A Chat with Molly in Maine (Creativity Over Coffee)

Grab your coffee or tea because it’s time for our first installment of Creativity Over Coffee of 2025 and you’re in for a real treat with this one. I can’t wait to share my chat with Molly in Maine. Well, actually it’s Molly Walpuck, but if you follow her blog or her on Instagram then you’ll know her as Molly in Maine!

I’m such a big fan of all of Molly’s feed, her home, and all her beautiful antiques and styling.

Creativity Over Coffee

Meet Molly! We’ve been friends for a few years now, I’m not sure how many and we’ve actually never met in real life but chat all the time via DMs and emails. We joke that we’re twins- she loves blue, Cornishware, antiques, coastal living, her dogs… The list goes on and on. I’m delighted to share this lovely chat with my friend Molly.

A Chat with Molly in Maine

Thank you so much for deciding to join me for coffee and chat about your creative process.  When I had just graduated from film school in London and couldn’t find work, I found inspiration through the many biographies I read from the library.  I used to go there each week and take out more.

Many people believe they are not creative.  I hear this all the time.  It is my hope with these conversations with my talented friends that I hope to inspire my readers to believe that they truly are creative. That creativity is just sitting inside of them waiting to bubble over.

Molly, I really love your story and how you came to live in Maine. Can you tell my readers more about your story and how you started your site, Molly in Maine?

Molly – I grew up in NY and went to college in New Hampshire. After graduation, I moved to the D.C. area and that is where my career kept me for 34 years.  I raised my family in Maryland, and while I loved our home there, the area never really felt like “me”.  I just wanted to get back to New England.  Two of our kids ended up going to school in Maine and that is when I fell in love with the state and the people here.  Shortly before I retired, we bought a property here on the coast.  It was a fabulous view with two run down cottages.  But I had a vision. 

I retired at a fairly young age, and knew that I wanted to do something else, something that tapped into my creative streak.  The spring before I retired I took a workshop on color in interior design.  This gave me the idea to get on Instagram and start a blog.  In 2019, after construction on our house was done, I started my Instagram account. It took off like I could never have imagined.  After a few years on IG, though, I realized that I wanted a broader platform and I wanted full control over my own content.  So, in 2022 I started my blog.  And here I am today!

My readers love antiques and home decor. I absolutely love your styling and antiques in your home. Do you have a favorite or an heirloom in your home?

Molly – Thank you!  I could never pick just one favorite piece, but there are a few that I think are particularly special.  

My mom passed away in 2019.  She had been sick for a couple years, so she never got to visit the new house here in Maine.  She was a big antique collector and I am so lucky to have many of her pieces now in my home.  Of course there is her beloved collection of blue and white antique transferware dishes.  The many pieces I have are only a small part of her vast collection.  My sisters and Dad also have their own.  They are so special to me and I always feel her presence in them.  

I was also lucky to get the big antique English sideboard I have in the entryway from my parents’ house.  And a wonderful painted cottage chest of drawers that I had always admired in their home. 

A favorite piece (and one of the few things) I brought from our home in Maryland is the pine hutch in the dining area.  The architect actually designed a spot for it into the plans for the house.  It is not the finest piece of furniture I have (I got it at an estate sale), but I love its look and it is so fun to decorate for the seasons.  It is also a lovely focal point in the home.  

Three favorite pieces I have purchased here in Maine for the house are:  

The Victorian painted cottage headboard I had made into a four-poster bed in my bedroom.  It is as if the painted coastal scene was made over 100 years ago specifically for my home. I love the turquoise blue color and the sweet scalloped detailing. 

The Victorian faux grain chest of drawers in the far corner of the living room.  I scored it at a local auction for just $35!  Again, it is the little painted bucolic scenes in the center of each drawer which make my heart go pitter-pat.  I love pieces with unique details.  

And a fairly recent purchase – the European marriage cupboard I scored at a deep discount from an antiques store that was going out of business.  With its blue and brown decorative painted finish, it is another piece that just seems like it was made for my home.  The M R on the door – my childhood initials – sealed the deal for me! 

What’s your favorite thing about living in Maine?

Molly – There are many things I love about living here – the people, unpretentious and quiet lifestyle, spirit of independence and practicality, and four distinct seasons (well, at least 3, spring sometimes feels a lot like winter..), to name a few.  

But probably my favorite thing is the state’s natural beauty.  From the mountains to the lakes to the coast, we have it all here.  I am an extremely visual person and to always be surrounded by  beauty grounds me and brings me a feeling of peace.  

Do you have a favorite room in your home? Why is it your favorite?

