On a rainy day in Northeast Harbor, a new display of colors and textures on lower Main Street furnishes the afternoon lull with creative spark. Moving into 147 Main Street this winter is Good Design Here, a furniture and design store owned by Diana Brochendorff, a long-time resident (seasonal turned year-round) of Mount Desert. Inside, visitors are greeted by the chime of seaglass mobiles (made by Islesford’s Jane Moran Porter) while piano and cello exchange phrases over the music speakers –– Yo-Yo Ma’s Obrigado Brazil, one of Diana’s favorite albums. “I love that he travels from Africa in one album to South America in another,” she remarks. “He is adventuresome!”

“Adventuresome” would also aptly describe the vibrant collection of works featured at Good Design Here, each seeming perfectly at home despite their incongruity. By the front window, a Ming dynasty vase nestles comfortably beside a set of 1950s Borge Mogensen chairs. Across the room, a glossy Victorian sideboard rests solidly beneath a canvas by contemporary Native artist Jaune Quick-To-See Smith. Most of the pieces on display are 20th century modern, although, Diana says, “Good design is good design –– I don’t care if it was made yesterday or a thousand years ago.”

Formerly a commercial real estate developer (historic preservation) and a gallery co-owner in Washington, D.C., Diana has served on the boards of numerous nonprofit and arts organizations, including Friends of Acadia, where she chaired the annual Gala and helped to transform it into one of the island’s most acclaimed summer events. With her background in arts and design, she ran a consignment shop on Main Street from 2009 until 2013, when the building changed ownership. She then moved the store and her cadre of loyal clients to Seal Harbor, where it became Good Design Here. Now, she’s bringing the business back to Northeast Harbor, where its new location includes the storefront at 147 Main Street and a future courtyard with pavilions in the adjacent lot at 145 Main Street.

147 Main Street has a long history of hosting creative talent; formerly the home of Local Color and Maine Gifts by the Sea, it exhibited Friends of Acadia’s silent auction over the summer. It has now been transformed again by Diana’s expertise in design and craftsmanship, focusing on great designers of the 1930s through the 1970s. 

Although the store begins regular operating hours in early May, Diana is eager to meet clients by appointment as she prepares the storefront for the summer season. Until then, passersby will observe an exciting rotation of indoor and outdoor furniture, furnishings, and fine art displayed in the building’s large windows. Keep an eye out for a catalogue before the holidays, and the launch of an online shop tailored for interior design in the new year.