Three years ago, homeowners Debra and Bob were driving around the coast of Mount Hope Bay when they spotted a worn down summer cottage by the water that looked like the perfect downsizer home once the kids were off to college. After realizing renovations to the existing home wouldn’t be possible, the couple chose to buy and rebuild, wanting a lasting home for themselves and future generations. For thirty years, Debra has worked at Horner Millwork, and this project allowed her to use the very products the company offers, including windows, interior doors and mouldings, custom cabinetry, stairways, entrance units and built-in storage spaces, most of which are made locally in Somerset, Massachusetts. “It was kind of like giving a kid a fresh box of Crayola crayons — and I didn’t get the eight colors — I got the big box. All these Horner products I know about and have seen produced for our customers, now I had the opportunity to use them in my home.”

Debra worked with builder PJR Construction, home designers at Cornerstone Design/Build Services and interior designer Kim Culpan, a personal friend who passed away from cancer shortly after the project was complete. “To her dying day, she was picking out fabrics with me just to get everything perfect because, in her mind, she couldn’t leave anything undone,” Debra says. With the help of her team and all of Horner’s crayons at the ready, Debra and Bob have their Portsmouth dream home to share with their children and grandchildren for many years to come.

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