all the way up through to who you became today kind of thing.
Sarah Madeira Day:
So I make art, which we... And it is really hard. I don't usually say that I'm an artist because I don't feel like an artist, but I feel like somebody who's really interested in a lot of things. And one of the things I feel like, I really like to be an entrepreneur. I like working for myself. I love making anything, and I've always sort of been like that. But I grew up in Southwest Harbor, Maine at an old hotel. It was recently sold a couple of years ago, but I grew up at the Claremont Hotel, which was a really interesting place. It was a seasonal hotel that's kind of similar to The Shining.
So in the wintertime it's horrifying, and in the summertime it's so beautiful. But it was a really interesting upbringing and was something that to this day I really think it was really special. But that was my home for 35 years until they sold it. And now my parents live elsewhere.
Logan Rackliff:
So you literally lived in the hotel?
Sarah Madeira Day:
So we lived next to the hotel, but yeah.
Logan Rackliff:
You were there.
Sarah Madeira Day:
And I want to say a lot of my... And actually another cool thing is my grandparents had a summer home that was right at the top of the hill, so we could just walk up this little path. So I mean, I have kids now, so I understand how awesome that is. But that was really fun. And then people always say, oh, you're sort of similar to Eloise, not similar to Eloise. I was working at the hotel, I was not attending the hotel as a guest.
So it was cool to be exposed to a lot of different people. In the summertime, I really feel like a lot of the staff around the hotel, people who are in the restaurant business or in the hotel business, daylight by one thing and moonlight by another. So it's like these incredibly talented people who are trying to make a living during the day. And then they are artists or musicians or actors or writers. And so I feel like I was exposed to a lot of art that way. Also, the very cool thing about MDI because it's so seasonal is that you get this influx of individuals who come in the summertime and have homes and pay property taxes, and then people who live there year round reap the benefits. So we have a really good school system, and I didn't understand how lucky I was until I grew up that we were always given the opportunity for art.
And so PME is like, it's K through 12, but we had art classes from kindergarten until 12th grade. And I would say my art teacher, he was a really good guy, Mr. Satler, Bob Satler, but he always was really encouraging. So I want to say I've had not only exposure through school of free art classes, but also in the summertime I was around... Actually Judy Taylor, who is a pretty well-known artist in the state of Maine, was somebody who when I was seven or eight, used to take me out to go paint with her. Which is really cool. But she was a waitress at the hotel.
Logan Rackliff:
How old were you then?
Sarah Madeira Day:
I want to say I was like eight. I was like eight, nine.
Logan Rackliff:
Oh, you said-
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. You don't remember. Like I know I was a little, but she was really encouraging.
And then my dad's side of the family is very creative and they are very encouraging of art and being interested in art, so they always really nurtured that. So I want to say that was my foundation. But also for the home stuff, the hotel was super old. I want to say it was, I want to say it was built in 18, might be 89, I could be incorrect, but in the 1880s. So if you've ever lived in an old house, you always have to do stuff. And this was a hotel, so you always had things going on. So I was really exposed to renovations, keeping an old thing going. My uncle had an interesting job, but he was the groundskeeper for the hotel, but he built croquet mallets for a living, which is so weird, right? Croquet. Have you ever gotten into it?
Logan Rackliff:
I've played it. I don't know if I've gotten into it.
Sarah Madeira Day:
It is crazy.
Logan Rackliff:
I like any sport.
Sarah Madeira Day:
But it's really a beautiful art. But he had his lathe and he created these beautiful croquet sets.
Logan Rackliff:
In Maine?
Sarah Madeira Day:
In Maine.
Logan Rackliff:
On the lathe, wow, that's cool.
Sarah Madeira Day:
And he was really... So after school I would go up to his shop, which was again where my grandparents, my grandparents had a house and his shop was right next to it. So when I go back and think through these things, because as an adult or when I was graduating college, I was like, I don't know. I don't know what I want to do. I didn't want to be an artist because it feels very lofty. I don't know how I'm going to make money. And I didn't feel like I was qualified for anything. But I mean, I did get a very decent education and went to college and things like that, but you know what I mean? How are you supposed to know what to do at that time?
Logan Rackliff:
I don't know if you are.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I don't think that you are.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah, they tell you go to college. So you go to college and then none of us know what to do. And then we spend tons of money and-
Sarah Madeira Day:
A million percent. A million percent. And it's funny, as you get older and you find your interest, you're like, man, I could have really benefited from going to college at 30.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah. I could have just gone to work and learned a ton of things anywhere. And then maybe when I kind of thought where I knew where I might want to be, could have focused in.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, and that's how it is. But I would say I graduated from college and I lived in Venice, Los Angeles for a very small amount of time. Venice, California. My uncle lives out there and he had just had his daughter, and so I nannied her. But most of my family is from these larger cities like LA and New York. So I would visit, but I always thought it was, I'm overstimulated by just walking on the side of the road. So I was like, it's too much.
Logan Rackliff:
You talked a lot about art going up through and sounds like maybe your first inspiration from some of the travelers coming through the hotel and then going to school and you had kind of a couple apprentices, but when did your appreciation, or you said you're trying to figure out what to do. You're going into these different cities. So when did the art thing keep getting there or did you have some things in between? How did you end up doing what you're doing now?
Sarah Madeira Day:
I don't know. It was always something that I did and it made me feel smart and like I was doing it well, and I was always really encouraged throughout. But when I went to college, I thought I would just stop the art thing. I love sports. I wanted to go to college and play sports, and I really like a lot of things. I really like math too, which is a funny thing. But I thought I would be a math major, which is weird, but I just can't stay away from it. So I started taking art classes and then all of a sudden it became my major.
And then when I graduated from college, one of the really nice things later on is I had stopped doing art as frequently, but I always... And Wes really encouraged me. He was like, you should keep painting, keep doing it. So I had a lot of different jobs. I feel like I had a smorgasbord of different jobs, but I've always served, hospitality has always been a thing that I'm into. I love taking care of people. Customer service is like, I just want to make people happy and it makes me happy if somebody else is happy. So I like doing that. So I always was a waitress and worked for the Portland Press Herald. I worked for some interior designers.
Logan Rackliff:
What did you do with them?
Sarah Madeira Day:
I was just like an assistant and I thought that was fun.
