By Emma Bouthillette
Staff Writer
As Pine Point Road in Scarborough ends and before the beach begins, a nine-lot subdivision is under construction. There is only one completed house on the site and that is “Coastal Living Magazine’s” Idea Cottage.
“Coastal Living,” a magazine based in Birmingham, Ala., approached Lynn Dubois and John Wiggin, owners of the Scarborough construction company Ideas to Build Upon, about a year ago to build and design a cottage to feature in the October issue of the magazine.
“The editors [of the magazine] look across country to find different geographic areas and architectural design. Last year, they wanted to find something in New England,” said Alison Thomas, homes director for “Coastal Living.”
“It’s a spec house. Most of the products are the latest and greatest,” Dubois said.
The New England style cottage is a three level home with four bedrooms. The house features the latest kitchen appliances in stainless steel, the most up-to-date radiant floor heating and a new siding and roofing system. White wainscoting covers the walls along with decorations in pale shades of pink, green and blue selected by interior designer Tracey Rapisarde, owner of Sea Rose in South Portland.
“When you look at a Maine cottage, you see the cedar shingles and the wood porches. That material doesn’t withstand the weather. Companies across the country make products to withstand the weather changes, especially in Maine, that will require the least amount of maintenance,” Thomas said.
The roof is composed of lamarite shakes, the shingles are cedar impressions that won’t fade or chip, and the white trim is made from a material called azek, Thomas said. She said these products are made from synthetic materials that won’t rot, but look like the real thing.
“For most people these will be their second homes. They want to just board it up, come back in the summer and not have to deal with painting,” Thomas said.
This is the 12th year “Coastal Living” has featured an Idea Cottage and an Idea House in the magazine, but this is the first time they have come to Maine. The purpose of the house is to give readers an idea of latest home trends, and also serves as a fundraiser for two charitable causes.
A grand opening for the Idea Cottage is scheduled for July 16, and anyone can tour the house for $6 until Labor Day. “Coastal Living” selects two nonprofits to sponsor with the revenue from the tours. For this house, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland and Safe Passage of Yarmouth will each receive half of the revenue generated from the tours.
“To be a recipient of support from the ‘Coastal Living’ house, the requirement is we provide volunteers to sell tickets, give tours and sit outside,” said Rachel Meyn, the U.S. Director of Safe Passage.
Safe Passage, founded in 1999, is a nonprofit organization based in Guatemala that supports children and their families working in the garbage dumps of Guatemala City, providing them with an opportunity to get out of poverty, Meyn said. She said they have helped 500 children and have a volunteer base of 1,000 people in Maine.
Kate Callahan, volunteer coordinator for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland, said when the organization heard about the fundraising opportunity, it expressed interest in the partnership with “Coastal Living.”
“It is the first time we have done a fundraiser like this. We are really hopeful people are interested in coming to see it and it also attracts a different volunteer base,” Callahan said.
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland was founded in 1985 with the mission to eliminate poverty housing in the area, Callahan said. So far the organization has helped 200 families.
The house will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday, and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sundays.  
Meanwhile, the Idea Cottage is on the market for $1.5 million. Dubois said there has been some interest in the property already, but hopes the month and a half of tours will produce a definite buyer.
If you are interested in volunteering, call Meyn at 846-1188 or Callahan at 772-2151.