In the picturesque coastal town of Owls Head, Maine, writer Zinzi Edmundson has built a life centered around the rhythms of nature, family, and a deeply rooted DIY ethos. Best known for her writing on Substack, Edmundson shares her coastal sanctuary with her husband, Jesse, and their two sons, James and Russ, along with their high-energy hound dog, Juniper. For Edmundson, the appeal of Maine is inextricably linked to the landscape, particularly the local waters. "My favorite Maine activity is swimming, hands down," she says. "The ocean is cold, but once you get over the shock, it has a minerality that feels amazing. Luckily for us, we’re a five-minute drive from the beach."
The home itself reflects a harmonious blend of inherited charm, personal touches, and thoughtful updates. Stepping through the front door, visitors are greeted by a charming doormat featuring a fish graphic—an artifact left behind by the previous homeowners. Though Jesse initially attempted to replace it with a new mat before the kids intervened, Edmundson championed keeping the original piece. "Everyone loves the fish," she notes, securing its permanent place at the entryway.
The Kitchen as a Heart of Domestic Life
In the kitchen, walls painted in Benjamin Moore’s Alabaster White pair strikingly with cabinetry finished in Farrow & Ball’s Studio Green. The space serves as the functional heart of the home, where Edmundson tackles the daily reality of feeding a family. Pre-parenting culinary ambitions have evolved into practical crowd-pleasers, chief among them being poke bowls. Utilizing a nearby local fish market, the family regularly assembles meals featuring marinated yellowfin tuna, sushi rice, and fresh slices of mango and avocado. Recent countertop additions, like an air fryer championed for transforming frozen burritos and tofu, have further streamlined family meal preparation.
Living in rural Maine also breeds a distinct cultural attitude toward home maintenance. Because the local workforce is relatively small, professional help isn’t always immediately available when something breaks. This reality fostered an empowering sense of self-reliance for Edmundson. Early on, when a kitchen drawer broke, she took apart an intact drawer to reverse-engineer its construction and execute the repair herself. "Learning how to repair it was an empowering feeling," she reflects.
A nearby dining area features a table custom-built by a friend, surrounded by chairs from Hay and stools from Rejuvenation. Nearby, a stark white accent wall was given new life through a curated gallery of old photographs and personal ephemera, transforming an empty surface into a vibrant wall of memories.
Cozy Corners and Family Chronicles
Downstairs, the television and family room offers a retreat anchored by a Jotül wood-burning stove, IKEA hand-me-down seating, and a rug sourced from the Vermont Country Store. For Edmundson, this space provides a tranquil sanctuary before the rest of the household wakes up. In a life where parenting often brings abrupt, early-morning demands, this quiet morning nook serves as the space where she drinks coffee and writes her morning pages.
Geographic isolation in Maine requires a deliberate approach to recreation. With most local towns offering just a handful of commercial attractions, Edmundson reframes long drives to neighboring communities as full-day adventures. Trips to nearby Belfast often combine visits to a local toy store with gift certificates, hikes at a regional land trust, and meals at community cafes.
Creativity thrives in the household, extending to the children’s pursuits. Youngest son Russ incorporates eclectic musical tastes into his piano practice, ranging from Bad Bunny’s "La Mudanza" to classical pieces inspired by his love for the Peanuts comic strip. Family history is woven throughout the decor as well, including a collection of vintage "Starting Lineup" sports figures passed down from Jesse’s father, celebrating Edmundson’s lifelong allegiance to the Boston Red Sox.
Personalized Spaces for Growing Kids
Upstairs, the home accommodates the distinct personalities of preteen James and younger brother Russ. James’s bedroom, painted in Portola Paints’ Duet, features an IKEA bunk bed, a Nugget comfort sofa, and a ship kite by Haptic Lab. Navigating the preteen years has introduced a new dynamic for Edmundson. "I sometimes miss the snuggly, visceral babyness of the early years, but when your kids hit their tween years, you have someone you can really talk and relate to," she says, noting that late-night ice cream runs often spark deep, engaging conversations. James’s affinity for classic pastimes is evident in his fondness for communicating around the house using a tin-can phone.
Russ’s room occupies a uniquely cozy footprint—a converted walk-in closet. Painted in Benjamin Moore’s Galapagos Green and adorned with a space mobile from Djeco and a salamander poster from Maine Big Night, the compact space suits his preference for small quarters. Despite suggestions to move into a larger guest room, Russ prefers his tiny alcove, where he spends time with LEGO bricks and Brain Quest workbooks.
Refuges and Renewal in the Primary Suite
The primary bedroom reflects a late-stage interior project that Edmundson undertook as a testament to self-care and partnership. Painted in Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster, the room features a bedside table from Schoolhouse, a jute rug from Revival, and a rocking chair reupholstered by Edmundson herself. For years, the couple slept on an old metal bed frame while prioritizing other areas of the house. When Jesse gently suggested focusing on their bedroom, Edmundson surprised him by painting the entire space while he was away on a work trip.
This renewed focus on personal space follows a journey through postpartum depression after Russ’s birth. Guided by the exercises in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way, Edmundson used creative check-ins to rebalance her life. Now, with older children, she finds herself with the autonomy and time required to write, create, and invest in friendships without feeling rushed.
The primary suite also holds sentimental tributes, including a custom pillow made by an aunt following the death of Edmundson’s first dog, Ruby. That love for hounds eventually led her to Juniper, a high-energy rescue dog from Rhode Island whose affectionate greetings involve wrapping closely around family members.
Connecting Indoors and Out
Down the hall, a moody bathroom features wallpaper from Nickey Kehoe and walls painted in Farrow & Ball’s Black Blue. The wide-plank wood paneling was constructed with the help of Edmundson’s stepdad, a former house painter, channeling the layered powder rooms of her childhood memories.
Outside, a sunroom situated just eight feet from the edge of the forest offers frequent glimpses of local wildlife, including deer foraging for fallen pears. Just beyond, Edmundson tends to her garden—a multi-year endeavor that represents her longest-running consistent hobby. Integrating edible nasturtiums and vibrant zinnias directly into her vegetable beds, she finds solace in the annual ritual of planting, cultivating, and tending the soil alongside her family.