Logan Rackliff:
What would you do? Just whatever they needed? Just paperwork, whatever they needed?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Whatever they needed. It's really hard though as a creative person to try to choose something for another creative person. Because sometimes you could have two totally different styles and that can be really challenging. But I did that for a while and then I started working for a catering company for catering and events, which I did for the bulk of my career before I had my daughter in 2016. And I loved catering and I loved event planning. I thought that was really, and it sort of worked its way up. When I worked at the Portland Press Herald, I worked for this woman who is in charge of the events for me in Today Media. She broke off and started her own business and asked if I would come and help her, which I did.
Logan Rackliff:
What was your role there?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Again, just-
Logan Rackliff:
Small business. Do everything.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, small business, do everything. I mean, this is a very good thing to point out. I worked for a lot of small businesses and something that has really benefited me of having my own small business is you have your hands in a little bit of everything. And that's something that I really like. I feel like that in life too. Even when Wes and I are working on projects, I don't like not knowing how to do something. So I like to follow along, I want to use the tools, I want to be able to do this if somebody is not here supervising me. And that's how I've sort of felt across the board. I really like making things and understanding how to do that. And I am much more of a hands-on type of person than I have to sit back and you tell me what to do. I'm like, let me try it.
Logan Rackliff:
That's a good trait, I think.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah. So I did, yes, I worked for a lot of small businesses and in catering, what is really hard is they're really long days. And my husband is a pharmacist, so he has really long days too. And we waited what I feel like was a pretty long time before we had children. And when we did, I was like, I want to be present. My parents are wonderful, but they had to work all the time. They didn't have a lot of money and they really both had full-time jobs and three kids, and something that you end up missing is just being there for your kids. Anyway, that being said, I made a switch and I was doing part-time working for another interior designer who I had worked with, the interior designer before she started her own company.
And so I was able to, and I was doing event planning on the weekends, so I was being a mom, which is not something that I ever planned on doing. And so that was alarming. And I was working with these two very creative people, which I loved. And then I was painting on the side and the painting started to build up.
Logan Rackliff:
How so?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Well, social media was never a thing, which by the way, artists before the age of social media, hustlers, man, they did it.
Logan Rackliff:
They have to be, right?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Have to be. I have no idea. So I tried out Instagram and that was really... I want to say it gives you this opportunity to reach a larger crowd that you would not generally reach. And so that helped to build my business. And then on top of it, shopping online, I think something that can be really intimidating is walking into a gallery and shopping for artwork because you don't really know what you like.
It's very quiet and stark in there. You feel like possibly it could be out of your economic range and you just are... I mean, even as an artist, I don't go into galleries like, oh, I better know what I want before I go in there anyway. So I wanted to sort of eliminate that barrier. And I think having an online website where it's like I try to set up the art that I was creating to mimic as well as I could scale of a piece, setting of a piece and then just the stark white that you would in a gallery so people could see it in different ways. Because what I have found is that I am a really literal person, and I think most shoppers are really literal people, so they need to see the application of the thing, which helps. But anyway, so I just started painting and I had pitched myself to some places downtown that were like, they did not my artwork.
And I was like, oh, it's crushing.
Logan Rackliff:
That's so personal, isn't it?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Well, it didn't feel, so art has never been a super personal thing for me. I think the thing is that just rejection is challenging.
Logan Rackliff:
In general.
Sarah Madeira Day:
In general. And if somebody is like, I don't really like it, and you're like, you feel like they're saying, I don't really like you, which is not really the case. It's just like, it's the beauty of art. It's like you can not like it. That's cool. You should only buy the stuff that you like, not because somebody told you to do it.
But again, a woman was starting a store who had actually worked for another one of these interior designers I had worked for, and she was the buyer for the store that rejected me. And she said, but I really like your artwork. And that was incredibly encouraging. And so I started selling with her and I sold everything out. And it seems like everything sort of came together at the same time. Things started selling in her store, things started selling through Instagram and things started selling online.
Logan Rackliff:
Cool.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Which is really cool.
Logan Rackliff:
Then this is all where you have a one-year-old?
Sarah Madeira Day:
This is all when I have a very little baby and I'm just figuring the things out and working. Really all I was trying to do is cover daycare if I wanted to do that. And so I was able to start covering daycare costs and then I was able to start surpassing what daycare would be and making enough of a salary to then these other odd jobs that I was doing to say, I think I can make enough just working for myself.
So I want to say six years ago I was able to start working for myself fully, but what had really solidified the week to week paycheck is that I started making print reproductions of the artwork. And my artwork in general is something that I guess I would say it was contemporary. I don't really know. But landscapes, people seem to connect with landscapes pretty well, and it doesn't necessarily have to be Maine because you have mountains, ocean trees are kind of everywhere.
So something that I found when I started making print reproductions is that clients can connect with the places that they live in a certain... If they see a certain image, they're like, this reminds me of whatever. And you're like, awesome. I love that. And creating prints was so that I could reach a larger crowd, that I could go for, which I do have, kids in dorm rooms that can get a little five by five or eight by eight and put it in a Target frame and snazz it up and that someone doesn't have to feel that they have to invest this huge amount of money to decorate their space.
And for me, I feel like art is very similar to any of the arts like music and food and that we should have it as part of our every day. So that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to create this sort of luxury thing that was attainable. A lot of people talk about exclusive luxury brands, and I want to be an inclusive luxury brand. Again, going back to just wanting to make a person happy, it's like-
Logan Rackliff:
So as The Rope Company, you went to Sarah's... Their amazing, this Maine House project, that's where you're still living now?
Sarah Madeira Day:
That is, and we only call it This Maine House. So again, with the Instagram thing,
Logan Rackliff:
It was an Instagram thing.
Sarah Madeira Day:
We had started it because-
Logan Rackliff:
I keep looking down to get the name right.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I know. Our family, we were doing sort of pictures for our family to be like, we're not crazy. We're doing a good job here and these are our things that we're doing. And it was fun to show the progress, and we had to come up with a name. And rather than doing your address, I was like, well, Wes, you could do it like This Old House, you could do This Maine House. And he was like, oh, that's a good idea. And now it's stuck and you're a little like, oh. But it just is more of a blanket. It's the account of my husband and I and the projects that we do. We do live in that house, the second house that we have ever owned together.
Logan Rackliff:
Do you remember when we came to your house?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yes.
Logan Rackliff:
So where were you at? How old was your child?
Sarah Madeira Day:
How long ago was that?
Logan Rackliff:
Were you painting?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Was it five years ago? Was it more than that?
Logan Rackliff:
It must've been at least five years.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, at least five years ago.
Logan Rackliff:
Maybe it was five.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I have no idea.
Logan Rackliff:
Renee was there. So maybe it was only four years ago. 2018? 2019?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Okay. So I want to say you guys, it was through a photographer, right? Who had asked?
