Tour Film and TV Set Stylist Danielle Filosa's Sustainable 1970s Maine Home

Vintage decor shop owner and set stylist Danielle Filosa shares a look inside her bellbottoms-era, New Harbor, Maine, Craftsman cabin filled with maritime decor, strategically placed houseplants and eclectic furniture procured straight from Facebook Marketplace.

By: Rachael Jones

Show: HGTV Handmade

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Photo By: Danielle Sykes

Photo By: Danielle Filosa

Photo By: Danielle Sykes

"Filosaphy" of Design

Living daily life in a 1970s’ movie set may not be a relaxing environment for everyone, but for Danielle Filosa it’s just a way of modern life. The film and TV set stylist and owner of vintage and antique home decor shop Filosaphy Home spends her time in a beautiful, Craftsman-style cabin surrounded by aged, perfectly procured pieces that she began collecting at age 14. But even before she moved into her New Harbor dream home, the cozy abode was built decades earlier by a student of sustainable design way ahead of his time.

Built With Purpose

“This house was built in 1977 by a wonderful man named Peter Kanis," Danielle says. "At the time, he was living in upstate New York and saw an advertisement on the cover of the newspaper to build a home for himself sustainably in Maine." After moving to Maine and becoming a Shelter Institute student, he completed the energy-efficient, sustainable home in 1979.

Move-in Ready

And after several decades of ownership, Peter listed the home for sale. “It was a pretty big deal for me to buy,” she says, adding once she and Peter met "it was almost like a passing of a torch.”

Fit by Fate

Danielle's decades-long roster of vintage collections were somehow destined for the space. "For me, the house in itself is a piece of art," she says. "It felt like I had been here before in a weird way, but also that it had its own soul to it. So I think it was really important from the get-go to not really do anything to [the house] and just keep it how it is [and] add my things to it."

Compact, Curated Kitchen

"My kitchen is pretty tiny. It kind of feels like a boathouse kitchen," Danielle says. "But what I love about it is the open shelving. I think it kind of keeps me organized, which is really nice. So it makes me think about intentionality a lot. It makes me think creatively in ways that I wouldn’t have before because of just how it’s laid out."

Echo Approved

Danielle and her dog Echo sit beneath the living room art collection that started the antique enthusiast's first love of design. "There [are] a lot of really special pieces in this room," Danielle says. "One of them is my car prints. I bought these when I was 19 at a flea market. And somehow knowing that I’ve kind of always consistently had the same taste is something that I am proud of."

First Job To Dream Job

"There’s a lot of history in the things that I own — and I love that," Danielle says. "My first job that I ever had was at an antique shop when I was 14. So there’s just been this interest for vintage things for a very long time." The first of many maritime art pieces can be seen in her living room corner: a handmade, needlepoint sailor.

Shared Sea Aesthetic

"This is kind of the 'Peter and Danielle combination [art] wall,'" she says. A second sailor art piece anchors the sea-inspired vintage vignette filled with some of Peter's leftover nautical decor and found seashells paired with Danielle's topographic map of Maine.

Appreciation Always

Danielle's dining room combines vintage furniture finds from the same era as the home's original timeline. And to honor Peter's wood-centric design, she always shares her progress. "Anytime I do something new [to the home], I always send him a video or picture to [show] what I did. And he’s always very excited to see it, and I love for him to be involved still."

No Particle Board Here

"I think there’s a lot of beauty in old things," Danielle continues. "You know, craftsmanship and how things used to be made versus how things are made now, it’s very different."

No Waste Design

The second level of Danielle's home continues a theme of thoughtful design intention. "For me, it's really important to [display] things that matter because I’m the one that’s going to look at them all the time," she says. "People get rid of things because they don’t really have meaning to them. But if you actually buy things that you really genuinely like, then you’re not going to want to get rid of them."

Sustainable Sleeping Quarters

Danielle's bedroom features a unique walk-out window, exposed timber beams and a slanted roof, designed sustainably. "The [roof] is slanted because this house is south facing," Danielle explains. "So the sun and solar come this way to keep the house warm. And then there’s a whole ventilation system all around the house to get the air flowing. So during the summer it can stay cool, which is really helpful."

Vertical Storage

Danielle maximizes bedroom space by utilizing the exposed timber beams as stylish storage. Similar to the kitchen, the exposed clothing rack gives an organized, yet simplistic feel to the room.

Protective Plants

A vintage wooden chair is tucked in the corner of her bedroom beneath a vintage, diner-style pendant light. And instead of traditional railing, Danielle added her own take on balcony balusters. "Because everything is open, I thought the best way to keep things safe was to [hang plants from the handrails] in this area. So the plants are protecting us in most areas."

The Zen Den

The comfy, catch-all space Danielle calls the "Zen Den" is a place for crafting, TV viewing and computer work. "I found these two couches on Facebook Marketplace — and they smelled like a ‘70s nightclub when I got them," she shares. "So I aired them out and now they smell great. [And] trunks are my go-to, always and forever. I’m grateful for trunks because they look great and you can put stuff in them."

Beautiful Built-Ins

The living room is outfitted with some of Peter's wooden built-ins, perfect for more of Danielle's things. "I’d already been building my aesthetic for so long that it was more about just finally being able to put my stuff somewhere," Danielle says. "The structure was already so beautiful ... my things just kind of blended well and now it looks really nice."

Abundance of Natural Light

"What I love about this home, and I think what other people love about this home, too, is the light and the windows," Danielle says. "The open paned windows are really beautiful and you just kind of get to see trees from every angle."

Guest Room (aka Mom's Room)

"This is my mother’s bedroom, also the guest bedroom — she’ll get very mad if I don’t say that," Danielle says. "Though this room was an addition, it feels like it wasn’t because of how consistent it is and how well Peter did with matching it to the other [areas] of the house."

Antique Styling Tips

When it comes to Danielle's signature look, she says it's all about the little things. "I style [rooms] so they look good and feel good," she says. "I like to bring in elements of Maine into the space, because it’s where people are going to be staying and where we are. I think [bringing in] natural elements is a really good component of that."

Vintage Vignettes

"What I like to do is build little vignettes within each part of the wall so that it’s not too much," Danielle shares. "I don’t really think there’s a right or wrong. I think you just try things out and if you like it, you keep it."

Human-made + Natural Combos

Danielle continues, "Mixing other things like photography and drawings [with natural elements] is a really good [tip]. But you don’t want to put too much — that's the number one thing."

Surrounded by What You Love

"I don’t ever want to be a person that designs just to fill spaces," Danielle says. "I want to be a person that designs, that makes someone feel a certain way. The things that are in my home make me feel a certain way. So even if I’m doing nothing on a daily basis, if I just look at my things then I’m pretty happy."