I love all the rooms in my house, but I would say that my favorite, and the room I spend the most time in, is the kitchen/dining area.  The two are fully open to each other, but distinguished from one another by some of my favorite finishes – pine beams in the dining area and a beadboard ceiling and painted wood floor in the kitchen area.  I love to cook and I situated my big blue BlueStar range so that I look out at the water when I stand at it.  You get the same view from the dining table.  When I stand at the sink, I look out at the wildflower meadow, in full bloom spring through fall.  Both spaces are warmed by the see-through fireplace in the winter.  And when I sit at the island and turn my head I can see my favorite view into the living room.  And of course, there are so many wonderful memories of family and friends gathered around the dining table.  The kitchen/dining area is always where people gather.  It is the heart of the home! 

When do you feel most creative or happy?

Molly – Of course I am happiest when my kids (and now grandkids) are home.  

But I always feel energized when I am doing something creative around the house – decorating the mantel, arranging dishes in the hutch, putting together a table centerpiece, creating a seasonal arrangement, picking out mix and match pillow covers, sewing a home project, and the list goes on…  One of the things I love about Maine is how many creatives there are here.  My neighbor across the street is a retired doctor, but now she is always making and creating.  Last fall I had her over and we put together lobster buoy arrangements to display on either side of my front door.  We both had the best time “playing” with old buoys, colored rope, and net “feed bags”.  This is the kind of thing that gets my creative juices flowing and gives me energy! 

Who or what inspires you?

Molly – Of course I am inspired by so many talented people in the decorating world – on Instagram, in books, magazines, and online.  

But I am most inspired by the beauty that surrounds me here in Maine, and most directly the view outside my windows.

You’ve done some renovations. Do you have any advice for people or any funny stories?

Molly – We renovated the guest cottage.  The house turned out to be a knock-down and new build.  It was a fabulous experience in so many ways and truly such a privilege.  But it was also the most stressful thing I have ever done.  (Granted, we were also selling and moving out of our Maryland home of 28 years at the same time…)  I will tell anyone building a new home to be ready for it to take longer and cost more than you expect.  People will always be asking you for money – large amounts of it.  Decide where you want to spend the money and where you want to save.  Be flexible, but also stand up for what you really want.  Be ready to make more decisions – big and small – than you think your brain can handle.  But follow your vision and keep the end game in site.  It will all be worth it!  

What’s your favorite color?

Molly – Um, do you need to ask?!  Blue, of course! 🙂

What struggles have you found running your own creative businesses? What are the highlights or perks of being your own boss?

Molly – Well, I hesitate to call mine a “business”, because I hardly make any money.  That is one of my frustrations.  It is hard to get traction and reach.  On IG, I am at the mercy of the algorithm.  And for my blog, it is Google.  It is hard to stay true to my own voice, while also trying to post and write for both of these gatekeepers.  I work hard on my content, and I create things that I think are unique.  But then hardly anyone sees them.  I am grateful to have a subset of loyal followers, though, and that keeps me going.  I obviously enjoy the flexibility and being able to follow my creative heart, wherever that  might take me.

What’s on the horizon for Molly in Maine?

Molly – I don’t have any big plans right now.  Keep producing content.  Keep interacting with people.  Keep sharing beauty.  There are brands I would like to work with.  And I would love to somehow increase my revenue stream a bit.  But, truthfully, I am waiting and pondering what my next steps are.  I would like to think that there is something fun and home-related for me to do that maybe isn’t so dominated by algorithms and google searches.  I am open to ideas!

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Molly – Oh gosh, that’s hard. For me it has been a rollercoaster ride.  There have been some incredible highs, but there have been some big frustrations too.  So you just have to roll with it.  Stay true to yourself and believe in your own unique voice and perspective.  Appreciate those who lift you up and try to ignore those who try to drag you down.  And just keep working.  You will never get anywhere if you give up.

Growing up I was a huge follower of INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO.  At the end of the program, they would ask the interviewee these questions:

What is your favorite word? yes

What is your least favorite word?  no

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? A new project

What turns you off?  The need for complex power tools

What is your favorite curse word? I am embarrassed to say it is the F-word, as in What the F??  It is unfortunately my reaction to this crazy world more often than I like these days…

What sound or noise do you love?  I love the sound of my sweet dog Maddie giving a big sigh when she settles in for bed.  And of course, very recently, my two grandchildren just learning to say “Mim”.  

What sound or noise do you hate?  The car door closing when my kids leave after a visit.  

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?  An artist, if I had the talent!

What profession would you not like to do?  Lawyer  

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Your mom is waiting for you right over there. 

Aw, wasn’t that a lovely little chat. Don’t you love Molly’s style and her home. I hope you all enjoyed this interview. I’m hoping one day Molly and I can have coffee in person! A huge thank you to Molly for sharing her journey and her creativity! Be sure to follow along with her:

If you’d like more Creativity Over Coffee you can read the full series here.

Photos courtesy of Molly Walpuck

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