Logan Rackliff:
Hannah just saw you and it was actually... Meredith was the photographer, but you knew each other a little bit.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I mean, when people need you to model clothing or whatever. I worked with different photographers for things like that. I think I knew her through that.
Logan Rackliff:
Right, that's how you ended up modeling. Meredith's like, we should ask her if she wants to model.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Wait, did I do it for your, I don't think I did.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah, you did. You were on the cover of our website for three years.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I was?
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh my God, that's so-
Logan Rackliff:
You were the main picture.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh, that makes me feel uncomfortable.
Logan Rackliff:
That's what grew us, I think, your picture.
Sarah Madeira Day:
No, you guys have such a cool story. I think that again, it's sort of the same way of the roots of your family comes from a rope company, correct? And you're fishermen, you're utilizing this thing that you use every day. Again, creative, resourceful, hardworking. It's such a cool idea.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah, it takes a lot of people though, and a lot of-
Sarah Madeira Day:
I don't think anybody-
Logan Rackliff:
Artists like yourself or all these awesome photographers to show these things. And without it, you just can't. People, you need to find a way to the truth. And through artists, like all of you, that's how you get there. You try to make the truth.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I think one of the things that is often lost is that behind the smoke and mirrors, there are so many people who help-
Logan Rackliff:
So many.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Get you to where you need to go. And even if you're just like, it's somebody watching your kids, it's amazing. Or for Wes and I, we do all the work on our houses, but we have his dad, Leighton, who gives us scraps, who comes and spends days with us teaching us how to do things. We have my parents who are so great and have taught... You have an army of people.
And now with my own business, I have really lovely group of people. I have a photographer, I have a marketing manager. I have a woman who I was just talking on the phone trying to find the podcast studio who's really lovely. And again, a person that I'm so grateful for. But you have an army of people, and then if somebody lives with you, you have that person too who really carries the brunt. I mean, I don't know how the person definitely has a relationship with the small business as well, so you're like big time. But yes, when you guys came, that was really cool. I just remember Hartley being at the front door with the rope.
Logan Rackliff:
Yes. Okay, so that was Hartley.
Sarah Madeira Day:
That was Hartley, yeah.
Logan Rackliff:
She's this weird blend. I was like, what is this about?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, we call her skinny.
Logan Rackliff:
She's so beautiful.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Skinny brown dog.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah, just sleek. She's cool.
Sarah Madeira Day:
We rescued her and she came from Kentucky and she was one of those funny things where you have to go through those adoption agencies, but we adopted a different dog. And when we went to... Which they put you through the ringer to do, and when we went to pick the dog up, they're like, oh, sorry. It was dark. We gave the dog away to a different family. And I was like, whoa. And I was not there with Wes and I was adopting this dog, but they said, we have these two dogs that haven't been taken, and I am not a good person for something like that. I'll be like, I'll take them all, let's go home. And so I picked Hartley, and she is what I feel like is my soulmate.
She's so sweet. I'm a distance runner, and the dog could run for days. She is amazing. She's run so long and she spends all of her days with me in the studio. She's like, she's an old girl now.
Logan Rackliff:
So when we were there, I feel like you went upstairs to work. Was that your studio then?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh yeah, the tiny room.
Logan Rackliff:
I don't know. I didn't go up there. Yeah, you just let us have total access to your house. That was amazing. I don't know you guys, here's some coffee and going around this amazing place, experiencing it.
Sarah Madeira Day:
We still do that. We still rent our house out for product shooting because again, growing up at a hotel, it doesn't feel awkward to have, I'm like, yeah, come on in, get comfy. I mean, we always have people in and out of our house and our space, so it doesn't feel strange. It's why I like the Airbnb thing too. I love to create a space that's hospitable for other people.
Logan Rackliff:
And I see, I've read some of your interviews and you've done it with that mindset going in, kind of an investment.
Sarah Madeira Day:
We always do it as an... I mean, well, the first investment investment that we made was the Freeport House when we did that.
Logan Rackliff:
Tell me about that house.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, so that was a house when we had the Cumberland House and we had put the addition on, and it was like it had gone through iterations-
Logan Rackliff:
Which is This Maine House, the Cumberland House.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Which is This Maine House. Yes. And then we took out a home equity loan and we were looking around for another place to buy. My husband's always looking at real estate, and we found this really sweet little cottage in South Freeport, which by the way, coolest place. I love South Freeport.
Logan Rackliff:
South Freeport. I don't hear about that much.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yes, it's got this cool little marina. I mean, it's really sweet.
Logan Rackliff:
All the South Freeport people are not excited, you're saying-
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh, yeah. They're like shh, don't tell. Stop.
Anyway, we bought this house that needed a lot of work and we were going to rent it, and we started working on it. And I want to say in the end, we probably should have taken it all down and built something else. But it was a good... I want to say it was a good experience for us because we started with a structure. We stuck with that same structure and we reorganized it. So it worked better. We closed off the upstairs to create because we really wanted to have at least two people to be able to sleep in there. And we have kids. And the idea of having an open loft is very scary. So having a door. Kitchens can either be very, very expensive or you can do it with essentially, spend your money. We spent our money in the places that we felt would make the most impact. So again, stone with countertops, refacing the fireplaces, things like that. But things that are less expensive are Ikea or Semihandmade doors or things like that.
That was hard and messy and something that by the end of it, there were tears, but we were really proud of it too. And we did rent that out, but we knew we wanted another child, and my business was starting to get really busy. And so being the person who cleans and turns over each one of these Airbnbs, I was like, oh man, I have no time to do anything.
So we ended up selling that. And you saw my little room that was in the house.
Logan Rackliff:
I didn't see the room upstairs.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh, you didn't?
Logan Rackliff:
Oh, no, I didn't.
Sarah Madeira Day:
It was small. So I got pregnant with Nevy, and after we sold this Freeport house, we had some debt and we wanted to pay off the rest of our debt before we had more kids, just so we felt stable and able to do that. And I also wasn't really making any money in my business, nothing super substantial. And so I was working inside of the house, but it was spilling into our house to the point where I have a huge printer in our dining room. All of my cutting table is our dining room, upstairs is my painting area.
Logan Rackliff:
You printed your own stuff?
Sarah Madeira Day:
I was printing. I was having an outsourced, and I said, this is crazy. I can do this myself. So again, saying that I want to learn how to do all the things. I was learning how to. And I had employees in my home doing this. I was also very pregnant, had Nevy, and the day after I had Nevy the printer was delivered to our home, we started working on this barn that is on our property, barn garage.
