A Maine island retreat, the result of a ‘lifetime design endeavor,’ is going up for auction
An 8,000-square-foot mansion, filled with Asian art and sporting a nautical vibe, in Islesboro, Maine will head to auction on June 25. And the 15-acre estate has no minimum bidding price.
“I don’t have a clue [what it will sell for],” Daniel DeCaro, president and founder of DeCaro Luxury Auctions, the auction house that will sell the home, told Boston.com. “Whatever the highest bid is, I think someone is going to get a very good value at the end of the day.”
180 Abrams Mountain Road, also known as “The Froggery,” is currently owned by John Blin, a Wall Street executive who has moved to Hong Kong, according to The Portland Press Herald. DeCaro said Blin put it directly up for auction because he wants to be sure it gets sold. Though the auction is on June 25, the home is currently listed for $10.9 million.
DeCaro notes that Blin spent years of his life building this home and estimates he spent close to $17 million to do it.
“This was a passion for him to build this,” DeCaro said. “It probably has one of the most fantastic views in the country.”
In a note Blin wrote to DeCaro explaining the importance of this land and the home, he said, “I had long sailed the waters of the Gulf of Maine, sailing past Islesboro many times. Little did I know that, one day, this very spot would in fact become the site of a lifetime design endeavor. One that would come to consume a decade of my life.”
Blin said that, to him, the land felt like it was Japan, Korea or Northern China. Blin wrote that when he first saw the land he wanted to “turn this priceless exclusive private retreat into a unique space – but don’t disturb it. It would take the genius of Frank Lloyd Wright to pull this off.”
The Press Herald describes other unique aspects of the house:
“Nautical design influences also were used throughout.. A spiral staircase, which connects the upper and lower levels of the home, has a handrail built by a yacht builder. Dark mahogany floors and window frames, red oak timber beams, poplar ceilings and cedar trim evoke a wooden vessel, and the home’s large wraparound porch and cantilevered upper deck were designed to resemble a ship’s deck.”
The Press Herald notes that unique, expensive homes are common for the island off the Maine coast. But this one will have to find the right kind of buyer. In addition to its strong design personality, the home is only accessible by ferry.
Read more about the island escape from the Portland Press Herald here.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com