The $1.15 million home on Mount Desert Island looks like something out of a movie — one that could be set in a medieval European tavern, a Moroccan palace or a Japanese tea house given its diverse design nods.
Dubbed “Rockridge,” the home was only built in 1998 but was made with “Old World architecture” in mind, according to listing agent Jeff Miller. It has water and mountain views looking out onto Somes Sound and Acadia National Park, and was featured in Architectural Digest in 2005.
“There are too many unique features to name, it just has to be seen to fully appreciate,” Miller, founder and broker of Coastal Maine Realty LLC, wrote in his online listing.
The four-bedroom, three-bathroom home on Pine Ledge Lane in Hall Quarry consists of a main house, a guest house and a 986-square-foot studio apartment above its two-car detached garage. That makes it ideal for intergenerational living, or perhaps a rental business, Miller suggested.
Since the home was listed last week, Miller said it’s generated a lot of interest and that he’s done quite a few showings. Potential buyers liked that the property has a strong rental history and that the home is unique. Only one, Miller said, mentioned they might “dial it back” if they wound up purchasing the home.
“You will never see another one like this one,” the agent wrote in the listing.
Both the interiors of the main house and the studio apartment are intricately hand-painted throughout by local artist Nancy Diedriksen, in ornate and colorful designs meant to pay homage to the art and architecture of Morocco. A towering columned archway in the living room adds to that palatial feel. The guest house is styled like a Japanese tea house, Miller said, though its dark wood paneling means it could be mistaken for something out of “Game of Thrones.”
“Old World architecture” is meant to invoke the stylings of 16th or 17th century Europe. Interiors often prominently feature wood and metal and strive for a worn-in or distressed finish, according to home decor publications.
There is, indeed, nothing like Rockridge on the market. Not only because of its curious design elements, but because at $1.15 million, it’s one of the least expensive homes for sale on Mount Desert Island right now. The average home value on MDI is around $935,000, more than double Maine’s average.
The island’s proximity to Acadia National Park, which receives more than 4 million recreational visits a year, makes it an incredibly desirable place to buy real estate — both for individual buyers and investors.
“It doesn’t take a large percentage of that [4 million] number to create big demand,” Miller said. “There’s always people who want a piece of this place.”