And it had to be worked on because the insurance company was like, we will not insure you if you do not fix up this barn. But we had no money, so we had to be like, okay-
Logan Rackliff:
This a problem.
Sarah Madeira Day:
But we started fixing up the barn and we're like, we're going to add a second story and make that my studio. But what we found out very early on is the structure was not built for a second story. So we had to reinforce that whole thing, which is quite an added cost. All that being said, we're in the middle of construction. I have a baby, I get this printer delivered. It's Covid.
Logan Rackliff:
Right. Nice.
Sarah Madeira Day:
But the thing is, Wes and I are both these people we're just like, keep going, we got it.
Logan Rackliff:
That's great.
Sarah Madeira Day:
So Nev just was with me, and we started printing outside of the home, inside of our home and having all that. And then that spring, this studio was finished and I could move out of our house. And that has been a game changer.
Logan Rackliff:
Is that on This Maine House tag? I've seen it on your normal Instagram.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Again, with some of the features that I've had have been a linked up, a lot of our life is sort of integrated. Having my studio as part of my business, but it's also this thing that my husband and I do.
Logan Rackliff:
Oh, it's gorgeous. I was just going to say, I was looking at it before this and it's just amazing.
Sarah Madeira Day:
So we did it for... We also had to be smart about it. Not everybody wants a studio. And our home is our biggest asset, so we made it an in-law apartment. So the whole structure is created so that I can take out some of the cabinets and things like that and make a bedroom and a living area. And then we have a bathroom so that it can be an in-law apartment if we ever sold our home.
Logan Rackliff:
Very practical and wise.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I mean, we're pretty practical people.
Logan Rackliff:
I see that. Well, you're an entrepreneur. So I mean, you guys create these unbelievably timelessly gorgeous things. So is that-
Sarah Madeira Day:
That's really nice.
Logan Rackliff:
Who's responsible for the aesthetics? Or is it a team thing? How are you guys coming up with these amazing, timeless, I mean, we could shoot at your place every day.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh, that's nice.
Logan Rackliff:
While your studio's new, maybe we could come back. But I mean, what you guys are making is just really just timeless is all I can keep thinking of. So how does that work? Who's putting that together and who's responsible for... I guess it's not a who thing, but how does it happen and what is the process with you and your husband?
Sarah Madeira Day:
I mean, again, we sort of work with a team of people. We're not architects, so anything that is engineering, we always have an architect or an engineer. I do the design aesthetics for the most part, but I would say my husband has a really good eye. I feel like I lean more towards a masculine look, so I feel like together we mesh well. So I like to do, I think it's really nice that you say that it's timeless because that's sort of what we're going for.
But the other thing is that I feel like I have very expensive tastes. So it's like I get an idea of something that I like. I really do use Pinterest a lot because it's hard for me to convey my ideas to Wes. And so I'm like, okay, here's sort of the vibe that I'm going for, which is a great tool. And then he is more of the 3D guy. So I want to say we have this... We really both like natural materials, so stone, wood, we're not super colorful. I really like a white palette on certain things because I think when it comes to... I love light, having it light and bright, but it also allows for things because I like old and new.
If you take something that could just be essentially not super special to somebody and put it in a completely stark white space as your piece of art, it totally transforms that thing. And I feel like committing to a wall color sometimes can be too much, but it allows you to be more versatile, have these things. It kind of gives that a little bit of an art gallery feel, and then color is introduced generally in the soft goods and things that can be removed and changed. I always feel like committing to a color is really hard. But sticking with the basics of natural things like how color naturally comes in wood and wood can bring a ton of color into a space. And the application of sealing the wood can also completely change the look and color of the room.
Logan Rackliff:
Does that change the texture or just the color itself? They're kind of hand in hand?
Sarah Madeira Day:
I guess it's kind of everything. And again, with stone, you can... I have a raw soapstone in my studio and I chose that because I'm cleaning my palette in there. I use cadmium red. Trying to get that out of white marble would be not a good idea. But using these things that look already kind of aged and they're going to age with you is also a great thing to think of. But you could do a finish on that same piece of stone, it looks completely different. So I think the colors that we introduce are generally in the products that are not as easily as swapped out and try to keep it basic. And then things that if you want to go with some trendy things, or you can always do that with art or soft goods or accents.
Logan Rackliff:
So that's how you blend timeless and trendy, if that's the term.
Sarah Madeira Day:
And it's also like I'm not opposed to box store stuff. But I don't lean all into one thing. So it's like, collect the things that you think are really special. Put your money into the things that you don't really want to cheap out on, such as plumbing and electricity and things like that. But also such as stone or the wood on your floors, unless you're going to paint your floors, which is also a really great thing to do.
Logan Rackliff:
Stuff that you don't want to tear up again.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Or that you don't want to tear up again. I'm saying this also thinking that The Block Brothers make the most beautiful cabinets. Whoa. But we use inexpensive cabinets and change the cabinet doors. I think a lot of times hardware can make something look really elegant.
Logan Rackliff:
I actually noticed in one of your things, you didn't use hardware on some, so tell us why.
Sarah Madeira Day:
So a lot of times I don't like to. Something will go in and then I'm like, Ooh, I don't want to obstruct the surface by putting in a million little doorknobs. Or also the other thing that I just did for my studio is we had to have doorknobs and I tried all different colors of metal and it just looked like way too many. So we ended up... Monotone is a big thing for me. So we ended up painting them the same color of the cabinets and just wooden knobs, very inexpensive, and it sort of makes them melt away, so it's not as in your face, I guess.
And a lot of these things happen as you do them. So I think Wes is always like, you're a visual person. I'm a person who has to see it first. But that can be really hard when you're like, could you put that window in and then take it out and don't do that? So a lot of those things come. It's nice working with your husband who's okay with doing some of that. But when you're working with somebody, let's say, who has no emotional commitment to you, they're like, listen, lady, pick a lane. Okay?
Logan Rackliff:
Well, or we can do this all day. It costs you a lot more.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I know. Exactly, right? And we also always have to stay within a budget, which is really... I feel like one of the things about liking these things that could be really expensive is you can still create elegance on a small budget. I think there are people who show that. And I would say for the design that we do, it's having an idea and being able to pivot if we have to, but staying within the certain parameters. So old, new, cheap, expensive. And when I say inexpensive, but well-made. But the other thing is that, which there are a lot of things out there that are that way.
Logan Rackliff:
Where are your favorite places to find some of those types of things?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Well, I feel like I always like to go to antique stores, thrift shops, looking at actually a pretty good online rug. I do believe in having a really nice rug. So there's eSaleRugs is a good place to look for rugs. Then places like Ikea, it really comes in handy. And I really like Sixpenny. Have you ever heard of them?
Logan Rackliff:
I think I've heard of them. I'm in the world, but I'm not in the world.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Well, they are a good sofa company. Everything is removable so you can wash everything. So it's all slip cover, but it's these really pretty affordable sofas that are beautiful and they can come in linen and these really nice soft. And they have great lines, but it's all slip cover. I don't know how somebody buys a sofa that you spill on it. I mean, because you have to live in these spaces.
Logan Rackliff:
Especially if you have kids.
Sarah Madeira Day:
And this is the thing about not doing it as a job is that somebody else has to live in it if it's your job. But if you're just doing it for a hobby, you have to live in it and you learn really quickly all the dumb, dumb mistakes that you've made and you're like, I'm not going to do that again. So I think that that has taught us a lot of things too.
Logan Rackliff:
If you guys want to see anybody listening who wants to see timeless done well. I mean, yeah, I would just love to hear all the... I think you just said a ton there for anybody who wants to create timeless, beautiful things. And I love to natural stone the siding. What was the color of that studio?
Sarah Madeira Day:
The green?
Logan Rackliff:
I thought it said it like a midnight, I don't know. You tell me what the color is.
Sarah Madeira Day:
So it's sort of a mix. So we did a Devon-
Logan Rackliff:
The exterior?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh, the exterior was actually, that's because you are limited, so it is-
Logan Rackliff:
It could have been even better. I don't think you could get much better.
Sarah Madeira Day:
It's LP siding, which is a newer type of composite siding that is supposed to last for 20 years.
Logan Rackliff:
I've seen a multi composite.
Sarah Madeira Day:
And I think it might be made out of recycled material, but I'm not a hundred percent sure, but they have certain colors that they give you, and I wanted to go black, and the closest they had was that blue. Which I was really like, oh geez, I don't know if I want a whole blue exterior. But that's sort of what we had to go with. But the way that felt like we could make it, what I felt more timeless and seem like it was very thoughtfully done, is also painting the trim the same color. And I think that really changes something. So rather than going a shade darker or a shade lighter, again, picking that monotone.
So trim is everywhere, which is something that I have found over the years where I'm like, I don't want any trim. But not doing any trim is often not an option and very expensive. And you have to pre-plan that. So trim on your roof line, trim on the sides of the home, trim all around the windows. If you do that the same color as your siding, it creates a totally different building. It really does. And I really wanted to highlight those massive black windows that are the two in the front. And then again, bringing in the color with the copper lighting. And I thought that-
Logan Rackliff:
The copper lighting's awesome.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I mean, it's pretty cool. But yeah, so we were limited to, I want to say a handful of different colors within our budget. We could have painted any color we wanted, but it would've been-
Logan Rackliff:
You took that and you rolled with it.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I mean, yeah, for the most part. You got to do that.
Logan Rackliff:
It looks fantastic. So you guys are doing all this stuff. I mean, that's a lot. So are you doing most of the building too and all these projects, you and your husband?
Sarah Madeira Day:
When we started, yes we were. At this point with two kids, we are not. We are hiring out things that we just can't do or don't have time for because we both have two full-time jobs and my husband is very busy and I feel like I'm pretty busy. And so we hire out the things that again, we would want a professional to do.
And then the things where we know that we can cut costs and we can do it ourselves, like tiling, like installing cabinetry, installing all of that, like painting. I mean, painting, come on. He's gone as far as installing floors and doors and things like that. But now we do a mix of hiring and then doing it ourselves. Again, trying to stay within a budget. Everything is trying to stay within a budget. And we are building another home on-
Logan Rackliff:
That's the next project?
Sarah Madeira Day:
That's the next project. So we were looking for... My parents live in Southwest Harbor and I have two other sisters with whom I love so much, and they have husbands. And my older sister has two kids. So we're bursting at the seams with my parents' house. And we have been looking to see if we could find something that we could rent when we're not there, and then visit. And we ended up finding this property that was the start of a garage, and it already had the slab poured and it already had a septic, and it already had the groundwork done, which is incredibly expensive.
But this is the first time we're building from the ground up. So we usually work with a structure, which is, for me, is very hard for my brain to think. I'm somebody who, again, likes to see it first and comes up with the idea. So coming up with the idea out of the blue is more challenging. But we've used some really cool things, which I don't know if you knew, Wes found this. And I was like, this is brilliant. Generally lumber companies, like a Hancock Lumber, like a Viking Lumber, they have on staff... I don't know if they're architects, they could be architects, draftsmen, and you can sketch out what you would like and they will create it for you. And the cost of that is taken off if you buy your lumber through that company.
Logan Rackliff:
We did do that with Hammond.
Sarah Madeira Day:
You did?
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah.
Sarah Madeira Day:
That's incredible.
Logan Rackliff:
That's super cool.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I know. And again, also with the materials that you're going to use, and I thought, this is really smart, and it's such a-
Logan Rackliff:
It's the basic drawings. Maybe some of them are architects, but it is a great service. Yeah, great idea.
Sarah Madeira Day:
If you already are particular about your interior and you know what you want it to look like or you already have the particulars figured out, having somebody draw out the basics that you don't know how to do is incredibly helpful.
Logan Rackliff:
So what's the vision for this one? Can you give us a visualization at all?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah. So it's going to be a two-story home on what was a garage slab. So we're working just with the footprint that was there.
Logan Rackliff:
How big is that?
Sarah Madeira Day:
That's a very good question. I have no idea. It's not terribly big. It was supposed to be the size of the garage.
Logan Rackliff:
Rectangular?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, kind of square.
Logan Rackliff:
Like 24 by 32 or something?
Sarah Madeira Day:
It was a two car garage. And then it had a man door on the side. So the downstairs is going to be pretty open. It has a half bath. And the other thing is you can fit a lot into a small space if you do it thoughtfully, right?
Logan Rackliff:
Well, you don't have a basement there, so you got to put utilities somewhere.
Sarah Madeira Day:
We got to. So utilities and washer and dryer are on same in the same sort of area. And then we have a little half bath. And then the open space is living dining kitchen area sort of in the size of an L. But what we have done is we maintained the eight-foot ceilings that were already there, already framed out. So it makes a small space feel really big. It's keeping-
Logan Rackliff:
Oh, it already had some framed out.
Sarah Madeira Day:
It had some of it framed out a little bit. We had to sort of backtrack. It was uncovered for so long that the wood swells with all this rain and things that we've had. So we have these very massive windows, but we're trying to stick with your idea of keeping it traditional. So we're doing the six over six paneled windows. We're doing cedar shakes for the exterior because we currently live or have only had clapboard houses, and you have to paint those. And it's exhausting. And it's one of those things that cedar seems to be a really smart move for down the road. It's expensive upfront, but doesn't need as much maintenance. And then the upstairs is two queen beds to queen rooms identical for our girls. What it's like having two kids, you got to do exactly the same.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah, two girls. Yeah, I have the same thing.
Sarah Madeira Day:
And a bathroom for them. And then a master area, which I mean, I think a master is just considered something that has a bathroom attached to it. I don't really know.
Logan Rackliff:
Sure, sounds good to me.
Sarah Madeira Day:
And a closet, but it's coming right along. And it's really exciting because it's a place... To be able to go to the island and feel like I have a place of my own is, I mean, a dream of Wes and mine. And it feels really special. And it's in Tremont, which is like, I'm a backsider. They call that side of the... And it's quiet. There's a lot of really good trails on that side. You have Bass Harbor right there for getting on and off your boat. You got the lakes. I mean, it's pretty-
Logan Rackliff:
Is this a cape or a-
Sarah Madeira Day:
I think that's what you would call it. Yeah. I wouldn't even know.
Logan Rackliff:
I don't know all the different terms. I think, geez, I don't want to embarrass myself with missing all the different terms.
Sarah Madeira Day:
The thing is, who knows, unless you do that for... This is the other thing, you fire questions at me and talking to contractors, sometimes I have to be like, I don't know what you're saying-
Logan Rackliff:
But this is what I'd like.
Sarah Madeira Day:
And if you just explain it to me because I'm not using the right terminology or those sorts of things.
Logan Rackliff:
That's so cool. So it'll just be cedar shakes on the outside.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yep. Black windows exterior, white on the interior because black is more expensive. And again, you're like, I didn't feel like that was a hard line. So you always have to come to these, make these exceptions, and that's how we sort of choose your own adventure comes down to what is more costly. I'll go with the least costly thing.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah, definitely. So yeah, I think I was asking before, you guys are doing all this, you have a lot going on, entrepreneur full-time and kids and designing and sounds like you're kind of made for it. But also at the same time, how do you just refresh and what does your day-to-day look like, but getting time to get your energy back and how does that work?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, I mean, I am always interested in what people do as well. I'm like, aren't you so tired?
Logan Rackliff:
So Hannah wants to know. Everybody wants to know. Yeah.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I am person who, as I was saying before, I'm a relatively introverted person. I go to bed pretty early with my kids. Routine is a really important thing and getting proper sleep. So when I say early, I mean nine o'clock I'm in bed sleeping, and then we get up earlier and that's when I run and things like that. But again, you have to collect your kids. And so I would say you have to schedule time and schedule days where you're not going to do, or part of days where you're not going to do everything. And we generally have a family day, which is what my parents always had too.
Logan Rackliff:
You mean once a week or month?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Once a week. Yeah, we have a family day once a week. And as much as we can because we are so busy on the times that we're all together, we're often all together just the four of us. So having dinner and doing that, we don't go out and do a lot of things. And also a lot of what you're seeing is a series of many days put together. So there are some days that aren't incredibly busy, but I would say for the most part, it's scheduling a time that you have for yourself and that you have with your family.
And so usually it's Sundays because Wes has Sundays off, and we'll do something where we have a hard stop, even if not everything's done. Unless it's pressing, which for the most part, nothing is all that pressing unless your arm's falling off, you got to go somewhere. And then we go do a fun thing. We have a hard stop at four and we make popcorn and we watch a movie together. And on Sundays, or if it's going to be a boat day, we say we're leaving and we're getting on the boat and we're going to go and do this.
Logan Rackliff:
At this time.
Sarah Madeira Day:
At this time. And we go. I think one of the things that I miss is the flexibility of not having everything scheduled. I don't like having everything scheduled. And I mean, I don't know how you feel about with kids, but you kind of need everything scheduled.
Logan Rackliff:
I mean, in life things go a lot better when they are scheduled,
Sarah Madeira Day:
When you have a plan.
Logan Rackliff:
I mean, now you have to schedule things.
Sarah Madeira Day:
That's what I mean.
Logan Rackliff:
The world is just so fast. And if you have any sense of doing something on a regular basis, it's just going to be filled up. Yeah, it's hard.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I mean, the other thing is we do a lot of these things with our kids too. They've lived through a lot of different renovations and El comes home from school at four and she comes up to the studio and we finished the last part of my work, we put on an audiobook so she's not bored. And I can multitask anything. I try to do the things that have to be really quiet in the first part of the day.
Logan Rackliff:
Is that the one, I saw one photo of, with the feet? Is that her?
Sarah Madeira Day:
That's her, yeah.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah. Those are my favorite of yours. Of your charcoals. I don't know if it's because I like unique thing and all your other stuff is more the... I mean, you have landscape. I just like, maybe it's the material. I don't know.
Sarah Madeira Day:
It could be. So I was-
Logan Rackliff:
All I can say is I just love the charcoal. Those are my favorite.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I was a portrait artist for most of my career.
Logan Rackliff:
Oh, really?
Sarah Madeira Day:
And I switched over to landscapes because they sell better and to a wider crowd. I mean, but this is not to say that... Portraiture is incredible. And a lot of times you don't need to know the person. You're like, I just really love this thing. But it's something that I still do. I mean, because they're my kids, or every once in a while I'll open it up to clients who want their children or their loved ones or something like that. But yeah, I loved doing portraiture. I loved doing eyes. Eyes were a big part of it. I always loved that.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah. No, I love that. All the charcoals. Just tell me about... I love being an entrepreneur, about being an entrepreneur and an artist and just your take on all of it and how it's going. Yeah.
Sarah Madeira Day:
There is nothing... I feel so lucky to work for myself. I also feel like having the job of an artist is being like, I want to be an astronaut when I grow up. You're like, I want to be an artist when I grow up.
Logan Rackliff:
Percentage wise.
Sarah Madeira Day:
And then actually doing it feels incredible. And I love all the facets of it. Again, like I said, I'm a numbers person and I find it so interesting price points and thresholds that are comfortable for people. Again, I don't want to price myself out of something. And so I want it to be attainable. That's huge. But I also love printing and packaging. I love packaging. I think-
Logan Rackliff:
You mean making packaging or actually packaging?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Actually packaging and the feeling of making a beautiful package. So I think the hard thing about selling something online is that it has to be twice as good in person. And people are spending this money and you want them to feel like they're getting the experience of going into a shop, but they get it at home. So you get to unwrap this present you got for yourself or somebody else. I love that. I love that branding. I love that. I've done all of my own web design up until this point. I just hired this lovely woman who... Just because you can't do all of the, I mean, it becomes unmanageable. So there are just things where you find that you have to put your time into different things. So I feel really lucky to make my own hours and to be able to work with a lot of very interesting people.
I think as I've established myself a little bit more as an artist, I've gotten to work with some interesting people and hear how they run a business and hear what they're looking for and try to collaborate with other people because it can feel very lonesome in your own work. And it is fun to work with somebody else. I think one of the hardest things when I was starting out was not really knowing if I was making the correct choices. And I feel like as I've built my community, I've built more of a community around people who run their own businesses and being able to hear what's happening with them and that you're not on your own little island. And everybody's sort of going through it. You could be like, well, that was dumb. I don't know.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah. You very easily could. Yeah, you do need support. I've been to a bunch of different groups.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Or even just people that you talk to and say, are you struggling with this? We started this, little while back, this round table of some marketing people, and it was interesting to just for all of us to tell our, what's going on with you? And that seems to be really beneficial to do things like that. The other thing is, at the end of the day, I just want people to feel happy and heard and they purchase something that they like. And that's sort of how I've continued to run my business, is that it's not out of reach that you feel like you like what you're getting, that if something goes wrong, you have a real person behind you to say, let's fix it. And no problem. And I think that that's really important. And staying true to your own values and the things that you, I don't know, that you really like. And that's sort of how I want to treat people, how I want to be treated.
Logan Rackliff:
So you print everything in house.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yep.
Logan Rackliff:
Do you actually hand package everything?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah.
Logan Rackliff:
No way.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah.
Logan Rackliff:
That's so cool.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, and it's like thousands.
Logan Rackliff:
I'm sure. That's a lot of time.
Sarah Madeira Day:
It's a lot of time, but I don't do it all by myself. I have a woman, Carrie, who works for me and she's wonderful.
Logan Rackliff:
Do you actually have people on staff? Is that what you're saying?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah. Yeah. And she's a full-time person who works for me. She worked for LL Bean for 10 years and just made a lifestyle change. She also lives very close to me, so we work well together. She's a pretty steady Eddy and we're both very organized people. So yes, we do that.
And then I've outsourced marketing, so people who do my marketing and I used to take all my own photographs, and I've outsourced that because I don't want to edit all that stuff. So you get to the point where... But I'm ready to go. Depending on the market and how things are selling, you should know how to do those things. You might have to say, I can't pay for that anymore. I got to learn how to do it. The social media is very good in the beginning and now it's slowly killing me, with all these different things it feels like-
Logan Rackliff:
Algorithms. You just can't keep it. It's not the same thing.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I'm not a videographer, and it's the real thing is.
Logan Rackliff:
You said you have a photographer, but you must've taken a lot of your own photos early on?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, I do. I do. I mean, she's my friend and if I'm going to do bulk things, she'll come and do it so that I can... But I mean, yes, I take a lot of my own photographs.
Logan Rackliff:
Great. Yeah. Whatever you do it looks great.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, it was a painting and photography were what my majors were. But I was right on the cusp of before they were doing digital stuff, so I did Darkroom, which I never learned the Adobe Suite, so I'm sort of having to teach myself and it's squirrely.
Logan Rackliff:
You learned the real stuff and then it died. So do you have any interesting new... What's getting you most stimulated on new projects? Do you have anything you're excited about? New things you're doing? Could be art-wise or I guess you're building that place, just what else is going on that stands out to you right now?
Sarah Madeira Day:
I feel like I have a lot of projects going on. A couple of them are a little bit more secretive, but I'm working with some cool people with that. I'm trying to work with mostly Maine-based people, which is interesting. And working on some possibly fabric stuff that you could make into wearable things. And I don't know, I am testing out the bigger companies. I signed with Crate and Barrel for 2024 for having some stuff there.
Logan Rackliff:
That's exciting.
Sarah Madeira Day:
That's cool.
Logan Rackliff:
As in you're designing?
Sarah Madeira Day:
No, they licensed artwork that they're going to... Which I do some licensing of stuff where people reproduce it. And yeah, the house is really exciting. I took a couple of years off of marathon running, but I'm doing my 11th and 12th marathon this year.
Logan Rackliff:
Wow. You do MDI or everywhere?
Sarah Madeira Day:
MDI, I will do that when my brother-in-law is. I'm somebody who he knows very well, but he'll be like, come do this with me. I'm like, okay. So MDI, I love it really. And it's a nice time of year to do it. And then I like the Maine Marathon too. That's a good one.
Logan Rackliff:
Somebody told me about some guys who put together over the mountains, across MDI.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh, really?
Logan Rackliff:
A 50K thing. I was like, wow, that'd be super cool. How do you keep your knees together, all the marathons you run?
Sarah Madeira Day:
This'll be... I took a couple of years off because I always said if it was hurting, I would chill, but I'm feeling okay. And I bike a lot too. I love... I feel like that's helpful. And it's way more fun. You get to go downhill and you don't have to run downhill. You just get to go superfast. So I love biking.
Logan Rackliff:
Talking about getting... Podcast is about quality. Everything you've been talking about is quality and design and story. And so tell me what is quality and or design mean to you or however you want.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Well, I think something that's really important to remember, and especially when you're on a budget, is there are things that are inexpensive, but they can still be quality products. And it's something to really consider. Is it made of real wood first off, is it all plastic? Is it going to age well? So I think quality and expense don't necessarily, it doesn't need to be extremely expensive to be high quality. And even something that's in my own business, I've tried all different types of paper and what I currently print on is canvas. And why I've done that is it feels like a really quality product. It doesn't damage as easily.
So whereas paper, you get a wrinkle in, it's done. You have to throw it out. And so it actually works better in the mailing system and things like that. But to remember that I want to sell people affordable things that when they get it home, they're even more impressed by it because it is a quality product because the colors are rich, because the material is nice, because the packaging is beautiful. And I think the same thing with things in your home. We buy inexpensive IKEA drapes, but the thing that you can do is they're made of a cotton fabric. You can still hem them and make them. It doesn't necessarily have to be... Quality can come in a lot of different ways. And then what was your second? What was the other?
Logan Rackliff:
Well, yeah, that was pretty much it. I did have design in there, but it's really... What were you going to say?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, I just think that also with design... I don't really remember exactly what she said, but Leanne Ford had this interesting quote that was like, what's in fashion for this year? And what she said is, essentially what you love and what you can live with and surround yourself by is more of what is in fashion rather than sticking with the trends. So think of things that you don't want to rip out in five years and that the things that can be maybe a little bit more risky or trendy or smaller objects, but trust yourself, trust your design, trust the things you love. Doesn't matter what other people like, you have to live with it. And that's really important to remember, I think, not only with your home, but I think also with art. It's like if it connects with you, if you really like it's all that matters.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah, I totally agree. Can you think of a favorite object you have that you work with, that you use at home, wherever it might be, a physical, tangible object that you might use on a somewhat regular basis in your life?
Sarah Madeira Day:
I kind of have a funny one. It's a spoon, a wooden spoon that my mom had always used in our kitchen. And I don't know how I wound up with it, but it's sort of split down the middle. I don't know what kind of wood it's used. I swear I use that spoon for everything and I cook with it all the time. That's an object in our home. For objects in my studio, I always think that I'm really funny, but I like the Good House painter brushes, so I don't spend a ton of money on brushes. But the wider, you can just get them at Home Depot. Love that. Those are some objects that I think are really great. I'm a funny person. I like little, I'm a minimalist and don't have a lot of trinkets, but the things that I'm always drawn to are weird little trinkets that are around.
I'm trying to think. I have these cool, they're these little... They're supposed to be candle holders, but they could only hold a birthday candle. But they're also weighted and I don't know, those are pretty cool. I have this little Buddha that we have, I think it's Buddha, that sits on our kitchen, sort of like that bench that everybody really likes. That was our biggest This Maine House question. And the girls give it offerings, which is really interesting. So rocks that we find or weeds around, I don't know. But I like that because I think the girls are really funny. They dress her up and down. She's just a stone thing.
Logan Rackliff:
So the wooden spoon or any of these things, why are they your favorites? I guess you just explained the trinkets, but your spoon. Why is that? Why do you use it all the time?
Sarah Madeira Day:
I think because my mom did, and again, you're growing up on an island, you very rarely go out. You make all of your meals in house. It is always something, like food is really important to me, I think. I love the way that it looks, smells, that you can eat it. It's not this precious thing. Anywhere from a McDonald's hamburger, which is really well executed and whatever, to something beautiful that somebody has made you from their own home. There's something about this, my mom used this spoon all the time. I really like it because... I don't know, I couldn't tell you. I'm just very drawn to it. And it also, it's like the perfect size and it has a long handle. I don't know.
Logan Rackliff:
Sounds super practical. You're a very practical person.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I'm like the self-
Logan Rackliff:
You really tie in creative and practical.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I know. This is why I don't feel like I'm very artistic. I feel like I have these creative ideas, but I'm like, I'm so practical.
Logan Rackliff:
Get it done at the same time.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I am essentially the Jane Doe. This is why I didn't want to go with my name.
Logan Rackliff:
I see.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Just average.
Logan Rackliff:
Well, awesome. So what did I ask you? Is there anything else you could think of? Any questions for me or what didn't I ask you that-
Sarah Madeira Day:
I feel like I talked for days. I talked a lot. I think that it's so nice. I feel very flattered that you asked me. And I think that it's cool that we can connect back, that you use the house, that you've seen the house, because really I'm just some lady trying to make it work. And it's nice when somebody says, you're doing a good job.
Logan Rackliff:
Hannah and I, we talk a lot with my wife, but we're basically, I guess business partners at the same time. A lot of what you were explaining, I feel like in that was... Things that are very practical, because you're very practical, but authentic. And they've got some story.
Sarah Madeira Day:
A lot of the growth or anywhere that I've been, feels like it's been really organic. And I try to stick to that. And I think it's nice when you have people and you surround yourself by people who they are who they are and they-
Logan Rackliff:
Authentic. Right?
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah. And there's a lot.
Logan Rackliff:
That's what I was going to say was thank you for saying that. Get me going again. Authenticity is a big thing. So we really at least wanted to start the podcast with people we already had a connection with. People in Maine. We're so thankful to have you. I mean, really, it's a big deal. We know it's a lot. You guys are super busy. So thank you so much.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, thank you.
Logan Rackliff:
And so, not to be too cliche, but where can people find you and-
Sarah Madeira Day:
Oh, you can find me-
Logan Rackliff:
Find your stuff.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Right. My longest name ever, Sarahmadeiraday.com or @SarahMadeiraDay, or @ThisMaineHouse.
Logan Rackliff:
That's where all those beautiful projects are.
Sarah Madeira Day:
That's where a lot of our projects are. Although I very much lag because again, with all this time, we're really the people behind these things. So you're really talking to us and we just don't have a ton of time. I would say the thing we talked about before on Sundays or even when we go home, we really put our devices down a lot and we just spend time together. I think just because an overstimulated person, but because there's lot to say about just getting to hang out with your people.
Logan Rackliff:
So important. I mean, I feel like we could blow up our Instagram with everything going on in our life, but we just choose, we just want to be here with our kids.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I think it's learning the balance of-
Logan Rackliff:
Even if some people do all that, that's great.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I do. I think I find it very impressive and I feel very much like I'm not doing enough. But if you are that sort of person, you're doing plenty.
Logan Rackliff:
Have you ever seen The Secret Life of Walter Mitty?
Sarah Madeira Day:
No. Oh-
Logan Rackliff:
With Ben Stiller.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Maybe? Yes. Where he's-
Logan Rackliff:
He's chasing down a photographer.
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yes. Yes.
Logan Rackliff:
So Sean Penn? So anyway, at the end-
Sarah Madeira Day:
Yeah, he's in the field.
Logan Rackliff:
Yeah. He's literally, he's about to get the shot of the snow leopard that he is gone on this crazy adventure and almost risked his life to get to. And he finds him and he is like, the snow leopard comes in. He is like, are you going to take it? And he is like, sometimes I don't. He said, sometimes I just like to enjoy the moment and he just doesn't even take the picture. I just feel like that's such a cool... Just kind of living it sometimes.
Sarah Madeira Day:
I mean, I think that it's very cool. But the other thing is that there's nothing wrong with documenting all of the things that you want to do. It's just the type of person that you are. And if that fills you up, do it.
Logan Rackliff:
Exactly. Yeah.
Sarah Madeira Day:
But if you're like, I mean, it just drains me after a while and I feel, and it kind of bums me out, and so I feel like I do everything in my power to keep myself upright. And if it's bumming me out, then I edit it.
Logan Rackliff:
Right.